Special Operations

Iranian Backed Terror Group Fires Missile Into Saudi Arabia

A SCUD-type of missile, launched by Yemen-based Houthi rebels flew hundreds of miles in Saudi Arabia according to US defense officials. And even more concerning to government officials was that the missile flew farther in range than anything the rebels had used before and that Iran supplied it.

The missile, described by one official as a Scud, was fired from Houthi controlled territory near Sa’Dah in northern Yemen and flew some 930 kilometers before landing near the western coast of Saudi Arabia.

It is assessed that the target was a Saudi oil facility near the port city of Yanbu.
One official told CNN that the missile launch was concerning because it flew farther than any other missile fired by the Houthis.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has previously accused Iran of providing the Houthis with arms, including missiles.
“We see Iranian-supplied missiles being fired by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia,” Mattis told reporters en route to Saudi Arabia during an April visit.
The Houthis are also believed to have seized stockpiles of weapons from Yemeni government depots during their takeover of much of the north of the country.
Asked if Saturday’s missile was supplied by Iran or part of a pre-existing Yemeni government stockpile, one US defense official said it was not clear but added, “either way the Houthis didn’t make it.”
The missile flew hundreds of miles over Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom’s purchase of billions of dollars’ worth of US anti-missile technology, including Patriot missiles.
A website associated with the Houthi rebels’ media-wing did publish a video of what they said was a Scud-type missile launch that targeted a Saudi oil refinery. The post said the missile struck its intended target.
The Saudi government did not immediately comment on the launch but a Saudi state news agency reported Sunday that an electrical transformer located at the gate of the Samref refinery caught fire as a result of the high weather temperature, adding that the fire did not result in any human or operational losses.
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Arab states against the Iran-backed Houthi militants in support of Yemen’s internationally-recognized government, which the Houthis ejected from the country’s capital in 2014.
While the coalition has made some gains against the Houthis in the south, the rebels still control swaths of territory in the country’s north, including areas along the Yemen-Saudi border.
While the US has been working with the UAE to combat al Qaeda in Yemen, conducting over 80 airstrikes and a series of ground raids against the terror group, US support of the Saudi-led fight against the Houthis has been much more limited.
“The US military’s support to the Saudi-led coalition remains in a non-combat advisory and coordinating role. The Department of Defense provides air refueling and shares intelligence with the Saudi-led coalition,” US Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman told CNN.

To read the entire article from CNN, click here:

Photo: Houthi Rebel media release

The American Dream Comes True For a NC Guard Soldier

Traveling to the United States many years ago from her native Romania, Gizela Lupescu never dreamed at the time of becoming an American citizen. But all of that changed and many years later, not only is she now an American but serves as a Specialist in the North Carolina National Guard and as an independent contractor working for the Special Forces School at Camp Mackall.

She’s living proof that the American Dream can still exist for some people who are perseverant and never give up hope. She recently acted as an interpreter for the Guard troops who are visiting her native Romania on a multi-nation training exercise.

A native of Romania, Lupescu found the dream in North Carolina after a 16-year wait to become a U.S. citizen.
Now, she serves as a soldier in the North Carolina National Guard and an independent contractor on Fort Bragg training special operations forces.
In recent weeks, her worlds collided when she deployed to her native land as part of a group of North Carolina National Guard troops serving in support of a training exercise there.
Speaking from Romania, Lupescu said her story is a happy one.
“I am on the cusp, if not already found it,” she said of her American dream. “My story is a successful story.”
Lupescu, who lives in Raeford, is a combat medic with the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, part of the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
In Romania, she’s assigned to the 5th Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment – one of 200 local soldiers who deployed to Europe to participate in a 22-nation training exercise called Saber Guardian 17.
The soldiers — who operate the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HiMARS – are working with international allies while building readiness for a potential defense of Europe from Russian aggression. They are expected to return to North Carolina later this month.
Saber Guardian 17 is led by U.S. Army Europe and is taking place in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, officials said. It will involve more than 25,000 service members from various allies, including the United States, and is the largest Black Sea Region military exercise planned this year.
In Romania, Lupescu is a liaison and part-time translator between Romanian and American troops. While most Romanians speak some English, she said, she’s there to make sure nothing is lost in translation.
It’s a role that has taken some Romanian troops by surprise, especially when she talks in her native tongue.
“They pause and look me up and down,” Lupescu said.
Ultimately, the soldiers are proud to see one of their own in an American uniform, she said. They ask about life in America and her service in the Army. Lupescu tells them the truth.
“I’ve had nothing but good experiences,” she said.
Lupescu came to America in 2000 at age 21. It wasn’t her original plan to become an American, but she fell in love with the country, she said.
It took her a dozen years to become a permanent resident. And several more years to earn her citizenship.
Lupescu said she knew it was a long process, but didn’t expect it to take so long.
“It can take four years,” she said. “It can take eight years.”
For Lupescu, it took 16.
She doesn’t know why it took so long, and she said she had her doubts along the way. But she never considered giving up, even when she felt she had no control of her life.
Born in Bucharest and the daughter of two teachers, Lupescu said she grew up with a love of America fueled largely by Hollywood.
“I was always fascinated with the American culture,” she said. “Everything American.”
When the opportunity came to travel to the United States, Lupescu jumped at the chance.
In June 2000, she arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to serve as a counselor for a Girl Scout camp. There, Lupescu said, she fell in love with the country and applied for naturalization.
In Romania, Lupescu was trained on the violin and piano. She had gone to college for dentistry and could speak French, English and Spanish. But in America, as she waited for her citizenship, she had to settle for whatever jobs she could find.
“No job would be beneath me,” she said. “One does what one has to.”
Lupescu worked in construction, as a waitress and as a secretary. She cleaned houses, washed dishes and, for a time, even drove a delivery truck.
“I’ve even been one of those annoying telemarketers,” she said.

