Officer Down

Detective Benjamin J. Campbell
Maine State Police, Maine
End of Watch Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Age 31
Tour 9 years
Badge 1282

Detective Ben Campbell was struck and killed by a vehicle tire while assisting at the scene of a disabled vehicle on I-95 south of Coldbrook Road in Hampden at 7:30 am.

He came across a vehicle that had slid off the interstate due to inclement weather and stopped to provide assistance. As he was standing outside of his department vehicle two wheels of a passing logging truck separated from the vehicle. One of the wheels struck Detective Campbell.

Detective Campbell was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor where he succumbed to his injuries.

Detective Campbell had served with the Maine State Police for nine years and was assigned to the Polygraph Unit. He is survived by his wife and 6-month-old son.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Rocky
Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Michigan
End of Watch Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Age 3

K9 Rocky died when his airway became blocked during a training exercise in the area of Morrish Road and Fortino Drive in Swartz Creek, Michigan.

His handler rushed him to a local veterinary hospital but they were unable to revive him.

K9 Rocky had served with the Genessee County Sheriff's Office for one year.

Rest in Peace Rocky…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Trooper Gerald Wayne Ellis
Illinois State Police, Illinois
End of Watch Saturday, March 30, 2019
Age 36
Tour 11 years
Badge 6038

Trooper Gerald Ellis was killed in a vehicle collision involving a wrong-way driver on I-94, in Green Oaks, at 3:25 am.

He was traveling westbound on I-94 when he observed another vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes. He maneuvered his patrol car two lanes over and intentionally collided with the vehicle, preventing it from striking another car containing a family that was traveling in the same lane as the oncoming vehicle.

Trooper Ellis was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

Trooper Ellis was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Illinois State Police for 11 years. He was assigned to District 15 in Downers Grove. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, parents, and brother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Rush
Boston Police Department, Massachusetts
End of Watch Monday, October 1, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Age 4
Tour 3 years, 6 months
Cause Duty related illness
Incident Date Sunday, September 23, 2018

K9 Rush died as the result of exposure to chemicals that occurred on September 23rd, 2018.

K9 Rush and his handler were clearing a building after responding to reports of a burglary in progress at the old Radius Specialty Hospital at 45 Townsend Street in Roxbury. During the search, K9 Rush ingested or inhaled toxic chemicals that were present in the building. The chemicals caused him to go into respiratory distress.

He was taken to a veterinary hospital where he remained for eight days until it was determined he could not recover, and he was humanely euthanized.

K9 Rush had served with the Boston Police Department as a patrol and narcotics detection canine for three years.

Rest in Peace Rush…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Trooper Brooke Jones-Story
Illinois State Police, Illinois
End of Watch Thursday, March 28, 2019
Age 34
Tour 12 years
Badge 5966

Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while conducting a traffic stop on U.S. Route 20 near State Route 75 in Freeport.

She had stopped another tractor-trailer and was conducting an inspection of it when another truck ran off the road, striking her patrol car before striking her and the truck she was inspecting.

The driver of the truck that struck her was charged with several traffic citations.

Trooper Jones-Story had served with the Illinois State Police for 12 years and was assigned to District 16 in Pecatonica. She is survived by her husband.

Rest in Peace Sis…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down, Officer Safety, Police, Police Training

Couldn't have happened to a nicer turd....

Back in my academy days, I was instructed on how to check someone via the NCIC, TCIC, etc. When you think of it, a cop has access to a large amount of data on others. And we were warned, don't be stupid with that access. Specific example, if we were to check on "Clinton, William Jefferson, date of birth August 19, 1946..." we would get the then president's driver's license number, etc. And within 15-20 minutes, the US Secret Service would be calling the Command Center, you will be called in, and likely fired by the end of the day, awaiting prosecution. Lesson learned, don't screw around with this, even if the Clintons got away themselves.

So I don't have much sympathy for people who misuse their access to confidential information. I had access to Sensitive Compartmented Information for over two decades, and I knew if I misused that access, I would likely be a convicted felon. But even non-classified material is extremely sensitive. I handed clearance investigation packets for personnel that disclosed information on medical conditions, use of narcotics, going to a group like AA or a psychologist for personal issues, financial information. Very much "none of your business" stuff.

But this didn't seem to concern the young punk and his attempt at the latest high-tech lynching by the Democratic Party.

Democratic Staffer Gets 4 Years In Prison For Doxing GOP Senators

Washington, DC – A former Democratic aide who tried to disrupt U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation by doxing Republican senators was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday.

Jackson Cosko, 27, pleaded guilty to five felonies in April, Politicoreported.

Cosko admitted that after he was fired from U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan’s (D-New Hampshire) office, he used a former colleague’s keys and computer system log-in information to install spy software and to access and steal a massive amount of data from U.S. Senate computer systems.

He also admitted that he used the stolen personal information about some senators to dox them on Wikipedia, releasing home addresses and phone numbers of the high-profile legislators because he was angry about how they were handling Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan said Cosko’s sentence was meant to send a message that criminal harassment inspired by political motives would face serious punishment, according to Politico.

“We have… a society that has become very vicious,” Hogan said. “It’s very concerning to the court and unfortunate that you played into that.”

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) submitted a victim impact statement at the sentencing that said that incident had caused fear to him and his family, Politico reported.

Cosko was busted for his illegal activities after a former co-worker spotted him in Hassan’s office, using a computer, late at night after he had been fired.

Police said he accessed the computer using another staffer’s login information.

After he was seen using a computer on Oct. 2, 2018, Cosko left the office building at 10:21 p.m. and headed toward Union Station, according to surveillance video.

Later, he sent a threatening email to the Hassan staffer who caught him, WTOP reported. The staffer contacted the police about the threat.

An affidavit from U.S. Capitol Police Captain Jason Bell said the subject line of Cosko’s email carried the header “I own EVERYTHING.”

“If you tell anyone I will leak it all. Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children’s health information and socials,” the email read, according to charging documents.

“Signal conversations” refers to a messaging application. “Socials” refers to the children’s social security numbers, authorities said.

“It was a rather vicious offense,” Hogan said at Cosko’s sentencing. “That was totally unjustified….We need to send a message out there. We need to have some deterrent and community understanding...”

...Federal charges included making public restricted personal information, making threats in interstate commerce, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, and obstruction of justice/witness tampering.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia released a statement that said Cosko had also been charged with second-degree burglary and unlawful entry, WTOP reported...

I must admit I never heard the term "doxing," or what it meant before this article. I've heard of people's information being spilled for illegitimate purposes. And the Democrats have little beneath them, so whatever wins, they will do it.

