A long overdue Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and ground crews.
The study focused on almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft between 1992 and 2017.
The study found that as compared to the general population the air crew members had an 87% higher rate of melanoma and a 39% higher rate of thyroid cancer. Men had a 16% higher rate of prostate cancer and women a 16% higher rate of breast cancer. Overall, the air crews had a 24% higher rate of cancer of all types.
The study also found ground crews had a 19% higher rate of brain and nervous system cancers, a 15% higher rate of thyroid cancer and a 9% higher rate of kidney or renal cancers. Alternatively, women had a 7% higher rate of breast cancer. The overall rate for cancers of all types was 3% higher than that compared to the civilized population.
Both ground and air crews had far lower rates of lung cancer, and air crews also had lower rates of bladder and colon cancers.
This is one of the Pentagon’s largest and most comprehensive studies. In the past, the Pentagon focused on Air Force pilots whereas in this study all military services were included for both air and ground crews.
“The study “proves that it’s well past time for leaders and policy makers to move from skepticism to belief and active assistance,” said retired Air Force Col. Vince Alcazar, a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, which had lobbied the Pentagon and Congress for help. Alcazar serves on the association’s medical issues committee.
The study was a Congressional requirement stemming from the 2021 defense bill.
As a result of finding higher cancer rates, the Pentagon is further required to conduct a second study about why the crews are getting sick.
The Pentagon duly noted that the study “does not imply that military service in air crew or ground crew occupations causes cancer, because there are multiple potential confounding factors that could not be controlled for in this analysis,” such as family histories, smoking or alcohol use.
The study also concludes that crew members were more likely to survive longer than civilians because they were usually diagnosed earlier and the military were in better physical shape
The Pentagon has acknowledged that the study is not the complete picture. It did not include cancer data from Veterans Affairs or state cancer registries, which means it did not capture cases from former crew members who got sick after leaving the military medical system.
“It is important to note that study results may have differed had additional older former service members been included,” the report concluded.
To remedy that, the Pentagon is now going to pull data from those registries to add to the total count.
The 2021 Defense bill requires the Department of Defense to not only identify “carcinogenic toxicants or hazardous materials associated with military flight operations,” but also determine the type of aircraft and locations where diagnosed crews were posted.
This in-depth interview with Sasha Latypova is one that viewers won’t want to miss! She details the corruption in clinical trials and vaccine manufacturing as well as their relationship to product manufacturer recalls and legal frameworks for regulatory agencies and countermeasures programs.
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A renewed bipartisan push is surfacing among Congressmen to pressure the Biden administration to approve sending F-16 jets to Ukraine, as Russia has almost completely encircled the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of 8 senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with renewed calls to give U.S.-made fighter jets to Ukraine.
According to the letter, the senators argued that F-16s are desperately needed at this “critical juncture” and claimed that the jets would give the Ukrainians the advantage they need to defeat the Russians. The senators stated that providing the jets to Kyiv would be a “game changer on the battlefield” and added, “After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.”
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has headed the bipartisan effort. The lawmakers are also pressuring the Pentagon for more information regarding what the timetable would need to be and what resources it would take to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16s if the administration agrees to send the jets.
Joining Senator Kelly in the renewed effort are Democratic senators Tammy Duckworth (IL), Tim Kaine (VA), Martin Heinrich (NM), and Jacky Rosen (NV). Also backing the letter were Republican senators Lisa Murkowski (AK), Tommy Tuberville (AL), and Ted Budd (NC).
The Biden administration and defense officials, however, are still insistent that anti-air defense systems, artillery, and ammunition rank higher on the list of priorities for Ukraine and even testified to Congress recently regarding the same.
In addition to the 8 senators who drafted the letter, other Congressmen are also pushing for more, including Republicans Tom Cotton and Lindsay Graham.
While Cotton has accused the White House of taking “half measures” regarding the war in Ukraine and has a list of escalatory measures he would like to see taken, Graham has begun arguing that the U.S. should fire on Russian aircraft.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, confirmed during a Wednesday press conference that he recently spoke with Russian Defense Secretary, Sergei Shoigu, for the first time since October, which is a good indication that the two countries are not yet ready to enter a direct conflict, as some senators appear to be pushing for.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy lifted a lingering vaccine mandate on Friday, days after a scathing letter called for its repeal.
The USMMA in King Point, New York, had been demanding that all incoming students take the vaccine and was not permitting either religious or medical exemptions, according to the New York Post.
The Department of Defense's military academies lifted all vaccine requirements in January following pressure from Republicans through the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, but the USMMA is run by the U.S. Maritime Administration under the Department of Transportation (DOT)...
To read more visit Fox News.
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Beijing has not wasted any time expressing its discontent with the new AUKUS nuclear submarine deal between the U.S., Australia, and the UK that was announced by Joe Biden on Monday at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Biden emphasized during the announcement that the agreement to provide nuclear submarine technology to Australia is not "a challenge to anybody" and added that "These boats will not have any nuclear weapons of any kind."
However, China disagreed as its foreign ministry accused the U.S. and its allies of having a "Cold War mentality," which sets them on a "dangerous path" and will "only motivate an arms race." Beijing spokesperson Wang Wenbin also noted that the submarine deal for Australia's military will "damage the international nuclear nonproliferation regime, and harm regional stability and peace."
During a daily briefing, Wang added, "The latest joint statement issued by the U.S., U.K., and Australia shows that the three countries have gone further down the wrong and dangerous path for their own geopolitical self-interest, completely ignoring the concerns of the international community."
Beijing's recent comments are not the first time that China has accused Australia of violating its own 'nuclear weapons free' policy by securing nuclear-powered subs. Wang reaffirmed China's long-held assertion that it poses a "serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violating the object and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."
Wang went on to accuse the 3 nations of "coercing" the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into granting them an endorsement, saying, "The three countries claim that they will abide by the highest nuclear non-proliferation standards, which is pure deception."
Australia also garnered China's attention when Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles commented in a press conference on Tuesday that "the biggest conventional military build-up... seen since the end of the second world war," is happening in the region. While Marles did not name China specifically, his remarks clearly referenced Beijing.
Also, much to China's chagrin, recent reports have surfaced indicated that the U.S. Navy is planning a full-service submarine base in Australia, which would be a major hub capable of overseeing all submarine deployments in the Asia-Pacific region. The base would have the capabilities to not only oversee sub deployments but also to produce and repair boats as well.
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Reprinted with permission Mises Institute Jeff Deist and Robert P. Murphy
Progressives view all aspects of human life as a struggle against forces of oppression. Earlier this week on BBC, Professor Mariana Mazzucato suggested governments across the West should simply print money not only to help Ukraine, but also to finance other "wars" against climate change, inequality, and more. Should national treasuries essentially adopt a permanent wartime footing and print far more money, as Mazzucato and Warren Mosler recommend? Hint: Jeff and Bob say "No."
Jeff's article "A Permanent Wartime Economy": Mises.org/HAP386a
Bob's debate with Warren Mosler: Mises.org/HAP386b
Bob's article in The American Conservative on the Greenbacker movement: Mises.org/386c
Jeff Deist is president of the Mises Institute. He previously worked as chief of staff to Congressman Ron Paul, and as an attorney for private equity clients. Contact: email; Twitter.
Robert P. Murphy is a Senior Fellow with the Mises Institute. He is the author of numerous books: Contra Krugman: Smashing the Errors of America's Most Famous Keynesian; Chaos Theory; Lessons for the Young Economist; Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action; The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism; Understanding Bitcoin (with Silas Barta), among others. He is also host of The Bob Murphy Show.
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While the government's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. troops is no longer in effect, the Pentagon sent a letter to lawmakers recently saying that it could still remove as many as 16,000 unvaccinated troops from service.
