Security Assistance Monitor is a new comprehensive online guide that documents all publicly accessible information on U.S. security and defense assistance programs throughout the world, including arms sales, military and police aid, and training. Gaining meaningful transparency around this aid will help ensure greater accountability, transparency and oversight of the United States’ security and defense assistance worldwide.

Along with our blog, our new platform offers a series of tools to review and analyze the latest developments in the United States’ global security and defense priorities. On the website you will find:

• An interactive dataset providing data from 2000 to the present on the United States’ military and police aid, training programs, and arms sales to the rest of the world. We also track data on U.S. humanitarian and development aid to compare against the level of U.S. military and police aid.

• An extensive resource database catalogues relevant policy statements, legislation, news, and more. Use this as your source for information on what others are saying about U.S. global security policy, whether in the U.S. Government, the U.S. Congress, other governments, or NGOs.  

• Expert analysis highlights trends and offers perspectives U.S. security policy worldwide. Our blog offers timely analysis and contextualization of current events and the data found in our datasets.

Security Assistance Monitor is a project of the Center for International Policy, in partnership with the Washington Office on Latin America, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the Project on Middle East Democracy and is made possible by the Open Society Foundation.

 Please check out www.SecurityAssistance.org, and thank you for reading.

Operations:

AFRICOM has one prominent operation on the African continent, where U.S. military personnel is embedded as trainers with African militaries.  The mission is to strengthen a multi-lateral partnership (South Sudan, Uganda, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo) in their struggle against the Lord Resistance Army. 

• U.S. Military Support to African-Led Counter-L.R.A. Operations. According to the White House, there are about 120 special operations soldiers “in the LRA-affected areas, including the Republic of South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.” The operation has been ongoing since 2011. The American troops do not have a mandate that allows direct engagement with LRA fighters, and are to serve principally as educational assistance. 

Multilateral exercises:

The exercises listed below were conducted between the United States and multiple partner nations. Both the host nation’s national military and other national militaries from the region participate. Most of these exercises focused on capacity building, with training sponsored by AFRICOM.

• Cutlass Express.  This at-sea exercise occurred from November 11^th to November 18^th and focused on building maritime security capacity in partner nations. Cutlass Express took place at four different naval hubs (Mombasa, Kenya; Djibouti, Djibouti; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Port Victoria, Seychelles) and involved ten East African partner states. The objective was to “increase regional cooperation, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)/ information sharing, and improve communications and interoperability among participating forces in order to counter piracy and maritime threats.” 

• Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Basic Sea Survival.  In November, this week long course focused on training Kenyan security personnel working in regional prisons on increased maritime security due to the high number of prisons on Kenya’s coast.   

• African Deployment Partnership Station (ADAPT).  This Theater Logistic Engagement activity is funded through the State Department and “helps build deployment capacities of African partners who conduct peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, or humanitarian relief operations in Africa.” This year, the U.S. reported training in Benin in September, and in Togo in June and Malawi in January under ADAPT.

• Western Accord.  This two-week exercise targeted countries from the Economic Community of West African States, and involved 200 security personnel from approximately 13 countries. The focus of Western Accord was building “mission command capability to support regional peace keeping operations.” This was a two-part exercise, with the first part focusing on academics, and the second part focusing on command and control. The later took place in late June.

• African Endeavor.  This 10-day long communications exercise took place in Lusaka, Zambia from August 6^th – August 15^th.  The training involving thirty-eight African nations focused on information sharing and interoperability between participating countries. The exercise has been held annually since 2006.

• Flintlock.  This three-week long capacity building exercise took place in Mauritania between February 20^th and March 9^th and focused on marksmanship and human rights training among 14 partner nations. Since 2006, this annual exercise has brought together “African, Western, and U.S. counterterrorism forces” with the aim to “develop the capacity and collaboration among African security forces to protect civilian populations.”

• Sahara Express 2013 (SE-13).  This five-day training program started on March 7^th and involved government and non-governmental “major stakeholders in maritime security.”  The goal is to “improve maritime safety and security in West Africa.” Fourteen African nations participated.

• Obangame Express.  This weeklong maritime capacity exercise took place February 22^nd – February 28^th, and focused on piracy and illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea. Obangame Express involved African, European, and Atlantic nations. African participants came from Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Togo. Training took place at-sea in the Gulf of Guinea.

• Central Accord.  This 10-day long training involved Central African governments such as Cameroonian, Burundi, Gabonese Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and São Tomé e Príncipe and took place February 27^th – March 1^st. The training aimed to “promote regional cooperation while increasing aerial resupply and medical treatment capacity,” and took place in in Cameroon.

Bilateral exercises:

The exercises listed below were conducted between the United States and individual partner nations, usually in conjunction with the national military of the host state.  Most of these exercises focused on capacity building, with training sponsored by AFRICOM. 

• Tactical Riverine Operations Course.  This exercise took place July 13^th – September 6^th in the Gulf of Guinea. Its aim was to “improve Nigerian coastal and riverine security,” and it focused on the capacity of the Nigerian Navy to operate in shallow water.

• Lion Rouge.  This two-week long course took place from September 10^th – 27^th and trained 225 officers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Armed Forces (FARDC).  Training focused on professionalism and civil-military operations.

