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☆ The US military isn't ready for the coming drone war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

The Department of Defense is working on initiatives to face the drone threat, but the US military doesn't yet appear ready to confront this ever-evolving challenge, especially on the scale seen in Ukraine. AdvertisementA US military MQ-9 Reaper drone waits for take-off at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan on March 9, 2018. US military leaders have repeatedly stressed there's no silver bullet to defeat small drones in battle. Shellie HallStudents there spend several weeks learning how to identify, engage, and defeat small drones. The drone threat draws certain parallels to fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, where hidden bombs posed a tremendous threat.

Persons: GENYA SAVILOV, Mick Ryan, hasn't, you've, Franz J, Marty, Samuel Bendett, Paul Scharre, that's, Mike Parent, Mark Schauer, Parent, Paul Butcher, Cpl, Doug Bush, Amber Osei, Moseph Sauda, doesn't, Sauda, America's, Bram Janssen, Scharre, Justin Bronk, Jack Watling, Ryan Organizations: Business, Troops, of Defense, Department of Defense, Getty, Australian Army, Islamic State, Kandahar Air Base, Defense Ministry, Karabakh . Defense Ministry, Azerbaijan, AP, Pentagon, US Army, Aircraft Systems, Solutions, 71st Jaeger Brigade, US Army Yuma, Technology, Army, sUAS University, US Marine Corps, Force, Central Command, Shellie, National Training Center, US Army Air Defense Artillery, Center, New, New American Security, Base, London's Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Ukraine, prowling, Jordan, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, AFP, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Avdiivka, Yuma, East, Oklahoma's Fort Sill, California, Fort Sill, China, Luhansk Region, Europe, Iran, New American, Iraq, Washington, Bagram, Kabul, Australian

☆ His Skull Was Taken From Congo as a War Trophy. Will Belgium Finally Return It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Monika Pronczuk | Koba Ryckewaert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Once a powerful local Congolese leader, Lusinga Iwa Ng’ombe fought back against Belgian colonial invaders in the late 19th century. He was such a thorn in their side that Émile Storms, who commanded Belgian troops in the region, predicted his head would “eventually end up in Brussels with a little label — it would not be out of place in a museum.”That is exactly what happened. Troops of Mr. Storms killed and decapitated Mr. Lusinga in 1884, and his skull ended up in a box in the Brussels-based Institute for Natural Sciences, along with over 500 human remains taken from former Belgian colonies. His descendants are struggling to have his remains returned, their efforts unfolding against the backdrop of a larger debate about Europe’s responsibility for the colonial atrocities, reparations and restitution of plundered heritage.

Persons: Iwa Ng’ombe, “, Storms, Mr, Lusinga Organizations: Iwa, Belgian, Natural Sciences Locations: Congolese, Belgian, Brussels

☆ The Army Sees Mortars as Safe. Troops Report Signs of Brain Injury.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Dave Philipps | More About Dave Philipps | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

After firing about 10,000 mortar rounds during four years of training, one soldier who joined the Army with near-perfect scores on the military aptitude test was struggling to read or do basic math. Another soldier started having unexplained fits in which his internal sense of time would suddenly come unmoored, sending everything around him whirling in fast-forward. “Guys are getting destroyed,” said Sergeant Devaul, who has fired mortars in the Missouri National Guard for more than 10 years. “Heads pounding, not being able to think straight or walk straight. They say you are just dehydrated, drink water.”

Persons: Michael Devaul, ’, ”, Sergeant Devaul Organizations: Army, Missouri National Guard

☆ Rockets fired from Iraq towards U.S. military base in Syria, Reuters reports citing sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

At least five rockets were launched from Iraq's town of Zummar towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources and a U.S. official told Reuters. At least five rockets were launched from Iraq's town of Zummar towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources and a U.S. official told Reuters. The attack against U.S. forces is the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against U.S. troops. Another popular Telegram group close to Kataib Hezbollah, Sabreen News, later said there had been no official statement by the Iran-backed faction. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said more than five rockets were fired from Iraq towards troops at a coalition base in Rumalyn, Syria, but no U.S. personnel were injured.

