Eurasia

US will continue to keep Patriot missiles in Turkey

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the US will continue to provide two Patriot missile batteries in Turkey for another year as part of that country’s air defenses while the civil war rages on in Syria. Pentagon spokesman Carl Woog says Hagel met with Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, on Monday …

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Lebanese officials condemn attack near Iranian Embassy

Lebanese officials condemned the deadly bombings that targeted the Iranian Embassy in Beirut Tuesday and stressed the need to distance the country from regional turmoil. “We condemn this cowardly terrorist act which is aimed at inciting tensions in Lebanon and using the country as an arena to send political messages,” said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

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Afghan elders to discuss security pact with United States

Thousands of tribal chieftains and politicians will gather this week in the Afghan capital to discuss a security pact with the United States which will shape Washington’s future military presence in the war-scarred nation. The bilateral security agreement (BSA) will determine how many US soldiers stay in Afghanistan when most …

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US to provide basic training for Libyan military personnel

The United States has agreed to provide basic combat training for 5,000 to 8,000 Libyan military personnel, Defense Department spokesman Steve Warren said Monday. The training mission is still being planned, and is slated to take place at a base in Bulgaria,Warren said during a Pentagon briefing. He provided

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Syrian troops start large-scale offensive north of Damascus

The Syrian government troops have started a large-scale offensive on the northern outskirts of Damascus, after tightening the screws on rebels in the southern rim of the capital. The forces have been besieging the town of Qara in the al- Qalamoun mountains north of Damascus and near the border with

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