Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told exasperated lawmakers Tuesday that America still is &quot;not winning&quot; in Afghanistan, as US military commanders push for additional troops to help stabilise the country&#39;s security crisis.

Mattis&#39;s latest assessment comes nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and amid a war that continues to claim the lives of US troops each year -- and those of thousands of local forces and civilians.

The &quot;Taliban had a good year last year, they are trying to have a good one this year,&quot; Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing about the Pentagon&#39;s budget.

&quot;Right now I believe the enemy is surging.&quot;

US military commanders, who saw fragile security gains eroded under Obama-era troop draw-downs, have been pushing for a new strategy that could see thousands of additional soldiers deploy to Afghanistan to help train and advise beleaguered Afghan partners.

Media reports have said Mattis is considering asking for 3,000 to 5,000 additional US and NATO troops, but the defence chief has said little on the matter.&nbsp;

In February, General John Nicholson, who commands NATO forces in Afghanistan, warned that he needs &quot;a few thousand&quot; more troops to reverse what he called a stalemate.

Despite months of expectation that a new Afghanistan strategy announcement is imminent, Mattis said this would not be ready before mid-July.

Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, voiced his &quot;palpable&quot; frustration.

&quot;We&#39;re now six months into this administration, we still haven&#39;t got a strategy for Afghanistan,&quot; McCain said, noting it was hard to get behind an Afghanistan budget request without knowing what the plan is.&nbsp;

&quot;We know what the strategy was for the last eight years: Don&#39;t lose. That hasn&#39;t worked.&quot;

Mattis acknowledged the reality on the ground.

&quot;We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. We will correct this as soon as possible,&quot; he said.

Residual force

The defence chief, who was a Marine combat commander in Afghanistan at the start of the war, stressed America must not walk away from the country and suggested a long-term residual US force needs to remain to help the Afghan army maintain a baseline of security.

&quot;It&#39;s going to be an era of frequent skirmishing and it&#39;s going to require a change in our approach from the last several years if we&#39;re to get it to that position,&quot; Mattis said.&nbsp;

The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led NATO troops at war there since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime just months after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.

The ongoing security crisis has seen not just the Taliban gain ground, but also the emergence of other groups such as a local Islamic State affiliate.&nbsp;

On Saturday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an insider attack in which an Afghan commando turned his weapon on American troops, killing three and wounding another.&nbsp;

US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 today, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies, who mainly serve in a training and advisory capacity.

&nbsp;

The Pentagon chief's statement comes?nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and at a time when US military commanders are pushing for additional troops to help stabilise the country's security crisis

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told exasperated lawmakers Tuesday that America still is "not winning" in Afghanistan, as US military commanders push for additional troops to help stabilise the country's security crisis. Mattis's latest assessment comes nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and amid a war that continues to claim the lives of US troops each year -- and those of thousands of local forces and civilians. The "Taliban had a good year last year, they are trying to have a good one this year," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing about the Pentagon's budget. "Right now I believe the enemy is surging." US military commanders, who saw fragile security gains eroded under Obama-era troop draw-downs, have been pushing for a new strategy that could see thousands of additional soldiers deploy to Afghanistan to help train and advise beleaguered Afghan partners. Media reports have said Mattis is considering asking for 3,000 to 5,000 additional US and NATO troops, but the defence chief has said little on the matter. In February, General John Nicholson, who commands NATO forces in Afghanistan, warned that he needs "a few thousand" more troops to reverse what he called a stalemate. Despite months of expectation that a new Afghanistan strategy announcement is imminent, Mattis said this would not be ready before mid-July. Republican Senator John McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, voiced his "palpable" frustration. "We're now six months into this administration, we still haven't got a strategy for Afghanistan," McCain said, noting it was hard to get behind an Afghanistan budget request without knowing what the plan is. "We know what the strategy was for the last eight years: Don't lose. That hasn't worked." Mattis acknowledged the reality on the ground. "We are not winning in Afghanistan right now. We will correct this as soon as possible," he said. Residual force The defence chief, who was a Marine combat commander in Afghanistan at the start of the war, stressed America must not walk away from the country and suggested a long-term residual US force needs to remain to help the Afghan army maintain a baseline of security. "It's going to be an era of frequent skirmishing and it's going to require a change in our approach from the last several years if we're to get it to that position," Mattis said. The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led NATO troops at war there since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime just months after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States. The ongoing security crisis has seen not just the Taliban gain ground, but also the emergence of other groups such as a local Islamic State affiliate. On Saturday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an insider attack in which an Afghan commando turned his weapon on American troops, killing three and wounding another. US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 today, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies, who mainly serve in a training and advisory capacity.

US not winning in Afghanistan: Mattis

&nbsp;The US Defense Department is finalising a lease on a privately owned apartment in New York&#39;s Trump Tower for the White House Military Office to use for supporting President Donald Trump without providing any benefit to Trump or his organisation, according to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters.

The Military Office carries and safeguards the &quot;football,&quot; the device that contains the top secret launch codes the president needs to order a nuclear attack, as well as providing him secure communications wherever he is.

The White House, Secret Service, and Defense Department had no comment on whether similar arrangements have been made at other properties Trump frequents - Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is spending this weekend.&nbsp;

In a letter to Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and intelligence committees, Defense Department official James MacStravic, said the apartment is &quot;privately owned and ... lease negotiations have been with the owner&#39;s representatives only.&quot;

MacStravic, who wrote that he was &quot;temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics,&quot; said any acquisition of leased space with &quot;an annual rental in excess of $1 million must first be approved by my office.&quot;

He &quot;approved this action&quot; after consulting with the White House Military Office and other officials, he said.

Officials declined to reveal the cost of the lease or identify the owners of the apartment.&nbsp;

MacStravic&#39;s letter, dated March 3, added: &quot;We are not aware of any means through which the President would personally benefit from a Government lease of this space.&quot;&nbsp;

The letter explained that the White House Military Office, a Pentagon unit, &quot;requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence.&quot;

The letter said such arrangements are &quot;typical of support provided&quot; by the Military Office to previous US presidents and vice presidents at their private residences.

It is not clear, however, whether the office has ever paid to rent space to house the classified equipment presidents need when they are staying at homes they own outside Washington.

A White House spokeswoman said the White House had no information on the leasing issue. The Defense Department and US Secret Service declined to comment.

The Trump Organisation did not reply to an email requesting comment.&nbsp;

When the Pentagon in February first acknowledged that it was seeking to lease space in Trump Tower, some Democrats questioned whether such a move would produce a financial windfall for Trump.

&quot;I am concerned by the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal at the expense of the Department of Defense - and ultimately, taxpayers,&quot; Speier wrote to Defense Secretary James Mattis shortly after the Trump Tower issue became public in February.&nbsp;

By negotiating only with representatives of the owners of a private apartment, the Pentagon said it was seeking to avoid such concerns.

(Reuters)

According to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters, a unit "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence."

