Resources - News

This section includes the latest news relating to U.S. security policy around the world. Updated daily, the news provided in this searchable database highlights the most relevant security developments from around the world. 

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Q&A: Inside America’s Military Build-Up in Africa

Friday, February 5, 2016
Officially, the United States has one military base in Africa. Unofficially, the story is a little different, according to investigative journalist Nick Turse. Turse has uncovered a massive network of secret U.S. military locations that span the length and breadth of the continent, an unmistakeable clue that indicates that Africa is where the U.S. is planning to fight its future wars.
Country(s): 
Africa Regional
Author(s): 
Simon Allison
Publisher / Source: 
Daily Maverick (South Africa)
Tag(s): 
Militarization

Brazil Beheading Video Draws Attention to Gang Turf War

Friday, February 5, 2016
A video has emerged depicting the beheading of a teenager in Brazil, in what could be an escalation of a brutal turf war between two rival gangs.English
Country(s): 
Brazil
Author(s): 
Mimi Yagoub
Publisher / Source: 
InSight Crime
Tag(s): 
Criminal Organizations

With China’s Naval Base, Djibouti Could Become ‘Africa’s Singapore’

Friday, February 5, 2016
Some 4,800 miles from Beijing, China is expected soon to start construction of its newest naval base in Djibouti, a tiny African nation where the mouth of the Red Sea meets the vast Indian Ocean. The permanent facility will be China’s first overseas military outpost, granting Beijing access to the Arabian Peninsula and projecting force near its investments in sub-Saharan Africa.English
Country(s): 
Djibouti
Author(s): 
Morgan Winsor
Publisher / Source: 
International Business Times
Tag(s): 
Military Operations

U.S. struggling to build anti-Islamic State strategy in Libya

Friday, February 5, 2016
The Obama administration is struggling to find the right mix of military and diplomatic moves to stop the Islamic State in Libya, where the extremist group has taken advantage of the political chaos in the country to gain a foothold with worrying implications for the U.S. and Europe. English
Country(s): 
Libya
Author(s): 
Robert Burns
Josh Lederman
Publisher / Source: 
Military Times
Wire Service: 
Associated Press
Tag(s): 
Terrorism

U.N. Reports New Rape Accusations Against Peacekeepers in Central African Republic

Friday, February 5, 2016
Investigators have discovered a string of new cases in which U.N. peacekeepers allegedly sexually abused or exploited women and girls in the Central African Republic, widening a scandal that has sent shock waves through the United Nations and threatens to undermine one of its most crucial missions.English
Country(s): 
Central African Republic
Author(s): 
Kevin Sieff
Publisher / Source: 
The Washington Post
Tag(s): 
U.N. Peacekeeping

Are U.S. Missiles Taking Out Russian Military Officials?

Friday, February 5, 2016
A CIA-backed anti-Assad militia reportedly killed at least one senior Russian military official this week with an American TOW anti-tank missile. Is this a Soviet-Afghan replay?English
Country(s): 
Syria
Author(s): 
Michael Weiss
Pierre Vaux
Publisher / Source: 
The Daily Beast
Tag(s): 
Arms Control

Pentagon Seeks to Boost Defense in Europe to Counter Russia

Friday, February 5, 2016
The Obama administration wants to enlarge the U.S. military presence in eastern and central Europe next year by stockpiling heavy weapons, armored vehicles and other military equipment across the region, a substantial expansion of U.S. efforts to counter a resurgent Russia.English
Country(s): 
Russia
Author(s): 
David Cloud
Publisher / Source: 
Los Angeles Times
Tag(s): 
Military Equipment

U.S. Will Act Against Islamic State in Libya if Needed: White House

Thursday, February 4, 2016
U.S. President Barack Obama will continue to be updated on the risks of the spread of Islamic State to Libya, and the United States will take action in the North African country to counter that threat if necessary, the White House said on Wednesday.English
Country(s): 
Libya
Author(s): 
Roberta Rampton
Publisher / Source: 
Reuters
Tag(s): 
Terrorism

In Blow To Ukraine’s Reform Hopes, Top Official Resigns, Citing Corruption

Thursday, February 4, 2016
In a blow to hopes that Ukraine will be able to overcome a decades-long struggle with corruption and mismanagement, the country’s Western-trained economy minister resigned Wednesday, saying he had been unable to beat back corruption.English
Country(s): 
Ukraine
Author(s): 
Michael Birnbaum
Publisher / Source: 
The Washington Post

