Obama’s election year priority: Closing Guantanamo and possibly returning it to Cuba

Obama’s election year priority: Closing Guantanamo and possibly returning it to Cuba

Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — President Barack Obama promised yet again to fulfill his election pledge in closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo, Cuba. This time he means it. With less than a year ticking on the presidential time clock, Obama plans to release some of the 95 remaining […]

U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Egypt defense leaders discuss bilateral relationship

U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Egypt defense leaders discuss bilateral relationship

Special to WorldTribune.com Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed America’s commitment to its “security partnership” with Egypt during a visit to Cairo on Feb. 20. “Dunford visited Cairo to demonstrate U.S. commitment to strengthening the security partnership between Egypt and the United States,” according to a U.S. Defense Department […]

Italy allows U.S. to use Sicily air base for drone missions in Libya

Italy allows U.S. to use Sicily air base for drone missions in Libya

Special to WorldTribune.com The Italian government has given the U.S. the go-ahead to fly armed drones out of an American base in Sicily for missions against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Libya. The drones are based at the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily, which is also a NATO and Italian air […]

Russia’s new Sukhoi fighter jets dumping ‘dumb’ bombs on Syria

Russia’s new Sukhoi fighter jets dumping ‘dumb’ bombs on Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com In an age of increasingly precise munitions, Russia is almost exclusively dropping “dumb” bombs in Syria, the U.S. military said. “They’re using mostly dumb bombs, guided only by gravity and fins,” said Army Col. Steven Warren, the top military spokesman in Baghdad, according to a report by national security correspondent Rowan Scarborough […]

Bush lied, people died: Donald Trump pulls out the Left’s playbook on Iraq

Bush lied, people died: Donald Trump pulls out the Left’s playbook on Iraq

Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Despite some recent military successes against the Islamic State (ISIL) forces, both the security and the humanitarian situation in Iraq remain fragile and precarious. That’s the assessment from Jan Kubis, the UN special representative in a sobering report to the Security Council on the road […]

The U.S., in a strategic crisis, barrels toward its most vital election without a plan

The U.S., in a strategic crisis, barrels toward its most vital election without a plan

Special to WorldTribune.com By Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs U.S. voters and political parties were, by mid-February 2016, well down the path toward selecting the final candidates for the November 2016 Presidential election. This determines how the United States would face the most decisive challenges for more than a century to its […]

U.S. F-22 stealth fighters fly low over S. Korea in show of force

U.S. F-22 stealth fighters fly low over S. Korea in show of force

Special to WorldTribune.com In a show of force aimed squarely at North Korea, four U.S. F-22 stealth fighters flew low over South Korea on Feb. 17. The F-22 Raptors flew alongside Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft and U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets in a joint exercise out of Osan Air Base. “The F-22 Raptor […]

ISIL fighters take pay cut: New air strikes incinerate hundreds of millions in cash

ISIL fighters take pay cut: New air strikes incinerate hundreds of millions in cash

Special to WorldTribune.com The U.S.-led coalition bombed ten Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) cash depots this past weekend, incinerating hundreds of millions in currency. Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the American-led campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, said the targeting of ISIL’s cash hoards is having an impact on the terror […]

China deploys missile system to disputed S. China Sea island

China deploys missile system to disputed S. China Sea island

Special to WorldTribune.com Satellite images show China has deployed the advanced HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system to a disputed island in the South China Sea. Taiwanese and U.S. officials confirmed that batteries of the HQ-9 surface-to-air missile launchers were set up on Woody Island in the Paracels chain, according to a report by Reuters. China, Taiwan […]

Syrian army reportedly set to advance into Raqqa province

Syrian army reportedly set to advance into Raqqa province

Special to WorldTribune.com Syrian forces are set to move into Raqqa province, held by Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), to pre-empt the U.S.-led coalition sending in ground troops to fight the jihadists, reports say. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Feb. 12 he expected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to […]