ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

While Angela Merkel is busy sowing the seeds of the next cold war between Germany and the Trump administration (and therefore the US, if only for the next three and a half years), a troubling flashpoint for Germany continues to grow in Turkey where on Tursday, Turkey’s foreign minister said  it is not possible to allow German lawmakers to visit troops stationed at Turkey’s Incirlik air base now,  although he said Ankara may reconsider if it sees  “positive steps”  from Berlin. It was not immediately clear just what Turkey’s “demands” or expectations, monetary or otherwise, were from Merkel for it to change its view. “We see that Germany supports everything that is against Turkey,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara. “Under these circumstances it is not possible for us to open Incirlik to German lawmakers right now … If they take positive steps in the future we can reconsider.” Turkey has prevented German lawmakers from visiting the roughly 250...

The US has officially started supplying weapons to the People’s Protection Units (YPG) that are a core of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, NBC NEWS reported citing  US defense officials . According to the report, the US began providing the equipment in the last 24 hours. “ Neither would give any specifics about what the U.S. is sending the Syrian Democratic Forces — also known as “YPG” — or how those items are being delivered. In the past, the U.S. military has said they will provide the Syrian Democratic Forces with ammunition, rifles, armor, radios, bulldozers, vehicles, and engineering equipment ,” the report reads. Syrian journalist, Mohammed Hassan,  released photos  of the military equipment supplied to the YPG by the US Click to see the full-size map Click to see the full-size map Click to see the full-size map Click to see the full-size map

Iraqi security forces (ISF) have captured the so-called ISIS ‘commandos school’ in the neighborhood of al-Zinjili in western Mosul. The facility had been used by terrorist group to train ‘elite’ fighters and suicide bombers. ISF troops are now tightening siege on the ISIS-held area of western Mosul. The Old Mosul area remains a key ISIS defense point in this part of the city. Click to see the full-size map

A suicide bomb was detonated near the German Embassy in Kabul during rush hour Wednesday morning, killing 80 people close to a highly secure diplomatic area, Afghan officials said. Another 300 people were injured, the health ministry said. Latest developments Taliban has denied responsibility for the blast. The BBC has confirmed the death of a BBC Afghan driver German embassy officials were injured in the blast, the German Foreign Minister said. Some Pakistani Embassy diplomats and staff suffered minor injuries, the Pakistani Prime Minister's office said. 'Busy shopping street' The bomb, concealed in a water delivery truck, detonated at 8:22 a.m. (local time) outside the offices of a major local cellphone company and a popular TV station. It hit about 400 yards from the German Embassy in one of the busiest parts of town, near big supermarkets and shops. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack in a statement. No group has y...