• Shared Accord.  This two-week long program took place from July 24^th – August 7^th, and is the principal bilateral exercise between the South African Defense Force and the United States. Shared Accord is one of the largest exercises to take place in Africa every year, involving over 4,000 South African troops and 700 U.S. service members.

• African Lion.   This is an annual, bilateral exercise with Morocco took place in early April and focused on building the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces’ capabilities, including command post management and live-fire maneuvering.

• Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa.  This ten-week long training exercise was designed as a pre-deployment exercise for “Burundi National Defense Force soldiers to prepare them for [peacekeeping] assignments in Somalia.” Launched in July, it concluded on September 27^th. To learn more about U.S. training of Burundian armed forces, read our blog post. 

AFRICOM engaged in a wide variety of training and capacity building exercises with African partner nations in 2013 and its presence is growing.  To learn more about AFRICOM, read our blog on AFRICOM’s commander General Rodriguez’ notable policy statements, AFRICOM’s budget, and the expansion of AFRICOM’s activity on the continent.

This post is co-authored by Program Associate Natalie Chwalisz and Transparency and Accountability intern Kyle Dallman.

• The same week the U.S. military started airlifting French and African Union peacekeeping troops to the Central African Republic, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, landed in the capital Bangui this Thursday unannounced. Her visit demonstrated the United States’ concern for the country’s ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis. It was particularly striking given the United States “has no apparent economic or strategic interests” in CAR, the New York Times noted.

The ambassador used her visit to call for more engagement:

Somalia taught us what can happen in a failed state, and Rwanda showed us what could occur in a deeply divided one. The people of the Central African Republic are in profound danger and we all have a responsibility to help them move away from the abyss…urgent action is required to save lives.

• The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing this week called “Responding To The Humanitarian, Security and Governance Crisis in the Central Africa Republic.” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield (PDF) and U.S. Agency for International Development’s Assistant Administrator for Africa Earl Gast (PDF) testified on the government panel, outlining the U.S. government’s concerns regarding the humanitarian situation. Assistant Administrator Gast referred to the developments as the “worst crisis in the country’s history.” On the nongovernmental panel, the following testified: Doctors Without Borders, focusing on the humanitarian crisis (PDF); International Crisis Group, outlining the security situation and potential steps to mitigate the crisis (PDF); and the Congressional Research Service, outlining the history and complexity of the current crisis (PDF).

• The White House released a fact sheet detailing the United States’ response to the crisis in the Central African Republic. It announced new, unexpected security assistance. Following the March 2013 coup, the United States initially ceased all non-humanitarian assistance to Central African Republic and at least temporarily suspended U.S. Special Operations in the country. U.S. security assistance will amount to $101 million, and will include:
  • Airlift for Burundi provided by the Department of Defense.
  • Up to $60 million in defense services for French forces and defense articles and services for the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) troop contributors under the drawdown authority.
  • $40 million in Peacekeeping Operations funding to support MISCA, which will include:
    • Provision of non-lethal equipment, to include armored personnel carriers, 4x4s, troop carriers, logistics trucks, fuel tankers, recovery vehicles, ambulances, personal protective equipment, communications, headquarters assistance, and materials for construction of defensive fortifications.
    • Provision of pre-deployment training for rotating units, both through the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program and U.S. Africa Command.

• After an alleged attempted coup in South Sudan on Saturday December 14, heavy fighting broke out in the capital and spread to rural areas, including the ethnically divided Jonglei state. The South Sudanese government accused former vice-president Riek Machar, recently dismissed during a government overhaul, of instigating the violence. Machar denies the charges, and instead accused the president of “inciting tribal and ethnic violence.”

U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth acknowledged the murky political situation, and warned against continued violence:

The situation remains unclear as to what exactly sparked the violence… We are not confirming a coup attempt yet… We’ve been reaching out to numerous parties in Juba as well as others in the region to put together a picture of what exactly happened…the new country cannot afford a slide back into violence.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on South Sudanese leadership to recommit to peace and unity and warned that the country stands “at the precipice.” The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning, ordering non-essential U.S. employees to leave the country, and urged all parties to seek a “peaceful resolution.” The United States is sending 45 U.S. Armed Forces personnel tasked with “protecting U.S. citizens and property.” 

Quick hits across Africa:

• U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited Somalia on Saturday December 14^th and met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Topics discussed included security issues, the recent political appointment of a new Prime Minister, humanitarian challenges and human rights. 

• The U.S. Department of State designated the Algerian al-Mulathamun Battalion a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), stating considers the group “the greatest near-term threat to U.S. and Western interests in the Sahel.”

• French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced France would start using unarmed U.S.-made drones by the end of the year to assist in their fight against al Qaeda in Mali.

• USAID administrator Rajiv Shah visited the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of U.S. efforts to support development in conflict-affected areas.

• France seeks more support, including more financial assistance, from the European Union for the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic. French troops are the only European force with boots on the ground, though multiple countries have provided other support. Germany, among others, expressed hesitation about greater involvement.

• The United Nations delivered a report to the Security Council, which evidences that Rwanda continues to support M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite international pressure. The report also documents that the DRC’s army carried out several the human rights abuses, including sexual violence.