Well little Jackson, enjoy your time in prison. You'll likely end up in club-fed, but fed time is at minimum 85%, so you're gone for over three years. And don't worry, the party will take care of you, you took one for the Mob, they won't forget. Remember, the Democratic party has no issue with felons serving.

What's going on in the World Today 190524

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA

B-52 Re-engining Faces Hiccup On Capitol Hill

The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee mark of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill is critical of the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 re-engining plan, directs the Pentagon to reassess its mobility needs and proposes canceling the cost cap for the Ford-class aircraft carrier...

Lockheed ‘Sidekick’ Will Raise F-35 Missile Capacity

A device called Sidekick will allow a U.S. Air Force or Navy version of the F-35 to carry six AIM-120 missiles internally instead of four, a Lockheed Martin official says.
The comments by F-35 test pilot Tony Wilson on May 1 come as the program continues to define the details of a 10-year modernization program for the F-35 called Block 4. The upgrades are expected to allow the F-35 to carry improved sensors and new weapons.

But it’s also possible that the F-35 will be able to carry more air-to-air weapons in the internal bays, which preserve the aircraft’s ability to avoid being tracked by an enemy’s fire control radars at long range...

Soldiers will soon test Army hypersonics missiles

By next year the Army will have the capability to do just about everything it needs to run hypersonic projectiles except launch the missile, the three-star general over the program said.

Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, director of the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, said the first joint flight test of a hypersonic weapon will happen next year and another test every six months will develop the tech until it can be fielded likely in 2022.

Developing the weapons on time is key for Army work in strategic fires as both China and Russia have made bold claims about their own capabilities in hypersonics research that can defeat conventional anti-missile defense systems...

U.S. Naval Update Map: June 20, 2019



Carrier Strike Groups

- The USS Abraham Lincoln is underway in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOR) in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region.

- The USS Ronald Reagan is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet AOR for a routine summer patrol.

Amphibious Ready Groups/Marine Expeditionary Units

- The USS Wasp is on a port visit in Sydney, Australia, ahead of taking part in the Talisman Sabre 2019 exercise.

- The USS Kearsarge is moored at a naval base off Aqaba, Jordan, for a scheduled port visit while underway in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region.

- The USS Boxer is in the Indian Ocean, while on its way to the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR.

AFRICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ASIA

Abe Tries to Move the Needle on Japan’s North Korea Policy, but Will it Matter?

The abduction issue (rachi mondai) has been a major constraint on Japan’s policy toward North Korea for the last several decades. In the 1970s, a number of Japanese citizens disappeared and it has long been suspected that they were abducted by North Korean agents. The Japanese government eventually confirmed that 17 individuals met this fate. Beginning in 1991, Japanese officials tried to discuss this issue with North Korea in bilateral talks but for years Pyongyang consistently denied the allegation. However, in 2002, North Korea dramatically reversed its longstanding position when Kim Jong Il admitted to then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that a part of its intelligence agency had, in fact, abducted Japanese citizens.

Over the following two years, Koizumi brought back 5 of 17 confirmed abductee victims and their families to Japan. However, Japan and North Korea have been unable to reach an agreement on the remaining 12 victims. The North has insisted that the issue was resolved with Kim Il Sung’s confession, his apology for the abductions, and the return of the 5 victims—and maintains that the remaining 12 either never entered North Korea or have passed away. Japan has rejected Pyongyang’s claim, and has continued to push for the return of the remaining 12 citizens. Because the highest-profile victim, Megumi Yokota, was believed to be abducted when she was only 13, the abduction issue has not only become highly emotional for the victims’ families, but also politically sensitive for the Japanese government...

Exclusive: U.S. pursues sale of over $2 billion in weapons to Taiwan, sources say, angering China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is pursuing the sale of more than $2 billion worth of tanks and weapons to Taiwan, four people familiar with the negotiations said, sparking anger from Beijing which is already involved in an escalating trade war with Washington.

An informal notification of the proposed sale has been sent to the U.S. Congress, the four sources said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the possible deal.

The potential sale included 108 General Dynamics Corp M1A2 Abrams tanks worth around $2 billion as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft munitions, three of the sources said. Taiwan has been interested in refreshing its existing U.S.-made battle tank inventory, which includes M60 Patton tanks...

EUROPE

MBDA Developing New Version Of Mica ‘Silent Killer’ Air-to-Air Missile

France’s F4 upgrade of the Dassault Rafale may represent the first steppingstone toward readying the fighter for the information age, but it also will pave the way for a new primary weapon.

The MBDA Mica NG (New Generation) is a radically reengineered version of the legacy Mica missile, which was developed in the 1980s and ’90s for the Rafale family as its air-to-air weapon.

Mica NG is planned to enter service as in 2026 on the Rafale

Missile HUMS will enable on-condition maintenance and reduced through-life cost

The Mica was built upon France’s extensive experience in developing air-to-air weapons for its home-grown combat aircraft through iterations of the Magic family of infrared (IR)-guided missiles and the R.530 family of semiactive radar-guided missiles...

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA0

Mexico detains 791 undocumented migrants, National Guard starts to patrol southern border

TAPACHULA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican officials detained nearly 800 undocumented migrants on Saturday, the government said, in one of the biggest swoops against illegal immigration in recent months, as members of the National Guard began patrolling the southern border.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement late on Saturday that 791 foreign nationals were found in four trucks stopped in the eastern state of Veracruz, confirming earlier reports about a mass detention.

The apprehension came as Mexico steps up efforts to reduce a surge of migrants toward the U.S. border under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who vowed to hit Mexican goods with tariffs if Mexico does not do more to stem illegal immigration...

AFGHANISTAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

CHINA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

IRAN

Iran to scale back nuclear deal commitments: Tasnim

FILE PHOTO: The Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will announce further moves on Monday to scale back compliance with an international nuclear pact that the United States abandoned last year, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

“Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation tomorrow at the Arak heavy water site will announce preparatory steps that have been taken to further decrease Tehran’s commitments under the deal,” Tasnim said, without citing sources...

IRAQ

Iraq: Rocket Hits Compound Housing Workers for U.S. and Other Global Oil Majors

What Happened: Unidentified assailants attacked a compound in Basra province that houses workers for major petroleum companies like ExxonMobil, Shell and Eni with a Katyusha rocket, injuring three Iraqis, Bloomberg reported June 19.

