US Army General Joseph L. Votel,Commander,US Central Command,continued to brief the House Armed Services Committee on 27 February 2018 on the challenges CENTCOM faces in its massive Area of Responsibility:
We do maintain a constant presence in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,into the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as well,and through our very close partnership with our partners.We have three combined maritime task forces that are led out of our naval headquarters in Bahrain,that include a variety of different nations.I think that this is a very key way for us to maintain our influence and pursue our interests in the CENTCOM maritime environment.*
In the Bab el Mandeb Strait,60-70 ships a day go through it.Mining is a very real threat that we have to pay attention to,using our intelligence and experience to help our partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE to optimise their capabilities.We absolutely do have intelligence assets on the Bab el Mandeb,and I would be very glad to go into the details with you in a different setting.*
In Afghanistan this season,our intention is to grab the initiative,break the stalemate and begin to expand population control in this year and next (the Taliban currently have 12% of the population under their control,while the Afghan government has 64% of the population,and the rest is contested),and then ensure that we create an environment for credible elections to take place.It's one of the most important things that the Afghan people need to see from their government.
It's very clear that the majority of the ISR (Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance) in the region is being provided by the United States.We have the largest concentration of MQ-9s (drones) down at Kandahar Airfield to support General Nicholson and his forces,and that's adequate for what he needs right now;but,given his druthers,I'm sure that he would want more,and so we would want more in all these areas.The faster that we can continue to provide those capabilities,the better.*
I am concerned that these areas in the Southwest of Syria are becoming collection zones of
unsavoury elements,and eventually they will have to be dealt with.I am concerned that these will become bigger problems.In places like Idlib,these groups that have come together do potentially pose long-term challenges for the security of the region,above and beyond Syria,General Votel told the Members of Congress on Capitol Hill last month.
Showing posts with label Bab el Mandeb Strait. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bab el Mandeb Strait. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Around a Wartorn Region:CENTCOM Commander Briefs Congress on the Strategic Roadmap
More than 200 military officers from 49 countries are working at US CENTCOM headquarters at McDill Air Force Base,Florida,CENTCOM commander General Joseph Votel,US Army,told the House Armed Services Committee on 27 February 2018:
We are grateful for,and largely depend upon,their partnership.*
In the course of the hearing,General Votel responded to a number of strategically important topics raised by the Members of Congress,mainly concerned with terrorism in South Asia and North Africa,as well as the malign role of Iran in the region.A classified session followed the open session.*
On Iran,General Votel noted that:
The increasing,not just quantity,but quality of their ballistic missiles,and the increasing export of these capabilities to other groups around the region.These weapons threaten to widen the conflict in Yemen,threatening our forces in Saudi Arabia,as well as our partners.They have sent coastal defence cruise missiles to the Bab el Mandeb Strait-some of them have been modified.We know these are not capabilities that the Houthi rebels in Yemen had.The presence of explosive boats,the increased presence of mines in this area are all very similar to the layered threats that Iran has posed to the Strait of Hormuz,and we hold them accountable for that.
Their continuing and changing power projection model-not only their own forces,but their proxies and partners that they are attempting to support around the region.We are helping Saudi Arabia to optimise their capabilities-many of which are from the US-and we are seeing some progress in that regard.*
On foreign fighters leaving following the massive defeats of ISIL in Iraq and Syria and going home to Turkey (900 fighters) and Saudi Arabia (1760 fighters):
They have experience and tactics that could be applied to other places.They're radicalised;so they have the ability to bring others on board with this.We have always attempted to isolate these areas and prevent the escape of these fighters,so they're either killed or captured where we take them on,and I think that we're successful in that.We do have some ability to interdict foreign fighters as they attempt to evacuate the areas.
