Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Caribbean-Latin America
Cuban Dictator Raúl Castro Meets Senior Chinese Official After Joint Spying Report
2024-12-17
[Breitbart] The Center for Strategic and International Studies revealed previously unconfirmed information on four eavesdropping facilities in Cuba.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon’s army rendered a bystander as Israel, Hezbollah fight in country’s south
2024-10-13
[IsraelTimes] Long overshadowed militarily by Iran-backed terror group and unable to keep it away from border, army has withdrawn to 5 km from frontier, but may put up a fight if IDF approaches

Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Leb
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
, Israeli forces and Hezbollah terror operatives have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines.

It’s not the first time the national army has found itself watching war at home from the discomfiting position of bystander.

Lebanon’s widely beloved army is one of the few institutions that bridge the country’s sectarian and political divides. Several army commanders have become president, and the current commander, Gen. Joseph Aoun, is widely regarded as one of the frontrunners to step in when the deadlocked parliament fills a two-year vacuum and names a president.

But with an aging arsenal and no air defenses, and battered by five years of economic crisis, the national army is ill-prepared to defend Lebanon against either aerial bombardment or a ground offensive by a well-equipped modern army like Israel’s. Moreover, Israel is explicitly fighting solely against Hezbollah, and not against the Lebanese army or the Lebanese state.

The army is militarily overshadowed by Hezbollah. The Lebanese army has about 80,000 troops, with around 5,000 of them deployed in the country’s south. Hezbollah has more than 100,000 fighters, according to the Iran-backed terror group’s slain leader, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...>
. Its arsenal — built with support from Tehran — is also more advanced.

A CAUTIOUS INITIAL RESPONSE
Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters have been clashing since October 8, 2023, when the terror group began firing rockets over the border in support of its ally Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
 in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
, which committed a massacre in southern Israel a day earlier.

In recent weeks, Israel has conducted a major aerial bombardment of Lebanon and a ground offensive that it says aims to push Hezbollah back from the border — as required by a 2006 UN Security Council Resolution — and allow tens of thousands of displaced residents of northern Israel to return after a year.

As Israeli troops made their first forays across the border and Hezbollah responded with rocket fire, Lebanese army soldiers withdrew from observation posts along the frontier and repositioned about 5 kilometers (3 miles) back.

So far, Israeli forces have not advanced that far. The only direct festivities between the two national armies were on October 3, when Israeli tank fire hit a Lebanese army position in the area of Bint Jbeil, killing a soldier, and on Friday, when two soldiers were killed in an Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 in the same area. The Lebanese army said it returned fire both times.

Lebanon’s army declined to comment on how it would react if Israeli ground forces advanced farther.

Analysts familiar with the army’s workings said that, should the Israeli incursion reach the current army positions, Lebanese troops would put up a fight — but a limited one.

The army’s "natural and automatic mission is to defend Lebanon against any army that may enter Lebanese territory," said former Lebanese Army Gen. Hassan Jouni. "Of course, if the Israeli enemy enters, it will defend, but within the available capabilities ... without going to the point of recklessness or suicide."

ISRAELI AND LEBANESE ARMIES ARE ’A TOTAL OVERMATCH’
The current Israeli offensive in Lebanon is its fourth in the neighboring country in the past 50 years. In most of the previous invasions, the Lebanese army played a similarly peripheral role.

The one exception, said Aram Nerguizian, a senior associate with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, was in 1972, when Israel attempted to create a 20-kilometer (12-mile) buffer zone to push back Paleostinian Liberation Organization fighters.

At that time, Nerguizian said, the Lebanese army successfully slowed the pace of the Israeli advance and "bought time for politicianship in Beirut to seek the intervention of the international community to pressure Israel for a ceasefire."

But the internal situation in Lebanon — and the army’s capabilities — deteriorated with the outbreak of a 15-year civil war in 1975, during which both Israeli and Syrian forces occupied parts of the country.

Hezbollah was the only faction that was allowed to keep its weapons after the civil war, for the stated goal of resisting the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon — which ended in 2000.

By 2006, when Hezbollah and Israel fought a bruising monthlong war, the Lebanese army "had not been able to invest in any real-world postwar modernization, had no ability to deter Israeli air power" and "was left completely exposed," Nerguizian said. "The few times that the [Lebanese army] and Israeli forces did engage militarily, there was total overmatch."

iINTERNATIONAL AID HAS BEEN A MIXED BLESSING
After the 2011 outbreak of civil war in neighboring Syria and the rise of the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 (IS or ISIS) terror group there, the Lebanese army saw a new influx of military aid. It successfully battled against ISIS on Lebanon’s border in 2017, although not alone — Hezbollah was simultaneously attacking the group on the other side of the border.

When Lebanon’s financial system and currency collapsed in 2019, the army took a hit. It had no budget to buy weapons and maintain its existing supplies, vehicles and aircraft. An average soldier’s salary is now worth around $220 per month, and many resorted to working second jobs. At one point, the United States and Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 both gave a monthly subsidy for soldiers’ salaries.

The US had been a primary funder of the Lebanese army before the crisis. It has given some $3 billion in military aid since 2006, according to the State Department, which said in a statement that it aims "to enable the Lebanese military to be a stabilizing force against regional threats" and "strengthen Lebanon’s illusory sovereignty, secure its borders, counter internal threats, and disrupt terrorist facilitation."

US President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. We get to suffer the consequences...
’s administration has also touted the Lebanese army as a key part of any diplomatic solution to the current war, with hopes that increased deployment of its forces would supplant Hezbollah in the border area.