Why It Matters: Given that the attack marks the third in 36 hours to occur close to sites housing U.S. soldiers or energy companies in Iraq, Washington is almost certain to use the incident to ramp up its pressure on Iran amid the two countries' standoff. At this stage, however, the United States has not assigned blame for the attacks, and no one has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Background: In the wake of two attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz last week that the United States has accused Iran of committing, Tehran appears to be retaliating against U.S. sanctions by targeting U.S. assets in the region.

ISRAEL

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

KOREAN PENNSULEA

North Korea’s Nuclear Bomb Is Much Bigger than Previously Thought

A new look at 2017 test data reveals an explosion 16 times as powerful than the one that leveled Hiroshima.

Scientists looking anew at a 2017 North Korean nuclear test discovered that the explosion was likely about two-thirds more powerful than U.S. officials previously thought.

Earlier data put the yield somewhere between 30 and 300 kilotons; the U.S. intelligence community said 140 kilotons. That was already the most powerful device tested by North Korea, topping a 2016 test by about an order of magnitude. But a new look at seismological data suggests that the blast was between 148 and 328 kilotons, and probably around 250 kilotons.

That’s the conclusion from a group of researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz; the Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica; and elsewhere, as published Monday in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. The team combined sound-wave data recorded during the blast with information about North Korean nuclear tests since 2006 and plugged it all into models showing how sound would travel through various types of rock at an estimated depth of 430 to 710 meters.

A 250-kiloton weapon would be about 16 times more powerful than the one that leveled Hiroshima. Detonated over Washington, D.C., it would have knocked down virtually every residential structure in the downtown area and inflicted third-degree burns on everyone within a three-mile radius...

A data visualization from NUKEMAP showing the effects of a 250 kiloton nuclear bomb on Washington, D.C.

North Korea: The Pot Still Boiling

The debate roiling the leadership in Pyongyang is in its fourth week and appears to have heated up. That the Chinese leader Xi Jinping should go to North Korea in the middle of this tense situation is extraordinary and suggests a level of concern that the situation in Pyongyang is close to getting out of hand. At the same time, the visit could also be a calculated effort by Kim Jong Un to pull in heavy artillery to defend his position.

Both sides of the debate have used the party daily Rodong Sinmun to advance their positions. Those who are on the attack (for convenience we’ll call them the “orthodox” forces) appear to have the upper hand in that regard, having published two very lengthy, high-level “special articles” on the front page of the paper over the past several weeks (May 20 and June 12). By contrast, those forces—for want of a better term, the “loyalists”—on the other side of the debate appear, so far, forced to defend their position indirectly, without forthrightly pushing back or laying out their case.

As an example of this indirect approach, a long article in Rodong Sinmun on June 10—not by accident the same day as Kim Jong Un’s latest letter to President Trump—lavishly praised Kang Sok Ju, the former first vice foreign minister who negotiated the 1994 Agreed Framework and guided the North’s diplomacy through to what had been considered a major breakthrough with the US in October 2000. By implication, the appearance of this article on Kang was an effort to push back against the orthodox criticism of diplomacy as compromising the country’s principles and security...

...In subtle and not so subtle ways the article made clear the orthodox preference for restoring the military to its previous positions of status and influence. In several places the article lists military issues before economic issues. It even goes so far as to describe Kim “openly sitting knee to knee with national defense scientists” and “seeking ways to increase military spending in the shortest possible time;” and only then does it go on to include a seemingly minor reference to Kim’s concern with economic matters. That suggests advocacy of a complete reversal of the new strategic line of “everything for the economy,” announced at a party plenum in April 2018...

Injuries in North Korea: Addressing a Looming Crisis

Road crashes, collapsing buildings, work accidents, nuclear weapons, food shortages and human rights dominate the headlines about North Korea. But for ordinary North Koreans trying to make a living, another pressing concern is the exponential increase in the number of injuries in recent years. Due to North Korea’s inadequate trauma care capacity, injuries often result in disability or, even worse, death and impose large economic costs. This is a hidden crisis that the international community should help address.

The Scope of the Problem

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in North Korea. About 15,600 North Koreans die from injury every year. Furthermore, injuries are by far the biggest killer among the youth and the working-age populations, accounting for more than half of all premature deaths in ages 5 to 29. Road accidents are the most prevalent cause of these fatalities, comprising a third of all injury-related deaths. Falls account for 10.9 percent and mechanical injuries account for 5.1 percent. This suggests work injuries are one of the top causes of death in North Korea. In fact, North Korea’s injury burden is similar to that of other developing countries.

North Korea’s healthcare system and its capacity to deal with the causes and consequences of trauma is inadequate. Based on our survey data, there is room for significant improvement of North Korea’s injury care system: access to hospital care needs to be improved; professional pre-hospital care is essentially nonexistent; ambulance services are unreliable at best; medical facilities, especially outside Pyongyang, often lack the necessary equipment and facilities; and access to drugs in hospitals is minimal and patients frequently have to procure them in local markets (jangmadang). Growing economic activity in North Korea—a construction boom in Pyongyang and elsewhere across the country, increases in road traffic and new multinational industrial and infrastructure projects—will increase the injury burden...


RUSSIA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

Blast-hit tankers to be assessed off UAE coast

DUBAI (Reuters) - The two oil tankers crippled in attacks in the Gulf of Oman last week that Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran are being assessed off the coast off the United Arab Emirates before their cargos are unloaded, the ships’ operators said on Sunday.

Damage assessment on Japan’s Kokuka Courageous and preparation for ship-to-ship transfer of its methanol cargo would start after authorities in Sharjah, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, complete security checks, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement said.

Thursday’s attacks, which also hit Norwegian tanker Front Altair, have heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and its Gulf allies after similar blasts in May struck four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE...

Exclusive: US intel shows Saudi Arabia escalated its missile program with help from China

Washington (CNN)The US government has obtained intelligence that Saudi Arabia has significantly escalated its ballistic missile program with the help of China, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a development that threatens decades of US efforts to limit missile proliferation in the Middle East.

The Trump administration did not initially disclose its knowledge of this classified development to key members of Congress, the sources said, infuriating Democrats who discovered it outside of regular US government channels and concluded it had been deliberately left out of a series of briefings where they say it should have been presented.

The previously unreported classified intelligence indicates Saudi Arabia has expanded both its missile infrastructure and technology through recent purchases from China.

The discovery of the Saudi efforts has heightened concerns among members of Congress over a potential arms race in the Middle East, and whether it signals a tacit approval by the Trump administration as it seeks to counter Iran. The intelligence also raises questions about the administration's commitment to non-proliferation in the Middle East and the extent to which Congress is kept abreast of foreign policy developments in a volatile region...

