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Recent Appearances...

Home Front: Politix

Trump Insists Next Chinese Pandemic Must Be Made In America

2025-05-24

[Babylon Bee] WASHINGTON, D.C. — In yet another stage in the escalating trade conflict with China, President Donald Trump issued a statement insisting that the next Chinese pandemic be made in America.

According to President Trump, Americans deserve more than "cheap, knock-off kung flu." As such, the president also vowed to bring virus-manufacturing jobs back from Wuhan to the United States.

"Why import these viruses when we can make them right here at home?" Trump said in brief remarks to reporters. "Everybody complains to me about these sad, cheaply made Chinese global pandemics. They say, 'Don, when are you going to bring virus manufacturing back from China?' We're going to stop this virus deficit with China and prioritize American jobs by making sure that the next Chinese pandemic is made right here, by Americans. It'll be much better when it's made right here at home."

Insiders said Trump intends to raise tariffs on Chinese pandemics by at least 47%. Trump also expressed confidence that the U.S. can produce a much better pandemic. "What are we doing outsourcing the creation of our pandemics to Chinese labs, anyway?" Trump continued. "The mortality rate for their virus was, what, two-point-something percent? We can do a lot better than that, believe me."

Sources close to the trade negotiations said China had already pushed back on Trump's demand, vowing to increase pandemic production over the next year.

At publishing time, Trump had reportedly told White House staff that the production of any upcoming pandemic would be subject to government efficiency standards put in place by DOGE.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israeli strike kills Hezbollah operative in south Lebanon; jets target weapons depots

2025-05-24

[IsraelTimes] IDF fighter jets hit additional sites in country’s south and the eastern Beqaa Valley, also targeting rocket launchers belonging to terror group

The IDF killed a Hezbollah operative in a dronezap on southern Leb
Leb

...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
’s Rab Thalathin Thursday evening, as it targeted several sites where the terror group was said to be active.

Lebanese media identified the Hezbollah operative as Haider Muhammad Faqih.

Later that night, Israeli Air Force jets carried out a strike in the southern Lebanese village of Toul.

The IDF warned it would target a Hezbollah site in the village and issued an evacuation warning ahead of the strike.

Israeli fighter jets also bombed a Hezbollah weapons depot in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley. The site contained rocket launchers and other weapons, according to the military.

Hezbollah activity was identified at the facility, and therefore it was struck, the IDF said, calling the presence of weapons and activity by Hezbollah "constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

The IDF added that it struck rocket launchers in southern Lebanon belonging to the terror group.

IDF says it struck 15 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon last night

[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it struck 15 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon last night, including in the south of the country and the eastern Beqaa Valley.

Ahead of one of the strikes, in the village of Toul, the military issued an evacuation warning.

It issues footage of the strikes.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

A Naval Blockade of Russian Oil Exports Risks a Military Showdown

2025-05-24

[Carnegie Politika] The sanctions deployed against Russia have failed to break Vladimir Putin’s war machine, and now the West is looking for ways to make them more potent. In doing so, Western policymakers should remain clear-eyed about potential risks and side effects.

by Sergey Vakulenko
Published on July 5, 2024

Two and a half years ago, in the run-up to Russia’s full-fledged war against Ukraine, Moscow was promised "sanctions from hell." It was widely expected that these sanctions would crush the Russian economy. That did not happen, and one of the reasons was that Russia managed to maintain its oil exports’ prewar volume and revenues. It was clear from the outset that it would be next to impossible to completely eliminate Russian oil from the global markets, but there were strong hopes that the price cap mechanism would at least put pressure on the price and put the cash flows under control of the Western coalition, which might eventually drastically reduce the resources available for the Russian military effort.

Russia, for its part, was determined to keep its oil trade outside of the Western-controlled system—and has succeeded. Initially, Russian crude prices fell significantly, and Moscow had to spend money building up a shadow fleet of tankers, since Western-owned ones were no longer available to it, but the discounts are much smaller now, and oil revenues are higher than pre-COVID and prewar levels. So far, the price cap mechanism has been ineffective.