But that support has limits. Aid to the Lebanese army has sometimes been politically controversial within the US, with some politicians arguing that it could fall into the hands of Hezbollah, although there is no evidence that has happened.

In Lebanon, many believe that the US has blocked the army from obtaining more advanced weaponry that might allow it to defend against Israel — America’s strongest ally in the region and the recipient of at least $17.9 billion in US military aid in the year since the war in Gaza began.

"It is my personal opinion that the United States does not allow the [Lebanese] military to have advanced air defense equipment, and this matter is related to Israel," said Walid Aoun, a retired Lebanese army general and military analyst.

Nerguizian said the perception is "not some conspiracy or half-truth," noting that the US has enacted a legal requirement to support Israel’s qualitative military edge relative to all other militaries in the region.
Related:
Lebanese army: 2024-10-10 Lebanon says it arrested 2 Syrians on suspicion of spying for Israel
Lebanese army: 2024-10-04 IDF officer killed in Lebanon; strike hits Hezbollah commander behind rocket attack on kids
Lebanese army: 2024-10-03 In first fatalities of Lebanon ground op, 8 IDF soldiers killed in battles with Hezbollah
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Pager, walkie-talkie explosions took 1,500 fighters out of action – Hezbollah source
2024-09-26
[IsraelTimes] Officials within the terror group say chain of command remains intact, and fighters are trained to operate even if it breaks down, pointing to underground arsenal, tunnel network

The explosion last week of thousands of Hezbollah’s communication devices across Leb
...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
 put 1,500 fighters out of commission due to their injuries, with many having been blinded or had their hands blown off, a Hezbollah official told Rooters.

While that is a major blow, it represents a fraction of Hezbollah’s strength, which a report for the US Congress on Friday put at 40,000-50,000 fighters. The terror group’s leader, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...>
, has said it has 100,000 fighters.

The blasts, which were widely blamed on Israel, were closely followed by IDF aerial assaults over the past week that have left the powerful Lebanese Shiite terror group and political party reeling.

Yet Hezbollah’s flexible chain of command, together with its extensive tunnel network and a vast arsenal of missiles and weapons it has bolstered over the past year, is helping it weather the unprecedented Israeli strikes, three sources familiar with the Lebanese group’s operations said.

On Friday, Israel killed the commander who founded and led Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, Ibrahim Aqil. And since Monday, Lebanon’s deadliest day of violence in decades, the health ministry says more than 560 people, among them 50 children, have died in air barrages. The tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel said it targeted homes where Hezbollah emplaced rockets, missiles and other arms, having repeatedly called on residents to flee.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said on Sunday that Aqil’s death had shaken the organization. Israel says its strikes have also destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rockets and shells.

But two of the sources familiar with Hezbollah operations said the group swiftly appointed replacements for Aqil and other senior figures killed in Friday’s Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Nasrallah said in an August 1 speech that the group quickly fills gaps whenever a leader is killed.

Since October 8, when Hezbollah began firing at Israel in support of its ally Hamas
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
 in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
, it has redeployed fighters to frontline areas in the south, including some from Syria, the three sources said.

It has also been bringing rockets into Lebanon at a fast pace, anticipating a drawn-out conflict, the sources said, adding that the group nevertheless sought to avoid all-out war.

Hezbollah’s main supporter and weapons supplier is Iran. The terror group is the most powerful faction in Tehran’s "Axis of Resistance®" of allied irregular forces across the Middle East. Many of its weapons are Iranian, Russian or Chinese models.

The sources, who all asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, did not provide details of the weapons or where they were bought.

Hezbollah’s media office did not reply to requests for comment for this story.

Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, said that while Hezbollah operations had been disrupted by the past week’s attacks, the group’s networked organizational structure helped make it an extremely resilient force.

"This is the most formidable enemy Israel has ever faced on the battlefield, not because of numbers and tech but in terms of resilience."

POWERFUL MISSILES
Fighting has escalated this week. Israel killed another top Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Qubaisi, on Tuesday. For its part, Hezbollah has shown its capacity to continue operations, firing hundreds of rockets toward Israel in ever deeper attacks.

On Wednesday, warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as a single surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by air defense systems, the Israeli military said. Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli intelligence base near Tel Aviv, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border.

The group has yet to say whether it has launched any of its most potent, precision-guided rockets, such as the Fateh-110, an Iranian-made ballistic missile with a range of 250-300 kilometers (341.75 miles). Hezbollah’s Fateh-110s have a 450- to 500-kilogram warhead, according to a 2018 paper published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Hezbollah’s rocket attacks are possible because the chain of command has kept functioning despite the group suffering a brief spell of disarray after the pagers and walkie-talkies detonated, one of the sources, a security bigshot, said.

The three sources said Hezbollah’s ability to communicate is underpinned by a dedicated, fixed-line telephone network — which it has described as critical to its communications and continues to work — as well as by other devices.

Many of its fighters were carrying older models of pagers, for example, that were unaffected by last week’s attack.

Rooters could not independently verify the information. Most injuries from the exploding pagers were in Beirut, far from the front.

Hezbollah stepped up the use of pagers after banning its fighters from using cellphones on the battlefield in February, in response to commanders being killed in strikes.

If the chain of command breaks, frontline fighters are trained to operate in small, independent clusters composed of a few villages near the border, capable of fighting Israeli forces for long periods, the senior source added.

That is precisely what happened in 2006, during the last war between Hezbollah and Israel, when the group’s fighters held out for weeks, some in frontline villages invaded by Israel.

