News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. Hybrid warfare, pandemic style
2. Inside the Fight for the Future of The Wall Street Journal
3. CCP Adviser Outlines Detailed Plan to Defeat US, Including Manipulating Elections
4. How a growing fight against a little-known ISIS affiliate pulled in US Green Berets and foreign mercenaries
5. Pentagon Launches Post-Insurrection Extremism Review
6. US intelligence report warns of increased offensive cyber, disinformation around the world
7. Lt. Col. Kenneth Dwyer throws out first pitch at Carlisle game to his son in ‘continuation of the story’ of recovery
8. ‘Clear the Capitol,’ Pence pleaded, timeline of riot shows
9. Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Phone Call With Philippines Secretary
10. Lorenzana, US defense chief discuss VFA and West Philippine Sea
11. Northeast Asia power grid could slash cost of green energy, study finds
12. The New Nuances of the Nuclear Export Market
13. UK to Deploy Carrier to Indo-Pacific Region
14. How an Ohio bartender’s patriotism was warped by social media and a devotion to Trump, ending in conspiracy charges from the Capitol riots
1. Hybrid warfare, pandemic style
dailytimes.com.pk · by Ikram Sehgal · April 9, 2021
A view from Pakistan.
Excerpts: “This new form of warfare, avoiding a clear differentiation between war and peace, soldiers and civilians, is practiced by all sides of the different divides
...
and strategies, to include the employment of irregular military and paramilitary forces like guerrillas, paramilitaries, etc. Islamic State, Hamas and Hizbullah use terrorist acts as a means. Use of non-violent means by civilian institutions include psychological assaults using ethnic, religious or national vulnerabilities, provocateurs operating behind enemy lines, economic assaults through sanctions, boycotts and punitive tariffs so as to weaken the enemy economy, cyber assaults at elections and referendums, use of big data for manipulation of referendums like Brexit and the US elections and a vast selection of propaganda warfare via electronic and social media, TV channels and publications. Diplomacy is as much involved into this new type of warfare as are fake news. With religious elements militating against vaccinations of any kind, all sorts of reasons are being aired not to take the jab.
The Russian military understanding of it as a Western ploy against the new Russia-China axis and use Hybrid Warfare to prevent implementation of Eurasian concept and Russia‘s return as a global power. Sun Tzu more than two thousand years ago wrote “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster”
In that sense the pandemic and the fight against it is going to re-enforce the new global power relations that have come up during the last twenty years. In anticipation of the 21stcentury we were thinking that this might be the century of peace and the end of so many wars, so far it has become the century of shifting centers of development from the former West (US and Europe) to Asia and even Eurasia – even if Europe prefers to ignore this for the time being. And this shifting of power relations is not going smoothly; old and new local conflicts are pushed into wars: Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Nagorno Karabakh and others. Vaccination has become something as a new tool of hybrid warfare in this. The process of change is enduring as the pandemic has shown and the new alliances will strengthen, but it certainly will take time.
2. Inside the Fight for the Future of The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times · by Edmund Lee · April 10, 2021
The New York Times reports on the Wall Street Journal.
We all need to be concerned about the future of the entire Fourth Estate.
Excerpts: “One goal put forth by The Content Review seemed more attainable to many inside the paper than conjuring millions of new subscribers overnight: a greater effort to appeal to readers of color. In a meeting between the strategy team and high-level editors, Ms. Story spoke about trying to track the racial diversity of people quoted in Journal coverage. Most of those gathered for the discussion were white.
Everyone at the meeting said they agreed that The Journal should include more diverse voices. But how? Should they survey subjects about their background? A senior editor expressed concern about such a tack, according to two people who were briefed on the event, saying he was worried the paper might be sued if it came out that its reporters were passing over white people to quote Black people. (The company disputes the characterization of the meeting.)
Such comments illustrate how difficult it will be rewiring the staff to more modern methods of news gathering.
In a Feb. 22 memo to the staff, Mr. Murray endorsed including a wider variety of people in The Journal’s coverage, pledging to “properly capture the diversity of our society and speak to as wide an audience as possible.”
Mr. Latour has also been talking about the need for change. In a series of companywide meetings that started last summer, he emphasized the importance of The Journal’s digital transformation, but repeated a phrase that many took to mean he wanted a continued focus on business leaders and Wall Street elites. “We need to be digging into the brand,” he said, according to several staff members.
Mr. Latour never asked for a copy of The Content Review, according to two people familiar with the matter. It’s still unclear if he’s read it.
If he has, he would know that one key message contradicts the very approach he’s favoring: “We can’t think we’ve got a comfy base of digital subscribers who will be satisfied if we just keep doing what we’re doing.”
3. CCP Adviser Outlines Detailed Plan to Defeat US, Including Manipulating Elections
theepochtimes.com · by Nicole Hao · March 26, 2021
This is from the Epoch Times so we must take it with a grain of salt.
Excerpts: “Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Beijing’s Renmin University of China, explained the plan in a July 2016 speech on “Sino–U.S. Strategic Philosophy.” The speech, recently uncovered by The Epoch Times, was given over two full days at Southern Club Hotel Business Class in south China’s Guangzhou city.
