The State Department recently released a key factsheet highlighting the United States’ current attempt to rebuild Iraq’s security forces to combat the rise of the Islamic State (IS). During the Iraq War (2003-2011), the United States spent $23 billion in military and police aid to the country – an average of $2.5 billion per year – on military equipment and training to defeat the insurgency and build an effective fighting force.
With the volatile debate over the United States’ immigration policy and shifting U.S. foreign policy and assistance to Central America, civil society advocates and other interested individuals in Central America, Mexico and the United States need the tools to understand and impact this public discussion. For this reason, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund (LAWGEF) published a new advocacy guide in English and Spanish.
At its core, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) – the first international legally-binding treaty to regulate the international transfer of conventional arms – is about transparency of what has traditionally been an opaque and secretive trade. The first ATT Conference of States Parties (CSP) held in Cancun, Mexico from August 24-27, however, neglected to adopt any rules governing the reporting requirements of the ATT.
On Wednesday, August 19, Georgia’s first female Defense Minister, Tinatin Khidasheli, headlined the event “Seeing Security: Georgia Between Russia and ISIS” at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). During the briefing, which focused mostly on Russia, Minister Khidasheli explained very clear why she was visiting the United States: to strengthen Georgia’s partnership with the United States and to gain support for Georgia’s accession into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)....
U.S. partners from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) form a key part of the Obama Administration’s anti-ISIS coalition. A recent Congressional Research Service report highlighted specific contributions, including at least 28 F-16s, from six MENA countries. Here’s a look at the total amount of U.S. arms sales and total number of participants in U.S. military trainings to all MENA anti-coalition partners from 2012 to 2014.