Barbara Opall-Rome
Monday, August 28, 2017 - 07:20
WASHINGTON — A top commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria has publicly acknowledged that Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces — a loose alliance of Iranian-backed Shiite militias — are “incidentally” benefiting from the extensive support provided to Iraqi security forces under the control of Baghdad.
Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, deputy commander of the Combined Joint Task Force for Operation Inherent Resolve, noted that throughout the battle for Mosul, Iraq, and up until last week, the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, were not deployed as an integral part of those Iraqi security forces directly supported by coalition operations. But with the Aug. 20 launch of the offensive on Tal Afar, the PMF is operating in the same sector alongside three Iraqi divisions, Iraq’s counterterrorism service, police units and the country’s emergency response division to liberate Tal Afar and the remainder of Nineveh province from ISIS.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 - 09:08
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is beginning work on a new multiyear modernization road map that takes into account an influx of $38 billion in US-promised grant aid from 2019 through 2028, the military’s top planner said on Monday.
Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 07:41
The Israeli Air Force declared initial operational capability on Wednesday of the Arrow-3 intercepting system, the nation’s newest, upper-tier layer of a multi-tiered defense network against ballistic missiles.
Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 07:56
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was the first Arab leader to call and congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump, and others throughout the region quickly followed suit, offering hopes of closer ties than those frayed by eight years of President Barack Obama.
Monday, September 19, 2016 - 08:06
Senator Lindsay Graham, a hawkish, pro-Israel Republican from South Carolina, told reporters Sept. 14 that the 10-year, $38 billion pledge was too little and the White House wrongly sought to stop Congress from adding to it.
Thursday, September 15, 2016 - 07:26
The Israeli military demonstrated on Tuesday that it takes seriously Hezbollah’s repeated threats to “take over the Galilee” with a massive drill aimed at evacuating civilians under attack near the Lebanon border.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - 07:41
In an announcement based on a conference address by Dubi Lavi, MoD’s director of the Defense Exports Control Agency (DECA) that was established at US insistence, MoD outlined changes aimed at easing restrictions governing the marketing of non-classified products and services.
Friday, August 12, 2016 - 06:43
As US missile defense funding to Israel surges, so, too, does the economic benefit to American teams led by Boeing and Raytheon, partners with Israel on joint production of the systems designed to defend against rapidly expanding threats.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016 - 06:28
Israel’s state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon, its US partner for Iron Dome production, are working to transform the combat-proven Israeli interceptor into a fully American system in defense of forward-deployed US forces.
Monday, August 8, 2016 - 06:36
Last month’s violation of Israeli airspace by a Syrian-based Russian UAV was “very likely” the result of human error, according to preliminary findings of an Israeli Air Force (IAF) probe published Monday by Israel’s Ha’aretz daily.