GOP debate bloodbath over Ukraine leaves room for agreement — on China

GOP debate bloodbath over Ukraine leaves room for agreement — on China

For all the talk about a divided GOP on foreign policy, it should be clear that when it comes to China, these eight candidates are more in agreement about where the country should be training its firepower, than not. Pinning them each down on what exactly they are proposing, and how far they will go to meet the threat, would be an interesting next exercise, sans the bloodletting.

Why the U.S. Government Cares About the Coup in Niger + More

Let us travel back in time to April 9, 1999. It was the middle of hot season in the West African country of Niger and 120 degrees in the shade. Jocelyn, one of the authors, was a newly minted Peace Corps volunteer and had recently arrived in a rural community 60 miles south of Niamey, the capital, where she would spend the next two years. That day, President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara and five other people were shot dead at the airport, a mutiny by his presidential guard. But there was no international outcry, no evacuation of Americans and Europeans. Jocelyn was told to stay put in the small community where she was living. Life went on as usual.

Why the U.S. Government Cares About the Coup in Niger | Opinion

Related:

“Divide and Rule”: Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni Is Biden’s “Political Asset”. U.S. Behind Niger Coup d’Etat. America’s Hegemonic Wars Against Europe and Africa

2 US military veterans killed in Ukraine during intense fighting

Two U.S. military veterans were killed in Ukraine late last month as they fended off intense Russian attacks so their comrades could maneuver, according to Ryan O’Leary, a U.S. Army veteran who leads foreigners in Ukraine’s 59th Motorized Brigade.

2 US military veterans killed in Ukraine during intense fighting

H/T: Emil Cosman

Previously:

US Army Vet From Iowa Rats Out Ukrainian Corruption

Niger Coup Leader Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou Was Trained By The US Military

The Intercept has verified that Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s Special Operations Forces and a key figure in the unfolding coup in Niger, received training from the U.S. military. Since 2008, military officers trained by the United States have been involved in 11 coups in West Africa.

Niger Coup Leader Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou Was Trained By The US Military

Related:

Army in Niger backs coup as U.S. forces in the country assess situation

Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is home to the former School of the Americas.

Guerrilla Warfare Exercise In West Virginia Looks Heavily Influenced By Ukraine War

The latest iteration of the U.S. military’s Ridge Runner drills include Russian SAMs and apparent enemy suicide drone launch teams.

Guerrilla Warfare Exercise In West Virginia Looks Heavily Influenced By Ukraine War

Related:

European partners, allies converge in West Virginia for Ridge Runner Irregular Warfare Exercise planning

In addition to allies and partners previously mentioned, Ridge Runner will host observers from Taiwan, Georgia, Moldova, Hungary, Qatar, Romanian, and Canada during the event.

Musk’s Starlink: Aiding Terrorists in Myanmar

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, “funded in part by non-governmental organizations such as Free Voice of the Netherlands, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Freedom of Expression Foundation.” – Wikipedia.

David Eubank, the founder of the Free Burma Rangers, expressed his gratitude to Elon Musk in a Tweet on Twitter for bringing Starlink Internet to some parts of Kayah (Karenni) State, which previously lacked stable internet access due to the civil war.

Free Burma Rangers boss thanks Elon Musk for bringing Starlink internet to Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Kayah

Related:

An Overview of the Activities of Intelligence Organizations in Syria – The Free Burma Rangers (archived)

If US Can’t Have Myanmar, No One Will

Pentagon sending troops to train Peruvian coup regime’s killers

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the Pentagon’s overseer for Latin America and the Caribbean, will be sending hundreds of Marines and special forces troops to Peru beginning as early as this week, to train military and Peruvian National Police special forces units. These same forces have carried out massacres and extra-judicial executions to suppress the mass protests against the coup regime of Dina Boluarte.

Pentagon sending troops to train Peruvian coup regime’s killers