LIVE: MI6 chief speaks at the British embassy in Paris - YouTube - 3O NOV 2024 - Reuters

Al Jazeera:U.S. Armed Forces Conducted Airstrikes Against ISIL and al-Qaida Affiliate in Syria

According to the Al Jazeera news outlet,U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said that a large-scale airstrike on a remote Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) camp in Central Syria on 16 SEPT 2024 killed nine militants of the Hurras al-Din al-Qaida affiliate,including:'Marwan Bassam' Abd-al-Ra uf,a senior Hurras-al-Din leader responsible for overseeing military operations in Syria.*It was the second such attack in as many months.In August,USCENTCOM announced the death of Aba-Abd al-Rahman al-Makki in an attack in Northwestern Syria.Hurras al-Din emerged in Syria in 2018.At present,there are about 900 U.S. troops in Syria,plus an undisclosed number of military contractors.The U.S. Armed Forces are on a mission to advise and assist local Allies and Partners to prevent the resurgance of ISIL under Operation Inherent Resolve.In 2014,ISIL terrorised parts of Syria and Iraq.The Assad regime in Syria objects to the presence of U.S. Armed Forces.The ground element in Syria is U.S. Army Soldiers.

Afghan War:Army Ranger Killed in Battle with al-Qaida

A US Soldier killed in action over the weekend has been identified.On 24 November 2018,a US Army Ranger,SGT Leandro A.S. Jasso,25,of Leavenworth,Washington State,was killed as a result of a firefight with al-Qaida militants,the Pentagon said.Struck by small arms fire,he was medevaced to the neighbouring Helmand Province for advanced treatment,where he died.The battle occurred in Khash Rod District of Nimruz Province in Southwestern Afghanistan.Nimruz has desert borders with both Pakistan and Iran.The incident is under investigation.*
SGT Jasso was a team leader with Alpha Company,2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington.He was on his third tour in Afghanistan,serving in support of the US counterterror mission there,Operation Freedom's Sentinel.SGT Jasso had earlier received the Combat Infantryman Badge,indicating he was already a combat veteran at the time of Saturday's battle.According to 2nd Battalion commander LTCOL Rob McChrystal:
SGT Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first,lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed.*
It was the second American death in the Afghan War this month,and the tenth of 2018.On 7 November,MAJ Brent R. Taylor,Mayor of North Ogden,Utah,was killed in a green on blue attack in the Afghan capital,Kabul,while serving with the Utah Army National Guard.

NATO:US Service Member Killed

NATO'S Resolute Support Mission has announced in a press release that a US service member was killed in Afghanistan today,24 November 2018.
In accordance with Department of Defense policy,the service member's identity is being withheld for 24 hours following notification of family.
It is the tenth US death in the Afghan War this year,according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.About 2400 Americans have died in the war since it began when President George W. Bush dispatched the CIA and US military to Afghanistan in 2001,in order to respond to al-Qaida's 9-11 attacks on the United States.

US Strikes al-Qaida Group in Somalia - dozens killed

According to a press release from US Africa Command,US Forces,in coordination with the Somali Government,conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab Islamist extremists,who are associated with al-Qaida,on 12 October 2018.It took place in the Haradere area of Mugdu Province,Somalia.The current assessment is that about 60 militants were killed,which makes it the biggest strike since 21 November 2017,in which around 100 al-Shabaab members were killed.No civilians were killed or injured in the latest strike,the assessment found.
Such strikes reduce al-Shabaab's ability to plot future attacks;disrupt the leadership networks;and degrade the freedom of manoeuvre in the region,AFRICOM said.*
The enemy has used parts of Southern and Central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks;steal humanitarian aid;extort the local populace to fund its operations;and shelter radical terrorists,thus destabilising Somalia and its neighbours,while threatening the interests of the US and its allies in the region.*
Baledogle Airfield,70 miles/112.654 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu,is a former Soviet airbase now used by multinational forces,including the US,which has launched drone attacks against al-Shabaab from it.It is believed that armed General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones were sent on this latest mission.The US has also launched  missiles from US Navy warships against the militants.
MQ-9s are additionally used for high altitude surveillance missions.The Reaper is flown by the Royal Air Force and Italian Air Force as well.*