Dispatches: A Grim Milestone in Azerbaijan’s Crackdown on Critics

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Three years ago today, authorities arrested Ilgar Mammadov, a prominent political analyst and one of Azerbaijan’s few alternative political voices. The anniversary of his arrest marks another grim milestone in Azerbaijan’s relentless crackdown on critics.English
Country(s): 
Azerbaijan
Author(s): 
Giorgi Gogia
Publisher / Source: 
Human Rights Watch
Tag(s): 
Human Rights

The US is killing more civilians in Iraq and Syria than it acknowledges

Thursday, February 4, 2016
The explanation for the US military’s impossibly low number can be found in the very way it investigates its own airstrikes.English
Country(s): 
Iraq
Syria
Author(s): 
Paul Wood
Richard Hall
Publisher / Source: 
Los Angeles Daily News
Tag(s): 
Conflict
Human Rights

Colombia's President Seeks U.S. Support for Historic Peace Deal

Thursday, February 4, 2016
As Colombia nears a historic treaty to formally end the oldest armed conflict in the Americas, its president, Juan Manuel Santos, came to Washington on Wednesday to ask President Obama for money and other help for the complicated task of post-war reconstruction.English
Country(s): 
Colombia
Author(s): 
Tracy Wilkinson
Publisher / Source: 
Los Angeles Times
Tag(s): 
Peace Negotiations

Tajik Court Approves No Presidential Term Limit

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Tajikistan's Constitutional Court has found legal the amendments to the country's constitution that could enable President Emomali Rahmon to establish a presidential dynasty. English
Country(s): 
Tajikistan
Author(s): 
RFE/RL
Publisher / Source: 
RFE/RL Tajik Service

USAF Participates in 2016 Ilopango Airshow in El Salvador

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Members of the 97th Air Mobility Wing were in attendance at the 2016 Ilopango Airshow held at the Ilopango International Airport, San Salvador, El Salvador, Jan. 30–31. English
Country(s): 
El Salvador
Publisher / Source: 
U.S. Southern Command
Tag(s): 
Military

U.S. and Kazakhstan Developing Program of Military Cooperation

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Kazakhstan and the United States have designed the project of bilateral military cooperation for 2016-2017, Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.English
Country(s): 
Kazakhstan
Publisher / Source: 
ITAR-TASS News Agency (Russia)
Tag(s): 
Military Cooperation

Colombia Implements Gun Ban for 2016

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Colombia has extended a nationwide ban on carrying firearms until the end of 2016, an attempt to reduce violent deaths at a time the nation is attempting to consolidate peace.English
Country(s): 
Colombia
Author(s): 
Michael Lohmuller
Publisher / Source: 
InSight Crime
Tag(s): 
Civil Society

The Leader of Islamic State in Yemen Has Been Killed in a Drone Strike

Thursday, February 4, 2016
A suspected U.S. dronestrike overnight killed a top Islamist militant commander in southern Yemen who had run al Qaeda's combat operations and had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, residents said.English
Country(s): 
Yemen
Author(s): 
Noah Browning
Yara Bayoumy
Publisher / Source: 
Business Insider
Tag(s): 
Drones
Terrorism

Brazil Zika Virus: 'War' Declared on Deadly Mosquitoes

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has declared war on mosquitoes responsible for spreading the Zika virus in a recorded TV message to the nation.English
Country(s): 
Brazil
Publisher / Source: 
BBC
Tag(s): 
Security

Colombian President Arrives In D.C. As A Peace Accord Appears Imminent, But Some Grumble At The Cost

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Today, Colombia is on the verge of signing a historic peace deal with leftist guerrillas that will end a half-century of internal war. Despite the falling price of oil, its biggest export, the Colombian economy is one of the most robust in Latin America, and the country is a prime destination for U.S. and global investors. English
Country(s): 
Colombia
Author(s): 
Karen DeYoung
Publisher / Source: 
The Washington Post

Africa: Should African Leaders Reconsider Drone Strikes?

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Drone strikes (or unmanned aerial vehicle strikes) have attracted significant media attention for their roles in the American-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistan. What has received less attention is the increasing frequency with which drone strikes have been carried out in Africa.English
Country(s): 
Africa Regional
Author(s): 
Zachary Donnenfeld
Publisher / Source: 
All Africa
Tag(s): 
Drones

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