(July 2, 2024)
During a press briefing on 1 July 2024, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh addressed the issue. When asked about indications of North Korea sending troops to Ukraine to support Russia, Singh replied,
“I don’t have anything for you on that. We certainly know that North Korea is supporting Russia’s efforts in Ukraine with supplying them different military support, but I don’t have anything for you on any specific troops going into Russia at this time.”
“The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown,” the sources affirmed.
“An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israel‘s war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details.”
The plan agreed by Iraq and the US says that all US-led coalition forces will leave Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.
US and coalition soldiers will stay in Erbil, in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, for just one more year.
(January 2, 2024)
The deal, which has not been announced publicly, highlights Washington’s reliance on the tiny Gulf country that has recently played a central role in mediating the release of Americans from captivity in Gaza and Venezuela.
The Al Udeid Air Base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, is the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and can house more than 10,000 American troops.
Kiesewetter sprach sich auch dafür aus, „extremistische Bereiche“ in den Blick zu nehmen. Konkret nannte er „AfD-Sympathisanten, die sich Russland freiwillig andienen“ sowie deutsche Kämpfer bei russischen Söldner-Truppen oder anderen russischen Kampftruppen, die nach Deutschland zurückkehrten.
Das Problem allerdings sind die russischen Soldaten, von denen laut dem britischen Verteidigungsministerium schätzungsweise 70’000 getötet und 250’000 verwundet worden sind. Viele Russen befürchten daher eine neue Mobilmachung. «Putin weiss zwar um die gesellschaftlichen Risiken einer solch unpopulären Massnahme, dennoch ist eine neue Teilmobilmachung in den nächsten Monaten wahrscheinlich», meint Schmid. Hunderttausende von Reservisten könnten eingezogen und an die Front in der Ukraine geschickt werden.
Die «Rheinische Post» beruft sich dabei auf einen Brief der Ausschussvorsitzenden Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) an Bundestagspräsidentin Bärbel Bas (SPD). Darin heißt es demnach, an der fraglichen Sitzung hätten insgesamt etwa 105 Personen teilgenommen, «darunter zahlreiche Vertreterinnen und Vertreter der Bundesregierung und der Landesvertretungen».
«Es ist also nicht zwingend, dass die Informationsweitergabe aus dem parlamentarischen Raum erfolgt ist», schreibt die FDP-Politikerin demnach weiter. Sie bittet Bas, eine Ermächtigung zur Strafverfolgung wegen Verletzung des Dienstgeheimnisses und einer besonderen Geheimhaltungspflicht zu erteilen.
The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (French: Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti), also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French name, was a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti that was in operation from 2004 to 2017.
„We didn‘t have troops there (at the Finnish border), now they will be there. There were no systems of destruction there, now they will appear,“ he said.
(05.03.2024)
Some one hundred kilometers away from Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, forces from nine NATO member countries were busy setting up the last of their amphibious gear.
They are part of a large multi-domain operations exercise that entails a notoriously tricky river crossing in the remote northern Polish countryside here, as European officials are worried about the possibility of a Russian attack, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
(26.01.2024)
During the initial phase (End of January to mid-March), the focus will be on maritime reinforcement across the Atlantic and in the Arctic. The second phase (mid-February to the end of May) will shift to using deployed reinforcements across all domains, from the Arctic to the Eastern Flank.
STEADFAST DEFENDER 2024 is a multi-domain exercise, incorporating land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations, which has been a major focus of doctrinal development at NATO Allied Command Transformation. It involves deploying forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance to Europe. Over several months, complex multi-domain operations will be conducted across thousands of kilometres, thereby enhancing civil-military cooperation and national and collective resilience.
Florian Warweg weist hier auf seine Frage hin, „ob Taurus tatsächlich ohne direkte Beteiligung von Bundeswehrsoldaten durch die Ukraine vollumfänglich nutzbar wäre“. Ehemalige und aktive Angehörige der Bundeswehr hätten erklärt, dass der Marschflugkörper Taurus, insbesondere sein Gelände-Referenz-Navigationssystem, nicht ohne direkte Beteiligung von Bundeswehrsoldaten betrieben werden könne. Das Verteidigungsministerium verweigerte eine Antwort, während Regierungssprecher Hebestreit einen Diffamierungsversuch gegen die NachDenkSeiten unternahm. Wir danken für die zahlreichen und interessanten Leserbriefe.
According to NATO, the military exercise incorporates land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations to enhance civil-military cooperation. Over 90,000 troops from 31 NATO allies as well as special invitee Sweden are expected to participate in the exercise over the next few months.
During the first phase (Transatlantic reinforcement) of the exercise, North American forces are scheduled to move to Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. The phase includes live maritime exercises and amphibious assault training in the North Atlantic and Arctic Seas.