• After a USAID program designed to help countries improve their response to pandemics expired last year, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) launched a broader version. AFRICOM’s program focuses on pandemics, but also natural and manmade disasters. According to the Department of Defense, disaster response in Africa “likely would involve military forces that provide support to civil authorities.”

• The United Nations expressed deep concern about cocaine trafficking in West Africa, estimating the trade to value at $1.2 billion a year. U.S. Ambassador, Alternate Representative of the United States for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, Jeffrey DeLaurentis addressed the Security Council saying that the U.S. “committed significant resources to address drug trafficking and its effects in the region and will launch new programs in Mali and Chad in the coming year.”

• Somalia’s defense minister announced that the government plans to defeat the terrorist organization al-Shabaab within the next year. 

• Burundi took over command of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). To learn more about U.S. training of Burundi’s peacekeeping forces, read our blog. 

United States Policy:

• Yemen’s Parliament voted Sunday to prohibit U.S. drone activity in the country after a strike on Thursday mistakenly killed around 14 people traveling to a wedding, according to local officials. The Wall Street Journal noted that President Hadi could disregard the parliament’s vote, which he is likely to do “because his impoverished government needs the American funding attached to [the drone program].” The United States has not commented on Thursday’s attack, only stating that it broadly seeks to minimize civilian causalities in its counterterrorism operations.
  • Despite reports that the drone strike was a mistake, Yemen’s official government statement said the airstrike targeted a car with numerous Al Qaeda leaders, not mentioning the wedding. Nonetheless, the tribe targeted by the strike protested and blocked roads over the weekend, and Yemeni military officials ultimately compensated the tribe for its casualties on Saturday.
• Two weeks after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced the United States hoped to sell defense articles to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a unit, President Obama issued a Presidential Determination to that effect on Monday. Obama stated that selling these articles to the GCC would enhance U.S. security and “promote world peace.” AFP noted that the determination could open the door to the sale of ballistic missile defense and counterterrorism equipment to the GCC bloc.
• High-level Saudi Arabian officials and royal family members have continued to criticize U.S. policies in the Middle East. On Sunday, former intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal said that U.S. allies might lose confidence with the United States, claiming President Obama has failed to deliver on certain assurances he has made. On Tuesday, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, wrote in the New York Times that the “West’s policies on both Iran and Syria risk the stability and security of the Middle East.” Prince bin Abdulaziz then promised a more assertive Saudi Arabian foreign policy in the region.
• The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs passed a bill, the “Egypt Assistance Reform Act of 2013,” on Wednesday which allows President Obama to waive preexisting restrictions on U.S. assistance to Egypt. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-CA) and Ranking Member Bob Corker (R-TN) co-authored the bill. Chairman Menendez stated that the bill is meant to “reaffirm the enduring US commitment to our partnership with the Egyptian government.” Earlier this year, U.S. assistance to Egypt was restricted because of the violent reaction of the Egyptian government to protest from political opposition groups.
• In order to “broaden the base of the moderate opposition” in Syria, Secretary Kerry expressed the United States’ willingness to meet with the Islamic Front rebel union on Tuesday. To date, the United States has only had direct contact with the more secular rebel alliance, the Supreme Military Council. However, U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, stated Wednesday that the Islamic Front has refused to meet with U.S. officials. Furthermore, a senior official in the opposition Syrian National Council complained Wednesday that Western countries may no longer push for Bashar al-Assad’s removal during the next round of peace negotiations due to the growing influence of Al Qaeda in Syria.
• On Friday (12/13), the White House released its report to Congress about U.S. military deployments around the world. The report confirmed that 1,500 U.S. troops remain deployed in Jordan, manning the Patriot missile systems, F-16 aircraft, and other U.S. systems and equipment.
• A Congressional delegation comprising of Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Steve King (R-IA), and Louis Gohmert (R-TX) toured the region this week. The delegation met with Egyptian President Adly Mansour and Defense Minister General al-Sisi, Lebanese officials, and Libyan General National Congress President Nuri Abu Sahmain.

Other Security Stories from the Region:

• On Wednesday, Egypt’s public prosecutor charged former President Mohamed Morsi and 35 other Muslim Brotherhood members with multiple terrorism and espionage crimes. Some of the accusations levied against Morsi and the Brotherhood include preparing a terrorism plan in coordination with Hezbollah and Hamas, funding terrorism to support the goals of the international Muslim Brotherhood, divulging military secrets, and others.
• An Egyptian court acquitted former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq of several corruption charges. According to the New York Times, this ruling suggests that Shafiq will be “removed from a list of people whose arrest has been ordered.” After serving as Prime Minister under ex-President Hosni Mubarak, Shafiq ran in Egypt’s presidential election last year but lost to the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, Mohammed Morsi. Following his defeat in last year’s election, Shafiq moved to the United Arab Emirates.
• DefenseWeb posted a detailed round up of the international community’s efforts to train and equip Libya’s military and police forces. The roundup includes details about Italy’s 250 million Euro investment in the country (mostly for security efforts), France’s training of over 2,500 police forces in counterterrorism and border security skills, Britain’s training of 2,000 troops in basic infantry skill, the United States’ commitment to train 5,000-8,000 soldiers, and other pledges. The article noted that private security firms would also likely benefit from Libya’s high demand for security assistance and training.
• Iranian Air Force Chief, General Ali Reza Barkhor, told state TV that an air force military exercise would be held over the Strait of Hormuz. The exercise is set to take place over the weekend. According to General Barkhor, the purpose of the exercise is to “show off Iran’s air defense capabilities and military readiness.”
• The United States sent two former Saudi Arabian Guantanamo Bay inmates back to Saudi Arabia, where they entered the kingdom’s “counseling and care programs.” These programs try to promote a more moderate interpretation of Islam among inmates convicted of Islamic militancy.
• The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released additional details about how it plans to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The OPCW stated Wednesday that Russian armored trucks will transport the material from 12 Syrian locations to the Latakia port, from where Danish and Norwegian ships will transport the material to Italy, at which point the material would be transferred to a U.S. Navy ship to be destroyed.