Israel says it has escalated attacks in order to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and make it safe for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes near the Lebanon border, which they fled when Hezbollah began firing rockets on October 8.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has said it prefers to reach a negotiated agreement that would see Hezbollah withdraw from the border region but stands ready to continue its bombing campaign if Hezbollah refuses, and does not rule out any military options.

Hezbollah’s resilience means the fighting has raised fears of a protracted war that could suck in the US, Israel’s close ally, and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
— especially if Israel launches, and gets bogged down in, a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

Israel’s military did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Monday of "irreversible" consequences of a full-blown war in the Middle East. A US State Department official said Washington disagreed with Israel’s strategy of escalation and sought to reduce tensions.

UNDERGROUND ARSENAL
In what two of the sources said was an indication of how well some of Hezbollah’s weapons are hidden, on Sunday rockets were launched from areas of southern Lebanon that had been targeted by Israel shortly before, the two sources said.

Hezbollah is believed to have an underground arsenal and last month published footage that appeared to show its fighters driving trucks with rocket launchers through tunnels. The sources did not specify if the rockets fired on Sunday were launched from underground.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday’s barrage had destroyed tens of thousands of Hezbollah rockets and munitions.

Israel’s military said long-range cruise missiles, rockets with warheads capable of carrying 100 kilograms of explosives, short-range rockets, and explosive UAVs were all struck on Monday.

Rooters could not independently verify the military claims.

Boaz Shapira, a researcher at Alma, an Israeli think tank that specializes in Hezbollah, said Israel had yet to target strategic sites such as long-range missiles and drone sites.

"I don’t think we are anywhere near finishing this," Shapira said.

Hezbollah’s arsenal is believed to comprise some 150,000 rockets, the US Congress report said. Krieg said its most powerful, long-range ballistic missiles were kept below ground.

Hezbollah has spent years building a tunnel network that by Israeli estimates extends for hundreds of miles. The Israeli military said Monday’s airstrikes hit Hezbollah missile launch sites hidden under homes in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has said it does not place military infrastructure near civilians. Hezbollah has issued no statement on the impact of Israel’s strikes since Monday.

TUNNELS
The group’s arsenal and tunnels have expanded since the 2006 war, especially precision guidance systems, leader Nasrallah has said. Hezbollah officials have said the group has used a small part of the arsenal in fighting over the past year.

Israeli officials have said Hezbollah’s military infrastructure is tightly meshed into the villages and communities of southern Lebanon, with ammunition and missile launcher pads stored in houses throughout the area. Israel has been pounding some of those villages for months to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities.

Confirmed details on the tunnel network remain scarce.

A 2021 report by Alma, the Israeli think tank, said Iran and North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
 both helped build up the network of tunnels in the aftermath of the 2006 war.

Israel has already struggled to root out Hamas commanders and self-reliant fighting units from the tunnels crisscrossing Gaza.

"It is one of our biggest challenges in Gaza, and it is certainly something we could meet in Lebanon," said Carmit Valensi, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, a think-tank.

Krieg said that unlike Gaza, where most tunnels are manually dug into a sandy soil, the tunnels in Lebanon had been dug deep in mountain rock. "They are far less accessible than in Gaza and even less easy to destroy."
Link


Caribbean-Latin America
Satellite Images Reportedly Show Four Chinese Spy Stations Constructed in Cuba
2024-07-07
[LI] U.S. State Department and Pentagon say there are plans to ’disrupt’ new stations.

In April, my colleague James R. Nault noted that our country was facing major delays in the construction of Naval ships; meanwhile, the Chinese were going full steam ahead in expanding their fleet.

It appears the Chinese have also been busy constructing new spy stations. While that is not surprising, the location is rather disturbing.

Satellite imagery has reportedly identified four of these stations in Cuba.

Images captured from space show the growth of Cuba’s electronic eavesdropping stations that are believed to be linked to China, including new construction at a previously unreported site about 70 miles from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to a new report.

The study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, follows reporting last year by The Wall Street Journal that China and Cuba were negotiating closer defense and intelligence ties, including establishing a new joint military training facility on the island and an eavesdropping facility.

At the time, the Journal reported that Cuba and China were already jointly operating eavesdropping stations on the island, according to U.S. officials, who didn’t disclose their locations. It couldn’t be determined which, if any, of those are included in the sites covered by the CSIS report.
Link


China-Japan-Koreas
US calls a possible scenario for the 'capture' of Taiwan by China
2024-06-23
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Washington, June 22, 2024, 20:25 - IA Regnum. The Chinese military can isolate Taiwan, damage its economy and force it to submit to Beijing's will without even firing a single shot, according to a study by the American Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), cited by CNN.

In recent years, fears in Western countries that China will “invade” the island have intensified, the TV channel notes. CSIS experts named three options for establishing Chinese control over Taiwan: a force operation, a military blockade and the so-called “quarantine.” China's coast guard could use "grey zone" tactics to completely or partially cut off access to the island's ports, halting the supply of vital products and all economic activity in Taiwan.

The Chinese Coast Guard, the study said, has the power to stop and regulate shipping around the island, and such a method is not considered a blockade or an act of war. Moreover, this tactic is already used by the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea. Thus, Chinese ships regularly deliberately collide with Philippine Navy boats, the document says.

At the same time, American experts added, if US warships or aircraft intervene in such an operation, which China can call law enforcement, it is the United States that will be considered as the initiator of military action.

The British edition of the Financial Times previously reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in April 2023, said that the United States was attempting to provoke China to invade Taiwan.