Afghan War:Taliban Mount Fierce Offensives,Seizing Most of Ghazni Province - Green Beret killed in action further south

Despite having met with US officials in Doha,Qatar recently in an effort to begin a dialogue,the Taliban Islamist extremists showed no desire for peace in recent days as up to 1,000 of them,having seized most of Ghazni Province,overran the provincial captal,Ghazni city on 10 August 2018.The massive assault on the city of about 280,000 took place in the pre-dawn hours and came from every direction.
Afghan National Defence and Security Forces fell back to protect critical defence-related buildings such as the police station,military bases and a prison;while the militants continued to control the neighbourhoods,local residents said.Many residents fled as power,food,water and medicine were cut off in the heat of combat.
The US conducted at least 16 air strikes in support of the ANDSF,killing some 200 Taliban,and a limited number of US troops stayed at the front lines to advise and assist their Afghan colleagues on the ground.About 100 ANDSF and 25 civilians were killed in the brazen seige,and hundreds more were wounded.
The Taliban had "achieved nothing,"NATO said.*
The Taliban were reportedly assisted by a number of foreign fighters from Pakistan and Chechnya,as well as al-Qaida elements.*
Also on 10 August,the Taliban swept over an Afghan SOF base in Ajristar district,killing at least 70 Afghan commandos and police.*
On 12 August,a US Soldier,SSGT Reymund R. Transfiguracion,36,of Waikaloa,Hawaii,was killed in action while on a combat patrol operation to the south,in Helmand Province,when an IED exploded near him.The incident is being investigated.SSGT Transfiguracion,a native of the Philippines,was a member of 3rd Battalion,1st Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington State.Initially a member of the Hawaii National Guard,he had previously pulled tours in Iraq and the Phillipines.
Among his decorations were the Purple Heart Medal (second award);Army Achievement Medal (third award);Army Good Conduct Medal (third award);Combat Action Badge;and Air Assault Badge.*

Bulletin:US Army Ranger Killed in Action in Afghanistan - high achiever was admired within the Regiment

The Pentagon has disclosed that SFC Christopher A. Celiz,32,of Summerville,South Carolina,was killed by enemy small arms fire on 12 July 2018 in Paktia Province,Afghanistan while conducting combat operations along with Afghan Special Operations Forces.An Afghan SOF member was also killed in the firefight.The operation involved assisting a medevac landing zone in Zurmat district and was in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.The incident is under investigation.
Paktia Province has been the site of several al-Qaida training camps and borders Nangahar Province,the ISIL-Khorasan stronghold.*
SFC Celiz was a mortar platoon sergeant with Company D,1st Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Hunter Army Airfield,Georgia.He was on his fifth deployment and had previously served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.Among SFC Celiz's decorations were the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 stars;Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 stars;5 Army Achievement Medals;and 3 Army Commendation Medals.He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal;Bronze Star Medal;and Meritorious Service Medal.
Battalion commander LTCOL Sean McGee said:
SFC Celiz led from the front and always put himself in the decisive point on the battlefield.*
This is the second US combat death in Afghanistan this year,and indeed the second within the last seven days,having been preceded by the loss of US Army CPL Joeseph Maciel last Saturday.
There will reportedly be a government review of the US military's current posture in Afghanistan in the near future.

East Africa War:US Special Operator Killed in Somalia Firefight

A member of the US Special Operations Forces was killed Friday and four others wounded when their position came under attack by al-Shabaab militants in Jubaland State,about 217 miles SW of the Somali capital Mogadishu.A Somali Soldier was also reportedly wounded in the mortar and small arms ambush by the Islamist extremists,who have formally been a unit of al-Qaida since 2012.US SOFs and about 800 Somali and Kenyan forces were on an operation to clear al-Shabaab from the area north of the port of Kismayo.US Army Green Berets,US Navy SEALs and US Marine Raiders are all active in the unstable nation in East Africa,serving in US Africa Command in an advise and assist capacity for the local forces.*
In October 2017,al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a VBIED attack that killed more than 500 people in Mogadishu;while in May 2017,another US Soldier was killed in an al-Shabaab attack about 40 miles west of Mogadishu.*
US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) reportedly has a fleet of armed Reaper drones in Somalia for self-defence airstrikes or assistance to East African nations;while the CIA has a covert base at Mogadishu airport,possibly sending up both armed and unarmed surveillance drones,not to mention deploying members of its ultra-secret Ground Branch paramilitary division.
JSOC has also used attack helicopters;AC-130 gunships;and fighter jets to help both Kenya and Ethiopia in their struggle against al-Shabaab.*
The US has been involved in counterterror operations against militant Islam in Somalia since the early years of this century.Around 500 US troops are believed to be in Somalia.*
The US Marine Corps Raider Regiment is the principal combat component of Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

