Lapid inaugurates Israeli Consulate in Dubai: ‘We created the incredible’

“We are starting to get used to making history,” Lapid quipped, noting that he had inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi the day before. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid inaugurated Israel’s Consulate in Dubai on Wednesday, on the second day of the first trip to the United Arab Emirates by …

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Jordan’s king meets with Abbas, reiterates support for two-state solution

PA’s Mahmoud Abbas met with Jordan’s King Abdullah, where he expressed his support for the solution. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Amman, where he met with Jordan’s King Abdullah. The visit is to be seen in the context of coordination between the PA …

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Pentagon Will Leave Large Number of Troops in Afghanistan to Protect US Embassy, Airport

The U.S. will leave a number of troops that is much larger than a typical security detail to guard its embassy in Kabul, along with American forces at the Kabul airport to help protect the vital facility for a time, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday. “Afghanistan is not going to be …

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Khan: Pakistan Can Never Again Be US Partner in War

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday denounced as “idiocy” his country’s past policy of becoming a “front-line state” in the U.S.-led war against terrorism in Afghanistan, blaming the policy for the persistent security and economic challenges facing Islamabad. “We can be, and will always remain, partners in peace with …

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Germany signs on for Five Boeing P-8A Poseidon Aircraft

The German Ministry of Defense today signed a letter of offer and acceptance for five Boeing (NYSE:BA) P-8A Poseidon aircraft under the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. With this order, Germany becomes the eighth customer of the multimission maritime surveillance aircraft, joining the United States, Australia, India, the …

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Air2030: Federal Council decides to procure 36 F-35A fighter aircraft

The Federal Council is set to propose that Parliament approve the procurement of 36 F-35A fighter aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin and five Patriot fire units from US manufacturer Raytheon. An evaluation has revealed that these two systems offer the highest overall benefit at the lowest overall cost. The …

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Saudi bodyguards have been training in the U.S. since Obama. Why?

Revelations that Khashoggi’s killers were trained by a private security contractor in the States have raised some uncomfortable questions. Four of the 15 Saudis involved in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi received training in the United States, according to the New York Times. The story highlights the depth …

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China’s ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy is anything but effective

Each time they lash out aggressively or pick fights they do the hawks’ bidding, making it easier to stoke resistance and anti-Beijing sentiment. Chinese foreign policy has become more assertive and heavy-handed in the last decade, and as a result it has alienated some of its neighbors and fueled greater …

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It’s difficult to get the Pentagon to acknowledge civilian casualties

A recent DOD report shows how incomplete accounting leaves victims with no recourse to redress. On June 2, the U.S. Department of Defense released its 2020 report on civilian casualties. Several things stood out: the overall tally of 23 civilians killed and 11 injured in all U.S. military operations worldwide …

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The Afghan army we tried, but failed to build

U.S. officials think Kabul could fall to the Taliban within six months, a sad indictment of our multibillion effort to build security there. It is hard to be in a war, but sometimes even harder to leave. One reason is that a war’s goals may remain unfulfilled. Wise states do …

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