Why a US general thinks the Middle East is more ‘volatile’ now than last 50 years
In 2023, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, said the Middle East was on the verge of an unprecedented and transformative process. Now, in 2024, no other region presents more of a threat to the United States than the region CENTCOM monitors — which includes the Middle East, the Levant and parts of central Asia — according to Kurilla.
“Today, the central region faces its most volatile security situation in the past half century,” Kurilla said while speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on the fiscal year 2025 Defense Authorization Act. “This is not the same central region as last year.”
After Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks against Israel, Iran saw an opportunity to try and reshape the Middle East to its advantage, according to Kurilla — a once-in-a generation opportunity for Iran.
“Iran has worked for decades to strategically encircle the region with its proxies,” Kurilla said. “In the past six months, we have seen every proxy in the Iranian threat network operationalized in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and Yemen.”
The proxies are now mobilized, and Iran has them given nearly full-access to all of the advanced weaponry it produces.
As talks of a cease-fire in Gaza show little sign of progress, there are now reports surfacing saying Israel may be planning to launch a ground attack against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah — also an Iranian proxy — used the war in Gaza to increase its own barrage of attacks.
In addition to Iran and its proxies, Kurilla said ISIS is still active in the area and will likely try to attack the U.S. within the next six months.
Collectively, Iran, Russia and China are strengthening their relationships and foster a chaotic landscape favorable for their exploitation.
China and Russia are also capitalizing on the instability of the region, according to Kurilla.
“[China and Russia] have shown meager interest or capability to reduce regional tensions, but rather, they have increased their efforts to pressurize regional partners across all elements of national power,” Kurilla said. “Collectively, Iran, Russia and China are strengthening their relationships and foster a chaotic landscape favorable for their exploitation.”
Congress seeks to stop foreign leaders trying to silence people in US
The House of Representatives is working on three bipartisan bills to address transnational repression. According to the FBI, transnational repression happens when foreign governments stalk, intimidate or assault people in the United States.
In countries like Russia, China and Turkey, where oppressive regimes reign, criticizing the government can get someone jailed or killed. However, those governments also send their enforcers into the United States, hoping to silence their citizens living here and even Americans.
Former NBA first round pick Enes Kanter Freedom became a victim of repression after he criticized the Turkish government.
“Then I began to call out human rights violations by President Erdogan in my home country,” Freedom told a House Homeland Security subcommittee. “The Turkish government asked the U.S. government to extradite me, canceled my passport, put my name on Interpol list, imprisoned my father, and set a $500,000 bounty on my head.”
“Unfortunately, in some countries around the world, freedom of expression, civil rights, civil liberties are backsliding and we need to make sure that here in the United States we do what we can to protect people,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told Straight Arrow News.
To understand how aggressive these governments can be, this is what Turkey did to the 6’5″, 250 pound NBA center.
“In 9 years, I received 12 arrest warrants and countless death threats,” Freedom said. “They tried to attack me in front of a mosque in Boston. They run social media campaigns against me so their fanatics could harass me or attack me when they see me. They pressured American universities, NGOs and political groups to cancel their events with me.”
Transnational repression can take the form of hacking, assaults, attempted kidnapping, forced or coerced return to the country of origin, threats to detain family in home countries, and freezing financial assets.
The typical targets are human rights activists, dissidents, political opponents, religious or ethnic minority groups and journalists.
The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence held a markup on Thursday, March 7, to prepare the bills for a vote on the House floor.
“The heart of the issue, again, lies at them thinking that they can threaten people, Americans, on American soil,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said. “This is a step in identifying and allowing these victims at least an outlet to feel protected, safe and secure.”
If signed into law, the legislation would create a dedicated office within the Department of Homeland Security to analyze, monitor and prevent transnational repression, establish a hotline, conduct a public service announcement campaign, and develop a training program for state and local officials.
“We know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of others who are being targeted, being threatened, but don’t know where to go,” Magaziner said. “We also know that this is happening under the noses of state and local law enforcement who just don’t have the training to identify what’s going on and know what to do about it.”
The bills still need to be approved in both chambers of Congress and signed by the president. The sponsors hope their bipartisanship will help get that done.