Update:US and British Soldier Killed in Syria Identified

The names of those killed in action in Manbij,Syria while serving in Operation Inherent Resolve have been released.The British Soldier was Sergeant Matthew Tonroe,33,a member of sniper platoon,3rd Battalion,Parachute Regiment.The American killed was Master Sergeant Johnathan J. Dunbar,36,a member of Headquarters,US Army Special Operations Command,out of Fort Bragg,North Carolina.*
The troops were killed when an IED exploded near their patrol.SGT Tonroe was embedded with US Special Operations Forces engaged in a mopping up operation directed at ISIL militants.He is the first British combat death in OIR,which was launched in Iraq in 2014 to neutralise the Islamist extremist group that evolved from al-Qaida in Iraq and later expanded into Syria.
Manbij is near the Turkish border.
ISIL sleeper cells have materialised in Syria in the wake of the organisation's suffering major defeats in Iraq and Syria at the hands of Combined Joint Task Force OIR.
The particulars of SOF activity in Syria have been closely held.

The Secret History of the CIA (2005) - Steve Coll,Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author on his book "Ghost Wars"

NATO and Afghanistan:Mattis and Stoltenberg Discuss the New Strategy - a compelling advantage

On 27 September,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis held talks with Afghan leaders in Kabul,including President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr.Abdullah Abdullah of the National Unity Government.*
At a press conference after the discussions,Mr.Mattis and Mr.Stoltenberg gave a frank briefing on the new approach.
Mr.Stoltenberg:NATO doesn't quit when the going gets tough.That is why I much welcome that many nations have pledged further contributions to our mission here in Afghanistan,including more troops from the US.And I welcome President Trump's new,conditions-based approach to Afghanistan and the region.NATO is committed to funding the Afghan security forces until at least 2020,and we will continue to provide almost a billion each year to the Afghan defence and security forces.
At our defence ministerial in June,we actually decided to increase our NATO troop levels in Afghanistan,and several Allies have already started to step up to their pledges to send more troops.So they are sending more troops because it is in their interest to have a more stable Afghanistan.*
Mr.Mattis:We will not abandon Afghanistan to a merciless enemy trying to kill its way to power.
This new strategy is conditions-based,and not time-based,because war is principally a matter of will,and we've made clear that we have the will to stand together.
Through our partnership,we will suffocate any hope that al-Qaida,or ISIS-Daesh,Haqqani or the Taliban have of winning by killing.
We are up against an enemy right now that intentionally fights among innocent people;that intentionally hides behind women and children;that intentionally tries to draw fire on the innocent,and we do everything humanly possible...to protect the innocent on the battlefield.We're not the perfect guys;but we are the good guys.
We are bringing in reinforcements,and those reinforcements are designed to add more advisors to your units in the field,and more trainers in your military schools.We are going to give them more advantage to the NATO access,and advantage to the NATO air forces overhead,to make sure that at no time does the Taliban own the high ground.We will always own the high ground.
I prefer to not go into the specific numbers right now.We are bringing more Americans in;there are more coalition forces coming in.I don't want to tell the enemy exactly what we're doing,but the whole point is to make certain that we have a compelling battlefield advantage over anything the Taliban tries to mass against your forces.We are not going to stand for that.
There's an increasing collusion.There's increasing teamwork among the various terrorist bands,and I will just tell you that this simply gives more impetus to those of us who are against terrorism to work together,Secretary Mattis told the reporters gathered in Kabul.*
Among others attending the talks were General John Nicholson,US Army,NATO Resolute Support Mission and Operation Freedom's Sentinel commander;Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison,US Ambassador to NATO;and Afghan national security officials.

