French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday said dispatching French forces on the ground to fight Islamic State fighters in Iraq was possible as part of the international community efforts to curb terrorism in the region.
Read More »McCain urges India to join fight against Islamic State
U.S. Republican Senator John McCain has urged New Delhi and Washington to extend bilateral cooperation deeper into counterterrorism operations linked to West Asia, citing both al Qaeda boss Ayman al-Zawahiri’s announcement of a new terror ‘wing’ for the Indian subcontinent, and the growing presence of foreign recruits in the ranks …
Read More »Karzai calls on presidential candidates to reach agreement for unity govt
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday urged presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah to reach an agreement soon on a national unity government.
Read More »Egypt hails election of new Iraqi government
Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Badr Abdelatty welcomed in an official statement released on Tuesday the formation of an Iraqi new government headed by Haidar Al-Abadi, who was sworn-in before the Iraqi parliament on Monday.
Read More »Syrian jets launch airstrikes near Lebanese border town
Syrian warplanes launched airstrikes Monday on a Lebanese border town in northeastern the country, targeting hideouts of Syrian anti-government militants, official media reported. Syrian government’s warplanes bombed the town of Arsal, bordering Qalamon, Syria, where a number of opposition Syrian armed men are usually stationed.
Read More »UN, Syrian officials discuss chemical weapons destruction
Faisal Meqdad, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, and Sigrid Kaag, head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN (OPCW-UN) joint mission on eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program, discussed issues related to Syrian chemical weapons.
Read More »EU defence ministers discuss Iraq, Ukraine situation
EU ministers of defence will hold an informal meeting in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a number of issues including the crises in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, EU officials said here Monday.
Read More »Hagel to visit Turkey
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is due to visit Turkey on Monday for an official visit where he will meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a number of senior officials. The two sides will discuss threats posed by the Islamic State (IS) and best possible ways to combat …
Read More »Poroshenko visits Mariupol
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday visited a frontline city in the restive southeast as a ceasefire is generally taking hold. Reaffirming his solidarity with Mariupol, a strategic port town by the Azov Sea that has been under control of government forces, Poroshenko tweeted that “we will not give up …
Read More »Morsi could face death sentence over leaking secret document charges
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi may face death sentence on charges of leaking national security documents to Qatar, the official MENA news agency reported on Sunday, citing a judiciary source. The former president along with 10 others will face trial over charges of handing national security files to the Qatari …
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