Tag: perpetual war

Democrats Praise Bush, Want More Small-Business War Profiteers

Well it’s another big day for Democrats doing Democraty things.

At a Friday event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) hosted by the George W Bush Institute, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke glowingly of the president who instituted the program in 2003 at the same time he was preparing to launch an invasion which would inflict unfathomable horrors upon our world which continue to unfold to this day.

“I’ll just say this honestly, that the Bush family, it’s because of their humanity, their faith, their generosity of spirit, their compassion,” said Pelosi. “Once again, it’s an honor to be associated with President Bush in this.”

Pelosi then pointed to the former president, who was also joined by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and oligarch Bill Gates, with video appearances by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bono of U2 fame.

Also on Friday we witnessed what Glenn Greenwald described as the “most Elizabeth Warren tweet ever,” in which the Massachusetts senator took a bold stand against Big War Profiteering to advocate on behalf of the little guy (by which I mean Small War Profiteering).

“In the 1990s, America had 51 major contractors bidding for defense work,” tweeted Warren from her government account. “Today, there are only five massive companies remaining. Defense contracting should be reworked to break up the massive contracts awarded to the big guys and create opportunities for firms of all sizes.”

Yeah that’s the real problem, Liz. It’s not that the war industry reaps huge profits from global militarism and nonstop warmongering, it’s that the war industry doesn’t include enough plucky small businesses. Won’t somebody please think of the mom and pop war profiteers? They’ve been forced to close their small community military-industrial complex shops by Walmartian “big guys” like Raytheon and Northrop Grumman!

This is almost as embarrassing as Warren’s 2019 push to convert the US war machine to clean energy, saying “We don’t have to choose between a green military and an effective one” on the campaign trail during her run for president.

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The Air Force’s Drones Can Now Recognize Faces. Uh-Oh.

The U.S. Air Force now has the capability to use facial recognition on drones that could target specific people. Special operations forces can use the drones to gather intelligence and to aid in other missions, according to a contract first spotted by New Scientist. It’s part of a growing movement to develop automated weaponry that raises legal and ethical questions.

The drone software maker, Seattle-based firm RealNetworks, claims the uncrewed craft will use artificial intelligence (AI) to fly itself and discriminate between friend and foe. The company has said that its software can also be used for rescue missions, perimeter protection, and domestic search operations.

The new Air Force drone system isn’t the only drone system to try to use facial recognition. An Israeli company is working on a drone that uses AI to help a drone find the best angles for facial recognition.

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US factories ramping up weapons production to meet Ukraine demand

The U.S. is increasing the production of weapons at some locations that were previously shut down to meet the demands of American military commitments to Ukraine.

According to some reports, Ukrainian military forces are consuming up to 7,000 artillery rounds per day, pushing the need for new supplies.

“One year ago, Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The United States has rallied the world in response, working with our allies and partners to provide Ukraine with critical security, economic, and humanitarian assistance and leading unprecedented efforts to impose costs on Russia for its aggression,” a White House fact sheet said on Friday.

“This week, President Biden visited Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland to send a clear and powerful message that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” it added.

Among the new assistance is additional security efforts. The White House update noted that the package includes a large amount of ammunition for 155mm artillery systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced its 32nd security assistance package in response to Russia’s invasion of the former Soviet republic.

A January White House fact sheet reported that the U.S. has already sent over 1 million 155mm rounds to Ukraine in the past year. The number is in addition to numerous other security items, ranging from Stinger missiles to 100,000 rounds of 125mm tank ammunition.

“Prior to the war in Ukraine, the U.S. could build about 14,400 155mm artillery shells a month. But as Ukrainian forces burn through the ammunition for howitzers sent to the country, the U.S. is hoping to ramp up production to roughly 90,000 shells a month,” Defense News reported in January.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth separately told reporters that the U.S. will go from making 14,000 155mm shells each month to 20,000 by later this year and 40,000 by 2025.

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US Power Alliance Says It’s Preparing An “Information War” Against China

In an article published last week titled “US working with ‘Five Eyes’ nations, Japan on information warfare,” a publication on military intelligence and communications technology called C4ISRNET reports that the US and its allies are collaborating “to share and sharpen information-warfare techniques in the Indo-Pacific” with the goal of “countering” the “increasingly aggressive China.”