Persons: Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Reuters, Iraqi, White, Kataib, Hezbollah, Sabreen Locations: Iraq's, Zummar, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, United States, U.S, Iran, Rumalyn

☆ Pentagon Reviews Events Before Attack That Killed 13 U.S. Troops in Kabul
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A new Pentagon review of the events leading up to the bombing that killed 13 American service members at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021, has reaffirmed earlier findings that U.S. troops could not have prevented the deadly violence. The review’s conclusions focus on the final days and hours at Abbey Gate before the attack, which also killed as many as 170 civilians. Some Marines who were at the gate have said they identified the suspected bomber — who became known to investigators as “Bald Man in Black” — in the crowds hours before the attack but were twice denied permission by their superiors to shoot him. But the review, building on a previous investigation made public in February 2022, rejected those accusations. The narrative of missed opportunities to avert tragedy has gained momentum over the past year among conservatives and has contributed to broader Republican criticisms of the Biden administration’s troop withdrawal and evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.

Organizations: Islamic State, Marines, Biden Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan

☆ Germany's Lufthansa suspends flights to and from Tehran amid Middle East crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's Lufthansa said on Wednesday it suspended flights to and from Tehran from April 6 until probably April 11, "due to the current situation in the Middle East". "We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. Later, Tehran said that the shooting-down of the Ukrainian was a "disastrous mistake" by forces who were on high alert. In retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, head of an elite overseas unit of the Guards, Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq on Jan. 3. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in six months of Israeli bombardment of Gaza, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Persons: Germany's, Iran's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Qasem Soleimani Organizations: Lufthansa, Frankfurt Airport, Germany's Lufthansa, Reuters, Bloomberg, Revolutionary Guards, Ukraine International Airlines, Tehran, Iranian Guards, Guards Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Tehran, United States, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Damascus, Washington, U.S, Baghdad, Ukrainian, Iraq, Gaza, Hamas

☆ Bill in Congress Would Force Action on U.S. Troops’ Blast Exposure
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Dave Philipps | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawmakers from both parties plan to introduce a sweeping bill in Congress on Wednesday that would force the military for the first time to track and limit troops’ exposure to damaging shock waves from firing their own weapons. The bill, known as the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, would order the military to begin recording troops’ individual blast exposures in training and regularly give exposed troops neurocognitive tests to check for signs of possible injuries. It would also require military medical personnel to be trained in recognizing injuries from repeated blast exposure, which are currently often misdiagnosed as behavioral health issues, if they are diagnosed at all. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, plan to introduce the bill in the Senate on Wednesday. Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, plans to introduce a similar bill in the House.

Persons: Senators Elizabeth Warren, Joni Ernst, Ro Khanna Organizations: Senators, Republican Locations: Massachusetts, Iowa, California

☆ Opinion | Sensible Ways to Fight Terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First, as the authors note, pulling all U.S. troops and intelligence assets from fragile conflict zones is a boon to globalized terror movements. Second, we must reckon with the underlying grievances that make violent anti-Western ideologies, including militant jihadism, attractive to so many in the first place. These include the ill effects of globalization, and a “rules-based” world order increasingly insensitive to the needs of developing countries and regions. Simply maintaining a military or intelligence presence in terror hot spots does nothing to reduce the sticky recruiting power of militant movements. Stuart GottliebNew YorkThe writer teaches American foreign policy and international security at Columbia University.

Persons: Hasn’t, Christopher P, Costa, Colin P, Clarke, Stuart Gottlieb Organizations: ISIS, Columbia University Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, United States

☆ Russian assault piles pressure on fragile Ukrainian defensive line in the east
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The UK statement, which was shared on X, said: “Russian forces have maintained a gradual advance West of Avdiivka. Their apparent fall in just over a month after a prolonged and brutal Russian assault is indicative not only of Russian momentum, but also the fragility of Ukraine’s defensive lines. Ukraine’s military declined to comment on who is currently in control of Tonenke in response to a question from CNN. Troops CNN spoke to in frontline areas expressed concerns about the lack of Ukrainian defensive positions, personnel and munitions. The ISW said the Ukrainian forces appeared to have repelled the Russian mechanized assault, an apparent reference to the Umanske attack.

