Category: terrorism

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Country Ministerial 2024 – Joint Communique

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    We, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the ‘Five Countries’) remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold and promote shared liberal democratic values, and in working collaboratively to protect our citizens, communities, and governments from evolving national security threats in an increasingly contested world. Throughout 2024, the Five Countries have collaborated and advanced efforts on a range of issues relevant to our collective national security thematic areas of interest, specifically in consideration of the following issues: 

    National Security Risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

    The Five Countries recognise the enormous opportunities presented by critical and emerging technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) – in creating new jobs, improving productivity, and aiding in cyber defence. However, the rapid development and deployment of AI risks creating novel security vulnerabilities (including both to and from AI systems) and providing a platform for malign actors to increase the speed and scale of malicious activities. We are particularly concerned by the use of AI to facilitate the creation and distribution of mis/disinformation, malware, terrorist and violent extremist content, non-consensual deep fake pornography, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). We continue to share information on how our governments are establishing frameworks to best manage the risks associated with AI, while still taking advantage of the benefits, and remain committed to working together to ensure our shared values shape international standards and governance for AI. 

    We acknowledge that deeper cooperation among the Five Countries will support the safe, secure, and trustworthy deployment and use of these technologies in a way that minimises the risks and maximises opportunities in a national security context. The Five Countries remain committed to continuing to align our work in achieving this goal. 

    Countering Foreign Interference 

    With more people than ever voting in elections around the world in 2024, the Five Countries recognise the need for resilient and transparent democratic institutions to mitigate evolving threats to democratic processes. Such threats, including the proliferation of state-sponsored disinformation through increased use of emerging technologies, pose a significant challenge to upholding our democratic values. 

    We are resolute in our commitment to ensuring that communities are free from transnational repression, and recognise the continued need for collaboration, information sharing and taking action to protect our communities, businesses, and citizens. It is unacceptable for any foreign government to target members of our communities to prevent individuals from exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms in the Five Countries. 

    Finally, the Five Countries recognise the need to mitigate the threat posed by foreign interference and espionage within our research ecosystems. The Five Countries remain committed to exchanging best practices and threat information on research security, including how foreign entities of concern may be attempting to adapt to and bypass safeguards, to improve the resilience of those ecosystems. 

    Cyber Security 

    The increase in malicious and sophisticated cyber security threats is impacting the daily lives of citizens, businesses and governments across the Five Countries. We emphasise the need to target the enablers that make up the cybercrime business model, who are providing the illicit products, goods and services that make it easier to commit cybercrime. Malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructure by both state and non-state malicious cyber actors pose some of the greatest threats to our Five Countries and we are committed to jointly disrupting these operations and securing our most important networks. 

    We note the importance of fraud in the cyber security context and are particularly concerned about online scam centres that target vulnerable individuals globally; are involved in human trafficking for forced criminality to support their operations; or feed into a highly profitable criminal enterprise that undermines our cyber security. We reaffirm our support to the commitments made at the Global Fraud Summit. A key outcome from the Summit was to maintain strong engagement with industry, and the Five Countries agree to progress further efforts in this space to tackle the fraud threat and better protect our citizens. 

    We recognise the broader role of continued public-private collaboration in mitigating cyber security and data threats for our citizens, businesses and nations. To further deepen our relationship with industry, the Five Countries commit to share lessons learned from respective domestic efforts in securing data to ensure trusted and secure cross-border data flows and enhance the resilience of our data. 

    We recognise the value of coming together as the Five Countries to enhance strategic engagement on priority cybercrime threats, particularly through the international Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI). The Five Countries will actively support the CRI and will engage in wider fora to advance our shared aims through international cooperation and build cross-border resilience to collectively disrupt malicious cyber actors. 

    Domestic Security 

    In response to recent events in the Middle East, the Five Countries have regularly drawn on the FCM to discuss the conflict and broader security situation, as well as associated domestic security challenges. This includes recognising the effects of this conflict on impacted communities, exploring the associated impacts in polarising and radicalising community attitudes, and understanding the threats posed by the spread of extremist content and disinformation. 

    We remain very concerned about the rise of terrorist and violent extremist content online and its impact, particularly on young people, and we recognise the importance of continued engagement with industry to mitigate this issue. 

    As members of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) Independent Advisory Committee, we call on the organisation to strengthen its efforts to address terrorist and violent extremist content, including when it arises in the context of a prolonged conflict. We stress the importance of expanding GIFCT membership to include a broader range of technology companies, as well as in helping smaller platforms to identify and address terrorist and violent extremist content. In parallel, we continue to support the implementation of the Christchurch Call commitments and welcome the launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation. 

    We commit to addressing the complexity of youth radicalisation, as well as the need to better understand the risks of personalised ideological motivations. We acknowledge that unique pathways and factors can make at-risk individuals susceptible to radicalisation, including violent extremism. We will continue to share information on effective approaches to prevention, such as intervention approaches to support diversion efforts; and are committed to working together to conduct a diagnosis of how violent extremist actors leverage technology to encourage at-risk individuals to violence. 

    Lawful Access 

    The Five Countries will continue working together to maintain tightly-controlled lawful access to communications content that is vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes including terrorism and child abuse. We will work in partnership with technology companies to do this, protecting the safety of our citizens. 

    Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) 

    The Five Countries note the significant role of emerging technologies, including AI, in the proliferation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material. We reiterate our collective commitment to exercising all levers available to tackle this crime type and keep children safe in all settings. 

    We recognise the need to work collaboratively across the whole sector, noting the specific knowledge and role of industry and academia, and the expertise of victims, survivors and their families to ensure our efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse are holistic, evidence-based, and promote technological innovation. In this spirit, we jointly endorsed the “Bridging Government Efforts and Elevating Survivors’ Voices” statement (Annex I). 

    We also recognise the continued importance of the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and – noting that the landscape has changed significantly since their launch five years ago – commit to further engagement with signatories to seek updates on efforts to uphold the principles as outlined. 

    While there has been progress through voluntary action to date, the Five Countries urgently call on tech companies to continue to drive innovation to keep children safe online on their platforms and to adhere to legal requirements in each of our jurisdictions. We remain committed to working with industry to explore holistic efforts and supporting innovation in tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse, including responding to the proliferation of AI-generated child sexual exploitation and abuse content. 

    Migration  

    The Five Countries recognise the extensive pressures on our border management, migration and protection systems that are being exacerbated by significant volumes of global migration and displacement seen across the world. 

    We acknowledge that there are a multitude of drivers for irregular migration and forced displacement, and we recognise the importance of taking a whole-of-route approach in response to mixed migrant flows. The Five Countries will continue to explore opportunities to work together to combat organised crime groups that are facilitating and profiting from human smuggling. 

    The Five Countries also recognise the opportunities presented by the rise in global migration and mobility, and note the benefits of safe and regular migration pathways. At the same time, we remain committed to enforcing our immigration laws and delivering consequences for those individuals who have no right to remain in our respective countries. We encourage the use of innovative policy levers to maintain well-managed regular pathways in light of increasing demand on our migration systems. We are committed to deepening our collaboration to enhance the integrity of our migration and border systems by leveraging emerging technology and examining additional efforts to address fraud and stop bad actors from exploiting our regular pathways. 

    The Five Countries remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers in accordance with our international obligations, whilst endorsing pragmatic approaches of countries to establish policies in their own national interest and national security. 

    Closing 

    The FCM remains the preeminent Ministerial-level forum for the Five Countries to engage and exchange information on shared national security issues and implement new initiatives to respond to various areas of concern. Our efforts to collaborate and exchange best practise in responding to evolving threats continues to grow and we look forward to further deepening these efforts in the coming year ahead 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 149TH ASSEMBLY OF INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) CONCLUDES

    Source: Government of India

    149TH ASSEMBLY OF INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) CONCLUDES

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER SH. OM BIRLA HIGHLIGHTS INDIA’S PIVOTAL ROLE IN GLOBAL DIALOGUE AIMED AT ADDRESSING COMMON GLOBAL CHALLENGES

    SH. BIRLA HOLDS SEVERAL BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH COUNTERPARTS FROM PARLIAMENTS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

    JAMAICA BECOMES 181ST MEMBER OF IPU

    150TH ASSEMBLY OF IPU TO BE HELD IN TASHKENT FROM 5-9 APRIL, 2025

    Posted On: 18 OCT 2024 7:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla led a Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva which was held from 13th October to 17th October 2024.

    The Delegation comprised of Shri Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, MP; Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, MP; Shri Rajeev Shukla, MP; Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, MP; Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, MP; Dr. Sasmit Patra, MP; Smt. Mamata Mohanta, MP; Shri Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary – General, Lok Sabha and Shri P. C. Mody, Secretary – General, Rajya Sabha.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla arrives in Geneva on 13 October, 2024 to participate in the 149th Assembly of IPU

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla attending the 149th Assembly of IPU on 14 October, 2024

     

    Rajya Sabha MP, Shri Rajiv Shukla participating in the Inter-Parliamentary Union General Assembly 2024 with Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla on 14 October 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha MP, Smt. Aprajita Sarangi participating in the Governing Council Meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Union with Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla and Dy. Chairman, Rajya Sabha Shri Harivansh in Geneva on 14 October 2024.

     

    Addressing the Assembly on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future”, Shri Birla highlighted India’s commitment to multilateralism and the importance of parliamentary dialogue in advancing global challenges. He emphasized the need for equitable distribution of the benefits derived from science and technology, advocating for collaborative efforts among Parliaments to achieve inclusive development. Shri Birla underscored the convergence of technological advancements and innovative approaches to build a resilient future.

    He noted that the Assembly not only underscores the strength of India’s parliamentary diplomacy but also highlights India’s pivotal role in global dialogue aimed at addressing common global challenges.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing the 149th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future.” on 14 October, 2024

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing the 149th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future.” on 14 October, 2024

     

    Speaking about climate change Shri Birla referenced the “One Sun, One World, One Grid” initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He pointed out India’s significant increase in renewable energy capacity and the various initiatives aimed at addressing climate issues. Highlighting India’s support for innovation through the Start-up India program, Shri Birla noted the India’s position as the third-largest start-up ecosystem globally.

    With 118 Unicorns, with valuation of more than US $ 355 billion, India had become the third largest start-up nation in the world, he added. Referring to India’s unprecedented use of technology for delivery of public services, he illustrated how digitisation of financial services and financial inclusion through JAM Trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile financial benefits of 2 trillion 495 bllion INR had been transferred through DBT-Direct Benefit Transfer to the bank accounts of beneficiaries under 314 public welfare schemes, ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.

    He called for a robust regulatory framework to protect citizens’ data and ensure responsible use of technology. Shri Birla concluded by mentioning India’s recent legislative efforts related to technology and environment, showcasing advancements like Digital Sansad, which has enhanced efficiency and transparency in governance.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing the149th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future.” on 14 October, 2024

     

    Shri Birla also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from parliaments of other countries, such as Oman, Algeria, Seychelles, Nepal, Switzerland, Thailand, Armenia and Maldives etc. He also addressed the Indian Diaspora in Geneva.

    The Indian delegation engaged in various Committee Meetings and Sessions during the Assembly.

    The Assembly adopted a resolution on the emergency item titled “Response by Parliamentarians to the urgent plea by the UN Secretary-General to recommit to multilateralism for global peace, justice, and sustainability.”

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of Oman State Council H.E. Khalid Al Mawali, on the sidelines of 149th IPU Assembly on 14 October 2024

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of Oman State Council H.E. Khalid Al Mawali, on the sidelines of 149th IPU Assembly on 14 October 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met His Excellency Mr. Roger Mancienne, Speaker, Seychelles` National Assembly on the sidelines of IPU149 on 14 October, 2024.

     

    It is noteworthy that the reports from the four Standing Committees of the IPU—namely, those addressing Peace and International Security, Sustainable Development, Democracy and Human Rights, and United Nations Affairs—were also adopted. Members of the IPD participated actively in the discussions surrounding these reports.

    Particularly commendable was the approval by the IPU’s Governing Council of Indian candidates—Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi, MP (Working Group on Science and Technology), Dr. Lata Wankhede, MP (IPU High-Level Advisory Group on Counter Terrorism and Violent Extremism), and Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, MP (IPU Standing Committee on UN Affairs)—who were endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Group.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met His Excellency Mr. Roger Mancienne, Speaker, Seychelles` National Assembly on the sidelines of IPU149 on 14 October, 2024.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met Namibia`s National Assembly Speaker, H.E. Peter Katjavivi on the sidelines of IPU149 in Geneva on 14 October, 2024.

     

    The resolution addressing “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law,” co-drafted by Dr. Sasmit Patra, MP, was adopted by the IPU. Dr. Patra was also chosen to serve as one of the three rapporteurs for a forthcoming resolution on “Recognizing and Supporting the Victims of Illegal International Adoption and Taking Measures to prevent this Practice.” This resolution will be discussed at the 150th IPU Assembly, with a presentation scheduled for the 151st Assembly.

    Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, MP, and Vice President of the IPU Executive Committee, attended the Executive Committee sessions, which endorsed amendments to the IPU Statutes and Rules, a Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology, and revisions to the rules governing the Cremer-Passey Prize.

    Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, MP, participated in a meeting of the Bureau of the IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security, where he shared India’s perspectives on current challenges to global peace and security.

    Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, MP, presented an overview of India’s recent activities in Sustainable Development during the Bureau Meeting of the IPU’s Standing Committee on Sustainable Development.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met Hon`ble Mr. Lungten Dorji, Speaker, Bhutan National Assembly during IPU149 in Geneva on 14 October, 2024

     

    Smt. Mamata Mohanta, MP, took part in meetings of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the IPU Governing Council. Shri Rajiv Shukla, MP, attended a workshop on practical tools for achieving sustainable development, as well as a panel discussion on common principles for support to parliaments, focusing on parliamentary development as a defense against democratic backsliding.

    Secretary General Lok Sabha addressed the delegates at the meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) on 16 October 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing members of the Indian Diaspora in Geneva on 14 October, 2024

    Addressing the Indian diaspora, Sh. Birla praised their skill, talent, and commitment. Recognizing their potential as the nation’s strongest brand ambassadors and noting their ability to foster familial relationships and harmony wherever they reside, Shri Birla emphasized the values of diversity and inclusiveness that define the Indian community. He highlighted India’s leadership in confronting global challenges, attributing this confidence to both strong leadership and the power of its citizens and Diaspora.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing members of the Indian Diaspora in Geneva on 14 October, 2024

    He added that Indo-Swiss collaboration has flourished in areas including trade, investment, technology, education, and the environment. Speaking about the economic ties between India and Switzerland, Shri Birla observed that the signing of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between EFTA countries, including India and Switzerland, is a significant step toward mutual economic development and job creation.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressing members of the Indian Diaspora in Geneva on 14 October, 2024

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla with Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of Oman State Council H.E. Khalid Al Mawali, on the sidelines of 149th IPU Assembly on 14 October 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met with Speaker of House of Representatives of Australia H.E. Mr. Milton Dick, on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of Inter Parliamentary Union on 15 October 2024.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met with Speaker of House of Representatives of Australia H.E. Mr. Milton Dick, on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of Inter Parliamentary Union on 15 October 2024

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met with Speaker of National Assembly of Zimbabwe H.E. Mr. Jacob Mudenda, on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union on 15 October 2024

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met with Speaker of National Assembly of Zimbabwe H.E. Mr. Jacob Mudenda, on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union on 15 October 2024

     

    On the sidelines of the 149th Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met the President of the IPU H.E. Ms. Tulia Ackson on 15 October, 2024

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla and Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh with the President of the IPU H.E. Ms. Tulia Ackson in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker met H.E. Mr. Eric NUSSBAUMER, President of the National Council, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker met H.E. Mr. Eric NUSSBAUMER, President of the National Council, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

    Lok Sabha Speaker met H.E. Mr. Eric NUSSBAUMER, President of the National Council, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met H.E. Mr. Mongkol Surasajja, President of the Senate of Thailand on the sidelines of the 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 15 October 2024

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met H.E. Mr. Alen Simonyan, President of Armenia`s National Assembly, at the 149th IPU Assembly in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met Speaker, People`s Majlis of Maldives, H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla on the sidelines of the 149th IPU Assembly in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met Speaker, People`s Majlis of Maldives, H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla on the sidelines of the 149th IPU Assembly in Geneva on 15 October, 2024

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met H.E. Shri Narayan Prasad Dahal, Chairperson of National Assembly of Nepal on the sidelines of the 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 15 October, 2024.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Geneva on 16 October, 2024, during his visit to the city for the 149th Assembly of IPU.

