Politics
-
Feb- 2018 -14 February
US concerns over EU PESCO defense pact cloud NATO talks
Brussels (AFP) – NATO defence ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss Washington’s concerns over the European Union’s new plans to deepen defense ties between its members, and increasingly strained U.S.-Turkey relations. Washington and Ankara, two of the transatlantic alliance’s most important members, are at loggerheads over Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday warned it was detracting from the fight against the Islamic State group. The two-day meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels is expected to approve changes to the alliance’s command structure. It aims to meet the challenges of warfare in the 21st century, particularly cyber attacks and other novel “hybrid warfare” tactics, as fears grow about Russian assertiveness. But a working dinner with E.U. diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini later Wednesday has taken on greater significance after senior US officials voiced fears about the impact the bloc’s new landmark defence pact could have on the balance of power in NATO. The E.U.’s so-called permanent structured cooperation on defence agreement, known as PESCO, has projects in view already to develop new military equipment and improve cooperation and decision-making. But on Sunday a senior official working with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis …
Read More » -
1 February
Afghanistan claims ‘undeniable’ evidence Kabul attacks planned in Pakistan
Afghanistan has handed "undeniable" evidence to Pakistan that it claims shows a recent spate of deadly attacks were planned on Pakistani soil, Afghan officials said, amid growing public anger over their impotence to protect civilians
Read More » -
Jan- 2018 -31 January
Trump orders Guantanamo Bay military prison to remain open
Trump ordered the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to remain open and said the US would send new terrorism suspects there
Read More » -
27 January
Turkey tells US to “immediately withdraw” from Manbij, Syria
Turkey urged the United States to withdraw military personnel from Manbij, Syria after Ankara said the US said it would stop arming the predominantly Kurdish YPG
Read More » -
26 January
Netanyahu and Plenkovic agree to promote Israeli F-16s in Croatia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Croatian Andrej Plenkovic agreed to promote the sale of F-16D Barak fighter jets to Croatia
Read More » -
25 January
Will Turkey attack Manbij?
Experts discuss whether Turkey's Operation Olive Branch incursion into Syria's Afrin will also target Manbij
Read More » -
25 January
Germany postpones tank upgrade plans with Turkey after Leopards spotted in Efrin offensive
Germany has decided to postpone plans to upgrade Turkish military tanks after they were spotted in Operation Olive Branch in Efrin, Syria
Read More » -
25 January
White House account of Trump’s call with Erdogan highlights risk of clash in Syria
Trump's call with Erdogan appeared to signal a shift in the US approach to Syria and prompted rebuke from Ankara, which denied details
Read More » -
18 January
US backtracks on Syrian ‘border guard’ plan after Turkish threats to attack Efrin
The US will train forces linked to the SDF but will not create a border force, officials said as Turkey threatened to attack Efrin
Read More » -
18 January
Japan, Australia push for defense pact amid regional tension
The prime ministers of Japan and Australia toured a military training ground, as the two countries seek to bolster defense ties
Read More »