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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to hold talks Monday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, amid media reports that in the wake of the Beslan tragedy, Israel is to propose unprecedented anti-terrorism security cooperation with Russia, including sharing of sensitive intelligence data. Israel is also expected to offer to accept a significant number of child victims of the hostage siege for rehabilitation in the Jewish state. Lavrov said Monday that Israel's renewed offer to share its experience of combatting militant groups, in the wake of the Russian school massacre, would give a boost to the fight against global terror. Speaking...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to hold talks Monday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon , amid media reports that in the wake of the Beslan tragedy, Israel is to propose unprecedented anti-terrorism security cooperation with Russia, including sharing of sensitive intelligence data. "I believe we have to draw lessons from this appalling crime," Lavrov said. "Terrorism can be stopped only by uniting efforts of all the states. Russia will fight this evil resolutely and uncompromisingly in the framework of the anti-terrorist coalition. We hope that the solidarity with our country shown by our partners will become a driving force...

China's official Xinhua news agency reports the exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and promoting stability in the border area. The Asian neighbors held their first joint naval exercise in November and are scheduled to hold the next round of talks on a border dispute in September. The world's two most populous countries fought a brief but bitter border war in 1962 and have yet to agree on an official border. India accuses China of occupying 38,000 square kilometres of territory in Kashmir, while Beijing lays claim to 90,000 square kilometres of Arunachal Pradesh state.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) - Norad Cmdr.-Gen. Ed Eberhart said Wednesday that terrorists may turn to a seaborne attack because U.S. fighter jets are now prepared to shoot down a hijacked airliner. "I believe that it is just a matter of time until the terrorists try to use a seaborne attack, a maritime attack against us," Eberhart told reporters touring the new headquarters of Northern Command (Northcom), the military unit created after Sept. 11, 2001, to deal with terrorist attacks. Eberhart is commander of both Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or Norad. The air...

American troops are helping their Kenyan counterparts to patrol the Somalia border, the commander of its task force in the Horn has said. The revelation came during an Associated Press interview with Brig-Gen Samuel Helland, the head of a 2,000-strong US anti-terrorism force that has been in Djibouti for the past two years. The patrols involve an unspecified number of US and Kenyan troops, and appear to be intended to help to prevent terrorists from crossing into Kenya. But when contacted, an officer at Kenya's Department of Defence said the country had not signed any pact with the US for...

VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA, Panama (NNS) -- Naval forces from eight countries begin PANAMAX 2004 in August, a maritime exercise in which the multinational forces plan and coordinate a coalition response to a security threat against the Panama Canal. PANAMAX is conducted under the direction of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern command and involves personnel, aircraft and ships from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and the United States and observers from Ecuador. The participants organized into Task Force 138 will conduct the week-long exercise, which includes operations on the high seas, coast and land. “The great interest...

MOSCOW. Aug 2 (Interfax) - The Russian and U.S. navies are planning joint maneuvers in the North Atlantic, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Monday. "The first stage of talks involving fleet admirals of Russia and the United States has been completed. It is planned to hold these maneuvers in the Norwegian Sea in the middle of September," Ivanov said.

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan -- It's an exercise not quite like any Rear Adm. James Kelly has led his battle group into before. In the coming weeks, the USS Kitty Hawk and six other Navy aircraft carriers will be deployed around the globe to demonstrate America's ability to deal with a decidedly post-September 11 scenario: the outbreak of violence just about everywhere at once.

LONDON, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will host exercises dealing with security provision at the country's nuclear facilities in August 2004, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a press conference in London. "Russia will host exercises dealing with security provision at nuclear facilities in August, and we invite everyone who wishes [to come], including NATO and the UK as observers," Mr. Ivanov said. "We pay particular attention to this issue, and are ready to show that the existing myths about Russia's problems on this direction are really myths," said the minister. "I am speaking at least about military...

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine commander in the Pacific indicated on Thursday he opposed any withdrawal of Marines from Japan, suggesting that some of the 17,000 troops on Okinawa should be transferred to bases on Japan's mainland. "I think moving away from Japan moves us away from where the need is and where most of the problems are likely to occur" in Asia, Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson said when asked if U.S. Marines might be shifted from Okinawa to Guam. Gregson spoke to reporters as Washington and Tokyo continued talks on the status of U.S. forces and...

Russia seeks new military cooperation with China MOSCOW (AFP) Jul 06, 2004 Russia said Tuesday it wanted to extend its military cooperation with neighboring giant China for decades to come during a visit by the deputy chairman of Beijing's central military commission, news reports said. Deputy chairman Guo Boxiong met Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, with the Russian security chief saying ahead of the formal meeting that military cooperation was "developing vigorously" with China, Interfax reported. Ivanov said the meeting "should be a building block for the future years and even decades." China with India is a principal customer for...

