Middle East
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Jan- 2018 -18 January
US backtracks on Syrian ‘border guard’ plan after Turkish threats to attack Efrin
The US will train forces linked to the SDF but will not create a border force, officials said as Turkey threatened to attack Efrin
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17 January
Turkey’s national security council says steps to be taken immediately to defeat threats from Syria
Turkey's national security council said steps should be taken "immediately and resolutely" to defeat threats against the country from western Syria
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17 January
Qatar signs security agreement with NATO
Qatar and NATO have signed a security agreement that will establish a framework for protection of the exchange of classified information
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17 January
Three killed after Turkish military plane crashes in Isparta
Three people were killed when a Turkish military plane crashed in the southern Isparta province, the army said.
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16 January
UK “not involved” in Syrian Border Security Force
Updated January 16 The United Kingdom is not involved in the new Syrian Border Security Force set up by the U.S.-led Coalition against Islamic State and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. “We are not involved in this particular line of Coalition effort. We remain clear that liberated areas must have long-term, legitimate and inclusive local governance and security structures,” a U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told The Defense Post on Tuesday, January 16. On Saturday, CJTF-OIR Public Affairs Officer Colonel Thomas F. Veale told The Defense Post that the Coalition and SDF were working jointly to train the 30,000-strong Syrian border security force. The BSF will be partly composed of veteran fighters and operate under the leadership of the SDF, the backbone of which is made of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey’s foreign ministry on Sunday said Turkey was not consulted on the establishment of the Border Security Forcce and that Turkey does not know which Coalition members approved the decision. “To attribute such a unilateral step to the whole Coalition is an extremely wrong move that could harm the fight against Daesh,” the ministry said. A spokesperson for the Coalition told The Defense Post that “Turkey is a …
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16 January
Australia ends air strike campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria
Australia carried out its final airstrikes in Iraq, concluding its air campaign against ISIS as part of Operation Inherent Resolve
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15 January
Iran’s Kurds avoid full-blown insurgency against Tehran
Iranian Kurds aren't planning an armed uprising yet, but fear retaliation from Tehran after supporting anti-government protests in Iran
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15 January
UN Security Council members meet Afghan leaders during 3-day visit
Representatives of the United Nations Security Council held talks with Afghanistan's top leaders during a three-day visit to the country
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15 January
Abadi calls for elimination of ISIS ‘sleeper cells’ after Baghdad twin suicide bombings kill 31
Iraq's Prime Minister Abadi called for the elimination of jihadist "sleeper cells" after a twin suicide bombing killed 31 people in Baghdad
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15 January
Erdogan: Turkey will ‘kill’ Syrian border security force
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the U.S.-led Coalition decision to form a Syrian border security force under the leadership of the SDF, and vowed to squash the new force.
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