Turkey has been absolutely vital to the campaign plan.We're keeping clear,open and professional lines of communication to Turkey as to what we're doing with other partners.*
Success in Afghanistan and in South Asia will require a strong relationship and the cooperation of Pakistan.I do have frequent and routine,very professional communications with my counterpart.We talk almost weekly.We meet frequently face-to-face.I can't characterise the relationship as trustful at this particular point.There is a lot of history there that has to be overcome;but what I would also tell you is,we are beginning to see positive indications.Through these communications,they're reporting to us some of the actions they are taking on the ground.There are positive indications that they are moving in the right direction.It does not yet equal the decisive action that we would like to see them take in turns of a strategic shift,but they are positive indicators,and it gives me hope that our approach is the right one.It gives me hope that we can restore this very important relationship.*
US strikes in Yemen have had a very significant impact on Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.Certainly it has impacted their ability to conduct external operations.It's gone to the areas where they have had sanctuary;it has continued to present them multiple dilemmas that they have had to deal with;so not only are they contending with our strikes,but they're also contending with partner operations that we work up with our Arab partners on the ground and our Yemeni partners on the ground.And this has become very,very effective.And I will tell you that we are extending that to ISIS in Yemen as well.That is not as well-developed as AQ is,but of course it is ISIS.We understand their ideology;we understand where they're going,and so we're concerned about them as well.*
We are grateful for,and largely depend upon,their partnership.*
In the course of the hearing,General Votel responded to a number of strategically important topics raised by the Members of Congress,mainly concerned with terrorism in South Asia and North Africa,as well as the malign role of Iran in the region.A classified session followed the open session.*
On Iran,General Votel noted that:
The increasing,not just quantity,but quality of their ballistic missiles,and the increasing export of these capabilities to other groups around the region.These weapons threaten to widen the conflict in Yemen,threatening our forces in Saudi Arabia,as well as our partners.They have sent coastal defence cruise missiles to the Bab el Mandeb Strait-some of them have been modified.We know these are not capabilities that the Houthi rebels in Yemen had.The presence of explosive boats,the increased presence of mines in this area are all very similar to the layered threats that Iran has posed to the Strait of Hormuz,and we hold them accountable for that.
Their continuing and changing power projection model-not only their own forces,but their proxies and partners that they are attempting to support around the region.We are helping Saudi Arabia to optimise their capabilities-many of which are from the US-and we are seeing some progress in that regard.*
On foreign fighters leaving following the massive defeats of ISIL in Iraq and Syria and going home to Turkey (900 fighters) and Saudi Arabia (1760 fighters):
They have experience and tactics that could be applied to other places.They're radicalised;so they have the ability to bring others on board with this.We have always attempted to isolate these areas and prevent the escape of these fighters,so they're either killed or captured where we take them on,and I think that we're successful in that.We do have some ability to interdict foreign fighters as they attempt to evacuate the areas.
Turkey has been absolutely vital to the campaign plan.We're keeping clear,open and professional lines of communication to Turkey as to what we're doing with other partners.*
Success in Afghanistan and in South Asia will require a strong relationship and the cooperation of Pakistan.I do have frequent and routine,very professional communications with my counterpart.We talk almost weekly.We meet frequently face-to-face.I can't characterise the relationship as trustful at this particular point.There is a lot of history there that has to be overcome;but what I would also tell you is,we are beginning to see positive indications.Through these communications,they're reporting to us some of the actions they are taking on the ground.There are positive indications that they are moving in the right direction.It does not yet equal the decisive action that we would like to see them take in turns of a strategic shift,but they are positive indicators,and it gives me hope that our approach is the right one.It gives me hope that we can restore this very important relationship.*
US strikes in Yemen have had a very significant impact on Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.Certainly it has impacted their ability to conduct external operations.It's gone to the areas where they have had sanctuary;it has continued to present them multiple dilemmas that they have had to deal with;so not only are they contending with our strikes,but they're also contending with partner operations that we work up with our Arab partners on the ground and our Yemeni partners on the ground.And this has become very,very effective.And I will tell you that we are extending that to ISIS in Yemen as well.That is not as well-developed as AQ is,but of course it is ISIS.We understand their ideology;we understand where they're going,and so we're concerned about them as well.*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)