Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States has finally reported the size of its military presence in Kuwait. The Defense Department said it was deploying 23,000 American troops in Kuwait. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said those troops would be on alert for any emergency in the region. “We have about 40,000 troops in that […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Egypt has reported the resumption of natural gas to neighboring Israel and Jordan. A senior official said Egypt renewed operations of the Arab Gas Pipeline on Oct. 23 in wake of an attack on the facility in the Sinai Peninsula. The official said the gas was now priced at double […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States has recalled its ambassador from Syria because of threats to his safety. Officials said the State Department said U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, has returned to Washington. They said Ford received threats by elements aligned with the regime of President Bashar Assad. “Ambassador Robert Ford was […]
Special to WorldTribune.com JERUSALEM — Israel has agreed to release Egyptian nationals as part of a deal for the freeing of an American man charged with espionage. Officials said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed in principle to release 25 Egyptian inmates. They said Cairo would free an American-Israeli law student, Ilan […]
Special to WorldTribune.com RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has been accused of harassing Hamas prisoners released by Israel. The PA has not confirmed the Hamas report. Israel has released 477 Palestinians, most of them transferred to the Gaza Strip, and plans another release of 550 in December. The Hamas prisoner release is said to have […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Bahrain is mounting a campaign to block the appointment of the new U.S. ambassador to the Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom. Two petitions have been organized against President Barack Obama’s nominee for the new U.S. ambassador to Manama. The online petitions said Thomas Krajeski, approved by the Senate Foreign Relations […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Israel and the Republic of Cyprus are said to have staged an air combat exercise. Turkish sources said Nicosia has allowed the Israel Air Force to stage an exercise around the Mediterranean island. They said the exercise was meant as a message to Ankara that Israel would not be hampered […]
Special to WorldTribune.com BAGHDAD — The United States continues to train Iraqi police despite Baghdad’s insistence that this is no longer required, a report said. The U.S. Special Inspector-General for Iraq Reconstruction asserted that the State Department was wasting millions of dollars for U.S. training of Iraqi police units. In two reports, the inspector-general concluded […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States has acknowledged concern over the release of senior Hamas operatives in a prisoner exchange with Israel. Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama discussed the release of Hamas operatives convicted of planning suicide bombings and other attacks in which Americans were killed. More than a dozen […]
Special to WorldTribune.com BAGHDAD — The United States has intensified its military withdrawal from Iraq. Officials said the U.S. military has increased the pace of pulling out equipment from Iraq to Kuwait. They said the military, with 39,000 troops, was closing bases, transferring combat platforms and logistics in both air and ground transport. “Now, we […]