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  • Commentary: President Biden’s proposed budget for national security and defense is more than $1 trillion—an all-time high.

    But look on Page 166 of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s summary and you’ll see a category called “Security,” which includes the DOD and the DOE’s nukes account, plus the budgets for Veterans Affairs, certain aspects of foreign aid, and the Intelligence Community Management account (which funds coordination among the intelligence agencies)—and that adds up to $1.014 trillion, a 3.6 percent hike from the current budget’s $979.3 billion.*

  • Saudi Arabia Seeks U.S. Security Pledges, Nuclear Help for Peace With Israel

    Saudi Arabia is asking the U.S. to provide security guarantees and help to develop its civilian nuclear program as Washington tries to broker diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel, people involved in discussions between the two countries said. Striking a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia has become a priority for President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid a looming confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program and military aid to Russia during the Ukraine war. The Biden administration is deeply involved in the complex negotiations, the people said, and any deal would reshape the Middle East’s political landscape.

  • In Egypt, Pentagon chief seeks to balance human rights and security

    U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin travelled to Egypt on Wednesday to tell Cairo it wanted to deepen security and other ties but was concerned about human rights in country where activists say government critics are regularly rounded up. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief led the 2013 ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, has cracked down on political dissent, including liberal critics and Islamist opponents.

  • Opinion: A U.S. trump card in Gulf geopolitics: Capacity-enhancing security cooperation

    The US military is working with Saudi Arabia to develop its first-ever long-term national security vision that would codify “the kingdom’s strategic vision for national security and regional security,” according to Gen. Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla, the top commander of US forces in the Middle East. “Our strategic planners travel to the kingdom regularly to work with Saudi military leaders to build up their ideas for a long-term strategic vision,” Mr. Kurilla said.

  • Lebanon paralysis grows as security chief bows out

    he head of one of Lebanon's top security agencies retired Friday without a replacement, a casualty of the political and institutional paralysis which is stoking fears of a broader breakdown. "The country is in a state of almost total disintegration," said analyst Karim Bitar. "We are seeing the collapse of all state institutions that were still holding up." Lebanon is navigating a devastating economic crisis that has plunged more than 80 percent of the population into poverty, according to the United Nations.

  • Top U.S. general visits Israel to discuss regional security issues

    The top U.S. military officer, Army General Mark Milley, has arrived in Israel to discuss regional security issues with his Israeli counterparts, his spokesperson said on Friday. "They will address the many challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Middle East region," Colonel Dave Butler said in a statement, without offering further details on Milley's agenda.

  • Modon attracts new investments to achieve food security in Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) signed agreements and memorandums of understanding to localize food and beverage industry in Saudi Arabia with investments up to SR1 billion and SR69 million, while revealing the increase of food factories to 1,171 factory with total areas of approximately 10 million m2 by the end of 2022.

  • Iraq signs first security agreement with Saudi Arabia in 40 years

    Iraqi and Saudi officials signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 19 February to share sensitive intelligence and deepen security cooperation, marking the first time the two nations have signed a security pact since 1983. The pact was signed by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Amir al-Shammari during the latter’s official visit to Riyadh. The MoU entails “all forms of security cooperation, exchange of points of views, and undertaking joint security activities,” Iraqi state media reported. Iraq and Saudi Arabia share an 800-kilometer border.

  • After snub, Iran slams Munich Security Conference for thwarting dialogue

    Iran has slammed organizers of the Munich Security Conference for snubbing Iranian officials and instead inviting exiled dissidents to the annual gathering. The underlying criticism is that conference organizers burned an opportunity to help forge dialogue between Tehran and its western adversaries. The conference saw prominent dissidents attend a panel on the recent protests in Iran. France’s president was also approached by at least one dissident on the sidelines of the event, though Emmanuel Macron hours later rejected the idea of regime change.

  • Australia foils Iran surveillance plot and vows to bring foreign interference ‘into the light’ | Australian security and counter-terrorism

    Australian security agencies have disrupted a foreign interference plot by Iran that was targeting an Iranian-Australian on Australian soil, the government has said. The plot allegedly included individuals monitoring the home of a critic of the Iranian regime and extensively researching the person and their family.