The price cap mechanism was built on a belief that the West has a monopoly on the services needed to move oil from Russian ports to Asian refineries: that Russia would not be able to manage without Western-owned tankers, insurance underwritten by Western-led P&I clubs, or bank transactions in Western currencies passing through Western banks. That belief turned out to be incorrect. Russia managed to organize a parallel system to handle its oil trade by amassing a shadow fleet and finding alternative insurance providers.

This is a deeply unsatisfying state of affairs for Western policymakers, from both a reputational and practical point of view. First, it undermines the authority of the Western coalition and the effectiveness of future sanctions, since they are dependent on the willingness of potential sanctions violators and violation abettors to take risks, having weighed up the likely losses and rewards. Second, the failure of the price cap keeps Russian coffers full and the war machine running. Accordingly, Western governments are looking for more radical solutions and fixes.

Danish and Finnish officials have announced that they are looking for legal ways to deny passage to ships carrying Russian crude and diesel through marine chokepoints such as the Danish straits, the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, and the English Channel if they are not operating in accordance with the price cap mechanism. In all these cases, the ships would have to pass within 12 nautical miles of Danish, Finnish or Estonian, or English or French shores.

The ships in question often belong to non-Russian owners, sail under non-Russian flags, and carry cargo owned by non-Russian traders. They might have insurance certificates issued by Russian insurers that don’t belong to international insurance clubs, but those insurers had a substantial share of the oil cargo business before the war.

The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which governs international marine traffic, cites the right of peaceful passage as a fundamental legal principle. In some cases, free passage is governed by much older treaties, such as the 1857 Copenhagen Convention for the Danish straits. Naval blockades have been tools of war and casus belli many times in history. UNCLOS was drafted and signed with the idea of eliminating this source of tensions and lowering the chances of war. As a result, it left very little room for littoral states to hinder the free passage of commercial vessels.

The challenge European policymakers are facing now, therefore, is how to make a blockade—an act often used during hostilities—look like a justified peacetime measure within the framework of conventions written to avoid hostilities. In other words, how to conduct an act of war while technically not conducting an act of war.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has said: "It’s just not very easy because international maritime law is basically geared towards opening navigation and making it very difficult for any country to intervene with free traffic. The law was built for a completely different world than what we are now looking at."

It is understandable that the West prefers to take a measured approach in its conflict with Russia, sticking to commercial issues and avoiding any show of physical force. As tempting as it is to use technicalities to pursue strategic goals and justify a forceful course of action in the confrontation between Russia and the West, stopping tankers carrying Russian crude in the Danish straits could prompt an escalation on Russia’s part, such as an armed naval escort.

This approach also erodes trust and respect for the rules-based international order. Rules are commitment devices: their true value is demonstrated when they are applied against the current interests of their authors and proponents. If the conventions signed in the Cold War era are of no use today, then what is? Russia has long accused the West of hypocrisy and has justified its actions by citing double standards and manipulation of the rules to the advantage of the United States and EU. The use of UNCLOS to exercise a naval blockade against Russia will only provide Moscow with another story to tell the Global South.

The West still has the means to enforce the price cap more strictly and more broadly by going after profit-seekers who are willing to help move Russian oil for a fee and turn a blind eye to phony price cap compliance attestation. The West could also threaten secondary sanctions against Chinese and Indian buyers—if it has the will to expend political capital on the issue. But attempts to stop the physical flow of Russian oil through international straits would amount to a blockade, and will be seen as such.

That’s not to say that it’s not the right thing to do—but it should be done with a full and clear understanding of the significance of the act and possible consequences, rather than naively sleepwalking into the next level of conflict.

Link

Good Morning

2025-05-23

Sparks fly between Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Dem Rep. Watson Coleman: 'You should feel shameful'

Friday 05/23/2025

Report: Hamas and Islamist leaders to leave Lebanon for Qatar and Turkey

1960s-hairstyles-1

Africa Horn U.S. to impose sanctions on Sudan over chemical weapons use - Sudan Tribune		Syria-Lebanon-Iran Israeli drone strikes kill two in Ain Baal, Yater
Europe Irish rappers Kneecap deny Hezbollah support after terror charge -- Naharnet		Syria-Lebanon-Iran Hajj Hassan asks about achievements of ''politics and diplomacy'' -- Naharnet
Syria-Lebanon-Iran Geagea says govt must set timeframe for disarming Palestinian camps		Israel-Palestine-Jordan Thursday's death toll in Gaza rises to 80

Immigration expert warns Chinese illegal
aliens using Canadian city as gateway to US

Link

Home Front: Politix

DHS ends Harvard's student visa program over 'pro-terrorist conduct'

2025-05-23

Thinking waaaaay outside the box, moving the Overton Window to another galaxy… Secretary Noem just trumped [yes, I did — and on purpose, too] all the management clichés. Why on earth would anyone go to Harvard if they can’t rub elbows with international aristocrats? It’s not like the education is still something special.

[FoxNews] Existing international students must transfer or leave US as DHS demands protest footage and disciplinary records

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to "pro-terrorist conduct" at campus protests, Fox News Digital has learned.

It's a severe consequence for what DHS claims is Harvard's refusal to comply with its requests for behavioral records of student visa holders.

"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."

Harvard may no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025-2026 school year, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins.

"As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas rhetoric, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege," Noem wrote in a letter to Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services.

Noem offered Harvard 72 hours to provide the information requested for an opportunity to regain its visa program for the next school year.

She called the move the "direct result of Harvard’s epic failure to comply with simple reporting requirements."

Harvard, meanwhile, asserted the termination was "unlawful."

"The government’s action is unlawful. We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission," university spokesperson Jason Newton told Fox News Digital.

The records requested include any footage of protest activity involving students on visas and the disciplinary records of all students on visas in the last five years.

Noem said last month she had requested records related to visa-holding students enrolled in the university and Harvard’s counsel did not provide adequate information to meet the demand. After the DHS general counsel asked again for the information, Harvard provided an "insufficient, incomplete and unacceptable response," she said.

"Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of antisemitism in society and campuses," said Noem.

Requested records also include footage or documentation of illegal, dangerous or violent activity by student visa holders, any records of threats or the deprivation of rights of other students or university personnel.

Harvard could not immediately be reached for comment.

Last month, Harvard announced it would allow foreign students to accept admission to both Harvard and a foreign university as backup amid the Trump administration’s threats to move to block Harvard’s authorization to host them. Typically, students must accept enrollment at Harvard by May 1 and can’t commit to another university.

At least a dozen Harvard students have had their authorization to study in the U.S. revoked over campus protest activity.

The Trump administration has already frozen close to $3 billion in federal funding to the university, largely dedicated to research, and launched investigations across the departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. They claim that Harvard has failed to address campus antisemitism and eradicate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in its policies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress this week that the State Department had probably revoked "thousands" of student visas by this point and would "proudly" revoke more.

"We're going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities," he said Tuesday. "A visa is a privilege, not a right."

The crackdown on university policies comes after a wave of pro-Gaza student protests and encampments swept schools across the nation since the beginning of Israel’s offensive campaign to eradicate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks to pressure university administrations to divest from Israel.

Compare and contrast:

Biden Education Dept Ignored Hundreds of Anti-Semitism Complaints, Official Says
Trump has cracked down on campus anti-Semitism, which surged nationwide under Biden

Link

Great White North

Immigration expert warns Chinese illegal aliens using Canadian city as gateway to US

2025-05-23

Another reason why President Trump thought it necessary to give Canada a hard time- though originally it was couched in terms of drug smuggling, specifically fentynal.

[FoxNews] Mark Krikorian, Center for Immigration Studies executive director, warns of smuggling at northern border

An immigration expert says that the flow of Chinese illegal aliens into the United States could largely be supported by the Chinese community in a western Canadian city and that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is likely using known Canadian smuggling routes to sneak operatives into the U.S.

As southern border crossings have ground to a virtual halt, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, Mark Krikorian, shared his thoughts on the continuing flow of Chinese illegal aliens from the north.

"It would be logical if they're trying to come across the northern border instead," he told Fox News Digital. "And there are lots of Chinese people in Vancouver. I mean, there's this very large Chinese population, Hong Kong population, etc."

Krikorian said the Chinese population in Vancouver is not so much "teeming with spies" as it is a tool that serves as cover for potential Chinese bad actors looking to cross into the U.S.

"Whether they're regular criminals or whether they're People's Liberation Army operatives, or who knows what, a Chinese community gives them a medium through which to move where they're not alien," he said.

"It's kind of like one of Mao's sayings," Krikorian said. "'The people are like the sea and the revolutionaries are like the fish.' In other words, they use the people as the sea through which [the revolutionaries] swim."

According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the number of Chinese nationals caught crossing into the U.S. via the northern border so far in fiscal 2025 is 4,042. The total in fiscal 2024 was 12,414.

The fiscal year closes at the end of September, meaning that the U.S. is on pace for fewer crossings by Chinese nationals this year than last.

"It would make perfect sense that they (the CCP) would use preexisting Chinese communities and networks as the medium through which they get into Canada and then [it's] kind of a jumping off point to get into the United States," Krikorian said.

Krikorian said potential Chinese illegal aliens enter Canada in various ways, including through student visas and tourist visas, which allow them to be in proximity to the U.S. border in the first place. He also said he believes smuggling routes are well known to Chinese officials and that the smuggling is facilitated by local CCP allies.

"A lot of them must be hiring smugglers just because if you don't know the ropes, how do you know where to go and who to talk to and what part of the border to sneak across?" he said. "It's harder than it looks."

Krikorian said he does not believe there is currently a grand conspiracy to send groups of Chinese spies into the U.S. via the northern border, especially because of the Trump administration's stricter policies on border security.

An operation like that, he said, would more likely occur with more relaxed border policies like the ones during the Biden administration and that the CCP is patient and calculated enough to simply wait until America's borders are open again.

However, he said it was unfathomable to think that China would give up on exploiting America's border weaknesses or using preexisting smuggling routes they have used in the past.

"I think the main thing is just people coming for dishwashing jobs, like regular illegal aliens," he said. "But if there's a flow like that, the People's Liberation Army is not stupid. They're going to salt it with people they're going to want to use in the future, whether it's saboteurs or spies or what have you.

"Does anybody think the Chinese Communist Party is stupid enough not to have taken advantage of this opportunity Biden gave them? No."

Link

-Land of the Free

Secretary Of The Army Dan Driscoll: Army unveils modernization plan because, ‘No lobbyist ever won a war'

2025-05-21

[FoxNews] Army pledges to prioritize drone capabilities, AI-driven systems and combat readiness over 'parochial interests'

Since becoming secretary, I have been alarmed to find that our Army is at risk of falling behind other major powers across the globe, including China. Why? For decades, antiquated processes and bureaucratic bloat shackled our innovation and modernization efforts. If we continue business as usual our national security will be at risk.

The gap between the Army we have and the Army we need is growing fast. Our soldiers are innovative, resourceful and capable – they are our nation’s best. But they are being held back by lobbyists and complacent stakeholders who prioritized parochial interests over our soldiers’ lethality and readiness.

No lobbyist ever took a hill. No lobbyist ever won a war. Our soldiers deserve better. And our nation deserves better. That’s why Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently directed the Army to accelerate change.

We got to work immediately.

