Free Republic

The US will relocate its military operations to Iraq and the Mediterranean, after drawing down its troops in Syria, Defense Secretary James Mattis disclosed to Congress on Thursday, April 26. His comments were enigmatic: “Right now we are not withdrawing US troops from Syria,” Mattis said. “You’ll see increased operations on the Iraqi side of the border and the French just reinforced us in Syria with special forces here in the last two weeks. This is an ongoing fight right now,” he said. But what did he mean? US sources explain that while Washington is committed to fighting Islamic State...

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir stressed the deep and strategic relations between the Kingdom and the United States and the shared mutual interests in several fields, particularly security, military, commercial, social, and educational fields. Al-Jubeir was speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Riyadh, stressing that the bilateral meetings that were held within the framework of his visit to the Middle East, were positive, constructive, and fruitful. The Saudi Foreign Minister said the meetings highlighted the two sides “identical viewpoints” regarding several issues and the desire to intensify mutual efforts...

The next Saudi King Crown Prince Muhammad and Israel agree that Iran is the biggest threat to the region, but Israel’s top soldier rules out initiating an attack on Hizballah. Two London publications on the same day shed unusual light on the next chapter in Saud royal history, as well as on the hitherto semi-clandestine ties between Riyadh and Jerusalem. Daily Mail, quoting “a source close to the Saudi royal family” reported that King Salman, 91, intends to give up the throne next week and name his son, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, 32 as his successor. The king will...

Sarkozy, then-French FM say the choice is "between an Iranian bomb and a bombing of Iran;" France pressed EU to impose sanctions. French then-foreign minister Bernard Kouchner warned that there could be a war against Iran, according to a US diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks this week. The cable, dated September 18, 2007, explains that "three weeks after [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy publicly warned about the 'catastrophic choice between an Iranian bomb and a bombing of Iran'...Kouchner publicly observed that given Iran's behavior 'we must prepare for the worst, in other words, war,' and called for EU sanctions against Teheran."

Interception of several technology shipments to Iran has bolstered U.S. suspicions that Iran is secretly developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could threaten Europe and possibly the United States. An intelligence report this week to Congress said North Korea, China and parts of the former Soviet Union provided Iran through the end of last year with ballistic-missile equipment, technology and expertise. The report said Iran, in trying to improve existing missiles, was ``also pursuing longer-range ballistic missiles.'' A well-placed Bush administration official told The Associated Press on Thursday that U.S. interceptions had strengthened U.S. suspicions that Iran was trying to...

Iran is working on long-range missiles capable of hitting European capitals, as well as nuclear and chemical warheads, an exile group said on Thursday. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which has in the past given accurate information on some of Iran's nuclear facilities, said Tehran was working on missiles with a range of 1,600 to 1,900 miles, capable of hitting cities such as Berlin. Iran denies any intention of making long-range ballistic missiles and says its existing medium-range missiles are purely for deterrence. The NCRI told reporters Iran was carrying out research, testing and making the Ghadr...