HOW ISLAMIC STATE IS PUTTING THE BALKANS ON EDGE

Sourced The National Interest By : Tej Parikh In Europe’s fragile southeast, Islamism threatens to galvanize national rivalries and unravel two decades of cold peace. For the largely secular, moderate and west-leaning Balkan states, where religious kinship transcends borders, violent extremism is fueling fear, ethnic tribalism and seditious security agendas. And as Islamic State group… Continue reading HOW ISLAMIC STATE IS PUTTING THE BALKANS ON EDGE

NATO AGREES TO EXPAND NAVAL, AIR PATROLS IN BLACK SEA

Sourced : EURASIA.NET by Joshua Kucera NATO has agreed to come up with a “coordination body” to manage activity in the Black Sea, a step toward formalizing a NATO presence in the region that Russia considers to be its sphere of influence. Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey — the three NATO members on the Black Sea… Continue reading NATO AGREES TO EXPAND NAVAL, AIR PATROLS IN BLACK SEA

TURKEY’S NEW MAPS ARE RECLAIMING THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Sourced : Foreign Policy By Nick Danforth Erdogan’s aggressive nationalism is now spilling over Turkey’s borders, grabbing land in Greece and Iraq In the past few weeks, a conflict between Ankara and Baghdad over Turkey’s role in the liberation of Mosul has precipitated an alarming burst of Turkish irredentism. On two separate occasions, President Recep… Continue reading TURKEY’S NEW MAPS ARE RECLAIMING THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

77th, 340th USAF WEAPONS SCHOOLS INTEGRATE COMBAT SKILLSETS

A B-52H Stratofortress takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 23 during Northern Edge 2009. The exercise is one in a series of U.S. Pacific Command exercises that prepare joint forces to respond to crises in the region. The B-52 is assigned to Barksdale AFB, La. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

Sourced : Barksdale Air Force Base By Senior Airman Curt Beach, 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs From 28,000 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, B-52 Stratofortress pilots Capt. Lance Adsit and Lt. Col. Erik Johnson look out their cockpit window to see a fellow bomber aircraft soaring through the clouds to their right; two B-1… Continue reading 77th, 340th USAF WEAPONS SCHOOLS INTEGRATE COMBAT SKILLSETS

NO TURKISH AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA SINCE 22 OF OCTOBER AFTER THREAT BY THE SYRIAN REGIME

Sourced : Turkish Minute Turkey has halted its airstrikes in Syria because its air force has been unable to carry out aerial campaigns as part of Operation Euphrates Shield since Oct. 22, after the Syrian government activated its air defense systems against the flight of Turkish warplanes in its airspace. According to the Hurriyet Daily… Continue reading NO TURKISH AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA SINCE 22 OF OCTOBER AFTER THREAT BY THE SYRIAN REGIME

U.S HAS SECRETLY EXPANDED ITS GLOBAL NETWORK OF DRONE BASES TO NORTH AFRICA

Sourced : The Washington Post By Adam Entous and Missy Ryan The Pentagon has secretly expanded its global network of drone bases­ to North Africa, deploying unmanned aircraft and U.S. military personnel to a facility in Tunisia to conduct spy missions in neighboring Libya. The Air Force Reaper drones began flying out of the Tunisian… Continue reading U.S HAS SECRETLY EXPANDED ITS GLOBAL NETWORK OF DRONE BASES TO NORTH AFRICA

WASHINGTON IS QUIETLY REINFORCING EUROPE’S NORTHERN FLANK

Sourced : Defence One By Magnus Nordenman The recent stream of senior U.S. defense officials to Nordic countries underlines American concerns about potential friction in northern Europe, and Washington’s efforts to boost defense and deterrence there. Defense Secretary Ash Carter stopped in Norway in early September, while his deputy Bob Work, who has been to… Continue reading WASHINGTON IS QUIETLY REINFORCING EUROPE’S NORTHERN FLANK

TURKEY CALLS FOR END TO NATO’S MIGRANT MISSION IN AEGEAN SEA

Sourced : OANN By Robin Emmott and Sabine Siebold Turkey is seeking an end to NATO’s counter-migration mission in the Aegean Sea and it is telling the U.S.-led alliance that the sharp drop in refugees trying to get to Greece means there is no longer a need for warships to patrol its coast. Turkish Defence… Continue reading TURKEY CALLS FOR END TO NATO’S MIGRANT MISSION IN AEGEAN SEA

GET READY TO WALK AWAY FROM INCIRLIK

Sourced : Defence One By Charles F. Wald Turkey’s Incirlik airbase has supported America’s most vital strategic needs for more than a half century, first during the Cold War and more recently in the fight against terrorists. Now, as its host country becomes less stable and less friendly to the United States, the best way… Continue reading GET READY TO WALK AWAY FROM INCIRLIK

IZVESTIA : MOSCOW SHARING INTELLIGENCE WITH ANKARA ON SYRIA

Sourced : TASS Russia has already started cooperating with Turkey on exchanging intelligence data needed for carrying out the Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria. According to Izvestia, the agreement was reached during last week’s talks between Russian and Turkish Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Experts believe that cooperating with Ankara on Syria may… Continue reading IZVESTIA : MOSCOW SHARING INTELLIGENCE WITH ANKARA ON SYRIA