This post is co-authored by Program Associate Daniel Resnick and Transparency and Accountability intern Eddie Bejarano.

Top Stories from Central Asia and the South Caucasus:

• United States Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense, Evelyn Farkas, and other U.S. defense officials from European Command, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the Kansas National Guard traveled to Armenia on Wednesday. In meetings with Armenia’s defense and foreign ministers, Armenian and U.S. officials praised the defense cooperation between the countries, especially in developing Armenia’s peacekeeping capabilities and advancing Armenia defense reforms. Armenia officially became a member of the Global Peace Operations Initiative and as a result, received USD 1.5 million to strengthen its peacekeeping capabilities. As has been noted previously on this blog, the United States has taken special interest in Armenia’s peacekeeping brigade, which saw the largest increase in U.S. military training in the Caucasus in 2012 and which serves alongside NATO troops in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
• NBC News profiled a recently renovated tunnel on Afghanistan’s main North-South highway by the United States. Army Corps of Engineers, which serves as a key road in the Defense Department’s Northern Distribution Network (NDN). The NDN is the department’s alternative shipping route in and out of Afghanistan, passing through many of the Central Asian and South Caucus countries. NBC News noted that the U.S. prefers to use the cheaper shipping routes though Pakistan, though the Defense Department recently closed biggest of the Pakistan routes.
• Tensions along the Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan border flared up on Tuesday, just as government officials from both countries agreed to resume demarcation efforts next week. The incident, in which Tajik citizens burned a Kyrgyz teashop, occurred in the poorly demarcated Ferghana Valley, a territory shared by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Clashes between Tajik and Kyrgyz residents also took place this spring, with Eurasianet’s David Trilling noting in April that each round of tension brings additional promises to quickly delineate the border. As a result of the recent increase in tension due to Tuesday’s arson attack, several roads along the Kyrgyz – Tajik border remain closed.

Quick Hits from Central Asia and the South Caucasus:

• As part of a USD 1 billion deal between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Russia announced that it is prepared to begin the transfer of tanks, antiaircraft missiles, and other military equipment. According to Kyrgyzstan’s President, Almazbek Atambayev, the deal is meant to modernize the military by 2017.
• The U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, George Krol, met with Uzbekistan’s Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Bahodyr Matlyubov, to discuss Uzbekistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism and drug trafficking. Ambassador George Krol stated, “The United States is always ready to cooperate with the republic, including on combating terrorism and drug trafficking.”
• Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev is set to participate in the 3^rd Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), which will be held at The Hague next year from March 24 – 25. According to the Kazakh Foreign Affairs Minister, Kazak participation at this summit is “one of the priority events in the beginning of next year.”
• On Friday, the government of Kazakhstan announced its decision to provide United Nations peacekeeping missions with troops next year. This will be the first time that Kazakhstan provides troops to U.N. peacekeeping forces since it gained its independence in 1991. Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Jaksybekov stated that it would be important for Kazakhstan to participate in these missions because “taking part in these missions … will contribute greatly to Kazakhstan’s authority worldwide.”
• For the first time in its history, Turkmenistan held multi-party elections on Sunday. The head of the OSCE monitoring mission to Turkmenistan stated that despite the parliamentary vote, the country still has “a long way to go” in meeting international standards of democracy and human rights.
• Representatives from the Ministries of Defense of France and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on Wednesday to further military cooperation between the two states.
• The United Nation’s Committee against Torture reiterated its concern that the use of torture by law enforcement officials in Uzbekistan is part of a program to coerce confessions from individuals charged with a variety of crimes. The UN committee released a list of recommendations to the Uzbekistan government in order for it to meet international standards of human rights.
• A Georgian delegation, led by First Deputy Minister Davit Zalkaliani, traveled to Geneva on Monday to meet with Russian officials and discuss Russia’s activity near the Georgian-Ossetian border and the prospects of an agreement that commits Georgia and Russia to the “non-use of force.”
• Azerbaijan’s parliamentary committee on security and defense reviewed a military agreement between the United States’ Department of Defense and Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry. The parliament prolonged the agreement on “purchasing equipment and mutual service” between the U.S. and Azerbaijan for 5 more years.
• Military officials from Azerbaijan and Turkey spoke about regional political developments, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and future military cooperation as part of the annual Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Military Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Azerbaijan arrested the head of one of the country’s independent election watchdogs, which criticized the most recent October presidential elections. The U.S. embassy stated it was “very troubled” by the arrest.
• A number of U.S. officials congratulated Azerbaijan for the Shah Deniz 2 Final Investment Decision signing this week, which will increase the amount of gas from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan delivered to European markets. The U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan, Richard Morningstar, stated “This agreement and the planned pipelines will be instrumental in guaranteeing the energy security of Turkey, southern Europe, the Balkans and the rest of Europe.”