Persons: Kostiantyn, Donald Trump, Zelensky, ”, Yuriy Butusov, Butusov, Vlada, ISW, Chasiv Yar, Victoria Butenko, Svitlana Vlasova, Yulia Kesaieva Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, GOP, Washington, European Union, Ukraine’s, Staff, Russian, Troops CNN Locations: Russian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, Kyiv, Umanske, Tonenke, Berdychi, US, Bakhmut

The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern. Counterterrorism officials in Europe say that in recent months they have snuffed out several nascent ISIS-K plots to attack targets there. And now the group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.”

Persons: Biden, Michael E, “, Qassim Suleimani, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, ” Organizations: Taliban, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, military’s, Command, Counterterrorism, Soufan, Kremlin Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Moscow, State Khorasan Province, U.S, United States, Persian, Europe, Kerman, Iran, Gen, Iranian, Russia, New York, Chechnya, Syria

☆ What We Know About ISIS-K, the Group That Claimed Responsibility for the Moscow Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The group that claimed credit for the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow on Friday is the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan called Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K.ISIS-K was founded in 2015 by disaffected members of the Pakistani Taliban, who then embraced a more violent version of Islam. The group saw its ranks cut roughly in half, to about 1,500 to 2,000 fighters, by 2021 from a combination of American airstrikes and Afghan commando raids that killed many of its leaders. The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. During the U.S. military withdrawal from the country, ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul in August 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern.

Organizations: Islamic State, Taliban Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, State Khorasan Province, Kabul, U.S

☆ Navy SEALs on snowmobiles raced across the frozen Arctic to link up with an attack sub that broke the ice during a special ops first
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US Navy SEALs and allied commandos successfully executed a first-of-its-kind Arctic Circle drill recently. Over 400 special operations forces delivered a package to the submarine USS Hampton. Previously, the US had less of a focus on the Arctic, but with Russia and China taking up an increased presence in the region, the US now has more interest in pursuing Arctic training. AdvertisementSEALs and Norwegian Naval Special Operations Commandos are pictured next to the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) while two MH-47G Chinook helicopters, assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), hover overhead during an joint submarine/special operations forces integration exercise. US and allied military personnel training in the Arctic must work through temperatures below -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Persons: —, Bill Gallagher, Jeff Atherton, Martin Carey Organizations: US Navy, Service, US Army Green Berets, 160th SOAR, Warfare, 109th Airlift, New York Air National Guard, Special Operations Commandos, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, . Troops Locations: Hampton, Los Angeles, Norway, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom, Alaska, Greenland, Russia, China

There, at a yet-to-be-announced location along the Gaza shore, they will build and begin to operate a floating dock to receive the aid. Off shore, the Army will build a large floating platform where ships can unload large containers of aid. The brigade’s commander, Army Col. Sam Miller, said about 500 of his soldiers will participate in the mission. The last time the 7th Transportation Brigade did a similar mission to construct a large pier was in Haiti in 2010. Miller said a larger Maritime Sealift Command ship will also be leaving Virginia in the coming days, and will be carrying some of the bigger equipment and more of the steel pier segments.

Persons: James, Joe Biden, Sam Miller, Miller, “, ” Miller, Frank S, Besson, — Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Army, Base, Gaza Health Ministry, U.S, Army, Pentagon, Officials, 7th Transportation Brigade, Defense, Biden, Maritime Sealift Command Locations: Virginia, Gaza, U.S, Eustis, Israel, Matamoros, USAV Monterrey, Haiti, Saturday

That pushed Biden's count past 1,968 for a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August, where his nomination will be made official. Former President Donald Trump is expected to clinch the Republican nomination shortly. Biden, who mounted his first bid for president 37 years ago, did not face any serious Democratic challengers to his run for reelection at age 81. Already the oldest-ever American president, Biden would be 86 if he served out the entirety of a second term. “I sure feel confident.”Biden first ran for the Democratic nomination ahead of the 1988 presidential election, but flamed out when it emerged he had plagiarized speeches.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, —, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Roe, Wade, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Robert Hur, I’ve, he’s, Dean Phillips, Phillips, Said, Aishah Al, Louis, “ It’s, ”, Barack Obama, uncommitted, Delaware Sen, Ted Kaufman, “, ” Biden, Kaufman Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, Republican, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, NATO, GOP, Trump, Biden, Republicans, Dean Phillips of Locations: Georgia, Chicago, U.S, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Western Europe, Afghanistan, Kabul, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, St, Louis Park , Minnesota, Delaware, Iowa, South Carolina

☆ Biden 'determined' not to deploy U.S. troops to Ukraine; Chinese delegation meets in Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft on Friday said that Russian group Nobelium, which the company refers to as Midnight Blizzard, has been trying to access its internal systems and source code repositories. "In recent weeks, we have seen evidence that Midnight Blizzard is using information initially exfiltrated from our corporate email systems to gain, or attempt to gain, unauthorized access. This has included access to some of the company's source code repositories and internal systems," Microsoft said in a blog post. Microsoft said Midnight Blizzard was trying to access secrets, including those shared between Microsoft and its customers, but that it was reaching out and helping affected customers. Microsoft first said in January that it had detected a cyberattack from Nobelium, which saw the Russian group hack emails from top executives.

Persons: Blizzard, — Sophie Kiderlin Organizations: Microsoft, Midnight Locations: Nobelium, Russian

☆ House Democrats probe SpaceX over alleged illegal export and use of Starlink by Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

House Democrats Robert Garcia, D-Calif. and Jamie Raskin, D-Md, sent a letter to SpaceX demanding transparency from the defense contractor following reports of potentially illegal purchases and use of Starlink satellite internet equipment by Russia in occupied territories of Ukraine. The congressmen also announced a probe of SpaceX by the Democratic House Committee into the company's safeguards and procedures for preventing illegal exports and use of its Starlink equipment and services. The Washington Post first reported on the probe and March 6 letter to SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell. In a statement on Thursday, the congressmen wrote, "Russia's use of Starlink satellite terminals would be in contravention of U.S. export controls that prohibit Russia from acquiring and utilizing U.S.-produced technology." The new probe by House Democrats follows news on Wednesday that a man in New Jersey was arrested on charges of allegedly trafficking 675 SpaceX Starlink terminals which were purchased with stolen credit card accounts or hacked Starlink billing accounts.

Persons: Robert Garcia, Jamie Raskin, Gwynne Shotwell, Elon Musk, Musk, Starlink, Walter Isaacson, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, GUR, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher Organizations: SpaceX, Democratic, Committee, Washington Post, Netflix, Directorate of Intelligence, Russian, Democrats, House, Department of Defense, CNBC, House Democrats, Police Locations: Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland, Russia, Crimea, Russian, Kyiv's, Ukrainian, Donetsk, House China, Taiwan, Starlink, New Jersey

☆ US soldiers say running high-stress artillery ops deep in the ever-changing Arctic is unlike anywhere else
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewDeep in the Arctic, US troops are training to conduct difficult and high-stress artillery operations in challenging cold-weather conditions. The challenges, soldiers told Business Insider, come from the freezing temperatures, harsh weather, and unpredictable ground conditions. "There's a lot more than goes into it, especially in the Arctic environment, than the rest of the world," Sgt. Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division work with M119 Howitzers to enhance their basic artillery skills on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, June 14, 2020. Troops are being proactive rather than reactive, they told BI, looking for new or alternative firing positions in real time.

Persons: —, Zachary, Paige Behringer, Brandon Vasquez USARPAC, Charles A, Flynn, Abreanna Goodrich, Poole, Timothy Crumpler, Mike Godinez, Martinez, they're, it's, Zachary Tousignant, Stephanie Snyder It's, Tousignant Organizations: Service, Business, Zachary Poole, Artillery, Army, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, 11th Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Division, Fort Drum , New York . U.S, Staff, U.S, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Airborne Division, Pacific Multinational Readiness, US Army, BI, U.S . Army, Donnelly Training, Spc, U.S . Army Spc, Co, Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness, Martinez Soldiers, 11th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division, . Troops Locations: Fairbanks , Alaska, Fort Drum , New York, Utqiagvik, Alaska, China, Russia, North Korea, U.S, Hawaii, Ukraine

☆ US soldiers are fighting to get back lost skills for war in the 'most challenging environment on the planet,' Army general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Army's new JPMRC training rotation in Alaska prepares soldiers to fight in frigid conditions. Many skills related to Arctic combat had atrophied, generals said. On the flip side, JPMRC also does an annual rotation in Hawaii, training soldiers to fight in the wet, humid jungle. US Army Alaska officially became the 11th Airborne Division, a newly reactivated unit, with the focus on Pacific and Arctic combat. The general told reporters US Army Alaska had "sort of lost the Arctic ethos" because of its focus on counterinsurgency in the Middle East.

