Cuba, Pentagon and White House dismiss reports of China building a spy base in Cuba

Pentagon Dismisses WSJ Report on China Spy Station in Cuba

“I can tell you based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate, that we are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station,” said Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder.

Related:

White House Denies Report That China Is Building a Spy Base on Cuba

“I’ve seen that press report. It’s not accurate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview on MSNBC.

Cuba to Host Secret Chinese Spy Base Focusing on U.S. [according to no one]

The U.S. has intervened before to stop foreign powers from extending their influence in the Western Hemisphere, most notably during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. and the Soviet Union came to the brink of nuclear war after the Soviets deployed nuclear-capable missiles to Cuba, prompting a U.S. Navy quarantine of the island.

The Soviets backed down and removed the missiles. A few months later, the U.S. quietly removed intermediate-range ballistic missiles from Turkey that the Soviets had complained about.

H/T: Emil Cosman

HUGE. In China-Brokered Deal, Iran and Saudi Arabia Restore Diplomatic Ties

HUGE. In China-Brokered Deal, Iran and Saudi Arabia Restore Diplomatic Ties

Regime change for Saudi, or maybe some US-backed terrorist attacks?!

Related:

China brokers Iran-Saudi detente, raising eyebrows in Washington

Though blunting China’s influence in the Middle East and other parts of the world remains a priority for the Biden administration, it is of “two minds” about the latest agreement, said Jon Alterman, a Middle East scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“It wants the Saudis to take increasing responsibility for their own security,” he said, “but it does not want Saudi Arabia freelancing and undermining U.S. security strategies.”

Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF

A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10.

The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet.

Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF