You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Matthew, Chapter 24.
Only the dead have seen the end of the war.
George Santayana
January 1, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
This major war is now in its third calendar year.
Hamas Israeli War
The Prime Minister of Israel has stated that this campaign will carry on for many months.
An Israeli airstrike killed 35 in Gaza.
The U.S. Navy sunk three Houthi boats attempting to attack a merchant vessel.
Venezuela v Guyana border dispute.
Venezuela is conducting a joint arms exercise in response to the Royal Navy dispatching a ship to Guyana.
January 2, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
A change in Norwegian law allows Norwegian arms manufacturers to sell arms directly to Ukraine.
How much of a defense industry Norway has, of course, is another matter.
January 3, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
An Israeli airstrike sent Saleh Arouri to the next world, where he will have to make an account for his actions. An Islamic radical his entire life, he was the founder of Hamas' military wing.
He went to his end in Beirut.
From ISW:
Israeli forces are transitioning to the third phase of their operations in the northern Gaza Strip, which will very likely enable Hamas to reconstitute itself militarily. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it withdrew five brigades from the northern Gaza Strip on December 31. This reduction in forces is part of what the IDF has described as its third phase in the strip, which also involves ending major combat operations, releasing reservists, transitioning to “targeted raids,” and establishing a security buffer zone within the Gaza Strip.
January 4, 2024
US/Mexico Border Crisis
The Justice Department has sued Texas on over a new law that would allow Texas police to arrest illegal immigrants on the basis of their illegality.
My prediction is that this suit will likely fail.
Hamas Israeli War
Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel that launching a full-scale war on Lebanon Islamist targets would be "very costly," and that the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut would not go unpunished.
Sort of in the D'uh category.
Cont:
Islamic State v. Iran
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bombing attack that killed 84 people in Kerman, Iran. The attack occured during a memorial procession for Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. The Sunni group regards Shiites, which most Iranians are, with Iran being a Shiite theocracy, as apostates.
January 5, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Putin signed a decree signed speeding up citizenship for foreigners enlisting in the Russian army.
Somalian Civil War
From ISW:
Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with the de facto independent Somaliland Republic, a breakaway region of Somalia, to lease a naval port that will give it Red Sea access in exchange for formally recognizing Somaliland.
January 7, 2024
The Korean Conflict
North Korea issued one of its threatening proclamations through Communist princess Kim Yo Jong.
These are moronic, as without China, and North Korea cannot really depend on China, South Korea would be eliminated as an entity in the event of war.
South Korea may soon not be able to fill its conscript levies due to a declining population.
Russo Ukrainian War
Japan's foreign minister visited Ukraine.
Russia seems to have resumed its strategy of attempting localized offensives that degrade its own forces.
The Ukrainians have been conducting a drone offensive against targets in Crimea.
January 9, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
News reports hold that Russia has deployed 35,000 men of the Russian National Guard, some equipped with World War Two vintage rifles, to occupied regions of Ukraine as security forces.
January 10, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
Anthony Blinken has indicated the US rejects the concept of resettling the Gazan Levantines from that area even though, of course, its an untenable ghetto.
Iran v. The West
Iranian backed Houthis launched 50 drones at shipping today, all of which were shot down by the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy.
Iran is using the current Hamas Israeli War as a pretext to try to advance its interest in the region.
January 11, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
The US and UK hit targets with missiles inside of Yemen, from which Houthi drone strikes have been coming. A Houthi spokesman actually complained about it.
January 12, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The State of Texas, using the Texas National Guard, has seized Shelby Park in Eagle Pass in order to prevent Federal authorities from processing migrants.
January 13, 2024
Hamas Israeli War.
The US struck Houthi targets again yesterday.
Turkey v. Kurds
Turkish air raids struck Kurdish militant targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in northern Iraq. This was in retaliation for a Kurdish attack on a Turkish base in Iraq.
January 16, 2024
Iran v Everyone
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missile attacks in Syria and in Iraq’s Kurdistan region yesterday.
Korean Conflict
The North Korean Communist Clown state announced it is no longer pursuing reconciliation with South Korea, which actually dovetails nicely with general younger South Korean desires.
There's speculation on why this was announced, but in reality, any reunion between the countries at this point makes the ongoing Communist monarchy in North Korean irrelevant in every fashion so quickly, it isn't funny.
January 17, 2024
Hamas Israeli War/Iran v Everyone
The US is placing the Houthi's back on the terrorist list.
Iran v. Everyone
Iran conducted missile strikes on a Sunni militia site in Pakistan.
January 18, 2024
Hamas Israeli War/Iran v Everyone
The US conducted a fourth round of strikes on the Houthis.
Pakistan v. Baloch militants.
Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran against Baloch militants.
January 20, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The Estonian state will not extend the residence permit of the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia) of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevgeniy, whose civil name is Valeri Reshetnikov, because his activities are a security threat to Estonia
Estonian government.
Cont:
The Middle East
Somebody (probably Israel) hit Iranian Revolutionary Guard figures inside of Syria. In turn, US sites in Iraq were hit.by Iranian backed militia's.
Iran is the common thread here.
January 21, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a two state solution for Gaza.