Afghan War Plan Unveiled - what to expect now

On 21 August 2017,President Donald Trump addressed the nation and the troops,who were represented by Soldiers at Fort Myer in Arlington,Virginia,to reveal his plan of action for the Afghan War.This strategy was long-awaited and finally delivered over a month later than promised.The President was very painstaking as he sorted through the frustrating issues,repeatedly asking questions about the options submitted to him by the Pentagon.In the end,having met with his national security team at Camp David,the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains,he elected to follow a more forceful approach than his predecessor,Barack Obama.*
Based on his remarks and those of knowledgeable sources,we may soon observe:
1.More intense air strikes,counterterror raids and more flexible rules of engagement;
2.More NATO and partner contributions;
3.Up to 5,000 more permanent US troops,plus possible temporary deployments;
4.More pressure on Pakistan to robustly eradicate terrorist camps on its territory;
5.No pre-set time limits,but conditions-based decisions on strategy instead.
Consider some of the President's statements from the address,which was praised by leading critic Senator John McCain,R-Arizona,and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg:
Today,20 US-designated foreign terrorist organisations are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan,the highest concentration in any region anywhere in the world.For its part,Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos,violence and terror.
Working alongside our allies,we will break their will;dry up their recruitment;keep them from crossing our borders;and,yes,we will defeat them,and we will defeat them handily.
We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities.Conditions on the ground,not arbitrary timetables,will guide our strategy from now on.America's enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out.
I have already lifted restrictions the previous administration placed on our warfighters that prevented the Secretary of Defense and our commanders in the field from fully and swiftly waging battle against the enemy.Micromanagement from Washington,DC does not win battles.They're won in the field,drawing upon the judgement and expertise of wartime commanders and frontline Soldiers,acting in real-time and with real authority,and with a clear mission to defeat the enemy.
From now on,victory will have a clear definition:Attacking our enemies;obliterating ISIS (another word for ISIL);crushing al-Qaida;preventing the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan;and stopping mass terror attacks against America before they emerge.

Pentagon Identifies US Service Member Killed in Somalia - New England native excelled in special ops

The Pentagon has announced that Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken,38,of Falmouth Maine,was killed while on a raid with Somali commandos against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabaab about 40 miles west of the Somali capital Mogadishu.SCSWO Milliken and his team were helicoptered into the raid and immediately took fire from the militants.He was wounded along with two other Americans and medivaced to the neighbouring nation of Djibouti,where he died of his wounds.*
SCSWO Milliken was a husband and father who resided with his family in Virginia Beach,Virginia.He was a member of SEAL Team Six,the unit that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.SCSWO Milliken was a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghan Wars,earning a total of four Bronze Star Medals for his service,among many others.A graduate of the University of Connecticut,he had been in the Navy for 13 years.*
Fifty US Special Warfare Operatives are currently serving in a train and advise capacity with the African Union forces in Somalia.SCSWO Milliken was the first US service member to be killed in action in Somalia since 1993,when 18 US service members died in the Battle of Mogadishu,which was dramatised in the movie "Blackhawk Down."*
According to a Somali official,the special operation was surgically targeting senior members of al-Shabaab hiding in the area and a media outlet supportive of the Islamist extremists.It was considered a success as several of the terrorists were killed.*
SCSWO Milliken will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