This post is co-authored by Program Associate Daniel Resnick and Transparency and Accountability intern Eddie Bejarano.

Multilateral exercises:

Leading Edge 13

• Leading Edge 13 brought together 450 participants from 29 different nations in a U.S. and United Arab Emirates co-sponsored multilateral Proliferation Security Initiative exercise. According to the U.S. Central Command press release, the goal of Leading Edge was “to provide an opportunity for nations to focus on critical elements of the Weapons of Mass Destruction-interdiction process.” The exercise took place from January 27-February 7 in Abu Dhabi, and according to the exercise factsheet, it also occurred in October 2006 and January 2010.

Eagle Resolve

• From April 21 – May 6, Eagle Resolve was carried out in various locations throughout Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. While CENTCOM first wrote that the following countries were invited – Bahrain, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom – CENTCOM Deputy Director for Training and Exercises Guy Zero stated in July that 18 of the 20 countries that fall under CEN TCOM’s responsibility participated in the exercise, with Syria and Iran not attending.
• This annual exercise is the “the premier USCENTCOM exercise with our Gulf partner nations since its inception in 1999,” according to Major General Robert Catalanotti. The exercise intends to strengthen cooperative defense, specifically, “integrated air and missile defense, consequence management, critical infrastructure protection, counter-terrorism, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-passive defense, interdiction, and border security.” 2,000 U.S. military personnel from all services participated in this exercise.

International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX 13)

• IMCMEX 13 is a multilateral defense exercise sponsored by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5^th Fleet, which took place from May 6 – May 30 in the Arabian Gulf. The exercise involved over 6,500 service members and 35 ships from over 40 participating countries – including Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia – making it the largest such exercise in the region. According to the IMCMEX 13 official Facebook page, the mission of this exercise “is to execute a multilateral exercise with the widest possible regional and international participation to examine, practice and develop mutual maritime activity across the region to preserve freedom of navigation and promote infrastructure protection.”
• Vice Admiral John W. Miller, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5^th Fleet, stated, “we are very pleased to see that more than 40 nations have joined us here to take part in this opportunity to enhance international naval capability to preserve freedom of navigation international waterways.” In addition to the countermine operations, this year’s exercise introduced “shipping escort and visit, board, search and seizure operations.”

Eager Lion

• Eager Lion is an annual exercise in Jordan, which took place from June 9 – June 20 and involved the United States and 19 other nations, such as Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with over 5,000 American troops from all service branches participating. Jordan serves as the annual location for the exercise. According to Major General Awni al Adwan, Chairman of the Joint Task Force of the Jordanian Army, “this exercise is designed to encounter national security challenges such as counterinsurgency, border security, close air support and integration of the whole of government.”
• For more information on Exercise Eager Lion 2013, please read our recent blog.

Regional Cooperation 13 (RC13)

• 250 people attended the multilateral RC13 exercise in Germany from July 8 – July 18, with Kazakhstan serving as the exercise’s official “host.” The exercise included representatives from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
• Colonel Patrick Connelly, Exercise Division Chief at USCENTCOM’s Directorate of Exercises and Training, explained the purpose of this exercise when he stated, “Our goal for RC 13 is to present the training audience with a complex scenario that requires a collaborative effort to tackle. Our partners are accustomed to working one-on-one with the U.S. This exercise expands on those bilateral relationships to create a multilateral environment where regional neighbors collectively respond to a regional crisis.”

Steppe Eagle

• Exercise Steppe Eagle is an annual, multilateral military exercise that was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from August 10- August 23 in 2013. The exercise focused on peacekeeping operations, with activities ranging from camp security to riot control. 1,600 military personnel attended from various countries such as Kazakhstan, Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the United States.
• For more information on this exercise, please read our recent blog.

Bright Star

• U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled this biennial exercise between the United States, Egypt, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states. President Obama stated, “While we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back.” Exercise Bright Star 2013 was scheduled to take place in September and involve joint air assault operations and amphibious landings.

In addition to the aforementioned multilateral U.S. Central Command exercises, here are some bilateral exercises between the United States and partner nations in the region in 2013:

Desert Falcon

• On February 27, aviation units from the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the U.S. Army engaged in Exercise Desert Falcon. This two-week exercise occurred in Saudi Arabia’s southern region. Saudi Ministry of Defense Spokesmen Major General Ibrahim Al-Malek said, “The two-week exercise is aimed at raising pilot efficiency and comes within the framework of military cooperation between the U.S. and the Kingdom.”

Sea Solider

• 200 Marines from the 26^th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) took part in a two-week joint exercise with the Royal Omani Army from April 20 – May 4. According to Lance Corporal Joshua Rios, “We did a lot of bilateral training, clearing out buildings with the Omani army, training exercises and night raids.”