According to the letter from the Under Secretary of Defense for Military personnel Gilbert Cisneros, military officials "continue to review cases on an individual basis to determine appropriate action" for personnel who did not get vaccinated and who also did not request an exemption.
The letter noted that there are 16,000 of those cases and approximately 69,000 unvaccinated troops, although 53,000 of those had requested either a religious, medical, or administrative exemption.
The 16,000 who remain unvaccinated and did not request a waiver are still subject to separation, according to the Pentagon, despite Republicans using the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act to force the Biden administration to rescind the mandate last year.
Jim Banks (R-IN0), Chairman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, criticized the Pentagon's decision to punish troops who did not file for an exemption, saying, "It's incredibly divisive and cruel to fire patriotic service members for refusing to comply with a partisan and harmful rule that no longer exists. To me, the only explanation is that the Biden administration wants to purge conservative service members from the military."
When questioned by Banks during a hearing as to why troops are being punished regarding a mandate that is no longer in effect, Cisneros said it was due to the mandate being a "lawful order" at the time it was issued and that troops who remained unvaccinated without seeking an exemption "disobeyed a lawful order."
"Those who refused the vaccine and did not put in a request for an accommodation refused a lawful order," Cisneros answered.
When asked what purpose enforcing a rescinded mandate served, Cisneros replied, "In order to maintain good order and discipline, it's very important that our service members follow orders when they are lawful."
Despite Cisneros' answers, the DOD has never publically answered questions regarding whether or not the Covid vaccine mandate was lawful.
The DOD will also not reveal whether or not Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requested or received an exemption from President Biden.
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Saturday evening, CDM's network in Georgia, reporting for our paper on the ground -- The Georgia Record -- began reporting a massive wave of MAGA wins across the major counties in the state during the GOP convention cycle. The old corrupt GOP (RINO) guard was being removed from power by overwhelming political firepower at the local level.
Someone didn't like our reporting.
During the midst of this wave of articles being dissiminated, something no other media outlet was putting out, CDM experienced the destruction of some of our corporate computers.
"I've never been on the receiving end of a cyber attack," declared one of the CDM reporters who was involved. "My computer started sparking and then literally burning. The smell filled the room."
CDM is investigating the situation, and has been in discussions with experts for this story.
One thing is for sure - we are over the target. If you want the news first, include CDM.press in your daily scan.
U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, train with the Integrated Visual Augmentation System and the Enhanced Night Vision Goggles during Project Convergence 2022 (PC22) at Fort Irwin, Calif., Nov. 7, 2022. PC22 brings together members of the All-Service and Multinational force to rigorously test the effectiveness and interoperability of cutting-edge weapons and battle systems. (U.S. Army photo by SGT Thiem Huynh)
There is no shortage of commentary on the lessons to be learned from the war in Ukraine. There is an understandable debate unfolding given the tremendous amount of sacrifice, human loss, and suffering. The stakes are high and learning needs to occur. War is, and has always been, the best teacher. It has been nothing short of incredible what David has been doing to Goliath on the Steppes of Ukraine.
There are indeed valuable lessons to learn from all sides. Yet, for Western militaries, it is more about the lessons they may not want to hear that will prove to be the most valuable in deterring, preparing, and if necessary, fighting the next war. Much of the West has over invested in other domains (e.g., maritime, air) and niche capabilities, at the expense of combat power on land. The war in Ukraine has validated the need for decisive land combat power to win large-scale wars. These types of wars are far from extinction and finding the right balance of capabilities to wage war in appropriate fashion, remains a fundamental security challenge for Western nations...
To read more visit Real Clear Defense.
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The Pentagon is concerned amid a rise in “troubling” reports that cooperation is increasing between Moscow and Beijing regarding China’s efforts to build new nuclear weapons. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Department of Defense (DOD) made an official accusation regarding the reports.
The Assistant Defense Secretary for Space Policy, John F. Plumb, said during a Wednesday House Armed Services’ strategic forces subcommittee hearing, “It’s very troubling to see Russia and China cooperating on this.”
“They may have talking points around it, but there’s no getting around the fact that breeder reactors are plutonium, and plutonium is for weapons. So I think the [Defense] Department is concerned. And, of course, it matches our concerns about China’s increased expansion of its nuclear forces as well because you need more plutonium for more weapons,” Plumb added.
Despite Plumb’s comments during the hearing, the DOD appeared to have a hard time keeping up with which radioactive material Russia was supplying to China.
Plumb also discussed Beijing diversifying its high-tech weapons arsenal with assistance from Russia. Changes to the arsenal include high-altitude surveillance balloons, like the one shot down by the U.S. last month, and even hypersonic missiles with nuclear tips.
“China is engaged in a significant and fast-paced expansion and diversification of its nuclear forces. Also, Russia and China view space as a warfighting domain,” Plumb told the subcommittee.
Meanwhile, Congressmen are calling on the Biden administration to disrupt the relationship between China and Russia to interrupt the sharing of weapons technology between the two countries.
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), who is the subcommittee chairman, said, “I’m hopeful that we will see a comprehensive strategy from the administration to break this relationship – and ideally shatter Rosatom.”
The DOD’s accusations come dangerously close to the recent pull out of Russia from the New START nuclear arms treaty, with Putin announcing last month that Moscow was suspending the agreement.
Lamborn said about the New START suspension and the exchange of treaty-mandated nuclear information, “It is curious that we provide Russia with this benefit under the treaty when Russia is no longer reciprocating.”
Many in Washington are beginning to view the Russian and China ‘threats’ as intertwined, largely in part to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Beijing’s continued support for Moscow.
In recent weeks, American intelligence has begun to report that Beijing is considering providing lethal weapons to Russia for its use in Ukraine.
Last week Rep. Mike Tuner (R-OH) told NBC’s Meet the Press, “The problem with China entering this is because you’ve got the West giving weapons to Ukraine.”
“You’ve got Russia depleting their stores. We obviously – the West together have an ability to impact Ukraine greater than Russia alone does,” Turner added.
Unfortunately, with China’s backing, Russia would become a much more powerful enemy for Ukraine and its Western allies to contend with. In the meantime, the U.S. government continues put pressure on Beijing over its ‘no limits’ partnership with Moscow.
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Last week, Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl, testified before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make a nuclear bomb in "about 12 days."
Ali Safavi, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran is, in fact, capable of producing enough weapons-grade enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon in "just 12 days."
According to Safavi, in order to produce one nuclear warhead, Iran would only have to utilize 3 advanced centrifuge cascades and only half of its existing supply of 60 percent enriched uranium, leaving plenty of uranium for additional weapons.
If Iran were to utilize its remaining 60 percent enriched uranium, combined with its stock of uranium that is 20 percent enriched, the country would have enough weapons-grade uranium to build 4 additional atomic warheads within a month.
Iran also maintains stocks of 5 percent enriched uranium and could produce two more weapons' worth of enriched uranium from that stockpile in 2 months.
Overall, Iran has enough enriched uranium to potentially build 7 nuclear weapons within 3 months.
"The urgency of addressing the imminent threat posed by Iran's nuclear program cannot be overstated," Safavi said. "With the regime's unwavering determination to obtain a nuclear weapon, the recent internal unrest within Iran, which has weakened the regime even further, may only serve to further motivate them towards this goal," Safavi added.
Additionally, on January 22, the IAEA also discovered uranium particles enriched to 83.7 percent during a monthly interim verification at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. The IAEA has not been satisfied with Iran's explanation for the highly enriched material and is still conducting a probe for more credible answers.
While it takes far more than just enriched uranium to produce an atomic weapon, Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) has been operating under the Iranian Ministry of Defense to develop all the necessary components of a nuclear warhead for the past 30 years. Such components include enriched uranium material, an explosion mechanism, and a launching device - like the Shehab 3 missile.