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Geneva on 16 October, 2024, during his visit to the city for the 149th Assembly of IPU.

     

     

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla participating in the Governing Council meeting of IPU on the concluding day of its 149th Assembly on 17 October, 2024.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla during an interaction with President of the National People’s Assembly, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Boughali on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 16 and 17 October, 2024

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla met President of the National People`s Assembly, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Boughali on the sidelines of 149th Assembly of IPU in Geneva on 16-17 October 2024

    The IPU has 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members. Members include parliaments from large countries like China, India, and Indonesia, as well as smaller countries like Cabo Verde, San Marino, and Palau.

    Jamaica became the 181st member of the IPU during the Assembly. The next Assembly will be hosted by Uzbekistan, which has invited all member parliaments of the IPU to the 150th Assembly in Tashkent, scheduled for April 5-9, 2025.

    ***

    AM

    (Release ID: 2066198) Visitor Counter : 13

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Central Command Weekly Update

    Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

    Oct. 18, 2024
    Release Number 20241018-02
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 18, 2024) – In the past week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed 20 one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWAUAS) and Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACMs) in the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR). These Iranian-supplied weapons, launched episodically by the Houthis and Iranian-Aligned Militia Groups (IAMGs) over several days during the week, posed a significant risk to United States, allies, and partner forces, as well as civilians in the region and beyond. The drones and missiles were downed by a combination of U.S. Air Force and U.S Navy assets deployed to the region.

    No U.S. service members were injured in these actions. U.S. and coalition forces remain at a high level of readiness, postured to defend U.S. interests and those of our allies and partners in the region.

    Here’s a general timeline of CENTCOM operational activities during the past week:

    · As previously released, CENTCOM forces conducted a series of airstrikes Oct. 11 against multiple known ISIS camps in Syria, resulting in at least 35 ISIS operatives killed, to include several ISIS leaders. The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and civilians. Battle damage assessments are still underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. U.S. and partner forces continue to execute these critical operations that contribute to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM AOR and the support of regional stability.

    • On Oct. 13, at the direction of the President, the Secretary of Defense authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on Oct. 1. The THAAD battery is now integrated into the regional air defense architecture.
    • Separately, during the past week, CENTCOM forces conducted a successful strike against a Houthi Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher and its associated radar that presented a threat to U.S. and coalition aircraft. Additionally, CENTCOM forces conducted strikes against multiple UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) used to direct Houthi OWAUAS targeting of U.S. and coalition forces against international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. For operations security reasons, we won’t discuss specific dates or locations of these self-defense strikes.
    • U.S. and coalition forces assigned to Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) twice came under rocket attacks from IAMGs. In both instances, the rockets were successfully intercepted. No U.S. service members were injured in either incident.
    • Finally, on the evening of Oct. 16 EDT, CENTCOM forces conducted multiple airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. CENTCOM forces targeted the Houthi’s hardened underground facilities housing missiles, weapons components, and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers, were part of the operation.

    ###

    Editor’s Note: This U.S. Central Command Weekly Update replaces the previous daily updates released by the command regarding significant operational activities within the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Discreetly Revised Data Shows Violent Crime Has Increased Under This Administration Despite Misleading Claims From Democrats

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Discreetly Revised Data Shows Violent Crime Has Increased Under This Administration Despite Misleading Claims From Democrats

    Washington, October 17, 2024

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intentionally misled the American people into believing violent crime decreased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A discreetly revised FBI 2022 annual crime data report proves violent crimes have increased under the Biden-Harris Administration. A previously reported 2.1 percent decrease in violent crimes has now been altered to show a 4.5 percent increase. This Administration has continuously touted these false numbers to argue violent crime has declined, and the latest revision proves otherwise. While violent crime surges across the country due to Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies, failed bail reform, open borders, and defund the police movement, House Republicans are committed to law and order.
     
    MAKE NO MISTAKE: This revision further proves Americans are less safe under the Biden-Harris Administration. It’s time to restore the safety and security of every American. 
     
    THE BIDEN-HARRIS CRIME CRISIS: 

    • New reporting has uncovered that the FBI secretly updated its crime data to show instead of a 2.1 percent drop in violent crime in 2022, it was actually a 4.5 percent increase. 
      • The FBI made no mention of this 6.6 percentage point revision in its press release.
    • The new data includes thousands more murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults than previously reported.
      • The updated data for 2022 shows that there were 80,029 more violent crimes than in 2021 – including an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults.
    • Carl Moody, a professor at the College of William & Mary who specializes in studying crime: “There were no revisions from 2004 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2020, there were small changes of less than one percentage point. The huge changes in 2021 and 2022, especially without an explanation, make it difficult to trust the FBI data.”
    • There are now questions as to whether the recently released 2023 FBI crime statistics are legitimate due to the massive 2022 revision.
    • Another problem with this FBI crime data is its reliance on reported crimes, as most crimes go unreported. 
      • An alternative measure of crime that also accounts for unreported crimes, the National Crime Victimization Survey, shows that crime is even higher than FBI data suggests – with violent crime up 37 percent since Harris and Biden took office.
    • The FBI is not the only government agency to see massive revisions under this Administration – the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently admitted that 818,000 jobs that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden claim to have “created” don’t actually exist.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio Urges Domestic Terrorism Investigation of Pro-Hamas Group

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Rubio Urges Domestic Terrorism Investigation of Pro-Hamas Group
    Oct 17, 2024 | Press Releases

    Unity of Fields, a self-proclaimed pro-Hamas, anti-American “direct action network,” promotes acts of militant violence and propaganda against supporters of Israel. The pro-terrorist beliefs and actions of this group, including encouraging attacks on buildings and individuals, prompt a thorough investigation.    
    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland urging a full investigation into Unity of Fields for acts of domestic terrorism before additional harm or actions jeopardize the United States or its citizens.
    “Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.”
    The full text of the letter is below. 
    Dear Attorney General Garland:
    I write with concern about the increasing violence promoted by groups such as Unity of Fields, formerly Palestine Action U.S., which explicitly support Palestinian terrorism and other anti-Israel, anti-American, and antisemitic terrorist organizations. I request that you immediately open a domestic terrorism investigation into Unity of Fields and utilize all resources available to hold this group accountable under the law.
    As you may know, Unity of Fields is an “anti-Zionist ‘direct action network’” focused on promoting acts of violence and protest against individuals or organizations that the group considers supportive of Israel, Zionism, or American imperialism. Prior to August 2024, the organization was called Palestine Action U.S. and served as a chapter for the United Kingdom-based Palestine Action. In an article originally published in May 2024, Unity of Fields highlighted several beliefs that underpin their movement. Specifically, the group calls for increased escalation in its activities, including no longer disavowing any action in pursuit of its Marxist, anti-Zionist, anti-American agenda, building up militancy infrastructure, and adherence to the belief that the “revolution will come within our lifetimes” as they “will make sure of it.”
    Further, the group encourages the study of revolutionary material in preparation for continued action against the United States and Israel. Specifically, Unity of Fields promotes the writings of Palestinian revolutionary and suspected terrorist Bassel Al-Araj, Mao Zedong’s On Guerilla Warfare, the United States Army Counterinsurgency Manuel as well as numerous other works focused around promoting and conducting insurgencies. The ultimate purpose of the group and its readings is “to open a new front against the US Empire [and] to build the international popular cradle of resistance.”
    Unsurprisingly, Unity of Fields’ efforts have contributed to a recent trend in increasing violence and vandalism against private property and individuals. On their X account, Unity of Fields promoted and encouraged violence in the name of Palestine and anti-Zionism, including a recent attack on the CCNY Advanced Science Research Center and individuals adhering to the belief that “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” even while claiming their organization “doesn’t do actions.”
    Under 18 U.S. Code § 2331, “domestic terrorism” is defined as any activity which “involves acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws” and includes the intent “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or “to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” Further, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed various terms and methodologies for investigating domestic terrorism threats and plots. Specifically, the FBI views a domestic terrorism plot “as a combination of criminal activity and planning that collectively reflect steps toward criminal action in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal.” A historical view of the Palestinian Resistance Movement demonstrates that violence has become a crucial element of the movement, especially between 1970 and 1973. This is seen among various terrorist spokes of the movement: Hamas, the PLFP, and the Islamic Jihad. Unity of Fields have been outspoken in transitioning into a militant propaganda organization and have cited Houthi Ansar Allah saying, “[t]he meaning of the unity of the fields is that we are all one hand, one leadership, one direction, one goal, and one approach, and any attack on any of the components of the Axis [including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Houthis, and various Shi’ite groups in Iraq and Syria] is considered a direct attack on us.”
    When comparing Unity of Fields’ own statements and actions to existing government standards for investigating these threats, I believe Unity of Fields should be investigated for any violations of the law before additional harm or actions jeopardizes the United States or its citizens. By rejecting nonviolent means and fully embracing revolutionary and insurgent related tactics as a means of pursuing its hateful beliefs, Unity of Fields runs counter to any of the beliefs and rights which underpin our country’s constitutional system, and endangers citizens. As such, I look forward to your prompt investigation into Unity of Fields as you hold them accountable to the fullest extent under the law.
    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. 
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch on Death of Hamas Terrorist Sinwar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the elimination of Hamas terrorist Yahya Sinwar by Israeli Defense Forces:
    “The world is a safer place today without Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar was responsible for the most significant murder of Jews since the Holocaust and the largest hostage crisis involving American citizens in the last 50 years. Terrorists have no place in this world, and deserve to be eliminated. In addition to Sinwar, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated two other high level Hamas terrorists. This is good news for the people of Israel, Gaza, and the free world. Sinwar plunged the Palestinian people into violence, and intentionally used innocent women and children in places like hospitals and schools as human shields. 
    “The region cannot move forward without the elimination of Hamas as a military entity. This is not easy to do, but the Israelis are doing it; that cannot be denied. The U.S. and our allies should do more to help the Israelis continue to cut off the head of the snake, and certainly stop trying to get in their way. Israel’s success will be a victory for the free world.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: The U.S.-Germany  Partnership

    Source: The White House

    On the occasion of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s visit to Germany, the United States reaffirms its commitment to deepening the close and historic bond between the two nations as Allies and friends.  For over 75 years, Germany has been a crucial partner in ensuring the stability, security, and prosperity of the transatlantic alliance.  In October 2023, President Biden welcomed President Steinmeier to Washington during German-American Day, underscoring the enduring people-to-people ties between our two countries, including the over 40 million Americans who claim German heritage and strengthen the diverse fabric of the United States.  In February 2024, President Biden welcomed Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House, where the two leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s war of aggression, discussed regional stability in the Middle East, and prepared for the NATO Summit in Washington.

    During his visit to Germany, President Biden will underscore our mutual commitment to upholding democracy, combating antisemitism and hatred, and expanding collaboration to promote economic growth and technological innovation.  In addition, he will express gratitude to Germany for its role in hosting approximately 39,000 U.S. service members and its vital contributions to the security of NATO and the broader transatlantic community. 

    The United States and Germany are partners in a wide range of new and continuing initiatives to address the most pressing challenges of our time, some of which are listed below.

    # # #

    SECURITY AND DEFENSE

    • The United States and Germany cooperate through several multilateral institutions including NATO, the G7, the OSCE, and the UN, to advance security, democracy, and the rule of law globally.
    • As host to the largest U.S. troop presence in Europe and second largest globally, Germany continues to play a critical role as a platform for U.S. military force projection, including support for NATO’s eastern flank and training for Ukrainian soldiers. 
    • Germany has been a key provider of military assistance to Ukraine in its defense against the Kremlin’s aggression.  Contributions include advanced weaponry such as Leopard 2 tanks, air defense systems (such as IRIS-T), artillery, and ammunition. Germany also supplies medical aid, vehicles, and training for Ukrainian forces, continuously adapting its support to Ukraine’s evolving needs in coordination with NATO allies.
    • As announced by President Biden and Chancellor Scholz on July 10, 2024, the United States looks forward to beginning the episodic deployments of its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, as part of planning for enduring stationing of these conventional long-range fire capabilities in the future.
    • Germany plays a key role in the U.S-Italy co-led G7+ Coordination Group for Ukraine Energy Security Support.  Germany has been a leading provider of financial assistance and critical components such as transformers and power generators to support the repair and strengthening of Ukraine’s energy sector in response to Russia’s continued brutal attacks on civilian infrastructure.
    • Germany is a robust partner in the fight against terrorism and terrorism financing, in the Financial Action Task Force, and as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS).  On September 30, State Secretary Tobias Lindner joined Secretary Blinken for the D-Isis Ministerial Meeting in Washington, D.C. 
    • Germany will accede to Operation Olympic Defender, a U.S.-led multinational effort intended to strengthen nations’ abilities to deter hostile acts in space, strengthen deterrence against hostile actors, and reduce the spread of debris orbiting the earth. International partners currently include the UK, Canada, and Australia.

    DEFENDING DEMOCRACY

    • As the second-largest provider of assistance to Ukraine after the United States, Germany has provided $37.2 billion (€34 billion) in bilateral assistance since February 2022.  This includes humanitarian assistance, budgetary support, military equipment and training, and funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction.  Germany hosted an international reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin in June 2024 which generated over €60 billion in commitments to Ukraine and emphasized the human dimension of post-war recovery.
    • At the September 2024 United Nations General Assembly, the United States, in partnership with Germany and other international allies, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting democratic transitions as part of the Democracy Delivers Initiative, launched by USAID.  The initiative mobilized over $517 million to provide financial and technical assistance to countries undergoing democratic renewal, including Guatemala, Armenia, and Moldova, with the aim of strengthening global democratic resilience.
    • Germany has increasingly recognized the importance of supporting Taiwan as a like-minded democratic partner.  Education Minister Stark-Watzinger’s visit to Taiwan in 2023 marked the first visit by a German minister to Taiwan in 26 years.  Two German warships recently transited the Taiwan Strait, a visible demonstration of Germany’s commitment to upholding international laws and norms and increasing engagement to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
    • Germany was one of the first of twenty-one countries to endorse the U.S. government’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation, the U.S. Department of State’s key initiative to galvanize like-minded democracies to respond collectively to the threat posed by disinformation.  

    ECONOMICS & TRADE

    • Germany is the United States’ largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching over $324 billion in goods and services in 2023.  U.S. direct investment in Germany was $193.2 billion in 2023.  In total, German firms employ an estimated 923,600 people in the United States.  Germany is the fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States and the number one foreign investor in U.S. renewable energy projects.  Germany is currently the third-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, with investments worth more than $660 billion based on 2023 data.
    • On September 24, 2024, the United States and Germany held the third round of the U.S.-Germany Economic Dialogue, building on the framework established in the 2021 Washington Declaration.  The talks focused on strengthening collaboration to increase economic security, including cooperation in sectors such as digital technologies and clean energy supply chains.  Both countries committed to enhancing supply chain resilience and advancing sustainability goals.
    • Germany and the United States partner on several initiatives to advance women’s economic security around the world, including bolstering women’s participation in climate sectors through the Women in the Sustainable Economy Initiative, closing the gender digital divide through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative, and supporting women to join the workforce by investing in efforts to close the global childcare gap through the Invest in Childcare Initiative.

