Month: March 2018

TRUMP CALLS FOR A SPACE FORCE, A CONCEPT HIS PENTAGON OPPOSES

Sourced: Defense One By Caroline Houck U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday raised the prospect of creating a “Space Force,” a new branch of the military service — and a concept that his leaders at the Pentagon oppose. Air Force leaders, who oversee the bulk of the military’s satellites and launches, spent the last year… Continue reading TRUMP CALLS FOR A SPACE FORCE, A CONCEPT HIS PENTAGON OPPOSES

US URGES CYPRUS AND TURKEY TO RESOLVE EEZ DISPUTE

epa03010742 epa03010733 An aerial view from a helicopter of the Homer Ferrington rig operated by Noble Energy in the east Mediterranean, drilling in an offshore block on concession from the Cypriot government, 21 November 2011. Houston-based Noble started drilling for gas off Cyprus in September, in the island's first attempt to tap speculated offshore hydrocarbons deposits. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias visited the rig, which started drilling for gas on 21 November. EPA/STR EPA/STR

Sourced: Cyprus Mail US ambassador to Nicosia Kathleen Doherty said on Thursday that while the US recognises the Republic’s right to develop its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) it does not take positions on who has the right over maritime boundaries. At a press conference on Thursday, Doherty said that in terms of the hydrocarbons issue,… Continue reading US URGES CYPRUS AND TURKEY TO RESOLVE EEZ DISPUTE

SAAB SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FIRST FLIGHT OF THE GLOBALEYE AEW&C AIRCRAFT

Sourced: Defence Blog Saab successfully completed the first flight of the GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft in Linköping, Sweden. GlobalEye took off on its maiden flight at 12.52  local time on 14 March 2018, from Saab’s airfield in Linköping, Sweden. The aircraft, a modified Bombardier Global 6000 jet platform, undertook a 1 hour… Continue reading SAAB SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FIRST FLIGHT OF THE GLOBALEYE AEW&C AIRCRAFT

EU TO GIVE TURKEY MORE FUNDING TO EXTEND MIGRANT DEAL

Sourced: EKathimerini Notwithstanding a rise in tensions between Brussels and Ankara – recently exacerbated by Turkey’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Greece and Cyprus – the European Commission will be approving an additional 3 billion euros in funding for Syrian refugees living in Turkey, EU officials said on Wednesday. The fresh injection of funds will extend… Continue reading EU TO GIVE TURKEY MORE FUNDING TO EXTEND MIGRANT DEAL

MERKEL: TURKEY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN LACK OF CYPRUS SOLUTION

Sourced: Cyprus Mail By Elias Hazou German chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said Turkey has played an important role in the failure to reach a negotiated settlement on Cyprus. “We have a very large problem when it comes to Cyprus. For years we’ve been striving to find a solution but until today it has not… Continue reading MERKEL: TURKEY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN LACK OF CYPRUS SOLUTION

TRUMP RISKS TRADING AWAY THE US-SOUTH KOREAN ALLIANCE

File - In this file photo taken on Dec. 10, 2015, U.S. and South Korean army soldiers pose on a floating bridge on the Hantan river during a joint military exercise against a possible attack from North Korea, in Yeoncheon, South Korea. Pyongyang will cast a decidedly dark shadow over U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' first trip overseas. Mattis is to make his debut with a visit to staunch U.S. allies South Korea and Japan, both of which host tens of thousands of American troops and, for good reason, see North Korea as their biggest national security threat. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Sourced: Defense One By Thomas Wright In August of last year, days before he was forced out of the White House, Steve Bannon gave an unusual interview to Robert Kuttner, a journalist at The American Prospect. The article made headlines because Bannon tore into his rivals, especially Gary Cohn, and in a progressive magazine no… Continue reading TRUMP RISKS TRADING AWAY THE US-SOUTH KOREAN ALLIANCE

KURDS ASK HIGHER AUTHORITY TO END CRISIS WITH BAGHDAD

ISOF soldiers captured in Mosul, Northern Iraq, Western Asia. 16 November, 2016.

Sourced: Al Monitor By Mustafa Saadoun With seemingly nowhere else to turn, beleaguered Iraqi Kurds are seeking salvation through Shiite religious authorities. The crisis between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish headquarters in Erbil appears to have laid waste to all other internal and external attempts to resolve the repercussions of the Sept.… Continue reading KURDS ASK HIGHER AUTHORITY TO END CRISIS WITH BAGHDAD

STOP PRETENDING AMERICA AND TURKEY ARE ALLIES

Sourced : The National Interest By Doug Bandow Washington officials routinely call Turkey a vital ally, yet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government has threatened U.S. forces cooperating with Kurdish militias in northern Syria. After American military spokesmen warned that U.S. troops would defend themselves, Erdoğan promised the famed “Ottoman slap.” Alas, doing… Continue reading STOP PRETENDING AMERICA AND TURKEY ARE ALLIES

A PERILOUS TANGO FOR FOUR IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Sourced: BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 765, March 11, 2018 By Dr. Spyridon N. Litsas The Eastern Mediterranean has entered a new period of high volatility, with Israel and Greece in the eye of the storm. Both countries are facing an upgraded strategic challenge from Turkey and Iran. This is not simply an interstate problem… Continue reading A PERILOUS TANGO FOR FOUR IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT NOVICHOK

An instructor at the Defence NBC Centre operates the Manportable Chemical Agent Detector (MCAD) Remote Display Unit. This vital piece of equipment gives troops in the field precious extra seconds to detect and identify chemicals and toxins in the air and on the ground.

Sourced: Business Insider By Rob Price and Alexandra Ma Theresa May has officially pointed the finger at Russia over the attempted assassination of double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, saying on Monday it is “highly likely” that the country was responsible for the attack. The British Prime Minister also provided more information on the… Continue reading WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT NOVICHOK