The US Defense Department is finalising a lease on a privately owned apartment in New York's Trump Tower for the White House Military Office to use for supporting President Donald Trump without providing any benefit to Trump or his organisation, according to a Pentagon letter seen by Reuters. The Military Office carries and safeguards the "football," the device that contains the top secret launch codes the president needs to order a nuclear attack, as well as providing him secure communications wherever he is. The White House, Secret Service, and Defense Department had no comment on whether similar arrangements have been made at other properties Trump frequents - Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is spending this weekend. In a letter to Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and intelligence committees, Defense Department official James MacStravic, said the apartment is "privately owned and ... lease negotiations have been with the owner's representatives only." MacStravic, who wrote that he was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics," said any acquisition of leased space with "an annual rental in excess of $1 million must first be approved by my office." He "approved this action" after consulting with the White House Military Office and other officials, he said. Officials declined to reveal the cost of the lease or identify the owners of the apartment. MacStravic's letter, dated March 3, added: "We are not aware of any means through which the President would personally benefit from a Government lease of this space." The letter explained that the White House Military Office, a Pentagon unit, "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence." The letter said such arrangements are "typical of support provided" by the Military Office to previous US presidents and vice presidents at their private residences. It is not clear, however, whether the office has ever paid to rent space to house the classified equipment presidents need when they are staying at homes they own outside Washington. A White House spokeswoman said the White House had no information on the leasing issue. The Defense Department and US Secret Service declined to comment. The Trump Organisation did not reply to an email requesting comment. When the Pentagon in February first acknowledged that it was seeking to lease space in Trump Tower, some Democrats questioned whether such a move would produce a financial windfall for Trump. "I am concerned by the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal at the expense of the Department of Defense - and ultimately, taxpayers," Speier wrote to Defense Secretary James Mattis shortly after the Trump Tower issue became public in February. By negotiating only with representatives of the owners of a private apartment, the Pentagon said it was seeking to avoid such concerns. (Reuters)

Pentagon to lease privately owned Trump Tower apartment for nuclear 'football' : Letter

The US Defense Department may recommend that the United States deploy regular combat troops to Syria to fight Islamic State militants, CNN reported on Wednesday.

The idea is one of several ideas the Pentagon is considering after President Donald Trump gave defence officials until the end of the month to come up with proposals to speed up the war against Islamic State.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States already had a small number of special operation troops in Syria. The official added that the review was still underway and no options had been presented to Trump.

CNN said the proposal was not fully developed and was one of several ideas being considered.

(Reuters)

President Trump had given the defence officials until the end of this month to come up with a plan to combat IS

The US Defense Department may recommend that the United States deploy regular combat troops to Syria to fight Islamic State militants, CNN reported on Wednesday. The idea is one of several ideas the Pentagon is considering after President Donald Trump gave defence officials until the end of the month to come up with proposals to speed up the war against Islamic State. A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States already had a small number of special operation troops in Syria. The official added that the review was still underway and no options had been presented to Trump. CNN said the proposal was not fully developed and was one of several ideas being considered. (Reuters)

Pentagon mulls sending ground troops to fight IS in Syria: CNN

The Pentagon said on Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader.

Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

&quot;We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN.

&quot;If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves,&quot; he said.

&quot;We&#39;re doing everything we can. This is something we&#39;re spending a lot of time on.&quot;

In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader&#39;s head to $25 million.

The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014.

Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders.

&quot;He&#39;s having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us,&quot; the spokesman said.

According to an official Iraqi government document, Baghdadi was born in Samarra in 1971. He apparently joined the insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and spent time in an American military prison.

(AFP)

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last month released an audio message urging his supporters to defend the Iraqi city of Mosul

The Pentagon said on Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader. Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq. "We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN. "If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves," he said. "We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on." In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader's head to $25 million. The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014. Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders. "He's having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us," the spokesman said. According to an official Iraqi government document, Baghdadi was born in Samarra in 1971. He apparently joined the insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and spent time in an American military prison. (AFP)

Islamic State leader alive, still leading: US

Ten soldiers of the United States military have officially&nbsp;asked to be recognised as transgenders&mdash;a few weeks after the Pentagon allowed transgender men and women to serve openly in the military.&nbsp;

The soldiers, however, have just asked to be recognised as transgenders without mentioning anything about considering gender transitioning. The Pentagon allows soldiers to recieve medical care and undergo gender change too.&nbsp;

The US army is now considering to step up efforts to educate the forces to handle decisions regarding soldiers who request a gender change, so that equal treatment is meted out to the transgender soldiers.

&quot;Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready,&quot; General Mark Milley, chief of state of the Army, told the Associated Press.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Next year the military will start enlisting the transgender soldiers, so as long as they are able to maintain their status stable for 18 months.&nbsp;

Adding that the military is meticulously taking care of the medical services and other treatment provided to them, &nbsp;the director of an independant research institute, California-based Palm Center, said that they were monitoring the implementation carefully and that the military is fully committed to treating everybody equally.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

Emphasising that a lot of self-education is needed before the army fully accepts the change, Milley said that the department was moving too fast.&nbsp;

&quot;The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue &mdash; the answer is yes,&quot; Milley said. &quot;The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism &mdash; that&#39;s a horse of a different color. Frankly I asked for more time,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Following the request, US army is considering to step up efforts to educate forces to handle decisions on soldiers who want a gender change

Ten soldiers of the United States military have officially asked to be recognised as transgenders—a few weeks after the Pentagon allowed transgender men and women to serve openly in the military. The soldiers, however, have just asked to be recognised as transgenders without mentioning anything about considering gender transitioning. The Pentagon allows soldiers to recieve medical care and undergo gender change too. The US army is now considering to step up efforts to educate the forces to handle decisions regarding soldiers who request a gender change, so that equal treatment is meted out to the transgender soldiers. "Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready," General Mark Milley, chief of state of the Army, told the Associated Press. "We're well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect," he added. Next year the military will start enlisting the transgender soldiers, so as long as they are able to maintain their status stable for 18 months. Adding that the military is meticulously taking care of the medical services and other treatment provided to them, the director of an independant research institute, California-based Palm Center, said that they were monitoring the implementation carefully and that the military is fully committed to treating everybody equally. "My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully,” he added. Emphasising that a lot of self-education is needed before the army fully accepts the change, Milley said that the department was moving too fast. "The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue — the answer is yes," Milley said. "The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism — that's a horse of a different color. Frankly I asked for more time,” he said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Ten transgender soldiers ask for first official army recognition

The Islamic State confirmed the death of its propaganda chief on Monday, who the Pentagon said was killed in a US-led air strike in Syria&rsquo;s Raqqa last month.

The jihadist group posted an online statement paying tribute to Wa&rsquo;il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Furqan.

The statement referred to him by his alias and did not disclose the details of his death, Reuters reported.

The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed al-Fayad.

According to Pentagon, he was minister of information, overseeing IS&rsquo;s propaganda, and a key member of its leadership group. The IS statement referred to al-Fayad as head of its media arm.

al-Fayad was targeted &nbsp;while he was on a motorcycle outside his house, the Pentagon had said, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed Wa'il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad

The Islamic State confirmed the death of its propaganda chief on Monday, who the Pentagon said was killed in a US-led air strike in Syria’s Raqqa last month. The jihadist group posted an online statement paying tribute to Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Furqan. The statement referred to him by his alias and did not disclose the details of his death, Reuters reported. The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed al-Fayad. According to Pentagon, he was minister of information, overseeing IS’s propaganda, and a key member of its leadership group. The IS statement referred to al-Fayad as head of its media arm. al-Fayad was targeted while he was on a motorcycle outside his house, the Pentagon had said, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

IS confirms death of propaganda chief

The Islamic State is likely to mustard gas as the Iraqi forces advance to re-take Mosul, IS group&#39;s last main stronghold in Iraq, a Pentagon spokeman said on Monday. 
 
&quot;We can fully expect that as this road towards Mosul progresses, ISIL is likely to try to use it again,&quot; Jeff Davis was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Davis said that IS&#39;s ability to weaponise mustard agent has been rudimentary. Their mustard gas is typically a powder bound together with tar. The gas is more of an irritant than lethal, Davis said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not generally in a lethal concentration. It&#39;s more of an irritant than anything else, but again, not something we view as militarily significant,&quot; he said, noting that the gas form of mustard agent used in the First World War was far more lethal, Reuters reported. 
 
&quot;We recognise this is real. They&#39;re dead set on it. They would love to be able to use chemical weapons against us, against the Iraqis as they move forward. We are making every effort to make sure that we&#39;re ready for it.&quot; 
 
Davis added that Iraqi soldiers have been given training and have practiced to be in a situation of exposure to the IS chemical weapon. The United states has provided more than 50,000 gas masks to the Iraqi forces, he said. 
 