    COMBATTING ANTISEMITISM:

    •  Germany is a global leader and vital partner in the fight against antisemitism and extremism.  Senior officials are unequivocal in condemning antisemitism and federal and state governments have robust strategies for tackling the problem.  In July 2024, Germany co-launched the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism in Buenos Aires, an initiative led by U.S. Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt.
    • Launched in 2021, The U.S.-Germany Dialogue on Holocaust Issues, plays an essential role in combatting Holocaust distortion online and promoting accurate Holocaust education and commemoration.
    • Germany and the United States cooperate on improving resolution to Nazi-confiscated art to ensure just and fair solutions for survivors and heirs, and salute Germany’s new art restitution policy.

    EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES

    • The German-American Fulbright program is one of the largest and most varied of the Fulbright Programs worldwide, sponsoring over 40,000 Germans and Americans since its inception in 1952.
    • Established in 2016 as a public-private partnership, each year the USA For You program brings youth from underserved German communities to the United States for a two-week homestay and community service experience.  The program promotes civic engagement and helps counter extremism and xenophobia by fostering cultural understanding.  In 2023, the German government launched a reciprocal Germany for You program, allowing American high school students to visit Germany for a similar exchange, further strengthening transatlantic ties.
    • The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), jointly funded by the United States and German governments, supports the transatlantic relationship by fostering year-long academic, homestay, and community service opportunities for 700 American and German youth annually.  Since 1983, CBYX has promoted cross-cultural understanding, professional skills, and mutual awareness of each nation’s history, politics, and society.  With around 15,000 German and 14,000 American participants to date, the program strengthens ties and deepens the transatlantic partnership between the next generation of leaders.
    • The German Bundestag-Bundesrat exchange (CBBSX) program is an annual two-way exchange between German Bundestag and Bundesrat staff and U.S. Congressional staff members.  It was initiated during the 1983 German-American Tricentennial celebration and first implemented in 1984.  Participants focus on the U.S. legislative process and U.S.-German relations; examining U.S. Congress and the U.S. political system.  In 2024 the IVLP brought 10 German Bundestag and Bundesrat staff members to the United States.  For the first time, CBBSX participants also engaged with state and local government.

    SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT, SPACE, & TECHNOLOGY

    • On January 10, 2024, the United States and Germany held a U.S.-Germany Critical and Emerging Technology Track 1.5 Dialogue to share strategic objectives, outlooks, and lessons learned in technological innovation. The two countries agreed to convene the first of an ongoing AI Dialogue to discuss approaches to AI governance, infrastructure and innovation, and applications of AI for good. They intend to hold the first session of this dialogue in early 2025.
    • Furthering their commitment to monitoring the effects of climate change, the United States and Germany have partnered on space collaboration through NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission, which monitors Earth’s water movement by tracking shifts in gravity.  This mission provides critical data for managing water resources, monitoring sea levels, and understanding climate change impacts on a global scale.
    • The U.S.-Germany scientific partnership was further strengthened throughfunding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) program, which advances cutting-edge research in brain function and computational neuroscience.  This initiative supports interdisciplinary approaches to understanding neural systems.
    • On September 14, 2023, the United States and Germany held the inaugural U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue, advancing collaboration in space exploration, satellite technology, and space security.  This dialogue promotes joint efforts in planetary science, climate monitoring, and managing space debris, while advancing international norms for responsible space operations.

    CLIMATE & ENERGY

    • In July 2021, the United States and Germany launched the U.S.-Germany Climate and Energy Partnership to deepen collaboration on the policies and sustainable technologies needed to accelerate the global net-zero future.  Notable outcomes of the Partnership include the first U.S.-Germany Climate and Energy Summit held in Pittsburgh September 2022, and the U.S.-German Clean Hydrogen Conference held in Berlin October 2023.
    • Beyond our strong bilateral partnership, the United States and Germany are also intensifying our cooperation to accelerate the clean energy transition and promote clean economic growth in emerging and developing economies.  This includes leveraging and scaling-up our collective technical, policy, and financial support to catalyze investments in clean energy manufacturing and industrial decarbonization in developing countries, leveraging key international platforms such as the Climate Club and Clean Technology Fund.

    GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

    • The United States participated in the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan, hosted by France, Germany, and the European Commission on April 15, 2024, to address the vital need for greater humanitarian assistance for the Sudanese people.
    • The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) are strengthening their partnership through a Strategic Development Dialogue.  This initiative focuses on joint efforts to tackle global challenges in climate change, food security, gender equality, health, and G7 development priorities.
    • The United States and Germany have worked closely across multiple presidencies of the G7 Food Security Working Group to support efforts to achieve long-term food and nutrition security.  As most recently affirmed in the Apulia G7 Leaders’ Communiqué, both countries have committed to promoting and supporting multi-stakeholder programs to build climate resilience in our food systems.  These programs include the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils, launched by the United States in partnership with the African Union and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Over 6 million illegally exported pills seized in international operation against drug trafficking network

    Source: Eurojust

    The criminal group, which operated throughout Europe, bought pills from other criminal networks in Serbia. The pills, used to treat anxiety, seizures and insomnia, were then hidden in tyres, in cars, which were transported on lorries, and in clothing to be taken to Romania and Estonia. After arriving in Romania or Estonia, the pills were transported on to the Nordic countries. Members of the criminal group in Finland and Norway acted as distributors and sold the pills on the streets. The sale of the pills was highly profitable for the criminal group. The pills seized during the operations done by the national authorities has a market value of approximately EUR 12.5 million.

    To dismantle the intricate network of criminals, the Romanian authorities launched an investigation into the group. Given the transnational nature of the criminal group, with activities in Romania, Estonia, Finland, and Serbia, international cooperation between the authorities started, supported by Eurojust and Europol.

    A joint investigation team (JIT) was set up at Eurojust between Romanian, Estonian, Finnish and Serbian authorities to collect and exchange information and evidence directly, and carry out joint operations.

    To investigate the activity of the criminal group, special investigative techniques such as control delivery and undercover investigator were successfully used by the authorities of all the countries involved. To this end, Eurojust facilitated the coordination and execution in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia of European Investigation Orders issued by Romania. Following these actions, 39 people were arrested, and more than 4 million prescription pills were seized.

    After these measures, the JIT continued their investigations to halt the activities of the criminal group and bring them to justice.

    A large-scale international operation on 17 October coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague, led to the arrest of 14 people in Romania, 11 people in Serbia and 1 person in Finland. 41 houses searches were carried out simultaneously in Romania, 19 in Serbia and one in Finland.

    Items seized during the operation include large quantities of pills, cash, mobile phones, firearms and luxury cars. 2 houses have been also seized in Romania. Europol facilitated the overall operation by liaising with the operating authorities, processing the available data and deploying two specialists with mobile offices to support the action day.

    The following authorities were involved in the actions:

    • Romania:
      • Prosecution Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice
      • Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism
      • Oradea Territorial Office
      • General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police
      • Directorate for Combating Organized Crime
      • Department for Special Operations
      • Central Intelligence Analysis Unit of the Romanian Police;
      • General Inspectorate for Border Police – Bors, Nadlac and Petea Offices
    • Estonia:
      • Northern District Prosecutor’s Office
      • Police and Border Guard Board, Northern Prefecture, Crime Bureau, Drug and Organised Crime Unit
    • Finland:
      • Prosecution District of Southern Finland
      • Helsinki Police Department and National Prosecution Authority
    • Serbia:
      • Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime
      • Criminal Investigations Directorate
      • Service for Combatting Organized Crime
      • Department for Combating Organized Drug Smuggling

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coming up next week at the London Assembly W/C 21 October

    Source: Mayor of London

    PUBLIC MEETINGS
      
    Tuesday 22 October
     
    Challenges for the Mayor’s 2025-26 budget

    Budget and Performance Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
     
    The Mayor of London is responsible for a total budget of £20.7 billion, but what should his priorities be for 2025-26?
     
    The London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will hear from a panel of external experts on the effectiveness of the Mayor’s current budget priorities, and also to discuss and anticipate future financial trends and challenges ahead of next year’s budget.  Guests include:
     
    Panel 1 – TfL Funding (10am – 11.15am)

    • Stuart Hoggan, Associate Consultant, LG Futures
    • Antonia Jennings, CEO, Centre for London
    • Tom Pope, Deputy Chief Economist, Institute for Government
    • Tony Travers, London School of Economics Department of Government and Director of LSE London
    • Luke Hillian, Strategic Finance Analyst, London Councils
    • Michael Roberts, CEO, London TravelWatch

    Panel 2 – Affordable Housing Delivery (11.15am – 12.10pm)

    • Stephanie Pollitt, Programme Director (Housing), BusinessLDN
    • Stuart Hoggan, Associate Consultant, LG Futures
    • Antonia Jennings, CEO, Centre for London
    • Tom Pope, Deputy Chief Economist, Institute for Government
    • Tony Travers, LSE Department of Government and Director of LSE London
    • Luke Hillan, Strategic Finance Analyst, London Councils

    Panel 3 – London Police and Crime Plan and the New Met for London Programme (12.10pm – 1pm)

    • Rick Muir, Director, Police Foundation
    • Ian Wiggett, Associate Director, World Policing Advisory

    MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251727 / [email protected] 
     
    Wednesday 23 October

    Q&A with MOPAC & Deputy Mayor for Policing nominee

    Police and Crime Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
     
    The London Assembly is expected to hold a confirmation hearing to assess the Mayor’s proposed appointment to the office of Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, and make a recommendation to the Mayor as to whether it agrees or rejects the proposed appointment.
     
    In addition to the proposed confirmation hearing, the Committee will begin the meeting with a Q&A session with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), focusing on recent issues including Notting Hill Carnival and officer confidence.
     
    Guests for the Q&A session (10am – 11.30am) are:

    • Darren Mepham, Interim Chief Executive Officer, MOPAC
    • Kenny Bowie, Head of Strategy and MPS Oversight, MOPAC

    MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251727 / [email protected]
     
    Wednesday 23 October
     
    London’s NYE Fireworks event

    GLA Oversight Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm
     
    London’s New Years Eve (NYE) fireworks event is the largest annual fireworks display in Europe. It is enjoyed by up to 100,000 ticketed spectators at the event, and millions more nationally and internationally through its broadcast.
      
    The final cost for the 2023 event was £4.1m. The GLA Oversight Committee will scrutinise the organisation of London’s NYE fireworks event for the first time.  The guests are:

    • Nicole Valentinuzzi, Assistant Director, External Relations, GLA
    • David Holley, Head of Events for London, GLA
    • Phil Grucci, President/CEO of Fireworks by Grucci, Inc.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 / [email protected] 
     
    Thursday 24 October
     
    Culture in the LFB
    Fire Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm
     
    The Fire Committee holds the first meeting of its investigation looking at the progress the London Fire Brigade has made, two years on from a review which identified institutional misogyny, racism and issues in handling mental health. The Committee will be hearing about complex culture change programmes in other organisations. Guests include:
      
    Panel 1: Organisational and cultural change

    • Ann-Marie Barlow – Director, Energise Development
    • Suzanne McCarthy – Independent Chair, Fire Standards Board
    • Dr Jessica White, Acting Director of Terrorism and Conflict Studies, Royal United Services Institute
    • Dr Rowena Hill MBE, Professor of Resilience, Emergencies and Disaster Science, Nottingham Trent University

    Panel 2: Experience of firefighters

    • Paula Lyons, Company Secretary, Women in the Fire Service
    • Anna Snelson, LFB Women in the Fire Service
    • Gareth Cooke, London Regional Organiser, Fire Brigades Union
    • Adam Shaw, London Regional Treasurer, Fire Brigades Union
    • Deborah Riviere Williams, Chair, Unison

    MEDIA CONTACT: Josh Hunt on 07763 252310 / [email protected]
     
    Thursday 24 October
     
    Accessibility and Inclusion in Transport

    Transport Committee – Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm
     
    In the second meeting of its Accessibility and Inclusion in Transport Planning investigation, the Transport Committee looks at demographic trends in people using services, barriers to use and inclusivity in planning, and Transport for London’s (TFL) engagement with its advisory groups.
    Members will ask what more, or alternative, accessibility and inclusion measures TfL could consider to improve its services.
    Guests include:

    Panel 1:

    • Emily Barker, Research and Learning Officer, 4in10
    • Gideon Salutin, Senior Researcher, Social Market Foundation
    • Dr Liz Hind, Senior Local Partnerships and Training Officer, Women’s Budget Group
    • Dr Sara Reis, Deputy Director and Head of Research and Policy, Women’s Budget Group

    Panel 2: 

    • James Lee, City Bridge Foundation, TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group Board Member
    • Arif Hoque, TfL’s Youth Panel Member

    MEDIA CONTACT: Josh Hunt on 07763 252310 / [email protected]

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Questions about Martyn’s Law

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Who to contact if you have questions about the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, better known as ‘Martyn’s Law’.

    The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will impose a legal duty on certain premises and events to take steps to reduce the likelihood of physical harm in the event of a terrorist attack.

    The bill is intended to ensure public premises and events are better prepared for terrorist attacks, requiring them to take reasonably practicable steps, which vary according to their capacity, to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack and reduce physical harm.

    The bill is currently making its way through Parliament. While this process continues, the Home Office is the government lead for the development of this legislation. Any queries on the scope and nature of the duty and the role of the regulator for this legislation should be directed to the Home Office at: MartynsLaw@homeoffice.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI China: SCO bolsters security cooperation, economic integration among members

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

    At the just-concluded meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, government leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members called for deepening cooperation in a range of areas including economy and trade, security, connectivity, energy, finance and green development.

    Participants to the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO agreed that in the face of a complex and volatile international environment, all parties need to actively implement the outcomes of the Astana Summit, work closely in solidarity and coordination.

    Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has been committed to strengthening mutual trust, dialogue and cooperation, with its ever-increasing role in bolstering security cooperation and economic integration for its members.

    ENHANCING SECURITY, STABILITY

    “From the very beginning, the SCO Charter was signed based on the fundamental principle of cooperation in countering the types of threats that are still relevant today — terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking, transnational crime and illegal migration,” said Evgenia Makhmutova, associate professor at the department of political science of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

    The member states work on the basis of a list of principles, among which are mutual respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs, the scholar told Xinhua.

    With effective multilateral cooperation and coordination, the SCO has been playing a positive role in improving security situation of the region over the past more than two decades.

    Through its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, SCO member countries have been able to enhance intelligence sharing and operational coordination, hence more effective efforts in combating terrorism.

    Another important aspect of security cooperation is the exchange of experience and best practices in law enforcement, which encompasses training programs, staff exchanges and technical assistance among member states.

    Energy security also holds an important place on the SCO agenda. In recent years, efforts have been directed toward creating a unified energy market and developing joint projects in the energy field.

    Under evolving circumstances featuring new geopolitical factors and technological advancements, the SCO is also adapting its activities to new challenges, such as protectionism, cybersecurity and climate change, making the organization more flexible and capable of effectively responding to modern-day threats.

    TOWARD ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

    Over the years, the SCO has made remarkable achievements in boosting trade and facilitating economic integration among member states.

    Sohail Mahmood, former foreign secretary of Pakistan and director general of think tank the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said that trade among SCO members had grown significantly since its founding, reflecting the organization’s growing influence and global relevance.

    As a member state, Pakistan values the SCO mechanism for securing economic cooperation. Amina Masood, professor of the faculty of social sciences of International Islamic University Islamabad, said it’s important to take advantage of the SCO meeting in Islamabad to increase the country’s trade and technical partnership with Central Asian and South Asian countries.

    Economic cooperation has “not only greatly supported socio-economic development in the SCO community, but also contributed to regional and global economic growth and development,” the professor said.

    The 10-member SCO, which covers over half of the Eurasian landmass, has maintained trade growth and closer economic interactions thanks to better connectivity provided by enhanced infrastructure.