Despite prior setbacks, including the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabadi, who was the head of SPND for several years, the organization is still operational and continues its efforts to build a nuclear weapon for Iran.
While Iran appears to have built all or most of the components for a nuclear warhead, the detonation mechanism requires testing before it can be used as part of a weapon, and it is currently unclear as to whether or not the regime has completed the necessary testing of the mechanism, as such, it is unclear what Iran's timeline for the creation of an operational nuclear warhead might be.
What is certain, though, is that Iran has more than enough enriched uranium and the centrifuge facilities to create multiple nuclear weapons once all of the components have been developed and tested.
Safavi expressed a need for urgency on the part of the United States and Europe to condemn Iran's nuclear program and activate Article 6 of the Security Council resolution to enforce sanctions against the country.
"To prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, decisive action is paramount. The international community must prioritize this policy of decisiveness and remain steadfast in their efforts," Safavi said.
"Article 6 of the Security Council resolution and the practical implementation of sanctions must be enforced without waiver, as failure to do so could have dire consequences for regional and global peace and security," Safavi concluded.
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As Russia pushes into a second year of war with Ukraine, the Biden administration has continuously committed to sending more and more financial and military aid to Kyiv. Biden has even gone so far as to say that the U.S. will support Ukraine indefinitely as the war continues with no end in sight. Meanwhile, at home, U.S. arms manufacturers are struggling to meet the heightened demand, and arms and ammunition for American forces are at dangerously low levels.
As top officials in the Biden administration seem to announce new aid packages for Ukraine weekly, Americans are beginning to wonder when Washington will realize that U.S. national security is at risk due to the administration’s blind aid agreements.
Not only is Biden sending arms and munitions to Ukraine faster than American manufacturers can produce them, but Ukrainian troops have been burning through the supply at such an alarming rate that the U.S. military has had to train Ukrainian forces on different fighting tactics that use less artillery.
To date, Biden has sent approximately one-third of U.S. stockpiles of both Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Kyiv. Meanwhile, U.S. arms manufacturers typically produce between 1,000 and 2,100 Javelins a year. Now, the Army is struggling to get the produces to manufacture up to 4,000 a year, and it’s unlikely to happen.
According to some estimates, the Ukrainians are using 6,000 to 7,000 155 mm artillery shells a day, a rate that could deplete the entirety of Britain’s stockpile of NATO-standard 155 mm shells in a mere 8 days. Ukrainian troops are also burning through ammo for U.S.-manufactured HIMARS (high-mobility artillery rocket system) and other types of munitions just as quickly.
The picture of the situation gets even bleaker if one factors in the possibility of the U.S. defending Taiwan should China attack the island. Should the U.S. defend Taiwan if China decides to attack, the U.S. could run out of ammunition, like missiles, artillery shells, etc., in one week.
The ammunition problems are compounded by supply chain issues. In many cases, manufacturers are having to wait months, in some cases over a year, to receive some of the necessary components.
Other concerns include being able to accurately estimate the amount of arms and munitions that are needed. With the war in Ukraine continuing with no sort of timeline to work off of and rising tensions between Beijing, Washington, and Taipei, it’s challenging for the military to accurately assess how many munitions need to be produced.
According to Secretary of the Army Douglas Bush, “The long-term challenge will be how much of that capacity can we sustain over time, post-conflict.”
“We don’t know how long the conflict will last. We don’t know how low our stocks will be,” Bush added.
Meanwhile, many Americans have expressed concern that the Biden administration is putting its support of Ukraine ahead of U.S. national security and is setting the U.S. up for catastrophe should the country get further involved with Ukraine due to Russian provocation, or come to the aid of Taiwan if China decides to attack.
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On Saturday, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made an unannounced visit to Syria. The purpose of Milley's visit was to reaffirm the presence of U.S. forces there, despite much of the American public lamenting the government's continued foreign military support.
The U.S. military has roughly 900 troops stationed in northeast Syria, which is the country's rich oil and gas region. U.S. forces are also stationed on the Iraq-Syria border at Tanf base.
When asked by reporters if he thought the Pentagon's presence in Syria was worth the risk, Milley responded, "If you think that's important, then the answer is 'Yes.'"
"So I think that an enduring defeat of ISIS and continuing to support our friends and allies in the region... I think those are important tasks that can be done," Milley added. For several years, U.S. special forces have advised and assisted the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which maintains control of the country's major oil fields.
While the U.S. government has previously tried to portray the United States' continued presence in Syria as related to counter-terror and counter-ISIS measures, former President Trump admitted that the U.S. presence was about "securing the oil." The U.S. also views its continued presence in Syria as a way of countering Iran by continuously pressuring Iran's ally Damascus.
Damascus quickly issued a foreign ministry statement upon Milley's arrival calling the visit a "flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity."
According to a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and expatriates, "Syria strongly condemns the illegal visit of the U.S. Chief of Staff to an illegal U.S. military base in northeastern Syria, and affirms that it is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, the sanctity of its lands and unity."
"Syria calls on the U.S. administration to immediately stop its systematic and continuous violations of international law and stop its support for separatist armed militias... and Syria affirms that these U.S. practices will not deviate it from its approach to combating terrorism and preserving its sovereignty, security, and stability," the source concluded.
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Syria is not the only country to be displeased with Milley's surprise visit. Turkey has also wanted U.S. forces to leave the region as they support Kurdish groups, which Turkey views as 'terrorists.'
It is also believed that Milley's visit to Syria was to show that the U.S. will not ease pressure on Assad following the massive earthquake that devastated Syria and Turkey and caused more than 50,000 deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage.
While many Arab countries have sent representatives to Damascus and issued supportive statements to Assad and provided humanitarian aid to Syria, the U.S. is continuing to try and dissuade Arab leaders from re-embracing the Asad government in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and subsequent humanitarian crisis.
Despite its alleged neutrality, there is evidence that Serbia has provided as many as 3,500 Grad rockets to Ukraine. According to Ukraine Arms Tracker, the rockets being delivered to Ukraine are the ER Grad 2000 version, with a maximum range of 40 kilometers instead of the standard 20 kilometers. If the authorities in Belgrade knew this, it would be a significant violation of the country’s declared policy, one reaffirmed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on multiple occasions.
These new revelations follow a 2019 scandal in which Serbia was caught supplying 60mm mortar shells to Ukraine that ended up being used against the civilian population in the Donbass region. Vučić apologized for that incident, claiming that Krušik had sent them to Poland. But published documents proved that Ukraine was listed as the recipient.
The Mash News Agency published a video of a warehouse in Bratislava where the 3,500, 122mm M-21 rockets for Grad rocket launchers were being housed before their transfer to Ukraine. According to Mash, the rockets were delivered to Slovakia on February 4 and 6. The video also presents documentation showing the Serbian Defense Company Krušik as the manufacturer and that the order was placed by a Canadian company JNJ Export Import for use in Turkey. The exporter of the ammunition was the Serbian company, Sofag. Upon receiving the shipment, the Turkish company Arca transferred the ammunition to the American company Global Ordinance, which then transferred it to Slovakia for use by Ukraine.
The Serbian Defense Ministry publicly denied any involvement in the matter. “We absolutely do not export weapons to Ukraine or Russia, and we have the right to export (weapons) to other countries that are legitimate end users,” Serbian Defense Minister Miloš Vučević told members of parliament on February 27. “Whether private companies buy (weapons) on third country markets and whether they sell to companies in other countries is not an issue for Serbia. We will not sell to anyone who participates (in military conflict) and we do not want our weapons to be used against any of the parties.” Vučević added.