Photo from newsru.com U.S., UK, Russia Hold First Ever Joint Naval Exercises Created: 02.07.2004 13:35 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:42 MSK, 2 hours 16 minutes ago MosNews The first-ever tripartite naval exercises involving Russia, Great Britain, and the United States began Friday at Petr Velikiy Gulf near Vladivostok, Itar-Tass reported. The seamen and airmen are developing joint cooperation in communications, maneuvers, and civilian navigation safety. Two surface ships from each country have gone out to sea south of Vladivostok. Russia’s Pacific Fleet is represented by the large antisubmarine ship Admiral Tributs, a missile cruiser, and an antisubmarine aircraft, Itar-Tass reported,...

New Delhi, June 24. (PTI): Russia today sought strengthening of cooperation with India in combating international terrorism while drawing similarities in terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Chechnya. Emerging from a 30-minute meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Russian Ambassador Alexander M Kadakin did not specifically name any country but told reporters that "they (terrorist) are being trained just behind your borders." Terming his discussions with Patil as "warm and productive", he said a wide range of issues figured, including the fight against international terrorism. Observing that two countries have been "close friends" and cooperating in fighting the menace...

The huge nuclear powered carrier is heading for San Diego, her operational port and during the long journey from Norfolk in the east coast participated in exercises with the Brazilian and Argentine navies. She’s escorted by missile cruiser USS Thomas Gates and destroyer USS Benfold. In Valparaíso the flotilla will be joined by USS Camden, a support vessel and tanker. While sailing along the Pacific USS Ronald Reagan, CVN 76, will be involved in naval exercises with units and aircrafts from the Chilean Navy. Actually two Chilean pilots are advising the carrier how to get through the Magellan Strait. USS...

Last Updated: Thursday, 24 June, 2004, 01:20 GMT 02:20 UK War games in India 'show up US' By Nick Childs BBC Pentagon correspondent The success of India's air force against US fighters in an exercise suggests the US may be losing its air superiority, a US general has said. Gen Hal Hornburg said an exercise in February, known as Cope India, had been "a wake-up call". The mock air battles in central India had pitted US F-15s against advanced Russian-designed Sukhoi SU-30s. General Hornburg said the results show the US may not be as far ahead of the rest of...

WASHINGTON: Did the Indian Air Force really outperform American pilots and planes during recent India-US air combat exercises or is the USAF using the encounter to pitch for new generation fighter jets? That's the question buzzing around in strategic circles after a recent article in a limited access US Air Force magazine detailing the "surprising sophistication of Indian fighter aircraft and skill of Indian pilots" demonstrated at the Cope India air combat exercise at Gwalior in February this year. The exercise, in which US F-15Cs were said to have been defeated more than 90 per cent of the time in...

QINGDAO, China (Reuters) -- Britain and China have conducted their first ever joint naval exercises off China's coast on Sunday. The drills were the latest the People's Liberation Army -- the world's biggest military with 2.5 million men and officers -- has held with forces from other countries, including France in March and Pakistan and India last year. "We've done some very basic manoeuvres at sea before, but this is the next step up," Andrew Reed, commander in chief of the British Royal Navy's air defence destroyer HMS Exeter, told reporters from the deck of his ship on Saturday. The...

Russia-US Joint Military Exercise Follows Bilateral Talks Moscow - Amid new signs of warmer relations between the U.S. and Russia, armed forces from the two countries are holding joint military training exercises in and near Moscow this week. Russia's Military Academy and the U.S. Southern European Task Force and Seventh Army Training Command will participate in the "Torgau-2004" command-post exercises, according to the Russian defense ministry. The U.S. embassy said the May 17-22 exercise would involve U.S. and Russian forces developing plans to defend an allied third country, performing a peacekeeping mission under the aegis of the U.N. Emphasis would...

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, May 5 (Itar-Tass) - The patrol boat Vorovsky of the Russian Northeastern Regional Border Department has returned back to Kamchatka after visiting Alaska for a joint exercise with a U.S. patrol boat of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District. During an exercise with the U.S. patrol vessel Jarvis, the two ships practiced joint maneuvering, rescue at sea and exchange of radio signals, the commander of the Vorovsky, Captain 1st Rank Leonid Fedurin, told reporters on Wednesday. The Russian patrol boat will once again head for Alaska in mid-May, when a group of officers from the Northeastern Regional Border Department will...

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A laser beam under joint Israeli-U.S. development destroyed a long-range rocket for the first time in a test in the skies over the American Southwest, Israel's Defense Ministry said on Friday. Israel has sought an effective defense against ballistic missiles since 1991 when Iraq launched Scuds into the Jewish state during the first Gulf War. It has since developed the Arrow anti-ballistic missile with U.S. funding. "This is a significant step forward," a ministry spokesman said of the test on May 4 of the "Nautilus" Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) held at the White Sands Missile...