Tag: Airpower

How the US is preparing a military staging ground near Venezuela + the 160th SOAR(A)

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The United States military is upgrading a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean, a Reuters visual investigation has found, suggesting preparations for sustained operations that could help support possible actions inside Venezuela. 

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“The land is going to be next,” he said.

How the US is preparing a military staging ground near Venezuela

Related:

Venezuela Flashpoint: Real-Time Intelligence Analysis

Compounding these indicators is also the confirmed presence of United States special forces support assets (Ocean Trader / Night Stalkers) in the theatre of operations. Washington also authorised Langley to conduct covert action in Venezuela through a presidential finding reported on October through credible media outlets. Grey Dynamics’ real-time monitoring and analysis of the situation aims to deliver continuous updates and verified intelligence on the ongoing flashpoint.

Night Stalkers = 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR(A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice.

Operation Imeri: Stratfor, DefesaNet, and the Rescue Script

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
DefesaNet

Considering Lula still refuses to recognize the outcome of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, the idea of a rescue operation of Maduro feels far-fetched. Lula’s previous alignment with the Biden administration and rejection of Venezuela’s BRICS bid signal distance, not solidarity.

The scale of the proposed rescue would demand massive military mobilization. Brazil’s footprint—limited airpower, zero aerial tankers, no carrier-based projection—renders the logistics implausible. With U.S. destroyers already deployed in the southern Caribbean and Maduro falsely classified as a “narcoterrorist” by Washington, any such operation risks direct confrontation with American assets.

Domestically, the timing couldn’t be worse. Trump 2.0 is already pressuring Brazil over the so-called “persecution” of Bolsonaro, and while national elections aren’t until late 2026, the political cost of a high-risk maneuver like this would be immediate. Lula’s administration is unlikely to burn political capital on a clandestine extraction. The optics alone would be catastrophic.

Beneath the surface of DefesaNet’s coverage lies a 2011 cooperation agreement with Stratfor, the U.S.-based private intelligence firm often dubbed the “Shadow CIA.” This wasn’t editorial alignment—it was infrastructural scripting. Stratfor gained privileged access to regional insight; DefesaNet received complimentary geopolitical reports. The choreography was built in.

When narratives like Operation Imeri surface, they don’t emerge from neutrality—they rehearse proximity, test fault lines, and manufacture urgency. Brazil isn’t just being watched. It’s being written into a role.

This isn’t a serious proposal. It’s narrative theater—manufacturing urgency, choreographing proximity, and distracting from the quieter architecture of soft power already shaping the region. The rescue isn’t about Maduro. It’s about rehearsing alignment, testing thresholds, and scripting Brazil into a role it never auditioned for.

This isn’t covert. It’s combustible.

—Tina Antonis

Related:

Tag: 2024 Venezuelan Presidential election

María Corina Machado is the female Javier Milei (aka US Puppet)

Satellite Photo Shows US Fighters and Bombers at Key Base for Iran

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Source. Timestamp: 4:12.

New satellite imagery reveals a significant concentration of U.S. military aircraft and bombers on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, including strategic B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, F-15 fighters and a C-5M heavy transport aircraft—a buildup signaling enhanced readiness for potential operations amid regional tensions.

Satellite Photo Shows US Fighters and Bombers at Key Base for Iran

Previously:

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Source

Is Donald Trump Starting World War III with Iran?

Donald Trump apparently has decided to attack Iran. Mark this date. It is the beginning of the end of the Trump Presidency. Trump has been persuaded that the Iranian air defense is weak and that a US bombing run will eliminate any chance that Iran can build a nuclear device. He has been a victim of lies. He will shortly discover, if these attacks take place, that Iran retains a significant capability to shoot down US aircraft. In fact, I fully expect Iran will capture and put on display several US air force officers in the next week.

If Trump launches this attack, Iran will retaliate against US bases and Israel. Israel, for the first time in 77 years, will suffer devastating losses. If Trump thought the Houthis were a tough customer, he’s going to learn a hard lesson with Iran.

I have a bad feeling about this… though it could just be the Mac and Cheese staging a rebellion.

Related:

Pentagon chief authorizes voluntary departure of military dependents from Middle East

The ‘Foreign Policy Consensus’ Is Alive and Well in Washington

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The ‘Foreign Policy Consensus’ Is Alive and Well in Washington

by José Niño, Libertarian Institute

Brian Berletic, a former U.S. Marine now residing in Thailand, believes something bigger might be at play with Trump’s foreign policy agenda. The talk of foreign policy restraint vis-a-visa Russia is merely a facade. Berletic pointed out that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “division of labor” framework during his February 2025 address in Brussels will only increase tensions with Russia.

Read More »

Europe Hatches Plans for Ukraine Peacekeepers Without U.S.

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Europe Hatches Plans for Ukraine Peacekeepers Without U.S.

Western allies are trying to hash out a bold European idea: sending 10,000 to 30,000 troops to Ukraine to help enforce any eventual peace deal with Russia.

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As things stand, the chance of this force ever heading to Ukraine is a long shot, says Bence Németh, a defense expert at King’s College London. European leaders say they will only send troops if there is a lasting peace in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far ruled out signing a peace deal that includes Western forces in Ukraine. 

Read More »

Here’s the “Security Backstop” Requested by the “Coalition of the Willing”

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Zelensky describes exchange with Trump on nuclear power plant ‘ownership’

Zelensky said “ownership” was not discussed specifically, but that a U.S. role in controlling the plant was a “question of whether we are able to recover it and recover operations,” according to The Financial Times.

It wasn’t until I listened to Jim Jatras and Rachel Blevins discuss Trump’s interest in gaining control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that it finally clicked for me. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Previously:

Trump offers to take control of Ukraine’s nuclear plants in call with Zelensky

“UK Following US’ Ukraine Plan, Not Undermining it…”:

Zelenskiy presses allies for security guarantees, foreign troops in Ukraine

March 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had urged Kyiv’s Western allies to give “a clear position” on security guarantees including about a potential foreign troop contingent on Ukrainian soil with a U.S. backstop.

His comments came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a virtual call with other European leaders and allies, including Zelenskiy, where Starmer said a “coalition of the willing” would help secure Ukraine “on the land, at sea and in the sky” in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

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Starmer has also called for a U.S. security backstop to help secure a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine in the three-year-old war.