“We want to be the world leader,” Jin said, explaining Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s desire for a “national rejuvenation” of the country.
Dubbed “teacher of the state” by Chinese netizens, Jin is a prominent scholar known for his fiery anti-U.S. rhetoric. He’s an adviser to several CCP organizations, including two powerful bodies, the Organization Department and the United Front Work Department, although it’s unclear how close he is to Xi.
Jin was also a visiting professor at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, in 2003 and 2007.
4. How a growing fight against a little-known ISIS affiliate pulled in US Green Berets and foreign mercenaries
Business Insider · by J.W. Sotak
Excerpts: “For its efforts, ISIS can extend its reach to a new region — where ungoverned spaces further facilitate that expansion — and access valuable resources, profits from which can be redistributed to other needy franchises.
That violence and the stakes involved are why US Special Operations Command has tripled its forces in the province.
The response likely reflects a mix of political and commercial interests. Washington may see continued chaos in Cabo Delgado as a threat that will surely benefit ISIS and its operations in Africa. US firms may also be looking to secure access to the precious natural gas that foreign companies are already jockeying to exploit.
Mozambique is now on the list of African nations where the US is deeply involved. The fighting in Cabo Delgado is far from over, but what remains uncertain is whether the elite Green Berets and deadly drones they wield will be stymied like the Russians and South Africans before them.
5. Pentagon Launches Post-Insurrection Extremism Review
defenseone.com · by Ben Watson
Excerpts: “Though the numbers of extremism offenders are believed to be “small,” Kirby said the service secretaries, all of whom are Trump administration holdovers, have shared anecdotes from their ranks which “reinforced” with Austin “that this is a problem.”
Other, more tangible changes are afoot. Service secretaries of the military branches will create a way for outgoing troops to self-report being targeted or having “any potential contact with an extremist group,” though exactly how this will take shape is unclear. Other new changes involve “updat[ing] and standardiz[ing] screening questionnaires” for new recruits across every service, including to make clear that lying to recruiters could result in “punitive action for fraudulent enlistment.”
West Point and an Iraq war veteran Bishop Garrison will lead the working group’s efforts, which are to begin around next week. Bishop also serves as Austin’s Senior Advisor on Human Capital and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The first progress reports — along with “mid-term and long-term recommendations” are expected by mid-July.
“This is not about being the thought police… it’s about the behavior and the conduct that is inspired by or influenced by this kind of ideology,” Kirby said.
6. US intelligence report warns of increased offensive cyber, disinformation around the world
cyberscoop.com · by Shannon Vavra · April 8, 2021
Excerpts: “Global privacy paradigms also are on the verge of shifting, the report warns.
“Privacy and anonymity may effectively disappear by choice or government mandate, as all aspects of personal and professional lives are tracked by global networks,” the report states.
As more governments continue to gain control of surveillance capabilities, privacy will continue to erode, the report suggests.
“Authoritarian governments are likely to exploit increased data to monitor and even control their populations,” the assessment notes, going on to predict they “will exercise unprecedented surveillance capabilities to enforce laws and provide security while tracking and de-anonymizing citizens and potentially targeting individuals.”
Governments have already begun availing themselves of commercially available spying technology to target vulnerable individuals, according to researchers. Governments such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia and India are accused of using spyware to target dissidents, journalists and other vulnerable people.
7. Lt. Col. Kenneth Dwyer throws out first pitch at Carlisle game to his son in ‘continuation of the story’ of recovery
pennlive.com · by Edward Sutelan · April 10, 2021
An American who should inspire us.
8. ‘Clear the Capitol,’ Pence pleaded, timeline of riot shows
AP · by Lisa Mascaro, Ben Fox, and Lolita C. Baldor· April 10, 2021
A lot to parse here. This is quite a story. Some interesting timeline analysis. Anyone who has had to deal with crisis action will recognize the complexity of the challenges here. Others will armchair quarterback forever.
9. Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Phone Call With Philippines Secretary
defense.gov · April 10, 2021
10. Lorenzana, US defense chief discuss VFA and West Philippine Sea
philstar.com · by Franco Luna
An odd request on the vaccine issue.
11. Northeast Asia power grid could slash cost of green energy, study finds
SCMP · by Stephen Chen · April 11, 2021
A "super power grid."
Northeast Asia power grid could slash cost of green energy, study finds:
- Regional network would enable long-distance transmission of renewable energy
- for about the same price as it costs to produce coal
- China, Russia, Mongolia, South Korea and Japan consume about a third
- of the world’s energy combined
12. The New Nuances of the Nuclear Export Market
The National Interest · by Eunjung Lim · April 10, 2021
Conclusion: Working together, the United States and South Korea can build a brighter and safer future for nuclear power and for themselves.
13. UK to Deploy Carrier to Indo-Pacific Region
14. How an Ohio bartender’s patriotism was warped by social media and a devotion to Trump, ending in conspiracy charges from the Capitol riots
cleveland.com · by John Caniglia · April 11, 2021
A cautionary tale.
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"In the moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing."
- Theodore Roosevelt
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