The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) earned international plaudits for disarming and stabilizing the southern part of the country after recent conflicts. U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, then Chairman of the Ceasefire Implementation Mechanism, accompanied LAF officers on a visit to the South Litani region of the country. The January 2025 trip included a stop in Al Khiam, the first border region to fully transition back to Lebanese control since the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities on November 27, 2024. In just a month, the LAF cleared over 9,800 pieces of explosive ordnance from more than 80 locations. “I am…
Unipath
The United States and its allies and partners have reiterated that waterways are vital to worldwide shipping and must remain open. To that end, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) and others are stepping up the Combined Joint All-Domain Operations (CJADO) campaign, an international initiative committed to preserving the safe movement of cargo and military vessels through strategically critical oceans and seas. More than 80% of the world’s goods transported by ships move through Indo-Pacific sea lanes and chokepoints, from the Indian Ocean to the Sea of Japan and include the Luzon, Malacca, Singapore and Taiwan straits. A…
The Houthi terrorist group continues to promote political and economic instability through its Iranian-backed campaign of violence and intimidation in Yemen. Chief among the disruptions to the region are the drone and missile attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. “The Houthis want to blackmail the world in the Red Sea and are cloaking their acts of sabotage in misleading political justifications,” Yemeni President Dr. Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, said in the spring of 2025. Restraining the Houthis from threatening regional and international law and order will require a collective effort from international partners,…
Bioterrorism refers to the use of microorganisms or biological products as a means of terrorizing and causing harm. This type of terrorism is characterized by its ability to cause widespread fear and destruction while making it difficult to trace the source of the attack and identify those responsible. Bioterrorism differs from other types of terrorism in several respects: Nature of agent: Microscopic organisms or their toxins are used, while conventional terrorism relies on conventional weapons such as bombs and firearms. Method of spread: Biological agents can be spread in different ways, such as air, water or food, and symptoms of…
A gathering of military, diplomatic and academic experts — including top officers from U.S. Central Command — concluded that Arab nations of the Middle East are the critical piece in establishing peace and stability. “Untying the Gordian Knot: Envisioning Peace in the Middle East” was the title of the conference at the University of South Florida in September 2024. The university’s Global National Security Institute hosted the event in Tampa, Florida, with U.S. Central Command. “We’re in a dangerous time in the Middle East,” said retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command. “But we’ve been in bad places…
When Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service officers talk to each other, they use terms not used anywhere else. It is as if these heroes have a language of their own. They know each other by the number of battles they have fought and the injuries they have sustained during these fierce engagements against terrorist gangs, battles that resemble those from ancient sagas. Their gatherings encompass the full spectrum of Iraqi society — Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and Assyrians — united under the Iraqi flag. This is how Brig. Gen. Ali Hashem al-Kenani, deputy commander of the First Special Operations Division of the Counter-Terrorism…
Leading the effort to shore up security in the region, Egypt hosted in September 2024 the Ministerial Council of the Arab League at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. Along with Arab states’ ministers of foreign affairs, several prominent international officials attended, including Turkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, U.N. Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief, and U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag. Mainly focused on the conflict in Gaza, topics included: Calling on parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, prevent escalation and engage in negotiation to end…
Pakistan hosted an Iraqi military delegation in August 2024, a meeting that focused on boosting cooperation between the two countries’ Air Forces. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman, secretary-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, visited Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. Topics of mutual interest filled their agenda, including expanded training and cooperation between the two militaries, particularly in aviation. Commander of Iraqi Air Force Lt. Gen. Shehab Jahid Ali was part of the delegation. Marshal Sidhu reiterated Pakistan’s support for providing capacity-building to the Iraqi Air Force. Pakistan…
At the conclusion of its 161st meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September 2024, the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) affirmed in its final communique that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have joint exclusive right to exploit the natural resources in Al Durra gas field. According to international law and based on agreements between them, the field lies entirely in the territorial water of the State of Kuwait, adjacent to the Kuwaiti-Saudi Partitioned Neutral Zone. The Council firmly rejected any claims of rights by any other party — alluding to Iran — to intrude in this area. United…
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon’s official visit to Kuwait in November 2024 promised to broaden security cooperation between the two countries. The main point of the visit was for Tajik officials to join the International Conference on counterterrorism and border security, but President Rahman used the occasion to discuss economic ties with Kuwaiti Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya. Kuwait reiterated support for Tajik infrastructure projects through the Kuwait Development Fund. Kuwait has helped provide financing for road improvements, water management and other economically critical projects. Kuwait views engagement in Central Asia as a way to expand its geopolitical footprint in…