The Army Transformation Initiative (ATI) is how we break free from entrenched government bureaucracy, enable our soldiers and outpace our adversaries.

This is the way forward:

1. Get battle-winning gear to the front lines

Our soldiers must out-survive and outfight the enemy on the battlefield. Today, they need drone and counter-drone capabilities, AI-driven decision-making and lethal, battle-ready tanks and attack aircraft. We have been slow to put these tools in our soldiers’ hands, not for lack of vision, but because of outdated acquisitions practices. That ends now. Our mission is clear: cut red tape so we can quickly equip troops with the best capabilities available.

2. Out-innovate the enemy

We will channel America’s bold and innovative spirit, not just in words, but in action. We will fuel market competition, back industry-led research and development, and streamline the process by placing users, testers and developers shoulder-to-shoulder in the field. We will embrace change and fight system inertia, keeping us agile, lethal and one step ahead of our enemies.

3. Unloading what we don’t need

For far too long, our hands have been tied by parochial interests propped up by swarms of lobbyists. We have been forced to buy gear that we no longer want or need. With ATI, we’ll ensure that we use American taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars effectively. If a capability no longer benefits our soldiers and does not make our Army more lethal, we will not buy it.

4. Efficiency over bureaucracy

We are transforming the Army from the ground up, not just upgrading our processes and equipment. We are building an organization that will drive process improvements, leading to better products and better outcomes for soldiers. As a start, we will consolidate organizations within the Army to eliminate redundancies and reduce bureaucratic overhead.

5. Getting soldiers out from behind desks

We will refocus resources on our fighting formations by cutting overhead, starting within the Army headquarters. We will get our soldiers back where they belong: training to dominate the battlefield and win wars.

Our soldiers and the American people deserve an Army that is equipped to fight and win anywhere, anytime, against any adversary. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, that’s exactly what the Army Transformation Initiative will deliver.

Make it so. They’re having issues over on the watery side of the Service:

Trump’s shipbuilding agenda is sinking.

I returned this week from shipyard tours in California to a flood of calls and DMs from DC and none of the news is good.

Friday marks 45 days since the president signed the Executive Order mandating a full shipbuilding review in 45 days.… pic.twitter.com/UAt84Zz0gx
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) May 20, 2025

…in 45 days. So far, only one Cabinet Secretary has shown any urgency, and only in the past few days.

I pray I’m missing something, but sources inside every relevant department say otherwise. There’s no indication
@SecDuffy
,
@KristiNoem
, or
@SecDef
are prioritizing this effort.

Reports from inside DOT are disturbing: they’re 20 years behind on their mandated shipyard survey to Congress. DOT should be the lead agency on this—but they’re failing.

Trump’s pick to lead
@DOTMARAD
—known for shaking things up had his nomination pulled by Duffy days before confirmation. No explanation, but rumors swirl about ties to Project 2025 and the anti-Jones Act Heritage Foundation.

The replacement is a strong candidate on paper, but shipbuilding is his weak spot and he has deep ties to
@Maersk
, which prioritizes Chinese shipyards.

No Deputy Administrator at MARAD has been named. DOT also hasn’t filled the critical Assistant Secretary role for policy and planning.

The acting head of MARAD is a West Point classmate of Mark Esper—yes, the same Esper who helped auction off the Army’s watercraft fleet. Sources claim he’s undermining both Trump’s and Esper’s maritime goals.

Lobbyists hold major sway at MARAD, making the General Counsel role crucial. A well-known, pro-Trump maritime executive with a stellar résumé applied, he was sidelined by Duffy. Instead, a woman with zero shipbuilding experience was installed this week. Initial reports about her are terrible.

Several of the most capable Trump loyalists at MARAD who held the line during the Buttigieg years have resigned in frustration.

On the Navy side, there’s no serious effort underway to reorganize the 83,000-person shipbuilding & repair enterprise. The critical SUPSHIP AGM role is still up in the air.

