Latest news with #NationalSecurityAdvisor
Iraqi News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iraq, NATO Hold Second High-Level Strategic Partnership Dialogue
Baghdad-INA The second high-level strategic partnership dialogue between Iraq and NATO was held at the National Security Advisory headquarters today, Wednesday. The National Security Advisor's media office said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): that "The second high-level strategic partnership dialogue between Iraq and NATO was held at the National Security Advisory headquarters. The Iraqi side was headed by National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, while the NATO delegation was headed by Assistant Secretary General for Operations Thomas Goffus." "The two sides discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership, which is a priority for the Iraqi government, in line with its strategic vision in light of rapid regional developments." "The dialogue also addressed supporting capacity-building for Iraqi security institutions through integrated training packages within the work of the NATO Advisory Mission in Iraq." According to the statement, Al-Araji affirmed that "the Iraqi government, headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, attaches great importance to NATO's advisory, non-combat mission," emphasizing "the importance of respecting Iraq's sovereignty in all aspects of cooperation." For his part, Goffus reiterated NATO's support for "Iraq and its pivotal role in regional stability," praising "the high efficiency of the Iraqi security services in the fight against terrorism." He emphasized that "the mission's work in Iraq is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Iraqi government and in compliance with applicable laws."
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Marco Rubio working on major changes to the National Security Council that would significantly scale it down
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, working in his additional role as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, is reportedly going to significantly downsize the National Security Council and use his positions to carry out the president's will on how NSC decisions are made, according to officials close to the matter. Speaking to NBC News, the officials said the staff shrinkage at the NSC is designed to bring its decisions closer in alignment to Trump's. Instead of a large staff making recommendations to the president, they would instead carry out Trump's orders. The NSC had 300 staffers in January. Shortly after taking office, Trump cut that by half, and the expected reductions could slice it further, leaving only 50 and 60 people on the council. The sources reportedly told NBC News that final decisions on reductions have not yet been made. According to the officials, Rubio will not fire staff, but reassign them to other agencies. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to confirm in a statement to NBC News that at least some changes were coming to the NSC under Rubio's watch. 'Secretary Rubio is doing an incredible job serving as both Secretary of State and White House National Security Advisor,' she said. 'Under his leadership at the White House, the NSC team will be streamlined to ensure maximum efficiency and coordination with outside agencies.' The number of workers on the NSC has changed over the years, shifting from administration to administration. During the presidency of Former President John F Kennedy, the NSC only had 20 employees. By 1991, there were 40. By the year 2000, the NSC had approximately 100 staffers, and that grew to 370 by the end of the decade as the War on Terror raged on in Iraq and Afghanistan. The growth of the NSC was troubling to some members of Congress, including the late Arizona Senator John McCain, who moved to try to limit its size. In 2016 that effort was realized when Congress put a limit to the number of policy-focused positions at the NSC to 200. Rubio has reportedly also discussed moving some of the NSC's responsibilities to other agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. State Department, according to the sources. The downsizing plans come after Trump fired some NSC members in April, just one day after he met with conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who had previously questioned if "disloyal" people were working inside Trump's administration. Rubio took over the national security adviser role from Mike Waltz, who Trump removed in the wake of his much publicized Signal scandal. Waltz was reassigned as the nation's next ambassador to the United Nations. Rubio will stay in the position for at least six months, according to Trump.
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Fact Check: Govt debunks false report by China Daily on Indian jets' crash
The Indian government clarified that most of the conflict-related misinformation originated from Pakistani social media accounts Md Zakariya Khan New Delhi In a bid to counter the misinformation, the Indian government on Friday debunked a report from Chinese news website China Daily that falsely claims that at least three Indian jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the government has clarified this was related to an incident that occurred in 2019. It doesn't have any relations with the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The government stated most of the misinformation originated from Pakistani social media accounts. This included the spread of several fake images and outdated videos, falsely linked to India's 'Operation Sindoor'. 1: False claim of a Pakistani attack on J&K The government's fact check revealed that an old video is being shared on social media with the false claim that it shows a Pakistani attack on Jammu and Kashmir. However, in reality, the footage is from Dhaka and dates back to February 2025 and has no relation with the ongoing Indian Pakistan tensions. 2: False report by Chinese website on Indian jet crash Apart from Pakistani social media handles, the instance of spreading false information is also reported from China. For example, Chinese news website, China Daily falsely claims that at least three Indian jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the image used is from an unrelated incident that occurred in 2019. It doesn't have any connections with the ongoing situation between India and Pakistan. 3: Fake Facebook account of Ajit Doval Surprisingly, in addition to spreading false information, the Indian government has also discovered a fake Facebook account operating under the name of India's National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. Fact check revealed that this is a fake Facebook account. The National Security Advisor does not have an official presence on Facebook. Is NSA Ajit Doval on Facebook⁉️ #PIBFactCheck???? This Facebook account is FAKE ✅ The National Security Advisor does NOT have an official Facebook account. ✅Citizens are advised to exercise caution and not engage with any impostor or fake profiles claiming to represent… — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025 4: False claims of shooting down Su-30MKI According to the government, Pakistani social media accounts are falsely claiming that a Sukhoi Su-30MKI was shot down in Muzaffarabad and that an Indian pilot was captured alive. In reality, the aircraft crashed on October 14, 2014, at Undre Vasti in Kulwadi village near the Pune-Ahmednagar highway in Maharashtra. Fake News Alert ‼️ Pakistani social media handles are claiming that a Sukhoi Su-30MKI was shot down in Muzaffarabad, capturing an Indian Pilot alive. #PIBFactCheck ✅ This Sukhoi SU-30MKI of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed at Undre Vasti of Kulwadi village near Pune-Ahamad… — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025 5: Wrong claims of an attack from Pakistan A video on social media showing a heavy MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) barrage is being falsely circulated as footage of a Pakistani attack on India. In reality, the clip is from a video game and has been online for over three years. It has no link to the current India–Pakistan situation. ???? Pakistan Propaganda Alert! A video showing a heavy MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) barrage is being falsely shared as a real Pakistani attack on India. #PIBFactCheck ✅ The video is from a video game and has been online for over 3 years. ✅ It has no connection to… — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 9, 2025
News18
08-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Can't Rule Out': Op Sindoor Follow-Up On Cards Amid 'Senseless' Pakistan Firing At LoC?