US President Joe Biden, in turn, in an interview with Time magazine, said that he does not exclude the use of the American Armed Forces to deploy them in Taiwan and in the waters, but noted that the decision will depend “on the circumstances.”

The US State Department on June 19 approved the possible sale of Switchblade-300 systems and related equipment to Taiwan for approximately $60.2 million. In addition, the sale of ALTIUS 600M-V drones was approved for $300 million. After this, China imposed sanctions against the American manufacturer of this equipment.

Link


Africa Horn
U.S. is launching $2 million defense missiles to stop $2,000 Houthi drones, a discrepancy that the Yemeni rebel group has noted in its statements mocking Washington.
2024-03-04
[Yahoo] More than two months of direct fighting with the Houthis has heavily taxed the U.S. military, which is spending a significant amount of money to take down cheap drones, launch retaliatory strikes and defend against rebels who are, in turn, shooting down pricey American drones.

In most cases, the U.S. is launching $2 million defense missiles to stop $2,000 Houthi drones, a discrepancy that the Yemeni rebel group has noted in its statements mocking Washington.

The cost of taking on the Houthis is also becoming more apparent as the defiant fighters show no signs of stopping and could lock the U.S. into a long conflict — and it’s throwing the world into a tough spot.

“North Yemen is becoming like North Korea when it comes to firing rockets over the seas,” said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen and Middle East expert at Navanti Group. “It’s going to be a long-term issue for not just us, but for the world.”

Since late November, the Houthis have attacked commercial boats and U.S. ships dozens of times, with most of the attacks unsuccessful, as the U.S. shoots down drones or anti-ship cruise missiles on a near-daily basis.

But they successfully hijacked a ship in November, set a ship on fire in January and sunk a British cargo vessel.

To date, the Houthis have hit 15 commercial ships since the fighting between Israel and Hamas began in October, with four of those ships being U.S. vessels, according to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Pete Nguyen.

The U.S. in December set up a task force called Operation Prosperity Guardian, which involves a coalition of other allied nations, to patrol the waters of the Red Sea and defend commercial shipping against the Houthis. In January, the U.S. began launching strikes on the Houthis with the U.K., and both nations have continued to target the group in Yemen to knock out military capabilities before they can be used in attacks.

The maritime operation is still in effect. Between four and eight coalition ships are in the Red Sea on any given day, according to the Pentagon, but the U.S. is the primary actor taking down Houthi drones and missiles.

While playing defense, the U.S. Navy is likely using Standard Missile-2 surface-to-air missiles, which cost more than $2 million a piece, to take down Houthi attacks. The Navy may also be using Standard SM-6 missiles, which cost more than $4 million each.

The missiles are effective because they can neutralize threats over a larger area, enabling the U.S. to protect commercial ships.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. will continue to safeguard international trade and noted that if the coalition hadn’t taken action, lives would be in danger and assets at risk.

“What would have been the cost of sunken ships, lives lost, environmental disaster, had we not and were we not working with the international community to address this problem?” Ryder asked.

Ryder said for the Houthis, in the long term it is “not to their benefit to continue this.”
Harsh words.
“It’s almost like the Houthis are trying to wreck their own neighborhood,” he said.

Robert Murrett, a retired Navy vice admiral and a former vice director of intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed.

“The cost … is an absolute drop in the bucket compared to the global disruption that’s being visited on the world’s economy by the Houthis,” he said. “My firm advice to all the men or women on these [Navy boats] is use whatever you’ve got. Don’t worry about the cost.”

Still, Murrett, now a professor at Syracuse University, said the U.S. could look at cheaper means of taking down the drones like electronic jamming.

“One of the best ways to deal with a cheap, unmanned aircraft is soft kill, and it has to do with electronic warfare jamming and other devices such as that, which is fairly inexpensive,” he said.

The Houthis are also costing the U.S. elsewhere: taking down two roughly $32 million Reaper drones in November and another in February.

Wes Rumbaugh, a fellow with the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said any military engagement is going to cost money and argued you can’t put a dollar value on saving lives.

“The United States Department of Defense is not trying to win an accounting exercise,” he said.

Rumbaugh also said he would place his bets on the U.S. over the Houthis in a protracted economic battle.

“I don’t think the rookies are going to be able to bankrupt the United States,” he said.

But the Houthis have not only stepped up attacks over time, they are also introducing new capabilities into the fight.

Last month, Houthi fighters launched an underwater drone for the first time in the Red Sea combat arena.

And Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said this week that he would soon introduce new “surprises” into the fight after vowing to carry on the battle.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 28, 2024
2024-02-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:16 More than 2.5 million ammunition was delivered from the DPRK to Russia, reports the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), citing satellite images.

21:45 Zelensky, on the sidelines of the Ukraine-Southeastern Europe summit in Tirana, held a number of bilateral meetings - with the leaders of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as with the Prime Minister of Croatia. They discussed the rehabilitation of the military in Montenegro, agreements with Croatian private companies for the production of drones, recent events in the Transnistrian region of Moldova and other topics.

21:28 The Russians attacked the Pokrovsky and Bakhmutsky districts of the Donetsk region, the prosecutor’s office reports. In Seversk, one person was killed, in Kurakhovo one person was wounded, another was injured as a result of an airstrike in the village. Desired. One person was also injured in the town of Chasov Yar.

20:49 The congress of so-called deputies of the unrecognized Transnistria adopted an appeal to Russia with a request for “protection from pressure from Moldova,” also turning to a number of international organizations. About what this means, see the material Sabbat in Transnistria.