Bulletin:Two More US Soldiers Die in Afghanistan Combat - joint US/Afghan raid

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis,USN,announced that two US Special Operations Forces members were killed in action overnight in Nangarhar Province of Eastern Afghanistan.A third US Soldier was wounded but is expected to survive.They were on a raid with Afghan National Defence and Security Forces members in a village near Achin district.The area has been a hotbed of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan militants,who have been posing a threat to US and ANDSF Soldiers operating in the area.*
ISIL refers to Nangarhar as Khorasan Province.*
The battleground was in the same area where US Army Staff Sergeant Mark R DeAlencar was killed in action on a similar raid on 8 April,just over two weeks ago.In response,the US dropped a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb,or MOAB,formally designated the GBU-43.The 11-tonne weapon was targeted at a complex of ISIL-K tunnels in Achin district,and killed between 36-100 of the Islamist extremists,by Afghan estimates.The US has yet to disclose any bomb damage assessment.*
The American deaths came after a long day of fighting,according to an Afghan military official.US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had recently made a secret visit to the Afghan capital Kabul to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country with President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders.Commander of all US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson,US Army,has told Congress that,in fact,a few thousand more troops are needed for train,advise and assist,as well as counterterrorism operations,in the beleaguered nation,in addition to the 8400 US service members currently serving there and about 5,000 from other NATO and partner nations.GEN Nicholson wants to drive ISIL-K out of Afghanistan by the end of 2017 because it is important for the world,which would leave the Taliban and remnant al-Qaida forces to deal with.
Mr.Mattis has yet to make a recommendation on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump.

New Details,Updated Special Report:Navy SEAL Killed in Combat with Al-Qaida - Trump's first ground combat operation

More than 15 years after al-Qaida pulled off the bloody 9-11 attacks on the US mainland,a US Navy SEAL was killed in firefight action in Yemen during a pre-dawn raid against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula,an actively anti-Western organisation,over the weekend,and four others were wounded,the Pentagon said,as President Donald Trump ordered his first ground combat operation.AH-64 Apache helicopters and fighter jets provided close air support during the raid,which was aimed at gathering intelligence on future plans by al-Qaida directed against the US,and indeed did so successfully.Foreign troops assisted the US,as UAE commandos participated in the raid.*
About 14 al-Qaida in the Arabian Penninsula militants were killed in the raid,plus up to several dozen civilian relatives of the Islamist extremists,who had gathered at a headquarters facility in either the Shawba or Bayda governate next door to chew the narcotic plant called "qat,"in accordance with Yemeni tradition.Several civilian homes were possibly destroyed in the pitched battle that raged from nighttime till dawn,beginning with an air assault by the SEALs of Team Six-meaning they arrived by helicopter or possibly tilt-rotor MV-22 Ospreys.One MV-22 indeed crash-landed at a staging area when it undertook a rescue mission for injured troops,resulting in another injury.The plane was destroyed on the ground by friendly aircraft in order to protect sensitive information. *
Both al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant have been active in Yemen in recent years,taking advantage of the civil war in the country between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Houthi rebel tribesmen in order to expand their influence.*
The SEAL killed has been identified as Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens,36,of Peoria,Illinois.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said of CSWO Owens in a statement of condolence:
Ryan gave his full measure for our nation,and in performing his duty,he upheld the noblest standard of military service.The US would not long exist,were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.*
In the course of his career,CSWO Owens had been decorated with:
two Bronze Star Medals;Afghanistan Campaign Medal;Joint Service Commendation Medal;Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal;Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal;and the National Defense Service Medal.*
Planning for the raid had begun under former President Barack Obama;but was authorised by President Donald Trump,an anonymous defence official revealed.It was intended to be a clandestine operation,and would not have been disclosed,were it not for the death of CSWO Owens.

Hostage Rescue by US,Afghan Special Operations Forces Draws Praise From Carter - Operation Freedom's Sentinel Success

Hostage Rescue in Afghanistan Draws Praise From Carter: Defense Secretary Ash Carter commended U.S. and Afghan special operations personnel for the professionalism and skill they demonstrated in a hostage rescue mission in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.

Afghan War:Ongoing Need For Counter-Terrorism Requires Indefinite US,NATO Involvement