    In the region, landmark projects, notably the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, the Chinese-built new North-South highway in Kyrgyzstan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and the Eurasian transport corridor, have greatly facilitated economic exchanges.

    At the same time, with a large combined population, the SCO represents vast market potential. Collective economic development of all members helps fuel demand for goods and services, which in turn drives vigorous growth of the region’s economies.

    GROWING INFLUENCE, VITALITY

    Over the past two decades, the SCO has maintained its vitality and become an influential regional and international organization in an international landscape fraught with changes and turbulence.

    The Shanghai Spirit ensures that every member state has an equal voice, regardless of economic scale, military potential, or international influence, setting an example of multilateral cooperation.

    “As the world today is going through a phase of disintegration of the Western-centred system of international security, and the countries of the Global South are striving for the status of equal and sovereign world players, the potential for the SCO to become a platform for the integration of non-Western forces is noticeably expanding,” Makhmutova told Xinhua.

    “The growing number of countries interested in this format undoubtedly enhances the status and credibility of the organization,” said the Russian scholar.

    As its influence grows, the scope of cooperation for SCO, which currently groups China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with two observer countries and 14 dialogue partners, is also expanding, thereby adding more vitality to the organization.

    China, the SCO rotating presidency for 2024-2025, has put forward a central theme of “SCO Year of Sustainable Development.”

    Under this theme, closer cooperation will be fostered in a wide range of areas, such as poverty alleviation, food security, public health, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE course in Montenegro highlights importance of financial intelligence in preventing and countering terrorism

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE course in Montenegro highlights importance of financial intelligence in preventing and countering terrorism

    From 15 to 17 October 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit organized a training course for officials from Montenegro on how to use financial intelligence to effectively cut off terrorism financing channels in Bar, Montenegro. The event was organized with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
    The course brought together 15 representatives from the Montenegro Special State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Directorate’s Financial Intelligence Unit and Organized Crime Department, and the Tax and Customs Administrations. Representatives gained valuable insights into both proactive and reactive analytical techniques, as well as investigative methods for financial investigations within the broader context of counter-terrorism operations.
    The training highlighted the critical role of collecting, managing and using financial intelligence in counter-terrorism efforts. It also included a component on virtual assets, with a focus on analyzing cryptocurrency transactions. A team of national trainers, previously trained by the OSCE and supported by international experts, led sessions focused on financial information analysis and application of various analytical techniques in counter-terrorism operations. The trainers also engaged inter-agency teams in practical exercises, covering the intelligence cycle, intelligence grading, and network and data analysis.
    The course is part of a comprehensive effort to further build Montenegro’s domestic framework to prevent terrorists from moving, using and raising funds for terrorist purposes, in line with international commitments and standards. This multiannual training programme is supported by the United States.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Iraqi Security Forces, Partnered with Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Conduct Targeted Strike That Killed Senior ISIS Leader

    Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

    Oct. 18, 2024
    Release Number 20241018-01
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    TAMPA, Fla. – Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) conducted precision airstrikes in Northeastern Iraq on Oct. 14 that killed four members of the terrorist organization ISIS, including a senior leader. The Iraqi-led strikes were conducted to disrupt and degrade ISIS attack networks in Iraq and were enabled by technical support and intelligence from Coalition Forces as part of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR).

    The senior leader, Shahadhah ‘Allawi Salih ‘Ulaywi al-Bajjari, also known as Abu Issa, the “Wali of Kirkuk,” was assessed to be the most senior ISIS official in Northern Iraq.

    An initial post-strike assessment found explosive “suicide” belts, numerous weapons, explosives, and ammunition. There is no indication of civilian casualties.

    Enabling ISF strikes is part of the Coalition’s ongoing commitment to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel throughout the region and beyond. In August, CJTF-OIR also partnered with the ISF to conduct a raid in Western Iraq, resulting in the death of 14 ISIS operatives.

    “ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. Central Command, alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command.

    -30-

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago: Jon Dean

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Harriet Cross.

    Mr Jon Dean

    Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Ms Harriet Cross, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

    Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jon Mark Dean

    2022 to 2024 N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
    2020 to 2022 New York, Counsellor Internal
    2018 to 2020 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
    2015 to 2018 FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
    2013 to 2015  Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
    2013 Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
    2012 New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
    2009 to 2012 Brasília, Second Secretary Political
    2007 to 2008 FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
    2005 Joined FCO

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in succession to Ms Harriet Cross who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

    Mr Jon Dean

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jon Mark Dean

    2022 to 2024 N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
    2020 to 2022 New York, Counsellor Internal
    2018 to 2020 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
    2015 to 2018 FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
    2013 to 2015  Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
    2013 Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
    2012 New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
    2009 to 2012 Brasília, Second Secretary Political
    2007 to 2008 FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
    2005 Joined FCO

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago: Jon Dean

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Harriet Cross.

    Mr Jon Dean

    Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Ms Harriet Cross, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

    Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jon Mark Dean

    2022 to 2024 N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
    2020 to 2022 New York, Counsellor Internal
    2018 to 2020 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
    2015 to 2018 FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
    2013 to 2015  Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
    2013 Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
    2012 New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
    2009 to 2012 Brasília, Second Secretary Political
    2007 to 2008 FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
    2005 to 2007 FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
    2005 Joined FCO

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: NAS Pensacola Security Force Participates in Training Exercise

    Source: United States Navy

    The exercise was unrelated to any current threats, but was designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security personnel and better prepare Department of the Navy (DoN) personnel for potential force protection situations.

    “It’s important that we constantly evaluate our response procedures to a variety of realistic threats to enhance our personnel and force-wide readiness,” said NAS Pensacola Installation Training Officer Erich Brinkmeier. “These exercises test information dissemination, individual response plans, security force response and our ability to coordinate with local emergency responders and the community.”

    The exercise included an unmanned aerial surveillance exercise and an active shooter drill, each of which members of the NAS Pensacola Anti-Terrorism Training Team (ATTT) used to gauge readiness from responding NAS Pensacola Naval Security Forces personnel.

    “As an installation, it’s critical that we remain prepared for any potential threat,” said NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Terry ‘Village’ Shashaty. “These exercises test our readiness to communicate efficiently across all departments and ensure the safety and security of our service members, their families and visitors to the installation.”

    For more than one hundred years, NAS Pensacola, referred to as the Cradle of Naval Aviation, has supported the operational and training missions of tenant commands, including Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups
    (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Edmonton — Fraudster arrested for money laundering offences via hawala system

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Provincial Financial Crime Team (PFCT) in Edmonton has charged an Airdrie resident with fraud and money laundering-related offences.

    Between January and July 2023, the accused is alleged to have fraudulently received in excess of $100,000 from domestic and international victims who sent money via e-transfer and wire transfer to purchase goods from online sales platforms. The fraudulent sales included goods such as hay bales, deer antlers, antiseptic cleaning wipes and sea urchins.

    The accused is also believed to have been running an informal value transfer system, known as hawala, using trade-based money laundering methods that contravene the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA).

    Mbua Ngomba Kalla, 49, a resident of Airdrie, was charged was arrested and charged with:

    • Theft over $5,000 contrary to section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code;
    • Possession of property obtained by crime contrary to section 355(a) of the Criminal Code;
    • Failure to register as a money service business contrary to section 11.1 of the PCMLTFA;
    • Failure to report large value transactions contrary to section 12 of the PCMLTFA; and,
    • Failure to verify identity contrary to section 74(1) of the PCMLTFA.

    Kalla is scheduled to appear in the Airdrie Provincial Court on Oct. 17, 2024.

    “By working with our partners at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and law enforcement agencies across Canada, we found that the individual used the internet to commit multiple frauds with victims across western Canada and abroad.”

    • Insp. John Lamming, RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region

    If you believe you may be a victim of fraud, or are currently being targeted by fraud, please report it to your local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at 1-888-495-8501. Instances of compromised personal and/or financial information should be reported to your bank and credit card company. To learn more about the various types of frauds and scams, please visit the CAFC’s scam webpage.

    The Provincial Financial Crime Team is a specialized unit that conducts investigations relating to multi-jurisdictional serious fraud, investment scams and corruption.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: INTERPOL operation nets terror suspects, cash and illegal weapons

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    16 October 2024

    LYON, France – An INTERPOL counter-terrorism operation to strengthen border security has enabled millions of crosschecks against international databases, resulting in 66 arrests, significant seizures and the identification of 81 individuals subject to INTERPOL notices and diffusions.
    Operation Neptune VI brought together law enforcement agencies from 14 countries with the goal of bolstering security measures and responses around the maritime routes across the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in airports and at land borders in the participating countries.
    The initiative, carried out in cooperation with WCO, FRONTEX and Europol, equipped teams with handheld devices and gave local authorities expanded access to INTERPOL databases.
    The operation focused on identifying and analysing the movement patterns of Foreign Terrorist Fighters and people with links to terrorism as well as criminal groups responsible for cross-border crimes such as drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and human trafficking.
    During Neptune VI, which ran for approximately two weeks in each country, officers on the ground also checked INTERPOL records of stolen vehicles and lost or stolen travel documents, which are both key assets for facilitating terrorist funding and mobility.
    By the end of the operation on 16 September 2024, more than 16 million crosschecks had been made against the various INTERPOL databases, generating 187 ‘hits’.
    A dozen arrests were made on the basis of INTERPOL Red Notices. Another 54 people were apprehended under national arrest warrants and for crimes detected at the border, including drugs and fraud offenses as well as the smuggling of gold, cash and weapons.

    Cyprus: Seizure displayed during Operation Neptune VI

    France: Documents being verified at the border

    France: Millions of database crosschecks were made during the international operation

    Iraq: Document verification during Operation Neptune VI

    Albania: The operation brought together law enforcement agencies from 14 countries

    Albania: Vehicle undercarriage check

    Albania: K9 inspection

    Algeria: Document inspection during Operation Neptune VI

    Algeria: Document check

    Bulgaria: The operation aimed to strengthen border security

    Red and Blue Notices to catch and track terror suspects

    One suspect detained as part of the operation was the subject of a Red Notice for a terror attack carried out 23 years ago on a church in Pakistan. The fugitive is being held by local authorities as extradition procedures are carried out.
    In another case, airport border police blocked entry to an individual who was the subject of an INTERPOL Blue Diffusion, issued in 2015.  The person had previously travelled to join ISIS through a European country.
    In contrast to a Red Notice which can form the basis for provisional arrest, a Blue Notice or diffusion is a request between INTERPOL member countries to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities, in relation to a criminal investigation. During the Neptune VI operation, 29 subjects of Blue Notices and Diffusions were identified, allowing officers to track individuals with links to terrorism.

    In Montenegro, border police detained a traveller suspected of using a counterfeit passport. Utilizing INTERPOL’s secure global police communications system (I-24/7), they verified the document with the issuing authorities, confirming it was a forgery. It was also discovered that the suspect was wanted for attempted murder. A Red Notice was promptly issued, requesting the suspect’s arrest and extradition.

    Strengthened border controls lead to important seizures

    The arrests made during Neptune VI were just one facet of the operation’s broad success in strengthening border control. The initiative yielded significant seizures, including EUR 549,000 in undeclared cash, gold worth EUR 10 million, 25 kilograms of cannabis, 35 stolen vehicles, and several illegal rifles and ammunition.
    Additionally, Bulgarian border officials recovered two Glock pistols in the possession of an individual travelling with a fraudulent ID card. Notably, the pistol frames had been purchased as components in Central Europe, while the other parts had been falsely declared as exported to North America.

    Bulgaria: Two Glock pistols were seized

    Bulgaria: Database checking in progress

    Morocco: K9 Inspection during Operation Neptune VI

    Portugal: Document verification

    Portugal: The operation generated 187 ‘hits’ on INTERPOL databases

    Spain: A vehicle check point

    Spain: Overall 66 people were apprehended as part of Operation Neptune VI

    Spain: INTERPOL equipped local police with access to international databases

    Italy: The operation focused on identifying people with links to terrorism and cross-border crimes

    Italy: Inspection team carries out checks

    Italy: A search in progress

    Montenegro: K9 inspection of vehicles at border

    Montenegro: K9 vehicle inspection

    Morocco: Officers have access to INTERPOL’s international databases

    Greg Hinds, INTERPOL’s Counter-Terrorism Director said:
    “By working together and equipping law enforcement agencies with the frontline tools they need, we can disrupt the activities of terrorists and criminals and bring them to justice. The operation’s results demonstrate the importance of sharing intelligence and best practices among countries to combat the evolving threats of terrorism and organized crime.”
    Neptune VI is funded by Global Affairs Canada, WCO and Frontex.

    Participating countries:

    Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Djibouti

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Safe Travel

    • Reviewed: 17 October 2024, 13:22 NZDT
    • Still current at: 17 October 2024

    Related news features

    If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here, alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

    Do not travel to the border area with Eritrea. A long-running border dispute has caused tensions between Djibouti and Eritrea. The security situation remains fragile and further conflict is a possibility (level 4 of 4).

    Do not travel within 10km of the border with Somalia (Somaliland) due to the threat of kidnapping (level 4 of 4).

    Exercise increased caution elsewhere in Djibouti due to the threat from terrorism (level 2 of 4).

    Djibouti

    Terrorism
    There is an ongoing threat from terrorism in Djibouti. The Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab has previously issued public threats against Djibouti. Past attacks have resulted in foreign fatalities and the possibility of future indiscriminate attacks, particularly in areas frequented by foreigners, cannot be discounted.

    New Zealanders in Djibouti are advised to keep themselves informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local information sources. We recommend following any instructions issued by the local authorities and exercising vigilance in public places and in areas known to be frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

    Civil unrest
    Demonstrations occur from time to time in Djibouti, mostly linked to domestic political developments.  New Zealanders in Djibouti are advised to avoid all demonstrations, protests and large public gatherings as even those intended as peaceful have the potential to turn violent with little warning.

    Crime
    Petty crime such as bag snatching, pickpocketing and theft from vehicles occurs in Djibouti and is common in tourist areas. We advise New Zealanders to be alert to their surroundings, be security conscious at all times and take steps to safeguard and secure their personal belongings. 

    New Zealanders in Djibouti are advised to avoid wearing or displaying items that appear valuable, such as electronic devices and jewellery.

    New Zealanders should avoid walking and travelling at night, particularly to isolated areas, such as Dorale and Khor Ambado beaches and to avoid all public transportation, including taxis as these are considered unsafe. Hotel, airport shuttle services, or privately hired transport are a safer alternative.

    Kidnapping
    There is a threat of kidnapping throughout Djibouti, especially within 10kms of Djibouti’s border with Somalia (Somaliland). Kidnappers may be motivated by financial gain or terrorism. See our page on hostage taking and kidnapping for more advice.

    Piracy
    Piracy remains a significant problem in the coastal areas of Djibouti. Attacks against all forms of shipping are common in and around Djibouti’s waters and the Gulf of Aden. Mariners are strongly advised to take appropriate precautionary measures in these waters. For more information view the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy report.

    General travel advice
    There is a danger from unexploded landmines in Djibouti along the border with Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. Mined areas may be unmarked. New Zealanders are advised not to stray from well-used roads and paths in rural areas.

    Djibouti is a mostly Muslim country and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is one of Djibouti’s most important religious dates.  

    New Zealanders are advised to respect religious, social and cultural traditions in Djibouti to avoid offending local sensitivities. Modesty and discretion should be exercised in both dress and behaviour.

    Same-sex relationships are legal in Djibouti, but not widely accepted. See our advice for LGBTQI+ travellers here.

    Photography of any official infrastructure is prohibited, and could result in detention. If in doubt, don’t take a picture.

    Modern medical services in Djibouti are very limited, so we advise New Zealanders travelling or living in Djibouti to have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that includes provision for medical evacuation by air.

    As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Djibouti, the ability of the government to provide consular assistance to New Zealand citizens is severely limited.

    New Zealanders in Djibouti are encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.


    The New Zealand Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is accredited to Djibouti

    Street Address Bole Sub City, Woreda 03, House No 111, Behind Atlas Hotel/close to Shala Park, (Namibia Street), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Postal Address New Zealand Embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Private Bag 18-901 Wellington Mail Centre 5045, Wellington Telephone +251-11-515-1269 Fax +251-11-552-6115 Email aue@mfat.govt.nz Web Site https://www.mfat.govt.nz/ethiopia Hours Open to the public: Monday – Friday, 9am-12pm by appointment Note In an emergency or if you require urgent assistance after hours, please call the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24/7 Consular Emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20.

    See our regional advice for Africa

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on U.S. Airstrikes in Houthi-Controlled Areas of Yemen

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Today, U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region. This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified. The employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere. 

    For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces’ lives at risk. At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways.

    Again, the United States will not hesitate to take action to defend American lives and assets; to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners; and to protect freedom of navigation and increase the safety and security in these waterways for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks. I am grateful for the professionalism and skill of the brave American troops who took part in today’s actions and who continue to stand guard in defense of our Nation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Government meeting (2024, No. 30)

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    1. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 111 of the Federal Law “On Compulsory Civil Liability Insurance of Vehicle Owners””

    The bill establishes the possibility for insurers to issue a notification of a road traffic accident in the form of an electronic document without the participation of authorized police officers using the Unified Identification and Authentication System (UIAS).

    2. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations to the Ministry of Finance of Russia in 2024 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation for the provision of subsidies to the joint-stock company DOM.RF for the purpose of compensating credit and other organizations for lost income on housing (mortgage) loans (credits) issued to citizens of the Russian Federation

    The decision is aimed at ensuring compensation to credit and other organizations for lost income on housing (mortgage) loans (credits) issued under the preferential mortgage programs “Preferential Mortgage”, “Family Mortgage” and “Far Eastern and Arctic Mortgage”.

    3. On the distribution of subsidies to support measures to ensure the balance of the budgets of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Zaporizhia region and the Kherson region

    The decision is aimed at providing additional financial assistance to the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, the Zaporizhia region and the Kherson region.

    4. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations to Rosavtodor in 2024 to provide the budget of the Smolensk region with a subsidy from the federal budget for bringing highways and artificial road structures into compliance with the standard

    The funding is aimed at ensuring the restoration and repair of the road overpass in the city of Vyazma, Smolensk region.

    5. On the allocation by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East in 2024 of budgetary allocations reserved in the federal budget for the provision of a subsidy in the form of a property contribution of the Russian Federation to the state development corporation VEB.RF

    The decision is aimed at implementing priority investment projects in the Far Eastern Federal District and state support for regular transportation along the Northern Sea Route.

    6. On the allocation in 2024 by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East of budgetary allocations reserved in the federal budget for the provision of subsidies to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are part of the Far Eastern Federal District for the implementation of measures of the social development plans of economic growth centers

    7. On the draft federal law “On Amending Article 353 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation”

    Establishing the possibility of implementing state control (supervision) over the activities of organizations conducting special assessments of working conditions, and improving the quality of such assessments.

    8. On the allocation in 2024 of budgetary appropriations to the Ministry of Labor of Russia for the provision of subventions to the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the city of Baikonur for the payment of housing and communal services to certain categories of citizens

    The decision is aimed at ensuring the timely provision of social support measures for the payment of housing and communal services to citizens exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl disaster, the accident at the Mayak production association and the discharge of radioactive waste into the Techa River, nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site, as well as certain categories of citizens from among veterans and disabled people.

    9. On the Government Commission on issues of nature management and environmental protection, development of forestry and water management complexes

    The draft resolution provides for the formation of an updated Government Commission on Nature Management and Environmental Protection, Development of the Forestry and Water Management Complexes and the approval of the regulations on the commission, as well as the abolition of the Government Commission on Nature Management and Environmental Protection and the Government Commission on Development of the Forestry Complex.

    10. On the draft order of the Government of the Russian Federation on the allocation of budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia in 2024 for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to Russian credit institutions and the joint-stock company DOM.RF

    The funding is intended to compensate for lost income on housing (mortgage) loans (credits) issued to citizens for the construction (purchase) of housing in rural areas, as well as to compensate for lost income on consumer loans (credits) issued to improve the level of improvement of households located in rural areas.

    11. On the draft order of the Government of the Russian Federation on the allocation in 2024 of budgetary appropriations to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to Russian credit institutions and the state development corporation VEB.RF to compensate for lost income on loans issued to agricultural producers, organizations and individual entrepreneurs engaged in the production, primary and subsequent processing of agricultural products and their sale, at a preferential rate

    The decision is aimed at ensuring the implementation of the preferential lending program for the agro-industrial complex in 2024.

    12. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations to the Russian Emergencies Ministry in 2024 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation for the purpose of providing another inter-budget transfer to the budget of the Kursk region

    The decision is aimed at providing citizens who suffered as a result of the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the territory of the Kursk region with financial assistance in connection with the partial or complete loss of essential property.

    13. On amendments to certain acts of the Government of the Russian Federation

    The changes concern the clarification of the powers of federal and regional executive bodies in the field of heat supply, as well as the procedure for organizing heat supply, regulating relations on the development and approval of heat supply schemes for municipal districts.

    14. On the draft federal law “On Amending Article 7 of the Federal Law “On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Incomes and the Financing of Terrorism”

    The adoption of the draft federal law will allow banks to test the most optimal methods of remote identification within the framework of an experimental legal regime.

    15. On the progress of the implementation of the comprehensive state program of the Russian Federation “Construction” in 2024

    Moscow, October 16, 2024

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/meetings/53021/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: CNO Press Briefing: Atlantic Council

    Source: United States Navy

    GENERAL JAMES L. JONES: Good morning, everybody. And welcome to today’s event with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti—chief of naval operations of the world’s finest Navy, I might add—to discuss her 2024 Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting [Navy].

    My name is Jim Jones, and I serve as executive chairman emeritus here at the Atlantic Council and as chairman of the Scowcroft Center. So, on behalf of the Scowcroft Center and the Atlantic Council, as well as its Forward Defense Program, I would like to welcome you to this exciting fourth installment of our 2024 Commander Series.

    As we all know, since its origin the United States has relied on her Navy to maintain global maritime dominance, ensuring freedom of navigation, the ability to project US power across the globe and played a critical role in the nation’s strategic deterrent capabilities. As we continue into this era of strategic competition with peer or near-peer adversaries, potential adversaries, namely China and Russia, and the threat landscape evolves, the Navy faces many challenges, and its capabilities are stretched across the world.

    The Navy, and I might add the Marine Corps—you’re not going to get away with a commandant introducing you without mentioning the Marine Corps—but the Navy and her Marines must be ready for the possibility of war in the near future. But beyond that, it will need to continue to enhance its long-term advantage to deter future aggression and ensure a major contribution to global stability. A critical component in the effectiveness of this strategy will be leveraging technological innovation to maintain a ready and modern force. The Navy will need to invest in newer platforms, newer weapon systems, and embrace robotic and autonomous systems as well.

    The key advantage that the United States holds over its adversaries is the strong alliance network the US maintains. The Navy must continue to strengthen these relationships, to enhance collective security, deter adversarial aggression by improving interoperability with joint and allied forces. With so many threats looming on the not-so-distant horizon, it is also imperative that the Navy has a forward-thinking strategic vision that leverages all the advantages the United States holds, and enables the readiness to respond in competition, crisis, and conflict if necessary.

    And so today, we’re extremely fortunate to be joined by the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who will discuss her recently published Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy. This is her strategic guidance for the US fleet during her tenure. A native of Pittsford, New York, Admiral Franchetti is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and was commissioned through Northwestern University NROTC program in 1985. She earned her Surface Warfare qualification on the USS Shenandoah, went on to command at all levels, including Naval Reserve, Central Point, Oregon, USS Ross, Destroyer Squadron 21, US Naval Forces Korea, Carrier Strike Group 9 and 15, the US Sixth Fleet in Italy, and Striking and Support Forces NATO in Portugal.

    In addition to command, she has worked across the Navy and the joint force with emphasis on strategy, international engagement, and interagency collaboration, serving as the director Strategy, Plans, and Policy, J-5, and most recently as the vice chief of naval operations. As chief of naval operations, Admiral Franchetti is responsible for the command, use of resources, and operational efficiency of the naval operating forces and the Navy’s shore activities assigned by the secretary of the navy.

    Admiral Franchetti, we look forward to hearing from you today, and we’re very grateful for your presence here. After the admiral’s keynote remarks, she will be joined by Dan Lamothe for a moderated discussion. Dan has held a long career as a journalist and has written extensively about the armed forces for more than fifteen years. Since 2014, he has been covering the United States military and the Pentagon for The Washington Post. Dan, thank you very much for joining us today.

    I would also like to thank everyone attending this conversation with the admiral, whether in person or virtually. [Convenings] such [as] these are integral to the Atlantic Council’s [Scowcroft] Center for Strategy and Security, which works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and her allies and partners. Consistent with that mission, Forward Defense generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, her allies, and partners. Its work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources of the United States needed to deter and, if necessary, prevail in any future conflict.

    I would like to extend a special thanks to Saab Corporation and Michael Anderson, who, unfortunately, couldn’t be here today but is usually in attendance. Saab and the Atlantic Council launched the Commander Series back in 2009. The vision was to establish a flagship speakers forum for senior military and defense leaders to discuss the most important security challenges, both now and in the future. Over the years, the program has become one of the Council’s main institutions. And we’re thankful to Saab for their continued support and collaborations. Before I turn it over to Admiral Franchetti for her keynote remarks, I’d like to remind everybody that this event is public and on the record. Thank you all for joining the Atlantic Council for what I know will be a captivating conversation.

    Admiral Franchetti, without any further ado, the floor is yours. Welcome.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Well, thank you, General Jones, for your kind introduction and warm welcome. And I also want to thank the Atlantic Council for letting me be part of the Commander Series. It’s an incredible opportunity. And I’m very excited to have the opportunity to speak with all of you today.

    So, as General Jones just mentioned, I recently released my Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy, which is my overarching strategic guidance to the Navy to make our nation’s fleet more ready for potential conflict with the PRC by 2027, while also enhancing our Navy’s long-term warfighting advantage. But before I talk a little bit more about that, I want to talk about the why—the why behind the NAVPLAN, and what your navy is doing all around the world to protect our nation’s security and prosperity, to deter any would-be adversary, and to always be ready to fight and win decisively, if called to do so.

    As you all know, our Navy—our nation is and always has been a maritime nation. Seventy percent of our planet is made up of water. Eighty percent of the world’s population lives within two hundred kilometers of the coastline. Ninety percent of the global economy moves by sea. And 95 percent of international communications and about ten trillion dollars of financial transactions transit via undersea fiber optic cables every single day. In the United States alone, seaborn trade carries more tonnage in value than any other mode of transportation each year, generating about $5.4 trillion annually and supporting thirty-one million American jobs. And when our access to the sea is impacted, so too is our economy, our national security, and really our way of life.

    And I could think about a lot of different examples over the past years that demonstrate that intimate connection. Just think back to the impacts of COVID-19, the grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal, and now Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and even the port strikes on the east and west coast—gulf coast just a few weeks ago. It’s really clear that the seas are the lifeblood of our nation. And since the days of the Revolutionary War, as General Jones pointed out, our Navy and our Marine Corps team has protected and guaranteed our access to that sea. And on Sunday, we just celebrated our 249th birthday.

    I think the events of this year and the actions taken by your Navy-Marine Corps team in the Indo-Pacific, in the Mediterranean, in the Red Sea, and beyond really underscore the enduring importance of American naval power throughout our nation’s history. With an average of about 110 ships and seventy thousand sailors and Marines deployed on any given day, the Navy-Marine Corps team is operating forward, defending our homeland, and keeping open the sea lines of communication that fuel our economy. In the Indo-Pacific right now, the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group and the America Amphibious Readiness Group, with the 31st MEU embarked, are working alongside allies and partners to sustain a free and open regional order and enhance our collective interoperability.

    In the Baltic, the Atlantic, the high north, and the Mediterranean, our navies continue to work alongside NATO and other partner navies to defend NATO and to support Ukraine as they defend their country and their democracy, to further deter Russian aggression, and to ensure that Russia’s continued unjustified and horrific invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine is a strategic failure. And in the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the western Indian Ocean, our naval forces—including aircraft carrier strike groups, amphibious readiness groups, submarines and multiple destroyers—working alongside allies and partners, are containing the Israel-Hamas conflict, deterring others, especially Iran and its proxies, from escalating hostilities into regional war, and continuing to support Israel’s defense.

    Over the last few weeks, more American destroyers—the Bulkeley, the Frank E. PetersenMichael Murphy, and the Cole—have joined about a dozen other naval assets over the last year in knocking down Iranian and Houthi-launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones in defense of the rules-based international order, in defense of innocent civilian mariners, and in defense of Israel. The ability of our forces to seamlessly operate in any theater speaks to the value our Navy has provided to our nation for the last 249 years.

    We operate in a unique domain. It’s a domain that knows no boundaries. It’s a domain that transcends lines that are drawn on a map, and one in which the Navy provides agile, flexible options and decision space to our nation’s leaders every single day. I could not be more proud of that Navy team. It’s the active and reserve sailors. It’s our civilians. And it’s our families. There’s no other Navy in the world that can operate at this scale. No other Navy in the world can train, deploy, and sustain such a lethal, globally deployed, combat credible force at the pace, the scale, and the tempo that we do.

    And while all that we have achieved these past 249 years has filled me with confidence, I know that we cannot take our foot off the gas, because there’s no doubt that our nation is at an inflection point in history. We are facing a changing and challenging security environment, a changing character of war, and real challenges in ship, submarine, aircraft, construction and maintenance, munitions production, recruiting, and infrastructure maintenance. All while acknowledging the industrial and budgetary constraints complicating our efforts to address these challenges.

    I’ve already talked a little bit about the security environment, but I want to expand on how that’s changed a little bit more. As we are seeing, the rules-based international order that we have upheld, protected, and defended for over three-quarters of a century is under threat, in every ocean. The People’s Republic of China is our pacing challenge and presents a complex, multi-domain and multi-axis threat. I am eyes wide open that the challenge posed by the PRC to our Navy goes well beyond just the size of the PLAN fleet.

    It includes gray zone and economic campaigns, expansion of dual-use infrastructure like airfields and ports, and dual-use forces like the Chinese maritime militia, and a growing nuclear arsenal. It’s backed by a massive defense industrial base, which is on a wartime footing and includes the world’s largest shipbuilding capacity. The growing capabilities, capacity, and reach of the PRC military, along with its increasingly aggressive behavior in the East and South China Seas, underscore what Chairman Xi has told his forces, that they should be ready for war by 2027.

    The PRC is not our only competitor. Russia continues to be an acute threat. Iran, a stabling actor in the Middle East. And we are seeing increasing alignment of these competitors, the PRC, Russia, Iran, North Korea, violent extremist organizations, and globally sponsored terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, ISIS-K, and more. In addition to this dynamic security environment, we’re also facing a changing character of war, with advancements in battlefield innovation and cheaper, more accessible technology available to state and nonstate actors alike. We’re all learning a great deal from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the continued Houthi ballistic missile, cruise missile, and drone attacks in the Red Sea.

    To get after all these challenges, I would love to have the resources and the industrial base capacity to just expand the size of our force overnight. And I acknowledge the need for a larger, more lethal force. But it’s no secret to any of you that we are facing financial and industrial headwinds at getting, what I like to call, more players on the field. Our budget falls short of the 3 to 5 percent increase above inflation needed to support the Navy’s growth. And we’ve had continuing resolutions for fourteen of the past fifteen years, which stifle our momentum and slow any progress in delivering the warfighting capability and capacity needed to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

    And while we’re investing significant resources to address our industrial base challenges, change will not happen overnight. We cannot manifest a bigger Navy—a bigger traditional Navy in just a few short years. So as I came into this position, I took all of this in—the changing security environment, the changing character of war, and our own challenges—and that is what provided the context that framed my Navigation Plan. It’s a plan that lays out where we need to go to make our Navy more ready for potential conflict anytime and anywhere. As the CNO who will be at the helm into 2027, I am compelled to do more, and do more faster, to ensure that our Navy is more ready. I can’t stand still as we work to secure long-term investments for our force.

    And so my Navigation Plan essentially parks these known challenges in a box. I’m still going to work on them, but they’re not the only thing I’m going to think about. And it helps me set a course to make strategic gains in the fastest time possible with the resources I can influence. It builds on America’s Warfighting Navy, a document that I released in January that lays out my priorities of warfighting, warfighters, and the foundation that supports them. And the NAVPLAN continues where my predecessor’s 2022 NAVPLAN left off. It lays out my plan to raise our fleet’s baseline level of readiness and put more players on the field—platforms that are ready with the requisite capabilities, weapons, and sustainment, and people that are ready with the right mindset, skills, tools, and training.

    And it does that really in two ways. First, by implementing what I call Project 33, seven key areas in which we need to accelerate, areas where I will invest my personal time and resources and put my thumb on the scale to urgently move the needle, with 2027 as our North Star. And second, by expanding the Navy’s contribution to the joint warfighting ecosystem. This is all about building enduring warfighting advantage by investing in key capabilities and creating the layered effects that the Navy can contribute across all domains, to those of the joint force and those of our allies and partners. This is fundamental to my vision of how we will deter and, if necessary, fight and win our future wars.

    So, going back to the first I’d like to briefly just touch on these seven equally important Project 33 targets, as they align to my priorities of warfighting, warfighters, and the foundation that supports them.

    Under warfighting, my first target is readying our platforms.

    The second target is operationalizing robotic and autonomous systems.

    My third target is fighting from the Maritime Operations Center. That’s our command and control nerve center and it will help synchronize how we deliver effects as a Navy and as a broader joint and combined force.

    Under the warfighters’ bucket, my fourth target is recruiting and retaining talented people.

    My fifth target is delivering the quality of service that our sailors and their families deserve.

    My sixth target is investing in warfighter competency, making our live virtual constructive training as reliable, realistic, and as relevant as possible.

    And finally in the foundation bucket, my seventh target is restoring the critical infrastructure that generates, sustains, and postures our force to fight, prioritizing the Pacific theater.

    Together, these seven targets—really, stretch goals—they represent my plan to make strategic gains in the fastest time possible with the resources I can influence. I know that moving out with purpose and urgency on these targets will deter the PRC and any other potential adversary, and make us even more ready to fight and win decisively should that deterrence fail.

    I’d like to end with just a few comments about the joint warfighting ecosystem I mentioned before because my Navigation Plan is critical to expanding our Navy’s contribution to it. I know that our Navy will never fight alone, so we are laser-focused on developing and integrating key Navy capabilities with those of our joint teammates and of our allies and partners, because it’s the aggregate effects that we deliver collectively that will matter.

    The joint warfighting ecosystem is all about pooling and creating those aggregate effects. It’s a system in which a capability enables and then is enabled by each of its participants. It’s on display in the Middle East right now, and I know it’s one that Admiral Paparo will leverage in the Indo-Pacific.

    Achieving these objectives in my Navigation Plan is an all-hands-on-deck effort where everyone has a role to play—industry, Congress, academia, our joint teammates, our allies and partners, and of course our sailors and our civilians. So I would like to thank all of you here for your interest in our Navy, and I would like to thank you for all that you have done to support our Navy team and will continue to do in the future to support America’s warfighting Navy.

    I have a clock in my office that tells me that there are 807 days left until 1 January 2027. There is no time to waste, and your Navy is ready to get after it. Thank you very much, and I look forward to discussion today. Thank you.

    Dan.

    DAN LAMOTHE: All right. Good morning, everyone.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Good morning.

    DAN LAMOTHE: Thank you for your time today, ma’am.

    You just spent several minutes articulating your plan. I know you must have spent a lot of time planning that. This town often sees plans that run into headwinds, run into real-life events. Can you walk us through a bit what you think you can do to make this plan durable, make this happen, kind of clear-eyed, noting the headwinds, the budgetary constraints, and other things like that?

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Yeah. Well, thank you. And again, thanks for the chance to talk a little bit about the plan today.

    You know, I think this plan is a little bit different from some of the plans that we have had in the past, and I worked to make sure that it would be durable and it would stick. And I really spent about the last year working on this plan alongside all of our four-star commanders, our fleet commanders, our type commanders to really get after what are the things that we need to do and what we do we need to do to think, act, and operate differently to stay ahead of the challenges that we have with the resources that we can influence right now.

    And so when you look at the plan, it’s very focused—I would say it’s different in a few ways from previous plans.

    First, it’s focused on 2027. It’s focused on the PRC. So I’ve set my priorities, my sight. It’s narrowly focused on getting after those challenges.

    The other thing is that it really builds on Navigation Plan 2022, in which we had about eighteen different areas which we were really focused on and a lot of structure was put in place with single accountable individuals to drive progress in each one of those areas. I took a look, I took a fix, and I said, all right, here’s where we are based on NAVPLAN 2022, and here are seven areas where I think we can really put our foot on the gas and accelerate our progress in those to be real gamechangers in what we need to be able to do in the future.

    I think the last thing I would say what’s different about it is that it does have this single accountable individual responsible for each one of the targets that we’re trying to get after. And what we’ve found through our perform-to-plan and naval sustainment systems, processes have been put in place, if you have a stretch goal, a single accountable individual, and a cadence of accountability, that drives success.

    And the Navigation Plan will change my focus. It changes where I go, what I visit, what reports I get, what meetings I go to. And so my personal attention will be on these Project 33 goals as well as building the capabilities I talk about as the key capabilities for warfighting advantage that will get us where we need to be in the future.

    DAN LAMOTHE: OK. One of your stated goals is boosting surge readiness to 80 percent. I know talking to a lot of analysts in this town, they raise concerns whether real-life events, physics, other things would really challenge this. And I know you’ve raised previously the aircraft as a kind of parallel. Do you see 80 percent as aspirational, achievable, both? And I guess, how do you put your foot on the gas with that?

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Thanks. This is one of the most important—all seven are equally important, but you know, I’ve long said that we need to get more players on the field. There’s a lot of ways to do that. You know, one is to buy new ones. One is to get them in and out of maintenance on time, which is—that’s why I put this goal in here. One is to use what you have differently.

    I am focused on this, because the aviation example is really illustrative of what we know we can achieve. So in 2018, Secretary Mattis challenged our aviation community to get F/A-18 readiness up from 50 percent readiness/availability to 80 percent. And over the process of these—the last couple of years, and now six years on, we’ve been able to sustain 80 percent readiness in the F/A-18s because of the processes that we put in place, data-driven, daily drumbeats of accountability to make sure that we understood what the readiness was, what the barriers were to achieving that readiness, and moving forward.

    They’ve been able to scale that now through other type model series, and we’ve expanded it to the submarine force and also the surface force. So it’s a stretch goal, but I am committed and the team is committed to going after that stretch goal. So we are putting all those—we have, actually, all those processes in place now, and I’m really looking forward to that.

    I will just give another example, a metric in surface that might be useful. So, you know, on-time completion of maintenance availabilities is really important. So if you think back in 2022 we had about 27 percent completion on time, 2023 we moved it up into the 30 percents, and this year we’ll be up to 67 percent. So we put in a lot of procedures to be able to plan maintenance availabilities early in a surface, a submarine, and aviation, making sure we understand what parts we need, having available pool of parts, investing in those parts so they can be there on time; planning our stuff—maintenance availabilities at least six months ahead of time and locking them in to let industry know what’s coming and also get those parts on order. Those are some of the things we’re doing.

    So these are stretch goals, but I am confident that we’re going to work hard to get after them. And if we don’t make exactly 80 percent, we’re going to be farther along the road than we would be if I hadn’t set such an ambitious goal.

    DAN LAMOTHE: OK.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: And I will say all the communities are locked hands on these goals, so we are all committed to working together to get after them.

    DAN LAMOTHE: A lot of discussions about the future of the Navy tend to focus on ship numbers. I heard in your comments there you kind of addressed that head on. To what do you—what degree do you consider that construct limiting, and to what degree do you consider that construct necessary? You know, I—there’s a pragmatic aspect to this, but numbers are numbers, and I’m sure that’s something that you get an earful on a lot as well.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Certainly. Well, I fully acknowledge that we need a larger, more lethal Navy. You know, we have multiple assessments that say that we need to have a larger Navy, and I really want to work closely, you know, with Congress, with industry to be able to deliver that Navy that we need. And that’s a really important thing.

    But the size of the Navy is not the only thing that matters. I think if you look at that future warfighting ecosystem, it’s really about the effects you can deliver with that Navy from a widely dispersed, disaggregated force integrated with all of the other forces of our joint force, whether it’s cyber, space, Air Force, Army, Marines. You can definitely envision a different type of warfighting environment where all of those effects are layered together, and that is really how we’re going to beat any adversary.

    So, to me, it’s both. We need to focus on getting the fleet that we need with the capabilities we need, but we also need to understand how we’re going to better integrate them with the joint force and alongside our allies and partners. And really, how do we build that interoperability from the ground up with allies and partners through both weapons systems but also exercises, and make sure that we can really plug and play, plug and fight any time that we need to be able to do that?

    DAN LAMOTHE: OK. Thank you.

    Let’s talk some current ops and maybe tie it back to the plan a bit. The Navy’s been extremely busy in the Red Sea and other parts of the Middle East over the last year. You know, I think a lot of us are tracking ship movements and things like that on a level that, you know, is not always common. What is the service learning as a result as seemingly almost daily sailors are knocking, you know, munitions out of the sky? And how long do you think the service can keep this up? It seems to me that there would be concern as this stretches on on magazine depth and also on just, you know, as you’re trying to pivot elsewhere this seemingly doesn’t go away.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Well, first, I couldn’t be more proud of our Navy and Marine Corps team that’s out there. As I said earlier, you know, from day one we’ve been there to deter further escalation. And you know, I’m very proud of all of our ships—working alongside allies and partners, I would add—there in the Red Sea and in the—in the Indian Ocean to really uphold that rules-based international order.

    I think we’re learning a lot by being in the Red Sea. First, the value of allies and partners. And again, all of these exercises and training that we do all around the world, that’s enabled us to work together to get after this challenge.

    I would say a few other things. First, that our sailors are confident in their weapons system. And that’s really a testament to the development of these weapons systems over the last many years, but also to the training, the certification, all of the work we do to get our sailors, our ships, our aircraft, everything ready to go before they head into harm’s way. And our systems have performed as designed. So, again, it’s a real testament to the designers, the engineers, and now our people who are able to employ them effectively.

    I think the other thing that we’re learning is that we’ve been able to observe all of the different engagements, everything that the Houthis have used, all of their Iranian-supplied weapons systems, and we’ve been able to look at their tactics that they’re using. We’ve been able to use data and extract that information from our weapons systems, bring that back here to the US in a matter of hours. And getting that to our engineers; to our warfighting development centers where they develop tactics, techniques, and procedures; this has been really a gamechangers because then all the experts can work together, understand what’s going on. As tactics evolve, then we can introduce different tactics, adjustments to radars, whatever it is we need to do to be able to get after that.

    I’ll just give a small example. When I was out visiting one of our ships, I got to promote a fire controlman second class to first class. And he was a technician who worked with a gun weapons system, and he had an idea about how he could make the gun more effective against Houthi threats. And he wrote up his idea, he sent it back to the technical authorities, they validated it, and they put it out the rest of the fleet because it was a better way to use the gun and more effective. And so we got to put technology into the hands of a warfighter; we got him to think about how to think, act, and operate differently; and he was really a pioneer in innovating there on the battlefield.

    I always like to say in Ukraine they innovate on the battlefield every single day. They take what they have and they use it differently. We need to be able to do the same. So I think that’s another lesson that we’ve learned there.

    DAN LAMOTHE: OK.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: And to your last point about, you know, are we concerned about our sustainability to be there, of course, our job is to be there, and that is what we train our people to do. So I’m very proud to be able to do that mission. And we’re continuing to work, again, to invest in the munitions as I talk about the foundation—munitions, bases, infrastructure—all those things we need to generate and sustain the force, committed to getting after that.

    DAN LAMOTHE: All right.

    And I think we have just time for one more question. We’ve seen the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group extended. We’ve seen the Marine Expeditionary Unit extended along with the ARG. As we see this extend, you know, it occurs to me we don’t necessarily have a follow-on ARG new behind it. To what degree are you concerned about being able to sustain the tempo out there?

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Well, as you know, we train, deploy, and certify all of our forces to be able to meet the requirements that are set forth, you know, by the secretary. We’re a globally deployed force, and I think that’s one of the greatest things about the flexibility of our Navy. We can generate the forces, we can send them where they need to go, and allow the secretary to be able to move them between the different theaters to get after the missions that we have. So I’m confident in our ability to do that.

    I am very focused on readiness for all of our ships. You know, when you think about in the big picture what are my priorities, first, Columbia, our number-one acquisition priority. But after that, readiness, capability, and then capacity. I’m really focused on readiness and getting after all of these maintenance challenges that have caused some of the delays in the past, whether it’s in our amphibious force or in any one of our platforms. So, again, that’s how we’re going to get after this. And that’s why that’s a key part of our Navigation Plan.

    DAN LAMOTHE: OK. Thank you all for your time today. I’d ask you to remain seated so that the admiral can depart for another meeting.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Thank you very much.

    DAN LAMOTHE: All right.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Thank you.

    DAN LAMOTHE: Thank you.

    LISA FRANCHETTI: Oh, thanks. That was fun.

    DAN LAMOTHE: Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Niger

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Safe Travel

    • Reviewed: 17 October 2024, 08:02 NZDT
    • Still current at: 17 October 2024

    Related news features

    If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here, alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

    Do not travel to Niger due to the threat of terrorism and kidnapping, the presence of armed militants and the unpredictable security situation (level 4 of 4).

    Niger

    Terrorism
    There is a high threat from terrorism in Niger. Terrorist groups are active across Niger, particularly, in the western, northwestern and southeastern parts of the country, Since 2013, there have been a number of retaliatory attacks against the Niger government for its participation in regional interventions in Mali and Nigeria to repel armed rebels.

    The Nigerian-based terrorist group Boko Haram has a strong presence in neighbouring areas of northern Nigeria and has conducted cross-border attacks in Niger, near the Nigerian border, particularly in the Diffa region. State of Emergencies and curfews may be in place in regions of concern. Comply with any instructions issued by local authorities.  

    Terrorist attacks could occur at any time and may be directed at locations known to be frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, as well as security forces and premises associated with the Government of Niger. The security situation across the Sahel continues to deteriorate, and regions previously considered to be less at risk may now be subject to terrorism and related security threats.

    New Zealanders are advised to be security conscious at all times, particularly in public areas. We recommend monitoring media reports and local information sources for possible threats to your safety and security.

    Kidnapping
    There is a high threat of kidnapping against foreigners in Niger, including in the capital Niamey. The risk increases substantially outside Niamey, in the north of the country and in border areas. Terrorist groups active in Niger have been known to specifically target foreigners. In October 2020, a US citizen was kidnapped in the village of Massalata in southern Niger, about 10km from the border with Nigeria. In the past, foreigners have been kidnapped from their vehicles, homes and places of work.

    Violent Crime
    Crime levels in Niger are high, and foreigners are frequently targeted. Muggings are common in Niamey around the Gawaye Hotel, the National Museum, Kennedy Bridge and the Petit Marché, particularly at night. New Zealanders are advised not to walk alone or after dark in these areas. Other common types of crime include home invasions, carjackings assault and theft.

    Armed bandits operate throughout eastern and southern Niger, the border area with Nigeria south of Zinder, and large parts of northern Niger are off-limits to tourists.

    Petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag snatching occurs in Niamey and  throughout Niger. You should take steps to secure your personal belongings and avoid wearing or displaying valuables such as mobile devices and jewellery or leaving them visible in vehicles.

    Local Travel
    New Zealanders who decide to travel outside Niamey should ensure they put in place appropriate personal security protection measures, and take official warnings seriously. We recommend travelling in convoy of at least two vehicles, with a local guide and only during daylight hours. Attacks have occurred on the Agadez-Arlit, Agedez-Tahoua, and Tillabéry-Niamey roads and within the city of Zinder. You should prepare well in advance and ensure all vehicles are fully equipped with essential supplies, including a satellite phone. 

    We advise against the use of public transport in Niger. There have been incidents of armed robbery resulting in deaths on buses in Niger. Taxis are often under-maintained and dangerous and should be avoided. It is recommended that you hire a private car with a driver. Lock car doors and keep windows shut at all times.

    Local authorities are sensitive about foreigners travelling out of Tahoua to the east or north of Niger. If you travel in the Agadez region without obtaining prior authorisation, you risk arrest or deportation.

    Civil Unrest
    Niger frequently experiences protests and demonstrations, usually near government buildings and university campuses, some of which have turned violent in the past. Mobile phone and internet access may be disrupted during civil unrest.

    Since the military takeover in July 2023, there has been political instability in Niger. New Zealanders in Niger should remain vigilant and monitor the media for further information.

    New Zealanders are advised to follow any advice issued by the local authorities, including curfews, and avoid all demonstrations, protests and rallies as they have the potential to turn violent with little warning.

    Landmines
    There is a danger from unexploded landmines in some parts of Niger, including in Niamey and in the northern region of Agadez. We recommend you remain on well-used roads and paths.

    Scams
    Commercial and internet fraud is a common problem in many African countries. New Zealanders in Niger should be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true, as they may be a scam. For further information see our advice on Internet Fraud and International Scams.

    General Travel Advice
    As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Niger, the ability of the government to provide consular assistance to New Zealand citizens is severely limited.

    We offer advice to New Zealanders about contingency planning that travellers to Niger should consider.

    New Zealanders are advised to respect religious and social traditions in Niger to avoid offending local sensitivities.

    Photography of public buildings and military facilities is prohibited, and could result in detention. If in doubt, don’t take a picture.

    Medical facilities are limited and of poor quality, including in the capital Niamey. New Zealanders travelling or living in Niger should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that includes provision for medical evacuation by air.

    New Zealanders in Niger are strongly encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

     

    Travel tips

    See our regional advice for Africa

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense to Travel to Brussels and NATO for Defense Ministerial Meetings Followed by G7 Defense Ministers Meeting in Italy and Other Engagements in Italy and Vatican City

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will travel to Brussels, Belgium, from October 16-18, 2024, to participate in a series of multilateral meetings, including the NATO Defense Ministerial and the Ministerial of the force contributing members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS). These engagements and others will focus on strengthening NATO’s collective defense posture, adapting the D-ISIS Coalition to an evolving threat from ISIS in the Middle East and globally, and enhancing military support for Ukraine.

    Secretary Austin will then attend the first-ever G7 Defense Ministers Meeting Oct. 19 in Naples, Italy, where he will also meet with Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and the new Minister of Defense of Japan, Nakatani Gen. The discussions at the G7 will center on ensuring continued security assistance for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s aggression, addressing the urgent need to deescalate tensions in the Middle East, exchanging views on the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, discussing support for partners in Africa, and fostering additional cooperation on defense industry issues among the world’s leading democratic economies.

    Secretary Austin will also conclude his trip with official engagements in Vatican City.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for terrorism offences after joint HMRC and Met Police investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An east London man who sent night vision and thermal imaging rifle scopes to support terrorist activity by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018 has been jailed.

    Muhammad Choudhary, 41 (15.06.83) previously pleaded guilty to terrorism funding and fundraising offences following a joint investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

    He was sentenced on Tuesday, 15 October, at the Old Bailey to a total of seven years’ imprisonment, with an additional year to be served on an extended licence.

    Detectives and investigators identified that Choudhary sent thermal imaging night vision rifle scopes to Pakistan on a number of occasions in 2017 and 2018. He later admitted they were intended for use by the Taliban, which, at the time, launched various attacks against the then-Government and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

    Acting Commander Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This case is a prime example of how terrorist activity can take many different forms, and shows that we will investigate anyone in the UK who supports terrorist activity, regardless of what it may be in support of or to where it may be linked.

    “This was a unique case where Government colleagues identified potential terrorist-related activity and shared information with us. Further enquiries conducted by Counter Terrorism Command officers led to Choudhary being convicted and jailed for various terrorism offences.”

    Mike Pass, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The UK operates a strict licensing regime to uphold international sanctions and to ensure military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure effective controls and enforcement on military goods, which contributes to the UK’s national security.”

    Choudhary first came to the attention of HMRC after a seizure of rifle scopes at Heathrow Airport in January 2018. It was identified that Choudhary was the person behind the consignment, which was intended for an address in Pakistan.

    Further enquiries revealed that Choudhary bought the sniper sights from legitimate hunting suppliers. He was interviewed under caution by HMRC investigators and he later admitted in interview that the recipient and end users were members of the Taliban.

    As a result, this information was passed to the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and officers launched an investigation, which resulted in Choudhary being charged with various terrorism offences in September 2023.

    At an Old Bailey hearing in January, he pleaded guilty to a charge of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to section 15 of the Terrorism Act, 2000), and two charges of making funding arrangements for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to section 17, TACT, 2000).

    Choudhary was also previously charged with 23 offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act (1979). He pleaded not guilty to these offences at a hearing in February, and it was subsequently agreed for these offences to lay on file.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Defence Minister Bill Blair to travel to Europe for North Atlantic Treaty Organization and G7 Defence Ministers’ Meetings

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Europe from October 17-20 to meet with Allies and partners to discuss issues of shared interest and ways to strengthen defence relationships.

    October 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Europe from October 17-20 to meet with Allies and partners to discuss issues of shared interest and ways to strengthen defence relationships.

    From October 17-18, Minister Blair will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (DMM) in Brussels, Belgium. This meeting will be an important opportunity for Allies to discuss issues related to security in the Euro-Atlantic, Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions, as well as NATO’s ongoing support for Ukraine.

    In Brussels, Minister Blair will participate in several side events, including a Defence Ministers’ Meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh. The Minister will also host a Northern Defence Dialogue with Arctic Allies and partner states to reaffirm their shared commitment to enhanced collaboration on Arctic security and defence.

    From October 18-20, the Minister will attend the first-ever G7 DMM in Naples, Italy. He will participate in discussions with his counterparts on G7 priorities, including support for Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, as well as economic security and resilience.

    While in Europe, Minister Blair will hold several bilateral meetings with counterparts.

    Media Availability

    Following the G7 DMM, Minister Blair will hold individual interviews with Canadian media. For further information, please contact Simon Lafortune (details below).

    Date and time: Saturday, October 19 between 9:30AM and 10:30AM ET

    Other arrangements can be made if necessary.

                                                                                            -30-      

    Simon Lafortune
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of National Defence
    Phone: 343-549-0778
    Email: Simon.Lafortune2@forces.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Department of National Defence
    Phone: 613-904-3333
    Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement of the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group (09 May 2022)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    1. We, the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group, reiterate the G7´s profound condemnation of Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarusian government. We condemn in the strongest terms the numerous atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in Ukraine. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Ukrainian people and our support to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia’s ongoing war of aggression is a blatant violation of international law with severe consequences for international security, including global non-proliferation efforts. We condemn Russia’s disinformation campaign and we warn against any threat or use of chemical or biological weapons. We recall Russia’s obligations under international treaties of which it is a party, and which protect us all. Any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in further consequences. We condemn Russia’s unjustified use of nuclear rhetoric and signalling. We urge Russia to behave responsibly and exercise restraint.

    2. Besides these deeply disturbing actions of unprecedented scale, our efforts to strengthen non-proliferation have been severely tested in past years. The increasing use of chemical weapons, rapidly evolving biological threats, destabilizing transfer and deployment of conventional weapons, and targeted appropriation of emerging technology all have a considerable impact as does the growing threat of nuclear proliferation and emerging threats to outer space security. Some states are now significantly increasing and diversifying their nuclear arsenals and investing in novel nuclear technologies and weapons systems. Against this highly challenging background, the G7 remains committed to working together, including with our partners, to defend and strengthen international law, norms and institutions and to build a more secure, more stable, and safer world.

    3. In view of the 10th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in August 2022, we are united in our resolve to comprehensively strengthen the NPT, promote its universalisation, reinforce the importance of commitments made at past Review Conferences and advance implementation of the Treaty across all three of its mutually reinforcing pillars. We underline the authority and primacy of the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. We resolutely support the Review Conference President-designate, Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen, and commit to working with all NPT States Parties in good faith in the lead up to and during the Review Conference towards achieving a positive outcome.

    4. The G7 reaffirms its commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all, achieved through concrete, practical, and purposeful steps. The overall decline in global nuclear arsenals must be sustained and not reversed. We welcome diplomatic pathways that offer real possibilities for advancing the universal disarmament goals of the NPT, as promoted through key initiatives such as the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV), the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative, the Stockholm Initiative on Nuclear Disarmament, and Creating an Environment for Nuclear Disarmament.

    5. We welcome efforts by the G7 Nuclear Weapon States to promote effective measures, such as strategic risk reduction, transparency and confidence building measures on their postures, doctrines, and capabilities, which are critical to making progress towards disarmament under the NPT. The G7 underlines that all Nuclear Weapon States have the responsibility to engage actively and in good faith in arms control dialogues. We welcome the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races of 3 January 2022, including the important affirmation that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. However, we deplore Russia’s provocative statements about raising its nuclear alert levels, which undermines the credibility of Russia’s commitment to this Joint Statement.

    6. Recalling our statements of 15 March and 7 April 2022, we condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including forcefully seizing control of nuclear facilities and other actions that pose serious threats to the safety and security of these facilities and endanger the population of Ukraine, neighbouring states, and the international community. We support the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s efforts to ensure the nuclear safety and security of, and the application of safeguards to, nuclear material and facilities in Ukraine as a matter of urgency, while respecting full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure. We urge Russia’s leadership to immediately withdraw its military forces from Ukraine, cease all violent actions against nuclear and radiological facilities in Ukraine and restore full control to Ukrainian authorities over all facilities within its internationally recognized borders to ensure their safe and secure operations.

    7. The G7 is united in its resolve to promote the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). We underline the urgent need to bring this treaty into force pursuant to Article XIV of the CTBT, and we support Italy as co-coordinator of these efforts. A universal and effectively verifiable CTBT constitutes a fundamental instrument in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Pending the entry into force of the Treaty, we call on all states to declare new or maintain existing moratoriums on nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosions. We also resolutely support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission and its important work to develop the Treaty’s verification regime.

    8. The G7 is equally committed to, and underlines the importance of, immediate commencement of negotiations – based on document CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein – with the key countries on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices. We remain convinced that the Conference on Disarmament is an appropriate venue to negotiate such an instrument and we call upon countries to make innovative contributions in all appropriate forums, including the 10th Review Conference of the States Parties to the NPT, to facilitate negotiations of such a treaty. Pending those actions, we call on all states that have not yet done so to declare and maintain voluntary moratoria on the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons.

    9. The G7 is committed to working towards effective measures for strategic and nuclear risk reduction that enhance mutual comprehension, increase predictability, promote confidence building and establish effective crisis management and prevention tools. We are equally engaging in the development of multilateral nuclear disarmament verification capabilities and we welcome the start of work of the Group of Governmental Experts on nuclear disarmament verification, the Franco-German exercise NuDiVe 2022 conducted in April 2022 and the continuing work of the IPNDV and the Quad Nuclear Verification Partnership by Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. All of this is essential groundwork for achieving the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, underpinned by transparency, verification and irreversibility.

    10. The G7 welcomed the extension of the New START Treaty in early 2021 and has supported the U.S.-Russian Strategic Stability Dialogue, aimed at laying the foundation for future U.S.-Russia arms control arrangements. The G7 sees the need for arms control to address all nuclear weapons, including new destabilizing weapon systems and non-strategic nuclear weapons. The G7 also supports and encourages wider efforts towards an active arms control dialogue involving China. The G7 regrets that the U.S.-Russian Strategic Stability Dialogue has come to a halt due to Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.

    11. The G7 also deplores Belarus’s recent referendum and amendment to its Constitution removing Article 18, which pledged to “make its territory a nuclear-free zone.” Belarus’ actions only further increase uncertainty amidst heightened tensions.

    12. Nuclear-weapons-free zones (NWFZ) make important contributions to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We see the relevant protocols to existing NWFZ treaties as the vehicle for extending to the treaty parties a legally binding negative security assurance. We remain fully committed to the creation of a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East. We firmly believe that this can only be achieved based on consensus arrangements freely arrived at by all states in the region. We acknowledge the efforts made during the first two sessions of the UN Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction held in 2019 and 2021. Going forward, we underscore the need for inclusive dialogue among the regional states.

    13. The G7 supports universalisation of key safeguards agreements including Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements, the Additional Protocol thereto, and, where applicable, the revised Small Quantities Protocol. A Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement together with an Additional Protocol represents the de facto safeguards standard under the NPT. We echo the IAEA Director General’s call on those states that have yet to bring into force a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement or an Additional Protocol to do so as soon as possible and applaud his efforts to further strengthen the safeguards system. Recalling our strong support for the professional and impartial work of the IAEA, the G7 underscores the importance of streng-thening the effectiveness and optimizing the efficiency of the international safeguards system and ensuring it remains fit for its purpose in the 21st century.

    14. We reaffirm the IAEA’s central role in strengthening cooperation in nuclear security and the commitments in the Ministerial Declaration of the IAEA’s International Conference on Nuclear Security in 2020. We support the IAEA in facilitating the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies in a safe, secure, and sustainable manner. We support aiding the development of new regulatory frameworks for the deployment of next-generation technologies, including small modular reactors. We encourage all Member States, who are able to do so, to make financial and/or technical contributions to enable the IAEA to continue its work.

    15. The G7 commits to promoting full implementation by all states of the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and safeguards. This is essential to facilitate the safe and the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology consistent with the NPT, and thereby promote prosperity and address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

    16. The G7 urges States engaged in nuclear activities to become parties to and fully implement the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency.

    17. The G7 is resolved to increase political attention to the challenges of countering the threat of non-state actors acquiring nuclear and radioactive materials as weapons of terrorism and to accelerate national and international steps to manage the risks posed by such materials. We affirm our commitment to minimise Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) stocks globally and encourage states with civil stocks of HEU to further reduce or eliminate them where economically and technically feasible.

    18. The G7 calls on all States that have not yet done so to become parties to and fully implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) and the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM). We welcome the positive outcome of the A/CPPNM Review Conference in March-April 2022. We remain steadfast in our support of the IAEA, the Nuclear Security Contact Group, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.

    19. The G7 supports effective implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004) and the work of the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts. We encourage all states to fully implement the resolution and to offer assistance to interested states.

    20. The G7 actively supports global efforts to enhance education and professional development in the field of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament and is strongly committed to the integration of gender equality in this field. We are mindful that learning about the realities of any use of nuclear weapons will help strengthen global efforts towards nuclear disarmament. To raise and sustain awareness, we encourage political leaders, the young generation and others to visit the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    21. We renew our support for a restoration and full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme. We commend the participants of the Vienna talks as well as the EU coordinator for their tireless efforts. We urge Iran to seize the offer currently on the table to bring negotiations to a successful conclusion and to refrain from further escalation of its nuclear activities.

    22. We urge Iran to uphold and fully implement all obligations under its NPT-required safeguards agreement with the IAEA. We further urge Iran to provide all required information to enable the IAEA to clarify and resolve outstanding safeguards issues without further delay. The G7 expresses strong support for the crucial verification and monitoring mandate of the IAEA, underscores the technical nature of the IAEA’s independent work, and commends the Director General’s continued professional and impartial efforts. Full and timely cooperation by Iran is essential for the IAEA to assure the international community that all nuclear material in Iran remains in peaceful uses and eventually reach the Broader Conclusion.

    23. We recall our serious concerns about Iran’s unabated activities related to ballistic missiles “designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology,” which Iran pursues in defiance of UNSCR 2231 (2015). Iran’s space programme is enabling it to test technology that is essential to the development of ballistic missiles, including future long-range delivery systems, as demonstrated again with Iran’s announcement on March 8 of a launch of a military satellite. We urge Iran to cease all these activities and fully abide by UNSCR 2231 (2015). We also remain extremely concerned about Iran’s destabilising activities in and around the Middle East, including transfers of missiles and missile technology, drones and conventional arms to state and non-state actors. Such proliferation is destabilising for the region and escalates already high tensions, as does the use of such weapons in the region, like the attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Erbil on 13 March 2022. We urge Iran to stop all activities inconsistent with relevant UNSCRs and call on all parties to play a constructive role in fostering regional stability and peace.

    24. The G7 strongly condemns the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the recent Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch conducted on 24 March 2022, which are blatant violations of the DPRK’s obligations under numerous UNSCRs. Since 2021, the DPRK has conducted an unprecedented series of missile tests, including launches of alleged hypersonic weapons using ballistic missiles and a submarine-launched ballistic missile test. These tests demonstrate the DPRK’s continued efforts to expand and further develop its ballistic missile capabilities. We deeply regret that the DPRK has abandoned its self-declared moratorium on ICBM launches. In addition, nuclear activities (such as restarting nuclear reactors and behaviour consistent with fissile material production) have been observed at several nuclear sites since 2020, suggesting an ongoing nuclear program development. All these reckless actions threaten regional and international peace and security, pose a dangerous and unpredictable risk to international civil aviation and maritime navigation in the region and demand a united response by the international community, including further measures to be taken by the UN Security Council.

    25. The G7 remains fully committed to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges, as well as related programs and facilities, consistent with UNSCRs. We strongly urge the DPRK to fully comply with all obligations arising from the relevant UNSCRs, to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and to return at an early date to, and fully comply with, the NPT and IAEA safeguards. We call on the DPRK to accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by all parties concerned, including the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

    26. The G7 is committed to working with all relevant partners towards the goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order. We call on all states to fully and effectively implement all restrictive measures relating to the DPRK imposed by the UN Security Council and to address the risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and related delivery systems, from the DPRK as an urgent priority, particularly through additional UN Security Council action. We note with concern the report by the Panel of Experts established pursuant to UNSCR 1874 (2009) that illicit ship-to-ship transfers continue to take place. We remain ready to assist in and strengthen capacities for effective sanctions implementation. We are clear that the dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK is primarily the result of the diversion of the DPRK’s resources into unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs rather than into the welfare of its people. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we commend the work of the 1718 Committee, which has swiftly approved all Covid-19 related sanctions exemption requests for humanitarian assistance for the DPRK.

    27. The G7 intends to bolster efforts to counter the weaponization of biological agents and toxins. Never has it been so urgent for all states to work together to achieve universal adherence to and full compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). Good faith and engagement are essential to overcoming the longstanding stalemate of the Convention in order to meet evolving biological threats stemming from state and non-state actors and to address new developments in science and technology. We intend to work towards a successful Review Conference which would promote effective implementation, increase transparency, enhance compliance and confidence-building measures. Near-term concrete action should include the establishment of a new expert working group to examine concrete measures to strengthen the Convention.

    28. We pledge our continued support to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism to investigate alleged uses of chemical, biological or toxin weapons. We will firmly resist and condemn any attempts by any state or individual seeking to undermine its integrity, independence, and impartial character and mandate. As the only established international mechanism mandated to investigate alleged uses of biological weapons, we pledge to cooperate with partners to ensure that the mechanism is properly resourced, equipped, and operationalized to conduct effective investigations when needed.

    29. We salute the 20th anniversary of the G7-led, 31-member Global Partnership (GP) against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. With its unparalleled networks, expertise, partnerships, and collective funding, the GP has been instrumental in countering threats posed by chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons and materials. The GP’s contribution to global threat reduction has made the world a safer and more secure place. We are committed to coordinated action with the GP to provide leadership to ensure that the GP remains a key contributor to countering persistent and emerging threats.

    30. The G7, as expressed in the 29 March statement of the GP on Ukraine, finds Russia’s unsubstantiated claims concerning alleged biological weapons development in Ukraine outrageous. Such allegations about legitimate biological research for civilian purposes are especially cynical, as the world has suffered a pandemic for two years during which biological laboratories have been of crucial importance to humankind. These allegations are part of Russia’s disinformation campaign against Ukraine and have undermined the subject and purpose of the BTWC and the international rules-based order. Ukraine is a respected member of the GP and the BTWC and has our full support.

    31. We will dedicate further efforts to addressing biological threats in the GP framework. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the far-reaching impact of large-scale disease outbreaks and the importance of strengthening global capacity to prevent, detect and respond to all forms of biological threats, whether deliberate, accidental, or natural. Covid-19 has also accelerated the global life sciences and biotechnology revolution, including the research and development of new diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments for potentially high-consequence pathogens. Substantial improvements are needed in global biosafety, biosecurity, and oversight for dual use research, in order to prevent laboratory accidents and deliberate misuse. We commit to reinforcing existing national efforts, as well as to improving the level of biosafety and biosecurity practices globally. With this imperative, we intend to deepen our health-security cooperation with African partners and other key stakeholders to develop and implement the GP’s signature initiative aimed at mitigating biological threats in Africa. We recognize the significant contribution already made by the G7 and the EU to the GP signature initiative and encourage all GP members to actively contribute to this important initiative.

    32. We are determined to uphold the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons and support the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). As participating States of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, we stand together to reaffirm that any use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances is unacceptable and contravenes international standards and norms against such use. There can be no impunity for chemical weapon use.

    33. We will work towards a successful 2023 Review Conference to strengthen the Convention. We are unwavering in our support of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its work to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons and we applaud the OPCW’s professionalism and integrity. The G7 seeks to ensure that the OPCW is equipped to continue to fulfil its mandate, including through funding via the GP for important initiatives such as the new Centre for Chemistry and Technology.

    34. We welcome the decision of the OPCW Conference of the States Parties “Understanding Regarding the Aerosolised Use of Central Nervous System-Acting Chemicals for Law Enforcement Purposes” that affirms that the aerosolized use of CNS-acting chemicals is understood to be inconsistent with law enforcement purposes as a “purpose not prohibited” under the Convention. This forward-thinking decision by CWC States Parties sends a strong signal to countries that they cannot hide work on such chemicals for offensive purposes under the guise of legitimate purposes under the Convention.

    35. We condemn attempts to impede the OPCW’s vital work, including investigations, through baseless attacks and outrageous disinformation, notably Russia’s unsubstantiated claims and false allegations that Ukraine was preparing to use chemical weapons. Ukraine is in full compliance with its obligations under the CWC, in stark contrast to Russia’s continued refusal to investigate the well-documented use of a chemical weapon on its own territory, contrary to its obligations under the Convention.

    36. In that context, the G7 reaffirms the statement made by Ministers on 26 January 2021 condemning in the strongest possible terms the poisoning of Alexey Navalny with a military grade chemical nerve agent of the “Novichok” group, a substance developed by the Soviet Union, and retained by Russia. There is no plausible account other than the involvement and responsibility of Russian state actors, as Russia continues to evade all appeals to launch an investigation of the case. We recall the OPCW’s conclusion that a similar nerve agent was used in Salisbury in 2018, resulting in the death of a British citizen, for which three Russian suspects have been charged.

    37. We again urge the Russian authorities to investigate and credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil considering Russia’s obligations under the CWC. We recall the questions asked on 5 October 2021 by 45 States Parties, including all G7 members, to Russia under Article IX of the CWC, which were not adequately answered by the Russian Federation. We support the statement made by 56 States Parties at the November 2021 OPCW Conference of the States Parties, calling on Russia to account for the use of a chemical weapon on its territory. We welcome actions, such as sanctions, taken by G7 members in response to those individuals and entities deemed to be involved in the development and use of chemical weapons. We also condemn Russia’s attempts to shield Syria from accountability for the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons.

    38. Syria’s chemical weapon use in violation of the CWC continues to be a matter of grave concern. We welcome the decision of the OPCW Conference of the States Parties to suspend Syria’s rights and privileges under the CWC, until it completes the steps set out in the OPCW Executive Council Decision of 9 July 2020. We urge the Syrian authorities to cooperate fully and comply with their obligations. We deplore disinformation about chemical weapon use in Syria and we are committed to supporting the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s work in investigating chemical weapon use in Syria, identifying those responsible, and ensuring Syria’s declaration is full and accurate. Syria will be held to account for any failures to meet its obligations. We commit to ensuring the full implementation of UNSCR 2118 (2013) and the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme once and for all.

    39. We remain gravely concerned by the accelerating proliferation of ballistic and other missile technologies, including at the hands of non-state actors, which is a threat to regional and global security. Recalling the G7 NPDG “Initiative on Countering Illicit and/or Destabilizing Missile Activities” launched by the French Presidency in 2019, we remain engaged in countering missile proliferation activities and strengthening missile governance.

    40. We reaffirm our commitment to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and we call on all states to unilaterally adhere to the MTCR guidelines and reiterate the importance of the fundamental principles underpinning ballistic missile non-proliferation including in accordance with UNSCR 1540 (2004). We are committed to further increasing the effectiveness of the MTCR.

    41. We strongly support the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) and call for its universalisation. In the 20 years since its establishment, the HCoC has proven to be an important transparency and confidence building measure that encourages responsible behaviour and restraint in the development, testing and deployment of ballistic missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, and aims to curb and prevent proliferation of such ballistic missiles. We will work towards the goals of universalization and full implementation of the HCoC, notably on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.

    42. The G7 re-affirms the importance of coordinated action to counter illicit intangible technology transfer and protecting academia and business sectors from hostile state exploitation. While promoting an environment in which science, technology and research collaboration can flourish, we are resolved to address the challenges posed by the misuse and illicit diversion of technology critical for the development of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and for advanced military technology programmes by state and non-state actors, as well as by dual-use research of concern, notably in the field of life sciences.

    43. The G7 members commit to enhancing export controls on materials, technology and research that could be used to develop weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. We plan to strengthen controls on materials (including dual-use components), technology and research that could support the development of advanced conventional weapons, ensuring that enhancements are proportionate and avoid negatively impacting on legitimate exports.

    44. The G7 is committed to acting to counter proliferation financing which, left unchecked, undermines the integrity of the global financial system and fuels threats to our common security. We therefore welcome the recent changes to the Financial Action Task Force standards regarding targeted financial sanctions on the DPRK and Iran, which, for the first time, expect all countries and regions to take concrete steps to understand the proliferation financing risks they face, and to oblige their financial sectors and designated non-financial business professions to do the same. Only by understanding the truly global reach of proliferation networks will we meet our responsibility to tackle this activity.

    45. We are determined to prevent illicit transfers and destabilizing accumulation of conventional weapons and ammunition, and to increase the safety and security of stockpiles, including by deploying our technical expertise, sharing best practices, e.g. in the framework of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, and by adhering to international law and norms on responsible transfer.

    46. The diversion of ammunition to unauthorized users, including criminals and terrorists, facilitates and fuels armed violence and armed conflict. Mindful of these implications for security and sustainable development, we strongly support the German-led initiative for a comprehensive framework to support safe, secure, and sustainable ammunition management at the national, sub-regional, regional, and global level and the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) mandated to carry out work in this regard. We encourage all states to engage constructively in the OEWG aiming at elaborating a set of political commitments as a new global framework that will address existing gaps in through-life ammunition management, including international cooperation and assistance.

    47. We advocate for the reinforcement of regimes that regulate the transfer and prevent the diversion of conventional weapons and ammunition in line with international law and norms, including the Arms Trade Treaty. We commit to adapting, where necessary, relevant regimes as new technologies are developed. In dialogue with other technology leaders, we seek to shape the global debate on responsible civilian and military use of new technologies, considering security and defence considerations and securing adherence to international law, in particular International Humanitarian Law and, where applicable, International Human Rights Law. Where necessary, new international principles for responsible use should be considered.

    48. As space activities evolve, the norms, rules and principles governing space activities should also evolve. State threats to the secure, safe, sustainable, and peaceful uses of outer space are of serious concern. Given that our societies are increasingly reliant on space systems for their security and prosperity, we are determined to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation and reduce space threats. We commit to engaging the international community to uphold and strengthen a rules-based international order for outer space.

    49. Establishing norms, rules and principles for responsible space behaviours is a pragmatic way forward to enhance security, mitigate threats against space systems and reduce the risks of misperception, miscalculation, and escalation. We strongly support the UK-led initiative at the UN General Assembly and the resulting UN Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on “Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours”. We encourage all states to positively engage in the OEWG that aims to build a common understanding of responsible space behaviours and consider first proposals for norms, rules, and principles in that regard.

    50. We call upon all nations to refrain from conducting dangerous and irresponsible destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests like those carried out by the Russian Federation on 15 November, 2021. We welcome the US commitment not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests. We reiterate the need to cooperate with all States and space actors to strengthen safety, security, stability, and sustainability of outer space and help all countries benefit from the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Central Command conducts airstrikes against multiple ISIS camps in Syria

    Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

    Oct. 12, 2024
    Release Number 20241012 – 01
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 12, 2024) – U.S. Central Command forces conducted a series of airstrikes against multiple known ISIS camps in Syria in the early morning of Oct. 11. The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and civilians throughout the region and beyond. Our battle damage assessments are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. We will provide updates as information is confirmed.

     

    -30-

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Minister to attend cyber security, NATO meetings

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister Responsible for the GCSB and Minister of Defence Judith Collins will travel to Singapore and Brussels for Singapore International Cyber Week and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting. 

    New Zealand has been invited to attend the NATO meeting alongside representatives from the European Union and the Indo-Pacific 4 (IP4), which comprises New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea. 

    “This is the first time IP4 Defence representatives will have the opportunity to exchange views with NATO Allies in the changing security dynamics in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions, including in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications for our region,” Ms Collins says.

    “I will be taking the opportunity to reiterate our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine as they fight against Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression.

    “In a deteriorating global environment, New Zealand is committed to working with like-minded partners to uphold the international rules-based system that is fundamental to our security and prosperity.

    While in Brussels, Ms Collins will hold bilateral meetings with defence counterparts from NATO and the Indo-Pacific region, and will participate in a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.                               

    Ms Collins will also meet Directors-General from European Commission agencies in the Space, and Science, Innovation and Technology portfolios while in Brussels.

    Before going to Brussels she will attend the Singapore International Cyber Week, the most established cyber security event in the Asia Pacific region and one which provides a vital chance to discuss global cyber security. She will also take part in the annual ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Cyber Security Special Session with Dialogue Partners.

    “I am pleased to represent New Zealand at this important gathering and am looking forward to participating in a range of discussions on global cyber security issues,” Ms Collins says.

    “Cyber security is front of mind for many New Zealand businesses and I am committed to ensuring we are prepared and resilient in this area.”             

    Ms Collins will also meet private sector representatives to discuss cyber and technology security matters while in Singapore.

    She leaves New Zealand tomorrow and returns on 20 October. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News