United Kingdom: This week the MoD announced that the HMS PRINCE OF WALES (R09) will be unable to participate in NATO exercises off the coast of Norway. As the PRINCE OF WALES was a backup to the HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (also out of action allegedly due to maintenance issues), this means that two of the three aircraft carriers in Europe are out-of-action and unable to deploy.
-HomeFront-
Washington D.C. – In a late-night session Monday evening, the Senate passed the hotly-debated $95 billion spending bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support after provisions for funding to counter illegal immigration at the southern US border were removed. The final vote on the bill, now in the House, has been delayed until the end of February. AC: This is literally the routine tactic used for most bills taxpayers do not approve of, to include almost all of the spending bills for Ukrainian aid; the final vote is scheduled well into the future so that horse-trading can occur and various politicians can pretend to be outraged by it (before capitulating and ultimately voting for it like they planned to do anyway), meanwhile the average taxpayer will have long forgotten about it.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments:
At this point, zero details can be discussed regarding the situation in Gaza without claims of bias. The entrenchment of ideology is complete, and those firmly planted in supporting one side or the other are incapable of seeing any objective information. Interestingly, almost all claims of “bias”, from one side or the other, are really just gaslighting attempts intended to remove factual information that weakens an existing narrative. As such, one must take care in prioritizing the neutralization of bias, over the facts of what is going on. This dichotomy seems like an impossibility, yet it’s exactly what’s going on. At some point (perhaps even right now), events are going to happen that, when described in the most neutral language possible, still will be perceived as bias. This is happening right now because the meaning of “bias”, like many terms, has been changed to now apply to any opposing idea. The situation on the information front has gotten completely out of hand. This conflict, unlike other recent major conflicts around the world is different, probably due to the centuries-old sentiments that are intertwined within this war. However, this manifests itself in the form of sheer insanity in many ways. Even many of those who looked at the Ukrainian War with open-minds, taking everything with a grain of salt, using critical thinking skills, and trying to maintain a neutral perspective while learning about the conflict…these good character traits have completely gone out the window for many people during the Gaza War. So many people who viewed the Ukrainian war with a critical eye, are completely unable to do so for this conflict. Meanwhile, those that attempt to remain objective are left holding the bag, and trying to remain neutral in an environment where objectivity is sometimes illegal.
It is impossible to make a statement about the war, without utterly sprinting to caveat a disclaimer; for every crime Israel commits (per the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which Israel ratified in 1951, combined with the violation of various legal and targeting doctrine constraints that the U.S. imposes on the recipients of military aid), we must desperately point out Hamas’s crimes as fast as the words can be typed. Even the previous sentence was unable to be written without including yet another disclaimer. For failing to caveat even the most basic denoscriptions of the war, most journalists’ livelihoods (or worse) are on the line; no one has chosen their words more carefully than those covering this war who do not wish to align with either side. When the truth becomes a criminal act, those seeking to tell the truth have to rely on vague wording to stay within the acceptable boundaries imposed by those who exert control and influence on various media platforms.
-HomeFront-
Washington D.C. – In a late-night session Monday evening, the Senate passed the hotly-debated $95 billion spending bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support after provisions for funding to counter illegal immigration at the southern US border were removed. The final vote on the bill, now in the House, has been delayed until the end of February. AC: This is literally the routine tactic used for most bills taxpayers do not approve of, to include almost all of the spending bills for Ukrainian aid; the final vote is scheduled well into the future so that horse-trading can occur and various politicians can pretend to be outraged by it (before capitulating and ultimately voting for it like they planned to do anyway), meanwhile the average taxpayer will have long forgotten about it.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments:
At this point, zero details can be discussed regarding the situation in Gaza without claims of bias. The entrenchment of ideology is complete, and those firmly planted in supporting one side or the other are incapable of seeing any objective information. Interestingly, almost all claims of “bias”, from one side or the other, are really just gaslighting attempts intended to remove factual information that weakens an existing narrative. As such, one must take care in prioritizing the neutralization of bias, over the facts of what is going on. This dichotomy seems like an impossibility, yet it’s exactly what’s going on. At some point (perhaps even right now), events are going to happen that, when described in the most neutral language possible, still will be perceived as bias. This is happening right now because the meaning of “bias”, like many terms, has been changed to now apply to any opposing idea. The situation on the information front has gotten completely out of hand. This conflict, unlike other recent major conflicts around the world is different, probably due to the centuries-old sentiments that are intertwined within this war. However, this manifests itself in the form of sheer insanity in many ways. Even many of those who looked at the Ukrainian War with open-minds, taking everything with a grain of salt, using critical thinking skills, and trying to maintain a neutral perspective while learning about the conflict…these good character traits have completely gone out the window for many people during the Gaza War. So many people who viewed the Ukrainian war with a critical eye, are completely unable to do so for this conflict. Meanwhile, those that attempt to remain objective are left holding the bag, and trying to remain neutral in an environment where objectivity is sometimes illegal.
It is impossible to make a statement about the war, without utterly sprinting to caveat a disclaimer; for every crime Israel commits (per the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which Israel ratified in 1951, combined with the violation of various legal and targeting doctrine constraints that the U.S. imposes on the recipients of military aid), we must desperately point out Hamas’s crimes as fast as the words can be typed. Even the previous sentence was unable to be written without including yet another disclaimer. For failing to caveat even the most basic denoscriptions of the war, most journalists’ livelihoods (or worse) are on the line; no one has chosen their words more carefully than those covering this war who do not wish to align with either side. When the truth becomes a criminal act, those seeking to tell the truth have to rely on vague wording to stay within the acceptable boundaries imposed by those who exert control and influence on various media platforms.
🫡84👍36🌭9❤3🤣1😭1
What is far more socially acceptable is the discussion of the absolute lunacy of reporting surrounding the “serious security threat” allegedly posed by Russia. As no real details have been provided, this entire affair reeks of the military deception campaign used against the American people in the lead up to the Iraq War. So far, this shot-for-shot remake has all the classic scenes; intelligence officials citing a serious WMD threat that’s too secret to reveal to the American people, an outraged Congress urging action, hundreds of billions of dollars in defense spending lacking accountability, the list goes on.
Though this time around the threat is likely overexaggerated rather than being outright fabricated. Plus, “Russian Space Nukes” does have a more appealing tone than another war in the Middle East, especially among a population preconditioned to hate Russia more than anything in the world. Russia has undoubtedly made great progress with regards to strategic weapons, as have the United States, China, Iran, and so on. However, framing a broad strategic issue as an immediate life-threatening concern is disingenuous at best, alarmist at worst.
With all of this in mind, a more likely scenario is that this allegedly serious “national security threat” is really nothing new, and this revelation is intended to distract from some other issue, or to increase funding for Ukraine. In an election year, when domestic US support is waning, the powers that be will need as many deception campaigns as possible to maintain the control of information and divert the attention of the masses toward whatever boogeyman is convenient at the time.
In any scenario, it is astronomically unlikely that any member of Congress is ever given intelligence reporting that is particularly groundbreaking or exciting in any way as almost all of the analysts physically writing important intelligence reports operate under the assumption that if a Congressman is told something secret, it will be leaked (probably to a foreign government), as has already happened countless times.
However, this does not mean that the entire affair is made-up nothingness; for the military industrial complex during an election year, wishing will indeed make it so. After all, the U.S. military itself recently created an entirely new service branch, the Space Force, who’s entire mission is the weaponization of space. Most Dangerously, this recent rhetoric could be a more direct way to justify direct NATO action against Russia, before Ukraine capitulates entirely. There is some credence to the idea that the U.S. is fabricating this threat so as to preemptively withdraw from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (which bans stationing nuclear weapons in orbit), and presumably use this as justification to target Russia more directly in some way.
Historically, this would be a very unlikely course of action for two reasons: For one, neither the U.S. nor Russia are known for abiding by their own strategic arms treaties, so fabricating this story to justify leaving a treaty no one was abiding by anyway makes no sense. Secondly, this has largely been a moot point anyway as throughout history no one has been stupid enough to begin playing this game when other more conventional tools seem to be quite effective in shaping the world order. However, in our modern times these historic norms and mores are probably not the best to lean on for the confidence that strategic threats will largely continue with no real impact to the average person. The comparative stability of the Cold War is gone, and considering the concerning nature of all current U.S. policy makers and diplomats, the United States is already well into Dr. Strangelove territory with regards to the disturbingly comical nature of defense leadership’s response to strategic military threats, who have displayed an almost insatiable craving to start as many wars as possible in the shortest possible time. The threat from Russia may not be direct, active, or even real, but this will not change the actions of policy makers in the United States.
Though this time around the threat is likely overexaggerated rather than being outright fabricated. Plus, “Russian Space Nukes” does have a more appealing tone than another war in the Middle East, especially among a population preconditioned to hate Russia more than anything in the world. Russia has undoubtedly made great progress with regards to strategic weapons, as have the United States, China, Iran, and so on. However, framing a broad strategic issue as an immediate life-threatening concern is disingenuous at best, alarmist at worst.
With all of this in mind, a more likely scenario is that this allegedly serious “national security threat” is really nothing new, and this revelation is intended to distract from some other issue, or to increase funding for Ukraine. In an election year, when domestic US support is waning, the powers that be will need as many deception campaigns as possible to maintain the control of information and divert the attention of the masses toward whatever boogeyman is convenient at the time.
