Saudi envoy lauds Malaysia’s role in combating terrorism

Police officers from the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division. Source: The Star

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — The authorities’ recent success in detaining terror suspects and Islamic State supporters, received praise from Saudi Arabian envoy Fahad Abdullah Al-Rashid, who felt that in this regard Malaysia could somewhat contribute towards the Saudi Arabia-led alliance of 34 Muslim nations in combating terrorism.

The ambassador to Malaysia said that this country was an important and advanced Islamic nation, not only in terms of its military but also its intelligence unit.

“Malaysia’s strength in the intelligence unit is highly welcomed in this alliance,” he told Bernama in a recent interview.

The admiral in charge of US Navy intelligence has not been allowed to see military secrets for years

For more than two years, the Navy's intelligence chief has been stuck with a major handicap: He's not allowed to know any secrets.

Vice Adm. Ted "Twig" Branch has been barred from reading, seeing or hearing classified information since November 2013, when the Navy learned from the Justice Department that his name had surfaced in a giant corruption investigation involving a foreign defense contractor and scores of Navy personnel.

Worried that Branch was on the verge of being indicted, Navy leaders suspended his access to classified materials. They did the same to one of his deputies, Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless, the Navy's director of intelligence operations.

Security agencies urged to improve intelligence gathering

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19: While co-operation with all security agencies patrolling Malaysian waters is ongoing, there is a need to improve on intelligence gathering, said Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Laksamana Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Badaruddin.

“Information sharing and patrols must also be done effectively,” he told reporters during a courtesy call from the Pakistan Navy chief of Naval Staff Adm Muhammad Zakaullah at Wisma Pertahanan recently.

US Defense Intelligence Agency's Take on China

PLA Navy, future adversary? (Source: US Navy) 

US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Lt Gen Vincent Stewart recently provided the agency's latest assessment of the global security environment and to address the threats facing the US at the Senate Armed Services Committee Worldwide Threat Assessment Hearing. 

ON CHINA

According to DIA, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is building a modern military capable of defending China's "core interests" of preserving its political system, protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty (China views these to include Taiwan and other contested claims to land and water), and ensuring sustainable economic and social development.

Strategic Demand for Airborne Intelligence Outpacing the Capacity of Armed Forces

Saab 2000 ERIEYE AEW&C (Source: Saab Group)

Strategic demand for airborne intelligence in Europe is outpacing the capacity of regional armed forces, according to military leaders. Dual pressures from growing Russian infringement in the east and the threat of Islamic State terrorism in the south has presented NATO forces with the need to increase watch over both borders at the same time as budget cutbacks continue to bite.