House Democrats probe SpaceX in Russia’s alleged Starlink use
U.S. House Democrats have launched an investigation into SpaceX. The investigation follows allegations that Russia may be leveraging its Starlink satellite internet service for military operations in Ukraine, potentially breaching U.S. sanctions and threatening both Ukrainian and U.S. national security.
Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., expressed concerns after Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces were utilizing Starlink terminals in the conflict.
In a swift response to Russia’s invasion in 2022, Starlink deployed its high-speed internet service across Ukraine, significantly enhancing the country’s battlefield communication capabilities. Acknowledging the service’s critical role, the U.S. Department of Defense procured approximately 500 Starlink terminals for Ukraine in 2023.
Starlink’s reliable internet connection has been pivotal for Ukrainian troops, enabling enhanced operational efficiency through real-time group messaging, drone surveillance streaming and the coordination of artillery strikes.
However, Ukrainian authorities now assert that Russian forces have similarly acquired Starlink capabilities, allegedly securing terminals through intermediaries in Arab countries and deploying them in occupied Ukrainian territories. Kyiv has called on SpaceX to inhibit Moscow’s access to these crucial services in the contested regions.
Despite the allegations, SpaceX and its CEO, Elon Musk, vehemently deny any form of business dealings with the Russian government or military forces. Musk has publicly refuted claims of terminal sales to Russia on social media, branding such allegations as unfounded.
Raskin and Garcia have requested a formal response from SpaceX by March 20.
Russia says it may team with China to put first nuclear power plant on the moon
Russia and China are exploring a collaboration to revolutionize lunar habitation. The leaders of Russia’s Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration are considering the installation of the first nuclear power plant on the moon.
“Today we are seriously considering a project — somewhere at the turn of 2033 to 2035 — to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues,” said Roscosmos Director General Yuri Borisov, highlighting the complexity of the endeavor.
The ambitious project seeks to make sustainable living on the moon and potentially other planets a reality by the mid-2030s, marking a significant advancement in space exploration. Russian officials have outlined plans to establish communication and power systems, and deploy advanced lunar landers, a jumping robot and smart mini-rovers for moon surface research.
China is scheduled to launch three moon missions, including the Chang’e 6 mission, in May.
Both countries have reiterated their opposition to the militarization of space, focusing instead on advancing space exploration.
Decades-old Javelin is still an effective tank killer: Weapon of the week
In 1996, the FGM-148 Javelin was created, and the advanced anti-tank missile weapon system is still sought after almost three decades later. The Javelin is mostly a tank killer, however, they have multiple firing modes and can be used against a wide array of targets.
The Javelin was originally designed by Texas Instruments — known for their calculators — and Martin Marietta, now Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
One thing that makes the Javelin so effective is the fact that it is a “fire-and-forget” missile. This means the operator can sight the target, lock on and send it. An automatic self-guidance system does the rest.
“Javelins are actually really effective especially in the battlefield, especially in our profession,” said Spc. Matthew Cantero, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team. “Whether it be a light unit, or mechanized, we’re gonna come up against enemies that have heavy equipment, and that javelin is gonna turn the fight.”
The Javelin has an infrared seeker and two shaped charges. The first charge detonates any reactive armor and the second pierces the base layer of armor.
The lethality of the missile system made them useful to Ukrainian Armed Forces seeing high levels of Russian tanks and armored vehicles in the early days of the war. Out of the first 300 Javelins fired by Ukrainian troops, 280 tanks were knocked out of commission.
About two dozen countries currently use Javelins and another seven hope to add them to their inventory soon.
Super Tuesday preview — more than a dozen states holding contests
Super Tuesday is here, with voters in more than a dozen states looking to make a difference in the presidential race. And Elon Musk has been dethroned as the world’s richest person. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
16 states holding contests on GOP, Democratic choice for President
Super Tuesday is underway across America, with the 2024 presidential race becoming clearer as more than a dozen states host contests. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, heads into the day bolstered by a Monday’s victory in North Dakota’s caucuses and a Supreme Court decision that rejected Colorado and other states’ attempts to remove his name from their ballots over the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. The justices ruled that such power resides with Congress, not the states.
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While Trump and President Joe Biden aim to edge closer to securing their party’s nominations, Trump’s primary GOP challenger, Nikki Haley, hopes today’s results will sustain her campaign. Despite winning only one primary so far, Haley has pledged to continue her campaign efforts but has made no commitments beyond Super Tuesday.
