Apparently, not being a leftist makes you a threat to democracy.
Biden's Resolve Theater over Iraq and Syria. Small enough--and telegraphed to avoid killing Iranians--not to bother Iran yet big enough to quiet American critics of his Iran policy? Does Iran inform us of its plans so as not to provoke us? Also, don't criticize Biden because killing Soleimani didn't solve Iran? Seriously?
Hanging separately sure won't work: "The tensions spreading across the continent of Asia have accelerated China’s aggression. The smaller nations surrounding the South China Sea need to band together to resist it." The SCS is the primary common battlefield for some of those countries. Is it enough?
Ukraine's new brigades failed in the big counteroffensive: "A few weeks of combined arms training for the brigades would have made a big difference by developing skills needed to integrate and operate all the new equipment effectively." The Russians were outnumbered but sitting in defenses with ample artillery.
Good idea: "As China’s merchant and submarine fleets increase, the government decided to protect their surface and underwater ships by mapping ocean bottoms of military interest. Special survey ships are used and the first area to be mapped is the Western Pacific, especially the South China Sea[.]" Bad for us.
Russia sent their Armata wonder tank to safe rear areas inside Ukraine: "Apparently because of the heavy tank losses Russia suffered in the first few months of the war, they were unsure if the untested T-14 would do any better." So far just another Potemkin weapon.
Yikes: "A British aircraft carrier that had been set to lead the largest NATO exercises since the Cold War will not set sail Sunday after a problem with its propeller was discovered during final checks, the Royal Navy said." Stuff happens. But it's a major problem.
Well, sure. Not all the shots: "Tehran provides arms and support to an array of militant groups across
the Mideast, but it does not call all the shots, experts say." But close enough for government work bombing Iran. There are always lots of excuses to do nothing against aggressors.
South Korea will start mass producing their KF-21 multi-role fighter.
Russia seeks money and influence in Africa with its Libya project. I assume it likes to have the valve to send migrants into southern Europe as a means of weakening and pressuring Europe.
America needs to send missiles--not messages: "A drone attack on a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, in the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias[.]"
America needs to send missiles--not messages: "U.S. Navy forces took out at least a dozen Iran-backed Houthi rebel air drones Friday, according to U.S. Central Command."
Senate Democrat and Republican negotiators undermine border security get military aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. House Republicans respond: "Republicans will move forward with a $17.6 billion package that provides military aid to Israel and replenish U.S. weapons, but leaves out more help for Ukraine."
Turn it to rubble then bounce the rubble: "The US and UK have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen from air and surface platforms, including fighter jets, with the support of several other countries. At least 30 targets were struck across at least 10 locations, according to two US officials."
Send warheads--not warnings: "After a weekend of retaliatory strikes, the United States on Sunday warned Iran and the militias it arms and funds that it will conduct more attacks if American forces in the Mideast continue to be targeted[.]" Indicating we fear escalation is no way to scare the mullahs off.
Gaza was not an open-air prison under siege prior to the October 7, 2023 Hamas murder and rape raid: "Like any terror group Hamas' strategic weapons are lies and propaganda. That's how they were able to promote their lie about a 'siege' in the world's leading media outlets."
You think you hate and distrust our media enough. You do not.
If only the czar knew! "[A prominent Russian] milblogger claimed that Russia has a culture in which local
authorities closely work with regional media outlets to censor and
conceal from the Kremlin any negative reports." That's a hopeful sign that Putin is moving imaginary units around his bunker map.
Mind you, they all support killing infidels: "The diverse reactions of jihadist factions in Afghanistan and South Asia to the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza underscores the complex dynamics within the region’s militant landscape." Still, we could exploit differences for divide-and-conquer information operations.
Good: "Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones are among the first set of systems Pentagon leadership and Congress are evaluating to be mass produced and rapidly scaled through the ambitious new Replicator initiative[.]"
Oh, the Winter War of 2022 will end. But conditioning aid to Ukraine on Ukraine ending the war guarantees that the only way the war ends is with a stalemate to reload or a Russian victory. Maybe condition reducing the aid on Russian withdrawal. But it's Responsible Statecraft. So whatever, dudes.
Striking Iran provokes war? "Such a claim, however, is not historically accurate—during the 1980s 'tanker war,' the United States became embroiled in a major conflict with Iran that included Operation Praying Mantis, the US Navy’s largest surface action since World War II." Yes, don't forget the quiet campaign.
For the new Constellation frigate, "is 32 vertical launch system cells enough for these ships?" No ship ever has enough VLS. But it isn't a destroyer or cruiser. When you want numbers, quality suffers. Quantity matters. The frigate still isn't cheap enough for a true high-low mix. Save the VLS for air defense, eh?
Loose tweets sink fleets. Well, SAMs, for now: "Ukrainians are once again being warned of how Russia uses social media footage and commentary to locate Ukraine’s vital air defense systems[.]"
From the "Well, Duh" files: "EU’s ‘misinformation’ campaign is nothing but a power grab[.]" The proto-empire never lets a crisis go to waste to strip away the inconvenient prefix.
Google's decision enables the memory hole. Mind you, it's a big job. But I don't trust the government to cache the web instead. For reference: "'https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:' plus a website URL, or by typing 'cache:' plus a URL into Google Search." For now. Via Instapundit.
If a Republican was president, the job growth the administration and media boasted about would call them "McJobs". And that's even before the inevitable downgrade of the glowing statistics.
If Republicans want to stall more military aid to Ukraine to get a closed border--which even I think is justified--they should actually close the border. Surrendering on the border months ago to get aid flowing would have been superior to this apparent gross surrender after pretending to resist. FFS.
Japan administers the islands: "Japan's Coast Guard issued a bulletin saying it was repeatedly urging the four Chinese [coast guard] vessels to leave 'our territorial waters'. Japan calls them the Senkaku islands."
In response to Venezuela's renewed claims on Guyana's territory: "The U.S. is pledging to help Guyana buy new aircraft, helicopters, a fleet of military drones and, for the first time, radar technology."
Good: "The $4.5 billion 'Peace Phoenix Rising' program to upgrade 139 of Taiwan’s F-16s to the F-16V (Block 70-72) configuration is complete[.]" Next step: Sixty-six new F-16s. The invasion threat is real.
How soon they forget the pain of 1956: "Lawmakers from the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán boycotted an emergency session of parliament on Monday where a vote was scheduled to place Sweden’s bid to join NATO on the legislative agenda[.]"
Our European friends: "Amid calls for a common European military to stand up to an aggressive Russia and other potential threats, EU members Slovenia, Spain, Denmark and Poland say the idea is unrealistic and unnecessary." An EU "army" is for "strategic autonomy" from EU members--not from Russian threats.
The Bradley is closer to getting an active protection system.
NATO forces exercised to practice synchronizing artillery fires: "Over the past several years, the Army has renewed its emphasis on artillery capabilities in Europe in connection with concerns about potential Russian aggression." The God of War is pleased with the offering.
The National Guard is an operational rather than strategic reserve after the Cold War: "F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from the D.C. Air National Guard’s 113th Wing have joined American forces in the Middle East[.]"
The U.S, did not inform Iraqis of American strikes inside Iraq prior to the strikes. That's wise. Iran would know 10 seconds later. And it's fair. Iraq doesn't notify America of Iranian strikes against Americans inside Iraq helping defend Iraq. I bet confusion stems from vague information given about our intent.
America's line in the South China Sea gets thicker: "The Philippines is expected to work on dozens of projects this year to upgrade military bases as part of an agreement with the United States."
Clearly, we should not be finished bombing Houthi anti-ship and command assets: "Two ships traveling in Middle East waters were attacked by suspected Yemen Houthi rebel drones early on Tuesday[.]"
Every war has traitors who work for evil: "Five Ukrainian intelligence officers secretly working for Russia as part of a powerful spy ring have been arrested, Kyiv has announced."
Sh*t got real: "Nato member Latvia has re-introduced conscription to deter Russia from invading Europe[.]"
Amazing: "Despite repeated efforts and a few close calls, Russia has not been able to destroy any HIMARs[.]" Also: 650 kilometer-range PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) will replace ATACMS. "Ukraine will be the first to receive PrSM." For testing? I also assume Ukraine gets retired ATACMS for volume.
Finally? "Britain has developed a laser-based weapon called DragonFire that can destroy or disable a UAV several kilometers distant. Each shot costs about $13 for the necessary electricity generated in the vehicle or ship carrying the DragonFire system." Their navy will get it, too.
America's USVs "Ranger and Mariner both have long, flat bays that take
up the rear two-thirds of the ship, allowing them to carry a variety of
payloads, especially containerized payloads using the footprint of
standard ISO shipping containers." Standard shipping containers? Huh. Think bigger, too.
Yeah: "One of the key elements of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s war strategy is to score dramatic victories to show the world Ukraine remains capable of defeating Vladimir Putin’s forces despite their greater numbers and superior firepower." But he needs a big land victory over the Red Army for that.
Is Xi preparing China for war? "Today, China’s risk indicators are blinking red."
They will embed on an American submarine tender: "A team of 37 Royal Australian Navy sailors are heading to Guam to learn how to maintain nuclear submarines, according to a Monday statement from the service."
The Army sends in the robots to build more 155 mm shells. Plus other methods. This applies to high-demand missiles and rockets as well: "And as far as deterrence, I don't think there's anything that deters better than vast magazines of American weapons near an enemy." We need more. But not too near.
The Middle East is a costly distraction for America? That's so wrong, I'm stunned. The area exports jihadis and oil. Our prosperity relies on the supply of the latter and the containment of the former. Our Cold War focus kept us distracted until events required our attention. Should we let it all burn down?
I was prepared to resist the headline implications until the author accurately wrote: "Ukraine’s successes in the Northwest Black Sea are not yet strategic. A naval campaign is no substitute for a land offensive."
Discussing the problem of American Moslems cheering Iran and its jihadi proxies is impossible "after well over twenty years of relentless propaganda from government and law enforcement officials, as well as from the establishment media, about how such discussion is an unacceptable manifestation of hate."
How were they supposed to know that repeatedly electing politicians who promised to do this would do it to them? "Some California residents are "stunned" by the high cost of their latest electric and gas bill, after a major utility company raised prices for millions of customers last month." Tip to Instapundit.
Sigh. I had plenty of lefty professors and TAs back in the day. If any were conservative I was unaware. But I can only remember one TA who seemed to be upset--and downgrade me because--I didn't go along with leftist views of the USSR. How much worse is my university now?
Smart Diplomacy®: Pacific Edition. Via Instapundit. WTAF? Just take your time. What could possibly go wrong?
Via Instapundit, "People with depression have higher body temperatures[.]" That contradicts accepted science:
I say, Target: Acquired: "Iran has issued a strongly worded warning not to target a ship that
U.S. officials and analysts suspect of providing real-time intelligence
for attacks on other vessels in the Red Sea and serving as a forward operating base for its commandos." Send warheads--not warnings.
Meanwhile in Senegal: "Senegal's reputation as a bastion of democracy in an unstable region is on the line after protesters clashed with riot police outside parliament on Monday." The government is delaying elections.
Why do American teacher unions hate our children so much?
Hold off on that China century talk: "The likelihood of the prediction that China's GDP will one day overtake that of the U.S. is declining[.]" I was not quaking in my boots about China passing us by.
China's "quiet war" in the South China Sea. I prefer to call it a subliminal war. But same idea.
We don't need immigration "reform" to control our border. All we have to do is protect the border with existing laws and authorities. Countries with actual leaders could do that. After we establish the baseline of a secure border, then we can debate "reform" to the immigration system at our leisure.
Good: "America’s European and Asian allies have significantly ramped up their efforts to support Ukraine." I hope that America resumes arms shipments and support soon.
Unable to take one small step up from its defense nadir: "The Netherlands is considering recreating its own tank battalion amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, though there’s currently no funding for the imitative[.]" The Netherlands had a thousand tanks in the Cold War.
Will the Air Force end its "officer and a gentlemen" approach to pilots and restore warrant officers? My understanding is that many pilots like to fly fast jets and not desks. Which is what happens as officers get promoted. Warrant officers "just" fly yet can still gain officer-equivalent pay raises.
Getting the V-22 flying again is now the issue: "The Pentagon believes it has identified the mechanical failure that led to a fatal crash of an Osprey aircraft in Japan and the grounding of the fleet for two months[.]"
China lulls Taiwan into complacency: "China has a new plan for conquering Taiwan, and it involves numerous false attacks followed by one that is real." Will the false attacks lull China? Exit question: Why aren't the Chinese who colonized native Taiwanese demonized like Jews who actually started out in Israel?
If they fight, this is a big Taiwanese advantage: "Many key highways are built in the many valleys and that creates a lot of narrow choke points that can be easily defended, often with the help of tunnels dug into nearby hills and mountains. This makes it very difficult for an invading force to get off the beaches."
Pain: "Russia is facing a financial crisis because its main export item, petroleum, has declined in value while Russia, because of sanctions, has more difficulty getting cut-rate petroleum to buyers. For example, in the second half of 2023, Russian oil income hit a record low of $14.4 billion[.]"
Tucker Carlson interviewed Putin in Russia. Progressives believe it's a friendly chat. I hope Carlson shows journalists how to ask Democrats hard questions. Recall the New York Times publishing Putin's propaganda. Remember? Ah, those strange, flexible, "Reset" times. Still, I'm not happy with Tucker 3.0.
That Gravely shoot-down of an incoming Houthi cruise missile was the first time the Phalanx CIWS was used in combat. It's the last line of defense. So ... gulp. Because the next line is damage control.
Failing to help Ukraine win in 2023 has blowback in the Middle East: "Russian authorities are reportedly paying Iran roughly $4.5 billion per year to import Iranian Shahed drones to use in Ukraine." It doesn't match Democratic aid for the mullahs, but it's nothing to sneeze at.
Helping Ukraine: "Reuters reported on February 6 that Turkey’s leading drone maker Baykar started building a drone factory near Kyiv that will manufacture Bayraktar-TB2 or TB3 model drones."
I assume individuals are good until I have reason to believe otherwise. But when I see woke, progressive protesters on any issue, I see the recruiting pool for concentration camp guards.
I've been told that only white people can be racist. Tip to Instapundit. Imagine if ... oh, never mind.
I'm calling BS on this one: "They say money can't buy happiness -- and now a new study of Indigenous peoples around the world backs up that assertion." Money is our proxy for success. In communist countries access and not worthless money is the key. Something is "currency" in tribes. Tip to Instapundit.
More, please: "The US has conducted a drone strike against a senior commander of an Iran-backed militia in Baghdad, according to a US official."
Is Russia doomed? "An imperial hegemon cobbles together a domain of many ethnic groups, forcing them to lay down their arms against each other. An empire may last hundreds of years and yet build nothing except a tenuous inter-ethnic truce." But the Ottoman Empire was the "sick man of Europe" for centuries.
"Europe" is weak from the "EU’s fragmented approach to external affairs and its lack of a centralised military force, which diminishes its ability to act as a cohesive geopolitical entity." Good. Don't let the EU trick you into thinking political Europe is geographic Europe. Never "unshackle" the proto-imperial EU.
With a static front in Ukraine, why haven't we seen mining. That is, digging a tunnel under the enemy across no-man's land and packing it with explosives. This was done in World War I and our Civil War. Or at least burying explosives in territory the enemy advances into. Bakhmut seemed ideal. Avdiivka?
In an earlier entry I mentioned the Senegal election crisis. ISW has a special report out: "The election crisis in Senegal is destabilizing a crucial democratic ally in West Africa and risks further weakening America’s position in the region." Russia will seek to foment chaos. AFRICOM?
I'm sure this is true for all long wars, but no less a problem, of course: "The Ukrainian military is facing a critical shortage of infantry, leading to exhaustion and diminished morale on the front line[.]" A section of the front could collapse under Russian assault. The punching bag never wins the fight.
Taiwan's rear area: "The Philippines aims to boost military presence and infrastructure in the country’s northernmost [Batanes] province near Taiwan[.]" America could use it, too, naturally.
Letting Ukraine fall to Russia would be a catastrophe. Why Biden won't "cave" to Republican demands to do his job and control the southern border is beyond me. Do that and enough Republicans will vote for aid. Do Democrats want an open border and a resurgent Russia--with the bonus of blaming Republicans?
A DIA report on Iran's weapons supplied to the Houthi.
Good: "The US has approved an estimated $1.2 billion potential deal with Poland for radar recon aerostat systems, the State Department announced today." Poland needs to protect the flow of NATO forces into Poland if Russia gets all Russia-like with NATO. Detecting the incoming air threats is the foundation.
Notice that the Saudis didn't buy from China: "South Korea will export air defense systems to Saudi Arabia as part of a $3.2 billion deal signed in November[.]" I just don't see China's growing regional dominance.
The F**k-Up Fairy has been busy: "The United States is on a pace to add nearly $19 trillion to its national debt over the next decade as the mounting costs of an aging population and higher interest expenses continue to weigh on the nation’s fiscal outlook[.]" No, it's because we spend too much. Via Instapundit.
Biden calls Trump an "existential threat." But there's no way Democrats would rig elections; illegally spy on, persecute, and imprison his "deplorable" supporters--who Biden demonizes; or collude with like-minded entities to stop him. Nope. Via Instapundit. And now for something completely different:
Russia seems to be adapting tactics to get missiles through Ukrainian air defenses.
Progressives routinely explain why evil countries like Iran and North Korea want nukes to deter America. Would they be as understanding if Ukraine, Poland, and other states that border Russia and China want them? No. They say we have to "understand" why China and Russia need buffer zones of free people.
You'd think a lot of people would rally to beat them, rather than cower before their threats: "Ayatollah Iran treats the world as a war zone." Iran is the Gordian Knot that could be cut to improve a lot of those war zones.
Big Brother comes to the battlefield: "Swarms of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have provided a new form of target detection and assignment of targets to weapons within range and available for use[.]"
Ukrainian drones and infiltrators will make good use of this hacking success: "This effort downloaded data on construction plans for more than 500 military bases in Russia and occupied Ukraine and erased the original Russian data files." How much of this type of hacking has already been done to us?
The unit was reactivated: "A U.S. Army unit that will operate landing craft throughout the Indo-Pacific began work Thursday at this waterfront base south of Tokyo."
A vague warning like that is correct but useless for any given day: "Intelligence officials had warned for months of a rising risk that Iranian-made weapons would penetrate U.S. defenses in the Middle East and kill American forces — long before last week’s deadly drone strike against a U.S. outpost in Jordan."
Not deciding is also a decision: "Going to war and declining war can both end in failure, save that being as prepared as possible for war provides options without committing to the fight. But it is the details that contain what truth there is and a clear understanding of the reasons for going or not going to war."
It's interesting that decades of Soviet arms exports have turned into an arsenal for Ukraine to resist Russia: "Ecuador will reportedly exchange Soviet-era military equipment for $200 million worth of US-made equipment, allowing the US to then provide the Soviet equipment to Ukraine."
Instead of bombing it, Russia should run Ukraine's infrastructure: "Across Russia, creaking infrastructure and a wave of accidents have plunged households into the cold in the depth of winter, fueling rare showings of anger and irritation in a country where public criticism has been increasingly quashed."
Finland will keep its border closed because Russia keeps throwing waves of migrants at the country. Please notify Biden that this is possible. Note that just 1,300 migrants inspired this resolve. We get that in what? An hour? Every hour of every day?
They should have had a tragic boating accident in the Baltic Sea: "Earlier this week, Swedish broadcast SR reported that two Iranians had been suspected of planning to kill members of the Swedish Jewish community. They were arrested in 2021 and were expelled from Sweden in 2022 without charges[.]"
Well let's hope China gives him a choice: "Papua New Guinea will not 'compromise' its values as part of its diplomatic relationship with China, Prime Minister James Marape said in Australia, after a recent media report that the Pacific nation was considering a policing agreement with China." Values evolve, eh?
Via Instapundit, Biden didn't give an ef about Americans stranded in Afghanistan. As I observed: "Sure, the Air Force conducted a technically proficient evacuation from Kabul--based on volume rather than getting out our actual friends. But they shouldn't put lipstick on the pig we screwed in Afghanistan[.]"
No worries, this doesn't reduce enemy fear (tip to Instapundit): "The commanding officer of the cruiser Lake Erie fostered a hostile environment on the ship by tormenting crew members before she was relieved of duty in October[.]" There are no bad captains. Just bad Navy leadership that inculcates bad captains.
Inflation may not be tamed: "It’s a good idea for the Federal Reserve to take its time with interest-rate cuts given all of the uncertainty about where the U.S. economy is headed, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said Wednesday, in an interview with MarketWatch." Tip to Instapundit.
Interesting: "This discovery adds Mimas to an exclusive club of moons with internal
oceans, including Enceladus and Europa, but with a unique difference:
its ocean is remarkably young." And now for something completely different:
Good God! Even the wealthy of Martha's Vineyard are too poor to afford EV charging infrastructure, leading Biden to recognize it as a "low income" area for federal subsidies. Just how bad is inflation these days??!! Ef these people. Seriously, people who can't afford EVs pay taxes so the wealthy get discounts.
Is Canada finally restoring rule of law after suppressing--including de-banking--trucker protesters? I might vacation in Canada again. Although charging Trudeau and his responsible ministers with crimes would really, really help restore my confidence. Tip to Instapundit.
Prepare missiles--not motions: "If the United States goes to war with China in the future, the Indo-Pacific Command legal office has prepared reports defining the legal basis for future American military action in places like the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea." FFS. Let the Pentagon handle that. Focus on fighting!
American aid to Ukraine is not being diverted by corruption. And Europe is stepping up on total aid. But we remain vital for military aid. And I'll note Russia is much more corrupt than Ukraine if that is your complaint. Also, let's not put Chicago in the mix. Federal and state appropriations might change, eh?
Biden is too old with too little memory to prosecute for taking classified documents. Say, who controls our nuclear arsenal?
Huh: “German air defense frigate Hessen set sail Thursday from the country’s northern port city of Wilhelmshaven toward the Red Sea, marking Berlin’s contribution to a growing international naval protection force for cargo ships transiting the crucial commercial route.”
Half the distance to the goal: “Iraq condemned the U.S. for the latest strike on Iraqi soil and said the military aggression is pushing Baghdad closer to kicking American troops out of the country Thursday.” Iraq needs us. They know it.
Strategery: “The Russian threat in Ukraine has led many European NATO members to increase defense spending to the NATO goal of two percent of GDP. Until now, few European nations came close to two percent.”
To be fair, Hamas and Hezbollah chose war: “Since the October 2023 Hamas offensive in Gaza, Israel has gone on the offensive against Hamas in Gaza, in the West Bank, and may soon kick off against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel gave peace a chance and that didn’t work, but perhaps belligerence will.”
Reservist casualties in the Middle East are “a reminder the National Guard serves alongside our active-duty and reserve teammates on the front lines as an operational force[.]” I’ve noted our reserves are an operational rather than strategic reserve saved for great power war.
American general regarding Iran’s proxies killing American troops: “If you attack, if you hurt our people, we know who you are and we will find you and there will be a bill to pay much greater than anything you will inflict on us.” See? Proportionality in response isn’t a thing.
I certainly hope this is true: “The Russian government, controlled by Vladimir Putin, has a difficult time justifying the cost Russians are paying to be in Ukraine and those doubts are evolving into opposition within the Russian military and government."
In one night we saw that Putin can’t tell the truth; and Biden can’t remember it. Unless Carlson’s plan was to let Putin lie at will to expose him, I’m not happy with him. And unless Biden’s people are trolling for the 25th Amendment, what were they thinking?
The U.S. "successfully tested a system that can track and intercept a complex ballistic missile target with multiple decoys." Good.