United States-United Arab Emirates

• The 97^th Heavy Artillery Regiment of the United Arab Emirates and the U.S Army’s 1^st Battalion, 14^th Field Artillery partook in a 10-day exercise from September 22 – October 1. This exercise “tested joint capabilities for the first time between the two units that operate the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS.”

Neon Response

• From October 21 – October 31, Bahrain’s Royal Field Engineering Unit, a part of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force, participated with U.S. Naval Special forces in a joint tactical exercise. Specific operations a part of Neon Response included, “Marine combat operations, implementation of defensive positions, means of dealing with various types of explosives, search exercises, and finding and dissembling marine and land mines.”

Combined Capstone Exercise (CAPEX)

• The Air Defense Artillery Patriot School at 3^rd Battalion, 6^th ADA hosted soldiers from the United Arab Emirates in a 10-week long bi-lateral exercise at Fort Still, Oklahoma. CAPEX focused on “maintaining, emplacing and reloading the Patriot launcher.” Sergeant 1^st Class Shawn Daly, a participant in the exercise, stated, “The Combine Capstone Exercise provided all students with the unique opportunity to conduct tactical operations with our foreign military partners at a very early stage in their careers.”

Desert Talon

• The Texas Army National Guard’s 36^th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) partook in Exercise Desert Talon with military forces from the United Arab Emirates. The exercise sought “to further the development of AH-64D Apache TTPs and assess the aircraft’s efficacy against small watercraft that potential adversaries could employ against coalition forces.” Desert Talon was the first “joint overwater live fire exercise over the Arabia Gulf.”

NCTF-52 Mine Countermeasures

• NCTF-52 started on December 8 and will continue through December 18 in the Arabian Gulf with the British Royal Navy. The purpose of the exercise is to increase the participants’ ability to handle “manned and unmanned mine countermeasure systems, like SeaFox, MK 18 underwater unmanned vehicle and other emerging MCM technologies.” Commander Task Force 52 (CTF-52) commands mine warfare forces in the region and partook in 9 exercises last year.

This post is written by Transparency and Accountability intern Eddie Bejarano.

Qatar has enjoyed a military-to-military relationship with the U.S. since the signing of an agreement in 1992 following Operation Desert Storm. Most security assistance has come in the form of over $3.3 million in Anti-Terrorism Assistance (under the Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, De-mining, and Related Programs) as well as cooperative efforts that, according to the above-cited CRS report, include “defense exercises, equipment pre-positioning, and base access agreements.” In 2003, the CAOC was relocated to Al Udeid from Prince Sultan Airbase in Al Karj, Saudi Arabia. Since the move, the base has served “as logistics, command, and basing hubs for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan.” Over 3,000 U.S. military personnel (primarily Army) are currently stationed at Al Udeid, and the base has been used extensively in the last ten years to launch combat sorties and reconnaissance flights.

Hagel’s decision to reveal the base (and lift the journalist “gag order” on identifying its location) comes amidst fears that the U.S. is “abandoning” the Middle East. Following the Manama Dialogue, Hagel’s visits to both Saudi Arabia and Qatar were focused on addressing concerns about the interim nuclear agreement recently signed with Iran. Hagel also sought to ensure allies that the winding down of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will not lead to a lighter American footprint in the region. Speaking at the base, Hagel remarked: “Our partners are going to be as important – and probably more so – than they’ve ever been for our own national security, for their national security.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gave the major opening speech of the Dialogue. Hagel aimed to reassure U.S. allies in the Gulf that, despite negotiations with Iran and a lack of military intervention in Syria, the U.S. would not alter its posture in the region or commitment to regional stability and security. Hagel devoted part of his speech to outlining “the array of American military forces in the region,” calling attention to joint military exercises, and praising both recent weapons system sales to regional partners and a planned footprint expansion for U.S. forces. The most unique recommendation he proposed was to facilitate “the sale of U.S. defense articles through the GCC as an organization.” This shift may be enabled in part by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) decision to form a “unified military command structure,” announced recently at a follow-up conference in Kuwait.

Hagel briefly discussed Syria, which was a major component of the conference’s agenda. He praised the Obama administration’s work with Russia to find a diplomatic solution to the question of Syrian chemical weapons disarmament, positing that the “outcome would not have happened if not for our resolve to use military force.” Hagel further argued that a strong commitment to humanitarian relief would keep the opposition from falling into the “wrong hands” of radical Islamist influence. Concerns about Islamist groups were later echoed by a Dialogue panel discussing the broader impact of the Syrian conflict on the region. Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah asserted that Qatar had no interest in promoting Islamic radicalism and only sought humanitarian engagement, while Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoyshar Zebari voiced concern about the possibility of the development of an “Islamic emirate.”

The prospects of rapprochement between the United States and Iran, and more specifically the interim nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 in late November, has been a cause of concern for the Gulf Arab states. Hagel spent a considerable amount of his speech addressing this fear, assuring allies that the U.S. believes that “diplomacy cannot operate in a vacuum,” and that ongoing negotiations would always be backed by U.S. presence in the Gulf. He also acknowledged that Gulf partners consider Iran’s possible nuclear program “only one dimension” of Iranian influence on the region’s stability, calling for increased communication and cooperation with respect to allied missile defense capabilities.

