DOD's Investment Arm Details Its Financial Playbook For Scaling Out Tech

DOD’s INVESTMENT ARM DETAILS ITS FINANCIAL PLAYBOOK FOR SCALING OUT TECH through giving loan guarantees through the SBIC Program to investors that are involved in component-level technologies.

View On WordPress

THE NEXT TIME banks need a bailout, they’ll have a new argument for why it’s necessary: national security.

In recent months, the Pentagon has moved to provide loans, guarantees, and other financial instruments to technology companies it considers crucial to national security — a step beyond the grants and contracts it normally employs. So when Silicon Valley Bank threatened to fail in March following a bank run, the defense agency advocated for government intervention to insure the investments. The Pentagon had even scrambled to prepare multiple plans to get cash to affected companies if necessary, reporting by Defense One revealed.

Their interest in Silicon Valley Bank stems from the Pentagon’s brand-new office, the Office of Strategic Capital. According to the Wall Street Journal, the secretary of defense established the OSC in December specifically to counteract the investment power of adversaries like China in U.S. technologies, and to secure separate funding for companies whose products are considered vital to national security. It enjoys special authority to use loans and guarantees not normally available to the Defense Department to attract private investment in technology.

While working at the Pentagon with a high security clearance, (Daniel) Ellsberg became aware of a document known as the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan, JSCP. The President and the Secretary of Defense did not know about the content or the existence of the JSCP.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff had actually written up a set of practices designed to keep the Defense Secretary from inquiring about the JSCP.

In fact, the JSCP was the General War Plan. Specifically, a written directive stated that the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan, or the capital letters JSCP should never appear in correspondence between the JCS and any agency of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Any JCS documents forwarded to the Secretary of Defense were to be retyped to remove any reference to the JSCP.

The key element of the JSCP was that in the event of armed conflict. That is, anything beyond a small skirmish, the basic military objective of the US Armed Forces is the defeat of the Sino-Soviet Bloc.

In other words, Ellsberg became aware of the fact that the Military's General Plan for War meant that if conflict between the US and the Soviet Union broke out, US strategy entailed, as a matter of course, the complete destruction of the USSR AND China with nuclear weapons.

- American Exception: Empire and the Deep State

Historian Aaron Good

"Almost as an article of faith, some individuals believe that conspiracies are either kooky fantasies or unimportant aberrations. To be sure, wacko conspiracy theories do exist. There are people who believe that the United States has been invaded by a secret United Nations army equipped with black helicopters, or that the country is secretly controlled by Jews or gays or feminists or black nationalists or communists or extraterrestrial aliens. But it does not logically follow that all conspiracies are imaginary.

Conspiracy is a legitimate concept in law: the collusion of two or more people pursuing illegal means to effect some illegal or immoral end. People go to jail for committing conspiratorial acts. Conspiracies are a matter of public record, and some are of real political significance. The Watergate break-in was a conspiracy, as was the Watergate cover-up, which led to Nixon’s downfall. Iran-contra was a conspiracy of immense scope, much of it still uncovered. The savings and loan scandal was described by the Justice Department as “a thousand conspiracies of fraud, theft, and bribery,” the greatest financial crime in history.

Often the term “conspiracy” is applied dismissively whenever one suggests that people who occupy positions of political and economic power are consciously dedicated to advancing their elite interests. Even when they openly profess their designs, there are those who deny that intent is involved. In 1994, the officers of the Federal Reserve announced they would pursue monetary policies designed to maintain a high level of unemployment in order to safeguard against “overheating” the economy. Like any creditor class, they preferred a deflationary course. When an acquaintance of mine mentioned this to friends, he was greeted skeptically, “Do you think the Fed bankers are deliberately trying to keep people unemployed?” In fact, not only did he think it, it was announced on the financial pages of the press. Still, his friends assumed he was imagining a conspiracy because he ascribed self-interested collusion to powerful people.

At a World Affairs Council meeting in San Francisco, I remarked to a participant that U.S. leaders were pushing hard for the reinstatement of capitalism in the former communist countries. He said, “Do you really think they carry it to that level of conscious intent?” I pointed out it was not a conjecture on my part. They have repeatedly announced their commitment to seeing that “free-market reforms” are introduced in Eastern Europe. Their economic aid is channeled almost exclusively into the private sector. The same policy holds for the monies intended for other countries. Thus, as of the end of 1995, “more than $4.5 million U.S. aid to Haiti has been put on hold because the Aristide government has failed to make progress on a program to privatize state-owned companies” (New York Times 11/25/95).

Those who suffer from conspiracy phobia are fond of saying: “Do you actually think there’s a group of people sitting around in a room plotting things?” For some reason that image is assumed to be so patently absurd as to invite only disclaimers. But where else would people of power get together – on park benches or carousels? Indeed, they meet in rooms: corporate boardrooms, Pentagon command rooms, at the Bohemian Grove, in the choice dining rooms at the best restaurants, resorts, hotels, and estates, in the many conference rooms at the White House, the NSA, the CIA, or wherever. And, yes, they consciously plot – though they call it “planning” and “strategizing” – and they do so in great secrecy, often resisting all efforts at public disclosure. No one confabulates and plans more than political and corporate elites and their hired specialists. To make the world safe for those who own it, politically active elements of the owning class have created a national security state that expends billions of dollars and enlists the efforts of vast numbers of people."

Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing

View Online Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing March 8, 2024 MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: All right, well, good afternoon, everyone. I know it’s surprising, but got quite a bit to cover today, so I’m going to jump right in, and I’ll get to your questions. Earlier today, the department’s Office of Strategic Capital announced the release of its first…

View On WordPress

The Advantages of Fort Myer Army Lodging: Comfort, Convenience, and Community

When it comes to accommodations, Fort Myer Army Lodging stands out as an excellent choice for military personnel, their families, and authorized guests. This military lodging facility, located near Arlington, Virginia, offers a host of advantages that make it a preferred option for those visiting the Washington, D.C. area. In this article, we'll explore the numerous advantages of Fort Myer Army Lodging, from its commitment to comfort and convenience to its strong sense of community.