The deal has aroused a great deal of suspicion because the Serbian company Sofag that exported the ammunition to Turkey is owned by Jelena Petrović, the daughter of shady arms dealer Slobodan Tešić. Tešić was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2017 for bribery and violating arms embargos. The sanctions, however, have not stopped him from selling arms to as many as six American companies, including the Global Military Products – part of the Global Ordnance group, which supplies weapons to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Global Ordnance Group is owned by Marc Morales, another disreputable arms dealer who was previously indicted by the U.S. Justice Department in 2010 on charges of trying to bribe Gabon’s Minister of Defense to secure a $15 million arms deal. The Gabon deal was, in reality, an FBI sting operation to root out bribery of foreign officials in the arms industry. The case, however, fell apart on technicalities the following year.
In a 2022 interview with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Marc Morales, however, disavowed any ties to Tešić, saying, “To my knowledge, nobody from my company has ever met him and Global Ordnance definitely does not do business with him. And to clarify, I have never met him either.”
Do Serbian authorities know to whom they ended up selling the rockets? Alexander Milovanović, a former employee of the security service of the arms production enterprise Jugoimport SDPR, told the Serbian News Agency N1 that it is not plausible that Serbian authorities did not know of the transfer. “Based on the end-user certificate coming directly from a Turkish partner structure of our Ministry, these weapons should have ended up in Turkey, but apparently that did not happen. Then, the company MSM Novaky handed over the missiles to the Global Ordnance Trading Company, owned by Mark Morales, to which the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense issued a certificate of use,” Milovanović told N1.
Interestingly, Ukraine Arms Tracker seems to corroborate Milovanović, posting on Twitter, “It is also worth noting that the markings on the rockets were changed and do not match those usually seen on G2000 rockets, which may indicate that the manufacturer/exporter knew the rockets ultimate destination and tried to hide the origin.” While it is unlikely that definitive evidence will be revealed, it seems plausible that both Serbian and American authorities had direct knowledge of the scheme and signed off on it. Serbian authorities have been trying to appease Washington and Brussels in their efforts to join the European Union, while American authorities have no compunction about using disreputable arms dealers in their efforts to prop up the regime in Kiev.
Some of Washington’s most powerful lobbyists are providing their services to Ukraine for free, but they also have financial incentives for aiding the country.
Some of Washington’s most powerful lobbyists are providing their services to Ukraine for free – but at the same time, they are taking in millions in fees from Pentagon contractors who stand to benefit from the country’s war with Russia.
Following Russian president Vladimir Putin’s internationally condemned decision to invade Ukraine there was an outpouring of support to the besieged nation from seemingly every industry in America. But, arguably, one of the most crucial industries coming to Ukraine’s aid has been Washington’s powerful lobbying industry.
The invasion has led some of the lobbying industry’s biggest players to do the unthinkable – lobby for free. While the influence industry may have altruistic reasons for representing Ukraine pro bono, some lobbying firms also have financial incentives for aiding Ukraine: they’ve made millions lobbying for arms manufacturers that could profit from the war.
To read more, visit The Guardian.
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While speaking to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense, Colin Kahl, suspiciously testified that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make a nuclear bomb in "about 12 days."
According to Kahl, Iran's enrichment capacity has risen sufficiently since the U.S. abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka the "Iran nuclear deal" 5 years ago.
"Because Iran's nuclear progress since we left the JCPOA has been remarkable. Back in 2018, when the previous administration decided to leave the JCPOA it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days," Kahl testified.
"And so I think there is still the view that if you could resolve this issue diplomatically and put constraints back on their nuclear program, it is better than the other options. But right now, the JCPOA is on ice," he added.
Other top officials, however, doubt that Iran is stockpiling uranium enriched beyond 60 percent, which is well below weapons grade. The same officials also have expressed doubts about Iran's technical capabilities to build nuclear weapons.
It is a feat to get enough 90 percent enriched uranium to create a bomb, much less package it into a deliverable, operable weapon. Regardless of whether or not Iran was stockpiling enriched uranium, the country lmay ack the capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon.
Despite the confusion, Pentagon officials continue to maintain that the U.S. needs to enter another nuclear deal with Iran, rather than not having one in place.
NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday, confirmed that NATO and its members want Ukraine to eventually join the military alliance at some point in the future. “NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a member of our alliance, but at the same time that that is a long-term perspective,” Stoltenberg said.
“What is the issue now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation, and therefore we need to support Ukraine,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing NATO for a “fast-tracked” process, despite his country being engaged in war with Russia and having an ongoing conflict in the country’s eastern region dating back to 2014 when Moscow annexed the Crimea peninsula and made it part of Russia.
NATO has never admitted a country that is engaged in an active conflict or has had an active conflict on its border, as doing so would automatically trigger Article 5 once the country was accepted into the alliance.
Ukraine is not the only country having difficulty joining NATO, with Sweden and Finland facing recent struggles as they attempt to join the alliance with a joint bid. All NATO members must unanimously agree to allow a country to join, but Turkey and Hungary have refused to admit Sweden. Stoltenberg said of the two holdout members, “My message has been for a long time… that time has come to finalize the ratification process. The time is now to ratify in both Budapest and in Ankara.”
In an effort to support Kyiv, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin added, “I see that the future of Ukraine is to be part of the European Union and also a member of NATO.”
However, CIA Director William Burns cautioned in a 2008 cable that Ukraine being permitted to enter NATO would be the “brightest of all red lines.”
“Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite (not just Putin),” Burns wrote in the cable. “I have yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests,” he concluded.
Not only is Ukraine’s entry into NATO going to be a slow process and a long way off, but the process for Kyiv to join the EU is expected to take years or even decades, according to some predictions.
Some Ukrainian officials are saying that their nation is already a de facto member of NATO, given how the level of arms and training NATO allies have offered the country already. Putin views assistance from NATO the same way and has made demilitarizing Ukraine one of Russia’s invasion objectives as a result of it.
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A top Department of Defense (DOD) official confirmed on Tuesday that American weapons provided to Ukraine have been captured by Russian forces on the battlefield. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with almost $45 billion in military aid over the past year.
According to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Colin Kahl, Moscow has been capturing American weapons from Ukrainian battlefields and selling them on the black market.
“Our assessment is if some of these systems have been diverted, it’s by Russians who have captured things on the battlefield, which always happens,” Kahl said.
Beginning shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administration began transferring an unprecedented number of weapons to Kyiv. From January 24, 2022, to January 15, 2023, Washington has provided Ukraine with $44.3 billion in military aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Kahl noted that there is “no evidence” to indicate that Kyiv had anything to do with the weapons entering the black market.
During the beginning of the war, CNN reported that Washington was lacking oversight regarding the weapons it sent to Kyiv. A source told CNN last April, “we have fidelity for a short time, but when it enters the fog of war, we have almost zero. It drops into a big black hole, and you have almost no sense of it at all after a short period of time.”
Jonas Oman, founder and CEO of Blue-Yellow, a Lithuanian-based organization that has been supplying the Ukrainian frontlines with military aid, told CBS News at the same time, “All of this stuff goes across the border, and then something happens, kind of like 30% of it reaches its final destination.”
Meanwhile, Congressman Matt Gaetz confronted Kahl about American weapons given to Ukraine ending up in the hands of neo-Nazis. Gaetz cited a 2018 Global Times article that found that American weapons were being used by the neo-Nazi militia Azov Battalion, which was absorbed into Ukraine’s National Guard. Kahl dismissed Gaetz’s question stating that the claim was “Beijing’s propaganda.”
The Azov Battalion has been seen with Western-made anti-tank weapons. According to a tweet by NEXTA in March, “A shipment of NLAW grenade launchers and instructors from #NATO countries arrived in Kharkiv. The Azov regiment was the first to learn about new weaponry.” The tweet included photos of Ukrainian soldiers with Nazi patches on their uniforms.
In July, a report was released by the American organization, the Stimson Center that said, “[The Azov Battalion’s] role in key Ukrainian theatres creates risks that arms could be diverted to Azov troops in contravention of U.S. law.”
According to Kahl, however, weapons given to Kyiv are tracked by Ukraine with scanners provided by the U.S., with the data then transferred to American officials at the embassy in Kyiv.
Despite the oversight that is in place, it is unclear how American arms have fallen into the hands of the Azov Battalion or if the Battalion is trafficking those arms to the Russians.
Certain U.S. troops will still be mandated to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Defense (DoD) said in a recent memorandum.
Troops who are deployed to countries that require COVID-19 vaccination must satisfy the requirements, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said in the Feb. 24 document.
“The Department’s Foreign Clearance Guide will be updated to reflect that DoD personnel must continue to respect any applicable foreign nation vaccination entry requirements, including those for COVID-19,” Hicks said.
“Other than to comply with DoD Foreign Clearance Guidance, DoD Component heads and commanders will not require a Service member or group of Service members to be vaccinated against COVID-19, nor consider a Service member’s COVID-19 immunization status in making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions, absent establishment of a new immunization requirement in accordance with the process described below,” she also said.
Military rules (pdf) have been altered to include a new section that states a secretary of a military department, a director of a defense agency or field activity that operates medical clinics, or a commandant of the Coast Guard can submit requests to the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs for approval to mandate COVID-19 vaccines.
To read more, visit The Epoch Times.
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According to a retired U.S. Marine fighting in Ukraine, the frontlines are a “meat grinder,” and soldiers typically live an average of “four hours.”
Troy Offenbecker has joined the fight against Moscow with Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region, where Russia has been fighting to capture the city of Bakhmut and has slowly been making gains in the area.
Back in January, Germany estimated that Ukraine was losing a “three-digit number” of soldiers every day during the fight for Bakhmut. Three months ago, when that estimate was released, President Joe Biden and his administration believed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was being too careless with Ukrainian lives in his defense of the city.
Offenbecker’s comments make one suspect that the situation is getting more dire for the Ukrainians.
“It’s been pretty bad on the ground. A lot of casualties.” Offenbecker said. He added that “the life expectancy is around four hours on the frontline.”
The marine went on to say that Moscow’s attack on Bakhmut has been relentless and that Russian forces show no sign of letting up. “[The artillery] is nonstop,” Offenbecker said. He added that Russian forces fight around the clock and said, “[The Russians] have maybe run into a shortage of shells lately, but the past couple of weeks, it’s been nonstop. All day and night.”
Russian forces are not the only ones potentially facing a shortage of artillery shells, with NATO telling Zelensky last month that Kyiv’s allies are struggling to find more shells to send to Ukraine. According to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the U.S. will begin training Ukrainian troops in fighting methods that require fewer munitions.
Western leaders are anticipating a Russian offensive either this winter or spring after the Kremlin ordered a mobilization of 300,000 troops last year. Offenbecker agrees with Ukrainian officials who believe that the much anticipated Russian offensive is now underway. “With the amount of shelling, the amount of armor that they’ve brought in, I think it’s started,” he said.
With both Kyiv and Moscow keeping casualties close to the vest, it is unclear how significant the death toll is for each country. Since the beginning of the war, Zelensky has nationalized his nation’s media, imprisoned citizens who have opposed his administration, and outlawed his political opposition.
Regarding the state of Ukrainian journalism, press union leader Serhiy Guz, “We never know what’s the basis of these accusations, what’s the pro-Russian link…It starts to look like a political accusation rather than a genuine crime.”
“A lot of journalists self-censor now,” Guz concluded.
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Substantial Decrease In Military Readiness
Compromised Military Leadership
Exponential Increase in Youth Deaths from Fentanyl
Alarming Increase in Suicides of Young Soldiers
Decrease in Mastery of Basic Skills Due To Critical Race Theory
Deadly Vaccine mandates
Gender Ideology
That is the Question our Panelists Will Be Asking of Each Other and the Audience
Moderator– Christine Dolan, Chief Investigative Correspondent, CDMedia, Senior Editor
Christine Dolan is a seasoned Investigative Journalist, television producer, author, and photographer. She is Co-Founder of American Conversations whose format focuses on in-depth analysis of critical issues about “the story behind the headlines.” She is considered a global expert in human trafficking.
John Tiegan - John “Tig” Tiegen was one of a handful of warriors that kept the September 11 2012 attacks on the US Consulate and CIA Annex in Benghazi from turning into another “Alamo”.
Dr. Ryan Cole - A pathologist who has been out in front discussing Covid-19 mRNA vaccine consequences, like turbo cancers
Dr. Steve Holt - Founding Pastor-Teacher of The Road @ Chapel Hills
L Todd Wood - USAFA 86, Founder CDMedia
Dr. Ron Scott - President of STARRS.us
Jim Zietlow - USAFA 87, United Airlines pilot currently in litigation against United over vaccine mandate
DoD Whistleblower - To be named before event
In CDMedia's 3rd episode of Wings for Liberty and Justice series about the United Airlines' lawsuit over mandated covid "shots," American Conversations Host Christine Dolan interviews Ken Locke and Rhett Wolff.
Locke has been employed by United for 24 years as a Flight Attendant. He refused to take the covid "shot" mandated by United in 2021, and applied for a religious exemption. That meant nothing to hold onto his job. He was put on "standby" and pushed off the schedule.
Locke was not officially fired so he could not apply for unemployment. He was not collecting a paycheck and his wife also lost her job for refusing to take the shot required for her hospital job. Finances were tight. Locke had been put on furlough like many other United Airlines employees during 2020, but they had an active life insurance policy and access to his 401(K).
After Locke applied for his religious exemption in 2021, and was on "standby," he lost his active life insurance policy coverage at that time, and was denied access to his 401(K).
There was no forewarning by United Airlines that if their employees applied for religious exemptions and put in limbo that Fidelity would not give them access even when applying for "financial hardship."
Rhett Wolff has been employed by United Airlines as a pilot for 31 years, and was just shy of 30 years in 2021 at time of being kicked off United's property because he too refused the mandated "shot." Wolff also applied for religious exemption. He suffered religious discrimination from both United Airlines and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Todd Insler, who was head of ALPA at time, sat on United Airline's Board of Directors.
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Ukraine's military intelligence service has released a photo of an American-made Black Hawk helicopter painted with a Ukrainian flag and has indicated that it has been used in military operations.
Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence posted two photos of the helicopter on its Twitter account and website on Tuesday. According to a press release that was published at the time the photos were posted, the Black Hawk was recently used for military missions.
"Military intelligence aviation of Ukraine continues its work on the front line of the defense of our country. Reconnaissance pilots have just returned from another combat mission," the press release stated.
"Combat helicopters significantly increase the capabilities of the special units of the Main Directorate of Intelligence and the effectiveness of special operations," it added.
Also pictured in one of the photos is a Ukrainian Mi-24 Hind helicopter.
It is currently unclear how the Ukrainian military obtained the Black Hawk. The White House has approved sending Kyiv Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters. Those aircraft were formerly owned by the Afghan government before it collapsed in 2021 following the catastrophic U.S. pullout of the country. If the U.S. sent the helicopter, the Biden administration has not publicly announced that it has provided Black Hawks to Kyiv.
To date, President Biden has not sent long-range weapons or fighter jets to Ukraine, despite Zelensky's pleas for such weapons and aircraft.
The Biden administration has, however, been steadily increasing the heavy arms shipments, which had included HIMARS, ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GLSDB), and a Patriot missile batter along with other equipment. Last month the U.S. and Germany agreed to send M1 Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks as well.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced Thursday that they have intelligence reports that the Zelensky regime is plotting a provocation in the Transnistria region of Moldova in an effort to draw the Republic of Moldova into the war in Ukraine.
