Felgentreu is considered one of the biggest supporters of the move to arm the UAVs, which was separated from the actual procurement of the UAVs due to previous opposition within the SPD, which caused him to resign over the issue. Felgentreu has told „Globes“ in the past that the German army needs the Israeli UAVs to help protect its combat soldiers on missions in Afghanistan and Mali.
Archiv: war zones / military deployment zones
Victims‘ families tell their stories following Nato airstrike in Afghanistan
(September 12, 2009)
‚I took some flesh home and called it my son.‘ The Guardian interviews 11 villagers
Decision on Airstrike in Afghanistan Was Based Largely on Sole Informant’s Assessment
(September 6, 2009)
McChrystal’s advisers allowed a Washington Post reporter to travel with a NATO fact-finding team and attend its otherwise closed-door meetings with German troops and Afghan officials. Portions of this account are based on those discussions.
NATO Huddles With Asia-Pacific Democracies to Talk China
The incoming Biden administration has pledged to do even more to partner with allies on the China challenge.
In another step in that direction, on December 2, the foreign ministers of the NATO members, along with delegations from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, gathered virtually to discuss the rise of China and the implications for the global balance of power.
NATO, Ukraine to strengthen security cooperation in Black Sea
„The Black Sea region is of strategic importance to NATO and to all Allies … We work closely with our valued partners, Georgia and Ukraine. Therefore, NATO maintains a significant presence in the Black Sea region and will work more closely with Ukraine and Georgia,“ Stoltenberg said during a press conference on Monday.
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Under a draft order circulating at the Pentagon on Monday, the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan would be halved from the current deployment of 4,500 troops, officials said.
In Iraq, the Pentagon would trim force levels slightly below the 3,000 troops that commanders had previously announced. And in Somalia, virtually all of the more than 700 troops conducting training and counterterrorism missions would leave.
Three more Il-76 planes with Russian peacekeepers arrive in Armenia
The Russian peacekeepers will set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachinsky corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire agreement observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command will be stationed in the area of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ministry specified.
Now the Generals will sit on their hands and not remove any troops from Afghanistan. Home by Christmas is gone.
Tough luck troops, you should not have gotten your hopes up
Michael Moore’s Letter to Obama about Afghanistan
(Original: Nov 30, 2009)
When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has.
Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop.
Tonight we still have hope.
Tomorrow, we shall see.
Obama Doubles Number of Troops in Afghanistan. Wait…What?
(Jul 11, 2009)
Obama’s Presidential campaign was pretty much based on getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan, playing to the anti-war movement, to be fair he did make statements about Afghanistan deteriorating and being ignored, but he has doubled the number of troops there now and the anti-war groups seem to be eerily silent.
Pompeo to meet Armenian, Azeri ministers over Nagorno-Karabakh
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Friday in a fresh attempt to end nearly a month of bloodshed, in which hundreds have been killed.
End the American military presence in Somalia
The situation for Somalians is desperate and deserves the attention of the world. But our military presence over nearly three decades has not proven to be worth the costs and risks. President Trump is right to call for a withdrawal of U.S. forces, and we should hope it is followed through.
Obama: ‚This War, Like All Wars, Must End‘
(23. Mai 2013)
Now, the speech:
The president who dramatically expanded the CIA secret drone war, ordered a troop surge in Afghanistan and aggressively prosecuted leakers made a forceful defense of his actions and an even more forceful case for winding down the war on terrorism.
The key line: „This war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.“
Obama: Trump’s lack of ‚patience‘ and ‚focus‘ hold back his foreign policy
Obama, after speaking at the Democratic National Convention and headlining a number of fundraisers for the party, is expected to hit the campaign trail next week, according to Democratic Party officials, as he looks to support Biden in the final weeks of the election.
Obama also said that he has seen growth from Biden on foreign policy, noting that while the former Delaware senator voted in 2002 to authorize military force in Iraq, a vote that became a flashpoint during the 2008 presidential primary, Biden had „learned a lesson“ from that.
US strikes Taliban in Helmand in defense of Afghan forces
In a tweet, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said the U.S. military has conducted “several targeted strikes” to defend Afghan forces “over the past two days,” which he described as “consistent” with the U.S. agreement with the Taliban.
As Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Expands, Israel-Azerbaijan Arms Trade Thrives
Yesterday, the Armenian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan had this to say, in conversation with Haaretz: “Armenia has consistently raised the issue of arm supplies from Israel to Azerbaijan. Most recently, during the July aggression of Azerbaijan against Armenia, the Foreign Minister stated clearly that Israel should stop this deadly business with Azerbaijan.
Pentagon chief arrives in Tunisia on North Africa tour
Tunisia in 2016 denied a Washington Post report that it had allowed the US to operate drones from its territory for missions in Libya against the Islamic State group.
But a court martial in 2017 in a case of sexual harassment by an American officer, reported in the US defence press, publicly confirmed the presence of an American squadron operating drones from within a Tunisian base in the northern region of Bizerte.
UN chief extremely concerned over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his great concern over the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop fighting.
Pentagon to deploy scores of troops, fighting vehicles to Rojava: US official
Former US presidential envoy to Syria Brett McGurk criticized the deployment of the Bradleys, calling it a “sign of deterioration.”
“I used to help coordinate this mission. We never needed Bradleys to secure our personnel. Trump’s impetuous decision to abandon our posts has placed our people at heightened risk with no clear aim,” McGurk said on Friday.
Arrival of the first troops at the German-led Camp Sonic in Jordan.
10.Sept. 2020 – 60 personnel of the Field Accomodation Unit, Engineering units and @BeAirForce are preparing the deployment of 4 #F16 and 130 airmen and women in the framework of the Global Coalition against Daesh.
New Report Reveals US Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries
(10.08.2020)
The U.S. is not formally at war with an African nation, and the continent is barely discussed in reference to American exploits around the globe. Therefore, when U.S. operatives die in Africa, as happened in Niger, Mali, and Somalia in 2018, the response from the public, and even from the media is often “why are American soldiers there in the first place?”
Russia to reopen embassy in Libya, but temporarily bases it in Tunisia
„He will be temporarily based in Tunisia. But I would like to underscore that his functions include representation of Russia across the entire territory of Libya.“
France awards medals to Estonian troops for service in Mali
The medals were awarded to 48 members of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) by French Defense Attache Lt. Col. Frank Piffer and Lt. Col. Mathieu Courtaban, head of the French contingent currently serving the Baltic Air Policing mission out of Ämari Air Base.
Turkey says will work with Italy for Libya peace, excoriates EU
Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio. Italy and Turkey support the U.N.-backed government that is based in Tripoli against the rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter, who is supported by France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries.
NATO upgrades Ukraine
Ukraine is the sixth country to receive this status, joining Australia, Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Jordan.
International Criminal Court oversight chief ‘deeply regrets’ US decision to target officials investigating Afghanistan war crimes
The decision, announced on Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, defence secretary, Mark Esper and attorney general, William Barr, targets ICC officials investigating war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan by all sides, including the US, and will also see visa restrictions imposed on their families.
ASP President O-Gon Kwon rejects measures taken against ICC
I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly next week to consider how to renew our unwavering commitment to the Court.
I call upon the States Parties and all the stakeholders in the Rome Statute system to reiterate once more our relentless commitment to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Statute and to preserve its integrity undeterred by any measures and threats against the Court and its officials, staff and their families.
U.S. Decision to Sanction International Crime Court Was Coordinated With Israel, Source Says
The move was discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem last month, the source said on Thursday.
There are as many National Guard members activated in the US as there are active duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan
As thousands across the US take to the streets for another day of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, more than 17,000 members of the National Guard are standing ready to support local law enforcement.
That represents approximately the same number of active duty troops deployed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
As of Monday, nearly half of the US has activated guard members to respond to civil unrest.
Trump tells advisers U.S. should pull troops as Afghanistan COVID-19 outbreak looms
„There is concern from a variety of places that we could leave Afghanistan,“ one senior U.S. official said, pointing to concerns voiced by U.S. allies, members of Congress and U.S. military officials.
What Chelsea Manning teaches us about the U.S. military’s mental health crisis
(17.01.2017)
In Iraq, a sign hung above the desks of the targeting analysts in the intelligence shop where Manning worked: “If you think for one second you can come in here and bug us with sissy shit you might want to rethink your pathetic life.”
House passes measure limiting Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran
In a largely party-line 227-186 vote, the House approved the resolution that would direct the president to “terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against” Iran unless Congress specifically authorizes it. Six Republicans voted for the measure.
The Senate passed the resolution in a 55-45 vote last month, with eight Republicans siding with Democrats to support it. Neither chamber of Congress is expected to have the votes to override Trump’s likely veto.
Quieter and Quieter: The Evolution of Latin America’s Silent Coups
Then under Obama, coups changed. They went quiet. In the most cynical of moves, America, the champion of democracy, stopped using violence to undermine democracy and started using democracy to undermine democracy. Legitimately elected leaders began to fall, not to the bullet or bomb, but to coups in the disguise of democracy. The coup evolved into the silent coup: so silent, they were not heard nor noticed.
Navy to redesignate USNS Hershel ‚Woody‘ Williams so SEALs can attack from it
The slight change in its name means the ship can legally carry out offensive military operations such as allowing Marines or Navy SEALs to launch attacks directly from the ship. A USNS ship under the command of a civilian can engage in combat only if it is defending itself.
Veteranengruppe lobt Trumps Friedensabkommen, tadelt ‚Armstuhlkriegerin Cheney‘
„Nach fast zwei Jahrzehnten sind wir dankbar, dass unser Oberbefehlshaber dem amerikanischen Volk und den kämpfenden Männern und Frauen Amerikas und ihren Familien zur Seite stand“, sagte McKnight, „und die wölfischen Forderungen von Armstuhlkriegern wie Liz Cheney ignorierte, deren Familie von Hunderten von Millionen Dollar an Militärverträgen profitierte und buchstäblich Geld mit Kriegen verdiente, in die sie andere Menschen schickte.“
EU to Step Up Naval Enforcement of Libya Arms Embargo
European Union foreign ministers agreed to revive a naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea to enforce the internationally backed arms embargo on Libya, a move likely to encounter stiff challenges given the recent arms buildup by regional powers in the North African country.
NATO eyes boosting Iraq army training, still needs Iraq’s OK
NATO is ready to expand its military training effort in Iraq, the alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, but the Iraqi government is not yet ready to approve the move.
The Canada-led operation was launched in 2018 but suspended last month after a U.S. missile strike at Baghdad Airport killed Iran’s top general and Iraq’s government and lawmakers demanded that foreign troops leave. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has demanded that U.S. allies do more in the Mideast.
Media darling Pete Buttigieg was in unit that worked with the CIA in Afghanistan
While official records linking the ATFC to the CIA do not appear widely in available government documents, their collaboration is an open secret. One early report by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, an advocacy organization for the US intelligence community, noted “the cell has about two-dozen members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Central Command, the Treasury Department and the CIA. The FBI is expected to join soon.”
Global news wire Agency France-Presse characterized ATFC as “a multi-agency organization currently comprising about 30 specialists on loan from the Department of Drug Enforcement, Department of the Treasury, Department of Justice, Department of Defense’s CENTCOM, the CIA and the FBI.”