20:45 The third assault brigade reported that it had knocked out the Russians from Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region. The day before, Russian forces attacked the south-eastern part of Krasnogorovka and entered the city, but the Third Assault Force forced the enemy to retreat.

20:32 Scholz again stated in his video message that NATO will not become a party to the conflict in Ukraine and German soldiers will not be sent to Ukraine: “We do not want Russia’s war against Ukraine to turn into a war between Russia and NATO... As Chancellor of Germany I will not send soldiers from our Bundeswehr to Ukraine."

20:08 The Council of the European Union approved the start of work of the Ukraine Facility Instrument with a total volume of 50 billion euros for 2024-2027. The decision of the EU Council is the final point in the creation of the Instrument, the Ministry of Finance said.

19:36 The Russian army fired at residential areas of Kherson, one person was wounded, the OVA reported.

19:10 The Pentagon is considering the possibility of using the remaining $4 billion, allowing it to supply Ukraine with military aid directly from its arsenals, CNN reports, citing sources. According to the channel's interlocutor, the final decision has not yet been made. High-ranking American officials are discussing the possibility of using at least part of this amount.

19:04 Russian public pages write that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a strike with two HIMARS missiles at the personnel gathering place in Yelenovka, Donetsk region, during the award ceremony. According to them, 19 military personnel were killed, among them the deputy brigade commander, major, and lieutenant colonel. The commander of the 155th Marine Brigade and 11 other people were wounded. The formation was carried out by the command.

18:27 The Russians hit the village of Velikiy Burluk with guided bombs in the Kupyansky district of the Kharkov region, including hitting the territory of the railway station. Two people died - a man and a six-year-old child, the child's mother is in serious condition, said Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the OVA.

17:55 Albania has announced its readiness to join a special tribunal for the Russian Federation, Kuleba said following negotiations with his Albanian colleague Igli Hasani. According to the Ukrainian minister, the parties have identified ways to strengthen defense cooperation, with a special emphasis on artillery ammunition. Albania also plans to open an embassy in Kyiv in the near future.

17:48 Erdogan said that Turkey is again ready to provide a platform for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

17:26 Belgium will provide 200 million euros for the Czech initiative to purchase 800 thousand shells for Ukraine outside Europe, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said. According to him, over the “next weeks” Ukraine will receive more ammunition.

17:07 The Ukrainian Armed Forces staged a real plane attack on the invaders. In ten days, Ukrainian defenders shot down ten Russian military aircraft: nine of the Russian Air Force's best Su-34 and Su-35 fighter-bombers, as well as a rare A-50 radar aircraft. The Russians are losing planes 20 times faster than they can be replaced. Read more about the unique achievement of the Ukrainians in the material of the Armed Forces of Ukraine minus the Russian aviation.

16:30 The Russians fired artillery at Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was killed, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.

16:13 Public accounts write about the Ukrainian attack on the occupied Iron Port of the Kherson region. The blow was struck at the Villa Victoria boarding house, where FSB representatives were located. The building itself was used by the occupiers as the “Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters.” As a result of the strike, about 25 people were injured, about half of them were killed.

15:51 The number of people wounded as a result of the Russian strike on Kupyansk has increased to five, two people were killed, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Residential buildings, cafes and a church were destroyed by the attack. One of the dead is a pastor of the Church of Jesus Christ. Search work continues.

15:26 Zelensky said following the Ukraine-Southeastern Europe summit about agreements on strengthening artillery: “Today, as a result of the meeting, as a result of this summit, we have specific agreements, in particular, on strengthening Ukraine and Ukrainian artillery.”

15:04 The Russians hit the center of Kupyansk, Kharkov region with KABs - two people were killed, one was wounded. There may be people under the rubble. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

14:58 The initiative on the possibility of stationing Western ground forces in Ukraine deserves attention, said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: “The fate of Europe is being decided on the battlefields of Ukraine. Such times require political leadership, ambition and the courage to think outside the box. The initiative that stood behind yesterday's meeting in Paris deserves attention."

14:23 Representatives of the Internal Audit Service of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and American inspectors conducted two more joint inspections of weapons transferred by American partners. Directly at the places where weapons were stored, they checked compliance with serial numbers, technical condition and storage conditions of weapons. In total, three command inspections have been carried out since the beginning of 2024; there were no comments from the American side, the Ministry of Defense reported.

14:14 The armored personnel carriers that Bulgaria promised to transfer to Ukraine are still in Sofia, but “will leave in a few days,” said the country’s Defense Minister Todor Tagarev. He announced new military assistance to Kyiv and noted that the total amount of Bulgarian assistance to Ukraine has already amounted to 47 million euros.

14:06 The terrain will help contain the advance of the Russians near Avdeevka, said the speaker of the Tauride direction Dmitry Likhovy: “The terrain itself should contribute to defense there: there is a cascade of reservoirs, and this was the chosen priority. Thus, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Avdeevka direction continue to conduct a defense operation.” He noted that Russian troops were blocked in the vicinity and on the approach to the village of Orlovka.

13:27 Forbes suggests that Ukraine has managed to shoot down many Russian aircraft recently thanks to the use of Patriot and NASAMS systems, as well as the Russians' blind spots after they lost A-50 aircraft. The publication believes that the Ukrainian Air Force allocated part of the Patriot installations to mobile air defense groups, which quickly move near the front line, ambush Russian aircraft, and then quickly redeploy.