President Biden, on the other hand, might encounter opposition in some states as seen last week in Michigan, where a faction of Democrats voted ‘uncommitted’ to express their disapproval of his handling of the war in Gaza.
With over 850 Republican and more than 1,400 Democratic delegates at stake, Super Tuesday plays a critical role in the nomination process for both parties.
Supreme Court temporarily blocks new Texas immigration bill
This pause, effective until March 13th, will give the High Court time to review the case. The law, known as Senate Bill 4, was signed into effect by Governor Gregg Abbott in December.
A federal judge had already blocked the law last week, citing concerns that it could prompt states to create their own immigration regulations. A federal appeals court then ruled the law could take effect unless the Supreme Court intervened. Abbott has pledged to continue his efforts to protect Texas.
The Supreme Court’s decision came after the Biden administration raised alarms about the potential for the law to cause racial profiling and enhance state-controlled immigration enforcement.
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israel’s Benny Gantz on Gaza aid
Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the need for Israel to boost its humanitarian efforts in Gaza amidst the conflict with Hamas, in a meeting with a top Israeli official at the White House on Monday, March 4. The meeting with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz came a day after Harris, in a speech in Alabama, labeled the conditions in Gaza as “inhumane” and called on Israel to do more to aid the people in the territory.
https://twitter.com/VP/status/1764774031343915115
During her discussion with Gantz, the vice president highlighted the situation in Rafah and stressed the importance of having a credible humanitarian plan before considering any major military operation in the border town. Rafah is home to approximately 1.5 million people, most of whom have been displaced from their homes elsewhere due to the fighting.
Gantz, who is a political rival to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken today.
Jack Teixeria pleads guilty; Air Force employee charged with sharing info
Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty on Monday, March 4, to leaking highly classified military documents on social media, accepting a plea deal that could result in a 16-year prison sentence.
In a separate but related case, a U.S. Air Force employee is expected to make a court appearance in Nebraska today after being accused of sharing classified defense information with a woman he met on a foreign dating platform. David Slater, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, could face up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted on all charges.
Both incidents involved the unauthorized release of classified details concerning the ongoing state of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Bitcoin hits record high amid rally following SEC approval
Bitcoin is witnessing a resurgence, reaching an all-time high of $68,791 on Monday, March 4, eclipsing its previous record set in November 2021.
This latest rally has been propelled by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) earlier this year, enhancing the cryptocurrency’s accessibility to investors.
Bitcoin now represents more than half of all cryptocurrency in circulation, solidifying its position as the world’s leading digital currency.
Jeff Bezos surpasses Elon Musk to become richest person on Earth
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has once again ascended to the top of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, surpassing Elon Musk to reclaim the title of the world’s richest person.
Bezos’s net worth is currently valued at $200 billion, edging out Musk’s $198 billion, after he experienced a $31 billion decrease over the past year. Bezos last held this prestigious title in the fall of 2021, marking his return to the pinnacle of global wealth.
According to Oxfam’s annual inequality report, the net worth of the five wealthiest people on Earth has surged by 114% to a total of $869 billion, even after adjusting for inflation.
Report: 1 in 5 national governments crossing borders to silence dissenters
The latest report by Freedom House — an organization that describes itself as a defender of human rights — reveals that more than 20% of the world’s national governments have reached beyond their borders to assassinate, assault, imprison, interrogate and deport dissenters. The analysis found that national governments are reportedly searching the world for political activists, journalists and other foreign nationals in order to silence them.
According to Freedom House, a total of 25 countries are responsible for 125 incidents of “physical transnational repression.” The worst offenders, according to the report, are China, Russia, Turkey, Tajikistan and Egypt. Between 2014 and 2023, the report found that China alone is responsible for 25% of all cases.
In total, Freedom House found 1,034 cases of physical transnational repression. Reuters reported on an incident in 2023, where a Sikh activist in Canada was killed in an alleged assassination plot by the Indian government.
Freedom House also noted another alleged assassination plot that failed in the U.S. against a Sikh activist, as U.S. officials accuse India’s government of being behind the attempt.
