SALTANAT BERDIKEEVA Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan began a new chapter in their relations after holding discussions to boost trade and military cooperation. The two neighbors signed a road map on cooperation in December 2017 that covers foreign trade, customs, tax administration, crime fighting, transportation and other areas of cooperation. The agreement also removed stringent border controls that led to long queues and traffic. During an official meeting between the leaders of both countries, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that neither country has unresolvable problems. According to Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main partners and investors, and more than 700 Kyrgyz…
Unipath
UNIPATH STAFF Omani and U.S. Army troops successfully launched a simulated attack on Oman’s southern coast in January 2018 in what is expected to be part of a series of bilateral exercises between the two countries. Exercise Inferno Creek 18 engaged Soldiers for three weeks as scouts, engineers, infantry units and mortar teams. Participants came from the 11th Omani Brigade, Royal Army of Oman, and the U.S. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “Inferno Creek 2018 is an opportunity for the U.S. and our partner, the Omanis, to bridge a gap and build a relationship here in the Middle…
With deep sorrow, Unipath magazine mourns Maj. Gen. Fadhil Jamil Barwari, commander of the Golden Brigade of Iraqi special operations, who died Thursday, September 20, 2018. He set the example of courage and national unity. He was always fighting on the front lines with his Soldiers. MG Barwari was known for his humility, generosity and patriotism. He respected everyone, and never showed bias or favoritism to any sect or ethnicity. He was a proud Iraqi. The following article originally appeared in Unipath in October 2015. Leading The Golden Brigade Maj. Gen. Fadhil Jamil Barwari promotes unity UNIPATH STAFF Maj. Gen. Fadhil…
UNIPATH STAFF Kuwait hosted visits by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis and U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Joseph Votel in December 2017 amid continued cooperation between U.S. and Kuwaiti military units on the ground. Mattis, who met with Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah and Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, praised the role Kuwait has played since its liberation in 1991. “It’s a very open, transparent, honest relationship,” the U.S. defense secretary said. “They’ll tell you what they think right up front about any issue if asked, and we do ask them. Routinely,…
UNIPATH STAFF The Saudi Royal Land Forces and the Pakistan Army conducted three weeks of training in October 2017 called Al-Samsam 6. The exercise featured live ammunition, aerial assaults, dealing with improvised explosive devices, ambushes, raids and combat patrols. “The drills were characterized by seriousness and integration, in command and control, standardization of common military concepts and terminology and implementation of professional training,” said Saudi Brig. Gen. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Buqmmi, commanding officer of the exercise. The Saudi Press Agency noted the harmonious integration of the two countries’ forces and their ability to hit targets with precision. The concluding drill…
UNIPATH STAFF Kazakhstan is taking the fight against terrorism to the Caspian Sea, opening a coastal naval headquarters that will coordinate and conduct military operations against potential threats to shipping and oil and gas installations. “To date, all headquarters that operate in the state cover only the terrestrial territory. We do not have staffs on the sea side. Therefore, legislatively, we want to consolidate the possibility of carrying out anti-terrorist measures at sea,” said Daulet Yergozhin, deputy chairman of the National Security Committee, which approved the new naval headquarters. The headquarters’ responsibilities will include protecting offshore platforms and seagoing ships…
UNIPATH STAFF In yet another effort to improve combat readiness of its Armed Forces, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the Iron Union 5 military exercise with U.S. partners at the Al Hamra Training Center. Maj. Gen. Saleh al-Amiri, commander of UAE ground forces, lauded such joint exercises as a way to raise the performance and efficiency of the Armed Forces to defend the Arabian Gulf nations from potential threats. Such exercises also provide opportunities for the UAE to build better relationships and overcome cultural and language barriers with the armed forces of friendly countries such as the United States.…
UNIPATH STAFF Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev committed his country to better military and economic relations with Afghanistan during a December 2017 visit by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The countries reached agreements on trade, education, health care, and the formation of a joint commission to boost security along the Uzbek-Afghan border. The issues of terrorism, extremism and narcotics trafficking were also on the presidential agenda at the meeting in Tashkent. Deals also included construction of a new electrical transmission line from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and construction of a rail line between the Afghan cities of Herat and Mazar-e Sharif. President Mirziyoyev…
UNIPATH STAFF Discussion of current events — including the victory over Daesh in Iraq and the civil war in Yemen — occupied the attention of regional leaders meeting in Bahrain in December 2017 for the 13th edition of the Manama Dialogue. The annual security summit attracted leaders from 20 countries to address topics such as counterterrorism; conflict resolution in Syria, Yemen and Iraq; the security implications of economic reform; and political and military responses to extremism. Dr. Anwar Mohammad Gargash, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs and international cooperation, stressed that Arab states can no longer…
UNIPATH STAFF The Lebanese Army has received its first allotment of two A-29 Super Tucano light combat aircraft from the United States. The arrival of the aircraft boosts Lebanon’s ability to fight terrorists, defend its borders, conduct reconnaissance and support ground troops. The planes are equipped with machine guns and can be adapted to fire laser-guided missiles. The two aircraft, flown by pilots trained in the U.S., are the first of six Super Tucanos promised in 2018. The aircraft has served successfully in tumultuous regions such as Afghanistan, whose hilly terrain and hot summers duplicate those of Lebanon. The Lebanese…