Category: U.S Troops

NATO moves 1,000s of troops in one of year’s largest Europe drills


592fda43c46188e3688b45cc

NATO allies are conducting a massive drill in southeastern Europe meant to test the alliance’s ability to move large quantities of troops and equipment into the region.

 

Troops and vehicles from bases in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, and Albania are to roll through or fly over Europe to the final rallying ground in Cincu, Romania, where the active phase of Operation Noble Jump 17 is to start on June 8. Some parts of the training will take part in Bulgaria and Greece as well, the Sofia Globe reported.

 

Of the some 4,000 allied troops taking part in the war games, 1,900 are part of the so-called Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). Around 500 military vehicles are taking part in the drill as well.

“The exercise demonstrates results, capability and readiness all of which are critical for defense and deterrents,” said British Major General Ian Cave, the director of the NATO operation.

“It also shows NATO as a responsive and capable alliance, which reassures all of our allies, all of our populations and all of our partners,” he added.

https://www.rt.com/news/390445-nato-massive-drill-romania/

NATO WOULD LOSE A WAR TO RUSSIA WITHIN 36 TO 60 HOURS


russian-fighter-jet-tile

First, NATO and Kiev signed a letter of intent in February for cooperation between their special operations forces. Two months later American ambassador and current NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow said it was time to bring the Ukrainian military “in line with NATO standards.” Barely one week later, though, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO ruled out NATO expansion for the “next several years.”

These muddled messages only cause confusion, provoking Russia while potentially false hope for Ukraine. For that reason, it’s time for Washington to make clear that Ukrainian accession to NATO is not on the table. Here’s why.

First, NATO possesses almost no ability to defend Ukraine. Russia has 270,000 troops and 700 jet fighters positioned on Ukraine’s southern and western borders. And as Russia demonstrated in 2015 when it sent 150,000 troops to surround Ukraine, Moscow can quickly mobilize its military in the event of a conflict.

http://www.infowars.com/nato-would-lose-a-war-to-russia-within-36-to-60-hours/

Key Pentagon personnel official stepping down


635935595642723724-Brad-Carson

The architect of controversial Pentagon personnel policies, including the proposed acceptance of transgender troops, will leave his post in April, the Pentagon announced late Monday.

Brad Carson, the Pentagon’s top civilian for personnel policies, had pushed forward a string of initiatives that include opening combat jobs to women and expanded maternity leave.

“Brad Carson has developed some of the most important and groundbreaking work in years to modernize our personnel policies,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. “At my direction, he charted a path forward for the Department and our people that will leave a lasting legacy, and will improve the mission effectiveness, readiness and the quality of life for our civilian workforce, uniformed service members and families.

Carson had a rocky confirmation hearing last month before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He had been named to fill the spot as undersecretary for personnel on an acting basis. But a federal court determined that in performing the job before confirmation, he had violated federal law, namely the Vacancies Act.

In a statement, Carson said the Senate’s concerns about the Vacancies Act and the implementation of several key policies prompted his decision to step down. He plans to leave office in April.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/03/14/key-pentagon-personnel-official-stepping-down/81769770/

Pentagon to increase number of US troops in Iraq; Carter discusses ‘accelerating’ ISIS campaign


56a021fbc461885a6a8b4586

The object of today is to satisfy ourselves that the balance of the campaign is right…and that we can now capitalize on the setbacks Daesh has suffered in Iraq and move on to tighten the noose around the head of the snake in Syria in Raqqa,” British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters.

The coalition’s major goal right now is to target and destroy IS headquarters in Iraq and Syria while also combating their supporters worldwide, “everywhere its metastasis have spread around the world,” the Pentagon stressed.

“We’re doing this by providing a plan, clear leadership and the power of a global coalition wielding a suite of capabilities [that include] airstrikes, special forces, cyber tools, intelligence, equipment, mobility and logistics, and training, advice and assistance,” Carter said.

https://www.rt.com/usa/329625-pentagon-iraq-troops-increase-isis/

Obama authorizes US troops to target new ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan


56a06d7ec46188316a8b459b

While the Afghan government sees the alleged Islamic State affiliate as a top priority, the US is downplaying its relative threat as compared to the official terrorist organization.