&quot;We want to make sure that the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters) have the ability to detect this and to defend against it,&quot; Davis said. 
 
A rocket was launched, with a possible chemical agent, against US soldiers at a base near Qayyarah, a northern town in Iraq. The Pentagon suspects that the IS group used mustard gas in the attack last week. 
 
Hundreds of US troops are working to prepare an airfield for an Iraqi offensive to recapture the city of Mosul neat the base, Reuters reported. 
 
Iraqi security forces, backed by US-led coalition air power, are in the final weeks of preparing operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, according to AFP.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

According to the spokesman, the IS group's mustard gas is 'not generally in a lethal concentration' but more of an irritant

The Islamic State is likely to mustard gas as the Iraqi forces advance to re-take Mosul, IS group's last main stronghold in Iraq, a Pentagon spokeman said on Monday. "We can fully expect that as this road towards Mosul progresses, ISIL is likely to try to use it again," Jeff Davis was quoted as saying by AFP. Davis said that IS's ability to weaponise mustard agent has been rudimentary. Their mustard gas is typically a powder bound together with tar. The gas is more of an irritant than lethal, Davis said. "It's not generally in a lethal concentration. It's more of an irritant than anything else, but again, not something we view as militarily significant," he said, noting that the gas form of mustard agent used in the First World War was far more lethal, Reuters reported. "We recognise this is real. They're dead set on it. They would love to be able to use chemical weapons against us, against the Iraqis as they move forward. We are making every effort to make sure that we're ready for it." Davis added that Iraqi soldiers have been given training and have practiced to be in a situation of exposure to the IS chemical weapon. The United states has provided more than 50,000 gas masks to the Iraqi forces, he said. "We want to make sure that the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters) have the ability to detect this and to defend against it," Davis said. A rocket was launched, with a possible chemical agent, against US soldiers at a base near Qayyarah, a northern town in Iraq. The Pentagon suspects that the IS group used mustard gas in the attack last week. Hundreds of US troops are working to prepare an airfield for an Iraqi offensive to recapture the city of Mosul neat the base, Reuters reported. Iraqi security forces, backed by US-led coalition air power, are in the final weeks of preparing operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, according to AFP. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pentagon: Islamic State could use mustard gas to defend Mosul

The Pentagon has admitted that US-led coalition aircraft hit a Syrian army position&nbsp;in the east of the country on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
Syrian state media reported the raid near the Deir Ezzor airport around 1700 hours local time.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Warplanes from the American coalition hit one of the Syrian army&#39;s positions... near the Deir Ezzor airport,&quot; the statement said. 
 
A Pentagon statement said, &quot;Coalition forces believed they were striking an Islamic State fighting position.&quot; 
 
&quot;The coalition air strike was halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military,&quot; the statement read. 
 
The monitoring group in the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 83 soldiers were killed in the raids on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport. 
 
The coalition strikes are believed to have hit two hilltops near the airport.&nbsp; 
 
A Syrian military source also claimed rounds were fired at the wounded soldiers and paramedics from the planes.&nbsp; 
 
The raids have allowed the Islamic State militant group to advance on government troops in the region.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is a dangerous and bold attack against the Syrian state and army, and clear evidence that the United States and its allies support the terrorist group Islamic State,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. 
 
The militant group on Saturday afternoon claimed it had seized full control of Jabal Therdeh, which overlooks the Deir Ezzor airport.&nbsp; 
 
Syria&#39;s biggest ally, Russia, said 62 Syrian soldiers were killed and at least 100 more wounded in strikes by &quot;warplanes from the international coalition&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Russia has cast doubt over the prospects of the ceasefire negotiated with the United States. Under the fragile deal which into force on Monday, the fighting is to be halted on all fronts.&nbsp; 
 
But Moscow raised questions over Washington&#39;s commitment to the deal and said the situation had worsened.&nbsp; 
 
Moscow and Washington are to begin joint military operations against Islamic State in Syria, as the next step in the ceasefire deal, provided it holds for a week.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raid killed at least 83 soldiers

The Pentagon has admitted that US-led coalition aircraft hit a Syrian army position in the east of the country on Saturday. Syrian state media reported the raid near the Deir Ezzor airport around 1700 hours local time. "Warplanes from the American coalition hit one of the Syrian army's positions... near the Deir Ezzor airport," the statement said. A Pentagon statement said, "Coalition forces believed they were striking an Islamic State fighting position." "The coalition air strike was halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military," the statement read. The monitoring group in the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 83 soldiers were killed in the raids on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport. The coalition strikes are believed to have hit two hilltops near the airport. A Syrian military source also claimed rounds were fired at the wounded soldiers and paramedics from the planes. The raids have allowed the Islamic State militant group to advance on government troops in the region. "This is a dangerous and bold attack against the Syrian state and army, and clear evidence that the United States and its allies support the terrorist group Islamic State," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The militant group on Saturday afternoon claimed it had seized full control of Jabal Therdeh, which overlooks the Deir Ezzor airport. Syria's biggest ally, Russia, said 62 Syrian soldiers were killed and at least 100 more wounded in strikes by "warplanes from the international coalition". Russia has cast doubt over the prospects of the ceasefire negotiated with the United States. Under the fragile deal which into force on Monday, the fighting is to be halted on all fronts. But Moscow raised questions over Washington's commitment to the deal and said the situation had worsened. Moscow and Washington are to begin joint military operations against Islamic State in Syria, as the next step in the ceasefire deal, provided it holds for a week. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US air raid hits Syrian government troops, allow IS militants to advance

US President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to embrace the nation&#39;s diversity and not to allow &quot;terrorists&quot; to divide the country. 
 
Extremist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group &quot;know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America,&quot; Obama said at a memorial service at the Pentagon, one of the sites attacked on September 11, 2001. 
 
&quot;So instead they try to terrorise, in the hopes that they can stoke enough fear that we turn on each other,&quot; said Obama, who observed a moment of silence on Sunday at the Oval Office in honor of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. 
 
&quot;And that&#39;s why it is so important today that we reaffirm our character as a nation (...) Our diversity, our patchwork heritage, is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to.&quot; 
 
In an indirect reference to the controversial anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Obama recalled that Americans were &quot;a people drawn from every corner of the world, every color, every religion, every background.&quot; 
 
Obama, who is a Democrat, has repeatedly criticised Trump&#39;s statements, including the billionaire&#39;s proposal in the wake of last December&#39;s mass shooting attack in San Bernardino, California to ban Muslims from entering the United States. 
 
In the 15 years since the Al-Qaeda suicide plane strikes on the Pentagon, New York&#39;s World Trade Center, and in Pennsylvania, &quot;the threat has evolved,&quot; the president said. 
 
&quot;With our stronger defenses, terrorists often attempt attacks on a smaller but still deadly scale,&quot; he added, recalling the Boston marathon bombings, the nightclub massacre in Orlando in June and the carnage in San Bernardino. 
 
(AFP)

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State 'know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America,' he said

US President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to embrace the nation's diversity and not to allow "terrorists" to divide the country. Extremist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group "know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America," Obama said at a memorial service at the Pentagon, one of the sites attacked on September 11, 2001. "So instead they try to terrorise, in the hopes that they can stoke enough fear that we turn on each other," said Obama, who observed a moment of silence on Sunday at the Oval Office in honor of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. "And that's why it is so important today that we reaffirm our character as a nation (...) Our diversity, our patchwork heritage, is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths," he added. "This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to." In an indirect reference to the controversial anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Obama recalled that Americans were "a people drawn from every corner of the world, every color, every religion, every background." Obama, who is a Democrat, has repeatedly criticised Trump's statements, including the billionaire's proposal in the wake of last December's mass shooting attack in San Bernardino, California to ban Muslims from entering the United States. In the 15 years since the Al-Qaeda suicide plane strikes on the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center, and in Pennsylvania, "the threat has evolved," the president said. "With our stronger defenses, terrorists often attempt attacks on a smaller but still deadly scale," he added, recalling the Boston marathon bombings, the nightclub massacre in Orlando in June and the carnage in San Bernardino. (AFP)

Obama on 9/11: Diversity one of America's 'greatest strengths'

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. 
 
