Members of the U.S. 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) observe Royal Bahamas Defence Force members as they display their marksmanship skills on a range in Nassau, Bahamas. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND NORTH THE WATCH STAFF Commodore Raymond E. King became the commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) in May 2020. As a critical U.S. partner in the Caribbean, the force protects its own homeland while helping guard critical approaches to the U.S. King agreed to discuss his goals for the force in areas ranging from workforce development and gender optimization to international peacekeeping missions. THE WATCH: As the…
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A participant in the International Youth Festival in Sochi, Russia, walks by an anti-Western propaganda exhibition in March 2024 that decried NATO as having a “history of deception.” The U.S. Global Engagement Center fights anti-Western propaganda efforts by the People’s Republic of China and Russia. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF The Watch recently discussed with James P. Rubin, special envoy and coordinator of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center, issues of importance to our readers. The Watch featured the Global Engagement Center in a February 2021 article, “Fighting for Truth,” but many things have changed since then. THE…
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador shakes hands with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping in November 2023 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco. The People’s Republic of China has been expanding commercial and political ties with Mexico. Reuters DR. R. EVAN ELLIS/U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador “AMLO” publicly reached out to Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in March 2023, asking for help to manage the flow of fentanyl from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) into Mexico. The appeal officially, if indirectly, acknowledged the PRC’s role in the flow of narcotics…
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a news conference after their meeting in Moscow in April 2021. Mexico agreed at the meeting to begin bottling and packaging the Russian vaccine. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNITED KINGDOM MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Russia is deliberately targeting Mexico with information operations (IO) since the Ukraine invasion with the goal of sowing distrust toward NATO states and influencing Mexicans to support Russia’s actions. The campaign cannot generally be considered successful so far. Most Mexicans blame Russia, and Mexico usually supports Ukraine in the United Nations. However, Russia is becoming…
Then-Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie of the Bahamas, left, is greeted by Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting in January 2015 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DR. ANTHONY CLAYTON The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has vastly increased its presence in the Bahamas over the last two decades. The regime has been steadily investing in the nation – acquiring infrastructure, land and assets – with increased emphasis on investments, notably in fisheries. The PRC also is developing political influence with deep and sometimes ethically controversial engagement of local politicians and…
U.S. Marines exit a Mexican military helicopter during Exercise Phoenix/Aztec Alligator in July 2023. The exercise demonstrates the increasing interoperability between the Mexican and U.S. militaries. CPL. WILLOW MARSHALL/U.S. MARINE CORPS CAMRYN HOELLE/U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND The Mexican Armed Forces and United States military participated in the seventh Bilateral Military Cooperation Roundtable in August 2023 to fine-tune their strategic vision and enhance cooperation between the militaries. Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper and Rear Adm. Scott Robertson of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) hosted two delegations of members of the Mexican Armed Forces in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the executive session. The roundtable is…
U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Victor Cooper gives members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force a tour of the USS Wasp when it visited Nassau in June 2023. PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS ERIC MOSER/U.S. NAVY JOEL PEDERSEN/U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND Cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the Bahamas supports the development of maritime security throughout the Bahamas’ archipelago of 700 islands and cays and 466,000 square kilometers of ocean. The strategic goal is for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) to become interoperable with the U.S. military and capable of sharing information and intelligence on security threats to protect…
A member of the Canadian Naval Tactical Operations Group demonstrates techniques on how to secure a ship’s perimeter to Dominican Navy personnel during Exercise Tradewinds 19. CANADIAN ARMED FORCES CANADIAN JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND The defense of Canada and the rest of North America are the top priorities of the Canadian government and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). As a geographical approach to the continent and home to numerous allies and partners, the Caribbean is a region of particular importance. It is one with both opportunities and challenges in security, commerce, immigration, tourism, investment and strategic competition. We continue to see…
U.S. Marines assigned to the Female Engagement Team with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, escort an evacuated Afghan woman at Fort Pickett, Virgina, on September 24, 2021. Comprised of female volunteers, the Female Engagement Team helped build trust with the displaced Afghan guests to see to their needs. CPL. COREY A. MATHEWS/U.S. MARINE CORPS DR. HOLLY PEIRCE/U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT AND TIFFANI PHILLIPS/U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2022 National Security Strategy states, “the challenges of our age, from strategic competition to climate change, require us to make investments that sharpen our competitive edge and bolster our resilience.” The Women, Peace,…
A class engages in discussion during the Perry Center’s inaugural Climate Change and Implications for Defense and Security course in May 2023. The William J. Perry Center DR. PAUL J. ANGELO Threats to hemispheric security are myriad: trafficking in people, weapons and drugs; illegal fishing and mining; climate change and environmental fallout; corruption; cybercrimes and digital disinformation; predatory violence and extortion; and targeted challenges to international law, including human rights violations. Countering the threat networks responsible for this alarming panorama requires a strong network of dedicated security and defense practitioners working collaboratively across the Americas to uphold the rule of…