Iran was represented by a minor defense official at the Dialogue, but its more significant messaging took place outside the conference hall in Manama. In a move welcomed by the Gulf Arab states, Iran redeployed ten fighter aircraft off of the disputed island of Abu Musa. This news comes as Iran and the UAE are close to reaching a deal that would return Abu Musa as well as two other islands of disputed sovereignty, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, to the UAE.  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has been travelling around the region in recent weeks, visiting Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar in order to alleviate the fears of Iran’s neighbors about the nuclear deal. Zarif even hinted at expanding relations with Saudi Arabia, remarking in Oman that the Iranians “believe that Iran and Saudi Arabia should work together in order to promote peace and stability in the region.”

Top Stories from Central Asia and the South Caucasus:

• The fourth United States-Uzbekistan Annual Bilateral Consultations took place at the State Department this week, with Uzbekistan’s foreign minister and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in attendance. According to a State Department release, issues discussed ranged from political development to regional security to human rights. Blogger and analyst Joshua Kucera pointed to a tweet by Voice of America Uzbek services reporter Navbahor Imamovathat, which indicated that the meetings likely addressed Russia’s expanding military influence in the region, with which Uzbekistan is very concerned. Kucera also noted that potential deals for military equipment, such as surveillance drones and MRAP vehicles, may have been tackled at the meetings. The opposition news-site uznews.net quoted Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Steve Swerdlow, who stated that the U.S. should focus more on the human rights situation in Uzbekistan as the United States’ need for secure territorial access to Afghanistan diminishes.
• The online journal The Interpreter translated an article from the Russian Izvestia newspaper, stating that Georgia is looking to sell its outdated Russian tanks and helicopters and potentially buy anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems. The article pointed to Israel as a possible arms supplier, and Georgia and Israel’s defense ministers met on Monday and agreed to further cooperate in defense capabilities and military industry. Georgian officials also traveled to Washington this week for meetings as part of the U.S.-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, in which officials discussed the security situation in Georgia and Georgia’s defense reforms.
• The foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia met on the sidelines of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) conference in Yerevan on Thursday. This meeting raised hopes that the normalization process between the two countries, which stalled in 2010, might restart. The U.S. State Department welcomed the visit, and Secretary of State John Kerry called Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu ahead of the meeting. Armenia’s foreign minister, however, expressed his displeasure that Turkey preconditioned the normalization talks on resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, stating: “The Turkish side’s attempts to link it with other issues and set preconditions are futile and meaningless.”

Quick Hits from Central Asia and the South Caucasus:

• During the 10^th anniversary celebration of the Armenian National Forces – Kansas National Guard partnership last Friday, U.S. ambassador to Armenia John Heffern stated that relations between the countries have shifted from donor/recipient into partner relations. Armenian and U.S. officials specifically praised different elements of the military cooperation between the countries.
• Azerbaijani Ambassador to the U.S., Elin Suleymanov, published an op-ed in the Washington Times, in which he defended the October 2013 presidential election results and praised the relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan, stating, “Azerbaijan and the United States are partners in addressing the world’s most difficult challenges.”
• Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland visited Georgia last week. Civil.ge rounded up some comments from her visit, in which she addressed the democratic and economic reforms in the country, Georgia’s NATO prospects in 2014, and Georgia’s relationship with Russia.
• Azerbaijan announced it would seek USD 300 billion in compensation from Armenia as part of a settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
• Using data from the UN Register of Conventional Arms, the Azerbaijan Press Agency calculated that Azerbaijan is one of the top purchasers of Belarusian tanks, helicopters, and combat vehicles over the last ten years.
• Azerbaijan began testing the first prototype of its national armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle.
• Turkey’s defense minister visited Kazakhstan to help open the joint Kazakhstan-Turkey Aselsan Plant, which will produce “electro-optical products, including thermal cameras and field glasses” and “undertake a number of modernization drives for Kazakhstan’s T72 tanks, helicopters and armored vehicles.”
• The South African defense manufacturer Paramount will open up a factory in Kazakhstan to produce armored vehicles. Kazakhstan aims to domestically produce 80% of its military equipment by 2020.
• A U.S. Defense Department official told Joshua Kucera that traffic through the Northern Distribution Network would not increase because of the closure of the Pakistani supply routes.
• Russia’s ambassador to Tajikistan and the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) expressed concern over instability flowing from Afghanistan into Central Asia following the drawdown of ISAF troops in 2014. Both touted the CSTO’s efforts to assure regional stability as 2014 approaches.
• The U.S. embassy in Kyrgyzstan released a statement marking the United Nations’ International Human Rights Day and urging the Kyrgyz government to redouble its commitment to human rights, especially in the area of the rule of law.
• The United States announced on Wednesday a USD 15 million commitment to the CASA-1000 project, which will transport excess electricity during the summer from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The CASA-1000 project is part of the United States’ aim to increase interconnectivity between Afghanistan/Pakistan and their Central Asian neighbors in order to bring “peace, stability and prosperity” to Afghanistan.