&quot;We are closely monitoring reports in (sic)&nbsp;Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces),&quot; said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.&nbsp; 
 
Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria&nbsp;lost their men. 
 
&quot;We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern,&quot; the spokesman further said. 
 
The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. 
 
The United States&nbsp;&quot;was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them,&quot; the spokesman&nbsp;added. 
 
Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. 
 
The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People&#39;s Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. 
 
That is because the YPG&nbsp;is an offshoot of the&nbsp;Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The recent escalation of war in North Syria between the two forces has prompted the Pentagon to intervene

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. "We are closely monitoring reports in (sic) Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces)," said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria lost their men. "We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern," the spokesman further said. The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. The United States "was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them," the spokesman added. Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People's Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. That is because the YPG is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US urges warring Turkey and Kurdish forces to show restraint

The Pentagon has dropped a claim against a former Navy SEAL who wrote about his experiences in the US raid that killed&nbsp;Osama bin Laden, after he agreed to forfeit earnings from the book, his lawyer said on Friday.

Matt Bissonnette, who in 2012 published a book about his role in the raid titled &quot;No Easy Day,&quot; has finalized a settlement with the US government, Robert Luskin confirmed.

&quot;Mr Bissonnette has agreed to pay the United States all of his past and future proceeds from the publication of &#39;No Easy Day&quot;, Department of Justice spokesperson Nicole Navas said earlier in a statement.

Bissonnette will pay the US government some $6.8 million in book royalties and speaking fees, Luskin said.

The Obama administration had filed a claim against Bissonnette for publishing the book without Pentagon approval and violating non-disclosure agreements.

&quot;After the initial accusations of me leaking all that classified stuff... they found nothing,&quot; Bissonnette told the Daily Beast.

&quot;They were just upset with me and wanted to get me one way or another,&quot; he added. &quot;For four years, they looked into every little thing. Now... one signature and it all goes away.&quot;

The US government had been accused of a double standard for targeting Bissonnette after US officials described the&nbsp;Bin&nbsp;Laden&nbsp;raid in great detail to Mark Boal, the screenwriter for &quot;Zero Dark Thirty&quot;, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. 
 
SEALs and other commando units are shrouded in secrecy and, traditionally at least, the special operators have frowned upon talking publicly about past missions. 
 
(AFP)

This comes after US government had filed a claim against the author for publishing the book without getting Pentagon's approval

The Pentagon has dropped a claim against a former Navy SEAL who wrote about his experiences in the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, after he agreed to forfeit earnings from the book, his lawyer said on Friday. Matt Bissonnette, who in 2012 published a book about his role in the raid titled "No Easy Day," has finalized a settlement with the US government, Robert Luskin confirmed. "Mr Bissonnette has agreed to pay the United States all of his past and future proceeds from the publication of 'No Easy Day", Department of Justice spokesperson Nicole Navas said earlier in a statement. Bissonnette will pay the US government some $6.8 million in book royalties and speaking fees, Luskin said. The Obama administration had filed a claim against Bissonnette for publishing the book without Pentagon approval and violating non-disclosure agreements. "After the initial accusations of me leaking all that classified stuff... they found nothing," Bissonnette told the Daily Beast. "They were just upset with me and wanted to get me one way or another," he added. "For four years, they looked into every little thing. Now... one signature and it all goes away." The US government had been accused of a double standard for targeting Bissonnette after US officials described the Bin Laden raid in great detail to Mark Boal, the screenwriter for "Zero Dark Thirty", directed by Kathryn Bigelow. SEALs and other commando units are shrouded in secrecy and, traditionally at least, the special operators have frowned upon talking publicly about past missions. (AFP)

Bin Laden raid author to forfeit close to $7m from book earnings

The US-led coalition scrambled fighters to protect US advisers working with Kurdish forces after Syrian regime jets bombed the area, in the latest escalation of Syria&#39;s bloody conflict, the Pentagon said Friday. 
 
The air strikes took place on Thursday, conducted by two Syrian SU-24 attack planes targeting Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers around the northeastern city of Hasakeh, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. 
 
The coalition scrambled its own jets to the area in a bid to intercept the Syrian jets, but the regime planes had left by the time they arrived. 
 
&quot;This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces,&quot; Davis said. 
 
&quot;We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk... We view instances that place the coalition at risk with utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense.&quot; 
 
But the warning appeared to fall on deaf ears. Two Syrian regime warplanes attempted to fly to the area again on Friday, but were met by coalition aircraft, a US defense official said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The presence of the coalition aircraft encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace without further incident,&quot; he said. &quot;No weapons were fired by the coalition fighters.&quot; 
 
As soon as Thursday&#39;s strike began, ground forces tried to hail pilots via radio but to no avail. 
 
US forces then contacted Russia, which has been bombing parts of Syria for nearly a year in support of President Bashar al-Assad, but 
Russian military officials said the planes were Syrian. 
 
&quot;This is very unusual, we have not seen the regime take this type of action against YPG before,&quot; Davis said, using the initials of the US-supported Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria. 
 
No coalition injuries were reported in Thursday&#39;s strike. US forces were moved from the area and are in a safe location, Davis said without elaborating. 
 
The coalition is now conducting additional combat air patrols in the region, he added. 
 
The Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units, or YPG, are a key US ally in the fight against the IS group. 
 
Washington regards them as the most effective fighting force on the ground in Syria and has provided weapons and special forces military advisers. 
 
More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in March 2011. 
 
(AFP)

In an unprecedented move, Syrian regime jets on Thursday targeted Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers

The US-led coalition scrambled fighters to protect US advisers working with Kurdish forces after Syrian regime jets bombed the area, in the latest escalation of Syria's bloody conflict, the Pentagon said Friday. The air strikes took place on Thursday, conducted by two Syrian SU-24 attack planes targeting Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers around the northeastern city of Hasakeh, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. The coalition scrambled its own jets to the area in a bid to intercept the Syrian jets, but the regime planes had left by the time they arrived. "This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces," Davis said. "We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk... We view instances that place the coalition at risk with utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense." But the warning appeared to fall on deaf ears. Two Syrian regime warplanes attempted to fly to the area again on Friday, but were met by coalition aircraft, a US defense official said in a statement. "The presence of the coalition aircraft encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace without further incident," he said. "No weapons were fired by the coalition fighters." As soon as Thursday's strike began, ground forces tried to hail pilots via radio but to no avail. US forces then contacted Russia, which has been bombing parts of Syria for nearly a year in support of President Bashar al-Assad, but Russian military officials said the planes were Syrian. "This is very unusual, we have not seen the regime take this type of action against YPG before," Davis said, using the initials of the US-supported Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria. No coalition injuries were reported in Thursday's strike. US forces were moved from the area and are in a safe location, Davis said without elaborating. The coalition is now conducting additional combat air patrols in the region, he added. The Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, are a key US ally in the fight against the IS group. Washington regards them as the most effective fighting force on the ground in Syria and has provided weapons and special forces military advisers. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in March 2011. (AFP)

US sent jets to Syria to protect its Kurdish advisers: Pentagon

The killing of the Islamic State group&#39;s leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the jihadists, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said today.&nbsp; 
 
Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years. 
 
The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group&#39;s efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
&quot;The killing of IS leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership,&quot; Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP. 
 
&quot;But the IS threat in the region is still far from over.&quot; 
 
The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shiite Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001. 
 
The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings. 
 
But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. 
 
The US military says the group&#39;s nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January. 
 
But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region. 
 
IS-Taliban alliance? 
 
&quot;The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning,&quot; a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP. 
 
&quot;But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased,&quot; he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS. 
 
Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces. 
 
