A drone attack on Irbil airport in northern Iraq, where US forces are stationed, and a rocket attack on a military compound in the nearby town of Bashiqa, where Turkish troops are deployed, took place on Wednesday. The latter resulted in the death of a Turkish soldier and injured a …
Read More »Egypt joins Gulf region’s Combined Maritime Forces led by US
Egypt’s participation in the task force comes as Russia seeks closer defense ties with Cairo and Sudan. Egypt became the 34th member of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) on Wednesday, marking the latest regional contribution to the multinational security and counterterrorism coalition. The US Navy’s 5th Fleet commander, Vice …
Read More »Israel targets Hamas sites after rocket attack
The Israeli military said its warplanes struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing site, a tunnel and a military post. Israeli warplanes struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early on Friday in what the Israel Defense Forces said came in retaliation for a rocket fired at southern Israel several hours before. …
Read More »Israel stands alone on Iran
It is now clear that Israel has been left on its own as the Americans strive for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict with Iran. Lt. Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of the US Central Command’s Air Force, visited Israel at the end of February. His host, Air Force Commander Maj. …
Read More »Afghanistan Withdrawal Could Pose ‘Significant Risk’ To US, Intelligence Officials Say
The plan to pull troops from Afghanistan could give terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State a chance to regenerate the capabilities they would need to carry out an attack against the United States, according to top U.S. intelligence officials. Their warning, coming the same day U.S. President Joe Biden …
Read More »France Should Mobilize Rather Than Marginalize Its Muslims – OpEd
The egalitarian principles of the French republic would suggest that the state is blind to the creeds and private beliefs of its citizens. For the most part, this is correct. Its very particular brand of state-endorsed secularism projects a certain veneer of a republic to which all its citizens have …
Read More »Arab League Chief ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Move
The secretary-general of the Arab League has expressed his deep concerns over Iran’s decision to increase its enrichment of uranium to 60 percent, nudging it ever closer to bomb-grade purity. Ahmed Aboul Gheit has described Tehran’s move as a dangerous development and a clear step toward developing a nuclear weapon, …
Read More »US, NATO Slam Russian Plan to Block Parts of Black Sea
The United States and NATO accused Russia of again ramping up tensions, criticizing Moscow’s plans to limit access to the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait for most of the next six months due to military exercises. The U.S. Defense Department said Friday the Kremlin’s decision is “just the latest …
Read More »Western Balkans: Storm Over Unofficial Document Mulling Border Changes, EU’s Michel Silent
A phantom document proposing controversial border changes across the Western Balkans caused a political storm in the region and in Brussels this week. While most EU officials had little knowledge of the elusive document, the office of European Council President Charles Michel could not deny receiving it. EURACTIV took a …
Read More »Mozambique Needs To Address Deepening Political Discontent And Widening Socio-Economic Disparity – OpEd
Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has to make consistent efforts toward addressing the systemic governance deficit, deepening political discontent, and widening socio-economic disparity as the surest possible way to maintain long-term peaceful environment in Mozambique. That was the message, at least, emerging …
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