[WeaponsSubstack] There is very little information on CIA Director Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow. Even so, there is enough information to make some observations. One reason for Ratcliffe’s visit was to warn Moscow about replacing the Kiev regime which, Washington fears, may be on the verge of collapse.
The idea of a dying Ukraine is not part of the popular press. But there is growing evidence Ukraine cannot continue the war much longer.
The CIA Director departed from Joint Base Andrews in a C-17A Globemaster under the control of the 89th Airlift Wing located at the base. The flight started out in Charleston and departed Andrews on August 23rd. The exact time of departure was not announced. If it was heading straight to Moscow from Andrews the flight time would be between 9.5 and 10.5 hours. However, the plane landed in Riga, Latvia at Riga International Airport, which is about 525 miles from Moscow. Apparently it landed on August 24th and stayed overnight in Riga, departing for Moscow the next morning. The C-17 then flew to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport where Ratcliffe arrived at the VIP area. US Embassy supplied vehicles picked him up on the tarmac and his caravan was later observed transiting in Moscow. There is no word that any Russian official greeted Ratcliffe.
The C-17 used by Ratcliffe was specially equipped with a Roll On Conference Module (ROCC) that offers secure working space and sleep accommodations.
Even after Ratcliffe’s C-17 arrived at Vnukovo, the Kremlin seemed unaware of the visit, including Putin’s own office. In fact, the visit was only acknowledged after Ratcliffe left Moscow. Then the Kremlin said that Ratcliffe met with the Russian intelligence service, but not with Putin.
There are a few matters that deserve attention.
The first is that the US asked Zelensky to halt all drone operations over Russian territory for a few days, in order to clear the airspace over Russia. Had the drone strikes not been halted, the C-17 would not have flown into Moscow. The Russians also had to tell their air defense operators about the C-17 and not to shoot at it.
Ratcliffe’s departure to Moscow took place before his visit to Moscow was cleared by the Russians. The Ratcliffe trip was very urgent and Ratcliffe was aiming at a very high level meeting. It can also be supposed he wanted to see Putin.
It would seem that the decision for the C-17 to stop in Riga was an enroute choice because the Moscow authorities had not cleared either the aircraft arrival or the visit itself.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow on August 25 to warn the Russian side against attacks on NATO countries, Politico reported,citing informed sources.
According to them, Ratcliffe allegedly warned Russia against escalating the conflict with US allies in the North Atlantic Alliance, specifically Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Furthermore, the CIA chief discussed support for Iran with the Russian side, attempting to exert "political pressure" on Moscow on this issue.
Ratcliffe himself declined to comment to the publication on this matter.
Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on August 25 aboard an American Boeing C-17. Foreign media reported that the CIA chief intended to hold meetings. Details of his visit were not disclosed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later stated that the contacts occurred through intelligence agencies. Ratcliffe had no contact with President Vladimir Putin, but the head of state was promptly informed.
On August 27, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, confirmed the meeting with Ratcliffe and described it as a working format. He clarified that during the meeting, they discussed a number of issues within the purview of intelligence services. So.. a nothingburger
[FoxNews] Black Sea ally has built its armed forces anchored in American defense systems
Russia is a growing threat that America and Europe cannot afford to ignore. Romanian airspace has been violated by drones dozens of times in recent months. According to press reports, American intelligence believes Russia may test NATO’s resolve with a limited move against an allied country.
For Romania, none of this is abstract. We sit on NATO’s southeastern flank, on the Black Sea, and we share the longest border with Ukraine of any ally. We have watched this from its edge for years, with drones crossing into our airspace and debris falling on our territory. We have learned by direct experience that deterrence is tested first at the perimeter of the alliance.
The partnership between Romania and the United States was built for moments like this. Its strength rests on two things: geography and reliability. Geography we did not choose. Reliability we have earned. When Operation Epic Fury required access and support, Romania was among the first allies to answer. Quickly and publicly. That is what a trusted partner does.
That is why I recently sent our national security advisor and our chief of defense to convey Romania’s commitment to Black Sea security, to NATO burden-sharing and burden-shifting, and to deeper strategic partnership with the United States. I asked them to keep that conversation going, in Washington and at NATO headquarters, to answer whatever questions our American allies may have. And to make clear that Romania is prepared to raise both the level of its commitments and the speed at which it delivers them.
[California Globe] Wednesday, the Stop Nick Shirley Act rally at the California State Capitol was huge, and well attended. Senator Tony Strickland lead the press conference, and walked the crowd through the unconstitutional anti-transparency law that will have major implications for free speech, government accountability, and transparency. Accountability and transparency are essential to good government, and this law moves the state in the opposite direction, Strickland said. Strickland noted that instead of sending a thank-you note to Nick Shirley for exposing fraud inside immigrant communities in hospices in California, Governor Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, and elected Democrats went after him with AB 2624, the Stop Nick Shirley Act, to penalize him, fine him, and any journalist who uncover state government fraud.
As Sen. Strickland notes, Nick Shirley uncovered the fraud, but the Attorney General is not investigating it or prosecuting it.
"You’re not going to silence us. We will continue to fight" was the message throughout the rally and press conference.
Nick Shirley got to the heart of the matter immediately when he spoke — unconstitutional restriction of free speech, and freedom of the press. He covered the "Stop Nick Shirley Act," AB 2624, now law in California. He said the bill was created by the California Attorney General’s wife Mia Bonta after he exposed widespread fraud inside immigrant communities in America. Now they want to penalize journalists and citizens for looking into potential fraud inside of "immigration support service providers, Shirley added.
Nick was accessible to the crowd, who showed their love for him the entire rally.
Before the rally started, the Globe was told that two of the listed guest speakers — Republicans Assembly Minority Leader Alexandra Macedo and Assemblyman David Tangipa — were under lockdown in the Assembly Chambers during session by the Assembly Speaker, and not allowed to leave. So much for elected representatives representing their people at a rally.
Antifa made an appearance as the anti-patriots — loud and obnoxious, offensive and not interested in bipartisan dialogue — which made it necessary for the Capitol police to bring in reinforcements. The police presence was impressive and welcome.
The group of overweight, pasty Antifa outcasts made most people laugh at them — especially at their signs, one of which called rally attendees "KKK."
Fortunately for the rally attendees, the messages from speakers were positive, and encouraging. And several said it was up to the crowd to fight back against the unconstitutional bill by fighting for constitutional rights, and voting.
Candidate for Attorney General Michael Gates questioned what Rob Bonta even does since he does not prosecute fraud. He promised rally goers he would, as well as doing the actual job of the Attorney General.
Congressional Candidate Jenny Rae LaRou (CA-47), business owner and entrepreneur, currently serves as executive director of CAL DOGE, the state-level effort modeled on efficiency and waste-reduction initiatives by the federal DOGE team. She has focused on rooting out government waste, fraud, and abuse in California, and said at the rally her first call was to Nick Shirley when she first started.
She assured everyone she would continue to root out fraud, asking "when in history have the good guys ever censored anyone?"
Pastor Jack Hibbs encouraged everyone to get involved, and recruit friends and family, if California is to be saved.
Sonja Shaw, candidate for California Superintendent of Public Instruction, featured prominently, as well. Shaw is the Chino Valley Unified School District board president, and emphasizes parental rights, academics, specifically noting low proficiency rates in reading and math, opposition to certain gender-related school policies, and reducing what she describes as political ideology in classrooms.
The Antifa thugs did not disperse, and during speeches, increased their noise level, horn blowing, chanting, blaring loud speakers.
That’s the best they had.
Nick Shirley posted this little "Fun fact, Newsom has directed over $300 million to nonprofits while governor and AG Rob Bonta when he was an assemblyman directed over $500,000 to nonprofits associated with his wife."
It sounds like there is plenty to continue investigating — for Nick Shirley, and hopefully for more of California’s journalists.
But don’t hold your breath on the Capitol crowd. Lots of colorful pictures and videos at the link.
No doubt the Democrats in Sacramento are up to no good but Katy Grimes does a lot of editorializing so I'm suggesting this piece for the Opinion page.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