&quot;The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government,&quot; said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by Afghan troops. 
 
&quot;Once government forces leave, we fear Daesh will return and resume their operations,&quot; he added. 
 
An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance, but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS. 
 
The Taliban, who have themselves often been accused of savagery during their 15-year insurgency, have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS&#39;s reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war. 
 
The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar. 
 
The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed. 
 
Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border. 
 
News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday

The killing of the Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the jihadists, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said today. Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years. The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group's efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The killing of IS leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership," Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP. "But the IS threat in the region is still far from over." The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shiite Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001. The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings. But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. The US military says the group's nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January. But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region. IS-Taliban alliance? "The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning," a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP. "But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces. "The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government," said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by Afghan troops. "Once government forces leave, we fear Daesh will return and resume their operations," he added. An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance, but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS. The Taliban, who have themselves often been accused of savagery during their 15-year insurgency, have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS's reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war. The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar. The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed. Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border. News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May. (AFP)

Islamic State threat in Afghanistan 'far from over' despite leader's death

The Pentagon will not pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after US secretary of defence Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a US official said. 
 
Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US&nbsp;officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad&#39;s unwillingness to act against Islamist groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. 
 
&quot;The funds could not be released to the government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday. 
 
The $300 million comes under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US defence department programme to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient. 
 
&quot;This decision does not reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over the last two years,&quot; Stump said. 
 
According to Pentagon data, about $14 billion has already been paid to Pakistan under the CSF since 2002. 
 
The decision by the Pentagon is a sign that while it sees some progress by Pakistan in its military operations in North Waziristan, much work remains. 
 
Pakistan rejects harboring militants but says there are limits to how much it can do as it is already fighting multiple Islamist groups and is wary of a &quot;blowback&quot; in the form of more militant attacks on its soil. 
 
&quot;Pakistan does not draw any distinction between any terrorists and we have taken up the fight against terrorism and the terrorist elements within Pakistan,&quot; foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria told reporters in Islamabad on Thursday. 
 
&quot;These reimbursements enable the United States to support Pakistan&#39;s ongoing counterterrorism efforts in a manner that serves shared interests of both the countries.&quot; 
 
Relations between the United States and Pakistan were tested in May by a US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil. 
 
There has been growing resistance in the US Congress to sending money to Pakistan. Many lawmakers have expressed concern about its nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organisations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process. 
 
In March, Republican senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar any US funding for Islamabad&#39;s purchase of $700 million of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter jets. 
 
(Reuters)

US secretary of defence Ash Carter is not yet convinced that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network

The Pentagon will not pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after US secretary of defence Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a US official said. Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with US officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad's unwillingness to act against Islamist groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. "The funds could not be released to the government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday. The $300 million comes under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US defence department programme to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient. "This decision does not reduce the significance of the sacrifices that the Pakistani military has undertaken over the last two years," Stump said. According to Pentagon data, about $14 billion has already been paid to Pakistan under the CSF since 2002. The decision by the Pentagon is a sign that while it sees some progress by Pakistan in its military operations in North Waziristan, much work remains. Pakistan rejects harboring militants but says there are limits to how much it can do as it is already fighting multiple Islamist groups and is wary of a "blowback" in the form of more militant attacks on its soil. "Pakistan does not draw any distinction between any terrorists and we have taken up the fight against terrorism and the terrorist elements within Pakistan," foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria told reporters in Islamabad on Thursday. "These reimbursements enable the United States to support Pakistan's ongoing counterterrorism efforts in a manner that serves shared interests of both the countries." Relations between the United States and Pakistan were tested in May by a US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil. There has been growing resistance in the US Congress to sending money to Pakistan. Many lawmakers have expressed concern about its nuclear program, commitment to fighting terrorist organisations and cooperation in the Afghanistan peace process. In March, Republican senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar any US funding for Islamabad's purchase of $700 million of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter jets. (Reuters)

Pentagon not to pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements

China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, Beijing&#39;s defence ministry said today, after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant`s extensive claims in the area. 
 
The drills will be carried out in the &quot;relevant sea and air of the South China Sea&quot;, defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a monthly briefing. 
 
With international diplomatic tensions mounting and Washington regularly sending warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation, the move could see vessels from several of the world&#39;s most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time. 
 
The drills aim to &quot;consolidate and develop&quot; China and Russia&#39;s comprehensive strategic partnership, and &quot;enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats&quot; Yang said. 
 
The announcement comes after a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that there was &quot;no legal basis&quot; to Beijing`s claims in the South China Sea, embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; dating from Chinese maps of the 1940s and extending almost to the coasts of other countries, which have competing claims. 
 
China has built a series of artificial islands on rocks and reefs in the area hosting facilities capable of supporting military operations, widely seen as an attempt to bolster its control of the waters. 
 
The tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Philippine infuriated Beijing, which rejected it as &quot;waste paper&quot; and reiterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone controlling flights over the area.&nbsp; 
 
 
&#39;September&#39;s exercise does not target any party&#39; 
 
China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship. 
 
The two sides hold joint drills regularly &quot;on land and sea&quot;, Yang said, which &quot;contribute to peace and stability.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
September&#39;s exercise was &quot;routine&quot; and &quot;does not target any third party&quot;, he added. 
 
Last August, the two powers who were allies then rivals during the Soviet era carried out military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines. 
 
In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China`s farthest-ever drills from its home waters. 
 
Xi and Putin meet frequently and their countries, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often take similar stances there on divisive issues such as the conflict in Syria. 
 
Pentagon&#39;s &#39;freedom of navigation&#39; 
 
In response to Beijing&#39;s increased activity in the South China Sea, the US began a series of &quot;freedom of navigation&quot; operations in the area, sailing naval vessels within 12 nautical miles, the normal territorial limit around natural land of reefs in the region. 
 
The missions were widely seen as an attempt to push back against China&#39;s increasing assertiveness, although the Pentagon said they were also a warning to Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. 
 
On Monday, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Chinese officials in Beijing that the US intended to continue its patrols in the region, while the vice chairman of China`s Central Military Commission, Fan Changlong, warned that ties between the two powers could easily fray.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We should be honest with ourselves that deep down in this relationship we&#39;re still faced with obstacles and challenges,&quot; Fan said, adding that military ties had been &quot;impacted by some complicated and some sensitive factors&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Rice noted that &quot;risks of unintended consequences&quot; of the two countries` forces operating in ever-closer proximity had been reduced thanks to better communication and other confidence-building measures. 
 
(AFP)

The move could see vessels from several of the world's most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time

China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, Beijing's defence ministry said today, after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant`s extensive claims in the area. The drills will be carried out in the "relevant sea and air of the South China Sea", defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a monthly briefing. With international diplomatic tensions mounting and Washington regularly sending warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation, the move could see vessels from several of the world's most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time. The drills aim to "consolidate and develop" China and Russia's comprehensive strategic partnership, and "enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats" Yang said. The announcement comes after a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that there was "no legal basis" to Beijing`s claims in the South China Sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" dating from Chinese maps of the 1940s and extending almost to the coasts of other countries, which have competing claims. China has built a series of artificial islands on rocks and reefs in the area hosting facilities capable of supporting military operations, widely seen as an attempt to bolster its control of the waters. The tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Philippine infuriated Beijing, which rejected it as "waste paper" and reiterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone controlling flights over the area. 'September's exercise does not target any party' China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship. The two sides hold joint drills regularly "on land and sea", Yang said, which "contribute to peace and stability." September's exercise was "routine" and "does not target any third party", he added. Last August, the two powers who were allies then rivals during the Soviet era carried out military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines. In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China`s farthest-ever drills from its home waters. Xi and Putin meet frequently and their countries, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often take similar stances there on divisive issues such as the conflict in Syria. Pentagon's 'freedom of navigation' In response to Beijing's increased activity in the South China Sea, the US began a series of "freedom of navigation" operations in the area, sailing naval vessels within 12 nautical miles, the normal territorial limit around natural land of reefs in the region. The missions were widely seen as an attempt to push back against China's increasing assertiveness, although the Pentagon said they were also a warning to Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. On Monday, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Chinese officials in Beijing that the US intended to continue its patrols in the region, while the vice chairman of China`s Central Military Commission, Fan Changlong, warned that ties between the two powers could easily fray. "We should be honest with ourselves that deep down in this relationship we're still faced with obstacles and challenges," Fan said, adding that military ties had been "impacted by some complicated and some sensitive factors". Rice noted that "risks of unintended consequences" of the two countries` forces operating in ever-closer proximity had been reduced thanks to better communication and other confidence-building measures. (AFP)

China, Russia to hold joint exercises in South China Sea to deal with maritime threats: Beijing

A top Islamic State group commander, Omar al-Shishani, has been killed in Iraq, the jihadist-linked Amaq agency said on Wednesday. 
 
