Japan’s new justice minister admits ties with Unification Church [CIA] + More

New Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara admitted Tuesday that he and his secretary have attended events related to the Unification Church a total of 37 times.

Japan’s new justice minister admits ties with Unification Church

Related:

24 junior ministers had Unification Church ties

Twenty-four of the 54 state ministers and parliamentary vice ministers in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet had ties to the religious group Unification Church, according to an analysis by The Asahi Shimbun.

‘Asian Nato’ calls, Taiwan moves: should Beijing worry as Japan’s Ishiba gets going?

Wikipedia:

Hideki Makihara (牧原 秀樹, Makihara Hideki, born 1971) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokyo he attended the University of Tokyo and law school at Georgetown University in the United States. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005.

Spies Like Us: The Spooks of Georgetown

From Georgetown to Langley: The controversial connection between a prestigious university and the CIA

If you have ever wondered, “where do America’s spies come from?” the answer is quite possibly the Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University. It is only a modestly-seized institution, yet the school provides the backbone for the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, State Department, and other organs of the national security state.

C.I.A. Spent Millions to Support Japanese Right in 50’s and 60’s

As the C.I.A. supported the Liberal Democrats, it undermined their opponents. It infiltrated the Japan Socialist Party, which it suspected was receiving secret financial support from Moscow, and placed agents in youth groups, student groups and labor groups, former C.I.A. officers said.

An Unholy Alliance: How the Unification Church Penetrated Japan’s Ruling Liberal Democratic Party

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun claimed during a parliamentary session earlier this week that Pyongyang could send its forces to fight for Russia after it signed a mutual security treaty with Moscow. He claimed such a deployment is “highly likely” and suggested that some North Korean soldiers may have already been killed in the Ukraine conflict. 

“This looks like another hoax,” Peskov replied when asked to comment on Seoul’s allegations during a press briefing.  

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

Previously:

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers?

Chinese Missile Boat Undertakes ‘Alarming’ Action

Chinese Missile Boat Undertakes ‘Alarming’ Action (archived)

A Chinese navy missile craft shadowed a Philippine civilian ship on Friday in an unprecedented encounter that one analyst described as “alarming.”

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel the BRP Datu Romapenet was en route to a South China Sea feature known as Half Moon Shoal to deliver supplies to fishermen.

Half Moon Shoal is situated at the eastern edge of the Spratly Islands and about 60 miles from the Philippine province of Palawan, well within the Southeast Asian country’s recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

According to the Philippines’ ABS-CBN News, which was onboard, the ship picked up a tail in the form of a Houbei-class (Type 22) guided-missile craft, easily identifiable by its wide camouflaged catamaran hull.

Chester Cabalza, founder of Manila-based think tank the International Development and Security Cooperation, told the news agency it was the first time a Type 22 had been spotted in the EEZ.

“This incident is alarming because a missile ship shadowed our BFAR ship,” Cabalza said, adding that it was a show of power intended to intimidate the Philippines.

Read More »

PH: America, Marcos and AFP can get us nuked

IF advocates of the United States’ access to bases of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and US deployment of intermediate-range missiles prove the above headline unduly alarmist, this writer would be most thankful.

America, Marcos and AFP can get us nuked (archived)

Related:

Out-Competing China and Constraining Russia

Forget Hardened Bases, Pacific Conflict Requires Agile Combat Employment, Commander Says

The Plan to Defend Guam from Missile Threats Is Years from Completion: More Investment Is Needed Now

Ground-Based Intermediate-Range Missiles in the Indo-Pacific

The U.S. Alliance with the Philippines

US-South Korea drills ramp up amid North Korean nuclear threats

US-South Korea drills ramp up amid North Korean nuclear threats

Tensions are mounting on the Korean Peninsula as South Korea and the United States prepare for key annual joint military drills amid increasing nuclear threats from North Korea. The exercises, scheduled for Aug. 19-29, are designed to improve defenses against missile strikes, GPS jamming and cyber threats.

US-South Korea drills ramp up amid North Korean nuclear threats