US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a press release last week that it launched an airstrike in Somalia on August 15. According to the command, the strike was conducted in support of the US-backed Mogadishu-based government, whose forces were engaged with al-Shabaab...
Tanker Carrying Stolen Iranian Oil Unloads Near Texas
A tanker carrying 800,000 barrels of stolen Iranian oil began unloading its cargo off the coast of Texas on Sunday despite Iranian warnings of retaliation, The Associated Press reported. The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Suez Rajan was seized by the US under the...
Niger Junta Holds Talks With ECOWAS Delegation
A delegation representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) traveled to Niger's capital Niamey on Saturday to meet with the military junta that deposed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in a July 26 coup. A source told The Associated Press that...
US, Japan, South Korea Announce ‘Multi-Year’ Military Exercise Plan
The US, Japan, and South Korea on Friday announced a series of steps to boost their trilateral military alliance as the leaders of the three nations met at the presidential retreat at Camp David. The effort to reconcile ties between Tokyo and Seoul and boost military...
China Launches War Games Around Taiwan After Taiwanese VP Visits US
On Saturday, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched extensive air and sea drills around Taiwan after Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te returned from a trip that included stops in the United States. Lai, the frontrunner for Taiwan's 2024 presidential...
US ‘Fears’ Ukraine Is Too ‘Casualty Averse’
The New York Times reported on Friday that US officials "fear" Ukraine has become "casualty averse" as Ukrainian commanders have not been pushing as hard against Russia's defenses as the US would like due to a high cost in Ukrainian lives. The report reads: "American...
US Official Says Milley ‘Had a Point’ About Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks
As Ukraine's counteroffensive is failing, some US officials are wondering if they should have listened to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley's calls for peace talks last November, POLITICO reported on Friday. Milley called to "seize the moment" for...
US Approves Sending F-16s from Denmark and Netherlands to Ukraine
The US has approved the shipment of Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark to Ukraine as soon as the first batch of Ukrainian pilots complete training, which won't happen until next year. A US official told Reuters on Thursday that...
US Considers Ways to Keep Its Military Presence in Niger
The Biden administration is considering ways to maintain its military presence in Niger following the July 26 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Niger serves as a platform for US operations in the Sahel region as it hosts about 1,100 troops and a major drone...
ECOWAS Says Most West African States Ready to Join Niger Intervention Force
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said Thursday that most West African nations are prepared to join a standby force that might intervene in Niger to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed in a July 26 coup. According to Al Jazeera,...