“According to obtained information, in the near future, the Kiev regime is planning an armed false-flag operation against the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic which will be implemented by the units of Ukraine’s armed forces with the involvement of the Azov nationalist formation,” a defense ministry spokesperson told reporters.
The spokesman specified that a staged invasion by allegedly Russian troops from Transnistria will be used as the pretext for the invasion. “To this end, Ukrainian saboteurs involved in the false-flag invasion will be wearing the uniforms of the servicemen of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces,” he added.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin added that the West had ordered the government in Chișinău to stop any interaction with the Moscow-backed Transnistrian administration.
The news caused consternation among the public in the Republic of Moldova. Authorities in Chișinău denied any knowledge of the information presented by the Russian Defense Ministry and issued a call for calm. “We call for calm and invite the public to follow the official and credible sources of the Republic of Moldova. Our institutions cooperate with foreign partners, and in case of any danger to the country, they will inform the public opinion without delay,” the Moldavian Government said in a statement to TVR Moldova.
Some analysts say it appears the Ukrainians have been working recently to involve Moldova in the conflict in their attempt to extend the fighting as close to NATO borders as possible and to shore up Western support for Zelensky. The recent installation of a NATO-approved government in Moldova was allegedly a direct result of these efforts. This possibly led Vladimir Putin earlier this week to withdraw formal Russian recognition of Moldavia’s sovereignty.
The situation in Moldova is a powder keg. If Ukraine succeeds in drawing Moldova into the conflict will NATO become directly involved in the war given recent assurances by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis that Romania will defend Moldova's territorial integrity by all means possible? It should be noted that today’s Republic of Moldova, along with southern Bessarabia and northern Bucovina currently in Ukraine, are historical Romanian territories brutally stripped from Romania by the Soviets at the outset of World War II.
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According to 2 unnamed U.S. officials, it is believed that Russia conducted a test launch of an extremely provocative intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) while President Biden was visiting Kyiv Monday.
The sources said that the U.S. believes the test “failed,” but no details of the failed launch were given, other than Putin leaving the test out of his speech Tuesday in Moscow.
According to one official, Russia notified the U.S. of the launch prior to it taking place through deconfliction lines. A second official noted that the test did not pose a risk to the U.S., nor did Washington view the test as something out of the ordinary or as an escalation.
The test reportedly was of the SARMAT missile, which is nuclear-capable and known in the West as the ‘Satan II.’
The reason U.S. officials believe the test was a failure is that, had it been successful, Putin would have most likely touted the country’s nuclear capabilities and the test in his State of the Nation address on Tuesday.
However, Putin made no mention of the launch in his remarks, which lasted almost 2 hours. Although Putin never mentioned the Satan II test, he did announce that Moscow will be unilaterally suspending Russia’s involvement in the New START nuclear treaty, which is meant to limit the development of nuclear capabilities for both the U.S. and Russia.
Assuming that the test launch did occur, there is still the possibility that Russia will release menacing footage of it later this week, should Putin choose to send a threatening message to the U.S. and its Western allies, given the increasing provocations between Russia and the West.
The Kremlin has been known to widely publicize its major weapons test launches by releasing official videos of the events, some of which are released well after the tests.
Should Putin decide to release footage of the Satan II ICBM test launch while Biden is still on his tour of Eastern Europe, it would, without a doubt, be taken as a direct threat to the West and seen as a massive escalation of the conflict between Russia, Ukraine, and its Western allies. Hopefully, no such occurrence takes place.
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In his remarks on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Western countries must "help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones and that's why the United Kingdom will be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons."
According to Sunak, the UK government is working with its NATO allies to "give Ukraine the most advanced air defence systems and build the air force they need to defend their nation."
"[The United Kingdom] is ready to help any country to provide Ukraine planes they need today, but we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use advanced jets," he added.
Sunak's escalation comes as the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern that China is considering moving from "providing rhetorical, political, diplomatic support to Russia" to "providing lethal support to Russia." Should that happen, Blinken has warned that it would have "serious consequences" for Chinese-American relations.
Over the past year, the UK has provided almost £4 billion in aid to Ukraine, with £2.3 billion of that given in the form of military aid that included weapons, ammunition, and other military gear and equipment.
After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ukraine earlier this month, the UK parliament began considering sending fighter jets and long-range missiles to Kyiv.
The two types of long-range missiles being considered are the 150-mile range Harppon high-explosive, which is an anti-ship missile, and the 350-mile range Storm Shadow cruise missile. Kyiv has said that if it receives the missiles, they will be used to expand the war by launching an assault on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine back in 2014.
It is also possible that the British long-range missiles could be used to target Russian territory, which could easily escalate the conflict from a localized war to a full-scale global conflict.
Sunak has also suggested that NATO add a "new charter" in its agreement in order to "help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression."
When Zelensky visited London earlier this month, he and Sunak signed the London Declaration, in which Britain recommitted to its stance of supporting Ukraine's admission to NATO, which Russia has cited as a cause for the invasion, saying that having NATO expand to its doorstep is a "red line."
Despite, threats from the Kremlin, the declaration states, "[t]he UK has continued to lead the way in support for Ukraine to defend itself, including anti-tank weapons and tanks. Our military support to Ukraine is enduring. UK support will continue to contribute across all three domains; Land, Air, Sea."
The UK was not the only country calling for additional aid for Ukraine at the Munich conference. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that the world should prepare for a "long war" and called for Germany's Western allies to continue to supply Ukraine with more weaponry, tanks, and ammunition.
Despite French President Emmanuel Macron initially being a proponent of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, he announced in Munich that now is "not the time for dialogue." Hopes for a peaceful resolution were further diminished when Zelensky stated that he would not accept any peace agreement if it required territorial concessions to Russia, which is likely to be seen as a non-starter for Moscow.
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In a recent interview with the CBS program "Face the Nation," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that he hoped U.S. President Joe Biden would confirm his conviction to see Russia defeated in Putin's war against Ukraine.
Morawiecki also made it known that he did not agree with French President Emmanuel Macron or German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who both believe that Russia "cannot win this war and Ukraine cannot be defeated."
According to Morawiecki, "We have to change that paradigm, and we have to say, Ukraine must win, and Russia must be defeated." The reason for Morawiecki's determination that Moscow has to be defeated is because "the very nature of Russia is to conquer other countries."
When asked about how he felt about attempting to negotiate with Putin remaining in power, Morawiecki noted that he had just come from the Munich Security Conference and pointed out that Munich had also been the site of another conference in 1938 when other European leaders had thought they had negotiated peace.
"This time around, there was no room for such naivety, and it was up to the Ukrainians to define what would be negotiated with Russia and when," Morawiecki added.
The Prime Minister was also asked if any movement had been made with the U.S. in an effort to increase the U.S. military presence in Poland. Morawiecki said that his country was in talks with the Biden administration to strengthen the U.S. military presence in Poland from the current 11,000 troops stationed there and to make it "more permanent."
Morawiecki warned that "if we fail to integrate Ukraine into NATO and the European Union, Ukraine will always be a buffer zone," meaning that the region will not be secured until Ukraine's ascension to the military alliance has been confirmed.
The Prime Minister deflected a bit when asked if Warsaw would send fighter jets to Kyiv and noted that a year ago, no one imagined that Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks or Patriot systems would be offered to Ukraine.
He then added that fighter jets could only be given, "in combination with other NATO allies, and in particular, under the leadership of the United States."
Morawiecki appears to be taking the same approach that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took regarding sending tanks to Kyiv, saying that the U.S. must send tanks first.
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On Thursday, NORAD announced that in addition to the interception of 4 Russian aircraft on Monday, Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were intercepted off the coast of Alaska on February 14 as well.
As in the first incident, NORAD scrambled two F-35 fighter jets to intercept the Russian bombers as they approached Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), officials announced Thursday.
According to a NORAD statement, "This is the second intercept of Russian aircraft over two days. This Russian activity near the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative."
Two interceptions within 48 hours are extremely rare, so it seems odd that NORAD calls the interceptions "routine," given that what has previously been referred to as "routine," is 6 to 7 interceptions a year over the past decade, not multiple interceptions per week.
Not only are the interceptions abnormally frequent, but Russian state media is also actively publicizing the exercises off Alaska and is including videos of the maneuvers.
According to the NORAD statement released after Monday's incident, "Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative."
While tensions with Russia are already running high due to the war in Ukraine, the increased interceptions come following a series of "unidentified objects" that have been located and shot down over the U.S. in recent weeks, including a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon, which was first detected over Alaska.
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Two members of the Tennessee National Guard died instantly when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were flying crashed Wednesday afternoon near Highway 53 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Tennessee's Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Warner Ross, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Tennessee National Guardsmen, and our prayers are with their families during this heartbreaking tragedy."
"We ask Tennesseeans to join us in supporting their families during this time of unthinkable grief," Ross added.
The two crew members were conducting a flight-training mission at the time of the crash.
According to Ross, the crash occurred near Highway 53 and Burwell Road in Huntsville at approximately 1500 ET. There were no survivors.
Security footage from a nearby home caught the helicopter plummeting to the ground.
Another video from a driver in the area shows the helicopter wreckage consumed by flames.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
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NORAD announced Tuesday that on Monday, it scrambled jets to intercept 4 Russian inbound military aircraft near American airspace off the coast of Alaska.
According to an official statement regarding the incident, “The Alaskan Region of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected, tracked, positively identified, and intercepted four Russian aircraft entering and operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on February 13, 2023.”
In response to the inbound aircraft, NORAD scrambled two U.S. F-16 fighter jets that were assisted by two F-35A fighters, two KC-135 Stratotankers, and an E-3 Sentry. The Russian aircraft included Tupolec Tu-95 “Bear” long-range bomber and an SU-35 fighter jet.
According to NORAD, having Russian aircraft near the coast of Alaska is “routine” as it has occurred an estimated 6 to 7 times a year over the past decade or longer. U.S. airspace was not breached, just the ADIZ perimeter.
“Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative,” the statement added.
While the Russian flight may be routine, it comes at amid heightened tension between Washington and Moscow, due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the identification and takedown of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon earlier this month.
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China has once again overstepped its bounds, this time in an incident involving the Chinese and Philippine Coast Guards. The Biden administration has denounced China's actions during the incident, which occurred on February 6, but was revealed to the public this week.
On Tuesday, State Department spokesman, Ned Price, berated China for its "provocative and unsafe" interference with the goal of disrupting Philippine vessels' "lawful operations" in the South China Sea.
"More broadly, the PRC's dangerous operational behavior directly threatened regional peace and stability, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law, and undermines the rules-based international order," Price added.
According to the U.S. the conflict occurred in an area where China has "no lawful maritime claims" and happened as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sailed around Second Thomas Shoal.
A statement from the PCG detailed the incident, saying, "The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP MALAPASCUA, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge. The Chinese vessel also made dangerous maneuvers by approaching about 150 yards from the vessel's starboard quarter."
The PCG went on to call the event "a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights."
While referring to a 1951 mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, Price added, "The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments."
While this is not the first time that the U.S. has vowed to come to the Philippines' defense against China if necessary, it is clear that Beijing is testing the U.S. position with such blatant provocations in disputed territory in the South China Sea.
Although China has acknowledged the incident, it has claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard entered waters claimed by Beijing.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a direct warning to China last summer, saying, "We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty."
The PCG incident is just one of several recent provocations on the part of Beijing. China has consistently been conducting show-of-force maneuvers in Taiwanese waters. Earlier this month, a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon also drifted across the U.S. before being shot down by an F-22 over the South Carolina coast. In response to the balloon incident, the Navy's Seventh Fleet deployed the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to the South China Sea to conduct military exercises with U.S. marines.
On Thursday, Matt Gaetz will introduce a resolution in the House that calls for the Biden administration to cease U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine. The measure also calls for a peace agreement as the war will enter its second year on February 24.
The measure, which was introduced by Gaetz and 10 co-sponsors, calls for the nation to “end its military and financial aid to Ukraine and urges all combatants to reach a peace agreement.”
The resolution points that since the war began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has been the leading contributor of support to Kyiv with more than $110 billion having been provided in military, financial, and humanitarian aid, which also includes more than $27.4 billion in security assistance.
In January, the Biden administration announced that 31 Abrams M1 tanks would be provided to Ukraine and it has been reported that another $2 billion in aid could be in the works. At the time of that announcement, Biden said, “This is about freedom for Ukraine, freedom everywhere.”
Not only does the resolution outline the extensive list of military equipment that the U.S. has given to Ukraine, but it also cites Pentagon officials who have indicated that the continued donation of munitions has “severely depleted United States stockpiles, weakening United States readiness in the event of conflict.” This is at a time when the UN Chief is warning the world of walking into WWIII.
The measure also estimates that some 40,000 civilians have died in the war and that the nation’s assistance to Ukraine is inadvertently contributing to those deaths.
Discontent has been growing among a sect of Republicans as the Biden administration continues to throw money at a war that is now entering its second year, meanwhile, other issues closer to home would benefit from those resources such as the open southern border, the fentanyl crisis, and processing migrants.
“America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war,” Gaetz said. “We must suspend all foreign aid for the War in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately.”
Gaetz’s co-sponsors for the resolution include Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Lauren Bobert (R-CO), Paul Gosae (R-AZ), Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mary Miller (R-IL), carry Moore (R-AL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT).
While Republican leadership has for the most part remained consistent of its support for the continued support and funding of the war in Ukraine with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell saying in December that “providing assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the No. 1 priority for the United States right now according to most Republicans,” cracks of division have begun to form.
In October, House Leader Kevin McCarthy took a more conservative approach saying that Republicans would not write a “blank check” for Ukraine.
Earlier this week Gaetz aligned with McCarthy and asked the House floor, “How much more for Ukraine? Is there any limit?” he asked. “Which billionth dollar really kicks in the door? Which redline we set will we not later cross?”
China wants Taiwan, an independent democratic island nation off its east coast, to be part of it, and has threatened to take it by force if necessary. While many analysts agree China will invade Taiwan at some point, no one knows when. In this episode of China Uncensored, we look at the prediction one US general made about 2025, why others have predicted different dates, and why Xi Jinping isn't the problem with China's aggressiveness in the Taiwan Strait.
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While the U.S. and Europe have joined forces in an effort to target putting sanctions on Iranian-made drones that are being shipped to Russia, Iran and Russia have agreed to establish a joint drone manufacturing facility in Russia, according to a weekend report from Wall Street Journal.
Iran has been supplying Russia with its kamikaze drones, including the Shahed-136, which Moscow has been using to launch persistent strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure. The drones cost $20,000 to produce, and Iran and Russia now have plans to construct a manufacturing site for the drones inside Russian territory. The new facility would allow Russia to produce an additional 6,000 drones for use in its war against Ukraine.
The deal to build a facility in Russia was reportedly agreed to with Iran in November at the height of Russia’s consistent drone attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Concerns are growing, however, that the new manufacturing site could result in new UAVs. A delegation of high-level Iranian officials visited Russia in January to work out the necessary details to get the site running. Russia and Iran plan to use the new facility to design and build a faster drone that would pose new threats to Ukraine and challenge its air defenses.
The Russian facility is also seen as an attempt to avoid what the Biden administration referred to as its plans to “choke off Iran’s ability to manufacture the drones” as U.S. forces assist “Ukrian’s military to target the sites where the drones are being prepared for launch,” according to statements from U.S. officials.
It is an uphill battle for Ukraine as the air defense systems used to intercept and destroy Iran’s kamikaze drones cost far more than the drones themselves. Now, with Iran moving production of the drones to neighboring Russia and increasing production numbers, protecting its cities and infrastructure will become an even bigger challenge for Kyiv.
It’s been a year since four Department of Defense (DOD) whistleblowers found a sudden increase in various diseases in the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED), which coincided directly with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccinations. Now, new data shows more evidence.
That’s according to Lt. Col.Theresa Long, M.D., MPH, a board-certified aerospace medicine doctor and Army Brigade flight surgeon with specialty training as an aviation mishap investigator and safety officer, who was one of the four whistleblowers. Long’s background has uniquely equipped her to recognize what she described as “unusual diagnoses and alarming trends only after the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccinations.”
Long said what she has now found has led her to file yet another whistleblower complaint with Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) office. She described this data as “more alarming DMED data” after she “went back into the ‘fixed’ DMED again to look for signals of harm for Army aviation...”
To read more visit Zero Hedge.
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The FBI is greatly expanding its headquarters, which leaves many wondering if it will be expanding its ranks as well. The FBI is planning to build a new headquarters building, which is expected to be twice the size of the Pentagon.
One cannot help but wonder if the Bureau will be expanding the number of agents to fill such a massive building and what the FBI needs such a huge headquarters for anyway. Especially, given the recent corruption scandal in which it was revealed that top agent, Charles McGonigal, who insisted former President Donald Trump had colluded with Russia, was himself working with a Russian oligarch.
If anything, it seems the FBI should be cleaning house, not building a bigger one.
In addition to a massive campus, plans for the new headquarters include woke regulations, which will ensure the Bureau's headquarters are compliant with diversity, equity, climate change, and LGBTQ+ goals.
While the FBI has long been eager to vacate the concrete monolith it currently occupies between the White House and Capitol, the new plans seem a little overboard. Plans for the new headquarters place the FBI's new home on one of 3 sites in suburban Virginia and Maryland. Each of those sites is a large parcel of land at 58, 61, and 80 acres respectively.
Given the size of the potential sites, it would mean the new headquarters is at least twice the size of the Pentagon, if not bigger. The Pentagon sits on roughly 29 acres and includes a 5 acre courtyard. It was, until recently, the largest office building in the world.
To offer an idea of the massive size of the proposed new FBI headquarters, the Kremlin in Moscow sits on just over 66 acres and includes everything from administrative offices for the Russian government to the presidential residence, multiple palaces and auditoriums, an arsenal, and a museum, along with 3 cathedrals and 7 churches. Why does the FBI need a headquarters of comparable size and what is it planning to put there?
While it can be difficult to stop the FBI, Republicans in Congress might be able to prevent the new headquarters from being built by exercising the House's control of the purse strings.
The House could withhold funding to lease, purchase, or develop land not already owned by the federal government. That would knock out the two possible sites in Maryland.
House GOP lawmakers could also prevent funding to design, develop, or construct federal property that is tied to equity, diversity, and inclusion programs with taxpayer money.
Lastly, Congress could refuse to authorize any funds for the new headquarters unit the FBI cooperates fully with Congress to bring accountability to individuals within the bureau for abuses of power and criminal activity - Charles McGonigal.
While the Bureau's new headquarters is a long way from being built, it should be concerning to all Americans that an organization that has a top official working for a Russian Oligarch wants to build a headquarters bigger than the world's largest office building.
Following a drone strike on a military facility in Isfahan on Sunday, the Iranian Permanent Mission to the UN sent a warning to the U.S. stating that any military action against Iran would be taken as a declaration of war and would be met with retribution.
On Tuesday, the Permanent Mission to the UN told Newsweek, "In Iran's perspective, the use of the military option at any level means U.S. entry into the war. For now, Iran considers such a possibility to be weak." The mission went on to say that the U.S. will be responsible for the "consequences for the region and the globe," if the U.S. "miscalculates and launches a war."
Meanwhile, Washington has denied involvement in the drone attack, which is believed to have been instigated by the Israelis. A Pentagon spokesperson said, "We've seen the press reports but can confirm that no U.S. military forces have conducted strikes or operations inside Iran. We continue to monitor the situation but have nothing further to provide."
On January 29, the Iranian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its air defense forces had stopped a drone attack on a military facility in Isafahan. According to the statement, "One of teh drones was hit by the... air defense, and the ohter two were caught in defense traps and blew up... Fortunately, this unsuccessful attack did not cause any loss of life adn caused minor damage to the workshop's roof."
The moment the facility's defense systems destroyed one of the drones can be seen in videos on social media. The Defense Ministry's statement added that the attack "has not affected our installations and mission... and such blind measures will not have an impact onthe continuation of the country's progress."
While The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli drones attacked a weapons systemes factory in Isfahan. The Iranian Defense Ministry, however, offered no information as to who it suspected is behind the strike. Despite, the Iranian Defense Ministry's claims, it is likely that Israel was behind the attack, given that it has previously been found to have sabotagged the Islamic Republic before.
In light of the attack, Tehran has confirmed that it will continue to make progress on its "peaceful nuclear program," while Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian condemned the "cowardly drone attack."
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Germany has recently come to the forefront of European countries causing escalations with Russia when it began pressuring Washington and NATO allies to send tanks to Ukraine last month. Being well aware of its precarious position with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany is now in a race to drastically increase its defense spending and arm itself against possible Russian attacks, including spending $18 billion on a nationwide missile defense shied.
It should be noted that less than a year ago, Germany’s military was struggling to meet its commitment to NATO and had an entire battalion of Puma tanks fail drills and be deemed unfit for action in the NATO Rapid Reaction Force (NRF). The German military is also known to be underfunded and lacking resources. Now, it’s giving away the handful of operational tanks it does have to Ukraine. The German military should be helping itself before it helps Kyiv.
As part of Germany’s recent about-face regarding its defense spending, the country is now in talks with multiple defense manufacturers to have a multi-layered, anti-missile shield built that could cost as much as €17 billion ($18.5 billion).
Specifically, the government is negotiating a contract with Bavarian-based manufacturer Diehl Defence to purchase up to 8 IRS-T anti-missile systems for a cost of €2 billion to €3 billion. The 8 IRS-T anti-missile systems are expected to be just the first layer of a more complex multi-layered system. One IRS-T battery is capable of intercepting fighter jets, inbound cruise missiles, and drones and can fire missiles that travel over 40 km.
Germany also supplied Kyiv with the first 4 IRS-T air defense systems it received in October, keeping a promise it had made with Ukraine to provide the systems to protect its cities from drone attacks. It should also be noted that Germany does not currently own any IRS-T systems.
Berlin is finally waking up to the realization that it has a woefully inadequate military. While Chancellor Olaf Scholz is doing everything possible to increase defense spending and build up Germany’s military, it comes as concern is mounting that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spread both West and deeper into Europe. Germany’s last-minute effort to build its military up before it gets dragged into a conflict with Russia is a classic example of too little, too late.
A four-star Air Force general has told his officers to prepare for war with China within two years — instructing them to drill service members “with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most.”
“I hope I am wrong,” Mike Minihan, head of the 50,000-member Air Mobility Command, wrote in the chilling Friday memo, NBC News reported. “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025.”
The Department of Defense sought to downplay the memo. “These comments are not representative of the department’s view on China,” a spokesperson said...
To read more visit the New York Post.
Host L Todd Wood speaks with those at the tip of the spear of the fight against medical tyranny in DoD. 1LT John Bowes and Attorney Dale Saran give the latest insight from the fight.
This video is part of the series Information Operation.
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