Here’s an excerpt:

Dialogues and exchanges of best practices are ongoing with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and other countries including Japan, according to Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces.

“I want to say we have at least a dozen countries or so that are either establishing information warfare programs, or are interested in partnering further in the information warfare realm,” she said Feb. 15 at the West 2023 conference in San Diego. “We are leaning in there, we are focused.”

Japan, specifically, has expressed significant interest in information warfare, “in a really positive way,” Aeschbach told C4ISRNET. Japan and Australia, among others, are considered critical U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, a region national security officials are invested in as they seek to counter an increasingly aggressive China.

Libertarian Institute’s Kyle Anzalone and Connor Freeman have a good write-up on this latest revelation in which they explain that information warfare is “a broad swath of military operations a country can use to disrupt another” which “can include spreading disinformation or preventing the spread of information.”

As Anzalone and Freeman note, one significant recent instance of the US government’s acknowledged use of information warfare was when US officials told NBC News that the US government has been deliberately circulating unsubstantiated information to western news media “as part of an information war against Russia.”

Which is to say, they lied. When you do things like telling New York Times reporters that “Russia asked China to give it military equipment and support for the war in Ukraine after President Vladimir V. Putin began a full-scale invasion last month,” only to have NBC report that you knew this claim “lacked hard evidence,” you lied. You used your country’s mass media institutions to circulate disinformation.

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US Black Hawk Helicopter Appears In Use By Ukraine’s Military Intelligence

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has shared photos of a Black Hawk helicopter. The American-made aircraft was painted with a Ukrainian flag, and the intel org suggested it was used in military operations. 

Two photos showing a Black Hawk were posted on the Twitter account and website of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence on Tuesday. A press release accompanying the images said the agency had recently completed military missions.

“Military intelligence aviation of Ukraine continues its work on the front line of the defense of our country. Reconnaissance pilots have just returned from another combat mission,” it said, adding that “Combat helicopters significantly increase the capabilities of the special units of the Main Directorate of Intelligence and the effectiveness of special operations.”

Another aircraft seen in the photos was identified by the Drive as a Ukrainian Mi-24 Hind.

It is unclear how Kiev obtained the American helicopter or whether it has been used in combat operations. Officially, the White House has approved sending Soviet-era Mi-17 Helicopters – aircraft formerly owned by the Afghan government prior to its collapse in 2021 – though it has made no mention of Black Hawks to date. 

In June, the assault and reconnaissance wing of the Intelligence Directorate, known as the ‘Shaman battalion,’ claimed to have carried out operations inside Russian territory, according to the Times of London. The outlet said the commandos were flown into the country via helicopter, but did not specify what type.

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U.S. Plans To Drastically Increase Troop Numbers In Taiwan

The United States reportedly plans to significantly boost its military presence in Taiwan as tensions with China grow.

Officials told The Wall Street Journal and Fox News the U.S. is preparing to send between 100 and 200 troops to Taiwan in the coming months, which would be the largest such deployment in decades and a marked increase from the approximately 30 troops stationed there last year.

These added troops will reportedly train Taiwanese forces on using U.S. weapons systems and military maneuvers.

“We don’t have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” Defense Department spokesman Army Lt. Col. Marty Meiners said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.

“Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” Meiners continued.

Taiwan is a self-governed island nation that the Chinese Communist Party has sought to bring under its control. The United States provides defense support to Taiwan but does not formally recognize it as a country.

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, but stressed China “will never promise to renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.” Amid increasing provocations by China, President Tsai Ing-wen announced in December that Taiwan would increase its mandatory military service requirement for eligible men from four months to a year.

U.S. military and intelligence officials have said Xi is gearing up his country’s forces to invade Taiwan as early as 2027. Some warned an attack could come sooner.

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Ukrainian Schoolchildren Told to Report on Their Parents for Watching Putin’s Speech

Ukrainian schoolchildren are being asked to report on their parents for watching Vladimir Putin’s recent round of speeches or Russian television and news programming in general. The dystopic reality of life in Ukraine is a far cry from the pro-war myths sold by Western corporate media and NATO politicians, as Volodymyr Zelensky and his allies aren’t just using Stasi tactics against children, but have banned the free press and even Orthodox Christianity, the religion adhered to by a majority of Ukraine’s population.