Prime Location: Fort Myer Army Lodging is strategically located near the heart of Arlington, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. This central location provides easy access to the many attractions, government offices, and historic sites in the nation's capital.

Cost-Effective Accommodations: One of the standout advantages of staying at Fort Myer Army Lodging is its affordability. The rates are often significantly lower than commercial hotels in the area, making it a budget-friendly choice for military travelers and their families.

Spacious and Well-Equipped Rooms: Fort Myer Army Lodging offers a range of comfortable and well-appointed rooms, including suites and family accommodations. Guests can expect spacious rooms with modern amenities, ensuring a pleasant and convenient stay.

Security and Safety: Fort Myer is a secure military installation, providing a safe and controlled environment for guests. Security personnel are on hand to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.

Amenities and Services: The facility offers a wide range of amenities and services, including on-site laundry facilities, fitness centers, Wi-Fi, and complimentary breakfast options. These services enhance the comfort and convenience of guests during their stay.

Pet-Friendly Options: Fort Myer Army Lodging understands the importance of family pets. Pet-friendly accommodations are available, allowing military families to travel with their beloved animals.

Proximity to Military Facilities: For military personnel and their families, Fort Myer Army Lodging's proximity to the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and other military installations in the D.C. area is a significant advantage. It minimizes commute times and allows guests to stay close to important military functions and events.

Community and Support: Staying at Fort Myer Army Lodging provides an opportunity to connect with fellow military members and families. The sense of community and mutual support can be a comforting experience for those going through military deployments or transitions.

Reservation Ease: Booking a stay at Fort Myer Army Lodging is a straightforward process, and reservations can often be made well in advance. This ease of booking simplifies travel planning for military personnel and their families.

Commitment to Excellence: The staff at Fort Myer Army Lodging is dedicated to providing exceptional service to its guests. They understand the unique needs of military travelers and strive to ensure that each stay is as comfortable and hassle-free as possible.

EXPOSED: The Pentagon is scheming to bail out big businesses. Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola discuss on The Young Turks. Watch TYT LIVE on weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live Read more HERE: https://theintercept.com/2023/04/03/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-pentagon/ "THE NEXT TIME banks need a bailout, they’ll have a new argument for why it’s necessary: national security. In recent months, the Pentagon has moved to provide loans, guarantees, and other financial instruments to technology companies it considers crucial to national security — a step beyond the grants and contracts it normally employs. So when Silicon Valley Bank threatened to fail in March following a bank run, the defense agency advocated for government intervention to insure the investments. The Pentagon had even scrambled to prepare multiple plans to get cash to affected companies if necessary, reporting by Defense One revealed. Their interest in Silicon Valley Bank stems from the Pentagon’s brand-new office, the Office of Strategic Capital. According to the Wall Street Journal, the secretary of defense established the OSC in December specifically to counteract the investment power of adversaries like China in U.S. technologies, and to secure separate funding for companies whose products are considered vital to national security. It enjoys special authority to use loans and guarantees not normally available to the Defense Department to attract private investment in technology."* *** The largest online progressive news show in the world. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. Help support our mission and get perks. Membership protects TYT's independence from corporate ownership and allows us to provide free live shows that speak truth to power for people around the world. See Perks: ▶ https://www.youtube.com/TheYoungTurks/join SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=theyoungturks FACEBOOK: ☞ http://www.facebook.com/TheYoungTurks TWITTER: ☞ http://www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/TheYoungTurks TWITCH: ☞ http://www.twitch.com/tyt 👕 Merch: http://shoptyt.com ❤ Donate: http://www.tyt.com/go 🔗 Website: https://www.tyt.com 📱App: http://www.tyt.com/app 📬 Newsletters: https://www.tyt.com/newsletters/ If you want to watch more videos from TYT, consider subscribing to other channels in our network: The Watchlist https://www.youtube.com/watchlisttyt Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey https://www.youtube.com/indisputabletyt Unbossed with Nina Turner https://www.youtube.com/unbossedtyt The Damage Report ▶ https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport TYT Sports ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytsports The Conversation ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytconversation Rebel HQ ▶ https://www.youtube.com/rebelhq TYT Investigates ▶ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNJt9PYyN1uyw2XhNIQMMA #TYT #TheYoungTurks #BreakingNews 230405__TA02Pentagon by The Young Turks

Pentagon’s strategic capital office to spur investment in defense tech

Pentagon’s strategic capital office to spur investment in defense tech

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Thursday established an office focused on channeling private sector capital toward technology development to help the military services rapidly innovate capabilities. “As private sector capital is the dominant financing source for technology development today, we can create lasting benefits by engaging with trusted capital that focuses on critical technology areas for…

View On WordPress

This story has been updated with new information from the Pentagon and United Nations.

Ukraine armed forces have been striking that long line of Russian troops heading to Kyiv while the Russians have used thermobaric weapons against Ukrainian cities, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency tells Military Times.

“We are striking the enemy’s columns,” Brig. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told Military Times in an exclusive interview Wednesday morning. “We burn many columns of the enemy.”

The strikes, he said, are being conducted by Ukraine Su-24 and Su-25 fighter jets, artillery and missile barrages.

“My intelligence officers and agents are directing and calling the strikes,” he said.

Marine Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday morning he “would not speak to intel assessments.”

Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon on the condition of anonymity, a senior defense official said the Pentagon has indications Ukraine forces are targeting the convoy in an attempt to stymie what officials believe is Russia’s ultimate goal: to occupy Kyiv and install a puppet government. The official spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity.

[Ukraine jets hit Russian column; Russia has used thermobarics, Ukraine military says]

“We’ve seen indications that at times and at certain places, the convoys may have been resisted by Ukrainian forces and I think I have to leave it at that,” the official said. “But we’ve seen indications that we are in no position to refute [Ukraine claims they have hit the convoy].”

Ukraine invasion live updates: March 2

The Russian troops staged around the outside of Ukraine’s capital city appear to be in a holding pattern of some kind, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday.

Formations that had been moving toward Kyiv are essentially in the same spot today as they were Monday, the official said, roughly 17 miles outside the city center.

“We believe that that’s for a number of reasons,” the official said. “Obviously, the resistance that they’re facing, the fuel and sustainment problems that they’re having. We are also picking up signs that they’re having problems feeding their troops, that they’re not only running out of gas, but they are running out of food.”

The Pentagon’s assessment echoes multiple reports from recent days that Russian troops are looking for fuel and sustenance as they roll toward Kyiv.

There’s also the possibility, the official said, that the Russians are taking a strategic pause to regroup, possibly after a stiffer defense than anticipated from the Ukrainian armed forces.

Budanov also told Military Times that the Russians have been using thermobaric weapons in the assault on Kharkiv and near Kyiv.

They were fired, he said, by TOS-1M weapons systems.

Thermobaric weapons produce more heat and overpressure than conventional weapons by exploding a vapor in the blast zone, according to the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health. Such weapons create tremendous damage to the human body, according to the journal.

The Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately return a request seeking comment on both claims by Budanov.

Human Rights Watch condemned Russia’s reported used of the weapons a year earlier in Chechnya in 2000, according to The Guardian, as “a dangerous escalation” with “important humanitarian implications”.

The Guardian described the weapons as effective at their “specific purpose” of “primarily destroying defensive positions.” While they would not be used to penetrate a tank, they could be a “”very destructive weapon” against an apartment complex or other building.

“They are not illegal, even though their effects can be pretty horrific because of … creating a vacuum and sucking the air out of the lungs of defenders,” Marcus Hellyer, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told The Guardian.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, confirmed the Russians have used thermobaric weapons, also known as vacuum bombs.

“We have seen videos of Russian forces moving exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine which has no place on the battlefield,” the U.S. envoy to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the General Assembly, according to The Hill.

“That includes cluster munitions and vacuum bombs, which are banned under the Geneva Convention.”

She echoed allegations made on Monday — by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova to American lawmakers — that Russia was using in its attacks on Ukraine a thermobaric weapon, according to The Hill.

A senior U.S. defense official on Tuesday said the Pentagon has seen weapons systems that can launch themobaric weapons inside Ukraine, but could not confirm the thermobaric weapons are actually in Ukraine or their use. Semelroth on Wednesday told Military Times there was no update to that assessment. That official on Wednesday “had nothing more to add.”

Almost as an article of faith, some individuals believe that conspiracies are either kooky fantasies or unimportant aberrations. To be sure, wacko conspiracy theories do exist. There are people who believe that the United States has been invaded by a secret United Nations army equipped with black helicopters, or that the country is secretly controlled by Jews or gays or feminists or black nationalists or communists or extraterrestrial aliens. But it does not logically follow that all conspiracies are imaginary. Conspiracy is a legitimate concept in law: the collusion of two or more people pursuing illegal means to effect some illegal or immoral end. People go to jail for committing conspiratorial acts. Conspiracies are a matter of public record, and some are of real political significance. The Watergate break-in was a conspiracy, as was the Watergate cover-up, which led to Nixon’s downfall. Iran-contra was a conspiracy of immense scope, much of it still uncovered. The savings and loan scandal was described by the Justice Department as “a thousand conspiracies of fraud, theft, and bribery,” the greatest financial crime in history. Often the term “conspiracy” is applied dismissively whenever one suggests that people who occupy positions of political and economic power are consciously dedicated to advancing their elite interests. Even when they openly profess their designs, there are those who deny that intent is involved. In 1994, the officers of the Federal Reserve announced they would pursue monetary policies designed to maintain a high level of unemployment in order to safeguard against “overheating” the economy. Like any creditor class, they preferred a deflationary course. When an acquaintance of mine mentioned this to friends, he was greeted skeptically, “Do you think the Fed bankers are deliberately trying to keep people unemployed?” In fact, not only did he think it, it was announced on the financial pages of the press. Still, his friends assumed he was imagining a conspiracy because he ascribed self-interested collusion to powerful people. At a World Affairs Council meeting in San Francisco, I remarked to a participant that U.S. leaders were pushing hard for the reinstatement of capitalism in the former communist countries. He said, “Do you really think they carry it to that level of conscious intent?” I pointed out it was not a conjecture on my part. They have repeatedly announced their commitment to seeing that “free-market reforms” are introduced in Eastern Europe. Their economic aid is channeled almost exclusively into the private sector. The same policy holds for the monies intended for other countries. Thus, as of the end of 1995, “more than $4.5 million U.S. aid to Haiti has been put on hold because the Aristide government has failed to make progress on a program to privatize state-owned companies” (New York Times 11/25/95). Those who suffer from conspiracy phobia are fond of saying: “Do you actually think there’s a group of people sitting around in a room plotting things?” For some reason that image is assumed to be so patently absurd as to invite only disclaimers. But where else would people of power get together – on park benches or carousels? Indeed, they meet in rooms: corporate boardrooms, Pentagon command rooms, at the Bohemian Grove, in the choice dining rooms at the best restaurants, resorts, hotels, and estates, in the many conference rooms at the White House, the NSA, the CIA, or wherever. And, yes, they consciously plot – though they call it “planning” and “strategizing” – and they do so in great secrecy, often resisting all efforts at public disclosure. No one confabulates and plans more than political and corporate elites and their hired specialists. To make the world safe for those who own it, politically active elements of the owning class have created a national security state that expends billions of dollars and enlists the efforts of vast numbers of people.

Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths

Pentagon And Small Business Administration (SBA) Team For Tech Investment

Jason Rathje, director of the new Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), speaks at CSIS. (screen capture of CSIS video) CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE ‘BREAKING DEFENSE” By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. “Three-month-old brand-new Office of Strategic Capital (OIC) encourages investment in cutting-edge technology, through existing programs outside the Defense Department, giving.confidence to invest in technologies…

View On WordPress

Russian war in Ukraine nearing possibly more dangerous phase

President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is approaching a new, potentially more dangerous phase after a month of fighting has left Russian forces stalled by an outnumbered foe.

He is left with stark choices — how and where to replenish his spent ground forces, whether to attack the flow of Western arms to Ukrainian defenders, and at what cost he might escalate or widen the war.

Despite failing to score a quick victory, Putin is not relenting in the face of mounting international pressure, including sanctions that have battered his economy. The Western world is aligned largely against Putin, but there have been no indications he is losing support from the majority of the Russian public that relies predominantly on state-controlled TV for information.

Ukrainian defenders, outgunned but benefitting from years of American and NATO training and an accelerating influx of foreign arms and moral support, are showing new signs of confidence as the invading force struggles to regroup.

Russian shortcomings in Ukraine might be the biggest shock of the war so far. After two decades of modernization and professionalization, Putin’s forces have proved to be ill-prepared, poorly coordinated and surprisingly stoppable. The extent of Russian troop losses is not known in detail, although NATO estimates that between 7,000 and 15,000 have died in the first four weeks — potentially as many as Russia lost in a decade of war in Afghanistan.

WATCH: Paul Workman on Ukraine's stunning military win

Latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war

What Russia's invasion says about its militry capabilities

Robert Gates, the former CIA director and defence secretary, said Putin “has got to be stunningly disappointed” in his military's performance.

“Here we are in Ukraine seeing conscripts not knowing why they’re there, not being very well trained, and just huge problems with command and control, and incredibly lousy tactics,” Gates said at a forum sponsored by The OSS Society, a group honouring the World War II-era intelligence agency known as the Office of Strategic Services.

Battlefield trends are difficult to reliably discern from the outside, but some Western officials say they see potentially significant shifts. Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath, London's defence attaché in Washington, says British intelligence assesses that Ukrainian forces probably have retaken two towns west of Kyiv, the capital.

“It is likely that successful counterattacks by Ukraine will disrupt the ability of Russian forces to reorganize and resume their own offensive towards Kyiv,” Smeath said in a brief statement Wednesday.

Ukraine’s navy said Thursday it sank a large Russian landing ship near the port city of Berdyansk.

Faced with stout Ukrainian resistance, Russian forces have resorted to bombardment of urban areas but made little progress capturing the main prize — Kyiv. The Pentagon said Wednesday that some Russian troops were digging in at defensive positions outside of Kyiv rather than attempting to advance on the capital, and that in some cases the Russians have lost ground in recent days.

In an assessment published Thursday, the Atlantic Council said a major Russian breakthrough is highly unlikely.

Not long before Putin kicked off his war Feb. 24, some U.S. military officials believed he could capture Kyiv in short order — perhaps just a few days — and that he might break the Ukrainian military within a couple of weeks. Putin, too, might have expected a quick victory, given that he did not throw the bulk of his pre-staged forces, estimated at more than 150,000, into the fight in the opening days. Nor did his air force assert itself. He has made only limited use of electronic warfare and cyberattacks.

Putin is resorting to siege tactics against key Ukrainian cities, bombing from afar with his ground troops largely stagnant.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of international affairs at Columbia University, says Putin's shift is likely based on a hope that President Volodymyr Zelensky will give up rather than allow the killing and destruction to continue.

“This plan is very unlikely to work. Slaughtering innocent civilians and destroying their homes and communities is mostly just stiffening Ukrainian resistance and resolve,” Biddle said in an email exchange.

Ukrainian units have begun counterattacking in some areas, according to John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary. But the Ukrainians face an uphill battle even as the United States and its allies accelerate and widen a flow of critical weapons and supplies, including anti-aircraft missiles and armed drones. Biden has vowed to seek longer-range air defence systems for Ukraine as well as anti-ship missiles. Last week he approved a new US$800 million package of arms for Ukraine.

Philip Breedlove, a retired Air Force general who served as the top NATO commander in Europe from 2013 to 2016 and is now a Europe specialist with the Middle East Institute, said Ukraine may not win the war outright, but the outcome will be determined by what Zelensky is willing to accept in a negotiated settlement.

“I think it's highly unlikely that Russia is going to be defeated in detail on the battlefield,” Breedlove said, because Russia has a large reserve of forces it could call on. But Ukraine might see winning as forcing Russia to pay such a high price that it is willing to strike a deal and withdraw.

“I think there is a chance of that,” Breedlove said.

With the war's outcome in doubt, so too is Putin's wider goal of overturning the security order that has existed in Europe since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Putin demands that NATO refuse membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet states like Georgia, and that the alliance roll back its military presence to positions held prior to expanding into Eastern Europe.

NATO leaders have rejected Putin's demands, and with uncharacteristic speed are bolstering the allied force presence in Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, which border Ukraine, and in Bulgaria, which like Ukraine sits on the Black Sea.