The publication also confirms the Russians’ statement that for the first time they managed to destroy a NASAMS launcher near Zaporozhye with a missile. According to the author of the material, if Ukraine really deployed all air defense systems at once in order to deplete the Russian Air Force, then it will soon run out of missiles for Patriot and NASAMS, because the United States has not provided Kyiv with ammunition since the end of December 2023.

13:13 Military specialists from Western countries are already in Ukraine in small numbers, writes Bild, citing sources. According to them, they provide support, for example, in the programming of high-tech weapons such as air defense systems and cruise missiles. At the same time, the newspaper’s sources consider it “extremely unlikely” that Western military personnel will participate directly in the hostilities.

12:54 The Netherlands ordered nine new DITA self-propelled artillery systems from the Czech Republic for Ukraine, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. It is noted that these weapons became part of a large Dutch order for Ukraine, supplied by two manufacturers in the Czech Republic. DITA uses NATO 155 mm ammunition with a firing range of 39 km.

12:39 Zelensky said that he had a meeting with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation with him. They also discussed the defense needs of Ukraine and the possibility of joint production of weapons.

12:02 At night, the Russians hit the center of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, with four ballistic missiles. As a result of the shelling, the building of the Donetsk National Technical University and the building of the 3rd school were partially destroyed, Ukrposhta branches, an administrative building and ten apartment buildings were damaged. No people were injured, the city military administration said.

11:45 The European Union will open a Defense Innovation Office in Kiev, which will allow the bloc to adopt Ukraine’s combat experience and knowledge in the field of military technologies, Ursula von der Leyen said.

11:13 The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed using profits from Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine: “It’s time to start talking about using income from frozen Russian assets for the joint purchase of military equipment for Ukraine.”

10:28 Zelensky confirmed that he is working in Tirana today - he will hold bilateral meetings and take part in the Ukraine-Southeastern Europe summit. In particular, negotiations are planned with the Prime Minister of Albania and his team on defense and political cooperation, support for the Peace Formula and work on security agreements.

09:55 Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, Ukraine and some European countries in March for a political solution to the “Ukrainian crisis,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. In particular, in Europe, Li Hui will visit the EU headquarters, Poland, Germany and France. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also commented on Macron’s statement about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine: “We urge everyone to create conditions to reduce tensions and facilitate a ceasefire.”

09:31 In Kherson, a Russian shell hit a cargo ship. Also, as a result of shelling in populated areas of the region, a farm and an elevator were damaged, one person was killed and two were injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin.

08:53 In the Zaporozhye region, as a result of Russian shelling over the past 24 hours, one person was killed in the occupied village of Novoe, Pologovsky district, and another person was wounded in front-line Orekhovo, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.

08:44 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 28:

  • personnel - about 412,610 (+1060) people,

  • tanks - 6570 (+14),

  • armored combat vehicles - 12,508 (+14),

  • artillery systems - 10,029 (+20),

  • MLRS - 1000 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 688 (+2),

  • aircraft - 342 (+2),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 7753 (+24),

  • cruise missiles - 1912 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 25 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,112 (+47),

  • special equipment - 1594 (+6).

08:27 Over the past 24 hours, 102 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, in the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 25 enemy attacks in the Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenky, Pervomaisky and Nevelsky districts of the Donetsk region. In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy tried 29 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka and west of Pobeda, Donetsk region. Also, four more attacks were repulsed in areas south of Ugledar, Staromayorsky and Urozhainy, Donetsk region.

In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled 13 enemy attacks in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - 11 attacks in the Ternov and Razdolovka areas of the Donetsk region; in Bakhmutsky - 11 attacks in the areas of Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - eight attacks in the Malinovka and Rabotino districts of the Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled one assault by Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper.

07:40 During a night attack in Odessa, debris from a downed drone damaged a transformer at one of the critical infrastructure facilities. A short circuit and fire occurred; rescuers quickly extinguished the fire. No people were injured, the Southern Defense Force said.

07:26 Air defense at night destroyed all ten Shahed-type attack UAVs with which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force command reported. The drones were destroyed within the Odessa and Nikolaev regions. In addition, the enemy attacked with S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied territory of the Donetsk region.

02:12 Zelensky arrived in the capital of Albania, Tirana, said the country’s Foreign Minister Igli Hasani. Local media write that on February 28, Zelensky will take part in the summit of Ukraine and the Western Balkans, which will also be attended by officials from Brussels, leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans and South-Eastern Europe.

Link


Government Corruption
Nuland promises Russia 'hundreds and hundreds' of new sanctions in the coming days
2024-02-23
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A new package of anti-Russian sanctions will be adopted in the next couple of days, and it will include a huge number of restrictions. This was stated on February 22 by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

According to Nuland, the new package of sanctions promises to be “devastating” and will include “hundreds and hundreds” of restrictions. Anti-Russian restrictions will be approved, as the official indicated, in the next couple of days. She clarified that most of the sanctions in the new package will affect the Russian military-industrial complex, as well as to “strangle Russia’s efforts” to circumvent existing restrictions.

"I'll wait and let the White House announce it," Nuland added.

Earlier, IA Regnum reported that US Presidential National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced a new large package of anti-Russian sanctions. According to him, the restrictions will affect the military-industrial complex of Russia and some sources of income in the country's economy.