We normally only hear about the other side of immigration, the illegal immigrants. But for the others, the ones who go about becoming Americans the right way, this is a familiar but still great story.

To read the entire article from The Fayetteville Observer, click here:

Photo courtesy US Army

Mattis: Get Rid of Senseless Exercises, Get Back to Warfighting

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wants the military to get back to the art of fighting wars and do realistic training and stop wasting time on what he termed “senseless exercises.” Mattis came to this conclusion after hearing complaints of thousands of service members.

Many service members said that too much of their time is spent covering mandatory training that has nothing to do with their warfighting capabilities.

The training that is the subject of complaints covers everything from alcohol use to active shooters to sexual harassment to stress management.
Addressing the service secretaries and chiefs of the Armed Forces, Mattis has ordered the formation of a new working group to “determine changes to military personnel policies” to “equip more ready and lethal forces.” The working group will include the second in command of each branch of the U.S. military and report to the deputy secretary of defense and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The secretary wants each service to examine its military education to “regain a concentration on the art and science of warfighting” and look into the hours of “mandatory force training that does not directly support core tasks” such as flying jets, jumping out of planes, and hundreds of other U.S. military missions essential to defending the United States and its allies.
One official with knowledge of the discussions surrounding the memo told Fox News, “servicemembers spending too much time on senseless training that is really a waste of time.” One U.S. military officer said there is “too much sexual harassment training” and not enough time spent at places like the shooting range, for example.
Last year, Fox News traveled to Ellsworth Air Force Base where numerous B-1B bomber pilots said that in addition to planning and flying training missions that can take over 12 hours at a time, they spend “countless hours” on mandatory training they view as unnecessary.
Currently, only about half the Air Force’s fleet of long-range B-1B bombers are fully mission capable.
Mattis also wants the working group to look into “hiring practices for the [DoD] civilian workforce,” which some senior military officers have complained has become too large in recent years despite Obama-era cuts involving tens of thousands of uniformed servicemembers.
“There are more civilians working for the Pentagon than there are uniformed troops in the Navy and Air Force combined,” Katherine McIntire Peters, deputy editor of Government Executive Media Group, wrote in a recent op-ed. Peters put the Defense Department’s civilian work force at 770,000.

Mattis also wants to overhaul and improve the counter-intelligence capability of the military as well. He has given a deadline for recommendations no later than December 1.

To read the entire article from Fox News click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

China’s Base in Djibouti is Much Larger Than Previously Thought

China’s new base in Djibouti is much larger in scale than previously thought. The base has extensive underground space, multiple security layers but thus far, they’ve yet to begin construction of docks.

It is believed that until the Chinese build docks on their base, they’ll use the commercial docks available.