„Grundsätzlich sei gesagt, dass eine Kriegsbeteiligung Deutschlands im Grunde nur durch zwei Szenarien zustande käme: Erstens, wenn deutsche Soldatinnen und Soldaten aktive und unmittelbare Kampfhandlungen ausführen würden oder zweitens, wenn der Bündnisfall (NATO oder EU) durch die Ausweitung der Kampfhandlungen auf einen EU- oder NATO-Mitgliedsstaat ausgelöst würde.“
Durch bloße Waffenlieferungen oder Ausbildung, selbst auf ukrainischem Staatsgebiet, wäre dies nicht der Fall, so Schwarz. Heikel könne es im Kontext der „Taurus“-Raketen dann werden, wenn deutsche Soldatinnen und Soldaten direkt beim Einsatz dieser Waffen eingebunden wären.
Mitte letzter Woche gab es noch Ärger zwischen Deutschland, Frankreich und Großbritannien, da Bundeskanzler Scholz angeblich „geheime Informationen verraten“ hatte. Es ging um den Einsatz von Marschflugkörpern, den Scholz ablehnt. Der Kanzler will Deutschland nicht zu einer direkten Kriegspartei machen. „Was an Zielsteuerung und an Begleitung der Zielsteuerung vonseiten der Briten und Franzosen gemacht wird, kann in Deutschland nicht gemacht werden“, so Scholz wörtlich. Franzosen und Briten widersprachen Scholz, das britische Verteidigungsministerium warf ihm gar vor, Falschinformationen zu verbreiten. Wenn die Inhalte des abgehörten Gesprächs der vier deutschen Luftwaffenoffiziere korrekt sind, lügen jedoch die Briten.
(16.11.2023)
The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said US and European officials concede big questions remain about whether such an operation would be workable in Gaza, and recognize that Israel remains highly skeptical of such a plan. But they said even discussing the idea may help push Israel to think more about wrapping up the campaign and consider what might come next.
Scholz fügte hinzu, dass es auch keine Beteiligung von Soldaten aus der Ferne am Kriegsgeschehen geben dürfe. Man habe sich auch darauf verständigt, „dass auch die Soldaten, die in unseren Ländern tätig sind, sich nicht selber etwa aktiv an dem Kriegsgeschehen beteiligen“, sagte er. Eine Beteiligung aus der Ferne wäre zum Beispiel über die Programmierung von Zieldaten für Flugkörper möglich. Der Kanzler betonte, dass diese Verständigung in Paris „ein ganz, ganz guter und ganz wichtiger Fortschritt“, sei. „Es war auch sehr einhellig, was diese Frage betrifft.“
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, accused by critics of being too cosy with Moscow, said after the meeting that there was disunity on the issue among European leaders.
„There are countries that are ready to send their own soldiers to Ukraine, there are countries that say never – Slovakia is among them – and there are countries that say that this proposal should be considered,“ he said.
rench President Emmanuel Macron has openly discussed the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to help Kyiv win the war against Russia, a potential major escalation to the largest ground war Europe has seen since World War II.
Der „Taurus“ ist einer der modernsten Flugkörper der Luftwaffe. Die Präzisionswaffen können Ziele in 500 Kilometern Entfernung treffen. In diesem Radius liegt von der russisch-ukrainischen Grenze aus gesehen Moskau.
German-made Taurus cruise missiles can hit targets up to 500 kilometres away with great precision. Unlike Germany, the UK and France have already delivered long-range systems to Ukraine.
However, adjustments necessary to restrict Taurus’ “very far-reaching” range would require German soldiers to operate in Ukraine, which has so far been excluded as an option, and would, in any case, require an official parliamentary vote, Scholz said.
(search results)
Mohammed Dahlan, an adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, outlined one under which Israel and Hamas would hand power to a new and independent Palestinian leader who could rebuild Gaza under the protection of an Arab peacekeeping force.
While such plans face steep challenges, the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are open to supporting processes that are part of efforts leading to a Palestinian state, said Mr. Dahlan, who also has close ties to Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Iraq said on Sunday that it had resumed talks with the United States on the future of the anti-Islamic State coalition, expressing hope that they would not be disrupted and lead to an outcome soon.
A first round of talks opened on 27 January but was swiftly suspended after a drone attack killed three US military personnel at a base in Jordan the following day.
Israeli forces stepped up air strikes on Gaza‘s far-southern Rafah on Thursday as fears of ground fighting grew among the more than one million Palestinians crowded into the city.
According to a statement from the Parliament, the deliberative session is set to take place at 5:00 PM next Saturday. The focus will be on the repeated US assaults on Iraqi sovereignty.
Earlier today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani reiterated his government‘s determination to end the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq in response to the US attacks on Iraqi areas.
Wednesday‘s attack provoked an outcry in Baghdad, with the government again promising to remove US forces from Iraq in response.
„By this act, the American forces jeopardise civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens. Even more concerning is that the coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory,“ said Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool in a statement.
By this act, the American forces jeopardize civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens. Even more concerning is that the coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory.
This trajectory compels the Iraqi government more than ever to terminate the mission of this coalition, which has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict, and our armed forces cannot neglect their constitutional duties and responsibilities, which demand safeguarding the security of Iraqis and the land of Iraq from all threats.