No admirals have been fired. No CNO appointed. The acting CNO is offering nothing but bureaucratic word salad.

The Secretary of the Navy remains verbally committed but no action plan has been released. Sources say he’s overwhelmed with internal crises & not getting enough support from the admirals and SES

Not one admiral has publicly endorsed shipbuilding as a national priority.

At USCG, a culling of admirals is underway & DHS is quietly investigating but the rot runs deeper than expected. Until that’s fixed, real shipbuilding effort is impossible.

Meanwhile, the individual making the most shipbuilding waves in DC? A former Obama donor who runs a CIA-linked registry exposed by
@DataRepublican
.

Trump promised a dedicated shipbuilding office during his state of the union speech. This idea was nixed along with shipbuilding desks at OMB, NEC, and a new White House office. Instead, Waltz expanded his NSC maritime team but progress stalled as Waltz fell out of favor. A leaked memo lists staffers to be purged this week & two of them work on maritime.

Interim Director Rubio has barely been seen or heard from at NSC. Nothing’s moving.

At State, the maritime team is small, and slow.

No one with real, hands-on experience building commercial ships at world-class yards has been hired.

Finally, after a promising bipartisan start, several top maritime leaders are breaking ranks publicly voicing concern about last-minute changes made to the bill and there are rumors that Mark Kelly’s strong anti-Trump rhetoric could sink the effort.

The clock is ticking. We started drifting without power when the dedicated WH shipbuilding office idea was nixed then lights went out Duffy pulled the nomination for MARAD. Now the ship is taking on water.

Silver lining? Trump & JD are, by all accounts, more interested in shipbuilding lately, not less. They just seem to be too trusting that Hegseth, Duffy and Noem are following commander’s intent.

Link

Fifth Column

Chinese student has been arrested for using a drone to fly over a US Navy shipyard and taking photos

2025-05-21

[X]

A Chinese student has been arrested for using a drone to fly over a US Navy shipyard and taking photos

“The FBI found photos and videos of sensitive US Naval vessels — This shipyard makes highly classified Navy aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines”

Even more concerning,… pic.twitter.com/bIi4dbjlSx
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 20, 2025

…Even more concerning, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. This is the same Naval Shipyard another Chinese National arrested for taking photos of:

The “case comes as US military bases have intercepted a growing number of Chinese nationals posing as tourists. This March, an illegal Chinese immigrant was arrested after breaching a Marine Corps base in California. In 2019, a Chinese student was sentenced to a year behind bars for taking photos at the same military base”

“Authorities said Xi violated the Espionage Act”

“This comes as growing concerns regarding Chinese land purchases around sensitive facilities.”

Link

Afghanistan

Russia to Start Oil Production in Afghanistan

2025-05-20

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Text taken from a news article which appeared in rg.ru

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] "An agreement on cooperation in this area was signed," RIA Novosti quotes Azizi as saying.

According to him, the agreement was signed on the Russian side by Inteko Group within the framework of the Russia - Islamic World. KazanForum forum.

Inteko Group has already conducted geological exploration in Afghanistan and will begin drilling operations to extract oil, said Rustam Khabibullin, head of the Russian Business Center in Afghanistan.

At the same time, work will begin on the construction of an oil refinery at the selected site. The site is equipped with the necessary utilities, Khabibullin added.

The agency's interlocutor also noted that this is the first agreement of this kind.

Earlier, the first underground oil storage facility was put into operation in Russia. It is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and can already be used.

The Taliban have been discharged from the terrorists. Now it can be officially mined. The Chinese, by the way, are already developing Afghan lithium deposits.Since Afghanistan has persistent problems with fuel and lubricants, cooperation with the Taliban in the oil sector is one of the obvious areas of interaction for Russia.

In the future, we can expect agreements on the extraction of rare earth metals (yes, Trump, rare earth metals),

…lots of places have them. The rarity is that it takes a lot of raw ore to get a small amount of the refined stuff — but new deposits seem to be found every few months…
as well as on agriculture. Russia has already imported food to Afghanistan, and in the future, it is beneficial for us that Afghan farmers move away from poppy crops to growing ordinary grain crops.

That would be beneficial for everyone — there’s a serious market glut for opioid products.
The Chinese have already established cooperation of this kind in the border provinces of Afghanistan. Increasing the area of grain crops is the best way to systematically reduce the production of raw poppy.

Well, in the long term, Afghanistan may become another market for Russian goods.

P.S. On the negative side, the stubborn Taliban pushed through a ban on chess in Afghanistan. Such paroxysms of the Middle Ages will seriously hinder the transformation of Afghanistan into a normal state.

It will never happen so long as the Pashtuns/Pakhtons are running things.

Link

Good Morning

2025-05-19

''The reason I hire so many blacks to run Chicago is because we're planet earth's most generous race''

Monday 05/19/2025

Israel announces military operation in north and south of Gaza Strip

HelenHayes_01

International-UN-NGOs UN scales back aid goals in Somalia and Yemen		Africa Horn Heavy Fighting Enters Second Day on Border Between Somali Regions
Africa Horn Clashes in Nuurdugle, Middle Shabelle as Somali Forces Repel Al-Shabaab Attack		Home Front: WoT 50,000 march in NYC%u2019s annual Israel parade centered on the plight of the hostages
Israel-Palestine-Jordan That, too: Hamas document shows Oct. 7 attack aimed at derailing Saudi normalization %u2013 report		Syria-Lebanon-Iran Iran sentences three to death over deadly attacks on Shiite shrine

Chinese new UAV Jiutian

Link

Science & Technology

The US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's policy

2025-05-19

[BBC] Among the cactuses in the desert of Arizona, just outside Phoenix, an extraordinary collection of buildings is emerging that will shape the future of the global economy and the world.

The hum of further construction is creating not just a factory for the world's most advanced semiconductors. Eventually, it will mass produce the most advanced chips in the world. This work is being done in the US for the first time, with the Taiwanese company behind it pledging to spend billions more here in a move aimed at heading off the threat of tariffs on imported chips.

It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you may not have heard of: TSMC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors. Until now they were all made on the island of Taiwan, which is 100 miles east of the Chinese mainland. The Apple chip in your iPhone, the Nvidia chips powering your ChatGPT queries, the chips in your laptop or computer network, all are made by TSMC.

Its Arizona facility "Fab 21" is closely guarded. Blank paper or personal devices are not allowed in case designs are leaked. It houses some of the most important intellectual property in the world, and the process to make these chips is one of the most complicated and intensive in global manufacturing.

Link

Science & Technology

Chinese new UAV Jiutian

2025-05-19

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Advertisement for the Chinese high-altitude strike UAV "Jiutian", which is expected to enter service with the PLA this summer.

Of interest (in addition to various suspended weapons), it is worth noting the declared ability to launch swarm kamikaze drones in clusters, which should automatically capture and destroy targets. For these purposes, two containers for batch launch of drones are built directly into the UAV body. The Chinese previously installed such containers on pickups and trucks.

Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the large size, which makes the machine vulnerable to modern air defense systems. In a theater of military operations without serious air defense, such a machine will certainly punish.

I will assume that this is only a desired concept, and not a ready-made system, although the Chinese have been experimenting with this topic since the mid-10s. Then experiments were conducted with a mass drop of drones from a military transport. When technical problems (communication, guidance, coordination, range) are solved, swarm drones with a batch launch will become the new standard.

Well, large drones launching a bunch of small drones that can distinguish between a person, heavy, light armored vehicles, artillery, other drones - this is an approach to the very future (not the brightest), which was described by science fiction writers predicting the robotization of war.

It is necessary to dig in this direction now, so as not to find ourselves in a situation identical to the beginning of the SVO, when it turned out that the unmanned revolution was not fully understood in our country.

Link

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