Two images provided by Stratfor Worldview and Allsource Analysis show the base in Djibouti, located at a strategic choke point on the Horn of Africa, to be heavily fortified with three layers of security and has about 23,000 square meters (about 250,000 square feet) of underground space, according to analysis provided by Stratfor.
“This type of construction is in line with known Chinese practices in hardening their military bases. The underground structures allow for unobserved activity, as well as offer protection to vehicles or facilities critical to the Chinese mission in Djibouti,” Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm, said in an analysis accompanying the images.
China dispatched troops to the base earlier this month. The United States, France and Japan also have permanent military bases there, but Tack said those are not as heavily fortified.
It’s not clear how big the Chinese base is, but for comparison, the US base was expanded to 500 acres in 2007.
“Even though this is just one of those bases in Djibouti as several other countries have, China has taken it’s own methods into Djibouti,” Stratfor Senior Analyst Sim Tack told CNN.
China’s Defense Ministry has touted the base as a way for the People’s Liberation Army to help bring peace and security to the region by providing a means of carrying out anti-piracy operations and humanitarian assistance.
However an image from July 4 showed the Chinese had not yet begun building docks, which Stratfor called notable due to the bases aforementioned purpose.
“I wouldn’t say it’s irregular, but I would’ve expected to see a dock,” Tack said.
A dock will likely be constructed eventually, and China could use Djibouti’s commercial report until that time, according to Stratfor.
Analysts say the base is part of China’s efforts to establish a truly global naval force that’s capable of conducting operations around the world — a so-called “blue water navy” — though Chinese state media has pushed back on suggestions that Beijing will flex its muscles globally.

The Chinese are building hangars for helicopters and drones but they don’t appear large enough for fighter aircraft at this time.

To read the entire article from CNN, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Israel Removes Metal Detectors from Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Israeli government, attempting to calm days of violence which has claimed seven lives, has removed metal detectors from entrances to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City. The Israelis have said they’ll instead use more CCTV cameras for the security of the site which is revered in Christian, Jewish as well as Muslim religions. Not surprisingly Palestinians say the modified security measures are still unacceptable.

Israel installed metal detectors at entry points to Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem after two police officers were fatally shot on July 14, triggering the bloodiest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in years.
The spike in tensions and the deaths of three Israelis and four Palestinians in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis.
“All parties should work to reduce these tensions and we offer whatever assistance we can in helping to do this,” Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York.
However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the senior Muslim cleric who oversees Al Aqsa compound both dismissed the new Israeli measures and demanded all of them be removed.
“All new Israeli measures put in place since [July 14] must be removed so things can go back to normal in Jerusalem and we can resume our work regarding bilateral relations,” Mr Abbas said at the beginning of a meeting with the Palestinian leadership.
The Waqf, the religious body that runs the Islamic sites in the Al Aqsa compound, said worshippers would continue to stay away from the elevated, marble-and-stone plaza — Islam’s third holiest site — and pray in the streets outside.
A Waqf spokesman said it was awaiting a decision of a technical committee but was demanding the situation revert to the way it was before the metal detectors were installed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet of senior ministers voted to remove the metal detector gates early on Tuesday (local time) after a meeting lasting several hours.
A statement issued after the security cabinet meeting said it had decided to heed a recommendation of Israeli security bodies and replace the detectors with “smart checking” devices.

The high-resolution cameras can detect hidden objects are the alternative to the metal detectors. Muslim religious officials – who allege Israel is trying to expand its control at the site – said they would accept only a return to the arrangements for access to the compound that had been in place before an incident on July 14, when two Israeli policemen were shot by three Israeli Arab gunmen who had smuggled weapons on to the site.

To read the entire article from ABC News click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Videos Point to Russia Arming the Taliban in Afghanistan

The United States has been claiming for months that the Russians, once bitter enemies of the Taliban, have been arming them attempting to undermine US efforts in the war-torn country. Now videos are surfacing that give rise to those accusations by the US.

The Russians have flatly denied the allegation as “utterly false” and claim that the US is just trying to pin blame on Moscow for a failure by the United States.

US generals first suggested they were concerned the Russian government was seeking to arm the Afghan insurgents back in April, but images from the battlefield here corroborating these claims have been hard to come by.
These two videos show sniper rifles, Kalashnikov variants and heavy machine guns that weapons experts say are stripped of any means of identifying their origin.
Two separate sets of Taliban, one in the north and another in the west, claim to be in possession of the weapons, which they say were originally supplied by Russian government sources. One splinter group of Taliban near Herat say they obtained the guns after defeating a mainstream rival group of Taliban. Another group say they got the weapons for free across the border with Tajikistan and that they were provided by “the Russians.”
“The Russians have said that they maintain contact with the Taliban, we have lots of other reports from other people they are arming the Taliban … there is no smoke without fire,” Afghan government spokesman Sediq Sediqi said. “That’s why our intelligence agencies are up to the job to find out what level of support that is to the Taliban.”
Another Afghan official said they were sure that trade was happening between Russia and the Taliban.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment for this article but has previously called claims they are arming the Taliban “utterly false” and said they were made to cover up for the United States’ failure in Afghanistan. The Russians talk to the Taliban purely to promote peace talks, they said.
US officials have long voiced concerns about any weapons flow to the terror group. Asked in April whether he would refute the reports Russia was arming the Taliban, the US commander here, Gen. John Nicholson, said: “Oh, no I’m not refuting that… Arming belligerents or legitimizing belligerents who perpetuate attacks … is not the best way forward.”
Gen. Joseph Votel, chief of US Central Command, told a congressional committee in March he believed the Russians were seeking influence in Afghanistan.
“The Russians have said that they maintain contact with the Taliban, we have lots of other reports from other people they are arming the Taliban … there is no smoke without fire,” Afghan government spokesman Sediq Sediqi said. “That’s why our intelligence agencies are up to the job to find out what level of support that is to the Taliban.”