Satellite imagery captured on November 13, 2018 shows a suspected ballistic missile factory at a missile base in al-Watah, Saudi Arabia. Image was initially discovered by Planet Labs and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

CYBER ISSUES

U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

WASHINGTON — The United States is stepping up digital incursions into Russia’s electric power grid in a warning to President Vladimir V. Putin and a demonstration of how the Trump administration is using new authorities to deploy cybertools more aggressively, current and former government officials said.

In interviews over the past three months, the officials described the previously unreported deployment of American computer code inside Russia’s grid and other targets as a classified companion to more publicly discussed action directed at Moscow’s disinformation and hacking units around the 2018 midterm elections.

Advocates of the more aggressive strategy said it was long overdue, after years of public warnings from the Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. that Russia has inserted malware that could sabotage American power plants, oil and gas pipelines, or water supplies in any future conflict with the United States...

State Department proposes new $20.8 million cybersecurity bureau

The State Department has sent to Congress a long-awaited plan to reestablish a cybersecurity-focused bureau it says is key to supporting U.S. diplomatic efforts in cyberspace.

The State Department’s new plan, obtained by CyberScoop, would create the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) to “lead U.S. government diplomatic efforts to secure cyberspace and its technologies, reduce the likelihood of cyber conflict, and prevail in strategic cyber competition.”

The new bureau, with a proposed staff of 80 and projected budget of $20.8 million, would be led by a Senate-confirmed coordinator and “ambassador-at-large” with the equivalent status of an assistant secretary of State, who would report to the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. The idea comes nearly two years after then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced he would abolish the department’s cybersecurity coordinator position and put its support staff under the department’s economic bureau...

US cyberattack reportedly knocked out Iran missile control systems

The President reportedly signed off on the digital strike.

The US may have withheld a physical military response to Iran shooting down a drone, but it might not have shown similar restraint with a digital campaign. Washington Post sources say the President greenlit a long-in-the-making cyberattack that took down Iranian missile control computers on the night of June 20th. The exact impact of the Cyber Command operation isn't clear, but it was described as "crippling" -- Iran couldn't easily recover, one tipster said.

It's uncertain how Iran reacted to the apparent attack.

Officials have declined to comment, with Cyber Command noting that it doesn't want to jeopardize its operations by discussing its online efforts. The report comes days after word of the US planting offensive malware in Russia's power grid, however, and not much longer after national security advisor John Bolton said the US was "broadening the areas" where it was prepared to use cyberwarfare...

INTEL GENERAL

Common Misconceptions About China's Corporate Espionage Tactics

Highlights

- Several common misconceptions assume Chinese corporate espionage efforts are much more confined and predictable than they really are.

- This includes the dangerous belief that Beijing's intelligence agencies only recruit ethnic Chinese agents, or that they only recruit agents on their home turf in China.

- The Chinese government and state-owned entities also frequently benefit from walk-in agents who offer stolen information of their own accord.

- Thus, whether employees are at risk of providing trade secrets to Chinese intelligence actors should be evaluated purely on their behavior, and not on their ethnicity or location...

TERRORISM

Man Accused In New Zealand Mosque Killings Pleads Not Guilty

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — The man accused of the New Zealand mosque attacks smirked as his lawyer entered not guilty pleas to terrorism, murder and attempted murder charges Friday before a judge who set his trial for next May.

The courtroom was filled with 80 survivors and family members of the 51 who were slain, while about another 60 watched the hearing on video in an overflow room at the Christchurch High Court. Four cultural advisers and other staff were assigned to help the victims and family members understand the proceedings and the next steps in the case.

A man who addressed the survivors said they had been praying during the holy month of Ramadan and that the Muslim community would help and support each other during the coming weeks and months.

Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old Australian accused of the attacks, appeared at the hearing via video link from a small room at the maximum security prison in Auckland where he’s being held. The link was muted and he didn’t attempt to speak.

Other than smirking a couple of times, Tarrant showed little emotion during the hearing. When Judge Cameron Mander asked if he could hear and see what was going on in the courtroom, Tarrant nodded. At times he looked around the room and stretched his neck.

The judge did not allow cameras or video in the courtroom although [he] did approve a sketch artist commissioned by The Associated Press.

Tarrant has been charged with 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one terrorism charge in relation to the March 15 shootings...

MISC

Hermeus Targets Mach 5 Sweet Spot For Hypersonic Project

- Aircraft planned for 20 passengers, 4,000-nm range and Mach 5 cruise speed

- It will have a turbine-based, combined-cycle engine with ramjet

Amid the ongoing surge in civil supersonic aircraft projects, Atlanta-based startup Hermeus has unveiled details of its ambitious plan to develop a higher-speed passenger aircraft with, potentially, double the speed advantage.

Provisionally sized to carry around 20 passengers over transatlantic ranges at speeds up to Mach 5, the newly revealed aircraft project is targeted at entry into service by the late 2020s. Despite the aggressive schedule and ambitious performance targets, the company believes existing and near-term technologies are already capable of supporting the venture...

Lockheed Martin Floats Supersonic Airliner Concept

Boosted by development of the X-59 low-boom demonstrator for NASA and sensing the potential for an early jump-start in the emerging commercial supersonic market, Lockheed Martin has unveiled details of a Mach 1.8 concept capable of transpacific routes with up to 40 passengers.

The company believes its baseline design can economically operate on routes up to transpacific in length while simultaneously defeating the problems of sonic boom and airport noise that killed off the Concorde 16 years ago. Unlike earlier supersonic transport (SST) attempts by the industry, including by Lockheed , this time the concept builds on new enabling technologies in design, propulsion, aerodynamics and systems that were either not previously available or sufficiently advanced.

The design breakthroughs owe much to the X-59 QueSST, in addition to leveraging studies conducted earlier this decade under NASA’s N+2 quiet supersonic initiative, which preceded the low-boom demonstrator. These studies proved for the first time that low boom could realistically be combined with good supersonic-cruise lift-to-drag ratio and established the fundamental building blocks of both NASA’s latest X-plane and Lockheed’s newest large supersonic concept.