The Pentagon announced in March that Shishani, known as Omar the Chechen, was believed to have died of injuries received in an air raid targeting his convoy in northeastern Syria, details at odds with Amaq&#39;s account. 
 
Citing a &quot;military source&quot;, Amaq said Shishani was killed &quot;in the town of Sharqat as he took part in repelling the military campaign on the city of Mosul&quot;, referring to the last IS-held city in Iraq. 
 
Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for a final push to Mosul, the country&#39;s second city that fell to IS in June 2014. 
 
Sharqat lies on the road north to Mosul, but Iraqi forces recently bypassed the area to recapture a key military base in the Qayyarah area farther north that the Pentagon said will be a &quot;springboard&quot; for the push toward the city. 
 
Amaq did not specify when Shishani was killed, but the loss of the commander is a blow to the jihadist group, which has suffered a string of setbacks in Iraq this year.&nbsp;In addition to Shishani, the US announced that it had killed IS deputy leader Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli in March. 
 
Shishani, a fierce, battle-hardened warlord with roots in Georgia and a thick red beard, was one of the most notorious faces of IS.&nbsp;Shishani, whose nom de guerre means &quot;Omar the Chechen&quot;, was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which had put a $5 million bounty on his head. 
 
His exact rank was unclear, but a US official had branded him as &quot;equivalent of the secretary of defence&quot; for the jihadist group. 
Shishani came from the former Soviet state of Georgia&#39;s Pankisi Gorge region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Chechens. 
 
He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006, and fought Russian forces again in Georgia in 2008. 
 
He later resurfaced in northern Syria as the commander of a group of foreign fighters, and became a senior leader within IS. 
 
IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014 but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes, training and other assistance. 
 
Baghdad declared victory in the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, at the end of last month, leaving Mosul as the sole Iraqi city held by IS. 
 
The Sunni extremist group has responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, particularly Shiites, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
(AFP)

Omar al-Shishani was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which had a $5 million bounty on his head

A top Islamic State group commander, Omar al-Shishani, has been killed in Iraq, the jihadist-linked Amaq agency said on Wednesday. The Pentagon announced in March that Shishani, known as Omar the Chechen, was believed to have died of injuries received in an air raid targeting his convoy in northeastern Syria, details at odds with Amaq's account. Citing a "military source", Amaq said Shishani was killed "in the town of Sharqat as he took part in repelling the military campaign on the city of Mosul", referring to the last IS-held city in Iraq. Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for a final push to Mosul, the country's second city that fell to IS in June 2014. Sharqat lies on the road north to Mosul, but Iraqi forces recently bypassed the area to recapture a key military base in the Qayyarah area farther north that the Pentagon said will be a "springboard" for the push toward the city. Amaq did not specify when Shishani was killed, but the loss of the commander is a blow to the jihadist group, which has suffered a string of setbacks in Iraq this year. In addition to Shishani, the US announced that it had killed IS deputy leader Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli in March. Shishani, a fierce, battle-hardened warlord with roots in Georgia and a thick red beard, was one of the most notorious faces of IS. Shishani, whose nom de guerre means "Omar the Chechen", was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which had put a $5 million bounty on his head. His exact rank was unclear, but a US official had branded him as "equivalent of the secretary of defence" for the jihadist group. Shishani came from the former Soviet state of Georgia's Pankisi Gorge region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Chechens. He fought as a Chechen rebel against Russian forces before joining the Georgian military in 2006, and fought Russian forces again in Georgia in 2008. He later resurfaced in northern Syria as the commander of a group of foreign fighters, and became a senior leader within IS. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014 but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes, training and other assistance. Baghdad declared victory in the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, at the end of last month, leaving Mosul as the sole Iraqi city held by IS. The Sunni extremist group has responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, particularly Shiites, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

Top Islamic State commander Shishani killed

The senior US commander in Afghanistan will have greater freedom to strike at the Taliban under broad new powers approved last month by President Barack Obama, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said today. 
 
Carter, on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, said the powers granted to General John Nicholson would allow &quot;much more efficient use and effective use of the forces we have here as well as the Afghan forces.&quot; 
 
Under the authorities previously granted to Nicholson, who commands both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate US counter-terrorism mission, his forces could generally only intervene against the Taliban when Afghan government troops requested emergency assistance. 
 
&quot;It obviously, to me, makes a lot more sense to be doing it the way we&#39;re doing it now,&quot; Carter said at a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. 
 
Afghan forces seek combat assistance&nbsp; 
 
Carter&#39;s visit comes days after Obama shelved plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year&rsquo;s end, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there through to the end of his presidency in January. 
 
Afghan forces, fighting largely on their own since the NATO-led force ended most combat operations in 2014, have frequently asked for more combat assistance from their allies, particularly for close air strikes. 
 
US forces have already used the broader authority granted to their commanders to conduct air strikes against Taliban targets in southern Afghanistan. 
 
Carter, who met both Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah as well as senior U.S. military commanders, said it was &quot;critical&quot; that the national unity government formed after disputed elections in 2014 maintained stability. 
 
Ghani thanked the United States as well as other NATO allies who last week pledged to maintain support for Afghanistan. He also praised Afghan forces, who he said had been &quot;standing tall&quot; since the departure of foreign combat forces. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

New powers granted to US commander would allow "much more efficient use" of US troops, Afghan forces, said Ash Carter

The senior US commander in Afghanistan will have greater freedom to strike at the Taliban under broad new powers approved last month by President Barack Obama, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said today. Carter, on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, said the powers granted to General John Nicholson would allow "much more efficient use and effective use of the forces we have here as well as the Afghan forces." Under the authorities previously granted to Nicholson, who commands both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate US counter-terrorism mission, his forces could generally only intervene against the Taliban when Afghan government troops requested emergency assistance. "It obviously, to me, makes a lot more sense to be doing it the way we're doing it now," Carter said at a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Afghan forces seek combat assistance Carter's visit comes days after Obama shelved plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year’s end, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there through to the end of his presidency in January. Afghan forces, fighting largely on their own since the NATO-led force ended most combat operations in 2014, have frequently asked for more combat assistance from their allies, particularly for close air strikes. US forces have already used the broader authority granted to their commanders to conduct air strikes against Taliban targets in southern Afghanistan. Carter, who met both Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah as well as senior U.S. military commanders, said it was "critical" that the national unity government formed after disputed elections in 2014 maintained stability. Ghani thanked the United States as well as other NATO allies who last week pledged to maintain support for Afghanistan. He also praised Afghan forces, who he said had been "standing tall" since the departure of foreign combat forces. (Reuters)

US troops in Afghanistan can now strike Taliban more easily: Pentagon Chief

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter held taks in Baghdad today over the fight against the Islamic State group and the strategy to recapture Iraq&#39;s second city Mosul from the jihadists. 
 
Carter met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi, two days after Iraq announced the recapture of a base south of Mosul seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city. 
 