Another incident of alleged transnational repression occurred in Spain. According to Reuters, Spanish intelligence believes Russia hired assassins to kill a former Russian helicopter pilot in the country. The former pilot had assumed a false name after defecting to Ukraine amid Russia’s war with the country. In total, Freedom House documents that Russia is accused of at least 18 incidents of physical transnational repression.
Meanwhile, China is accused of targeting nationals abroad, with Chinese officials reportedly threatening dissidents through “police stations” secretly operating in other countries. The FBI reportedly raided one of the outposts in New York City in fall 2023. China reportedly operates around 100 secret police outposts in Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Canada, France and several other countries.
Iran has also been accused of targeting journalists. London police investigated threats against Iran International TV, which forced the station to relocate to Washington, according to Reason.com.
The Freedom House report also indicates that without proactive moves, acts of transnational repression will continue to increase. Freedom House authors urge democracies to create safeguards against advancing surveillance systems used to track journalists and human rights activists by authoritarian governments.
Advocates want the U.S. and other countries to create a licensing system to identify countries targeting dissidents abroad and to train law enforcement to recognize transnational repression.
Russia war-gamed using nuclear weapons against China, leaked docs say
Leaked documents from Russia are shedding light on Moscow’s strategy for using nuclear weaponry. The leaked documents also revealed new insights into the Kremlin’s relationship with China, showing that Russia had mapped out potential conflict scenarios with its southern neighbor.
The Financial Times obtained the allegedly classified Russian military documents. There were 29 leaked files dated from 2008 to 2014, making all off them at least 10 years old. Despite the age of the files, they still contain significant information from an intelligence perspective.
According to the Financial Times, the strategies outlined relate specifically to Russia using tactical nuclear weapons, which are designed to be used on the battlefield rather than Cold War-era mega bombs.
According to the documents, if Russia lost 20% of its ballistic missile submarine fleet — which is capable of firing nuclear cruise missiles — Moscow would consider firing tactical nukes at its enemies.
If Russia loses 30% of its nuclear-powered attack submarines or if several airfields go offline, Moscow may use tactical nukes.
However, Russia saying it would use nukes is not new. Russian state media has propaganda bragging about Moscow’s nuclear prowess. Since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has touted the country’s nuclear ability to the point that some military leaders and experts are questioning how serious Putin is about using the alleged weaponry.
The documents show Russia was war-gaming possible conflict scenarios with China, including laying out examples of when a first-strike tactical nuclear option would be viable.
If China launched a ground assault, Russia determined a tactical nuclear strike would be an appropriate response against a second wave of Chinese troops.
However, in the time since the leaked documents were written, Moscow and Beijing have grown close — especially since the war in Ukraine began.
Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping now have what they call a “no limits” friendship. China holds the upper hand in the two country’s relationship, and its leaders have spoken multiple times about the need to avoid nuclear conflict.
Air and Space Forces reveal new priorities to prepare for evolving threats
The 2024 AFA Warfare Symposium showcased a clear theme of impending change amidst a backdrop of industry buzzwords and acronyms. The symposium unveiled 24 new priorities for the Air and Space Forces’ leadership, aimed at creating a more agile force that relies on established teamwork at home bases.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin emphasized the need to re-optimize the branch to dominate evolving challenges of the future.
“That’s what this is about,” Allvin said. “Taking this Air Force that has the best talent, the best teamwork, and re-optimizing it to dominate this game in the way it’s gonna be played now and into the future. That’s what this is about.”
One of the most obvious changes discussed is the restructuring of combat wings. Traditional air expeditionary wings will be replaced by deployable combat wings, in-place combat wings, and combat generation wings. The shift aims to create more self-sufficient units that ready to engage the enemy without having to piece together deployments from various locations.
“We can no longer afford to move slowly,” Allvin said. “And if you wanna move fast and coherently you have to be in unison, you have to be integrated.”
Allvin did not provide a specific timeline for the implementation of these changes, but a previously scheduled testing at three bases in the summer of 2024 has been suspended.
The changes announced at the symposium can be categorized into four areas: developing people, generating readiness, projecting power, and developing capabilities.
“I am unapologetic to stand here in front of you and say I do not know the final destination,” Allvin said. “And here’s why, because if we wait to move to have those final answers, we will be too late.”
The Space Force, which is four years old, is also undergoing significant changes.