Twin-engine quiet supersonic transport concept is 225 ft. long

40-passenger design is aimed at transpacific ranges at Mach 1.8

...Threshold range was set at 4,200 nm, which the company believes is sufficient for most top city pairs, while an objective range of 5,300 nm will enable nonstop transpacific missions. Target takeoff field length is less than 10,500 ft., though under 9,500 ft. is preferred, while the sweet spot for passenger capacity is set at 40. Using Concorde as a reference, “we explored different markets and looked at load factors, and thought 40 [passengers] would be a good place,” says Buonanno. The minimum viable payload is 19, below which seat-mile costs are considered unrealistic...

Lockheed Quietly Developing AIM-260 To Counter Chinese PL-15

DAYTON, Ohio—Lockheed Martin is developing a new air-dominance missile for the U.S. Air Force and Navy with significantly greater range than the AIM-120 Amraam as a counter to China’s new PL-15 weapon, a top U.S. Air Force official says.

The AIM-260 is scheduled to begin flight testing in 2021 and achieve initial operational capability in 2022, said Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo, the Air Force’s program executive officer for weapons.

The disclosure, during a June 20 interview with Aerospace DAILY on the sidelines of Life Cycle Industry Days here, reveals a major initiative that had been cloaked in secrecy for more than two years...

MQ-25 First Flight Slated This Summer

PARIS—Boeing has revealed that the U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned refueling tanker company-funded prototype will achieve first flight later this summer.
The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show, being held here June 17-23.

The prototype is dubbed “T1” and will complete a 200-hr. flight hour test program to reduce risk and assess the possibility of program acceleration, Leanne Caret, Boeing Defense, Space & Security president and chief executive, said here June 17...

Again, thank you Mr. Justice Thomas

My favorite SCOTUS associate justice since the passing of the late, great Antonin Scalia, and a very close second to that great man during their joint service on the court. As I've grown older, I've become more libertarian in my views on a number of matters, and this is one of them, use of private property. Fourteen years ago, in a constitutional abortion of law that rivals Plessy v. Ferguson, and the Obamacare rulings, the court ruled in Kelo v. City of New London, a city could take citizen's private property for reasons other than a legitimate community need (e.g. a road, bridge, or school). The City of New London could seize the land, then sell to a second private interest to increase the tax revenue. In a nation where the federal government owns over a quarter of the land mass of the nation, this should give us pause. The constitution was established to insure the government would not infringe on the rights of the citizen. We see encroachment every day.

But here we see a great ruling, and a great concurring opinion from Mr. Justice Thomas. From Reason.com:

Clarence Thomas Benchslaps the Federal Government in a Property Rights Case

“Our role is to enforce the Takings Clause as written.”

Property rights advocates scored a significant victory today when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 1985 precedent which had forced property owners whose land is taken by the government to seek just compensation in state court before they are permitted to file a constitutional case in federal court. According to the 5–4 majority opinion of Chief Justice John Roberts in Knick v. Township of Scott, "the state-litigation requirement imposes an unjustifiable burden on takings plaintiffs, conflicts with the rest of our takings jurisprudence, and must be overruled. A property owner has an actionable Fifth Amendment takings claim when the government takes his property without paying for it."

The case centered on a local Pennsylvania ordinance requiring that all cemeteries "be kept open and accessible to the general public during daylight hours." In 2013, Scott Township sought to enforce this ordinance against Rose Mary Knick, whose property, as the Court described it, "includes a small graveyard where the ancestors of Knick's neighbors are allegedly buried. Such family cemeteries are fairly common in Pennsylvania, where 'backyard burials' have long been permitted."

Knick objected to this government taking of her property. But under the Supreme Court's 1985 precedent in Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, she was barred from going straight to federal court. "If a State provides an adequate procedure for seeking just compensation," Williamson County said, "the property owner cannot claim a violation of the Just Compensation Clause until it has used the [state] procedure and been denied just compensation." In its ruling today on behalf of Knick, the Supreme Court struck down Williamson County.

In addition to being a victory for property owners, Knick v. Township of Scott is also notable for featuring some sharp words from Justice Clarence Thomas directed at the federal government. As Thomas noted in a concurring opinion, the U.S. solicitor general filed an amicus brief in the case which argued that "the failure to provide contemporaneous compensation for a taking does not violate the Fifth Amendment if the government has provided an adequate mechanism for obtaining just compensation."

What's wrong with that? Here is a sample of Thomas' rather pointed rebuke to the federal government:

The United States…urges us not to enforce the Takings Clause as written. It worries that requiring payment to accompany a taking would allow courts to enjoin or invalidate broad regulatory programs "merely" because the program takes property without paying for it. According to the United States, "there is a 'nearly infinite variety of ways in which government actions or regulations can affect property interests,' and it ought to be good enough that the government "implicitly promises to pay compensation for any taking" if a property owner successfully sues the government in court. Government officials, the United States contends, should be able to implement regulatory programs "without fear" of injunction or invalidation under the Takings Clause, "even when" the program is so far reaching that the officials "cannot determine whether a taking will occur."

In short, Thomas exhibited exactly zero patience towards what he called the federal government's "sue me" stance. If Knick v. Township of Scott "makes some regulatory programs 'unworkable in practice,'" Thomas declared, "so be it—our role is to enforce the Takings Clause as written."

And there is the rub for libtards. The constitution says what it means, and means what it says. It has evolved over the years, often in the manner it should be changed, the legislative or amendment process. But often, especially since the FDR years, by courts or departments "finding" or "creating" laws, rights, etc. It's good to see someone explain to the bureaucrats they are not omnipotent.

Last year I posted on how I mailed my copy of My Grandfather's Son to Mr. Justice Thomas and he returned it signed. It still in a distinguished group of books on my bookshelf, the ones I have autographed. I regret I did not do this with Mr. Justice Scalia, but life goes on. Mr. Justice Thomas, I know your intellectual and court compatriate is looking at you from the heavens and saying, "Well done pal!"

The way to start a movie...

I remember watching the black and white version of this when I was a kid, and it was the first "real" play I saw as an adult. Then I saw it again in Houston back in 1998, and I saw the video last year with the wife. The opening is awesome:

Followed by one of the greatest songs from theater history:

Have a great weekend!

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Peter Herrera
El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch Sunday, March 24, 2019
Age 35
Tour 11 years
Badge 4928
Incident Date Friday, March 22, 2019

Deputy Sheriff Peter Herrera succumbed to wounds sustained when he was shot after pulling over a vehicle in San Elizario at 1:50 am.

He had stopped the vehicle for a registration violation near the corner of Chicken Ranch Road and Socorro Road. He approached the car and asked the driver to step out. As the driver exited the vehicle he fired 15 rounds, striking Deputy Herrera multiple times. Deputy Herrara did not have an opportunity to draw his own weapon.

