ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Written by  Philip M. Giraldi ; Originally appeared on  strategic-culture.org It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Donald Trump administration  has recently affirmed  that it has a perfect legal right to remain in Syria as long as it wishes because it is fighting terrorism. The argument goes something like this: Congress has approved a bill that permits the US military to seek out and destroy al-Qaeda and associated groups wherever they may be. It is part of what is referred to as the Authorization to Use Military Force or AUMF. According to the White House, an associated group, the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), remains currently active in Syria and the United States military presence is therefore legal until the group is completely eliminated, requiring no additional legislation or authority to remain in the country. The Trump legal finding was spelled out in two letters released by the undersecretaries for policy at the State and Defense departments. They were in re

Illustrative Image On March 3, the Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced in an official statement that Bahraini security forces had arrested 116 “terrorist elements” in many areas of the country during a security operation. Several weapons including machine guns and RPG-7 rounds along with 42kg of explosives were seized by security forces, according to the ministry. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior claimed that the “terrorists” had been a part of “terrorist organization”, which had been formed by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The ministry accused the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq of arming, training, financing and recruiting new elements of the supposed organization outside Bahrain. According to the released statement, the “terrorist organization” was planning to carry out attacks against the country’s security forces and oil facilities. “The organization was planning to target the leaders and personals of the security forces

Illustrative Image On March 3, forces loyal to Saudi-backed Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi imposed full control of the district of Nati’s in the central province of al-Bayda after they had captured the strategic mountain chain of al-Dahir, according to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV. Al-Arabia added that pro-Hadi forces had begun their offensive operations in the district of al-Malagim, located south of the Nati’ district, and captured several positions in the Ashar area. During their advance, pro-Hadi fighters killed more than 30 Houthi fighters and captured 12 others, according to Yemeni sources. Saudi-led coalition warplanes backed the pro-Hadi forces attack in the Nati’ district and destroyed three positions and vehicles belonging to the Houthis. In a related development, commander of the reserve forces in the Yemeni army, Major General Samir Haj, announced that pro-Hadi forces had captured several new positions in the Arhab district of the central province of Sanaa