Carter&#39;s unannounced visit is&nbsp;his fourth to Iraq since beginning his job in February 2015, which&nbsp;comes two days after Iraqi forces captured an airbase to the south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the country&#39;s second city, which has been under IS control since June 2014. 
 
IS losing ground in Syria, Iraq; Carter wants to highlight successes&nbsp; 
 
IS also holds territory in neighbouring Syria, but has lost significant ground in both countries, and Carter wants to highlight successes, even as the jihadists have struck back with devastating attacks in Iraq and abroad. 
 
The Sunni extremists have carried out bloody attacks against civilians as they lose ground, including a bombing in Baghdad that killed 292 people this month, one of the deadliest to ever hit the country. 
 
&quot;Let me begin... by expressing the condolences of myself and the United States for the terrorist attacks against the people of Iraq in recent weeks,&quot; Carter told Abadi. 
 
&quot;You have our sympathy but also it further strengthens our resolve to help in the defeat of (IS), which all of our societies need because all of our societies are subject to attacks.&quot;&quot;I also want to congratulate you on the string of successes that the Iraqi security forces have had,&quot; said Carter. 
 
The Qayyarah airbase, which Abadi announced Saturday had been recaptured, is located 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul and can serve as a launchpad for future operations to recapture the city. 
 
&#39;Ultimate goal is recapture of Iraqi territory&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Ahead of his meetings, Carter told journalists that he would discuss the next moves in the war against the jihadists. 
 
&quot;What I&#39;ll be discussing with Prime Minister Abadi and our commanders there are the next plays in the campaign, which involve the collapse and control over Mosul,&quot; Carter said aboard a military plane. 
 
The ultimate goal, he added, was &quot;the recapture of all of Iraqi territory by the Iraqi security forces, but of course Mosul is the biggest part of that.&quot; 
 
US defence officials say the campaign`s first &quot;10 plays&quot; have been successfully completed in the US-led counter-IS campaign in Iraq and Syria. 
 
These steps include the recapture of several important areas across the two countries, including Ramadi in Iraq and Al-Shadadi, a town in northeastern Syria previously considered a strategic IS stronghold.&nbsp; 
 
Pentagon has announced a series a measures to speed up war&nbsp; 
 
Carter and President Barack Obama have been criticised for the pace of the campaign, which began in autumn 2014 and got off to a slow start, particularly in war-torn Syria, where the United States had few assets on the ground to provide targeting information.The Pentagon has announced a series of measures to speed up the war, including a revised mission to train anti-IS rebels in northern Syria and extra advisers for Iraqi forces. 
 
Coupled with coalition air support, the results have seen the IS group losing roughly half its territory in Iraq and about 20 percent of its Syria claim, the Pentagon said. 
 
But the jihadists have struck back against civilians as they lost ground. 
 
On July 3, IS carried out the devastating bombing targeting shoppers in Baghdad that killed 292, many of whom were burned alive, sparking widespread anger among Iraqis, some of whom have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them. 
 
Four days later, the jihadists struck a Shiite shrine north the capital, leaving another 40 dead. 
 
Carter was also to meet with US troops, of whom there are now about 4,000 in Iraq, mainly to train local forces. 
 
The Pentagon chief will also phone Massud Barzani, the de facto president of Iraq`s Kurdistan region. 
 
The United States has pledged $415 million to help Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they join the fight for Mosul, moving in from the north. 
 
 
(AFP)

Ashton Carter's visit come 2 days after Iraq announced recapture of a base south of Mosul, seen as an important step

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter held taks in Baghdad today over the fight against the Islamic State group and the strategy to recapture Iraq's second city Mosul from the jihadists. Carter met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi, two days after Iraq announced the recapture of a base south of Mosul seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city. Carter's unannounced visit is his fourth to Iraq since beginning his job in February 2015, which comes two days after Iraqi forces captured an airbase to the south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the country's second city, which has been under IS control since June 2014. IS losing ground in Syria, Iraq; Carter wants to highlight successes IS also holds territory in neighbouring Syria, but has lost significant ground in both countries, and Carter wants to highlight successes, even as the jihadists have struck back with devastating attacks in Iraq and abroad. The Sunni extremists have carried out bloody attacks against civilians as they lose ground, including a bombing in Baghdad that killed 292 people this month, one of the deadliest to ever hit the country. "Let me begin... by expressing the condolences of myself and the United States for the terrorist attacks against the people of Iraq in recent weeks," Carter told Abadi. "You have our sympathy but also it further strengthens our resolve to help in the defeat of (IS), which all of our societies need because all of our societies are subject to attacks.""I also want to congratulate you on the string of successes that the Iraqi security forces have had," said Carter. The Qayyarah airbase, which Abadi announced Saturday had been recaptured, is located 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul and can serve as a launchpad for future operations to recapture the city. 'Ultimate goal is recapture of Iraqi territory' Ahead of his meetings, Carter told journalists that he would discuss the next moves in the war against the jihadists. "What I'll be discussing with Prime Minister Abadi and our commanders there are the next plays in the campaign, which involve the collapse and control over Mosul," Carter said aboard a military plane. The ultimate goal, he added, was "the recapture of all of Iraqi territory by the Iraqi security forces, but of course Mosul is the biggest part of that." US defence officials say the campaign`s first "10 plays" have been successfully completed in the US-led counter-IS campaign in Iraq and Syria. These steps include the recapture of several important areas across the two countries, including Ramadi in Iraq and Al-Shadadi, a town in northeastern Syria previously considered a strategic IS stronghold. Pentagon has announced a series a measures to speed up war Carter and President Barack Obama have been criticised for the pace of the campaign, which began in autumn 2014 and got off to a slow start, particularly in war-torn Syria, where the United States had few assets on the ground to provide targeting information.The Pentagon has announced a series of measures to speed up the war, including a revised mission to train anti-IS rebels in northern Syria and extra advisers for Iraqi forces. Coupled with coalition air support, the results have seen the IS group losing roughly half its territory in Iraq and about 20 percent of its Syria claim, the Pentagon said. But the jihadists have struck back against civilians as they lost ground. On July 3, IS carried out the devastating bombing targeting shoppers in Baghdad that killed 292, many of whom were burned alive, sparking widespread anger among Iraqis, some of whom have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them. Four days later, the jihadists struck a Shiite shrine north the capital, leaving another 40 dead. Carter was also to meet with US troops, of whom there are now about 4,000 in Iraq, mainly to train local forces. The Pentagon chief will also phone Massud Barzani, the de facto president of Iraq`s Kurdistan region. The United States has pledged $415 million to help Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they join the fight for Mosul, moving in from the north. (AFP)

Pentagon chief visits Baghdad to step up fight against Islamic State

A coalition air strike near the Islamic State bastion of Mosul in Iraq has killed two of the jihadist group&#39;s senior military leaders, the Pentagon said on Friday. 
 
&quot;Coalition forces conducted an air strike against two ISIL senior military commanders on June 25 near Mosul, Iraq, resulting in their deaths,&quot; Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the IS group. 
 
&quot;The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, ISIL&#39;s deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an ISIL military commander in Mosul.&quot; 
 
Cook said al-Bajari was a former Al-Qaeda member who joined the IS group and oversaw the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul. 
 
He &quot;also led the ISIL Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion known for using vehicle-borne IEDs (homemade bombs), suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks.&quot; 
 
Al-Hamduni was a military commander in Mosul and the head of military police in the region, Cook said. 
 
Mosul is Iraq&#39;s second-largest city and became the IS group&#39;s de facto Iraq capital. 
 
Iraqi security forces have in recent weeks made significant progress against the IS group, including the recapture of the city of Fallujah this month. 
 
Attention is now shifting to Mosul, where a battle to liberate the city is expected to unfold in the coming months. 
 
&quot;Removing these terrorist leaders from the battlefield shapes the environment for Iraqi forces to ultimately liberate Mosul with support from the international coalition,&quot; Cook said. 
 
