Unipath

UNIPATH STAFF Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov re-emphasized his country’s commitment to defeat terrorism in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018. President Jeenbekov expressed support for the U.N.’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and noted that Kyrgyzstan lies at the crossroads of Central Asian drug trafficking routes used to help finance violent extremism. Approved in 2006, the U.N. counterterrorism strategy entails not just preventing and fighting terrorism, but also upholding the rule of law and human rights. The Kyrgyz president emphasized his commitment to parliamentary democracy and anti-corruption measures. Judicial and security sector reform are two prongs of…

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UNIPATH STAFF Royal Saudi Navy Commander Gen. Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ghufaili launched the country’s first MH-60R helicopter in September 2018, part of the kingdom’s adoption of top-tier military technology to help stabilize the Middle East. Saudi Arabia plans to buy 10 MH-60R multirole helicopters from Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Co. at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program. Speaking at a ceremony to introduce the helicopter, Gen. al-Ghufaili said the MH-60R will aid Saudi Arabia in achieving its strategic objectives according to the vision and directives of Commander in Chief His Majesty King Salman bin…

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UNIPATH STAFF Egypt hosted what it called the first joint Arab military exercise on its soil. Military forces from six Arab countries gathered at Mohammed Najib Military Base near Alexandria during November 2018 for the Arab Shield 1 exercise. Troops from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates participated in the joint training, which lasted nine days and included ground, air and naval forces. The exercise was part of an effort to strengthen military cooperation between Egypt and its Middle Eastern partners to maintain security and restore stability to the region. A spokesman for Egyptian forces…

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UNIPATH STAFF Praised by then Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev for improving security in Central Asia, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) celebrated 20 years in the country in October 2018. During those two decades, the OSCE has sponsored more than 1,000 military, political, economic and humanitarian projects in Kazakhstan. Thousands of Kazakhstanis participate in such projects each year. The national capital of Nur-Sultan was the scene of an international conference marking Kazakhstan’s 20-year anniversary as a member of the organization. Speakers included OSCE Secretary-General Thomas Greming. “We support [Kazakhstan’s] key national reforms, including police reforms. We need…

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UNIPATH STAFF During a meeting in Baghdad in October 2018, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed   Ali al-Hakim and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi agreed to form a committee to strengthen security cooperation, protection of their common border and trade. Bilateral cooperation in terms of energy, particularly electricity, and Jordanian companies’ participation in Iraqi reconstruction projects were among the topics discussed in the meeting, Foreign Minister al-Hakim said. Foreign Minister Safadi, meeting at Iraq’s Presidential Palace with Iraqi President Barham Salih, repeated his country’s desire to strengthen relations with its eastern neighbor. “The king sent with me a message to you…

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UNIPATH STAFF Kuwaiti troops joined forces with their French counterparts to complete the Pearl of the West exercise in November 2018. Pearl of the West was held in accordance with a 1992 Security Cooperation Agreement between the two countries and is designed to raise the performance and combat efficiency of Kuwaiti ground, air and naval forces. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense acclaimed the 2018 exercise the largest ever. Thousands of troops participated. Drills included the use of live ammunition at the shooting range complex northwest of Kuwait City. French Ambassador to Kuwait Marie Masdupuy noted that Pearl of the West…

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UNIPATH STAFF The United Arab Emirates could be one of the first countries to capture criminals using flying motorcycles that can bypass congested roads by taking to the air. Brig. Gen. Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi, director of the Dubai police artificial intelligence unit, aims to use the electric motorcycles as first responders.  Called hoverbikes, they are equipped with four drone-like vertical propellers that thrust them as high as 16 feet in the air. Brig. Gen. Khalid has established the ambitious goal of equipping his force with the new technology by 2020. Two police crews are already training to drive the motorcycles,…

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Yemeni women gathered in Amman, Jordan, in November 2018 to outline ways to ease the conflict raging in their homeland.  United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths chaired a meeting of the Yemeni women’s technical advisory group, created during peace talks in 2013 to give women a greater voice in the country’s civil affairs.  “It is the women of Yemen who pay the highest price of the war; the voice of women is crucial to build peace,”  technical advisory group member  Somaya Al-Hussam told the U.N. Somaya’s contribution to local conflict resolution in Yemen has been…

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UNIPATH STAFF Air forces from across the Middle East trained together in Bahrain in November 2018 to reaffirm their defensive partnership. Despite heavy rain, multinational aircraft split the sky over the Arabian Gulf during the Basic Liaison 2018 exercise hosted by the Bahrain Defense Force. Participating directly were air forces from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Pakistan participated as observers. The exercise began with advanced tactical joint air defense operations and command and control missions in airspace allotted to Basic Liaison. Commanders praised the high efficiency displayed by flight crews.  Basic Liaison…

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UNIPATH STAFF Calling for unity in the fight against terrorism and instability, Lebanese military leaders graduated a fresh crop of young officers in November 2018. Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun presided at the graduation ceremony at Tripoli Municipal Stadium, joined by Brig. Gen. Yaqoub Muawad, commander of the Army’s 12th Brigade. Brig. Gen. Muawad commended graduates on their decision to join the Army to defend the homeland and preserve its dignity at this critical time. “These men, who come from all over the country, reflect the cohesion between the military establishment and Lebanese society and the overall role played…

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