Wars & Rumours of Wars

[pigfarmer]

I remember being a kid sitting mesmerized when my grandparents and older relatives were sitting around the kitchen table chain smoking and talking. Imagine people that would socialize, play cards and so forth and not need a computer or TV and the only phone was an actual phone attached to the wall. But that's another story.

Stuff like 'the goddamned Japs took all our scrap steel and threw it right back at us' was common and they were right. Their generation. We helped build that huge Imperial War Machine and then got cut to shreds by it because we cut them off from oil. History makes for strange bedfellows, like selling Russians tons of wheat at the same time we were threatening each other with annihilation. It's a weird game of musical chairs. So, for the past 40 years we have literally sold the farm to the Chinese. How long would it take you to find something in your home that says 'Made in China' on it ? How much time to find a 'Made in UK or USA' ?

China is a frenemy. They literally take 'the long view' on everything and don't think in terms of election cycles. Long term subversion is their modus operandi - ask the Vietnamese and anyone else in proximity. Not everyone wants Chinese largesse or to be part of their co-prosperity sphere. We have a President with a ridiculously questionable relationship with them and any talk of it is dismissed as conspiracy theory. Spread enough money around and you can buy anything - politicians, media, etc.

 

[nivek]

Senior Trump defense official accuses China of 'thievery' of F-22 secrets to create their own J-20 stealth fighter that has been 'subsidized' by US taxpayer... but only combat would prove which is more lethal​

Former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson said the Chinese have pilfered US secrets for many years, basing the J-20 on technology from the F-22 Raptor and Joint Strike Fighter program. 'What we know is that because of the espionage efforts, the J-20 is more advanced than it otherwise would be, and that's the important point here,' Anderson told Fox News Digital in an interview published on Thursday. China's extensive espionage efforts targeting the F-22, which first entered service in 2005, are well documented. In 2016 a confessed Chinese spy was sentenced to 46 months in US prison for stealing designs for the Lockheed Martin fighter jet.

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[pigfarmer]

I've read that at any given moment about half our inventory of F-22s is sitting on the ground due to some maintenance issue. Fantastic but finicky. I believe they are scheduled to be phased out in favor of highly upgraded 4th and 5th gen fighters already in inventory. F-35 and I forget what else - modified F-15 I think.

 

[Dejan Corovic]

Senior Trump defense official accuses China of 'thievery' of F-22 secrets to create their own J-20 stealth fighter that has been 'subsidized' by US taxpayer... but only combat would prove which is more lethal​

Former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson said the Chinese have pilfered US secrets for many years, basing the J-20 on technology from the F-22 Raptor and Joint Strike Fighter program. 'What we know is that because of the espionage efforts, the J-20 is more advanced than it otherwise would be, and that's the important point here,' Anderson told Fox News Digital in an interview published on Thursday. China's extensive espionage efforts targeting the F-22, which first entered service in 2005, are well documented. In 2016 a confessed Chinese spy was sentenced to 46 months in US prison for stealing designs for the Lockheed Martin fighter jet.

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You can't compare these two planes, F-22 is fighter-interceptor, J-20 is bomber that will run away from any dogfight.

J-20 is specifically made for extremely long range hunting of US aircraft carriers near China's Pacific coastline.

 

[nivek]

China brokers surprise peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran - as White House welcomes the pact​

Regional powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to restore ties and reopen diplomatic missions in a surprise, Chinese-brokered announcement that could have wide-ranging implications across the Middle East.

In a trilateral statement, Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia said they would reopen embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.

Riyadh cut ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr -- just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding rivals.

Friday's announcement, which follows five days of previously unannounced talks in Beijing, just after China's president Xi Jingping was elected to a another five year term, and several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman, caps a broader realignment and efforts to ease tensions in the region.

'Following talks, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months,' said the joint statement, which was published by both countries' official media.

The détente between Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, and Iran, a pariah for Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterized by turbulence for decades.

Iran and Saudi Arabia support rival sides in several conflict zones including Yemen, where the Huthi rebels are backed by Tehran and Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting the government. The two sides also vie for influence in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

'It kind of sets the scene for the region's two superpowers to start to hash out their differences,' said Dina Esfandiary of the International Crisis Group.

'The potential downside of that, of course, is that if they are the ones who are divvying up the region and sorting things out amongst themselves, you start to lose sight of regional contexts and grievances, which could potentially be problematic.'

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomed the rapprochement and said Tehran will 'actively prepare other regional initiatives'.

'The return to normal relations between Tehran and Riyadh offers great opportunities to the two countries, the region and the Muslim world,' he tweeted.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Terrifying moment flesh-melting 'thermite rain' bombs hit eastern Ukrainian town as Putin's forces lose 1,000 men in just 24 hours on their deadliest day of war yet​

Horrifying footage shows the moment flesh-melting 'thermite rain' bombs descend on a town in eastern Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin's forces continue to employ brutal tactics to cling on to meagre gains.

