Special to WorldTribune.com BAGHDAD — Despite the troop withdrawal, the United States expects to be heavily engaged in military projects in Iraq in 2012. U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad James Jeffrey said Washington has been committed to a range of military programs in Iraq that would last up to 2020. Jeffrey said the value of these […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel’s intelligence community has assessed that Egypt’ existing government could decline rapidly in wake of the huge Islamic victory in parliamentary elections. Israeli sources said the intelligence community was stunned by the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Salafist allies in parliamentary elections in late November. They said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel is increasingly worried over the prospect of another revolt in Egypt. Officials said the escalation in unrest in Egypt is threatening regional stability as well as relations with the Jewish state. They said the unrest reflected the growing power of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist opposition. “This […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Egypt has drafted a plan to develop border areas in an effort to increase security. Officials said Egypt’s military regime has approved a proposal to develop areas along the border with Israel and Libya. They said the government would offer incentives for tens of thousands of people to move to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The administration of President Barack Obama has cast doubts on the feasibility of an attack on Iran. [In a debate Saturday night, several Republican candidates supported a military strike on Iran if all other efforts to stop the regime’s development of nuclear weapons failed.] Officials said the Defense Department and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Qatar has launched a project to expand its security force amid threats by Al Qaida and Iran. The Internal Security Force has won approval by the Interior Ministry to construct facilities for the training of thousands of new officers. ISF plans to construct a camp outside Doha that would […]
Special to WorldTribune.com from east-asia-intel.com Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress last week that U.S. military strategy under budget cuts will lead to a lessening of emphasis in areas of the world where Al Qaida is emerging as a growing threat. Panetta said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Oct. 13 that smaller […]
Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel has disclosed that annual defense and security exports topped $7 billion in 2010. The Defense Ministry reported a sharp rise in foreign defense sales over the past decade. Officials attributed the increase to Al Qaida’s air suicide strikes in the United States in 2001 in which more than […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Backgrounder, Compiled by Bill Gertz U.S. officials are stepping up efforts in North Africa and the Middle East to account for thousands of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles that have been dispersed around the region as the result of the Libyan civil war.The officials said the missiles are beginning to show up on the […]