One headline change is the creation of a new field command, the Space Futures Command.
“So we are going to establish a Space Futures Command that is combined of three centers that starts to ask these fundamental questions,” Chief of Space Operation Gen. Chance Saltzman said. “That puts together a force that we can offer to combatant commanders that doesn’t just have the systems. It has the tactics, the training, the operational concepts.”
Both Air and Space Forces leaders emphasized that change is rarely easy but framed these shifts in priorities as opportunities for growth and improvement.
We got a lot of hard work to do. This is the most difficult, intense, focused threat that I’ve ever seen us face. And we’re just gonna have to respond accordingly.
Frank Kendall, Air Force Secretary
The symposium’s discussions of re-optimization were underscored with motivating factors, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine, tensions in the Red Sea’s shipping lanes, and China’s intentions regarding Taiwan.
For a detailed overview of all the changes planned for both the Air and Space Forces, interested parties can refer to the official releases and presentations from the symposium below.
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American tech is still being found in Russian weapons used in Ukraine
Russia’s war against Ukraine is now two years in, leading to increased sanctions and export controls against both Moscow and Vladimir Putin’s allies. However, American technology is still making its way into Russian weapons.
“The evidence points overwhelmingly to the fact that Russia relies on Western technology to power its military capabilities and United States companies produce the majority of components found in Russian weapons,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.
Blumenthal travelled to Ukraine, where he said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave him a report that contained a list of 211 American manufactured chips, semiconductors and other technology in numerous Russian missiles and other high-tech products used on the battlefield.
According to the report, 87 of the pieces were made by four companies: Intel, AMD, Analog Devices and Texas Instruments.
American manufacturers are fueling and supporting the growing and gargantuan Russian war machine.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
“American manufacturers are fueling and supporting the growing and gargantuan Russian war machine,” Blumenthal said. “We know that these semiconductors are manufactured by United States companies and they either know or should know what’s happening.”
Straight Arrow News reached out to the companies asking specific questions about their efforts to comply with U.S. sanctions and exports controls.
Intel said in a statement it “promptly suspended all shipments to customers in both Russia and Belarus following the outbreak of war. Intel continues to comply with all applicable export regulations and sanctions in the countries in which it operates, and Intel’s contracts require its customers and distributors to comply with the same regulations. Intel actively and diligently works to track and mitigate potential distributor issues and has zero tolerance for circumvention of its requirements.”
Texas Instruments said it is cooperating with the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and has a dedicated team that actively and carefully monitors the sale and shipment of their products as part of a “robust” global trade compliance program.
“TI strongly opposes the use of our chips in Russian military equipment and the illicit diversion of our products to Russia. We stopped selling products into Russia in February 2022. Any shipments of TI chips into Russia are illicit and unauthorized,” a TI spokesperson said in a statement.
Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) said it takes significant and proactive measures to mitigate gray market risks and actively monitors the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention’s War & Sanctions website and database. In addition, ADI said it is using a third party system to search the internet for products posted for sale by unauthorized sellers.
“ADI does not condone or support the use of our products for end applications for which they were not intended or authorized, nor do we condone or support the illicit diversion of our products to countries or entities subject to U.S. or international sanctions.”
Industry advocates have said Russia is able to acquire some of the semiconductors by repurposing those found in household appliances like washing machines. A witness cast doubt on that.
“It makes little sense that Russia would buy a $500 washing machine for a $1 part that they could obtain more easily otherwise,” Damien Spleeters, deputy director of Operations Conflict Armament Research, said. “Some of these chips, of course, can also fit household appliances, but others cannot unless your washing machine can fly.”
Spleeters investigates weapons diversion in conflicts around the world. According to Spleeters, some of the components his organization analyzed were made after the war began and after sanctions were put in place.
“More and more now, we are seeing components that are produced after February 2022,” Spleeters said during a Senate Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. “And that should be a concern for manufacturers.”
“So we’re seeing these components in weapons manufactured after the beginning of the war and after the sanctions were imposed,” Blumenthal asked.
“Correct,” Spleeters answered.
To prevent Russia from obtaining this technology, the witnesses suggest increasing funding to the agencies in charge of export control enforcement, closing loopholes by making rules more consistent between different jurisdictions and increasing multilateral cooperation which could include entering into an export control treaty.