• Home
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Essays & Chapters
    • Books Reviews
    • Other Publications
  • Teachings & Seminars
  • Media
    • International Op-Ed
    • Media Interviews
    • L'Indro
  • Blog
Andrea Beccaro

Mediterranean Security Update

3/26/2017

0 Comments

 
Syria. Damascus has been the theatre of fierce fighting. Syrian government forces on 20th regained control of parts of the capital that were attacked and captured by al-Qaeda linked rebels the previous day, however clashes has continued in the following days. Syrian government and rebel delegations have confirmed their attendance at peace talks resumed in Geneva on 23rd. On the agenda for this round are issues of governance, a political transition, the constitution and elections, as well as counterterrorism at the request of Damascus. Meanwhile, Russia continues to play a key role and the Kurdish forces in Syria, said that they will be trained by Russian forces. Moreover, investigations of Russian casualties in Syria find that Moscow has suffered more than three times more casualties than it has admitted to in public.

Israel. Last week Israel conduced air strikes in Syria in order to destroy Hezbollah arms warehouse; Syria fired anti-air missiles in a bid to shoot down the aircrafts. This was not a new situation between the two countries; however, it risks opening a new crisis in the Middle East because on 20th March Russia summoned Israeli ambassador.

Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi visited Washington and spoke at the United States Institute for Peace saying that the White House had “given assurances that [U.S.] support won’t only continue, but will accelerate” in the fight. He added that “this administration wants to be more engaged in fighting terrorism” than the Obama administration. However, he pointed to that just sending more troops and helicopters isn’t the answer to terrorism.
Libya. Western and African counterterrorism officials say that Islamic State is already regrouping, exploiting the chaos and political vacuum gripping the country. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, head of the Pentagon’s Africa Command, told a Senate panel that “The instability in Libya and North Africa may be the most significant near-term threat to U.S. and allies’ interests on the continent”, General Waldhauser said. “Even with the success of Surt, ISIS-Libya remains a regional threat with intent to target U.S. persons and interests”. As a consequence the United States has maintained a force on the ground able to gather intelligence and to assist ally.
ISIS. ISIS has increasingly used armed drones in Iraq; therefore, Darpa, the Pentagon’s advanced research agency, is working on a new program to preempt this threat. Defense officials are worried that groups like the Islamic State may shift from using commercial drones to drop small munitions to loading them with explosives and crashing them into targets to turn them into crude missiles. Darpa’s Mobile Force Protection Program is looking at ways to protect high value vehicle convoys from these kinds of drone attacks. Meanwhile, senior officials from the 68 member countries of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS met in Washington on 22nd March, it was the first such meeting. On the one hand, looking at the 68 member countries signed up to fight IS demonstrates just how ineffective this coalition has been; on the other hand, the countries not asked to participate in the anti-IS coalition are also telling: Syria, Iran, and Russia.

0 Comments

Mediterranean Security Update

3/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Libya. During the last week the security situation in Libya has worsened. On 14th March Haftar’s troops launched an assault and seized two of the country’s key eastern oil terminals that were conquered by rival militias during the first week of March. While on 19th Haftar’s forces have captured the last blocks in Benghazi ending weeks of resistance. Moreover, a force of several dozen armed private security contractors from Russia operated until last month in Benghazi, showing the strong relationship between Haftar and Russia. Even the security situation in Tripoli is volatile since the clashes that erupted between rival militias on 14th March.
Egypt. The Russian Defence Ministry ruled out that members of Russian Special Forces have been deployed on Egyptian military bases of Sidi Barrani, about 60 miles (100 km) from the Egypt-Libya border, and of Marsa Matrouh. However, Reuter reported that Russia has deployed Special Forces in Egypt to boost Haftar in Libya.
Turkey. On 11th March a diplomatic crisis arose between Turkey and Netherlands that barred Turkey’s foreign minister from entering the country and forcing the Turkish family affairs minister to leave. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Netherlands “fascists” and “remnants of Nazis”. On 15th roadside bomb killed two Turkish soldiers in southeast Turkey.
Syria. On 15th March the Syrian conflict has entered the 7th year with much of the country in ruins, its economy decimated and half its population dead, miss­ing or homeless. More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war and a kind of proxy war. Twin blasts killed 40 people in Damascus while Russia is playing a key role in Homs where Syrian opposition fighters are allowed to leave the last rebel-held neighborhood.
Jordan. Throughout the last month the Khalid Ibn al-Walid Army, a Syrian rebel group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in June 2016 took over villages in the Syrian south sparked the concerns of Jordanian authorities that radical groups in that area constitute a danger for Jordanian national security.
Israel. On early Friday, 17th Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Syria that launched several antiaircraft missiles. Syrian official claimed to have shot down one warplane but Israel denied. During the last years Israel has conducted dozens of raids in Syria in order to attack Hezbollah convoys and warehouse.
Iraq. On 19th Iraqi forces have captured two key neighbourhoods in its offensive to retake the western part of Mosul. The advance followed intense clashes between Iraqi forces and ISIL fighters. On 15th Iraqi forces took control of a main bridge leading to the city and advanced towards the mosque where ISIL’s leader declared a caliphate in 2014.
Europe. On 18th an ISIS affiliate attacked a military patrol in the French airport of Orly, he wounded one soldier and then was deadly shot. Europe is constantly threatened by foreign fighters. EU Counterterrorism said that one-third of the estimated 5,000 European jihadists who went to Syria and Iraq have returned to their home countries, an unknown number of them undetected.

0 Comments

Mediterranean Security Update

3/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Iraq. Iraqi security forces have pushed deeper into western Mosul, gaining control of a neighborhood along the Tigris River and the foot of one of the city’s five bridges amid intense clashes with ISIL fighters. ISIS is now completely surrounded in the east part of the city, but the fight will still continue for a long time because the main problem is the control of the city after the battle. Iraqi forces have also retaken the main government offices in Mosul paving the way for an attack on the heavily-populated old city. Meanwhile on 6 March Baghdad hosted the 6th Security and Defense Fair where military vehicles and weaponry were displayed.

Egypt
. The security situation in Sinai remains very volatile. On 27 February ISIS abducted four men accused of collaborating with the government killing two of them.

Syria
. On 25 February a series of suicide attacks on military installations in Homs are killed 32 people, including the army’s intelligence chief General Hassan Daabul - a close confidant of President Bashar al-Assad. Despite diplomatic progresses in Astana and Ginevra, Syria conflict remains very violent and the U.S. involvement is increasing. In fact, on 05 March, American Stryker Armored Vehicle have been spotted northern of Manbij, and in the same area are operating even Russian soldiers in what appears the closest encounter between the two Powers. Moreover, the top American military officer met on 7 March with his Russian and Turkish counterparts to discuss how to avoid an unintended confrontation in Syria.

Libya
. On 3 March the leader of the international recognized Libyan government, Fayez al-Sarraj, has visited Moscow in order to meet top Russian diplomats. The Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) have captured five cities and two major oil-producing areas (Es Sider and Ras Lanuf) in the east of Libya controlled by Haftar forces. This could represent a major setback for Haftar that could weaken his position as a negotiator in possible future political talks.

ISIS
. The Islamic militia is in retreat; however, it is still able to conduct attacks and to innovate its warfare. On the one hand, it is very well-known that ISIS has increased its use of drone during the battle of Mosul, as a result Iraqi security Forces also started to use commercial drone to fight ISIS. On the other hand, recent reports suggest that ISIS has used chemical weapon in Mosul. However, ISIS has used chemical weapons in the past both in Iraq and in Syria.

Merkel. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has held talks with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Egypt and then has visited Tunisia as part of a broader tour to enhance German investments in Africa, decrease the flow of migrants to Europe, and increase intelligence-sharing to combat terrorism.

0 Comments

    Andrea Beccaro Blog

    My blog to share news related to International Politics and Security in the Mediterranean region. Moreover, the blog is also a tool to suggest books on terrorism, warfare, strategy, military history, political thought.

    Archives

    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.