US President Joseph Biden also confirmed the US intentions to introduce new sanctions against Russia. The head of the White House clarified that new restrictions will be announced on February 23.
Related:
Victoria Nuland: 2024-02-08 Biden's emerging new Ukraine policy
Victoria Nuland: 2024-02-04 What kind of world does Zaluzhny want?
Victoria Nuland: 2024-02-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 31, 2024
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
'Russia will definitely attack NATO': Biden’s team is playing a dangerous game
2023-12-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Vladimir Kornilov

[RIA] Over the past couple of years, we have repeatedly heard anti-Russian and even Russophobic statements from Western leaders. And you could probably get used to it by now. But we should pay special attention to how over the past few days, leading American politicians, and then Western experts who joined them, simultaneously began to spin the same idea: “Russia will definitely attack NATO. The West will have to fight with Russia.”

This wave began on December 6 personally by US President Joe Biden in his theatrical performance on the eve of the failed Senate vote on aid to Ukraine , where he solemnly announced : “If Putin takes over Ukraine, he will not stop there. <…> He will continue to go, and then attack against a NATO ally."

And then it went like clockwork. National Security Assistant Jack Sullivan said just as dramatically: “The stakes are too high and the consequences are too serious. <…> If we leave and Putin takes over Ukraine, he won’t stop there.”

Then Admiral John Kirby, the talking head of the White House Security Council, got involved and said: “And if Putin gets all of Ukraine, then what? Then where will he go? If you think that the price of supporting Ukraine is high now, just imagine how it will be higher - not only in budget money, but also in American blood - if he attacks one of our NATO allies. <...> If Putin is allowed to achieve a strategic victory in Ukraine, after which he may attack one from our NATO allies, then we will have to involve American boots in this."

Well, the icing on the cake was the statement of the Pentagon chief, which, according to the sworn assurances of the famous TV presenter Tucker Carlson , was heard in Congress: “At a secret briefing in the House of Representatives, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told congressmen that if they do not allocate more money for Zelensky, “ We will send your uncles, cousins ​​and sons to fight Russia." Pay the oligarchs or we will kill your children."

Many regarded this stream of alarmist statements as uncontrollable hysteria by members of the American administration. But these falsehoods are being done in a painfully large and systematic manner, which is accompanied by a certain kind of campaign in the media and among experts serving the White House. From which we can assume that all this is part of a systematic campaign launched deliberately and with a specific purpose.

As if by chance, these statements coincided with the publication of pseudo-analytical reports in which various Euro-Atlantic structures calculate the timing of Russia’s attack on NATO (that is, we are no longer talking about discussing such a possibility, but looking for an answer to the question: “When?”). First, a report is presented in Berlin that Russia will be ready to attack the alliance countries in six to ten years. Then the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, Jacek Siwera (an anesthesiologist by profession), openly pulls other “calculations” out of thin air, saying that this will happen in three years.

And just the other day, the British Defense Studies Institute (RUSI), in continuation of the same line, whipped up a report , which also states that after the victory in Ukraine, Russia “may try to take advantage of any perceived opportunity to seize symbolic areas of the alliance’s territory.” Which, of course, will entail the application of Article 5 of the NATO Charter on collective defense. The report's author, Professor Justin Bronk, believes that this scenario is "only a few years away."

Another high-ranking Briton, the kingdom's newly appointed Foreign Minister David Cameron , also joined this campaign by arriving on American soil. Speaking at a high-profile security forum in Aspen, he said: “If Putin wins, it won’t be the end. […] If we let him win in Ukraine, next time it will be somewhere else. And it won’t just be American money could be a NATO country, and therefore American lives.” It should be noted that at this forum this idea was constantly heard in the speeches of many American experts of various calibers.

So it's not just paranoia. It seems that the Biden team, with the support of foreign ideological servants, is starting its campaign by choosing the most dangerous direction - inciting fear among American society. And the point here, most likely, is not only and not so much in the dispute with the Republicans over military assistance to Ukraine - the Democrats themselves are not eager to force the issue . Faced with the increasingly obvious threat of a collapse in ratings and the defeat of the elderly Biden in the 2024 elections, Democratic strategists decided to intensify passions.

They now directly threaten war and the deaths of Americans, personalizing these fears ("your uncles, cousins, sons" will die).

Max Bergmann, an expert at the influential US Center for Strategic and International Studies , very accurately noted, commenting on the Ukrainian case: “Usually American foreign policy <…> is separated from the domestic political struggle. But not in this case.” Precisely because the White House is trying to rely on spinning an external threat to raise the stakes in the campaign.

And this is, in fact, a very dangerous moment. It has happened more than once in history when a bet on promoting a mythical international threat in an internal struggle, regardless of the original idea of ​​the initiators, led to a real global conflict. By sowing fear and terror among its constituents, the White House may not even notice when these emotions become uncontrollable.

It is no coincidence that the Russian Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, pointed out to the Americans the danger of “losing touch with reality” during the White House’s discussions about the possibility of a direct military clash with our country. Indeed, now we must make every effort to explain to the Americans and their satellites: if we are talking about a direct war between nuclear powers, then the death of only “uncles and cousins” will not be limited: the question will be about the fate of all humanity. And playing with such threats, intensifying them, hoping that everything will be limited to the election campaign is very risky for everyone.

Biden, in an effort to retain power by any means, may not even notice (especially in his current mental state) when he passes the point of no return. It would be better if Washington realized the danger of this game before, not after.

