#us-indonesia-defense-partnership

#us-indonesia-defense-partnership

The U.S. has discovered that air superiority and missile defense systems designed to counter tens/hundreds of aircraft and missiles is insufficient against asymmetric attacks of thousands of drones.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India in May, focusing on trade and security to limit the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran.

The Iranian choke hold on the Strait of Hormuz evidently had a lot to do with it. By cutting off roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply over the past five weeks, Iran's blockade of that narrow waterway caused an energy crisis and fears of a global recession that the White House could not abide for long.

The major shift in the NDS lies in the shifting approach of the US Defense Department, which considers security of the homeland and Western Hemisphere its primary concern. The document noted that the US military would be guided by four central priorities: defend the homeland, push allies around the world away from reliance on the US military, strengthen defence industrial bases and deter China as opposed to a policy of containment.

Irish political leaders are bracing themselves for the fallout from the US and Israeli strikes on Iran as widespread travel disruptions cause chaos across the Gulf and Middle East. Some airports in the region have closed indefinitely, leaving Irish tourists stranded, as well as about 14,000 Irish nationals living in the Middle East who potentially remain at risk.

The Islamic emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue. The Pakistani strikes hit parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia on Thursday night, and Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Laghman on Friday.

We are afraid that Indonesia will be used as the buffer to control the Palestinians. Indonesia has built a reputation in Palestine as one of the most active partners on the ground. It would be very painful for both Palestinians and Indonesians if they see the Indonesian army becoming an instrument of the occupation.

Just a few days before the president of Indonesia was supposed to go to Washington for the first meeting of the so-called "Board of Peace," a council created and chaired by US President Donald Trump, the spokesperson for the Indonesian military made a controversial announcement. Army spokesperson Donny Pramono said Indonesia was ready to deploy as many as 1,000 soldiers to Gaza by April, and could increase that to 8,000 by the end of June this year.

Of all countries, China should appreciate the need to stop Mr. Maduro from smuggling these illicit drugs into the U.S., killing tens of thousands of Americans. China experienced this in the Opium War of 1839-1842, when Great Britain forced opium on China, despite government protestations, resulting in the humiliating Treaty of Nanjing, ceding Hong Kong to Great Britain. Mr. Maduro was violating U.S. laws, in a conspiracy to aid enemies and kill innocent Americans.

The head of the department of defence, Greg Moriarty, will succeed Kevin Rudd as Australia's ambassador to the United States. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced Moriarty's appointment to the role on Sunday. A former chief of staff to Malcolm Turnbull and former Australian envoy to Iran and Indonesia, he has led the defence department since 2017. He will take up the posting in Washington from April. Moriarty was Australia's inaugural counter-terrorism coordinator and previously worked in US Central Command in the Gulf during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He represented Australia in Papua New Guinea, and as a negotiator of the peace monitoring group for Bougainville.

Japan and Britain agreed Saturday to accelerate cooperation on cybersecurity and the supply of critical minerals, as China's influence grows in the region. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his visit to Japan comes at a time "when geopolitical, economic and technological shocks are literally shaking the world." Starmer's overnight Tokyo visit comes on the heels of his trip to Beijing, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to seek a long-term, stable "strategic partnership."