No. I won’t follow back, Twitter

The seal on the left is the seal of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR). The seal on the right is of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to Reason, the CJTF–OIR is embedded with the SDF (see below*).

But Ahmed al-Sharaa AKA Abu Mohammad al-Julani said that the Kurds were the brethren of Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). /s

International anarchist and leftist groups declare their support for SDF

International League of Peoples’ Struggle:

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman José María Sison organized the ILPS in 2001.

CPP: The Great Left Divide

*Syria’s Rojava [Where They Run Torture Camps] Is in Grave Danger + 

The SDF equals the YPG/PKK/Kurds: A timeline of the PKK’s war on Turkey

The Kims Are Coming!

After a few cat and mouse days of Defense Secretary Lloyd “Raytheon” Austin’s denials, the Pentagon finally yesterday affirmed that there was evidence of a North Korean military presence in Russia. Asked what they were doing in Russia, Austin replied, “What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out.”

The Kims Are Coming!

Previously:

Kiev leaves out milk and cookies for Santa

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Days before a flurry of evidence-free reports emerged that North Korea sent 10,000 soldiers to help Russia in Ukraine, a Pentagon-linked think tank proposed a disinfo campaign aimed at DPRK & Russia.

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Related:

A Russia–North Korea Alliance in the Works? Don’t Be So Sure

What Should the United States Do?

Given the differences in the objectives of Russia, China, and North Korea, the United States should be mounting major information operations against these three countries to highlight their differences and fuel distrust among them. Doing so would increase the likelihood of decoupling at least some of their partnerships. Some examples of potential information operations seem obvious.

What are Information Operations

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

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?

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers?

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers – Intel

The Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported in September 2023 that Russia was planning to bring North Korean citizens to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.

The CNR assessed that the North Koreans were invited to ensure the supply of labor in these regions, as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has resulted in a labor shortage throughout Russia and the occupied territories.

Kiev is claiming to have killed military officers from the DRPK, based on a Telegram post. I didn’t see it covered outside of Ukrainian media, but Kyiv Post admits that the DPRK sent workers to help with post-war reconstruction. I haven’t seen any confirmation from Russian or DPRK media, either. Most likely, they hit the workers.

North Korea Sends Workers to Russia-Occupied Territory in Eastern Ukraine

North Korea recently sent workers to the Russian-occupied Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to help with reconstruction efforts, Daily NK has learned. Russia has set up and annexed two so-called republics on Ukrainian territory in the Donbas region: the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. Only a a few other governments in the world recognize the DPR and LPR, including North Korea as well as Syria.

Breno Altman: ‘The Relationship Between Lula and Chavismo Has Always Been One of Alliance and Divergence’

Breno Altman: ‘The Relationship Between Lula and Chavismo Has Always Been One of Alliance and Divergence’

Breno Altman: The proposal is to call new elections or to set up a cohabitation government that would lead to new elections. These two proposals are not exactly new, and have been circulating for days in the dialogues between the Brazilian and Colombian governments and also in the consultations that the Brazilian government has held with the European Union and the United States.

It’s not surprising that Brazil and Colombia are trying to mediate between the opposition and Chavismo, between the United States and the European Union, on the one hand, with China and Russia on the other. This posture of mediation implies an unbridled search for a solution that could be accepted by both parties.

BA: I believe that the Lula government and President Lula are concerned about the Brazilian municipal elections scheduled for October. And he believes that defending the Maduro government will take votes away from the PT and its allied parties, especially in the big capitals, particularly in São Paulo.

Previously:

President Maduro Responds to Lula and Petro’s ‘Proposals

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