News and Commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and Published by Riley Murray.
1. Opinion | There’s Chinese interference on both sides of the 2020 election
2. Venezuela coup plotters met at Trump Doral. Central figure says U.S officials knew of plan
3. Esper’s Curious Partners-and-Allies Initiative
4. Esper’s Curious Partners-and-Allies Initiative
5. US special operations forces behind al-Baghdadi raid awarded Presidential Unit Citation
6. Trump meets special forces team behind Baghdadi raid to award top unit citation
7. The reputation of Australia’s special forces is beyond repair - it’s time for them to be disbanded
8. Five big questions as America votes: China
9. China’s vaccine diplomacy jabs US in SE Asia
10. Air Force Reproves Senate Candidate Doug Collins on Campaign Ads in Uniform
11. TERRORISM FUTURES: Evolving Technology and TTPs Use
12. Taiwan ex-general says soldiers lack weapons for China war - "Are they supposed to fight with brooms?"
13. The PLA’s New Push for Military Technology Innovation
14. China and the US risk accidental war over Taiwan
15. Statement by Jonathan Hoffman, Chief Pentagon Spokesman, on Hostage Rescue Operation in Northern Nigeria
16. American hostage rescued in West Africa by SEAL Team 6 in daring raid
17. US Forces conduct operation in Africa to rescue American citizen held in Nigeria
18. Air Force Moves Forward with Plan to Turn Giant Cargo Planes into Bomb Trucks
19. How a teenager with a Cessna helped topple the Soviet Union
20. Coming Storms: The Return of Great-Power War
21. The Answer to Extremism Isn’t More Extremism
1. Opinion | There’s Chinese interference on both sides of the 2020 election
The Washington Post – Josh Rogin - October 29, 2020
I bet the Chinese and Russians still cannot believe their good fortune. The truth is neither country is trying to make one candidate win over the other. They just want to sow discord. It should be a no brainer for the us as American citizens - we should be absolutely united against these external threats. But instead we argue about which candidates our enemies are supporting. We are playing right into their hands. These influence operations will be studied for years to come. But the reason for their success is not the sophistication of the operations it is because they were sowing seeds on fertile ground - we made their job easy because of the political divide between the extreme left and the extreme right. But I digress.
This guy Guo Wengui is an interesting character. What is he really up to?
2. Venezuela coup plotters met at Trump Doral. Central figure says U.S officials knew of plan
miamiherald.com – by Antonio Maria Delgado
More on the Green Berets who have embarrassed the Regiment. This story is unbelievable and if any of these allegations are true then we are truly the keystone cops.
If you go to this link the website has video and copies of "evidence"
3. Esper’s Curious Partners-and-Allies Initiative
defenseone.com · by Bilal Y. Saab
Very interesting initiative.
Excerpts:
Philosophically speaking, not much is new about GDAP. GDAP is the result of security cooperation reforms and processes in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy that have been maturing for at least the past 3 years. So to call it, as Esper said, a “brand new” initiative is probably inaccurate.
That said, there is something different about GDAP, and that is the way the Pentagon is now prioritizing the allocation of security cooperation funds under Title 10 of the U.S. Code of Law. In other words, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities and his staff have now chosen to have a stronger say over who gets what in that global U.S. network of alliances and partnerships. Until a few days ago, the Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) were the ones who were effectively in the driver’s seat in this prioritization process. They used to communicate their preferred security cooperation plans and initiatives with various countries in their respective areas of operation to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and those were rarely challenged. The GCCs were considered the center of gravity of security cooperation planning.
5. US special operations forces behind al-Baghdadi raid awarded Presidential Unit Citation
taskandpurpose.com · by Jared Keller
6. Trump meets special forces team behind Baghdadi raid to award top unit citation
americanmilitarynews.com · by Ryan Morgan · October 30, 2020
7. The reputation of Australia’s special forces is beyond repair - it’s time for them to be disbanded
theconversation.com · by Christopher Elliott
It pains me to read this. There are so many great Australian soldiers.
8. Five big questions as America votes: China
atlanticcouncil.org · October 29, 2020
9. China’s vaccine diplomacy jabs US in SE Asia
asiatimes.com · by Richard Javad Heydarian · October 30, 2020
Hmmm, vaccines to bust up coalitions,
But there is a general lack of trust of Chinese vaccines.
Excerpts:
Growing resentment against China has also coincided with intensified scrutiny of its vaccine diplomacy drive and emerging concerns over the safety of Chinese-made vaccines amid quality control concerns about its pharmaceutical industry.
Pandu Riono, a leading Indonesian epidemiologist, has warned of premature reliance on Chinese-made vaccines. He called on the Widodo administration not “to jump to do a deal and decide with China only. We should wait and seriously work with the WHO.”
Meanwhile, the US is moving amid trial hic-cups and intense regulatory scrutiny to develop at least three vaccines in the coming months. Unlike China, US pharmaceutical companies enjoy credibility and trust worldwide, including in Southeast Asia where they have decades of experience.