Last Updated: Sources say there is another battle India is waging - the misinformation war by Pakistan, countering every fake news being peddled on social media. Will there be a follow up to Operation Sindoor? Top government sources haven't ruled out the possibility, saying that the first one was just part of a long trail of possibly many more, depending on the ground situation. At the first press meeting after Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, 'We will be ready to retaliate to any misadventure from Pakistan." Government sources now say this is on. India has been closely monitoring the situation on ground ever since the operation for the entire day. There have been multiple unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the border. Not just this, there has been 'senseless' targeting of civilians and children in Poonch. Government sources said that India has made it clear that Operation Sindoor did not target any civilian areas, and only terror hideouts were targeted. But now that all norms have been breached, sources say India is ready and open to take on Pakistan in round two. Sources say that all preparations have been underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held several rounds of meeting with the National Security Advisor (NSA), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), three forces chiefs, Home Minister and Defence Minister to ensure that we carry on our fight against Pakistan. In fact, sources say that at the press meet, a capsule of past and present terror attacks by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists was shown to make the point that Operation Sindoor was unprovoked. Top sources told News18, 'War is not over. India won't blink an eye to retaliate and give another strong reply to Pakistan, if it refuses to fall in line." First Published: May 08, 2025, 11:13 IST
India.com
06-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
India-Pakistan Tensions: Who will make the final call if India launches nuclear bombs? Cost of an atomic bomb is Massive Rs...,hidden in...
New Delhi: The India-Pakistan relationship has touched a new low after the cowardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries have sparked a global debate around atomic weapons and its usage. In the last few weeks, there has been a series of irresponsible statements by Pakistani leaders, threatening India with nuclear bomb attacks. Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Both in the scale of the devastation they cause, and in their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically damaging radioactive fallout, they are unlike any other weapons. It is important to note that a single nuclear bomb detonated over a large city could kill millions of people. The use of tens or hundreds of nuclear bombs would disrupt the global climate, causing widespread famine. But do you know how much a nuclear bomb actually costs? To recall, during World War II, the United States dropped two atomic bombs named 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs killed thousands of people and caused damages worth billions of dollars to Japan. Today, the countries around the globe are spending a whopping USD 91.4 billion annually on the maintenance of nuclear weapons. When calculated per second, this amounts to $2,898 — or approximately ₹2.5 lakh — every second. In Pakistan, fighter jets like the F-16 are stationed at Sargodha (Mushaf) Air Base and Shahbaz Air Base. According to the reports, Pakistan's nuclear weapons are stored at the Sargodha Weapons Storage Complex, located about 10 km from this site. The country possesses missiles such as Abdali, Shaheen, Ghauri, Hatf, and Shaheen. In Pakistan, the decision to launch a nuclear attack can be made by the National Command Authority, which is led by the Prime Minister. It is important to note that in any country, the President or the Prime Minister does not directly order a nuclear strike. The decision to carry out a nuclear attack is made based on the advice of top bodies and individuals such as the Cabinet Committee on Security, the National Security Advisor (NSA), and the Chief of Defence Staff. However, the final decision rests with the Prime Minister. The actual execution of a nuclear strike is the responsibility of the team at the final level of the nuclear command, which launches the missile armed with a nuclear warhead. In the United States, the President has access to the 'nuclear football,' while in Russia, the President has a similar briefcase that contains war plans and detailed information on nuclear missiles and their targets. India's defense strength is much more powerful than Pakistan. The country possesses missiles such as Agni, Shaurya, Pralay, and BrahMos, which are capable of carrying out nuclear strikes. The country has the capability to launch nuclear attacks from sea, air, and land — a strategic capability known as the nuclear triad. However, India has stated that it will never initiate a nuclear attack, but will respond decisively and in kind if attacked. There have been several accidents involving nuclear weapons. In 1957, a nuclear bomb accidentally fell from a plane in New Mexico, but it did not detonate, preventing a disaster. In 1958, a U.S. B-47 fighter jet accidentally dropped an atomic bomb over South Carolina, but fortunately, the nuclear warhead remained inside the plane. In 1961, a B-52 aircraft carrying two nuclear bombs crashed in California. In 1965, a nuclear bomb fell into the sea from a U.S. aircraft that had taken off from an aircraft carrier — and that bomb has never been found to this day.