• President Barack Obama returned to Washington D.C. on Wednesday after attending the memorial service for Nelson Mandela, where he delivered a eulogy for the Nobel Peace Prize winner and first black South African president. Media reports described President Obama’s speech as electrifying and bringing the audience to a respectful silence. President Obama’s address compared the civil and human rights struggles in South Africa and the United States, and asserted that globally, the fight for a just world is not over:

The questions we face today — how to promote equality and justice; how to uphold freedom and human rights; how to end conflict and sectarian war — these things do not have easy answers… Nelson Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done… South Africa shows we can change, that we can choose a world defined not by our differences, but by our common hopes. We can choose a world defined not by conflict, but by peace and justice and opportunity.

• The White House announced on Tuesday that the U.S. intends to provide the French-supported African Union (AU) force in Central African Republic (CAR) with $60 million worth of defense equipment. The memorandum specifically refers to “assistance to France, the African Union, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, and other countries that contribute forces to the African Union-led International Support Mission.” France also called on the European Union to assist with the mission. U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed U.S. AFRICOM, in coordination with the French, to begin airlifts to transport Burundi peacekeeping troops into the country.  The airlift, using two U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft, started on Thursday. President Obama also released a direct message to the people of Central African Republic, calling for civilian efforts for peace and reconciliation as well as a government push for accountability. The African Union announced it intends to increase its peacekeeping deployment from 3,500 to 5,000 troops.

• France hosted a two-day African security summit, a gathering of security ministers and leaders from 53 African countries. The summit rekindled the idea of forming an African rapid reaction force, which could deploy to conflict zones across the continent. French President François Hollande made the case that “Africa should be able to get together to intervene and react swiftly to crises. Therefore, a rapid reaction force should take place in the coming months.” Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan voiced support for such a force, and floated the possibility that the force could help Nigeria in its struggle against Boko Haram. France announced it could train 20,000 soldiers a year, and provide “equipment, logistical support and coordination for the force.” President Hollande also called on the European Union to support such efforts. The French media expressed skepticism on the success rate of Western military training. 

Quick Hits from across Africa:

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel movement signed a peace agreement today in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. The agreement was negotiated last month with Ugandan mediation, but to date the DRC objected to its status as an ‘accord.’ Involved parties referred to the agreement as a declaration now, a term with less legal weight. The U.S. welcomed the declaration and urged all parties to implement it. Furthermore, the State Department praised Uganda’s involvement in the negotiations and security cooperation between the United States and Ugandan security forces.  

• Before starting an offensive, the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, known by the acronym MONUSCO, issued a warning to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to disarm and surrender. The FDLR is a Hutu militia operating in the East Congo. The media reported that “large numbers” of FDLR rebels heeded the call and surrendered. MONUSCO started targeted attacks on Tuesday.

• The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) released a brief on the Nigerian military’s conduct in the fight against Boko Haram, the Islamist terrorist movement in the North. The brief warns that the Nigerian military’s human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings, are radicalizing Boko Haram further, leading to rising death toll in Nigeria. Additionally, IRIN published an in-depth look at how government-backed civilian vigilante groups, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), aggravate the circle of violence.

• The Overseas Development Institute together with the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies released a report called “Al-Shabaab engagement with aid agencies,” which researched humanitarian aid in Somalia during the 2011 famine, when al-Shabaab controlled the country. The report outlines that humanitarian aid organizations paid bribes to al-Shabaab, in exchange for access, and often acceded to al-Shabaab’s demands to distribute the aid itself.

• The New York Police Department (NYPD), which supported Kenyan investigations of the Westgate Mall terror attack, released its conclusions about the attack. Disputing earlier findings of Kenyan authorities, the NYPD estimated only four shooters conducted the attack, and that the attackers may have escaped. Simultaneously, a Kenyan parliamentary committee investigating the attacks published findings that corrupt Kenyan police and border guards may have helped the al-Shabaab attackers enter the country.

• In response to increasing “security threats” in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a new command within the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The Nairobi Metropolitan Command is tasked with tackling the “current threat posture in the country emerging from terrorism, drug trafficking, proliferation of small arms, crime among others that tends to flourish among highly urbanized areas like Nairobi.” 

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report, called “‘Leave Everything to God’: Accountability for Inter-Communal Violence in Plateau and Kaduna States, Nigeria,” in which it documents mass killings in central Nigeria. HRW criticizes the government for a lack of accountability, with only few reported crimes leading to prosecutions. Despite recurring episodes of communal violence, the Nigerian government has not worked to address the drivers of conflict, HRW maintains.

• French forces in Mali launched an offensive against al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb in the North of the country, killing 19 suspected militants.

• The United Nations Security Council released a statement strongly condemning Guinea Bissau for “repeated military interferences in civilian affairs,” and calling for a return to constitutional order and elections.

• President Obama announced a presidential delegation set to travel to Kenya to celebrate its 50^th anniversary of independence. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield will join the delegation.

• Liberian media reports that U.S. Ambassador Deborah Malac called the Liberian police director, Chris Massaquoi to discuss the National Police. Ambassador Malac is reported to have assured the director of “continuous support to these two riot units of the police,” and expressed interest in extending U.S. support to the Professional Standards Division (PSD), the unit tasked with police accountability.

• A United Nations expert panel on arms smuggling implicated senior Liberian leadership in secretly smuggling small arms into the country, including from the United States.