Special forces Staff Col. Haidar Dhari Al Khayyoun has led men across Iraq Unipath Staff Col. Haider Al Khayyoun’s Soldiers had just rescued a squadron of their comrades besieged by Daesh fighters in Ramadi. He barely had time to relish news of the relief force’s successful mission when an enemy bullet punched a hole between two vertebrae in his neck. He collapsed to the ground unconscious. His men assumed Col. Haider — known as the Son of Sheikhs for his conspicuous bravery — was dead. But he wasn’t. “I was in treatment for a year,” Col. Haider said. “I was…
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UNIPATH STAFF Neon Response 19 — the Bahraini/U.S. maritime exercise designed to protect Arabian Gulf shipping from explosives — was jarred by a real-world attack that reinforced the need for such joint training. The five-day exercise entailed disposal of explosives such as floating mines, providing harbor security, boarding and searching suspicious vessels, and close quarters assaults on enemy targets. As Bahraini and U.S. troops ran through their training scenarios, two tankers — one from Norway and another from Japan — were hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman on June 13, 2019. U.S. and partner nation naval forces responded…
The Iraqi government is taking a unified approach to tackling this security threat AHMAD SAAD, AL HARIS Photos by Reuters Drugs are one of the deadliest epidemics for human societies, leaving in their wake destruction in all areas of users’ lives. People take drugs to calm, tranquilize or stimulate themselves. But drug abuse can cause addiction, leading to dire psychological, health, mental and social consequences. Drug use usually begins through curiosity and a thirst for experimentation, and the first experience gives the user a euphoric feeling. This initial feeling acts as a trap, gradually drawing in the prey until the…
Chiefs of Defense Discuss Ways to Aid Afghanistan and Build Stability in Central and South Asia UZBEKISTAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE Top military commanders from Central and South Asia reiterated that peace in Afghanistan — and stability in the overall region — depends on finding common ground to combat internal and external threats. This plea for unity came at a chiefs of defense conference in Uzbekistan’s capital of Tashkent in February 2019. Attending were the chiefs of defense from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and then-U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Joseph Votel. The conference was an opportunity to…
Reintegration of repentant radicals can aid the development of the country RUSTAM HAYDAROV, PH.D., ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN The epoch of confrontation between Tajiks must finally be completed in 2019. Starting from 2020, a new stage should begin, a new epoch of development of Tajikistan under the framework of national accord, strengthening the positive international image of the republic. All Tajiks need to unite and concentrate on the implementation of the fourth strategic goal of our state: expanding productive employment through industrialization. Today, the world is immersed in an era of globalization, which has both positive…
Middle Eastern leaders work to strengthen cyber security by sharing information UNIPATH STAFF Cyber security cannot simply depend on highly trained technicians scouring networks for malicious infiltrations. Nor can security be achieved by brilliant software engineers who design virtually impenetrable networks. It takes the combined efforts of policy leaders, industry innovators, academic researchers, tradecraft specialists, military officials and regular employees across the full spectrum of government and business to defend against the advanced and persistent threats from hackers, malign state actors and cyber criminals. That is why the ninth annual Central Region Cybersecurity Conference (CRCC) — hosted by U.S. Central…
Iraq’s defense academies have upgraded training and curriculum to reflect unique security needs The foundation for building a disciplined and professional force requires preparing and training professional officers who believe in military doctrine, uphold military honor and abide by rules of engagement. It was truly heroic how the Iraqi Ministry of Defense Training Directorate rebuilt the Iraqi Army within a short time under fragile security conditions as Daesh controlled parts of the country. Unipath interviewed Deputy Army Chief of Staff for Training Lt. Gen. Salahdeen Mustafa Kamal about rebuilding units and preparing professional officers for the demands of modern militaries.…
United Arab Emirates celebrates the Year of Tolerance by welcoming the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar UNIPATH STAFF His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, announced that 2019 would be a Year of Tolerance, with the UAE serving as a global capital of tolerance and affirming the values of dialogue, pluralism, acceptance of others and openness to different cultures. The country didn’t wait long to affirm what those values mean in practice. Pope Francis held a Christian service attended by more than 150,000 worshipers in Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu…
Military Intelligence Leaders Focus on Building Relationships and Sharing Knowledge UNIPATH STAFF | Photos by U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND Like connecting pieces of a puzzle, military intelligence professionals stress the importance of collecting and sharing information to comprehend the big picture. The goal is to prevent terrorist attacks, anticipate enemy actions and strengthen national security. Addressing common security challenges, military intelligence leaders from the Middle East and North Africa met from March 31 to April 3, 2019, for U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) inaugural Middle East Directors of Military Intelligence Conference. Held in the United States in Tampa, Florida, the three-day conference…
The country modernizes its Armed Forces based on the demands of regional stability PROFESSOR MURAD IBRAGIMOV, HEAD OF MILITARY SECURITY DEPARTMENT, ACADEMY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UZBEKISTAN In the current globalization and transformation of the system of international relations, the world’s military-political situation is characterized by expanding challenges and threats to international and regional security. We can observe an intensification of geopolitical confrontation; a predominance of the power approach to the resolution of conflicts and crises; a lowering of the threshold for the use of force, including certain weapons of mass destruction; militarization; an intensification of international terrorism and…