I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven to attack Americans,said President Barack Obama,his closely cropped hair looking grayer than ever,at a White House briefing announcing that US troops-and very likely NATO forces-will remain in that nation at least into 2017 and the next presidency.For Mr.Obama,the altered course was nothing less than letting go of his cherished and long-stated goal of bringing all but 1,000 US troops home from the 14-year-long conflict by the end of 2016.Now,the current number of 9800 must stay on for most of next year,and 5500 on into 2017,so long as conditions on the ground permit the drawdown to continue.These troops will be posted to three bases:Bagram Air Base in Kabul;Jalalabad in the East (which ISIL desires to make its capital);and Kandahar.These bases will give us presence and reach,and are a key piece of the counter-terrorist strategy.The troops will have the same twofold mission:training and assisting Afghan forces;and supporting the counter-terrorist mission against al-Qaida remnants.*
Note:it's being reported that special forces have just carried out a big raid on an al-Qaida training camp inside Afghanistan.*
Afghan forces have continued to step up.They are fighting bravely and tenaciously.They continue to hold most urban areas;at the same time,they are still not as strong as they need to be in such areas as intelligence,logistics,aviation and command and control.*
This year,25 Americans,both military and civilian,have been killed in the war,the President noted.We understood the Taliban would try to exploit our withdrawal.More al-Qaida have come in,and we're beginning to see ISIL.As your Commander-in-Chief,I believe this mission is vital to our national security interests in preventing terrorist attacks against the US and our people.Given what's at stake,I am firmly convinced we should make this extra effort.After so many years of war,Afghnistan will not be a perfect place.There will continue to be contested areas.If we were to fail,it would endanger the security of us all.This modest but meaningful extension of our presence can make a difference.This is not the first time those adjustments have been made;it probably won't be the last,the President admitted.*
Al-Qaida networks or other networks that might harm us;force protection;the ability of our embassy to operate effectively:those things all factor into this decision.We're going to continue to make adjustments;and we will continue to evaluate this-and so will the next president.We're going to be a steady partner for them,President Barack Obama promised.*
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said he has already started contacting US allies to encourage their participation in the new plan.For his part,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised President Obama for deciding to extend a substantial US military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016.
Update:German Chancellor Angela Merkel has strongly welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to keep a significant number of US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016,hailing it as a strong signal by the United States.The German Defence Ministry in turn announced that Germany would also keep the same number of troops in Afghanistan for the time being,saying the understanding always was that the Allies would leave Afghanistan together.

Kenya Responds to Massacre of Christian Students

On Sunday and Monday,the Kenya Air Force conducted air strikes on two al-Shabaab camps just over the border in the Gedo region of Western Somalia,Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Colonel David Obongo said.The raids were carried out in response to al-Shabaab's horrific attack on Garissa University College last Thursday,in which the Islamist extremists killed 148 non-Muslim people,most of them Christian students.The raids were also part of an ongoing strategy against the militants.Garissa is located about 200 kilometers/120 miles from the border with Somalia,which is 700 km long.
An initial raid on the camps,which serve as arms caches and logistical support centres,took place on Sunday;a second sortie was carried out early Monday after more activity was noted in the camps.
The KDF's aerial images show the camps were completely destroyed;but cloud cover made it difficult to estimate the death toll,according to COL Obongo.Al-Shabaab denied that any of its camps were damaged in the raids,saying the bombs hit farm land.*
In 2013,al Shabaab killed 67 people in an assault on Westgate Mall in Nairobi.The jihadi group swore allegiance to al-Qaida in 2012.It was estimated to have about 7,000 fighters in 2014,including foreign fighters.The US has struck at the organisation several times with drone strikes and air strikes,killing some of its leaders,including Moktar Ali Zubayr on 1 September 2014.Their current leader is Ahmad Umar.The militant group is also allied with al-Qaida in the Arabian Penninsula,which is active in Yemen.Al-Shabaab is additionally suspected of having ties with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Boko Haram,the ISIL affiliate in Nigeria.*
The Kenya Air Force flies the Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter,an aircraft still used for training by the US Navy and Marine Corps,and is flown by the Swiss,Taiwan and Honduran air forces as well.