It is well-believed in the US government that the Russians love to tweak the Americans at every turn. Even after their own defeat at the hands of the Taliban, the Russians are taking this countering America to a new level. While the weapons themselves are not positive proof that Moscow has taken to arming the Taliban, the signs are there to at least give some credence to the US’ claims.

To read the entire article from CNN click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Russia’s AK-12 has Passed Field Tests and is Ready for Deployment

The Russian AK-12 assault rifle is ready to become the new standard weapon of the Russian armed forces, has passed military field tests and now meets all of the Russian armed forces’ design and operational standards, according to Jane’s 360.

The AK-12’s success in military trials sets it up to become the standard weapon for soldiers in Russia’s Ratnik — or Warrior — future weapon system.
Work on the AK-12 began in 2011 with the AK-200 as a base model. Kalashnikov Concern presented prototypes in early 2012, and the first generation of the weapon was also successful in military tests.
However, according to Jane’s, the Russian military requested design alterations and wanted the new weapon to be cheaper to make. The company then produced the second-generation version of the weapon, using a 5.45 mm round with the AK-400 as its base model. The second-generation model also addressed issues regarding full-automatic fire.
The 5.45 mm AK-12 is being developed with the 7.62 mm AK-15 — both of which are to be teamed with the 5.45 mm RPK-16 light support weapon. The Russian military has also been testing A545 and A762 assault rifles — 5.45 mm and 7.62 mm, respectively — made by Kovrov Mechanical Works.
Both the AK-12 and the AK-15 keep some traditional Kalashnikov features and are compatible with magazines used by earlier versions of the AK-74 and the AKM rifles, according to Modern Firearms. The new weapons are designed to offer better accuracy in all conditions, can be fitted with add-ons like sighting equipment and bayonets, and can carry a 40 mm grenade launcher under the barrel.
Arms experts have said the AK-12 is not a grand departure from the AK-74, which is the current standard weapon for the Russian military.
“There are improvements but very modest on the background of excessive expectations triggered by a media campaign,” Mikhail Degtyarev, editor-in-chief of Kalashnikov magazine, told Army Recognition in May, making specific mention of ergonomic improvements.
Nor do observers see the wholesale replacement of the AK-74 on the horizon, as that weapon is “a very successful design but … needs modernization,” military expert Viktor Murakhovsky toldArmy Recognition. “It is necessary to considerably improve combat engagement convenience, including ergonomics, and provide a possibility to mount additional devices.”
Alongside the AK-12/AK-15 package, Kalashnikov Concern has been working on an AK-74 upgrade that includes a folding and telescoping stock, rails for add-ons, and a more ergonomic fire selector and handgrip.

The Russians are working on many improvements for the armed forces and their current projects mirror many programs that the US is also working on. Included are an exoskeleton, body armor and armored suit similar to the TAOS project.

To read the entire article from Business Insider click here:

Photo courtesy Wikimedia

Russian Ally Kyrgyzstan Received Missile Threats to Close US Base

Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev said Monday that his nation was threatened with missile attacks by a foreign power if he didn’t close an air base that the US had in Kyrgyzstan territory.

“I will not hide that some countries warned us that they are ready, should it be the case that it is necessary, to conduct a missile strike on the U.S. air base deployed on our territory,” Atambayev said at a press conference in his country’s north.
Atambayev did not say which countries were behind the threat to the former Soviet republic which borders China and Kazakhstan. A Russian military ally since the 1990s, Kyrgyzstan is a member of Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Organization—Moscow’s analog to NATO.
The U.S. facility was opened in 2001 with the aim of supporting NATO operations in nearby Afghanistan; Kyrgyzstan closed it in 2014.
“Our people were under serious danger until [it was closed],” Atambayev said Monday, Russian state news agency Itar-Tass reports. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan has one Russian air base on its territory—the Kant base—and recently Atambayev told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would endorse another such base on his nation’s territory, in an apparent swipe at neighbors Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s ability to halt the Taliban.
“I would not be afraid if Russia deployed a second base in Kyrgyzstan on the Tajikistan border,” he added. “Russia is not readying to take our territory. It has enough of its own. We risk nothing, and in this way we would defend ourselves, but the decision will have to be taken by Russia, taking into account its own abilities.”
The Kyrgyz leader voiced skepticism that Moscow would spare the funds for another air base in his country, having received a cold response when he raised the issue with Putin last month. He also said that the most recent agreement about the Kant base will see a reduction in the deployment period of Russian troops in Kyrgyzstan, from 74 years to 15.

To read the entire article from Newsweek click here:

Photo courtesy US Air Force

Iraq, Iran Sign Pact to Boost Military Cooperation

In a move that is bound to concern Washington, Iran and Iraq signed a pact on Sunday to step up military cooperation and the fight against “terrorism and extremism”, according to official Iranian news agencies.

At a time when the US has repeatedly voiced its intentions to limit the influence of Tehran in the region and elsewhere, this can’t be looked upon as anything but bad news.

Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan and his Iraqi counterpart Erfan al-Hiyali signed a memorandum of understanding which also covered border security, logistics and training, the official news agency IRNA reported.
“Extending cooperation and exchanging experiences in fighting terrorism and extremism, border security, and educational, logistical, technical and military support are among the provisions of this memorandum,” IRNA reported after the signing of the accord in Tehran.
Iran-Iraq ties have improved since Iran’s long-time enemy Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 and an Iraqi government led by Shi’ite Muslims came to power. Iran is mostly a Shi’ite nation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced concern over what he sees as growing Iranian influence in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where it is aligned with Shi’ite fighters.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have heightened since the election of Trump, who has often accused Tehran of backing militant groups and destabilizing the region.
Earlier this month, Trump said that new threats were emerging from “rogue regimes like North Korea, Iran and Syria and the governments that finance and support them”.

The US has frequently accused Iran of arming insurgent groups in Iraq, something Tehran has denied. The new pact between the two countries which includes border security will be an area to watch in the coming months. This will be included in the growing list of issues the Trump administration will have to deal with.

To read the entire article from Reuters click here:

File Photo courtesy DOD

USSOCOM Thomas, “Russia Could Help Expel US From Syria”

General Raymond Thomas, commander of USSOCOM said on Friday that the Russians hold the advantage of possibly expelling US forces from Syria.

He said that because of international law and the fact that the Syrian government under President Assad has not invited the US into his country, the Russians who are Assad’s top ally could eventually force American troops out.

Addressing a security conference at the Aspen Institute, Special Operations Command chief Army General Raymond Thomas said that, while counterterrorism remained a priority for his forces, international law could prevent the U.S. from maintaining a long-term presence in Syria, where its intervention has been declared illegal by the government. Russia is also involved in the fight against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and other jihadists in Syria, but entered at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, something that Thomas said could allow Moscow to make a solid case for the U.S.’s departure.
“Here’s the conundrum: We are operating in the sovereign country of Syria. The Russians, their stalwarts, their backstoppers have already uninvited the Turks from Syria. We’re a bad day away from the Russians saying, ‘Why are you still in Syria, U.S.?,'” Thomas said.
“If the Russians play that card, we could want to stay and have no ability to do it,” he added.
The U.S. and Russia are both battling ISIS in Syria, but they back different factions that hold opposing views on Syria’s political future. The U.S. backs the Syrian Democratic Forces, which Thomas said Special Forces helped name in order to distance themselves from the Kurdish nationalist People’s Protection Units (YPG). Thomas also confirmed that the CIA has cut ties with other Syrian rebel groups that have attempted to overthrow Assad since 2011. Russia and Iran support the Syrian military and its allies, which reject the national aspirations of Kurdish groups, the ultraconservative Sunni Muslim ideology of jihadists and calls for political upheaval by the opposition.

The US and other coalition forces have not been actively targeting Syrian government forces, instead focusing on the fighters of the Islamic State, however, they’ve come under attack from Syrian forces which the US responded.

Syria also conducted a chemical weapons attack on civilians and the US responded by attacking the base where the chemical weapons originated from, something both the Syrians and Russia adamantly deny happened.

The US and Russia, for now, have an uneasy ceasefire in the Southwest part of the country, something Israel says helps no one except Iran, who also has sent troops to ostensibly help Assad but are building bases close to the border with Israel.

Once the battle with ISIS (Islamic State) is complete and they’ve been ousted from the country, there will no doubt be calls from Syria and Russia for the coalition troops to leave.

To read the entire article from Newsweek click here:

Photo courtesy DOD