10. Air Force Reproves Senate Candidate Doug Collins on Campaign Ads in Uniform
military.com · by Richard Sisk · October 30, 2020
You would think a Lieutenant Colonel would know the rules.
11. TERRORISM FUTURES: Evolving Technology and TTPs Use
Small Wars Journal – by Dr. Robert J. Bunker
12. Taiwan ex-general says soldiers lack weapons for China war - "Are they supposed to fight with brooms?"
Newsweek · by John Feng · October 30, 2020
Blunt criticism.
13. The PLA’s New Push for Military Technology Innovation
thediplomat.com – by Marcus Clay - October 31, 2020
Conclusion: "But intentions matter in competitions. The PLA’s intentions are clear: accelerate change or lose, with Chinese characteristics. When disruptive mechanisms are introduced into an existing structure, and people who have new mindsets are positioned to lead and implement the intended changes, cultural change will take place. As Brown declared, “we must be able to account for the interactive nature of competition and continuously assess ourselves relative to our adversaries’ adaptations.” The U.S. military should keep a close eye on the PLA’s new initiatives and continue to fine-tune its own S&T RD&A processes accordingly."
14. China and the US risk accidental war over Taiwan
asia.nikkei.com – by Minxin Pei – 29 October 2020
Key excerpts:
To be sure, China will continue to close the defense spending gap as it invests more resources toward increasing the odds of a successful military operation targeting Taiwan. But any medium term military activities will be limited by the logic of strategic deterrence.
As China expands its gray-zone of coercion -- military acts short of war -- the U.S. will feel compelled to launch its own acts of counter-deterrence, which each side will need to escalate in order to prove its resolve. In practical terms, Chinese acts of military intimidation will have to seem bigger and more dangerous, while America will have to be seen to respond with more vigorous counter measures. A good example is the increased frequency of American warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait.
15. Statement by Jonathan Hoffman, Chief Pentagon Spokesman, on Hostage Rescue Operation in Northern Nigeria
defense.gov – 31 October 2020
Good news.
16. American hostage rescued in West Africa by SEAL Team 6 in daring raid
foxnews.com · by Lucas Tomlinson
Fox reports ST 6. The DOD statement specified no unit. Who is speaking out of school to the press?
17. US Forces conduct operation in Africa to rescue American citizen held in Nigeria
CNN · by Barbara Starr
Unit not named in this report. Emphasis only on support of partners from the official statement.
18. Air Force Moves Forward with Plan to Turn Giant Cargo Planes into Bomb Trucks
military.com · by Oriana Pawlyk · October 30, 2020
Arsenal planes to complement arsenal ships?
As an aside I have to compliment the our creative service members for creating such practical acronyms: "The AMC experiment was similar to Air Force Special Operations Command's Cargo Launch Expendable Air Vehicles with Extended Range, or CLEAVER, test earlier this year, except the CLEAVER's pallet drop came off an MC-130J Commando II, which is already configured to airdrop weapons."
19. How a teenager with a Cessna helped topple the Soviet Union
sandboxx.us · by Alex Hollings · October 30, 2020
Some history to recall. Photos at the link if they do not come through in this message. https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/how-a-teenager-with-a-cessnas-insane-trip-helped-topple-the-soviet-union/
Conclusion: Rust would never sit behind the stick of an aircraft again, but would go down in history as the only pilot to defeat the entirety of the Soviet military using a rented, single prop, trainer plane. Unfortunately, Rust’s seemingly heroic stunt has been overshadowed by the troubled man’s continued run-ins with the law. In the early 90s", he received another prison sentence for assaulting a woman that refused his romantic advances. In 2005, he was again convicted of a crime–this time for fraud. Today he describes himself an analyst for an investment bank, seemingly keen to leave his high-flying theatrics behind him."
20. Coming Storms: The Return of Great-Power War
Foreign Affairs · by Christopher Layne · October 30, 2020
Great power competition does not have to mean great power war in my humble opinion.
Is this a true statement? "If Washington does not cede its dominance in East Asia it is on the fast track to war."
Conclusion: "Whether the United States can, or will, peacefully cede its dominance in East Asia and acknowledge China’s standing as its great-power equal is an open question. If Washington does not do so, however, it is on the fast track to war - one that might make the military disasters of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq pale in comparison.
21. The Answer to Extremism Isn’t More Extremism
The Atlantic · by Anne Applebaum · October 30, 2020
Whether on the radical or extreme left or the radical or extreme right, anyone who seeks to overthrow our government is wrong. We should not make this a left versus right conflict but those who oppose our federal democratic republic with force and violence and those of us who believe in supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and know that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents believe in that common cause. to say or believe otherwise marks such a person on the extreme left or extreme right - not the left or right - we need to make the distinction and call out the extremes not those with different opinions and views.. We should welcome and applaud criticism and protest from both sides but once they call for violence against our nation they must be stopped and the full force of the law must be brought to bear on them.
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?”
- Epictetus, Discourses, 4.3.6b–8
"Whenever men in their arrogance and pride set themselves up as absolute, they will be beaten to the ground."
- Benjamin E. Mays
“Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg