ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Al-Qaeda terrorists managed to seize three southern Yemeni towns, just a few days after the raid of the US Special Forces in Yemen. The Al-Qaeda terrorist organization has captured three towns in the south of Yemen just a few days after the raid of the US Special Forces in Qifah district of the Yemeni province of Bayda, during which 16 civilians were killed. As the Press TV news website reported, citing unnamed local sources, terrorists, backed up by Saudi mercenaries, who were angry over the late payment of their wages, managed to recapture the towns of Ahwar, Loder and Shaqra. According to another source of the website, later, Al-Qaeda left Shaqra and Loder towns, as local residents demonstrated their protest and threatened to use weapons against terrorists. On Thursday, the Saudi Interior Ministry reported that a mine blast occurred in the southwestern province of Jizan, located on the border with Yemen . As a result, a Saudi border guard sustained severe injuries and then died at

Two FAMAS assault rifles with ammunition have been stolen from a vehicle of the French Army by two unknown persons. A FAMAS-armed French soldier in Afghanistan (Photo: Wikipedia) On Thursday, two unknown persons broke a window of a van of the French Army and stole two FAMAS assault rifles with ammunition, the Zone Militaire information website reported. According to the website, the incident occurred during a stop of a column of vehicles of the French Army in a parking lot in La Verpillere, Isere. According to the Dauphiné Libéré newspaper, it is possible that the criminals followed the van, though there were no “recognition marks” on it. As soon as it became known about the theft, all units of French gendarmerie in the region were raised for search of the loss and thieves. Reportedly, a helicopter was also involved in the operation. After the square was cordoned off, gendarmes discovered a car of the criminals on a street of Villefontaine town in the evening of the same day. However

Astana, Kazakhstan © AP Photo/Sergei Grits A new meeting on the Syrian crisis will be held in Astana on February 6, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Anuar Zhainakov said on Thursday, according to the Kazinform news agency. “The decision on setting up a mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire was made at the Astana meeting on Syria held on January 23-24,” Zhainakov said. The Joint Operational Group will focus on issues related to the separation of the moderate Syrian opposition from Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra). The implementation of the ceasefire regime across Syria will be another important topic. Earlier this week Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that the ceasefire agreement is open to all those who may wish to join it, excepting Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and ISI. The statement was made after the fourth session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum.

Original by Yuriy “yurasumy” Podolyaka published at Naspravdi ; translation from Russian by J.Hawk On February 1, combat operations in Avdeyevka’s vicinity have continued with previous intensity. Neither side undertook active offensive operations, but that was more than made up for by the stepped up artillery bombardments which became more intense and targeted more territory. One also notes an intense process of concentrating forces by both sides which, judging by the situation, are ready to undertake far more intense operations once given an order… The humanitarian situation in Avdeyevka In spite of the short-term ceasefire and efforts to restore electricity to the city, the humanitarian situation is continuing to deteriorate. There is no light, heat is almost gone (fortunately the coke plant is still supplying heat in some form, but very irregularly). The population, mainly women and children, is gradually leaving the city on their own initiative (general evacuation has not been

SouthFront is launching a new graphic series aimed to describe and evaluate the military balance in the Asia Pacific. Our team has already spent a lot of time analysing the modern situation in the region ( please, look for more info here ) and we believe the new series will allow you to understand better this crucial part of the ongoing global geopolitical standoff. The first graphic of the series provides a general look at the naval power of China, the United States, Japan and Australia in the region. Click to see the full-size map

France plans to build a new aircraft carrier, but already meets some difficulties in its design. The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier (Photo: Sipa Press) France has plans to build its second aircraft carrier, which will become a part of the future French President’s program, the French L’Opinion newspaper reported. According to the newspaper, the new vessel’s preliminary design, which will cost about €100 million per year, can be started during the next five years. Some experts believe that the aircraft carrier’s construction will be begun in 2020, and the vessel will be totally ready by 2035. However, the exact time limits are still unclear. As L’Opinion noted the new ship will replace the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. At the same time, it is possible that at the moment of entering into service of the new vessel, there will be two nuclear aircraft carriers in the French fleet. It is highly likely that the new ship will be built in Saint-Nazaire, but not in Brest, where its pr

Romanian soldiers stand guard at Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase, which was alleged to be a CIA “black site.” Photo credit: AP Black sites, renditions, and all those other War on Terror-isms that had supposedly been consigned to an earlier and darker period of America’s counter-terrorism efforts seem to be making a comeback. But they were an absolute horror show the first time around, and here’s why. The Washington Post obtained what it claims is a draft version of an executive order reauthorizing a review of interrogation guidelines, along with the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay prison facility and the possible re-introduction of a number of Bush-era policies, including interrogation of terror suspects outside the United States. During a briefing on January 25, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer didn’t deny the document’s authenticity, opting for the classically non-denial denial-type formulation that the draft was “not a White House document.” Regardless of where in th

Saudi Arabia has 100,000 unfilled, ventilated tents sitting unused while a large number of Syrian untouchables continue preparing in stuffed camps, yet decays to make them open. The news website TeleSur reports that the 20-square-km alternative camp of Mina is used just two or three days a year to offer beds to Hajj pioneers and sits unfilled the straggling leftovers of the year.  THE 20-SQUARE-KM ALTERNATIVE CAMP OF MINA IS USED JUST TWO OR THREE DAYS A YEAR  It says the tents are laid out advantageously, measure eight meters square, are fire safe, consolidate a kitchen and restroom, and could house three million people. As showed by the Brookings Institute, the well-off Arab states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE have not taken a single outcast, while European countries fight to deal with a surge in the few thousands.  The 20 square km temporary camp of Mina is used for five days consistently by Hajj voyagers, and deceived for whatever is left of the time, &