The driver and the passenger then fled the scene in the vehicle, but it stalled out several blocks away. The two then fled on foot but were located and apprehended a short time later by responding deputies. The driver was charged with first-degree murder.

A civilian and members of the U.S. Border Patrol and El Paso County Sheriff's Office provided aid to Deputy Herrera. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition where he succumbed to his wounds two days later.

Deputy Herrera had served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for 11 years. He is survived by his wife.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Fang
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Sunday, September 30, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Age 3

K9 Fang was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend an armed carjacking suspect near I-10 and Commerce Center Parkway.

The subject had stolen the vehicle at gunpoint approximately one hour earlier. The vehicle was located and turned off remotely as it traveled on I-10 and the driver fled into the nearby woods. K9 Fang was released to apprehend the suspect but was shot and killed. The subject was apprehended by a second canine and his handler moments later.

K9 Fang served as a patrol canine and explosives detection canine.

Rest in Peace Fang…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer Paul Thomas Rutherford
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch Thursday, March 21, 2019
Age 51
Tour 23 years
Badge 6403

Police Officer Paul Rutherford was struck and killed by a vehicle near the intersection of 75th Avenue and Indian School Road at 8:30 am.

He was at the scene of an earlier accident when a call involving an armed subject was dispatched at a location across the street. He was attempting to cross the street to respond to the call when he was struck by a vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Officer Rutherford was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 23 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Rocky
Riverhead Police Department, New York
End of Watch Sunday, September 2, 2018
Breed German Shepherd
Gender Male
Age Not available
Tour 7 years

K9 Rocky was killed in a vehicle crash near the intersection of West Main Street and Raynor Avenue as his handler responded to a vehicle pursuit at approximately 2:30 a.m.

An officer working a DWI checkpoint was struck by a vehicle whose driver refused commands to stop and fled. Rocky's handler was responding to the resulting vehicle pursuit when his patrol car left the roadway and struck a utility pole. Rocky sustained fatal injuries when he was ejected from the patrol car.

The pursuit was terminated due to the suspect's dangerous driving behavior. The driver remains at large.

K9 Rocky had served with the Riverhead Police Department for seven years.

Rest in Peace Rocky…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Ryan Shane Thompson
Kittitas County Sheriff's Office, Washington
End of Watch Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Age 42
Tour 12 years
Badge 35

Deputy Sheriff Ryan Thompson was shot and killed in the city of Kittitas following a vehicle pursuit at approximately 7:45 pm.

He had responded to a traffic complaint involving a road rage incident and attempted to stop the involved vehicle. The driver fled along I-90 and exited the interstate into Kittitas where a city officer joined the pursuit. The vehicle came to a stop in the area of North Pierce Street and 6th Avenue. The driver opened fire on the officers, fatally wounding Deputy Thompson and seriously wounding the Kittitas officer.

The subject was shot and killed in the ensuing shootout.

Deputy Thompson served in law enforcement for 12 years including time with the Kittitas Sheriffs Office's Correctional Facility and Central Washington University Police before becoming a Kittitas Sheriff's Deputy.

He is survived by his wife and three children, his parents and three brothers.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

What's going on in the World Today 190617

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:

USA

Julian Assange to appear in court after Javid signs US extradition request

Home secretary opens way for court to consider whether Assange should be sent to US

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has revealed he has signed a request for Julian Assange to be extradited to the US where he faces charges of computer hacking.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday, Javid said: “He’s rightly behind bars. There’s an extradition request from the US that is before the courts tomorrow but yesterday I signed the extradition order and certified it and that will be going in front of the courts tomorrow.”

Javid’s decision opens the way to the court sending the WikiLeaks founder to the US. Assange faces an 18-count indictment, issued by the US Department of Justice, that includes charges under the Espionage Act. He is accused of soliciting and publishing classified information and conspiring to hack into a government computer...

The Pentagon is battling the clock to fix serious, unreported F-35 problems

WASHINGTON — Over the past several years, U.S. Defense Department leaders have gone from citing technical problems as their biggest concern for the F-35 program to bemoaning the expense of buying and sustaining the aircraft.

But the reality may be worse. According to documents exclusively obtained by Defense News, the F-35 continues to be marred by flaws and glitches that, if left unfixed, could create risks to pilot safety and call into question the fighter jet’s ability to accomplish key parts of its mission:

F-35B and F-35C pilots, compelled to observe limitations on airspeed to avoid damage to the F-35’s airframe or stealth coating. Cockpit pressure spikes that cause “excruciating” ear and sinus pain. Issues with the helmet-mounted display and night vision camera that contribute to the difficulty of landing the F-35C on an aircraft carrier...

...The 13 deficiencies include:

- The F-35’s logistics system currently has no way for foreign F-35 operators to keep their secret data from being sent to the United States.

- The spare parts inventory shown by the F-35’s logistics system does not always reflect reality, causing occasional mission cancellations.

- Cabin pressure spikes in the cockpit of the F-35 have been known to cause barotrauma, the word given to extreme ear and sinus pain.

- In very cold conditions — defined as at or near minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit — the F-35 will erroneously report that one of its batteries have failed, sometimes prompting missions to be aborted.

- Supersonic flight in excess of Mach 1.2 can cause structural damage and blistering to the stealth coating of the F-35B and F-35C.

- After doing certain maneuvers, F-35B and F-35C pilots are not always able to completely control the aircraft’s pitch, roll and yaw.

- If the F-35A and F-35B blows a tire upon landing, the impact could also take out both hydraulic lines and pose a loss-of-aircraft risk.

- A “green glow” sometimes appears on the helmet-mounted display, washing out the imagery in the helmet and making it difficult to land the F-35C on an aircraft carrier.

- On nights with little starlight, the night vision camera sometimes displays green striations that make it difficult for all variants to see the horizon or to land on ships.

-The sea search mode of the F-35’s radar only illuminates a small slice of the sea’s surface.

- When the F-35B vertically lands on very hot days, older engines may be unable to produce the required thrust to keep the jet airborne, resulting in a hard landing....

AFRICA

The Latest: UN committee meets Friday on Ebola emergency

KASINDI, Congo (AP) — The Latest on the Ebola outbreak in Africa (all times local):

The World Health Organization says an expert committee will meet on Friday to discuss whether to declare the Ebola outbreak a global health emergency.

This is the third time the committee is meeting on the current Ebola outbreak, which has killed nearly 1,400 people since it was declared in August.

The WHO announcement comes a day after the first cross-border case in this outbreak was confirmed.

A 5-year-old boy who crossed from Congo into Uganda earlier this week has since died. Two relatives in Uganda also have the highly contagious virus...

US military vehicle hit by roadside bomb in Niger, officials say

A roadside bomb exploded damaging a U.S. military vehicle struck in the West African country of Niger, but no one was killed, U.S. Africa Command told Fox News on Sunday. U.S. officials confirmed a tactical vehicle was damaged in Saturday's explosion but said the cause was “undetermined at this time.”

Islamic State claims deadly attack in east Congo's Ebola zone

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a deadly overnight attack in an area of eastern Congo hit by an Ebola epidemic, although its account of the violence differed from local reports. The deputy mayor of Beni in the eastern Democratic of Congo said 13 civilians were killed late on Monday in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) - a group thought to be linked to Islamic State.

Two injured in Mombasa explosion as parents of suspect detained [Kenya]

Two young men were injured in a night explosion inside a house in Likoni on Sunday night. Police suspect the two men were assembling a liquid-based improvised explosive device in the kitchen which accidentally went off at around 10pm, wounding the young men. Anti-terrorist police rushed to the scene and later arrested one suspect and parents of the other who escaped. And police have launched investigations following intelligence reports that a terrorist act intended for last weekend was disrupted.

Isis claims sub-Saharan attacks in a sign of African ambitions

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two attacks by militants in sub-Saharan Africa in less than 24 hours, suggesting the continent is central to the terrorist group’s strategy of expanding a global network of extremists after the loss of its territories in Iraq and Syria. On Tuesday Isis said it was involved in an attack in Mozambique, where an intensifying insurgency has pitted a little-understood network of militants against local security forces in the northern Cabo Delgado province. It was the first such claim of an Isis link to the former Portuguese colony....Earlier in the day, Isis also claimed responsibility for a deadly overnight attack in the (DRC).

ASIA

India set to launch second lunar mission; land rover on the moon

BENGALURU (Reuters) - India said on Wednesday it will launch its second lunar mission in mid-July, as it moves to consolidate its status as a leader in space technology by achieving a controlled landing on the moon.

The mission, if successful, would make India only the fourth country behind the United States, Russia and China to perform a “soft” landing on the moon and put a rover on it. China successfully landed a lunar rover in January.

The unmanned mission, called Chandrayaan-2, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, will involve an orbiter, a lander and a rover, which have been built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The mission is scheduled to launch on July 15 aboard ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III. It will cost about 10 billion rupees ($144 million), ISRO said.

After a journey of more than 50 days, ISRO’s lander will attempt a “soft”, controlled landing on the lunar surface on around Sept. 6...

Pentagon Chief to Suspend Turkey’s F-35 Pilot Training
Turkish pilots training in the United States must leave by July 31, as Ankara refuses to ditch a Russian missile system.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is taking significant steps toward cutting Turkey out of the F-35 fighter jet program over concerns about Ankara’s plans to purchase a Russian missile system, telling his Turkish counterpart that pilots currently training in the United States must leave the country by July 31 and halting training for new students.

Turkey can still change its mind on purchasing the S-400 missile system, which is expected to arrive on Turkish soil as soon as this month, and the steps regarding F-35 training will be reversed, a senior U.S. defense official told Foreign Policy.

The United States has already halted delivery of F-35 materials and related equipment to Turkey. Without the training provided by the U.S. military, future Turkish F-35 pilots will not be able to operate the jet, which will provide the bulk of tactical airpower for the United States and many of its allied militaries for decades to come....

In the Arabian Sea, Competing Ports in Iran and Pakistan Fuel Ambition and Mistrust
The Chinese-funded Pakistani port of Gwadar is slated to become the largest shipping port of South Asia by 2022.(CHRISTINE-FELICE

Highlights

- China’s expansion across South Asia and the Indian Ocean under its Belt and Road Initiative will drive India’s own regional outreach, heightening the importance of New Delhi's infrastructure projects such as the Chabahar port in Iran.

- However, the threat of U.S. sanctions and the war in Afghanistan risk thwarting Indo-Iranian cooperation on the port project.

- Meanwhile, China's closer ties with Pakistan means its own port project in Gwadar is more assured...

Taiwan confirms request for US tanks, air defense systems

Taiwan confirmed Thursday it has asked to purchase more than 100 tanks from the U.S., along with air defense and anti-tank missile systems in a major potential arms sale that drew immediate protest from China. A Defense Ministry statement said it has submitted a letter of request for 108 cutting-edge M1A2 Abrams tanks, 1,240 TOW anti-armor missiles, 409 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 250 Stinger man-portable air defense systems...

Suspected terrorists kill 95 [Mali]

No fewer than 95 people were killed when suspected terrorists attacked a village in central Mali, a statement by government said on Monday. According to the statement, 19 others are missing since armed men attacked the village of Sobame Da in the Mopti region in the early hours of Monday. “The attackers also killed animals and burnt down houses,’’ the government said, adding that an investigation into the attack was under way. Mali’s centre and north have experienced regular flare-ups of violence and attacks in the wake of a 2012 military coup that saw separatist rebel groups and later al-Qaeda-associated militants take control of the region.

EUROPE

‘Fort Trump’ for Poland? Not Quite.

Trump will send 1,000 noncombat troops to Eastern Europe amid signs of a Russian buildup.

The Trump administration has been mainly focused on the strategic threat from China in recent months, but U.S. President Donald Trump is signaling that he is keeping at least one eye on Russia, the only other nation the Pentagon believes could pose an existential threat to the United States...

...In addition to the additional troops, the United States will establish a forward-deployed division headquarters and a combat training center, to be jointly used by Polish and U.S. forces in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, and eventually other locations, according to the joint resolution Trump and Duda signed on Wednesday. The United States will also stand up a U.S. Air Force surveillance squadron of MQ-9 Reaper drones and a U.S. special operations forces capability in Poland. In addition, the United States will build infrastructure to support the presence of an armored brigade combat team, a combat aviation brigade, and a combat sustainment support battalion...

MI5 analysing former terror suspects to catch potential attackers

MI5 has created a new category to rank terrorist suspects and is increasing the number of behavioural scientists it uses by 50% to improve the agency’s chances of catching former jihadists who re-engage with planning attacks, the Guardian has learned. The moves follow a series of attacks in the UK in 2017, two of which were carried out by former “subjects of interest”. In those cases, active MI5 investigations were dropped only for the suspects to later kill civilians. The measures are part of a package of changes introduced after the atrocities. Internal reviews led to 125 recommendations to improve counter-terrorism efforts by MI5, the domestic security service, and counter-terrorism policing. Whitehall sources claim the measures have already led to investigations being reopened on suspects previously thought to pose a lower level of danger.