“We are united in our resolve to counter Russia’s attempts to destroy the foundations of international security and stability,” leaders of the 30 allied nations said in a joint statement after meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

The human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine has overshadowed a worry across Europe that Putin could, by miscalculation if not by intent, escalate the conflict by using chemical or nuclear weapons in Ukraine or attempt to punish neighbouring NATO nations for their support for Ukraine by attacking them militarily.

“Unfortunately there is now not a single country that can live with the illusion that they are safe and secure,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said, referring to his fellow European members of NATO.

With that threat in mind, the United States and other allied countries have begun assembling combat forces in Bulgaria and other Eastern European NATO countries — not to enter the war directly but to send Putin the message that if he were to widen his war he would face allied resistance.

Speaking at a windswept training range in Bulgaria last week, U.S. Army Maj. Ryan Mannina of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment said the tension is palpable.

“We're very aware that there's a war going on only a few hundred miles from us,” he said.

—

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

___

Get in touch

Do you have both Ukrainian and Russian family members? How are you handling the crisis? Email [email protected].

Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with CTV News.

Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/nmlic2D

News Roundup 12/31/20

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Two Kentucky police officers were fired over the murder of Breonna Taylor. The two officers who were fired are the officer who killed Taylor and the officer who lied to get the warrant needed for the night raid on Taylor’s apartment. [Link]

The Department of Justice announces it is closing the investigation into the police murder of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. No one will face charges for killing Rice. [Link]

Police in body armor raid salon for alleged covid lockdown violations. [Link]

The FDA announced owners of distilleries that produced hand sanitizer will have to pay a $14,000 fee to the government. [Link]

NFL Pro-Bowler Russell Okung will get paid half his contract in Bitcoin. [Link]

Foreign Policy

The Oklahoma state senate has introduced a Defend the Guard bill. The bill will prevent OK National Guardsmen from being deployed in unconstitutional wars. [Link]

Biden picked Kathleen Hicks for the number two spot at the Pentagon. Hicks is a war-hawk who recently worked at the MIC-funded Center for Strategic and International Studies. [Link]

The State Department approved a $4.2 billion weapons sale to Kuwait. [Link]

The State Department approved a $290 million bomb sale to Saudi Arabia. [Link]

The US is considering placing Cuba on the state sponsor of terrorism list. [Link]

China

Two unnamed Trump officials report to Axios the US will declassify uncorroborated intelligence showing China paid bounties for non-state actors to target US soldiers in Afghanistan. [Link]

The US sails two warships through the Taiwan Strait. [Link]

Middle East

The US deploys B-52 bombers to the Middle East as a show of force to Iran. The US has deployed B-52 to the Middle East three times since November. [Link]

A Turkish court sentenced 92 people to life-sentences for their role in the 2016 attempted coup. [Link]

The US gives the Iraqi military 30 armored vehicles. [Link]

Twenty-two people were killed by a bomb at the airport in Aden, Yemen. [Link]

Saudi Arabia bombs at least 15 targets in Yemen’s capital city. [Link]

Read More

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

View Online Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing Dec. 1, 2022 BRIGADIER GENERAL PAT RYDER: Good afternoon, everybody. All right, just a few things to pass along and I will go ahead and take your questions. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin today established the Office of Strategic Capital, or OSC, a Department of Defense Organization that…

View On WordPress

Kwame Nkrumah on the methods of neo-colonialism (from Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism):

Some of these methods used by neo-colonialists to slip past our guard must now be examined. The first is retention by the departing colonialists of various kinds of privileges which infringe on our sovereignty: that of setting up military bases or stationing troops in former colonies and the supplying of ‘advisers’ of one sort or another. Sometimes a number of ‘rights’ are demanded: land concessions, prospecting rights for minerals and/or oil; the ‘right’ to collect customs, to carry out administration, to issue paper money; to be exempt from customs duties and/or taxes for expatriate enterprises; and, above all, the ‘right’ to provide ‘aid’. Also demanded and granted are privileges in the cultural field; that Western information services be exclusive; and that those from socialist countries be excluded.

Even the cinema stories of fabulous Hollywood are loaded. One has only to listen to the cheers of an African audience as Hollywood’s heroes slaughter red Indians or Asiatics to understand the effectiveness of this weapon. For, in the developing continents, where the colonialist heritage has left a vast majority still illiterate, even the smallest child gets the message contained in the blood and thunder stories emanating from California. And along with murder and the Wild West goes an incessant barrage of anti-socialist propaganda, in which the trade union man, the revolutionary, or the man of dark skin is generally cast as the villain, while the policeman, the gum-shoe, the Federal agent — in a word, the CIA — type spy is ever the hero. Here, truly, is the ideological under-belly of those political murders which so often use local people as their instruments.

While Hollywood takes care of fiction, the enormous monopoly press, together with the outflow of slick, clever, expensive magazines, attends to what it chooses to call ‘news. Within separate countries, one or two news agencies control the news handouts, so that a deadly uniformity is achieved, regardless of the number of separate newspapers or magazines; while internationally, the financial preponderance of the United States is felt more and more through its foreign correspondents and offices abroad, as well as through its influence over inter-national capitalist journalism. Under this guise, a flood of anti-liberation propaganda emanates from the capital cities of the West, directed against China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Algeria, Ghana and all countries which hack out their own independent path to freedom. Prejudice is rife. For example, wherever there is armed struggle against the forces of reaction, the nationalists are referred to as rebels, terrorists, or frequently ‘communist terrorists'!

Perhaps one of the most insidious methods of the neo-colonialists is evangelism. Following the liberation movement there has been a veritable riptide of religious sects, the overwhelming majority of them American. Typical of these are Jehovah’s Witnesses who recently created trouble in certain developing countries by busily teaching their citizens not to salute the new national flags. ‘Religion’ was too thin to smother the outcry that arose against this activity, and a temporary lull followed. But the number of evangelists continues to grow.

Yet even evangelism and the cinema are only two twigs on a much bigger tree. Dating from the end of 1961, the U.S. has actively developed a huge ideological plan for invading the so-called Third World, utilising all its facilities from press and radio to Peace Corps.

During 1962 and 1963 a number of international conferences to this end were held in several places, such as Nicosia in Cyprus, San Jose in Costa Rica, and Lagos in Nigeria. Participants included the CIA, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), the Pentagon, the International Development Agency, the Peace Corps and others. Programmes were drawn up which included the systematic use of U.S. citizens abroad in virtual intelligence activities and propaganda work. Methods of recruiting political agents and of forcing ‘alliances’ with the U.S.A. were worked out. At the centre of its programmes lay the demand for an absolute U.S. monopoly in the field of propaganda, as well as for counteracting any independent efforts by developing states in the realm of information.

The United States sought, and still seeks, with considerable success, to co-ordinate on the basis of its own strategy the propaganda activities of all Western countries. In October 1961, a conference of NATO countries was held in Rome to discuss problems of psychological warfare. It appealed for the organisation of combined ideological operations in Afro-Asian countries by all participants.

In May and June 1962 a seminar was convened by the U.S. in Vienna on ideological warfare. It adopted a secret decision to engage in a propaganda offensive against the developing countries along lines laid down by the U.S.A. It was agreed that NATO propaganda agencies would, in practice if not in the public eye, keep in close contact with U.S. Embassies in their respective countries.

Among instruments of such Western psychological warfare are numbered the intelligence agencies of Western countries headed by those of the United States ‘Invisible Government’. But most significant among them all are Moral Re-Armament QARA), the Peace Corps and the United States Information Agency (USIA).

Moral Re-Armament is an organisation founded in 1938 by the American, Frank Buchman. In the last days before the second world war, it advocated the appeasement of Hitler, often extolling Himmler, the Gestapo chief. In Africa, MRA incursions began at the end of World War II. Against the big anti-colonial upsurge that followed victory in 1945, MRA spent millions advocating collaboration between the forces oppressing the African peoples and those same peoples. It is not without significance that Moise Tshombe and Joseph Kasavubu of Congo (Leopoldville) are both MRA supporters. George Seldes, in his book One Thousand Americans, characterised MRA as a fascist organisation ‘subsidised by . . . Fascists, and with a long record of collaboration with Fascists the world over. . . .’ This description is supported by the active participation in MRA of people like General Carpentier, former commander of NATO land forces, and General Ho Ying-chin, one of Chiang Kai-shek’s top generals. To cap this, several newspapers, some of them in the Western ;vorld, have claimed that MRA is actually subsidised by the CIA.

When MRA’s influence began to fail, some new instrument to cover the ideological arena was desired. It came in the establishment of the American Peace Corps in 1961 by President John Kennedy, with Sargent Shriver, Jr., his brother-in-law, in charge. Shriver, a millionaire who made his pile in land speculation in Chicago, was also known as the friend, confidant and co-worker of the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, Allen Dulles. These two had worked together in both the Office of Strategic Services, U.S. war-time intelligence agency, and in the CIA.

Shriver’s record makes a mockery of President Kennedy’s alleged instruction to Shriver to ‘keep the CIA out of the Peace Corps’. So does the fact that, although the Peace Corps is advertised as a voluntary organisation, all its members are carefully screened by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Since its creation in 1961, members of the Peace Corps have been exposed and expelled from many African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries for acts of subversion or prejudice. Indonesia, Tanzania, the Philippines, and even pro-West countries like Turkey and Iran, have complained of its activities.

However, perhaps the chief executor of U.S. psychological warfare is the United States Information Agency (USIA). Even for the wealthiest nation on earth, the U.S. lavishes an unusual amount of men, materials and money on this vehicle for its neo-colonial aims.

The USIA is staffed by some 12,000 persons to the tune of more than $130 million a year. It has more than seventy editorial staffs working on publications abroad. Of its network comprising 110 radio stations, 60 are outside the U.S. Programmes are broadcast for Africa by American stations in Morocco, Eritrea, Liberia, Crete, and Barcelona, Spain, as well as from off-shore stations on American ships. In Africa alone, the USIA transmits about thirty territorial and national radio programmes whose content glorifies the U.S. while attempting to discredit countries with an independent foreign policy.

The USIA boasts more than 120 branches in about 100 countries, 50 of which are in Africa alone. It has 250 centres in foreign countries, each of which is usually associated with a library. It employs about 200 cinemas and 8,000 projectors which draw upon its nearly 300 film libraries.

This agency is directed by a central body which operates in the name of the U.S. President, planning and coordinating its activities in close touch with the Pentagon, CIA and other Cold War agencies, including even armed forces intelligence centres.

In developing countries, the USIA actively tries to prevent expansion of national media of information so as itself to capture the market-place of ideas. It spends huge sums for publication and distribution of about sixty newspapers and magazines in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The American government backs the USIA through direct pressures on developing nations. To ensure its agency a complete monopoly in propaganda, for instance, many agreements for economic co-operation offered by the U.S. include a demand that Americans be granted preferential rights to disseminate information. At the same time, in trying to close the new nations to other sources of information, it employs other pressures. For instance, after agreeing to set up USIA information centres in their countries, both Togo and Congo (Leopoldville) originally hoped to follow a non-aligned path and permit Russian information centres as a balance. But Washington threatened to stop all aid, thereby forcing these two countries to renounce their plan.

Unbiased studies of the USIA by such authorities as Dr R. Holt of Princeton University, Retired Colonel R. Van de Velde, former intelligence agents Murril Dayer, Wilson Dizard and others, have all called attention to the close ties between this agency and U.S. Intelligence. For example, Deputy Director Donald M. Wilson was a political intelligence agent in the U.S. Army. Assistant Director for Europe, Joseph Philips, was a successful espionage agent in several Eastern European countries.

Some USIA duties further expose its nature as a top intelligence arm of the U.S. imperialists. In the first place, it is expected to analyse the situation in each country, making recommendations to its Embassy, thereby to its Government, about changes that can tip the local balance in U.S. favour. Secondly, it organises networks of monitors for radio broadcasts and telephone conversations, while recruiting informers from government offices. It also hires people to distribute U.S. propaganda. Thirdly, it collects secret information with special reference to defence and economy, as a means of eliminating its international military and economic competitors. Fourthly, it buys its way into local publications to influence their policies, of which Latin America furnishes numerous examples. It has been active in bribing public figures, for example in Kenya and Tunisia. Finally, it finances, directs and often supplies with arms all anti-neutralist forces in the developing countries, witness Tshombe in Congo (Leopoldville) and Pak Hung Ji in South Korea. In a word, with virtually unlimited finances, there seems no bounds to its inventiveness in subversion.

One of the most recent developments in neo-colonialist strategy is the suggested establishment of a Businessmen Corps which will, like the Peace Corps, act in developing countries. In an article on ‘U.S. Intelligence and the Monopolies’ in International Affairs (Moscow, January 1965), V. Chernyavsky writes: ‘There can hardly be any doubt that this Corps is a new U.S. intelligence organisation created on the initiative of the American monopolies to use Big Business for espionage. It is by no means unusual for U.S. Intelligence to set up its own business firms which are merely thinly disguised espionage centres. For example, according to Chernyavsky, the C.I.A. has set up a firm in Taiwan known as Western Enterprises Inc. Under this cover it sends spies and saboteurs to South China. The New Asia Trading Company, a CIA firm in India, has also helped to camouflage U.S. intelligence agents operating in South-east Asia.

Such is the catalogue of neo-colonialism’s activities and methods in our time. Upon reading it, the faint-hearted might come to feel that they must give up in despair before such an array of apparent power and seemingly inexhaustible resources.

Fortunately, however, history furnishes innumerable proofs of one of its own major laws; that the budding future is always stronger than the withering past. This has been amply demonstrated during every major revolution throughout history.