Having been created directly by Russia and existing in the Russian sphere of influence since its beginnings, a massive segment of Ukraine’s population is ethnically Russian, linguistically Russian, and, largely, politically Russian. This includes those in the Donbas region, where most of the active war is being fought. That area seceded from Ukraine after the Obama and Soros-backed overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically-elected, pro-Russia government in 2014.

In Crimea, residents staunchly opposed the 2014 overthrow, seceding from Ukraine to be willingly annexed by Russia.

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NATO Criticised For Tweet Comparing Ukraine Conflict To Harry Potter

NATO has been criticised for a bizarre tweet comparing the Ukraine conflict to Harry Potter and Star Wars.

The tweet sent via NATO’s official Twitter account is a quote claimed to be from a soldier in the Ukrainian army.

It reads, “This war will shape the continent. It will set rules and draw frontiers. Books will be written and studies done on the reality we face today. We are Harry Potter and William Wallace, the Na’vi and Han Solo. We’re escaping from Shawshank and blowing up the Death Star. We are fighting with the Harkonnens and challenging Thanos. Ukraine is hosting one of the great epics of this century.”

Critics pointed out that it’s incredibly frivolous to highlight a comparison of a war to nerd fiction.

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China successfully tests ‘phantom space strike’ weapon which can overwhelm an enemy’s missile defence systems ahead of a nuclear attack

China has successfully tested a ‘phantom space strike’ – a new tactic to overwhelm and sabotage missile defences by emitting fake target signals from space.

Military engineers announced earlier this month they had completed a computer simulation and achieved positive results.

The tactic is designed to overwhelm the enemy on the basis that there is only so much a missile defence system would be able to cope with.

This can lead to exhaustion of the enemy’s weapon supplies, making it easier to destroy it. 

In the simulation, a ballistic missile was launched against an enemy which had a missile defence system. 

After surpassing the atmosphere, the missile released three spacecrafts containing radio interference equipment which picked up enemy radar network signals and sent back dummy signals, successfully triggering enemy forces to launch an interceptor.

‘Generating phantom tracks in space is extremely difficult,’ the team wrote, according to South China Morning Post.

‘We solved one of the major challenges … with a clever design.’

The team was led by Zhao Yanli, a senior engineer in the People’s Liberation Army Unit 63891 – a military agency based in the central Chinese province of Henan that develops new technologies.

Dummy attacks are often used in combat to exhaust the enemy’s supplies. 

The team said this tactic was not previously feasible in space. Now the positive results of the simulation have given them hope as they move the project onto the next stage to battle any engineering challenges.

Researchers exploited a weak spot in radar stations where signals can become fuzzy and crossed over. 

The spacecrafts’ direction, speed and formation would be decided before the launch and would be based on the information obtained about the enemy’s radar station.

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President Biden Makes Surprise Visit To Kyiv, Pledges New Military Aid

President Biden departed from Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, early Sunday morning. He stopped at Ramstein Air Base in Germany before making an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday morning. The visit comes ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden’s visit comes as Russia prepares for a massive spring offensive. Western countries are racing to flood Ukraine with new weaponry, including main battle tanks and armored vehicles. Biden delivered remarks alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv and announced new military aid worth $500 million, according to AP News. The new military aid includes anti-tank missiles, air-surveillance radars, howitzers, shells, ammunition and other support, but no new advanced weaponry.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about US support for Ukraine in the war,” Biden said in joint remarks with Zelenskyy. He said, “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

Zelenskyy thanked Biden for coming to Kyiv “at a huge moment for Ukraine.” He said he and the US president would hold talks about the war and what’s happening on the frontlines and also “about the people, about Ukrainians, about Americans . . . what we have to do to stop the war, to have success in this war . . . and how to win this year”.

Biden said, “I am meeting with President Zelenskyy and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine.” He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “dead wrong,” believing he could instantly take Ukraine during the invasion nearly one year ago.

“Over the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support – and that support will endure,” he continued.

Biden also said, “We will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”

The president’s social media team was busy tweeting this morning.

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