Month: January 2024

Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, at least two dozen injured

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, at least two dozen injured

Three US Army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service members were injured in a drone attack overnight on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials told CNN, marking the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war.

The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East. Officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria

…

President Joe Biden vowed on Sunday to hold those responsible for the attack “to account,” saying that while facts are still being gathered, “We know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”

As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though officials have described the constant volley of drones, rockets, and missiles as unsuccessful as they have frequently not caused serious injury or damage to infrastructure.

It’s unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17. US forces at the outpost are there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan.

Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, at least two dozen injured

Related:

Biden Thinks It’s Just a Matter of Time Before US Troops Are Killed in Iraq or Syria

“Iran-backed” Talking Points in the Hasbara Handbook

U.S. raids Chinese auto parts maker in Ohio

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

U.S. raids Chinese auto parts maker in Ohio

In September, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party in September wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas accusing Qingdao Sunsong of moving some of its production to Thailand to evade U.S. tariffs.

The letter identified Qingdao Sunsong’s public filings, which say the company’s products are subject to U.S. import tariffs of 25% imposed on certain goods made in China and that “in order to reduce tariff costs, the issuer has accelerated production in Thailand.”

In the letter to Mayorkas, Republican congressmen Mike Gallagher* of Wisconsin and Darin LaHood of Illinois called Sunsong’s actions a “case of blatant trade fraud that is having a catastrophic impact on American manufacturers.”

*Racist piece of 💩!

H/T: Johnsonwkchoi

Pentagon contradicts White House about US troop presence in Yemen

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

US defense officials claim they have no boots on the ground in Yemen, despite a recent acknowledgement that US forces are indeed present in the war-torn Gulf state, a 27 January report from The Intercept shows.

Pentagon contradicts White House about US troop presence in Yemen

Related:

Biden’s announcement on ending US support for the war in Yemen, explained

But that doesn’t mean the US will stop fighting in Yemen. Per the administration, it will continue to strike al-Qaeda and ISIS militants in the country to ensure they can’t use it as a base to hatch plots against America. The US has been targeting terrorists in Yemen, most of them against al-Qaeda, since 2002 and has killed around 1,000 people in strikes. Stopping that campaign, experts say, might give the terrorists more space to operate.

So ending support for the fight against the Houthis, and continuing the fight against America-threatening terrorists — that’s pretty straightforward. What isn’t as clear is what the second element, supporting Saudi Arabia’s defense, means in practice.

The biggest complication here is what defines an “offensive” versus a “defensive” move. Say the Houthis attack Saudi Arabia, which experts I spoke to expect they will continue to do. The rebels launched missiles at an airport and airbase in Saudi Arabia in 2019, and at Saudi oil stations last year. Under international law, Riyadh has the right to retaliate in a commensurate way.

Germany uncovers major Russian disinformation campaign on X + Disinformation Is No. 1 Threat As Elections Approach

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

Germany uncovers major Russian disinformation campaign on X: Report

A common theme was the accusation that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government was neglecting the country’s own population in favor of helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, according to Spiegel, which said it has seen excerpts of the analysis.

Related:

Disinformation Is No. 1 Threat As Elections Approach, WEF Report Finds

Disinformation is often blamed for swaying elections – the research says something else