This is widely seen as a terrible thing to have done, but frankly, Gaza isn't viable as an isolated political unit and always has depended on economic support from the outside to get by. Geographically, it should be part of Israel or Egypt, and that's a simple economic and topographic fact. It shouldn't be part of another state.
For that matter, a Palestinian state makes little to no sense. It would be minute.
Those are the rough, real facts to deal with. Levantines that live within the borders of what had been pre-1948 Palestine either have to live within Israel, realistically, or be relocated in some instances to an Arab state that could host them, none of which are willing to do it.
Russo Ukrainian War
President Zylenskyy expressed concerns about remarks made by Donald Trump regarding securing peace.
Concern is warranted given Trump's admiration for dictators and his increasingly erratic if not demented behavior.
January 22, 2024
China v. Taiwan
Recent statements by GOP candidate Donald Trump have risen concerns that his commitment to Taiwan, which has been a GOP hallmark, is low.
FWIW, Trump raised Taiwanese semiconductor production as something the US should have done something about, seemingly failing to grasp that if it falls to China, we're in a world of semiconductor hurt.
On one of the weekend shows, it was recently revealed that Trump has a gigantic exaggerated fear of nuclear war. He also clearly has a thing for strongmen.
January 23, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
Numerous nations are lining up against Israel and demanding a Palestinian state be part of a peace package, even though such a state, if within the boundaries of the former Palestinian mandate, would not be economically viable.
Saudi Arabia, with a large landmass and a labor deficit, has stated it will not normalize relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is created.
British and American forces hit Houthi ones again.
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukraine conducted successful drone strikes against targets in Leningrad and Tula oblasts.
Boarder Crisis
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Federal agents to remove razor wire on the Texas/Mexico border, but it is merely a ruling on a temporary injunction, so the actual ruling, in terms of the issues, means next to nothing whatsoever.
January 24, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Due to political infighting, the US is out of funding for Ukraine and the pipeline is therefore shut.
January 25, 2024
Hamas Israeli War
Israel proposed a two-month pause in fighting in exchange for Hamas releasing over several phases the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The first phase would have Hamas return women, men over 60 years old, and hostages in critical medical condition. Israeli media reported that the "next phases" would include the release of female IDF soldiers, civilian males under the age of 60, Israeli male soldiers, and the bodies of hostages. An anonymous Israeli official told an Israeli journalist that the proposal includes redeploying the IDF out of main population centers in the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinian civilians to return to these areas. The official added that this proposal does not include the release of all 6,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
This would be a major concession from Israel, but it doesn't seem to have generated much news.
Russo Ukrainian War
A Russian Il-76 military transporting Ukrainian POWs for an exchange crashed in Yablonovo, Belgorod Oblast. The Russians have accused Ukraine of shooting it down.
Patriarch Krill urged the Russian government to extend the draft deferment for fathers, now set at fathers with four children, down to father's with three, out of concern for the declining Russian population.
Slovakia, whose current government is close to Putin, pleadged support for the integrity of Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.
Middle East
Houthi's attempted to attack U.S. Navy escorts with ballistic missiles unsuccessfully.
US/Mexico Border
An attempt in Congress to get a bill passed to address the border is stalled with Donald Trump now entering the picture, opposing it, something that is hard not to be quite skeptical about.
This will messs up aid to Ukraine as well.
January 27, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
US/Mexico Border
Also:
Governor Gordon Supports Texas’ Right to Secure its Border
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon has issued a statement in support of border security Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas’ constitutional right to defend and protect itself in the face of the crisis at the southern border.
“I remain committed to a secure border, and to supporting states struggling with the ongoing security crisis along our southern border. That’s why Wyoming has offered resources and committed them to this effort, most recently responding to Governor Greg Abbott's Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request for law enforcement officers. I recognize the importance of secure borders and the vulnerabilities that a lack of resolve to securing those borders has brought to our country.
Secure borders prevent criminals and deadly drugs like fentanyl from entering our country and making their way to Wyoming. Wyoming stands in solidarity with Governor Abbott and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy to secure the border and protect American citizens. We are all border states now.”
Governor Gordon was also one of 25 Governors who signed a joint statement in support of Texas Governor Abbott and Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense.
Middle East
The Houthi's hit and set on faire an oil tanker.
China v The West
China’s intelligence agency has warned the Chinese to beware of “exotic beauties” who they fear are opserating as honey traps.
Intersingly, honey traps were a favorite Communist tactic for gathering intelligence.
Hamas Israeli War
Numerous Western countries have suspended contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, after it was learned that twelve of its members particpated in the Hamas attacks on Israel.
January 28, 2024
Picking up where we left off yesterday:
Hamas Israeli War
Numerous Western countries have suspended contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, after it was learned that twelve of its members particpated in the Hamas attacks on Israel.
The agency's head warns that UNRWA is collapsing given that nine countries have withdrawn from it and famine looms.
This is a tragedy, but it also tells us something about the UN and th total lack of viability of the Palestinian Authority's territorial regions, although of course a war is on.
Clearly, something needs to be done. That something, requires new oversight, and some hard decisions that nobody wants to make.
January 29, 2024
The Middle East
Three American troops were killed and more injured by an Iranian backed militia drone strike on a US base in Jordan. The base is near the border with Jordan.
I was unaware we had any bases in Jordan.
January 31, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The Russians have launched an offensive in the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast
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