(AFP)

Pentagon press secretary announced the death of IS's deputy minister of war and an IS military commander in Mosul on Friday

A coalition air strike near the Islamic State bastion of Mosul in Iraq has killed two of the jihadist group's senior military leaders, the Pentagon said on Friday. "Coalition forces conducted an air strike against two ISIL senior military commanders on June 25 near Mosul, Iraq, resulting in their deaths," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the IS group. "The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, ISIL's deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an ISIL military commander in Mosul." Cook said al-Bajari was a former Al-Qaeda member who joined the IS group and oversaw the June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul. He "also led the ISIL Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion known for using vehicle-borne IEDs (homemade bombs), suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks." Al-Hamduni was a military commander in Mosul and the head of military police in the region, Cook said. Mosul is Iraq's second-largest city and became the IS group's de facto Iraq capital. Iraqi security forces have in recent weeks made significant progress against the IS group, including the recapture of the city of Fallujah this month. Attention is now shifting to Mosul, where a battle to liberate the city is expected to unfold in the coming months. "Removing these terrorist leaders from the battlefield shapes the environment for Iraqi forces to ultimately liberate Mosul with support from the international coalition," Cook said. (AFP)

Two IS military leaders killed in Iraq air strike

The Pentagon today ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the US military, formally removing the risk to an estimated thousands of US troops who once could have been kicked out of the armed forces due to gender identity. 
 
The repeal, which ends one of the last barriers to serving in the military, comes after a 2011 decision to end the US military&#39;s ban on openly gay and lesbian people serving, despite concerns - which proved unfounded - that such a move could be too great a burden in wartime and would undermine battle readiness. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re eliminating policies that can result in transgender members being treated differently from their peers based solely upon their gender identity rather than upon their ability to serve,&quot; defence secretary Ash Carter told reporters. 
 
Carter said that within 90 days, the Pentagon would create a guide book for commanders on how to lead transgender service members and medical guidance to doctors. 
 
Within one year, transgender individuals would be allowed to join the armed forces, he said. 
 
Carter said that based on a study carried out by the Rand Corporation, there were about 2,500 transgender active-duty servicemembers and 1,500 reserve transgender service members. Still, Rand&#39;s figures were within a range, which at the upper end reached 7,000 active duty forces and 4,000 reserves. 
 
&quot;The reality is that we have transgender service members serving in uniform today,&quot; Carter said, acknowledging the policy change will have implications for issues including deployment and medical treatment. 
 
He added that at least 18 countries already allowed transgender personnel to serve openly in their militaries. 
 
Carter announced in 2015 that he intended to lift the ban and laid out a series of steps, including a six-month study on the implications of lifting the restrictions. But advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community said the process, which eventually stretched to nearly a year, has taken too long. 
 
Advocates praised Carter&#39;s announcement today and said it followed several moves by the military to be more inclusive in the last decade. 
 
&quot;I would hope that it showcases the fact that the sky will not fall, the world will not come apart, by us being a more inclusive and open society,&quot; said Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, an advocacy group for LGBT military personnel. &quot;I don&#39;t think anybody should be concerned or afraid about moving forward with this policy.&quot; 
 
But critics have argued that Carter is putting the political agenda of the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama ahead of military readiness. 
 
&quot;Over the next few weeks, we are going to continue to push for actual answers to the readiness questions we&rsquo;ve been asking for nearly a year to which we have still not received a response,&quot; Republican representative Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. 
 
(Reuters)

Commanders will be given handbooks detailing how they are to be led, and doctors will be provided medical advice

The Pentagon today ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the US military, formally removing the risk to an estimated thousands of US troops who once could have been kicked out of the armed forces due to gender identity. The repeal, which ends one of the last barriers to serving in the military, comes after a 2011 decision to end the US military's ban on openly gay and lesbian people serving, despite concerns - which proved unfounded - that such a move could be too great a burden in wartime and would undermine battle readiness. "We're eliminating policies that can result in transgender members being treated differently from their peers based solely upon their gender identity rather than upon their ability to serve," defence secretary Ash Carter told reporters. Carter said that within 90 days, the Pentagon would create a guide book for commanders on how to lead transgender service members and medical guidance to doctors. Within one year, transgender individuals would be allowed to join the armed forces, he said. Carter said that based on a study carried out by the Rand Corporation, there were about 2,500 transgender active-duty servicemembers and 1,500 reserve transgender service members. Still, Rand's figures were within a range, which at the upper end reached 7,000 active duty forces and 4,000 reserves. "The reality is that we have transgender service members serving in uniform today," Carter said, acknowledging the policy change will have implications for issues including deployment and medical treatment. He added that at least 18 countries already allowed transgender personnel to serve openly in their militaries. Carter announced in 2015 that he intended to lift the ban and laid out a series of steps, including a six-month study on the implications of lifting the restrictions. But advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community said the process, which eventually stretched to nearly a year, has taken too long. Advocates praised Carter's announcement today and said it followed several moves by the military to be more inclusive in the last decade. "I would hope that it showcases the fact that the sky will not fall, the world will not come apart, by us being a more inclusive and open society," said Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, an advocacy group for LGBT military personnel. "I don't think anybody should be concerned or afraid about moving forward with this policy." But critics have argued that Carter is putting the political agenda of the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama ahead of military readiness. "Over the next few weeks, we are going to continue to push for actual answers to the readiness questions we’ve been asking for nearly a year to which we have still not received a response," Republican representative Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. (Reuters)

US Army ends ban on transgender people

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. 
 
Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). 
 
Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. 
 
&quot;This shows the need for us to continue to do what we&#39;re doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. 
 
&quot;No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military&#39;s sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. 
 
?(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Experts say that the apparent success of the tests by Pyongyang are a step further in developing a proven nuclear strike capacity against US

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. "This shows the need for us to continue to do what we're doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory," Carter said. Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. "No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding," Carter said. Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military's sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. ?(AFP)

North Korea test shows need for expanded missile defense: Pentagon chief

<div style="text-align: justify;">US&nbsp;President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia&#39;s powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. 
 
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom&#39;s dependence on oil revenues. Friday&#39;s meeting will take place at the White House. 
 
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and &quot;our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL,&quot; as Islamic State is also known. 
 
U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. 
 
Reuters reported last week that the UN&nbsp;had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. 
 
Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama&#39;s administration. 
 
He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama&#39;s National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US&nbsp;treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. 
 
&quot;A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices,&quot; Schultz said 
 
Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US&nbsp;defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. 
(Reuters)</div>

Deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the US aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington

US President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom's dependence on oil revenues. Friday's meeting will take place at the White House. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and "our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL," as Islamic State is also known. U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. Reuters reported last week that the UN had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama's administration. He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama's National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. "A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices," Schultz said Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. (Reuters)

Obama to meet Saudi deputy crown prince on Friday:  White House

&nbsp;The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. 
 
Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. 
 
The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. 
 
The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. 
 
The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. 
 
While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. 
 
Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. 
 
On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. 
 
&quot;We were taking very heavy fire,&quot; Tasal told Reuters. 
 
The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. 
 
DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR 
 
A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. 
 
The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. 
 
The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. 
 
A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. 
 
In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. 
 
&quot;What I always try to show in my pictures is what it&#39;s like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there,&quot; he said. 
 
Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion&#39;s share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey&#39;s Anadolu News Agency. 
 
Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. 
 
&quot;He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country,&quot; Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. &quot;He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security.&quot; 
 
Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. 
 
Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. 
 
&quot;Dozens and dozens&quot; of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists&#39; remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. 
 
Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country.

The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. "We were taking very heavy fire," Tasal told Reuters. The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. "What I always try to show in my pictures is what it's like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there," he said. Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion's share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey's Anadolu News Agency. Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. "He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country," Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. "He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security." Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. "Dozens and dozens" of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists' remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Embed quickly turned deadly for NPR team in Afghanistan

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