“We currently characterize [ISIS] as operationally emergent,” Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, spokesman for the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, told The Times.

“I’ll define that as not having the ability to orchestrate or control operations in more than one part of the country at a time. We’re not seeing [ISIS] elements in Iraq or Syria orchestrating events here in Afghanistan,” Shoffner said.

“They’ve [ISIL-K] largely been pushed back to the southern parts of Nangarhar province. That area is very, very rugged, it’s very mountainous. It’s on the border with Pakistan,” Shoffner said.

https://www.rt.com/usa/329638-obama-usa-troops-isis-afghanistan/

 

15 troops killed in five suicide bombings at Iraqi military base, ISIS claims responsibility


5688f50ac46188b3168b45dd

An Iraqi military base north of Baghdad was targeted by multiple suicide bombers, who killed at least 15 security troops and injured at least 22 others. The terrorist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Two bombers detonated their explosive-rigged vehicles at the western gate of Camp Speicher, a former US base outside the Sunni-majority city of Tikrit, Reuters reported, citing security sources. Three others made it to the part of the base used for training Iraqi police.

IS said the attack targeted Shiite troops stationed at the base.

https://www.rt.com/news/327776-iraq-military-base-bombing/

US special ops troops kicked out of Libya


Part-WAS-Was8873869-1-1-0

A group of US special operations troops who had traveled to Libya to “foster relationships” was kicked out of the conflict-torn country soon after they arrived, the Pentagon said Thursday.

A Facebook page belonging to the Libyan air force posted photographs of the men, who were dressed in rugged civilian clothing, including plaid shirts, and were carrying assault rifles.

A US defense official confirmed that the men in the photo were indeed US troops in Libya on Monday.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-special-ops-troops-kicked-libya-230024383.html

US SPECIAL OPS TROOPS KICKED OUT OF LIBYA


special-op

A Facebook page belonging to the Libyan air force posted photographs of the men, who were dressed in rugged civilian clothing, including plaid shirts, and were carrying assault rifles.

A US defense official confirmed that the men in the photo were indeed US troops in Libya on Monday.

US special ops troops kicked out of Libya

US Has Secret, “Non-Negotiable” Plan To Send 100,000 US, Saudi Troops To Iraq, Lawmaker Claims


Hanan1

“A lot of events happened in multiple places supporting the opinion that the U.S. in one way or another supports ISIS — giving them food or arms,” Hanan al-Fatlawi, an outspoken Shia member of parliament, said by phone. She has publicly stated that the United States may be secretly throwing its weight behind the extremist Sunni militants who have violently seized control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria. She points to a blast in the restive Anbar province, where Sunni tribesmen are battling ISIS, that killed dozens of Iraqi troops, saying that it was the Americans who killed them. She’s not alone in her views.

“Many people in Iraq believe me,” she explained. “They believe that ISIS is probably a baby of the USA or a baby of Israel.”

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-12-10/us-has-secret-non-negotiable-plan-send-100000-us-saudi-troops-iraq-lawmaker-claims

US HAS SECRET, “NON-NEGOTIABLE” PLAN TO SEND 100,000 US, SAUDI TROOPS TO IRAQ, LAWMAKER CLAIMS


obama-troops-2

That rather alarming declaration comes from outspoken Iraqi lawmaker Hanan Al-Fatlawi. Not known for holding her tongue, the Shia MP inflamed sectarian tensions with her eye for an eye tirade in the summer of 2014, prompting Diana Moukalled, the Web Editor at the Lebanon-based Future Television to pen the following sharp rebuke:

US Has Secret, “Non-Negotiable” Plan To Send 100,000 US, Saudi Troops To Iraq, Lawmaker Claims