ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

On October 28, about 47,000 troops of the Japan Self-Defense Force and more than 10,000 US servicemen united to launch the Keen Sword 19 military exercise – the biggest drill of its kind since the biennial joint maneuvers in 1986. The US forces participating in the drill include vessles from of the Seventh Fleet, as well as the Submarine Group 7 – both of which are based in Japan’s Yokosuka. Japan employed roughly a fifth of its of its military. Two Canadian warships are also taking part in the drills. “Keen Sword will give U.S. and Japanese forces an opportunity  to practice critical air, maritime and amphibious capabilities essential for Japan’s defense and for regional security.  Just as important,  the exercise is a visible demonstration of the strength and durability of the U.S-Japan Alliance and our shared pursuit of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region. This year’s exercise will feature  dozens of U.S. and Japanese ships, hundreds of aircraft and around 57,000 personnel f

In September, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al Thani donated the Boeing 747-8 plane, worth around $500 million, to the Turkish state, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Commenting on this situation, Erdogan stated that Turkey was interested in buying the jet. “When the Qatar emir was informed of this he gave it as a gift, saying ‘I won’t take money from Turkey. I will give this plane as a gift,'” he stated adding that “the plane is not mine, it is the Turkish Republic’s”. The Qatari decision is obviously linked to the Turkish backing of the Arab state in its conflict with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain. Previously, these states severed all diplomatic and trade links with the gas-rich state over its alleged close ties to Iran and its alleged support for terrorists – a charge it denies. In August, Qatar’s emir approved a package of economic projects, investments and deposits worth $15bn to support Turkey’s economy and currency. Click to

Voyagerix - PannaKotta / shutterstock.com Bavarian police have arrested five men in connection with the rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Munich. Another man is still being sought, Abendzeitung  reports .  The attack, which occurred in September, was launched on a vulnerable girl who was befriended by one of her rapists. The Afghan asylum seeker forced her into sex, and then brought other men who have been accused of assaulting her too. The main suspect alleges that the sex with the 15 year old girl was “consensual”, and Bavarian police are currently in the middle of an investigation. A  similar case  happened recently in Freiburg where 7 young Syrian men housed in refugee camps were arrested and convicted with raping an 18 year old German student. This case prompted outcry and several protests, led in part by the AfD. Many Germans have been  outraged  at these cases of sexual assault by migrants and have called upon the Government to reverse their lenient immigrat

Major cities in France were hit by rioting last night as the country’s former Interior Minister warned that mass immigration could bring societal breakdown within five years. “French police arrested more than 100 people after gangs of masked youths stormed through Paris suburbs and the center of Lyon on Halloween night, authorities said on Thursday, following a message on social media calling for a “purge” against police,” reports Reuters. Video footage shows one of the incidents in Lyon. Paul Joseph Watson ✔ @PrisonPlanet Meanwhile, in Lyon, France.... 16:09 - 1 Nov 2018 2,633 2,158 people are talking about this Twitter Ads information and privacy Areas of Paris were also hit by unrest, including the deprived Seine-Saint-Denis area, which is home to 400,000 illegal immigrants and where last night, “a sportswear store was looted and young people robbing a grocery store attacked police with acid.” Some of the ri

Illustrative image On October 31, ISIS claimed that its fighters had repelled a new attack by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies on their positions in the heavily fortified area of al-Safa. According to the terrorist group news agency, Amaq, 33 soldiers and officers of the SAA were killed and injured during the clashes in the area, which is located north of the governorate of al-Suwayda. Amaq’s claims are yet to be confirmed or denied by any pro-government source. Two days ago,  ISIS repelled a similar SAA attack  killing and injuring four Syrian soldiers. Back then, the terrorists targeted a battle tank and a military bulldozer of the army with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). The source of these advanced weapons has not been determined yet. The Damascus government and ISIS cells in al-Safa reached an agreement earlier this month to release around 30 hostages, who were abducted by the terrorist group  in late July . However, ISIS violated the agreement after  rele

The youngest brother of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has returned from self-imposed exile to “challenge” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) “or find someone who can,” reports the  Middle East Eye . Prince Ahmad bin Abdulaziz Prince Ahmad bin Abdulaziz is reportedly hoping to oust his 33-year-old nephew in the wake of an allegedly state-sanctioned murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. MbS has virtual control over Saudi Arabia after a June 2017 shakeup in which King Salman removed Muhammad bin Nayef as heir apparent. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman The septuagenarian prince, an open critic of bin Salman (MBS), has travelled with security guarantees given by US and UK officials. “ He and others in the family have realised that MBS has become toxic ,” a Saudi source close to Prince Ahmad told Middle East Eye. “The prince wants to play a role to make these changes, which means either he himself will play a major role in any new arrangement or to help to choose an altern

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley visits with Soldiers serving with the Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) Support to Corps and Below (CSCB) Team, 780th Millitary Intelligence Brigade presently training at the National Training Center (NTC), Ft. Irwin, Calif., May 9, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Burden) The US is searching military analysts to monitor Russian social media and assist in “operations planning” to influence the Russian public opinion,  according to data collected by EDaily . COLSA Corporation published three job offers for “Russian Social Media Analysts”. The applicants have to have “Bachelor’s degree, military intelligence training or equivalent experience” and be ready to pass “security clearance” and participate in “operations planning”. “The selected applicant will read, analyze, and draft communications regarding regional and ideological discussions in specified foreign language media environments. The analyst will develop