Suffering Defeats,ISIL Takes Assyrian Christians Hostage

When Kurdish forces pushed ISIL out of some 30 villages in Northeast Syria recently,sweeping in from their retaking of Kobani,the Islamist jihadists responded by entering a lightly guarded village in al-Hasakeh Province at 4 am local time,invaded homes and dragged their Assyrian Christian hostages,including women,children and the elderly,away to an uncertain fate.According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,about 90 of the indigenous Assyrian Christians were seized,mostly from the village of Tal Shamirzm 85 km southwest of the provincial capital Qamishli.The Assyrians predate the arrival of Islam in the region,tracing their heritage back to the ancient Mesopotamians.Their traditional language is the Syriac dialect of Aramaic,a language spoken by Jesus Christ.The Assyrian Network for Human Rights believes they were taken to the village of Umm al-Masamir on Mt.Abdulaziz,around 25 km south of their home village.
At the same time,about 700 Assyrian Christian families,or 3,000 people,fled to al-Hasakeh city and took refuge in a church.Later reports say another 150 families found refuge in Qamishli,and that several of the Assyrian Christians were moved to the ISIL headquarters of Raqqa,Syria.
This comes after last week's massacre of 21 Coptic Orthodox Christian men from Egypt by ISIL in Libya.*
It was reported by the Iranian FARS news agency on Monday 22 February that Iraqi troops had killed more than seven ISIL Takfiri group militants in fighting south of Tikrit,Salahuddin Province.Then FARS reported on 23 February that Iraqi warplanes and artillery pounded the ISIL Takfiri group extremists in Tikrit itself,killing dozens and destroying two houses they were using as headquarters.
The Iraqi Air Force has several Russian ground attack aircraft,such as the Su-25,as well as a number of helicopter gunships.*
Ideal for surveillance and reconnaissance of ISIL,as well as the Taliban and al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan,are the US Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft stationed at an undisclosed Southwest Asia base.According to industry sources,however,it is al-Dhafra Air Base,UAE.Gathering intelligence is one of the main roles the US performs for the anti-ISIL coalition it leads in Operation Inherent Resolve.

Marine General Paints Chilling Picture of Iranian Activity

General James N. Mattis,U.S. Marine Corps,Commander,U.S. Central Command,testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.Iran presents the most significant threat to regional security,General Mattis said,although al-Qaida is still a threat as well.My overarching goal is to prevent further conflict in the region.
U.S. Central Command includes the Middle East and part of Central Asia.
Our strong presence in the Middle East endures.The military challenge is how to maintain this presence in a fiscally constrained environment.A sustained joint presence with a pronounced naval flavor is needed in the region.I completely support the fiscal year 2013 budget request.
We shouldn't change our Afghan strategy because of the uproar over the Koran.We shouldn't allow a few criminals,malcontents,to revise our policy.We're on track.Treachery has existed as long as there's been warfare.No force is perfect.The Afghan security forces have shown an overwhelmingly positive response to the incident.It has not shaken their trust in us.
Between now and 2015,the 352,000 level for Afghan security forces is a prudent measure.The Afghan local police forces are ethical,and we keep a close watch on them.
I have not seen that the Iranian regime has been disuaded from their nuclear ambition.
Al-Qaida is making a comeback in Iraq-mainly in Western Iraq,but also extending into Baghdad.
I think President Assad of Syria will be there for some time,because I think he will employ heavier weapons on his people.It's gonna get worse before it gets better.Assad's crackdown is gaining physical momentum on the tactical battlefield.It'll be the biggest strategic setback for Iran in 20 years when Assad finally goes.The slaughter in Syria is qualitatively the same as that in Kosovo and Bosnia.
We should be careful about whom we provide arms to in Syria.The longer this goes on,the greater the risk of al-Qaida involvement there.The spectacular IED attacks are evidence of al-Qaida already being involved in Syria.
I have never witnessed it so tumultuous in over 30 years of service in the region.Only one state is actively seeking to destabilize the region,and that is Iran,General Mattis has said.
Iran is working earnestly in Syria,flying in experts and weapons.
It is a full-throated effort to keep Assad in power.Iran is providing listening capability-eavesdropping-and experts in oppression are being flown in.
General Mattis,gray-haired and with a quiet and humble demeanor,said that Iran is fighting a shadow war every day,sending weapons,money and ordnance into Yemen,and also into Sudan,as well as helping the Taliban militants in Afghanistan.It's part of the Iranian regime's modus operandi.They've tried to exploit the Arab Awakening.Though not entirely successful,it's highly concerning.The whole region is becoming aware of Iran and uniting against it,General Mattis observed.