Kushner, Perry Met With Zelensky Before Ukraine’s $400M Military Aid Was Delayed

More than a month before President Trump’s now heavily scrutinized phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and at the same time an almost $400 million U.S. military aide package was being discussed and ultimately delayed, two senior administration officials, Special Advisor Jared Kushner and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, met privately with the comedian-turned-leader, and discussed issues related to energy and security. The meeting took place at a tax-payer funded VIP dinner on June 4th, 2019 at the Brussels residence of U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and was part of the embassy’s annual celebration of Independence Day, which though hosted one month early, included a glitzy event at the Autoworld vintage car museum in the heart of Belgium’s capital. Texas’ former Governor and Kushner attended both events, and were personally pictured with President Zelensky at the dinner, at which President Trump’s son-in-law was sat directly next to the foreign leader. Also in attendance at this invite-only dinner, according to records published by the U.S. Mission to the European Union, were other foreign leaders such as Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă and her Vice Prime Minister Ana Birchall; Polish President Andrzej Duda; Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze; Belgian Interior Minister Pieter De Crem; Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the European Integration, Olena Volodymyrivna Zerkal; European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cańet; European Parliament President Antonio Tajani; and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. The U.S. delegation was no less robust and included U.S. State Department Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl; Acting Assistant for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Secretary Philip T. Reeker; U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Ronald J. Gidwitz; U.S. Ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher; and NATO Special Operations Headquarters Commander, Vice Admiral Colin J. Kilrain. In addition to diplomatic officials, a lone entertainer was invited, comedian Jay Leno. At the time of the dinner, President Zelensky was on his first foreign trip as leader of Ukraine, and Kushner had just departed London, where President Trump was making a state visit. Both officials were on a quest to secure support from the European Union, Kushner for the long anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, and President Zelensky for accession to membership in the bloc, a move he described at the time to European Council President Donald Tusk as a “powerful blow against Russian authoritarianism,” and their “imperial project.” An unnamed source in President Zelensky’s administration quoted by Interfax-Ukraine and the Kyiv Post confirmed that Kushner spoke to Ukraine’s leader during the trip, and said that “they discussed a wide range of issues, ranging from security to energy.” Additionally, a report published by the Financial Times on June 5 also asserts President Zelensky met with Kushner as well as with Secretary Perry, but gives no detail as to what was discussed. It is not clear if these reports were referring to an additional meeting aside from the U.S. EU embassy event where photos confirm direct interaction between President Zelensky, Secretary Perry and Kushner. A White House official with knowledge of the dinner told TruNews that this dinner was the meeting being referenced, and that President Zelensky arrived late and left early, and no additional meetings took place. Secretary Perry’s role in the Brussels dinner is made clearer when examining his mention in the whistleblower complaint released Thursday morning by the House intelligence Committee. According to the complaint, unnamed U.S. government officials allegedly told the whistleblower that Secretary Perry was sent to President Zelensky’s inauguration on May 20 in place of Vice President Mike Pence at the instruction of President Trump, who ordered the VP to cancel the trip to make it clear that President Trump himself would not meet with the Ukrainian leader until he saw how he “chose to act” in office. While in Ukraine on this state directed visit, Secretary Perry told reporters to expect a sanctions bill to materialize soon penalizing companies involved in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the gas pipeline being construction across the Baltic Sea to Germany which directly threatens the profits and domestic siphoning of the Gazprom Soyuz pipeline which traverses Ukraine. Other members of the U.S. delegation led by Secretary Perry, who returned on May 23 to brief President Trump at the White House, included Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson; U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker, who also presently serves as executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership; and Ambassador Sondland, who also attended the Brussels-Kushner-Zelensky dinner. These same officials gathered at the White House on July 10th along with National Security Advisor John Bolton and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksandr Danylyuk, who directly advises President Zelensky on national security, to “discuss opportunities for increased energy security cooperation.” On July 26th, one day after the infamous Trump-Zelensky phone call, envoy Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and former U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine, William B. Taylor, met in Kiev with National Security & Defense Council Secretary Danylyuk and President Zelensky. According to Ukrainian television outlet Hromadske the parties discusses the “current situation in the area of Operation of the Joint Forces,” referring to military cooperation between the U.S. and it's most strategic ally in Eastern Europe. It is of note that envoy Volker reportedly resigned following the publication of President Trump's July 25th phone call with President Zelesnky, and other White House officials are seeking independent legal counsel related to their role in the negotiations with Ukraine. On the subject of military aid, the Kushner-Perry-Zelensky-Brussels dinner in June eerily coincides with what the Washington Post, quoting unnamed administration officials, described as the beginning of “discussions about Ukrainian aid.” As noted by the Post, President Trump has frequently requested the withholding of aid from foreign governments when he concludes they are “not doing their part,” with past examples being Central American countries failing to sufficiently halt the inflow of illegal immigrants through America’s southern border. Relevant congressional officials were notified on February 28th and May 23rd, the last being only one week before Kushner and Secretary Perry’s meeting with President Zelensky, that President Trump intended to release large contingents of military aid to Ukraine to support their ongoing civil war against separatists in the North Eastern region of their country, and deter further alleged Russian provocations. As part of the $693 billion U.S. Defense Department budget for Fiscal Year 2019, which ends October 1st, Congress approved a total of $391 million in military aid for Ukraine, and this was split into two funds; the larger administered by the Pentagon for the delivery of sniper rifles, counter-artillery radar systems, ammunition and grenade launchers; and the other by the U.S. State Department for maritime security and NATO interoperability. This money reportedly sat dormant in U.S. accounts and was not transferred to Ukraine until September 11th, 2019. Quoting three unnamed senior administration officials whose accounts cannot be independently verified by TruNews, the Post reported that President Trump directed his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to “hold back” the money “at least a week” before the infamous phone call between he and President Zelensky on July 25. Officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), previously overseen by Mulvaney, conveyed President Trump’s order to the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon through an interagency meeting, according to an anonymous source quoted by the Post who was aware of the “internal deliberations.” During these deliberations, the Post’s unnamed source noted that officials explained that the president had “concerns,” and wanted to analyze whether the money even needed to be spent before it was sent to Ukraine. Additionally, the Post claims that Trump Administration officials were then instructed to continuously lie to Congress about the status of the almost $400m military aid package, by telling them delays were part of an “interagency process,” without providing any additional information. This “pattern” as the Post describes it, continued from July to September 11, when the funds were finally released, just under two months from the Trump-Zelensky phone call, and just over three months from Jared Kushner and Secretary Perry’s meeting with the Ukrainian President in Brussels. This date also coincides with the resignation of former national security adviser John Bolton, who according to the Post fought unsuccessfully with President Trump to release the almost $400 million military aide package to Ukraine sooner, after President Trump and his embattled lawyer Rudy Giuliani had said they were instead “primarily concerned with corruption.” It is also one month after top Pentagon official, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood, wrote to four congressional committees that the Department of Defense had “certified that the Government of Ukraine has taken substantial action to make defense institutional reforms for the purposes of decreasing corruption and increasing accountability." This verification was required by law to release $250 million of the congressionally approved military aid package to Ukraine. Two unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters that the Trump administration expects that $220 million of the $250 million of the Pentagon-portion of the congressionally approved military aid package for Ukraine for fiscal year 2019 will be spent by Monday, September 30th, the official deadline before the money defaults back to the U.S. and requires a re-approval by Congress for the FY2020. The Pentagon has confirmed that the majority of the $250 million Ukrainian military aid package would be committed before the deadline, but U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has refused to comment on why the White House decided to delay the funds since June. Though no records have yet been provided, the Pentagon’s NATO Foreign Military Sales office is required by law to publish the name(s) of the companies which have agreed to fulfill these weapons contracts, deals which would have been rushed and incurred at an inflated cost for both the governments of the Ukraine and U.S., yet be incredibly profitable for anyone aware of the delay, short term spending need, and stocked to fulfill them. According to Congressional records the U.S. has provided $1.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, when Russian forces were deployed to secure the strategic port of Sevastopol in Crimea, following the elections calling for annexation. At the time, Joe Biden, the focus of the now-infamous July 25 Trump-Zelensky call, by his own admission made a similar threat to halt congressionally approved military aide to Ukraine if Obama administration demands were not met. According to Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who visited Ukraine in early September and spoke directly with President Zelensky and his administration, the “entire” administration was concerned “that the aid that was being cut off to Ukraine by President Trump was a consequence for their unwillingness, at the time, to investigate the Bidens.” “I don’t think it really matters . . . whether the president explicitly told the Ukrainians that they wouldn’t get their security aid if they didn’t interfere in the 2020 elections,” Senator Murphy said. “There is an implicit threat in every demand that a United States president makes of a foreign power. . . . That foreign country knows that if they don’t do it, there are likely to be consequences.” (Photo credit: U.S. Embassy to the European Union) source https://trunews.com/stream/kushner-perry-met-with-zelensky-before-ukraines-400m-military-aid-was-delayed