In any scenario, it is astronomically unlikely that any member of Congress is ever given intelligence reporting that is particularly groundbreaking or exciting in any way as almost all of the analysts physically writing important intelligence reports operate under the assumption that if a Congressman is told something secret, it will be leaked (probably to a foreign government), as has already happened countless times.
However, this does not mean that the entire affair is made-up nothingness; for the military industrial complex during an election year, wishing will indeed make it so. After all, the U.S. military itself recently created an entirely new service branch, the Space Force, who’s entire mission is the weaponization of space. Most Dangerously, this recent rhetoric could be a more direct way to justify direct NATO action against Russia, before Ukraine capitulates entirely. There is some credence to the idea that the U.S. is fabricating this threat so as to preemptively withdraw from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (which bans stationing nuclear weapons in orbit), and presumably use this as justification to target Russia more directly in some way.
Historically, this would be a very unlikely course of action for two reasons: For one, neither the U.S. nor Russia are known for abiding by their own strategic arms treaties, so fabricating this story to justify leaving a treaty no one was abiding by anyway makes no sense. Secondly, this has largely been a moot point anyway as throughout history no one has been stupid enough to begin playing this game when other more conventional tools seem to be quite effective in shaping the world order. However, in our modern times these historic norms and mores are probably not the best to lean on for the confidence that strategic threats will largely continue with no real impact to the average person. The comparative stability of the Cold War is gone, and considering the concerning nature of all current U.S. policy makers and diplomats, the United States is already well into Dr. Strangelove territory with regards to the disturbingly comical nature of defense leadership’s response to strategic military threats, who have displayed an almost insatiable craving to start as many wars as possible in the shortest possible time. The threat from Russia may not be direct, active, or even real, but this will not change the actions of policy makers in the United States.
🫡112👍63🌭11❤8👏3🔥1🤣1🖕1👻1
//The Wire//1800Z February 19, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: HOUTHI FORCES SINK SHIP IN BAB EL MANDEB STRAIT.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Middle East: Western mainstream media reporting over the past 24 hours has suggested that Egypt may be preparing for the reception of Palestinian refugees. Planet Labs satellite imagery was provided to media groups that indicates a large swath of land is being cleared in Egypt, just across the border from Rafah. Egyptian authorities have denied these claims, as the policy of strategic ambiguity precludes Egypt from making a de facto admission that the expulsion of Palestinians into Egypt might be possible. AC: Though it is challenging to verify anything that is provided to media groups, the quiet preparation of emergency refugee camps in Egypt is very likely following the Israeli announcement of imminent operations in Rafah. Though the politics of the events in Gaza cloud the situation on the ground, it is clear that Egypt has always considered the expulsion of Palestinians into Egypt as a possibility, and if these preparations are confirmed, these actions to prepare for such strongly indicates that Egypt may believe this worst-case scenario is very likely.
Red Sea/HOA: Houthi attacks on commercial shipping became more serious overnight following the sinking of a commercial vessel. Overnight, Houthi forces struck the M/V RUBYMAR (a Belize-flagged bulk cargo carrier) with multiple cruise missiles. The crew abandoned ship shortly after the strike. This morning, the RUBYMAR was reported as being sunk in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. AC: This marks the first (publicly-disclosed) successful sinking of a commercial ship by Houthi forces so far in this conflict.
This morning, Houthi attacks continued as another vessel was targeted in a similar manner. An as-yet-unidentified vessel reported multiple explosions in close proximity to the vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
-Homefront-
TX: Border situation continues as before, despite little independent media coverage of the truth on the ground. Events in the vicinity of Eagle Pass have largely developed into politics, with Shelby Park mostly serving as a location for photo opportunities or press events due to the halting of illegal immigration in this very small area.
Relations among defense forces in the region remain tepid as politics becomes more intertwined with the border protection mission. On Friday, Texas announced a $131 million plan to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near the southern U.S. border. FOB EAGLE BASE CAMP will be completed in September, and will reportedly be a larger version similar camps already in place throughout the region. AC: Though on paper this makes sense, creating a FOB virtually identical to those found overseas is mildly concerning for some. Using the term “FOB” to describe this base is almost certainly a political move to increasingly drive a wedge between the state and federal governments, or at the very least undermine and chip away at the perceived control of the federal State by using language and terminology that reinforces the military tone of illegal immigration being treated as an invasion.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Houthi forces, likely emboldened by their public sinking of a commercial ship, will likely continue targeting vessels in a similar manner. It has become clear via the daily successful targeting of commercial shipping that OPN PROSPERITY GUARDIAN is hopelessly ineffective in providing missile defense for commercial ships. U.S. Navy forces constantly report the ‘successful strike’ of allegedly staged missiles and drones, yet the only limiting factor for the Houthis seems to be simply the lack of western vessels willing to take the risk of transiting the Red Sea.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: HOUTHI FORCES SINK SHIP IN BAB EL MANDEB STRAIT.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Middle East: Western mainstream media reporting over the past 24 hours has suggested that Egypt may be preparing for the reception of Palestinian refugees. Planet Labs satellite imagery was provided to media groups that indicates a large swath of land is being cleared in Egypt, just across the border from Rafah. Egyptian authorities have denied these claims, as the policy of strategic ambiguity precludes Egypt from making a de facto admission that the expulsion of Palestinians into Egypt might be possible. AC: Though it is challenging to verify anything that is provided to media groups, the quiet preparation of emergency refugee camps in Egypt is very likely following the Israeli announcement of imminent operations in Rafah. Though the politics of the events in Gaza cloud the situation on the ground, it is clear that Egypt has always considered the expulsion of Palestinians into Egypt as a possibility, and if these preparations are confirmed, these actions to prepare for such strongly indicates that Egypt may believe this worst-case scenario is very likely.
Red Sea/HOA: Houthi attacks on commercial shipping became more serious overnight following the sinking of a commercial vessel. Overnight, Houthi forces struck the M/V RUBYMAR (a Belize-flagged bulk cargo carrier) with multiple cruise missiles. The crew abandoned ship shortly after the strike. This morning, the RUBYMAR was reported as being sunk in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. AC: This marks the first (publicly-disclosed) successful sinking of a commercial ship by Houthi forces so far in this conflict.
This morning, Houthi attacks continued as another vessel was targeted in a similar manner. An as-yet-unidentified vessel reported multiple explosions in close proximity to the vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
-Homefront-
TX: Border situation continues as before, despite little independent media coverage of the truth on the ground. Events in the vicinity of Eagle Pass have largely developed into politics, with Shelby Park mostly serving as a location for photo opportunities or press events due to the halting of illegal immigration in this very small area.
Relations among defense forces in the region remain tepid as politics becomes more intertwined with the border protection mission. On Friday, Texas announced a $131 million plan to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near the southern U.S. border. FOB EAGLE BASE CAMP will be completed in September, and will reportedly be a larger version similar camps already in place throughout the region. AC: Though on paper this makes sense, creating a FOB virtually identical to those found overseas is mildly concerning for some. Using the term “FOB” to describe this base is almost certainly a political move to increasingly drive a wedge between the state and federal governments, or at the very least undermine and chip away at the perceived control of the federal State by using language and terminology that reinforces the military tone of illegal immigration being treated as an invasion.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Houthi forces, likely emboldened by their public sinking of a commercial ship, will likely continue targeting vessels in a similar manner. It has become clear via the daily successful targeting of commercial shipping that OPN PROSPERITY GUARDIAN is hopelessly ineffective in providing missile defense for commercial ships. U.S. Navy forces constantly report the ‘successful strike’ of allegedly staged missiles and drones, yet the only limiting factor for the Houthis seems to be simply the lack of western vessels willing to take the risk of transiting the Red Sea.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍96🫡76❤12🌭7🥰3👻2👀2⚡1🤣1🍾1👾1
//The Wire//1930Z February 20, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: HOUTHI FORCES INTENSIFY ATTACKS, SHOOT DOWN AMERICAN DRONE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: Significant escalations in the region have taken place following the successful attack on the M/V RUBYMAR with many commercial vessels being targeted by a variety of Houthi weapons systems. The following is a summary of the vessels targeted yesterday:
M/V SEA CHAMPION – Struck with one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM). Minor damage reported.
M/V NAVIS FORTUNA – Struck with kamikaze drone. Minor damage reported.
USS LABOON (DDG 58) – Attacked with ASCM, which was successfully intercepted. No damage reported.
Additionally, CENTCOM reports various un-named coalition vessels engaging a total of 10 kamikaze drones in the region overnight.
Last night, Houthi forces reported successfully shooting down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone off the coast of Yemen. Though CENTCOM has not officially confirmed the shootdown, local Yemenis have posted photos of the debris on various social media platforms. AC: This morning, CENTCOM did make a reference to destroying a SAM site for the first time in this conflict. However, this conveniently leaves out the reasoning behind locating the SAM site likely being the result of an MQ-9 being shot down.
-Homefront-
NY: A large nationwide trucking protest has begun to become more organized. Various independent truckers are organizing to boycott deliveries to New York following the perceived injustice of the outcome of Donald Trump’s civil trial. AC: This protest officially started yesterday, but due to the media blackout of this demonstration it has taken time for many truckers to hear about it. The specific goals of this protest are to deliberately cause shortages of resources and increase prices for New Yorkers.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Few details remain regarding the status of the M/V RUBYMAR, the vessel that was reportedly sunk Sunday night, and thus leading to the current escalation of the conflict in the Gulf of Aden. Though the crew reported both taking on water and uncontrolled fires before abandoning ship, it is unclear as to if the vessel has finished sinking or if salvage operations will attempt to be conducted. As the crew has abandoned ship, for simplicity the M/V RUBYMAR will be referred to as ‘sunk’ until more information becomes available.
Regarding the probable shootdown of an American drone off the coast of Yemen, this could temporarily increase concerns for commercial aviation throughout the region in addition to the merchant shipping woes. This is the second recent shootdown of an American drone in the region, with Houthi forces shooting down another American MQ-9 back in November of last year. As the MQ-9 platform is a high-flying asset, the weapons system used to target this drone would also certainly be capable of targeting commercial aviation. This is further reinforced by CENTCOM’s announcement of striking a SAM site. It is almost certain that the asset used to target the drone was an SA-6 GAINFUL surface-to-air missile system, the same asset used to down the first MQ-9 in November.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: HOUTHI FORCES INTENSIFY ATTACKS, SHOOT DOWN AMERICAN DRONE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: Significant escalations in the region have taken place following the successful attack on the M/V RUBYMAR with many commercial vessels being targeted by a variety of Houthi weapons systems. The following is a summary of the vessels targeted yesterday:
M/V SEA CHAMPION – Struck with one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM). Minor damage reported.
M/V NAVIS FORTUNA – Struck with kamikaze drone. Minor damage reported.
USS LABOON (DDG 58) – Attacked with ASCM, which was successfully intercepted. No damage reported.
Additionally, CENTCOM reports various un-named coalition vessels engaging a total of 10 kamikaze drones in the region overnight.
Last night, Houthi forces reported successfully shooting down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone off the coast of Yemen. Though CENTCOM has not officially confirmed the shootdown, local Yemenis have posted photos of the debris on various social media platforms. AC: This morning, CENTCOM did make a reference to destroying a SAM site for the first time in this conflict. However, this conveniently leaves out the reasoning behind locating the SAM site likely being the result of an MQ-9 being shot down.
-Homefront-
NY: A large nationwide trucking protest has begun to become more organized. Various independent truckers are organizing to boycott deliveries to New York following the perceived injustice of the outcome of Donald Trump’s civil trial. AC: This protest officially started yesterday, but due to the media blackout of this demonstration it has taken time for many truckers to hear about it. The specific goals of this protest are to deliberately cause shortages of resources and increase prices for New Yorkers.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Few details remain regarding the status of the M/V RUBYMAR, the vessel that was reportedly sunk Sunday night, and thus leading to the current escalation of the conflict in the Gulf of Aden. Though the crew reported both taking on water and uncontrolled fires before abandoning ship, it is unclear as to if the vessel has finished sinking or if salvage operations will attempt to be conducted. As the crew has abandoned ship, for simplicity the M/V RUBYMAR will be referred to as ‘sunk’ until more information becomes available.
Regarding the probable shootdown of an American drone off the coast of Yemen, this could temporarily increase concerns for commercial aviation throughout the region in addition to the merchant shipping woes. This is the second recent shootdown of an American drone in the region, with Houthi forces shooting down another American MQ-9 back in November of last year. As the MQ-9 platform is a high-flying asset, the weapons system used to target this drone would also certainly be capable of targeting commercial aviation. This is further reinforced by CENTCOM’s announcement of striking a SAM site. It is almost certain that the asset used to target the drone was an SA-6 GAINFUL surface-to-air missile system, the same asset used to down the first MQ-9 in November.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍96🫡73🌭7❤5👾5🐳4😢2👻2🤣1👨💻1👀1
//The Wire//2030Z February 21, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: GOVERNMENT DISSOLVED IN GUINEA. RED SEA ATTACKS CONTINUE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Guinea: Yesterday the ruling military junta dissolved the entire government, ordering all governmental ministers to surrender their passports. The borders of Guinea have also reportedly been closed as the ruling junta seeks to consolidate power. AC: Though no reason was provided for this change of stance, it is not entirely unexpected for a nation operating in a state of military coup for over two years. Guinea’s main national contribution to the world is in the form of natural resources; Iron and Bauxite ore are the main mineral exports, along with Diamonds and Gold.
Red Sea/HOA: Houthi forces posted a video online last night, strongly indicating that they have captured an American Remus 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the waters off the coast of Yemen. This underwater drone is reportedly one of the most sophisticated technologies developed for the U.S. Navy.
In the southern Red Sea, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping remain constant. Overnight, one as-yet-unidentified vessel was targeted successfully with unknown munitions. UKMTO has issued a warning to commercial vessels, highlighting the threat of loitering munitions in the southern Red Sea.
-Homefront-
USA: The Biden regime has announced the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion of student debt for approximately 153,000 people. To date, various federal entities have already canceled (or technically, transferred to the American taxpayer) over $138 billion of student loan debt from approximately 3.9 million individuals.
NY: The revelation of a recent rule change has indicated that potentially tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been allowed to receive substantial cash payments in addition to the monthly benefits already provided. This follows the announcement of $53 million in prepaid cards being issued to illegal immigrants in NYC, which includes payments of up to $10,000 per illegal immigrant, without any accountability requirements or checking identity documents.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Though quietly passed last year, the New York Governor’s office changed the eligibility requirements for it’s Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program to include illegal immigrants. Previously, this was a special welfare program specifically designed to provide cash payments to individuals who did not meet eligibility requirements for other programs. Though accountability is virtually nonexistent, city officials estimate that approximately 10% of illegals living in NYC are receiving benefits through this program. As the total estimated number of illegals residing in NYC is approximately 173,000, this means that an estimated 17,300 illegals are receiving funding through this program. Though not surprising in the slightest, the overwhelming funding provided to illegal immigrants in New York has become staggering when compared to the average salary of taxpaying Americans.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: GOVERNMENT DISSOLVED IN GUINEA. RED SEA ATTACKS CONTINUE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Guinea: Yesterday the ruling military junta dissolved the entire government, ordering all governmental ministers to surrender their passports. The borders of Guinea have also reportedly been closed as the ruling junta seeks to consolidate power. AC: Though no reason was provided for this change of stance, it is not entirely unexpected for a nation operating in a state of military coup for over two years. Guinea’s main national contribution to the world is in the form of natural resources; Iron and Bauxite ore are the main mineral exports, along with Diamonds and Gold.
Red Sea/HOA: Houthi forces posted a video online last night, strongly indicating that they have captured an American Remus 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the waters off the coast of Yemen. This underwater drone is reportedly one of the most sophisticated technologies developed for the U.S. Navy.
In the southern Red Sea, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping remain constant. Overnight, one as-yet-unidentified vessel was targeted successfully with unknown munitions. UKMTO has issued a warning to commercial vessels, highlighting the threat of loitering munitions in the southern Red Sea.
-Homefront-
USA: The Biden regime has announced the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion of student debt for approximately 153,000 people. To date, various federal entities have already canceled (or technically, transferred to the American taxpayer) over $138 billion of student loan debt from approximately 3.9 million individuals.
NY: The revelation of a recent rule change has indicated that potentially tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been allowed to receive substantial cash payments in addition to the monthly benefits already provided. This follows the announcement of $53 million in prepaid cards being issued to illegal immigrants in NYC, which includes payments of up to $10,000 per illegal immigrant, without any accountability requirements or checking identity documents.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Though quietly passed last year, the New York Governor’s office changed the eligibility requirements for it’s Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program to include illegal immigrants. Previously, this was a special welfare program specifically designed to provide cash payments to individuals who did not meet eligibility requirements for other programs. Though accountability is virtually nonexistent, city officials estimate that approximately 10% of illegals living in NYC are receiving benefits through this program. As the total estimated number of illegals residing in NYC is approximately 173,000, this means that an estimated 17,300 illegals are receiving funding through this program. Though not surprising in the slightest, the overwhelming funding provided to illegal immigrants in New York has become staggering when compared to the average salary of taxpaying Americans.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
🫡83👍72🌭7⚡6❤6👾4👻3👎1😁1🏆1👀1
Due to the national cellular outage, I will be monitoring GhostNet 40m throughout the day. Though it seems like cellular coverage has mostly been restored, real-world events are sometimes great opportunities for a bit of casual readiness testing. No one knows when or where a comms outage may strike, but what is certain is that it will usually occur at the most inopportune times.
👍160🫡110❤17🔥9🌭8👾3🎉2👻2🤣1
//The Wire//1900Z February 22, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MULTIPLE NATIONWIDE CYBER EVENTS IMPACT USA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: The BBC has obtained recent imagery indicating the status of the M/V RUBYMAR. The photos confirm that the vessel is not completely sunk, but severe flooding has caused such substantial trim by the stern that her deck is awash at the base of the accommodation superstructure. Likewise, the bulbous bow is almost completely above the waterline. AC: The status of salvage operations is unclear. Though details are very scarce, by last report she is uncrewed and is being towed into port Djbouti.
-Homefront-
USA: This morning many cyber events were reported on a variety of platforms, utilities, and critical infrastructure.
The main cyber event involved a mass cellular outage throughout the majority of the continental United States. The outage initially appears to be largely confined to the AT&T network (and various subsidiaries), but problems were also reported by Verizon users. The cause of this outage is unclear, and it is also not known how (or if) this one event cascaded to impact other industries throughout the day.
In a possibly separate incident, many pharmacies across the U.S. have reported computer systems being offline, allegedly due to a cyberattack. Specifically targeted is software provided by Change Healthcare, that is used to manage records and fill prenoscriptions by many pharmaceutical chains throughout the Unites States.
Wells Fargo brokerage users also reported problems accessing their accounts this morning. It is unclear as to if this was related to any of the other cyber events reported so far today.
Occurring nearly simultaneously with the initial cellular outage, an X-class solar flare caused widespread degradation of some radio communications.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: While the direct causes of today’s cyber events are not confirmed at this time, more generally this is likely a culmination of years of mission-creep and doctrine shift among communications networks, which have resulted in not just significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities, but also a crisis of competency. As such it is also important to remember that since most 911 call centers are heavily reliant on commercial telecom networks, many emergency services were offline for several hours. Also important to consider for the future is that adversaries conducting an attack will likely time the attack to coincide with a period of natural radio degradation (such as during a natural solar event). This compounds the degradation of communications, and ensures that maximum effectiveness is achieved. Though fortunately, this particular solar flare did not degrade radio comms as much as it could have.
Conversely, the timing of such a substantial collection of cyber events is suspicious. Last week, Congress raised the alarm regarding an unidentified threat, specifically related to Russia’s attempt to emplace weapons in space that can be used to target communications satellites. As no hard details of this threat have been revealed, and this story has disappeared from all mainstream media, this was likely an attempt to force more funding through Congress for Ukraine. Consequently, the possibility must be considered that these cyber events could have a variety of causes: Deliberate cyberattack by an adversary, gross incompetency on the part of a telecom company, or a false-flag attack intended to increase funding all are equally likely theories until more details are made public.
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MULTIPLE NATIONWIDE CYBER EVENTS IMPACT USA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: The BBC has obtained recent imagery indicating the status of the M/V RUBYMAR. The photos confirm that the vessel is not completely sunk, but severe flooding has caused such substantial trim by the stern that her deck is awash at the base of the accommodation superstructure. Likewise, the bulbous bow is almost completely above the waterline. AC: The status of salvage operations is unclear. Though details are very scarce, by last report she is uncrewed and is being towed into port Djbouti.
-Homefront-
USA: This morning many cyber events were reported on a variety of platforms, utilities, and critical infrastructure.
The main cyber event involved a mass cellular outage throughout the majority of the continental United States. The outage initially appears to be largely confined to the AT&T network (and various subsidiaries), but problems were also reported by Verizon users. The cause of this outage is unclear, and it is also not known how (or if) this one event cascaded to impact other industries throughout the day.
In a possibly separate incident, many pharmacies across the U.S. have reported computer systems being offline, allegedly due to a cyberattack. Specifically targeted is software provided by Change Healthcare, that is used to manage records and fill prenoscriptions by many pharmaceutical chains throughout the Unites States.
Wells Fargo brokerage users also reported problems accessing their accounts this morning. It is unclear as to if this was related to any of the other cyber events reported so far today.
Occurring nearly simultaneously with the initial cellular outage, an X-class solar flare caused widespread degradation of some radio communications.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: While the direct causes of today’s cyber events are not confirmed at this time, more generally this is likely a culmination of years of mission-creep and doctrine shift among communications networks, which have resulted in not just significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities, but also a crisis of competency. As such it is also important to remember that since most 911 call centers are heavily reliant on commercial telecom networks, many emergency services were offline for several hours. Also important to consider for the future is that adversaries conducting an attack will likely time the attack to coincide with a period of natural radio degradation (such as during a natural solar event). This compounds the degradation of communications, and ensures that maximum effectiveness is achieved. Though fortunately, this particular solar flare did not degrade radio comms as much as it could have.
Conversely, the timing of such a substantial collection of cyber events is suspicious. Last week, Congress raised the alarm regarding an unidentified threat, specifically related to Russia’s attempt to emplace weapons in space that can be used to target communications satellites. As no hard details of this threat have been revealed, and this story has disappeared from all mainstream media, this was likely an attempt to force more funding through Congress for Ukraine. Consequently, the possibility must be considered that these cyber events could have a variety of causes: Deliberate cyberattack by an adversary, gross incompetency on the part of a telecom company, or a false-flag attack intended to increase funding all are equally likely theories until more details are made public.
👍103🫡75❤11🌭11👀6👾3😎2🤣1🍌1
Admin Note: As announced on various social media platforms, the GhostNet stopgap communications plan that we have developed was activated during this crisis, and functioned as designed. Though far from perfect (and a work-in-progress), this system was intended to ease the burden of transitioning to citizen-run, HF-radio-based news sources if and when normal cell networks (or internet sources) are down. Taking advantage of real-world events to conduct readiness tests can be a low-risk way to test one’s own response, and determine deficiencies. For those interested in learning more about our GhostNet project, details can be found on our YouTube channel, to include various tutorials for getting set up for free.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍174🫡85❤25🌭8👏4🤣2🗿2👾2⚡1🍌1👻1
//The Wire//2130Z February 23, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NO NEW INFO ON YESTERDAYS CELL OUTAGE. FARMER PROTESTS CONTINUE IN EUROPE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Europe: Farmer protests continue as before, expanding in both the severity of disruptions caused and the number of nations affected. So far, major protests are underway in 14 European nations, with smaller, localized demonstrations of solidarity being reported in almost every nation in Europe. Major actions appear to largely be concentrated in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, and Poland.
Red Sea/HOA: Yesterday, the M/V ISLANDER was attacked with two Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs), causing damage and injuring one crew member. The vessel is continuing its voyage. No further details have been released by CENTCOM regarding this attack.
-Homefront-
USA: Information regarding yesterday’s mass cellular outage remains scarce. There have been few public statements from the various entities involved, with unconfirmed rumor mostly driving the public discourse surrounding the outage. Initial theories falsely attributed causation to the solar activity that appeared to coincide with the initial outage; the solar activity had nothing to do with the outage, and did not impact cellular networks in the United States.
Officially, AT&T (the root cause of the outage) has simply stated that the outage was the result of technical error, and not a cyberattack. No further details have been provided.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: More details regarding the cause of yesterday’s cell outage are not likely to be made public. As AT&T has confirmed that the outage was a deliberate action, the list of potential theories regarding the incident more or less boils down to intent. As AT&T has been extremely quiet regarding the cause of the outage, a wide range of possibilities exists; A careless/incompetent technician could have been the cause, or it could have been a deliberate cyberattack that authorities are trying to keep quiet. As a reminder, many substantial cyberattacks of recent memory were publicly disclosed as a “user error” at first, before quietly being confirmed as a cyberattack weeks later once the event is out of the press cycle.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NO NEW INFO ON YESTERDAYS CELL OUTAGE. FARMER PROTESTS CONTINUE IN EUROPE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Europe: Farmer protests continue as before, expanding in both the severity of disruptions caused and the number of nations affected. So far, major protests are underway in 14 European nations, with smaller, localized demonstrations of solidarity being reported in almost every nation in Europe. Major actions appear to largely be concentrated in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, and Poland.
Red Sea/HOA: Yesterday, the M/V ISLANDER was attacked with two Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs), causing damage and injuring one crew member. The vessel is continuing its voyage. No further details have been released by CENTCOM regarding this attack.
-Homefront-
USA: Information regarding yesterday’s mass cellular outage remains scarce. There have been few public statements from the various entities involved, with unconfirmed rumor mostly driving the public discourse surrounding the outage. Initial theories falsely attributed causation to the solar activity that appeared to coincide with the initial outage; the solar activity had nothing to do with the outage, and did not impact cellular networks in the United States.
Officially, AT&T (the root cause of the outage) has simply stated that the outage was the result of technical error, and not a cyberattack. No further details have been provided.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: More details regarding the cause of yesterday’s cell outage are not likely to be made public. As AT&T has confirmed that the outage was a deliberate action, the list of potential theories regarding the incident more or less boils down to intent. As AT&T has been extremely quiet regarding the cause of the outage, a wide range of possibilities exists; A careless/incompetent technician could have been the cause, or it could have been a deliberate cyberattack that authorities are trying to keep quiet. As a reminder, many substantial cyberattacks of recent memory were publicly disclosed as a “user error” at first, before quietly being confirmed as a cyberattack weeks later once the event is out of the press cycle.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍100🫡67❤10🌭7👾3⚡2🤣1
Currently seeing reports of an unidentified high-altitude balloon somewhere over the western United States. Currently battle-tracking the issue as best I can from my end, and trying to determine if this is a civilian object or a repeat of previous incidents. Will provide an update when I know more.
👍145🫡91🌭13❤9👾8👀4🔥3😱3🗿3💯2⚡1
So far, no NOTAMs issued to indicate position. There are a few ham radio balloons in the western US, but hopefully the billion dollar NORAD funding would have ruled those out already. The vague and contradictory Pentagon wording that its origin is unknown, but it's also "not a threat" is a pretty good red flag that shenanigans may be afoot. Same with the source, which was just like last time we had the balloon issue: leaked to a mainstream media source instead of a formal press release. Still working to find out more information though, which is challenging considering we already have a LONG history of the DoD deliberately and openly lying about these incidents. More to follow later.
👍129🫡96🌭14❤8🔥8💯8🤯6👾6✍1⚡1🤣1
//The Wire//2300Z February 23, 2024//
//PRIORITY//
//BLUF: UNIDENTIFIED HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON SPOTTED OVER WESTERN USA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-Homefront-
USA: This afternoon, CBS News leaked a report indicating that the U.S. military was tracking an unidentified high-altitude balloon over the western United States. According to CBS, Pentagon officials stated that the origin and intentions of the balloon were unknown, but that the object was “not at threat”. AC: It is unclear as to how an unknown object can be confirmed to not be a threat.
Directly quoting the initial CBS report, “One official said the balloon was over Colorado earlier in the day and was expected to be over Georgia by Friday night. The official said the balloon appeared to be made of Mylar and had a small cube-shaped box, about two feet long on each side, hanging below it.”
Independent analysis conducted is as follows: No NOTAMs were issued to indicate the position of the craft. A total of three ham radio balloons were aloft over the western USA at the time of initial reports, but all three were transmitting their positions openly as required by the FAA. Independent analysis of raw weather radar returns yielded no reliable results, and weather modeling indicated an eastern track was most likely, with prevailing winds carrying the craft over Georgia within a few hours.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Though the fog of war is challenging to work within at the moment, in the interest of expediency (and weighed against the potential to be alarmist) it would be prudent to assume that this event is somehow linked to the mass cyber events that occurred yesterday.
Though this is purely speculative and bases heavy analysis on very few details, if this balloon is Chinese in origin, previous balloon incidents strongly indicate that the balloon has been in U.S. airspace for hours, at least since the cyber events yesterday. Without question, if this is indeed a Chinese balloon that takes many days to transit the United States, this would mean that the federal regime knew about this balloon (which was likely already over U.S. soil), during the cyber events yesterday.
If the denoscription of the balloon provided to CBS is accurate, this device (while much smaller than previous balloons) is far too large to comprise of any legitimate civilian technology. The payload consisting of a two-foot cube shaped object is significantly larger than any normal civilian payload for research purposes. Additionally, as all civilian high-altitude balloons are required by the FAA to transmit identification data on pre-determined frequencies, the de facto admission that this has not been done strongly indicates a more nefarious use in line with previous spy balloon sightings. Granting even more weight to the potential nefariousness of this craft is that, in the CBS report, the balloon is reportedly traveling at an altitude of over 40,000 ft. At this altitude, any hobby or research devices will need a plethora of special permissions in order to deconflict airspace and not present hazards to aviation. Weather balloons routinely fly higher, but are much smaller and also openly transmit their position.
Though it is impossible to know for certain, and it is easy to over-assess the potential threats, the most dangerous potential COA would be for this to be the initial stages of more complex activity. Historically, airspace violations are quite serious events with dire diplomatic implications. However (if confirmed to be foreign), this is more likely a probing action (possibly coupled with cyber events) intended to both collect intelligence and test responses.
//PRIORITY//
//BLUF: UNIDENTIFIED HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON SPOTTED OVER WESTERN USA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-Homefront-
USA: This afternoon, CBS News leaked a report indicating that the U.S. military was tracking an unidentified high-altitude balloon over the western United States. According to CBS, Pentagon officials stated that the origin and intentions of the balloon were unknown, but that the object was “not at threat”. AC: It is unclear as to how an unknown object can be confirmed to not be a threat.
Directly quoting the initial CBS report, “One official said the balloon was over Colorado earlier in the day and was expected to be over Georgia by Friday night. The official said the balloon appeared to be made of Mylar and had a small cube-shaped box, about two feet long on each side, hanging below it.”
Independent analysis conducted is as follows: No NOTAMs were issued to indicate the position of the craft. A total of three ham radio balloons were aloft over the western USA at the time of initial reports, but all three were transmitting their positions openly as required by the FAA. Independent analysis of raw weather radar returns yielded no reliable results, and weather modeling indicated an eastern track was most likely, with prevailing winds carrying the craft over Georgia within a few hours.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Though the fog of war is challenging to work within at the moment, in the interest of expediency (and weighed against the potential to be alarmist) it would be prudent to assume that this event is somehow linked to the mass cyber events that occurred yesterday.
Though this is purely speculative and bases heavy analysis on very few details, if this balloon is Chinese in origin, previous balloon incidents strongly indicate that the balloon has been in U.S. airspace for hours, at least since the cyber events yesterday. Without question, if this is indeed a Chinese balloon that takes many days to transit the United States, this would mean that the federal regime knew about this balloon (which was likely already over U.S. soil), during the cyber events yesterday.
If the denoscription of the balloon provided to CBS is accurate, this device (while much smaller than previous balloons) is far too large to comprise of any legitimate civilian technology. The payload consisting of a two-foot cube shaped object is significantly larger than any normal civilian payload for research purposes. Additionally, as all civilian high-altitude balloons are required by the FAA to transmit identification data on pre-determined frequencies, the de facto admission that this has not been done strongly indicates a more nefarious use in line with previous spy balloon sightings. Granting even more weight to the potential nefariousness of this craft is that, in the CBS report, the balloon is reportedly traveling at an altitude of over 40,000 ft. At this altitude, any hobby or research devices will need a plethora of special permissions in order to deconflict airspace and not present hazards to aviation. Weather balloons routinely fly higher, but are much smaller and also openly transmit their position.
Though it is impossible to know for certain, and it is easy to over-assess the potential threats, the most dangerous potential COA would be for this to be the initial stages of more complex activity. Historically, airspace violations are quite serious events with dire diplomatic implications. However (if confirmed to be foreign), this is more likely a probing action (possibly coupled with cyber events) intended to both collect intelligence and test responses.
🫡115👍82🌭14❤10⚡6🔥4👾3🤣2✍1👀1🆒1
In any case, the chances of these multiple events occurring nearly simultaneously are very remote. Likewise, as distasteful as it may be to admit, the U.S. Department of Defense actively seeking to conceal homeland security threats from the general public is extremely likely in this exact scenario, as it has happened before. As such, careful examination of the facts (what few we have) will have to rely largely on analysis which in the heat of the moment is likely subject to much error. Consequently, more details will follow as the situation progresses.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
🫡139👍84🌭13❤7⚡7👾4🍌2👀2🥱1🤣1🍓1
//The Wire//1500Z February 24, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NO NEW DETAILS ON BALLOON. CHINESE ILLEGAL ALIEN ENCOUNTERS REACH NEW RECORD IN CA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: Over the past few days, CENTCOM has intensified “self-defense” targeting of Houthi sites in Yemen. As has become standard, almost zero information is released regarding these strikes, which have now become routine daily events.
-Homefront-
PA: A chemical incident at a pharmaceutical packing plant in Lehigh County resulted in over 50 workers suffering minor injuries. No word yet on what the chemical was, but most of the people affected reported headaches and respiratory problems. The cause of the incident has not been disclosed.
CA: Customs and Border Patrol statistics released last night indicate that the pace at which Chinese immigrants are encountered attempting to cross the border illegally has increased substantially over the past quarter. In one California district there were more Chinese immigrants illegally crossing the southern U.S. border than Mexicans. Newly released data indicates that since October of last year, 21,000 encounters with Chinese nationals were reported, whereas in the same sector only 18,700 Mexicans were encountered. AC: As the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants no longer originate from Mexico (but rather other Central or South American nations), it is unclear as to how this affects the total numbers. As a reminder, recent DHS testimony before Congress has indicated that over 85% of all illegal encounters result in the illegal alien being released into the United States, rather than being deported.
Washington D.C. – No new information has been released by the Pentagon regarding the possibly hostile aircraft over American soil. Pentagon officials continue to claim that both the origin and the intent of the craft is unknown, yet somehow also assessed to be not a threat. AC: As defense officials seem content with leaking information to mainstream sources so as to maintain deniability, rather than calling press briefings to inform the American people, no mainstream media source has updated their articles on this incident at the time of this report. All MSM reporting is circular, originating from the original CBS report.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: The timing of the announcement of the unidentified balloon is itself a classic deception tactic. Pentagon officials frequently refer to this as “taking out the trash”, in other words releasing a stack of unimportant press statements on a Friday afternoon when reporters are ready to go home for the weekend (and therefore are assumed to be more complacent than usual). Sneaking critically important reports into the “garbage” and hoping that no one notices has been a tactic utilized heavily by various federal agencies for decades. Releasing critical reports on a Friday afternoon also allows for politicians to have more leeway in providing statements, as the expectation of “traveling” or weekend life enables key figures to hide more effectively from the press.
Releasing this info on a Friday afternoon also decreases the potential citizens that could observe the craft, and pinpoint it’s location. As most people would be enjoying the start of their weekend, and with nightfall approaching, the timing of the report ensured that by the time any citizen was able to visually see the craft, it would be long out to sea and out of sight. As a reminder, the DoD never released any updated or high-resolution photos of the initial string of spy balloons, only low-res or ground-based photos were provided to taxpayers.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NO NEW DETAILS ON BALLOON. CHINESE ILLEGAL ALIEN ENCOUNTERS REACH NEW RECORD IN CA.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: Over the past few days, CENTCOM has intensified “self-defense” targeting of Houthi sites in Yemen. As has become standard, almost zero information is released regarding these strikes, which have now become routine daily events.
-Homefront-
PA: A chemical incident at a pharmaceutical packing plant in Lehigh County resulted in over 50 workers suffering minor injuries. No word yet on what the chemical was, but most of the people affected reported headaches and respiratory problems. The cause of the incident has not been disclosed.
CA: Customs and Border Patrol statistics released last night indicate that the pace at which Chinese immigrants are encountered attempting to cross the border illegally has increased substantially over the past quarter. In one California district there were more Chinese immigrants illegally crossing the southern U.S. border than Mexicans. Newly released data indicates that since October of last year, 21,000 encounters with Chinese nationals were reported, whereas in the same sector only 18,700 Mexicans were encountered. AC: As the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants no longer originate from Mexico (but rather other Central or South American nations), it is unclear as to how this affects the total numbers. As a reminder, recent DHS testimony before Congress has indicated that over 85% of all illegal encounters result in the illegal alien being released into the United States, rather than being deported.
Washington D.C. – No new information has been released by the Pentagon regarding the possibly hostile aircraft over American soil. Pentagon officials continue to claim that both the origin and the intent of the craft is unknown, yet somehow also assessed to be not a threat. AC: As defense officials seem content with leaking information to mainstream sources so as to maintain deniability, rather than calling press briefings to inform the American people, no mainstream media source has updated their articles on this incident at the time of this report. All MSM reporting is circular, originating from the original CBS report.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: The timing of the announcement of the unidentified balloon is itself a classic deception tactic. Pentagon officials frequently refer to this as “taking out the trash”, in other words releasing a stack of unimportant press statements on a Friday afternoon when reporters are ready to go home for the weekend (and therefore are assumed to be more complacent than usual). Sneaking critically important reports into the “garbage” and hoping that no one notices has been a tactic utilized heavily by various federal agencies for decades. Releasing critical reports on a Friday afternoon also allows for politicians to have more leeway in providing statements, as the expectation of “traveling” or weekend life enables key figures to hide more effectively from the press.
Releasing this info on a Friday afternoon also decreases the potential citizens that could observe the craft, and pinpoint it’s location. As most people would be enjoying the start of their weekend, and with nightfall approaching, the timing of the report ensured that by the time any citizen was able to visually see the craft, it would be long out to sea and out of sight. As a reminder, the DoD never released any updated or high-resolution photos of the initial string of spy balloons, only low-res or ground-based photos were provided to taxpayers.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
🫡121👍61❤12🌭6👾4✍2⚡2🤣2👎1🤔1
//The Wire Weekly Rollup//February 18-24, 2024//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: This week marked significant escalations in the region following the most successful targeting of a commercial vessel by Houthi forces so far during the Red Sea Crisis. Sunday night, the M/V RUBYMAR was struck with multiple projectiles, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Originally the vessel was reported as being sunk, but several days after the strikes, imagery obtained by the BBC confirms that the vessel is still afloat, albeit barely. The imagery confirms that severe flooding has caused severe trim to stern, so much so that her deck is awash at the base of the accommodation superstructure. Additionally, her bulbous bow was almost completely above the waterline in the photos provided. The RUBYMAR was allegedly towed into port Djbouti where salvage operations continue.
In response to the success of this strike, the next day Houthi forces targeted several other commercial vessels, including one which was delivering humanitarian aid to Yemen. The M/V SEA CHAMPION was struck with at least one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM), but was able to continue her voyage to the Yemeni port of Aden where she offloaded her cargo of grain. In the same engagement, the M/V NAVIS FORTUNA and the USS LABOON (DDG 58) were also targeted with missiles, the former successfully. An American MQ-9 Reaper drone was also shot down by Houthi forces during the escalation, which marks the second drone downed by Houthi forces since this conflict intensified in October, 2023.
Throughout the week CENTCOM forces have continued daily missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Very few details of these now-regular strikes have been made public.
-HomeFront-
NY: The revelation of a recent rule change has indicated that potentially tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been allowed to receive substantial cash payments in addition to the monthly benefits already provided. This follows the announcement of $53 million in prepaid cards being issued to illegal immigrants in NYC, which includes payments of up to $10,000 per illegal immigrant, without any accountability requirements or checking identity documents. AC: Quietly passed last year, the New York Governor’s office changed the eligibility requirements for it’s Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program to include illegal immigrants. Though accountability is virtually nonexistent, city officials estimate that approximately 10% of illegals living in NYC (around 17,000) are receiving benefits through this program.
TX: Border situation continues as before, despite little independent media coverage of the truth on the ground. Events in the vicinity of Eagle Pass have largely developed into politics, with Shelby Park mostly serving as a location for photo opportunities or press events due to the halting of illegal immigration in this very small area.
Last week, Texas announced a $131 million plan to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near the southern U.S. border. FOB EAGLE BASE CAMP will be completed in September, and will reportedly be a larger version of similar camps already in place throughout the region.
Washington D.C. - The Biden regime has announced the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion of student debt for approximately 153,000 people. To date, various federal entities have already canceled (or technically, transferred to the American taxpayer) over $138 billion of student loan debt from approximately 3.9 million individuals.
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Red Sea/HOA: This week marked significant escalations in the region following the most successful targeting of a commercial vessel by Houthi forces so far during the Red Sea Crisis. Sunday night, the M/V RUBYMAR was struck with multiple projectiles, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Originally the vessel was reported as being sunk, but several days after the strikes, imagery obtained by the BBC confirms that the vessel is still afloat, albeit barely. The imagery confirms that severe flooding has caused severe trim to stern, so much so that her deck is awash at the base of the accommodation superstructure. Additionally, her bulbous bow was almost completely above the waterline in the photos provided. The RUBYMAR was allegedly towed into port Djbouti where salvage operations continue.
In response to the success of this strike, the next day Houthi forces targeted several other commercial vessels, including one which was delivering humanitarian aid to Yemen. The M/V SEA CHAMPION was struck with at least one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM), but was able to continue her voyage to the Yemeni port of Aden where she offloaded her cargo of grain. In the same engagement, the M/V NAVIS FORTUNA and the USS LABOON (DDG 58) were also targeted with missiles, the former successfully. An American MQ-9 Reaper drone was also shot down by Houthi forces during the escalation, which marks the second drone downed by Houthi forces since this conflict intensified in October, 2023.
Throughout the week CENTCOM forces have continued daily missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Very few details of these now-regular strikes have been made public.
-HomeFront-
NY: The revelation of a recent rule change has indicated that potentially tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been allowed to receive substantial cash payments in addition to the monthly benefits already provided. This follows the announcement of $53 million in prepaid cards being issued to illegal immigrants in NYC, which includes payments of up to $10,000 per illegal immigrant, without any accountability requirements or checking identity documents. AC: Quietly passed last year, the New York Governor’s office changed the eligibility requirements for it’s Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program to include illegal immigrants. Though accountability is virtually nonexistent, city officials estimate that approximately 10% of illegals living in NYC (around 17,000) are receiving benefits through this program.
TX: Border situation continues as before, despite little independent media coverage of the truth on the ground. Events in the vicinity of Eagle Pass have largely developed into politics, with Shelby Park mostly serving as a location for photo opportunities or press events due to the halting of illegal immigration in this very small area.
Last week, Texas announced a $131 million plan to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near the southern U.S. border. FOB EAGLE BASE CAMP will be completed in September, and will reportedly be a larger version of similar camps already in place throughout the region.
Washington D.C. - The Biden regime has announced the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion of student debt for approximately 153,000 people. To date, various federal entities have already canceled (or technically, transferred to the American taxpayer) over $138 billion of student loan debt from approximately 3.9 million individuals.
👍54🫡39🤬8❤7🌭4⚡2🎉1🤣1
USA: Thursday morning many cyber events were reported on a variety of platforms, utilities, and critical infrastructure. The main cyber impacts were to AT&T’s cellular network, with the majority of AT&T customers being without cell service for much of the day. In a separate incident, many pharmacies across the U.S. reported computer systems being offline, allegedly due to a cyberattack. Wells Fargo brokerage users also reported problems accessing their accounts Thursday morning. It is unclear as to if this was related to any of the other cyber events reported throughout the day. Occurring nearly simultaneously with the initial cellular outage, significant solar activity was observed throughout the day, but it is unclear as to how much this impacted telecom networks.
Friday afternoon, Pentagon officials (via CBS News) disclosed the interception of an unidentified high-altitude balloon flying at an altitude of 40,000ft over the western United States. The Pentagon released very little information regarding the object, but directly quoting the initial CBS report, “One official said the balloon was over Colorado earlier in the day and was expected to be over Georgia by Friday night. The official said the balloon appeared to be made of Mylar and had a small cube-shaped box, about two feet long on each side, hanging below it.”
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: This week has exemplified the harsh lesson that Murphy’s Law strikes at any time, but usually makes an appearance when least desired. Likewise, the desire to remain objective in the face of homeland threats being ignored by defense officials is exceptionally challenging, especially when every fiber of analytical being, combined with the wealth of American defense policy (and history itself) overwhelmingly indicating that airspace violations are usually a clear and present danger to a populace.
At minimum, these events (if viewed through a purely wholesome, coincidental, and innocent lens) are a fantastic lesson that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Even if all of the cyber events, cellular outages, systems failures, unidentified aircraft, and solar activity are all perfectly benign and unrelated to any sort of hostile act, the compounding of these events is a constant reminder to remain vigilant.
As very few details have been released regarding the high-altitude balloon, theories abound as to its purpose, none of which will likely be confirmed. Despite Pentagon statements, this balloon is not likely to be of civilian origin. The construction and size of the balloon’s payload, the lack of airspace deconfliction, the lack of required transponder data indicating the craft’s identity, the fact that no hobbyist group or commercial company has claimed the balloon, the flight level of over 40,000ft, and the ability to maintain that altitude without ascending or descending as it traversed the United States all strongly indicate that hobby use of this craft can be ruled out. However, though this does indicate both hostile intent and hostile action, this does not necessarily point to foreign use.
On the one hand, the presentation of this craft based on the information that has been made public clearly indicates that it may be a threat. On the other hand, this craft may also be American in origin; a secret reconnaissance platform that got caught by NORAD’s own defenses. The U.S. is certain to have been developing lighter-than-air reconnaissance craft, and extremely secret projects would not be disclosed to everyone that needed to know, including NORAD.
Friday afternoon, Pentagon officials (via CBS News) disclosed the interception of an unidentified high-altitude balloon flying at an altitude of 40,000ft over the western United States. The Pentagon released very little information regarding the object, but directly quoting the initial CBS report, “One official said the balloon was over Colorado earlier in the day and was expected to be over Georgia by Friday night. The official said the balloon appeared to be made of Mylar and had a small cube-shaped box, about two feet long on each side, hanging below it.”
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: This week has exemplified the harsh lesson that Murphy’s Law strikes at any time, but usually makes an appearance when least desired. Likewise, the desire to remain objective in the face of homeland threats being ignored by defense officials is exceptionally challenging, especially when every fiber of analytical being, combined with the wealth of American defense policy (and history itself) overwhelmingly indicating that airspace violations are usually a clear and present danger to a populace.
At minimum, these events (if viewed through a purely wholesome, coincidental, and innocent lens) are a fantastic lesson that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Even if all of the cyber events, cellular outages, systems failures, unidentified aircraft, and solar activity are all perfectly benign and unrelated to any sort of hostile act, the compounding of these events is a constant reminder to remain vigilant.
As very few details have been released regarding the high-altitude balloon, theories abound as to its purpose, none of which will likely be confirmed. Despite Pentagon statements, this balloon is not likely to be of civilian origin. The construction and size of the balloon’s payload, the lack of airspace deconfliction, the lack of required transponder data indicating the craft’s identity, the fact that no hobbyist group or commercial company has claimed the balloon, the flight level of over 40,000ft, and the ability to maintain that altitude without ascending or descending as it traversed the United States all strongly indicate that hobby use of this craft can be ruled out. However, though this does indicate both hostile intent and hostile action, this does not necessarily point to foreign use.
On the one hand, the presentation of this craft based on the information that has been made public clearly indicates that it may be a threat. On the other hand, this craft may also be American in origin; a secret reconnaissance platform that got caught by NORAD’s own defenses. The U.S. is certain to have been developing lighter-than-air reconnaissance craft, and extremely secret projects would not be disclosed to everyone that needed to know, including NORAD.
👍62🫡47❤13🌭6🤔2✍1⚡1🎉1🤣1
With this in mind, understanding defensive capabilities with regards to these types of incidents is important. Thousands of unidentified aircraft are detected by NORAD each month, almost all of which remain unidentified. The fact that this particular craft was disclosed in such a way as to keep it quasi-secret indicates that this craft was different. Having a mylar construction is an indicator that it was not civilian in nature; along with the de facto admission by officials that the balloon was remaining at the same altitude as it traversed the United States. The tacit implication that the balloon was not transmitting location data is another strong indicator of nefarious intent. As such, the presentation of both a hostile act (being airborne without permission), AND hostile intent (no communications or response to IFF interrogation) confirms that this aircraft was indeed a clear and present danger to the American public, despite what defense officials have stated.
However, until Pentagon officials begin to tell the truth at press briefings, the American public would be prudent to treat these events more cautiously. Though it is always desirable to have a balanced view of world events, and avoid alarmist perspectives, in the fog of war it is sometimes acceptable to adopt a more cautiously defensive posture, and prepare for the more worst-case scenarios. In a dynamic situation, over-reacting to an unknown variable is preferable until more information can be obtained which more accurately outlines the threat (and hopefully lets everyone rest easy).
Red-teaming the balloon event both for posterity, and for future preparedness, if the high-altitude object was hostile or foreign in nature, this could represent a tactic utilized by national adversaries in time of war. Though it is generally unwise to base so much theory on so little information, we must consider all possibilities that are likely based on what little information has been released.
Understanding and discussing the potential is necessary, no matter how serious the implications may be. Though this is a purely speculative theory based on a hunch, the still-unidentified balloon could have been intended to take advantage of the cellular outage on Wednesday. The timing would have been perfect if the intent was to disable a large number of cellular comms, and surveil whatever signals remained. The balloon itself almost certainly didn’t cause the initial outage, but conducting reconnaissance in the wake of a cyberattack would have provided a wealth of intelligence on the backup procedures and frequencies used by military or governmental agencies during an event such as a national cyberattack. Having a birds-eye view to collect radio signals during communications blackout would be extremely valuable for military planning. Likewise, citizens should also be prepared for the contingency that foreign reconnaissance platforms may be launched from within the United States. Launching spy balloons from the hundreds of miles of terrain already owned by Chinese real estate syndicates would be a logical escalation of Chinese reconnaissance activity within the Homeland.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
However, until Pentagon officials begin to tell the truth at press briefings, the American public would be prudent to treat these events more cautiously. Though it is always desirable to have a balanced view of world events, and avoid alarmist perspectives, in the fog of war it is sometimes acceptable to adopt a more cautiously defensive posture, and prepare for the more worst-case scenarios. In a dynamic situation, over-reacting to an unknown variable is preferable until more information can be obtained which more accurately outlines the threat (and hopefully lets everyone rest easy).
Red-teaming the balloon event both for posterity, and for future preparedness, if the high-altitude object was hostile or foreign in nature, this could represent a tactic utilized by national adversaries in time of war. Though it is generally unwise to base so much theory on so little information, we must consider all possibilities that are likely based on what little information has been released.
Understanding and discussing the potential is necessary, no matter how serious the implications may be. Though this is a purely speculative theory based on a hunch, the still-unidentified balloon could have been intended to take advantage of the cellular outage on Wednesday. The timing would have been perfect if the intent was to disable a large number of cellular comms, and surveil whatever signals remained. The balloon itself almost certainly didn’t cause the initial outage, but conducting reconnaissance in the wake of a cyberattack would have provided a wealth of intelligence on the backup procedures and frequencies used by military or governmental agencies during an event such as a national cyberattack. Having a birds-eye view to collect radio signals during communications blackout would be extremely valuable for military planning. Likewise, citizens should also be prepared for the contingency that foreign reconnaissance platforms may be launched from within the United States. Launching spy balloons from the hundreds of miles of terrain already owned by Chinese real estate syndicates would be a logical escalation of Chinese reconnaissance activity within the Homeland.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍109🫡72❤11🌭6✍3👀3👾3⚡2🎉1🤣1
//The Wire//1830Z February 26, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP QUARANTINED DUE TO CHOLERA OUTBREAK.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Mauritius: A Norwegian cruise ship has been quarantined in the Port of Mauritius following a cholera outbreak onboard the vessel. The M/V NORWEGIAN DAWN has been quarantined in port until further notice. Though the origin of the outbreak is unknown at this time, several of the passengers reporting illness traveled to South Africa earlier this month.
Red Sea/HOA: Several telecom providers have begun to report issues regarding undersea communications cables in the Red Sea. As of this report, only single-source reporting is available, which suggests that a total of four cables have been impacted over the past few months. AC: As cable disruptions are extremely common due to natural seismic events on the seafloor, the timing of such outages is critical. So far, the Jerusalem Post is the only media outlet reporting on this issue, which (aside from being a highly questionable source in its own right), did not indicate whether or not this is a new issue, or a culmination of incidents since the start of the Red Sea Crisis.
Houthi forces have made direct threats to sever these communications cables, however it is not clear as to if they are actually capable of tampering with or targeting undersea cables in the Red Sea. Additionally, in a time when covert operations and false-flag events have become extremely common, judgement is probably best reserved for when more information becomes public. On the other hand, due to the nature of the incident, independent investigation is not likely.
-Homefront-
Washington D.C. – Yesterday a uniformed active duty Air Force service member self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in a self-described act of protest in support of Palestine. The service member, later identified as Aaron Bushnell, later died at a local hospital. No information regarding his rank or unit has been confirmed by defense officials yet.
In the western United States, no new information has been released regarding the recent unidentified high-altitude balloon incident. Pentagon officials continue to assess that the balloon was “likely” a civilian craft, but zero evidence has been provided to back up these claims, whereas the culmination of information as released so far indicates the contrary. So far, no one has come forward to claim the balloon or its payload.