God‘s mercy and honor to the martyrs of this attack and to all martyrs of Iraq.
Major General Special Forces
Yehia Rasool
The Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
U.S. military officials said Wednesday’s strike was carried out about 9:30 p.m. “in response to the attacks on U.S. service members” and resulted in the death of a militia commander “responsible for directly planning and participating” in those attacks. The statement, which does not identify the individual who was killed, said there were no initial indications of civilian casualties.
Nach Angaben des Sprechers der irakischen Streitkräfte, Jahja Rasul, ereignete sich der Angriff in einer Wohngegend. Der US-Angriff habe stattgefunden „ohne Rücksicht auf das Leben von Zivilisten oder internationales Recht“. Es bereite noch mehr Sorge, dass die Koalition ständig von den eigentlichen „Gründen und Zielen ihrer Präsenz“ im Irak abweiche.
Rasul bezeichnete die Präsenz der US-geführten Koalition als „Faktor für Instabilität“: „Dieser Kurs zwingt die irakische Regierung mehr als jemals zuvor, den Einsatz dieser Koalition zu beenden.“
With 90,000 personnel, the exercise demonstrates NATO’s commitment to collective defense and sends a message about our readiness to protect all Allies in the face of emerging threats. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether
(26.01.2024)
NATO began its biggest military exercises since the Cold War this week, with tens of thousands of troops set to move across Europe in a show of force meant as a warning to Russia, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Operation Steadfast Defender 24 will see some 90,000 NATO military personnel take part in a range of drills across Europe in coming months. Fifty naval vessels, 80 aircraft and over 1,000 combat vehicles are involved
Iran‘s reaction to the looming threat of American retaliation against what the Biden administration calls Iranian proxy groups has been a consistent denial of any responsibility for the attacks on American forces — and a warning that any strike on Iranian territory or personnel would escalate tension in the tumultuous region, not make U.S. forces safer.
Iranian officials insist the country does not have proxies, and that the loosely affiliated collection of armed groups it supports across the Mideast, which it calls the „axis of resistance,“ act independently.
Ketaib Hezbollah (KH) finally got the picture. President Joe Biden’s statements about US plans for retaliation make it clear that the United States does not have an appetite for war with Iran. But the United States sure has an appetite for KH’s destruction. KH recognizes that the drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan on Sunday puts it squarely in US crosshairs. Oh the impending irony, after years of fighting to push US forces out of Iraq, to be obliterated just months before the United States voluntarily withdraws.
(10.01.2024)
„There is a need to re-organize [our] relationship [with Washington] so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani said, partly in reference to attacks by the Iraqi resistance on US bases.
The Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly said that Baghdad will neither accept foreign troops nor armed factions operating on its soil.
Reuters spoke to six sources familiar with Iranian deployments in Syria for this story. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject.
Three of the sources said the Guards had raised concerns with Syrian authorities that information leaks from within the Syrian security forces played a part in the recent lethal strikes.
Iraqi and US officials met a day before the deadly drone attack to discuss the future of the US presence in Iraq under the framework of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC).
The meeting aimed at “Reviewing the mission of the US-led international coalition against ISIS, following Iraq’s victory over one of the most formidable terrorist groups in the world.”
“Following this review, a specific timetable will be formulated to end the military mission of the Coalition and transition to bilateral security relations between Iraq, the United States, and partner countries in the Coalition.”
Al-Hamidawi announced the suspension of military and security operations „against the occupation forces to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.“
The group pledged to continue supporting the people of Gaza through other means and recommended „passive defense“ if the group‘s fighters „faced any hostile American action.“
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Ending the mission of the United States-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq will be achieved during the current cabinet, said a government spokesperson on Sunday, noting that the process has already been set in motion.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, claimed attacks on three bases, including one on the Jordan-Syria border.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on October 7, there have been around 160 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. Most of those have been claimed by regional resistance forces.
Iran has frequently said resistance groups act on their own in response to Israeli crimes in Gaza.
The official spokesperson for the Jordanian government Muhannad Mubaideen told Ammon News Agency that al-Tanf base that was attacked on Sunday is not in Jordan.
„Terrorist militias carried out the attack that targeted the al-Tanf… and the base is outside our borders,“ Mubaideen told Jordan TV.
An attack that killed three American servicemen was not on Jordanian soil but in Syria, a spokesperson for Jordan‘s government said.
Muhannad al Mubaidin told Jordanian public broadcaster al Mamlaka television that the attack had targeted the US al-Tanf base in Syria.
Three US troops were killed and others wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on US forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden said on Sunday.
„While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,“ Biden said in a statement.
Lt. Gen Halevi said he believes Israel will be starting the war with more advantages than in the past, and that lessons learned in Gaza will be applied to the situation in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of troops are reportedly being readied for the new offensive.
The comments echo those of Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, the head of northern forces, who said earlier this week that he believes the troops are “ready” for the war in Lebanon, and could start “tonight, if necessary.”