#AceNewsReport – WASHINGTON (AP):July.19: In the face of Israeli outrage over the Iran nuclear accord, the Pentagon is moving quickly to reinforce arguably the strongest part of the U.S.-Israeli relationship: military cooperation.
But officials say Washington has no plans to offer new weaponry as compensation for the Iran deal.
Oh look, another shiny object -> More Than 600 Reported Chemical Exposure in Iraq, Pentagon Acknowledges http://t.co/wvD7uiRtxQ
— Joseph DiLuca (@joeinthejeep) November 7, 2014
READ MORE: Veterangate: VA whistleblower says records of deceased vets were altered
The costs of US govt secrecy & Iraq invasion were even worse than we thoughthttp://t.co/aSFnS2LMRQ
— Daphne Eviatar (@deviatar) November 7, 2014
READ MORE: Washington concealed US troops exposure to chemical weapons in Iraq – intel docs
“It’s too little, too late,” said Jordan Zoeller, a former Army sergeant who served in a platoon that was exposed to sulfur mustard agent in 2008, to the newspaper.
AFP Photo / David Furst
READ MORE: Pentagon to monitor Iraq war veterans for chemical weapons exposure
Pentagon: Over 600 Service Members Reported Chemical Exposure in Iraqhttp://t.co/ix7AN1f01C. Wonder where the chemicals were?
— Lois J Teston MD (@LoisTeston) November 7, 2014
INSIDE WASHINGTON: PROFITING FROM FAILURE
AFP Photo / Marwan Naamani
AFP Photo / Str
Smoke rises over Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 18, 2014. (Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach)
Smokes rises from the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, as it is seen from the Turkish village of Mursitpinar, on October 19, 2014 (AFP Photo/Bulent Kilic)
Obama Calls up the Reserve National Guard
U.S. troops DID find chemical weapons in Iraq – but Pentagon kept it secret: Discovery of 5,000 warheads and shells ‘was hushed up because they were not weapons of mass destruction’
Cache: Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians prepare unexploded ordnance for demolition at a safe disposal area near Baghdad in 2003. It has now been revealed that about 5,000 chemical weapons were found in Iraq between 2004 and 2011 but the public was never told
The key reason for this, according to the Atlantic Council think tank, is that, with all its money and capabilities, America really isn’t thinking creatively about the various threats it could face in the 21st century.
#AceNewsServices (SEA) MANILA – September 27 – A threat by Philippine militants to kill a German hostage in a show of solidarity with Islamic State is the latest sign that the Middle East group’s brand of radicalism is winning recruits in Asia and posing a growing security risk in the region.
‘ Abu Sayyaf Group Threatens to Kill German Hostages ‘
Over 100 people from South-East Asia’s Muslim majority countries of Indonesia and Malaysia and the southern Philippine region are believed by security officials and analysts to have gone to join Islamic State’s fight in Iraq and Syria.
Malaysian and Indonesian militants have discussed forming a 100-strong Malay-speaking unit within Islamic State in Syria, according to a report from a well-known security group released this week.
Admiral Samuel Locklear, who heads the US Armed Forces’ Pacific Command, said on Thursday around 1,000 recruits from India to the Pacific may have joined Islamic State to fight in Syria or Iraq. He did not specify the countries or give a time-frame.
“That number could get larger as we go forward,” Locklear told reporters at the Pentagon. In addition to India, the Hawaii-based Pacific Command’s area of responsibility covers 36 countries, including Australia, China and other Pacific Ocean states.
The command does not cover Pakistan.
In the region, thousands have sworn oaths of loyalty to Islamic State as local militant groups capitalize on a brand that has been fuelled by violent online videos and calls to jihad through social media, security analysts say. Security officials say this has disturbing implications for the region, especially when battle-hardened fighters return home from the Middle East.
The Philippines’ Abu Sayyaf group, which has earlier claimed links with al Qaeda and is led by a one-armed septuagenarian, has threatened to kill one of the two Germans it holds hostage by Oct. 10, according to messages distributed on Twitter.
As well as US$5.6 million in ransom, the group demanded that Germany halt its support for the US-led bombing campaign launched against Islamic State this week.
AceBreakingNews – WASHINGTON – September 23 – The U.S. and five Arab countries launched air-strikes Monday night on Islamic State group targets in eastern Syria, and the U.S. undertook a separate, unilateral air attack on what it called an al-Qaida affiliate elsewhere in Syria.
US and Five Arab Countries Launch Air-Strikes in Syria
Several hours after the Pentagon announced the air-strikes against Islamic State targets, U.S. Central Command said American war-planes launched eight air-strikes “to disrupt the imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests” by a network of “seasoned al-Qaida veterans” – sometimes known as the Khorasan Group – who have established a haven in Syria.
US and Five Arab Countries Launch Air-Strikes in Syria
It provided no details on the plotting.
Central Command said that separate bombing mission was undertaken solely by U.S. aircraft and took place west of the Syrian city of Aleppo. It said targets included training camps, an explosives and munitions production facility, a communication building and command and control facilities.
The air-strikes against Islamic State targets were carried out in the city of Raqqa and other areas in eastern Syria by a mix of manned aircraft – fighter jets and bombers – plus Tomahawk cruise missiles and drone aircraft. The strikes were part of the expanded military campaign that President Barack Obama authorized nearly two weeks ago in order to disrupt and destroy the Islamic State militants, who have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners – including two American journalists – and captured large swaths of Syria and northern and western Iraq.
In its written statement detailing the operation, Central Command said the air-strikes, which officials said began around 8:30 p.m. EDT, were conducted by the U.S., Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
It said the five Arab partner countries “participated in or supported” the air-strikes against Islamic State targets.
It was not more specific.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – The Syrian foreign ministry said Tuesday that Washington informed Damascus’ envoy to the United Nations before launching air-strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria, attacks that activists said inflicted casualties among jihadi fighters and civilians on the ground.
A brief ministry statement, carried by Syrian state media, said “the American side informed Syria’s permanent envoy to the U.N. that strikes will be launched against the Daesh terrorist organization in Raqqa.”
#AceBreakingNews – UNITED STATES – Washington (Pentagon) – August 31
| Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. Kirby provided the following statement: At the request of the Government of Iraq, the United States military today airdropped humanitarian aid to the town of Amirli, home to thousands of Shia Turkomen who have been cut off from receiving food, water, and medical supplies for two months by ISIL. The United States Air Force delivered this aid alongside aircraft from Australia, France and the United Kingdom who also dropped much needed supplies. In conjunction with this airdrop, U.S. aircraft conducted coordinated airstrikes against nearby ISIL terrorists in order to support this humanitarian assistance operation. These military operations were conducted under authorization from the Commander-in-Chief to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to prevent an ISIL attack on the civilians of Amirli. The operations will be limited in their scope and duration as necessary to address this emerging humanitarian crisis and protect the civilians trapped in Amirli. The U.S. military will continue to assess the effectiveness of these operations and work with the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as international partners including the Government of Iraq, the United Nations, and non-government organizations to provide humanitarian assistance in Iraq as needed. Ace Press Release Department of Defence (DOD) No. NR-450-14 |
#AceWorldNews – UNITED STATES (Washington) – August 31 – On the August 26 this statement was released as follows:
| National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of August 26, 2014
The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard announced this week a decrease in activated National Guard members and reservists, while the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve announced an increase of activated reservists. The net collective result is a decrease of 53 activated National Guard members and reservists in comparison to last week. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 22,651; Navy Reserve, 3,132; Marine Corps Reserve, 1,180; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 6,149; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 314. This brings the total National Guard and reserve personnel who have been activated to 33,426, including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found online at:http://www.defense.gov/news/MoblilizationWeeklyReport-140826.pdf Ace Press Release |
#AceBreakingNews – UNITED STATES (Washington) – August 21 – The Pentagon broke the law, when it transferred five Taliban detainees from Guantánamo Bay in exchange for prisoner of war Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, according to a report from a government watchdog agency.
The Government Accountability Office said the Pentagon violated the 2014 Defence Appropriations Act, which requires the Pentagon to give certain congressional committees 30 days advance notice before any detainee transfer from the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.
By Kristina Wong @ The Hill
#AceWorldNews – IRAQ – August 08 – The United States dropped laser-guided bombs on ISIS artillery in Iraq on Friday, kicking off air-strikes threatened a day earlier by President Obama, the Pentagon said.
Two FA-18 jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) forces outside Erbil, the Kurdish capital, U.S. officials told NBC News. Obama said Thursday evening that he had authorized "targeted airstrikes" to protect U.S. interests in Iraq.
The U.S. also launched an operation to drop humanitarian supplies of food and water to 40,000 members of the Yazidi religious sect, who are trapped on a mountaintop under the threat of mass execution by ISIS militants.
Obama said that U.S. ground troops won’t be returning to the besieged country.
#AceBreakingNews – IRAQ – August 08 – REUTERS- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he had authorized "targeted" U.S. air-strikes against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq and military air-drops of humanitarian supplies to besieged religious minorities there to prevent a "potential act of genocide."
Speaking after meetings with his national security team, Obama – in his most significant response to the Iraq crisis – said he approved limited use of American air power to protect American personnel if Islamic State militants advance toward the Kurdish capital Arbil where they are based.
"We can act carefully and responsibly to prevent a potential act of genocide," Obamas told reporters at the White House. "I’ve therefore authorized targeted airstrikes if necessary."
The airstrikes would be the first carried out by the U.S. military in Iraq since the withdrawal of its forces at the end of 2011, but Obama insisted he would not commit any ground forces and had no intention of letting the United States get dragged back into a war there.
Earlier on Thursday, the Pentagon denied reports that the U.S. military had struck Islamic State targets in Iraq’s north.
Earlier Thursday the New York Times reported, citing Kurdish and Iraqi sources, that military forces conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq against militants who had trapped religious minorities in Kurdish areas. The Times initially reported the strikes were conducted by the United States, but later suggested the strikes might have been conducted by U.S. allies like Turkey or Iraq.
The McClatchy newspaper chain also reported jet aircraft attacking Islamic militant positions in the Kurdish region, citing a local source, though the report said it was not clear who was conducting the strike.
The Pentagon’s press secretary, via his verified Twitter account, denied any U.S. airstrikes had taken place.
The White House denied reports that President Obama was about to make a statement, saying it was a “very fluid situation.”
Manning, formerly named Bradley, was convicted in August for six Espionage Act violations and 14 other offences of sending classified documents to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The soldier has asked for hormone therapy and to be able to live as a woman.
Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel last month gave the Army approval to try to work out a transfer plan with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which does provide such treatment, sources said.
Pentagon pushes Manning transfer for gender treatment(usatoday.com)
Pentagon OKs Manning transfer for gender treatment(kansascity.com)
Pentagon reportedly trying to transfer Manning to civilian prison for gender treatment(foxnews.com)
#AceWorldNews – WASHINGTON – May 07 – The Pentagon now sees no alternative to the use of Russian Mi-17 helicopters in Afghanistan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey told Senate on Tuesday.
The US now had no alternative, though it continued to search for one, he said.
According to Dempsey, possible sanctions against the Russian company Rosoboronexport that supplies the helicopters would temporarily leave the Afghan army without its aviation component, which arises concern.