It comes as Russian troops continue to suffer heavy losses in the bitter fight for Bakhmut, with yesterday reportedly the deadliest day for Putin's army so far.

The Ukrainian army claimed that 1,090 soldiers were killed in 24 hours yesterday - 60 more than the previous record which they said was reached on February 7.

Footage also emerged yesterday of Putin's forces raining incendiary projectiles on Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine in what the video suggests is a residential area.

Russia has been accused of employing thermite bombs in the past, the use of which on civilians is considered a war crime.

(Video and more on the link)

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[Dejan Corovic]

an old story, but still interesting. Man who interrogated Saddam Hussein talks about what transpired:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/14/opinions/saddam-hussein-iraq-war-interrogations-george-piro-bergen/index.html

 

[nivek]

US summons Russian ambassador as Moscow denies its fighter jet collided with American Reaper drone in international airspace and sent $32M unmanned spy plane crashing into Black Sea after dumping fuel on it​

The US MQ-9 surveillance drone was downed early on Tuesday following an 'unsafe and unprofessional intercept' in international airspace by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets, US European Command said in a statement. Pentagon officials said the Russian fighters harassed the drone by dumping fuel on it and flying in front of it, before one Su-27 clipped the propeller of the $32 million drone, forcing it down over the Black Sea in a total loss of the unmanned aircraft. The incident happened in international airspace, but not far from the battles raging on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country. The US State Department has summoned Moscow's ambassador over the incident. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed the US drone was flying toward its airspace with its transponder turned off, and the fighters were dispatched to investigate but did not shoot it down or collide with it.

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[Dejan Corovic]

US summons Russian ambassador as Moscow denies its fighter jet collided with American Reaper drone in international airspace and sent $32M unmanned spy plane crashing into Black Sea after dumping fuel on it​

The US MQ-9 surveillance drone was downed early on Tuesday following an 'unsafe and unprofessional intercept' in international airspace by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets, US European Command said in a statement. Pentagon officials said the Russian fighters harassed the drone by dumping fuel on it and flying in front of it, before one Su-27 clipped the propeller of the $32 million drone, forcing it down over the Black Sea in a total loss of the unmanned aircraft. The incident happened in international airspace, but not far from the battles raging on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country. The US State Department has summoned Moscow's ambassador over the incident. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed the US drone was flying toward its airspace with its transponder turned off, and the fighters were dispatched to investigate but did not shoot it down or collide with it.

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I didn't know one can bring down an aeroplane by urinating on it.

 

[nivek]

Moment Russian fighter jet CRASHES into $32M Reaper drone and clips propeller after dumping fuel on it in international airspace over Black Sea: Pentagon releases footage as Putin's ships surround crash site to find debris​

This is the intense moment a Russian fighter jet crashes into a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. Drone camera footage shows the terrifying confrontation with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet as the plane approaches from behind, clips its propeller and dumps fuel over it in international airspace on 14 March 2023. US forces had to bring down the $32million drone in international waters on Tuesday night after the encounter, sparking a race between Moscow and Washington to recover it. The new footage released by the Pentagon follows Russian claims its jet did not make contact with the drone, instead claiming it crashed on its own after 'sharp manoeuvring'. This is the first direct confrontation between Russia and the US since the start of the war in Ukraine, occurring close to Crimea.

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[nivek]

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for PUTIN, accusing him of war crimes and abducting children in Ukraine​

The International Criminal court has today issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his barbaric invasion of Ukraine. The ICC accused Putin of being responsible for war crimes because of his involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine. The court said in a statement that Putin is allegedly 'responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.' The ICC said the crimes dated from February 24 last year, when Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. It also issued a warrant on Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar charges. Russia is not a member of the ICC and it was unclear how the ICC planned to enforce the warrant. In the year since the war began, the world has watched in horror as Putin's soldiers have dropped missiles on apartment buildings, tortured civilians before shooting them dead, and systematically raped women and girls. Men, women and children - the youngest known victim being a 14-year-old boy - have been executed by Russian soldiers, their bodies thrown into deep troughs dug into the ground. The scale of the suffering and the indiscriminate targeting of men, women and children has seen at least 7,000 civilians killed and nearly eight million Ukrainians flee to countries across Europe.



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[Dejan Corovic]

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[nivek]

Dramatic moment Russian SU-35 fighter jet intercepts two US B-52 nuclear bombers over Baltic Sea days after downing of American Reaper drone​

Russia's defence ministry said a single Su-35 intercepted the B-52 strategic bombers that were flying in the direction of the Russian border, but that it returned to base after they moved away. Dramatic footage appeared to confirm the incident. The development followed the March 14 crash of a US military surveillance drone into the Black Sea after it was intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the US since Russia invaded Ukraine. Dramatic footage, purportedly captured from the Su-35, appeared to confirm this on Tuesday. In the video captured from a close-range, it showed one of the two American aircraft soaring above the clouds. Earlier, the two US planes were seen being escorted by Polish fighter jets.



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[nivek]

Xi Jinping delivers a chilling message for the West as he tells 'dear friend' Vladimir Putin 'change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years... and we are driving it' on day Russian despot said UK risked 'nuclear collision' with its aid to Ukraine​

China's President Xi Jinping told a grinning Vladimir Putin 'change is coming' in an ominous parting message as he departed Moscow on Tuesday evening following talks with his Russian counterpart.

'Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years. And we are driving this change together,' Xi told Putin via his interpreter - words sure to set alarm bells ringing in the West.

'Please, take care, dear friend,' he added, gripping Putin's hand warmly before being waved off by the Russian despot, who bid Xi a 'safe journey'.

After the two leaders hailed a 'new era', Xi's plane left Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Wednesday. He was seen off by a guard of honour who played the Russian and Chinese national anthems, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said.

In February 2022, the pair announced they had forged a 'no limits' friendship and Putin invited Xi to visit the Russian capital. They have since publicly talked of strengthening their 'special relationship', with Moscow and Beijing both rejecting what they say are US attempts to create a 'unipolar world' controlled by Washington.

Xi finally met Putin at the Kremlin yesterday, with both leaders appearing keen to promote their positive relations. They signed a series of memorandums and agreements designed to boost bilateral co-operation on a number of issues, and were pictured coiffing champagne together in the Kremlin's Palace of the Facets as Xi invited his Russian counterpart to visit China later this year.

Their unsettling farewell message came just hours after Putin vowed to respond to British plans to send ammunition containing depleted uranium to Ukraine as Moscow warned the risk of a 'nuclear collision' was increasing.

The Russian despot raged against Britain's decision to provide Kyiv's troops with Challenger 2 battle tanks and depleted uranium ammunition, arguing it marked a step towards using weapons with a 'nuclear component'.

Tank shells containing the radioactive material are more dense, enhancing their capability to penetrate thick layers of armour.

But depleted uranium can cause serious radiation damage if it enters the body - for example through shrapnel or inhalation from explosions - and is linked to increased instances of cancer and other illnesses in warzones.

Speaking after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian capital, Putin said he will be 'forced to react' if the UK goes ahead with its delivery of 14 next-generation battle tanks.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Could the Chinese government send agents or military personnel across the US southern border posing as migrants seeking asylum?...They could easily sabotage public and private operations within the country causing internal disruption when called upon or worse depending on their numbers...

Busloads of Chinese crossing the US border are being taken to Brownsville TX, NGO. All male.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wa9_JXh6bg


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[nivek]

View: https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1637889082633101327


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[nivek]

20 years ago this month, the United States and United Kingdom invaded Iraq, beginning with the “shock and awe” bombing of Baghdad.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CowOdkKNb0A


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[pigfarmer]

Could the Chinese government send agents or military personnel across the US southern border posing as migrants seeking asylum?...They could easily sabotage public and private operations within the country causing internal disruption when called upon or worse depending on their numbers...

You could reiterate those exact words in early WW2 except swap 'Chinese' for 'Japanese'

Many of the illegals say Biden invited them. I wonder about the specifics of all that - as in - is there a deliberate social media campaign we are unaware of targeted to cause this.

 

[Dejan Corovic]

Could the Chinese government send agents or military personnel across the US southern border posing as migrants seeking asylum?...They could easily sabotage public and private operations within the country causing internal disruption when called upon or worse depending on their numbers...




View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wa9_JXh6bg


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It had been known for a long time in a intel community that Chinese government is actively policing, harassing and coercing Chinese ex-pats across whole world. China would send undercover police officers to intimidate or even kill Chinese born dissidents. And since China has lots of money these activities are very widespread and intensive. These secret activities of Chinese government are actually the cause of stiffening of West's posture towards China. But intel community doesn't like talking about this stuff, because Western intel is obviously doing similar stuff inside China. That's the reason why corporate media looks other way and under-report these issues.

So, its highly likely that China will try to infiltrate it's "sleeper" agents across Mexican border. They'll find jobs, keep quiet for years and then act on a command in a future.

And because West is more tolerant, these Chinese "sleeper" agents can do much more damage, then an Western ex-pat in China. So China has a natural advantage in this type of game.

 

[nivek]

The West has 'brought humankind to the brink of nuclear Armageddon' with its decision to use depleted uranium ammo in Ukraine, says Russia's US envoy​

Russia's Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov was responding to statements by US officials that depleted-uranium munitions are a standard type of weapons that have been used for decades and do not pose any heightened risk. The British defense ministry on Monday confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. 'Commenting on this kind of nonsense is really hard. US officials have reached a new low with their irresponsible statements. There is a continuous flow of lethal weapons to Ukraine, which are used to annihilate civilians, residential areas, schools, hospitals, kindergartens,' Antonov said, according to a statement from the embassy.

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