Link


Africa North
Egypt wants to see the PA govern Gaza
2023-12-08
They couldn’t hold onto it the first time — what makes Egypt think they’ll be able to now?
[GEO.TV] Paleostinians must determine future of Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
, but it is too early to discuss details of arrangements for the future of the strip, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in Washington on Thursday ahead of a Friday meeting between Arab states' top diplomats and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
...71st United States secretary of state and a leading light of the corrupt and inept Biden administration. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under the corrupt and inept Obama administration. He advocated for the 2003 invasion of Iraq while serving as the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008. He was a foreign policy advisor for the Biden 2008 presidential campaign. During his tenure in the Obama administration, Blinken helped craft B.O.'s policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran. We all saw how well each of those worked. After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding WestExec Advisors, a lobbying firm...
Washington has been pushing for Israel's Arab neighbours to engage in talks on how Gaza will be administered if Israel succeeds in its aim of eliminating Hamas
...the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
, which has run the enclave since 2005.

Shoukry, reiterating Arab leaders' calls for an immediate ceasefire, said governance of Gaza is up to the Paleostinian people.

The Paleostinian Authority and Paleostinian Liberation Organization are the legitimate representatives of the Paleostinian people and "should be accorded the ability to govern both the West Bank and Gaza," Shoukry said during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

It was premature to discuss details of Gaza's future governance since the outcome of Israel's military campaign was uncertain, he said.

"I think we have to wait and see what is the consequences of this military operation and the conditions that exist in Gaza and then proceed to address the political relationships," Shoukry added.

Shoukry said the appropriate response from the international community would be to first call for a cessation of hostilities and then seek a political resolution of the conflict, an indirect criticism of Washington's rejection of calls for a ceasefire.

"I would like to have seen a ceasefire yesterday, actually 60 days ago," Shoukry said.

Link


Terror Networks
2023: Surge in anti-ISIS operations with fewer militant casualties
2023-11-28
2023-11-21
[Shafaq News] The American military affairs-focused website "Mission and Objective" reported that the United States and its allies conducted 387 operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria throughout 2023. This surpasses their activity in the entire year of 2022. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
 despite the intensified pace of these operations, notably fewer ISIS murderous Moslems were killed compared to the previous year.

Citing the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the report stated that as of October 2023, US forces and their allies eliminated 101 suspected murderous Moslems in these operations, with 78 in Iraq and 23 in Syria. In contrast, allied forces killed at least 686 ISIS murderous Moslems during 2022, comprising 220 in Iraq and 466 in Syria.

The report highlighted that while fewer ISIS murderous Moslems were killed in 2023, allied forces apprehended a larger number of suspected ISIS members compared to 2022. It indicated a total of 483 ISIS members were detained by the end of October, including 150 in Iraq and 333 in Syria. In contrast, during 2022, US and allied forces apprehended 374 suspected individuals, with 159 in Iraq and 215 in Syria.

Despite continuous attacks launched by Iran-backed groups against US forces in the region, the pace of operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria remained consistent in September and October compared to previous months. The Pentagon reported that since October 17, US troops faced 64 drone and rocket attacks, with 30 in Iraq and 34 in Syria.

Daiel Bayman, a researcher at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, pointed out that the increased mission rates and reduced casualties coincide with ISIS's shift toward hiding. He noted the organization's adoption of guerrilla warfare tactics, likely resulting in armed festivities with other groups.

Bayman questioned whether ISIS's reduced casualties meant the organization was becoming less significant or if the US presence weakened it. He highlighted the uncertain extent of ISIS's current weakness, mentioning that full eradication of ISIS would require improved governance in the area to dissuade locals from joining the terrorist group. He emphasized the complexity of this issue during periods of civil unrest or war.

Bayman further outlined the current US strategy aimed at permanently diminishing ISIS's capabilities, compelling the group to allocate resources to survival rather than planning larger-scale attacks.

The report detailed that during September and October, US forces conducted 53 joint operations in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of 10 suspected ISIS murderous Moslems and the arrest of 33 others. In Syria, 23 joint operations occurred, with an additional three US-exclusive missions, leading to the death of three ISIS members and the arrest of 45 others.
Link


China-Japan-Koreas
USNI-Chinese Military Corruption Won't Slow PLA Expansion, Panel Says
2023-11-02
[USNI] Alleged corruption inside Beijing’s rocket forces, which led to the ouster of former Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu, continues to be a problem for Chinese President Xi Jinping, an expert on People’s Liberation Army said Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies event.

Xi has not been successful at his efforts to clean up the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, despite the removal of a number of its most senior generals earlier this summer as part of an anti-corruption push, said Roderick Lee, research director at the Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute.

The Chinese military is organized along both government and Communist Party lines, which means the “minister of defense is a weak position,” as it falls under the CCP’s control, said Shen Ming Shih, a fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

The defense minister’s resignation may signal warmer military-to-military relations between China and other countries, Shen, who spoke from Taiwan, said. In recent weeks, he said “less hawkish” statements are being thrown at Taiwan and the United States by Chinese officials and its media.

But this upheaval at the top of the ministry of defense and across the rocket force does not signify Beijing has any intention to reduce provocative intercepts in the air and at sea, the panelists agreed. Nor does it mean that Xi intends to cut back on modernizing his conventional forces, including adding 30 warships and several hundred fourth or fifth-generation fighter aircraft, according to the

Joel Wuthnow, a senior research fellow specializing in China’s military at the National Defense University, said the recently released Pentagon paper, often called the China Military Power Report, cited the rising number of reported dangerous intercepts as a major concern. As an example of how these incidents are continuing, he cited the most recent video of a Chinese fighter coming within 10 feet of a B-52 bomber operating in international air space.

Intercepts are meant to send a message that Xi is unhappy that America and its allies fly or sail in territories Beijing claims, Lee said.
Link



Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More