THE U.S. MILITARY has long insisted that it maintains a “light footprint” in Africa, and there have been reports of proposed drawdownsin special operations forces and closures of outposts on the continent, due to a 2017 ambush in Niger and an increasing focus on rivals like China and Russia. But through it all, U.S. Africa Command has fallen short of providing concrete information … Continue reading US Military’s footprint in Africa
Saudi Arabia’s Blood Pact With Sudanese Genocidal Strongman
Put simply, recent U.S. intelligence assessments confirm what al-Amin has reported: that the UAE/Saudi war in Yemen is beginning to unravel. Not only are the Emiratis and Saudis mired in a seemingly endless conflict, their 8,000-plus Sudanese mercenaries are beginning to turn on their Emirati and Saudi officers. This is the result of Saudi penny-pinching … Continue reading Saudi Arabia’s Blood Pact With Sudanese Genocidal Strongman
Record number of bombs dropped on Afghanistan in 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/11/13/the-u-s-never-dropped-as-many-bombs-on-afghanistan-as-it-did-in-2018-infographic/ Even though the conflict has been making fewer headlines in recent years, the U.S. has never dropped as many bombs on Afghanistan as it did this year. According to U.S. Air Forces Central Command data, manned and unmanned aircraft released 5,213 weapons between January and the end of September 2018. Previously, 2010 held the record for … Continue reading Record number of bombs dropped on Afghanistan in 2018
Price tag of the ‘war on terror’ will top $6 trillion soon
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/11/14/price-tag-of-the-war-on-terror-will-top-6-trillion-soon/ The price tag of the ongoing “war on terror” in the Middle East will likely top $6 trillion next year, and will reach $7 trillion if the conflicts continue into the early 2020s, according to a new report out Wednesday. The annual Costs of War project report, from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown … Continue reading Price tag of the ‘war on terror’ will top $6 trillion soon
EU arms sale to Saudi and UAE since 2015: 55 times more than aid to Yemen
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/perverse-cycle-european-arms-sales-saudi-and-uae-worth-sixty-times-aid-yemen-356882718 Yet while the Saudi-led coalition has bombed the region’s poorest country over the past three years, the EU and European countries approved the sale of more than $86.7bn in arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to figures compiled by Middle East Eye. The value of the licences which the countries issued … Continue reading EU arms sale to Saudi and UAE since 2015: 55 times more than aid to Yemen
Transform defence for sustainable human safety 