Persons: —, USARPAC, Elijah Magaña, Brian S, Eifler, JPMRC, Charles Flynn, Flynn, Brandon Vasquez, Eilfer Organizations: US, Army, Service, US Army, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, 11th Airborne Division, U.S, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Airborne Division, Pacific Multinational Readiness, Donnelly Training, Troops, U.S . Army, US Army Alaska, The Army Locations: Alaska, Fairbanks , Alaska, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Pacific, China, U.S, Utqiagvik, Russia

☆ The US Army is breeding a new kind of Arctic warrior by 'testing the mettle of the human' in frigid, freezing Alaska, commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Out on the snow-covered Alaskan tundra, US Army Pacific is pushing its soldiers to prepare to fight in subzero temperatures and hostile, unpredictable environments. "It's a harsh environment," Maj. Gen. Brian S. Eifler told Business Insider in an in-person interview at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks. Some told Business Insider the Arctic was the most difficult environment to fight in, while others noted it took a specific type of mindset to survive there, let alone excel. Maj. Joseph Gaskin told Business Insider, explaining that "we don't have all the answers for this environment."

Persons: —, USARPAC, Sammantha Ohm, Abreanna Goodrich, Snow, Maj, Brian S, Eifler, Col, Sean Lucas, Elijah Magaña JPMRC, Charles A, Flynn, USARPAC's, it's, Michael Sword, Joseph Gaskin, Lucas Organizations: Service, US Army, Business, Army, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, BI, US, 11th Airborne Division, Troops, U.S . Army Spc, 5th Squadron, 1st Calvary Regiment, Delta Co, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Airborne Division, Pacific Multinational Readiness, Donnelly Training, U.S, Spc, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Pentagon, Pacific Command, U.S . Army, 11th Airborne Locations: Fairbanks , Alaska, Alaska, Wainwright, Fairbanks, Hawaii, China, Russia, North Korea

☆ Russia relishes NATO disarray after hasty denials of plan to deploy ground troops to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The United States, Germany, the U.K., Spain, Poland and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were among those denying that sending ground troops into Ukraine was an option. She claimed NATO countries' denials that they planned to send their ground troops into Ukraine showed the West had "betrayed Ukraine and will continue to use and betray it," repeating Moscow's baseless claims that Western countries are using Ukraine to destroy Russia. After the conference, Macron said discussions had also covered the possibility of deploying ground troops, although he said there was no agreement on the issue. France was left looking increasingly isolated throughout the day Tuesday, with the White House also distancing itself from Macron's comments. When asked about Macron's comments, Kirby said "well, that's a sovereign decision that every NATO ally would have to make for themselves.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Mikhail Metzel, Emmanuel Macron, Jens Stoltenberg, Dmitry Medvedev, Macron, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon, Maria Zakharova, Macron's, Stephane Sejourne, John Kirby, Kirby, General Stoltenberg, —, Biden, Timothy Ash, Ash Organizations: Defence, Sputnik, Reuters, NATO, Russian, Russia's Foreign Ministry, Ukraine —, Russian Foreign, Tass, Chesnot, Getty, White, . National Security, Kremlin Russia, Kremlin, Russia, BlueBay Asset Management Locations: Nazi Germany, Moscow, Russia, Reuters Russia, Ukraine, United States, Germany, Spain, Poland, NATO, Russian, France, Canada, Paris, France's, Republic, U.S

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter on Saturday to Elon Musk demanding that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan get access to SpaceX's Starshield, a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military. The letter, obtained by CNBC and first reported by Forbes, claimed that by not making Starshield available to U.S. military forces in Taiwan, SpaceX could violate its Pentagon contract, which requires "global access" to Starshield technology. The letter requests that Musk provide the House committee with a briefing on its Taiwan operations by March 8. Taiwan has been governing itself independently of China since the island split from the mainland during the 1949 civil war. "I think I've got a pretty good understanding as an outsider of China," Musk said on the All-In Podcast.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Forbes, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Musk, I've, Jaushieh Joseph Wu Organizations: Fratelli, Chinese Communist Party, Elon, CNBC, SpaceX, Pentagon, U.S ., Rep, CCP, Starshield, Russia, U.S, Tesla, Foreign Locations: Italy, Rome, Taiwan, China, American, Shanghai, Hawaii

☆ U.S. troops will be on the front lines against Russia without further Ukraine aid, Senator Coons says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Germany — The U.S. faces the prospect of direct combat with Russia if it fails to provide continued financial and military support for forces on the ground in Ukraine, U.S. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said Friday. Calling for bipartisan support from the U.S. House of Representatives for a new $95 billion aid package that includes funds for Ukraine, Coons said that investment in Europe was the U.S.' best defense against Moscow. "In the next front against Russia, it will be Americans on the front lines," Coons told CNBC's Silvia Amaro at the Munich Security Conference. Without doing so, Coons said Putin was likely to target a NATO ally next. "If we don't stop Putin in Ukraine, he will next be attacking NATO allies of the United States," he said.

Persons: Sen, Chris Coons, Democratic Sen, Coons, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Vladimir, Putin, Joe Biden Organizations: Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Democratic, U.S . House, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Munich Security, U.S, Senate, NATO Locations: Afghanistan, Washington ,, MUNICH, Germany, The U.S, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Europe, United States

☆ What Is Hezbollah, the Group Backing Hamas Against Israel?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

Lebanon's Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israeli forces across the frontier since its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza and Israel went to war on Oct. 7. The exchanges are the deadliest since a 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Both Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have said they do not seek all-out war, and the conflict has largely been contained to areas near the border. Hezbollah demonstrated its military advances in 2006 during a five-week war with Israel, which erupted after it crossed into Israel, kidnapping two soldiers and killing others. The Gaza conflict has rippled across the Middle East, where Hezbollah has inspired and supported other Iranian-backed groups.

Persons: Hossein Amirabdollahian, Bashar al, Assad, WHAT'S, Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington, Lebanese Shi'ites, Rafik al, Hariri, spiralled, Hassan Nasrallah, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair, William Maclean Organizations: Israel, Iran's, Guards, Islamic, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, United, . Marine, U.S . Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon, Lebanese, Hamas, Gaza, Israel, Israeli, Nabatieh, al, Iran, Tehran, The U.S, Syria, ISRAEL, Irag, Yemen, U.S, Jordan . Saudi Arabia, LEBANON, Saudi, Beirut, United States

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president has met the CEO of U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin about strengthening security in the region and continued U.S. investment in Poland’s military weapons and equipment, the country's National Security Bureau said Wednesday. The bureau in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said the talks between President Andrzej Duda and Jim Taiclet included “securing the participation of Poland's defense sector" in deliveries and maintenance of U.S. weapons such as jet fighters, Javelin missiles and elements of the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Lockheed Martin makes Javelins, HIMARS and some jet fighters. More than 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Poland, on NATO's eastern flank, mostly in the Rzeszow region near the border with Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion there. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Persons: —, Lockheed Martin, Andrzej Duda, Jim Taiclet Organizations: National Security Bureau, Javelin, - Mobility, Lockheed, Associated Press Locations: WARSAW, Poland, U.S, Rzeszow, Ukraine, Russia's

☆ Opinion | It’s Not Time for Our Troops to Leave the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kenneth F. Mckenzie Jr. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States base at Tower 22 in Jordan is in the middle of a seemingly unending desert, astride the ancient Damascus-Baghdad Highway near the border with Syria. Last month three U.S. service members at Tower 22 were killed by a drone launched by an Iranian-backed militia. The Tower 22 attack ended that state of play and sparked fresh questions about the safety of thousands of U.S. military personnel stationed in Jordan, Syria and Iraq as the Middle East conflict widens. Last month, the United States and Iraq started talks that could lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It gives hope to Tehran that it is succeeding in its long-term goal of ejecting the United States from the region through its proxy militias.

Persons: Biden Organizations: United, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, U.S Locations: United States, Jordan, Damascus, Baghdad, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, Washington, U.S, Tehran

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