On the economic front, over the past few weeks financial observers have noticed strategic financial moves among many elites. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dillon dumped $150 million in JPM stock last week, his largest sell-off of his own company’s stock to date. Jeff Bezos has sold $8.5 billion of his Amazon portfolio, and Mark Zuckerberg has sold $428 million of his Meta holdings. In 2023 Q4, Bill Gates sold off 65% of his entire financial portfolio, worth approximately $80 billion. The Walton family also sold $4.5 billion of their Walmart holdings after the closing bell on Friday.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: No financial expertise is needed to assess the strategic impacts of billionaires dumping significant investments all within a few weeks of each other. On the other hand, the field of economics is more complicated than a single soundbite; For instance, Bill Gate’s asset sell-off could be largely restructuring and consolidation, not necessarily a “dump”. However, these financial moves are an indicator of something; figuring out the exact details of which will largely be speculative.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP QUARANTINED DUE TO CHOLERA OUTBREAK.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Mauritius: A Norwegian cruise ship has been quarantined in the Port of Mauritius following a cholera outbreak onboard the vessel. The M/V NORWEGIAN DAWN has been quarantined in port until further notice. Though the origin of the outbreak is unknown at this time, several of the passengers reporting illness traveled to South Africa earlier this month.
Red Sea/HOA: Several telecom providers have begun to report issues regarding undersea communications cables in the Red Sea. As of this report, only single-source reporting is available, which suggests that a total of four cables have been impacted over the past few months. AC: As cable disruptions are extremely common due to natural seismic events on the seafloor, the timing of such outages is critical. So far, the Jerusalem Post is the only media outlet reporting on this issue, which (aside from being a highly questionable source in its own right), did not indicate whether or not this is a new issue, or a culmination of incidents since the start of the Red Sea Crisis.
Houthi forces have made direct threats to sever these communications cables, however it is not clear as to if they are actually capable of tampering with or targeting undersea cables in the Red Sea. Additionally, in a time when covert operations and false-flag events have become extremely common, judgement is probably best reserved for when more information becomes public. On the other hand, due to the nature of the incident, independent investigation is not likely.
-Homefront-
Washington D.C. – Yesterday a uniformed active duty Air Force service member self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in a self-described act of protest in support of Palestine. The service member, later identified as Aaron Bushnell, later died at a local hospital. No information regarding his rank or unit has been confirmed by defense officials yet.
In the western United States, no new information has been released regarding the recent unidentified high-altitude balloon incident. Pentagon officials continue to assess that the balloon was “likely” a civilian craft, but zero evidence has been provided to back up these claims, whereas the culmination of information as released so far indicates the contrary. So far, no one has come forward to claim the balloon or its payload.
On the economic front, over the past few weeks financial observers have noticed strategic financial moves among many elites. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dillon dumped $150 million in JPM stock last week, his largest sell-off of his own company’s stock to date. Jeff Bezos has sold $8.5 billion of his Amazon portfolio, and Mark Zuckerberg has sold $428 million of his Meta holdings. In 2023 Q4, Bill Gates sold off 65% of his entire financial portfolio, worth approximately $80 billion. The Walton family also sold $4.5 billion of their Walmart holdings after the closing bell on Friday.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: No financial expertise is needed to assess the strategic impacts of billionaires dumping significant investments all within a few weeks of each other. On the other hand, the field of economics is more complicated than a single soundbite; For instance, Bill Gate’s asset sell-off could be largely restructuring and consolidation, not necessarily a “dump”. However, these financial moves are an indicator of something; figuring out the exact details of which will largely be speculative.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍107🫡84❤10🌭7👻4⚡3👾2😢1🤣1🍌1👀1
//The Wire//1830Z February 27, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: CANADA CONTINUES ATTACKS ON SPEECH. US ARMY REPORTEDLY REDUCES 24,000 JOBS.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Canada: Several bills have been introduced in Parliament with the goal of suppressing and criminalizing speech. Bill C-63, as introduced for the First Reading yesterday, seeks to modify the Criminal Code to create a new hate crime offense that specifically introduces life sentences for some speech crimes. This follows the introduction of Bill C-372 (which was tabled earlier this month) which intends to criminalize the “promotion” of fossil fuels. This bill (as it stands) was allegedly intended to restrict corporate advertising, however most of the restrictions apply to everyday citizens who could face jail time for simply stating that fossil fuels are cheaper or more reliable than allegedly “renewable” energy sources.
Red Sea/HOA: The status of the M/V RUBYMAR remains unclear and contradictory. Last night, Houthi forces posted videos indicating that they were in possession of the partially-sunken vessel, or at the very minimum are conducting security patrols in the area. Houthi forces have claimed that they will allow the towing of the stricken vessel only in exchange for humanitarian aid being sent to Gaza. AC: This directly contradicts claims by western authorities/media that the vessel was being towed into port Djbouti. In the videos provided by Houthi forces, the condition of the vessel has deteriorated since the photos released by the BBC a few days ago. Satellite imagery confirms that the RUBYMAR is at anchor in approximately 165 feet of water, at grid coordinate: 38PLV1642909551. Currently, the vessel is abandoned and continues to take on water.
-Homefront-
Washington D.C. – This morning, Defense officials have leaked plans to restructure the U.S. Army to reduce personnel levels in response to recruiting shortfalls. According to the reports leaked to the media, allegedly 24,000 Army positions will be reduced, most of which are already vacant due to personnel shortages. AC: Continuing the frustrating trend of Pentagon officials conveying information via informal leaks (so as to maintain deniability), no official statement has been released regarding this reduction in force. Instead, all mainstream media reporting cites the same undisclosed document that allegedly contains readiness data. Nevertheless, these numbers are probably more indicative of the overall recruiting crisis that has affected the US military for years.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: As the loss of free speech in Canada has reached disturbing levels by American standards, most American states are not far behind with regards to the quiet rule-changing of existing criminal code that makes millions of citizens felons overnight. However, the specific tactics and legalisms used to subjugate Canadian citizens can also serve as a litmus test for impending legal trickery within the USA. For instance, the methods used to financially target participants of the Canadian Trucker protests have been considered by American companies seeking to target firearms retailers. Moving into the election season more financial targeting of not just high-profile political opponents, but lower level dissidents is likely, as evidenced by the continual arrests, prosecutions, and ongoing surveillance of J6 participants. This is especially important to consider as in the United States, much of the targeting of taxpayers may originate from the desires of government/elites, but in practicality is enacted by private companies acting on the behalf and/or wishes of the federal regime. This already is a matter of routine among platforms like Facebook/Meta when it comes to speech. However, much more serious targeting can (and is likely to) occur as the social/political/economic situation in the US deteriorates closer to the election.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: CANADA CONTINUES ATTACKS ON SPEECH. US ARMY REPORTEDLY REDUCES 24,000 JOBS.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Canada: Several bills have been introduced in Parliament with the goal of suppressing and criminalizing speech. Bill C-63, as introduced for the First Reading yesterday, seeks to modify the Criminal Code to create a new hate crime offense that specifically introduces life sentences for some speech crimes. This follows the introduction of Bill C-372 (which was tabled earlier this month) which intends to criminalize the “promotion” of fossil fuels. This bill (as it stands) was allegedly intended to restrict corporate advertising, however most of the restrictions apply to everyday citizens who could face jail time for simply stating that fossil fuels are cheaper or more reliable than allegedly “renewable” energy sources.
Red Sea/HOA: The status of the M/V RUBYMAR remains unclear and contradictory. Last night, Houthi forces posted videos indicating that they were in possession of the partially-sunken vessel, or at the very minimum are conducting security patrols in the area. Houthi forces have claimed that they will allow the towing of the stricken vessel only in exchange for humanitarian aid being sent to Gaza. AC: This directly contradicts claims by western authorities/media that the vessel was being towed into port Djbouti. In the videos provided by Houthi forces, the condition of the vessel has deteriorated since the photos released by the BBC a few days ago. Satellite imagery confirms that the RUBYMAR is at anchor in approximately 165 feet of water, at grid coordinate: 38PLV1642909551. Currently, the vessel is abandoned and continues to take on water.
-Homefront-
Washington D.C. – This morning, Defense officials have leaked plans to restructure the U.S. Army to reduce personnel levels in response to recruiting shortfalls. According to the reports leaked to the media, allegedly 24,000 Army positions will be reduced, most of which are already vacant due to personnel shortages. AC: Continuing the frustrating trend of Pentagon officials conveying information via informal leaks (so as to maintain deniability), no official statement has been released regarding this reduction in force. Instead, all mainstream media reporting cites the same undisclosed document that allegedly contains readiness data. Nevertheless, these numbers are probably more indicative of the overall recruiting crisis that has affected the US military for years.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: As the loss of free speech in Canada has reached disturbing levels by American standards, most American states are not far behind with regards to the quiet rule-changing of existing criminal code that makes millions of citizens felons overnight. However, the specific tactics and legalisms used to subjugate Canadian citizens can also serve as a litmus test for impending legal trickery within the USA. For instance, the methods used to financially target participants of the Canadian Trucker protests have been considered by American companies seeking to target firearms retailers. Moving into the election season more financial targeting of not just high-profile political opponents, but lower level dissidents is likely, as evidenced by the continual arrests, prosecutions, and ongoing surveillance of J6 participants. This is especially important to consider as in the United States, much of the targeting of taxpayers may originate from the desires of government/elites, but in practicality is enacted by private companies acting on the behalf and/or wishes of the federal regime. This already is a matter of routine among platforms like Facebook/Meta when it comes to speech. However, much more serious targeting can (and is likely to) occur as the social/political/economic situation in the US deteriorates closer to the election.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
👍111🫡90❤12🌭9🥴5🤷♂2👾2✍1🔥1🤣1👀1