Iran-linked terrorists caught stockpiling explosives in north-west London

Terrorists linked to Iran were caught stockpiling tonnes of explosive materials on the outskirts of London in a secret British bomb factory, The Telegraph can reveal. Radicals linked to Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group, stashed thousands of disposable ice packs containing ammonium nitrate - a common ingredient in homemade bombs. The plot was uncovered by MI5 and the Metropolitan Police in the autumn of 2015, just months after the UK signed up to the Iran nuclear deal. Three metric tonnes of ammonium nitrate was discovered - more than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and damaged hundreds of buildings.

France smashes neo-Nazi cell over plot to attack Jews, Muslims

French police have smashed a neo-Nazi cell accused of plotting attacks on Jewish or Muslim places of worship, legal sources said Tuesday. Five members of the group, who were “close in ideology to the neo-Nazi movement” were charged between September and May over the alleged plot, a source close to the investigation said. “The investigation suggested they were developing an ill-defined plot to carry out an attack, likely to target a place of worship,” the judicial source said.

Belgium: Man armed with knives tries to enter synagogue

... “A suspicious person with Iraqi roots tried to enter the Van De Nest synagogue on Monday morning walking next to his bike and carrying a bag. The suspect wore a kippa on his head and pretended to be Jewish.” He seemed to be carrying 2 small and 1 bigger knives. Police arrested the suspect on grounds of carrying a forbidden weapon and trying to get into the synagogue.” CKJGA also made note of several other incidents over the course of Shavuot during which Antwerp Jews were threatened.

German woman faces Islamic State-linked terrorism charges

Federal prosecutors say a 32-year-old German woman faces terrorism charges for joining the Islamic State group in Syria. Carla-Josephine S., whose last name wasn’t released for privacy reasons, is also charged with child endangerment resulting in death and other offenses....

Bulgaria Charges Teenager With Plotting Terrorist Attack

Bulgarian officials said on Saturday that they had arrested and charged a 16-year-old student who had been radicalized by the Islamic State with planning a terrorist attack. The Islamic State had recruited the teenager, who is from Plovdiv, in a process that started over social media, Deputy Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said Saturday at a news conference in Sofia....

LATIN/SOUTH AMERICA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

AFGHANISTAN

ISIS expands in Afghanistan, threatening West

JALALABAD, Afghanistan — The Islamic State group has lost its caliphate in Syria and Iraq, but in the forbidding mountains of northeastern Afghanistan the group is expanding its footprint, recruiting new fighters and plotting attacks on the United States and other Western countries, according to U.S. and Afghan security officials.

Nearly two decades after the U.S.-led invasion, the extremist group is seen as an even greater threat than the Taliban because of its increasingly sophisticated military capabilities and its strategy of targeting civilians, both in Afghanistan and abroad. Concerns run so deep that many have come to see the Taliban, which has also clashed with IS, as a potential partner in containing it.

A U.S. intelligence official based in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that a recent wave of attacks in the capital, Kabul, is "practice runs" for even bigger attacks in Europe and the United States...

ISIL expands its reach in Afghanistan, threatening the West

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group is expanding its footprint in Afghanistan "with thousands and thousands" of fighters after losing its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq. The armed group is recruiting new soldiers and plotting attacks on the United States and other Western countries, US and Afghan security officials say. ISIL is seen as an even greater threat than the Taliban because of its increasingly sophisticated military capabilities and its strategy of targeting civilians, both in Afghanistan and abroad. Concerns run so deep that some officials have come to see the Taliban, which has also clashed with ISIL, as a potential partner in containing it...

CHINA

How China Could Shut Down America’s Defenses
Advanced U.S. weapons are almost entirely reliant on rare-earth materials only made in China—and they could be a casualty of the trade war.

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Hawaii prepared to moor at the historic submarine piers at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on June 6. Each Virginia-class submarine uses nearly five tons of rare-earth materials.

President Donald Trump has often argued that China has much more to lose than the United States in a trade war, but critics say his administration has failed to address a major U.S. vulnerability: Beijing maintains powerful leverage over the warmaking capability of its main strategic rival through its control of critical materials.

Every advanced weapon in the U.S. arsenal—from Tomahawk missiles to the F-35 fighter jet to Aegis-equipped destroyers and cruisers and everything in between—is absolutely reliant on components made using rare-earth elements, including critical items such as permanent magnets and specialized alloys that are almost exclusively made in China. Perhaps more worrisome is that the long-term U.S. supply of smart bombs and guided munitions that would have to be replenished in a hurry in the event of U.S. conflict in Syria, Iran, or elsewhere are essentially reliant on China’s acquiescence in their continued production..,

IRAN

The Big Picture

The United States may not ultimately desire a war with Iran, but it is making no compromises on its campaign of exerting "maximum pressure" on Tehran over its nuclear program and regional policies. In response, Iran has vowed to retaliate, suggesting it could attack U.S. forces through its proxies elsewhere in the Middle East and attempt to close the vital Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Incidents like a June 13 attack on oil tankers near the strait could be the latest salvo in a — so far — non-military battle between Washington and Tehran.

What Happened

A month and a day after an attack with limpet mines on four tankers off Fujairah near the Strait of Hormuz, another more serious attack has occurred in the approach to the body of water. Two tankers, one a Panama-flagged vessel named the Kokuka Courageous and the other a Marshall Islands-flagged boat, the Front Altair, suffered heavy damage. The incident injured one crew member on the Kokuka Courageous, which was also forced to cease sailing as the attack opened a breach in the hull above the water line. The Front Altair, meanwhile, appeared to suffer even more damage, as news reports showed the vessel on fire and adrift. With Iran and the United States in a standoff, incidents such as these could ignite a military confrontation...

Iran has accelerated enrichment of uranium, IAEA says

TEHRAN/VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has followed through on a threat to accelerate its production of enriched uranium, the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Monday, departing from his usual guarded language to say he was worried about increasing tension.

The assessment comes at a time of sharply increased U.S.-Iranian confrontation in recent weeks, a year after Washington abandoned an agreement between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international financial sanctions.

Washington tightened sanctions from the start of May, ordering all countries and companies to halt all imports of Iranian oil or be banished from the global financial system. It has also dispatched extra troops to the region to counter what it describes as Iranian threats.

Iran has responded with a threat to increase its enrichment of uranium, saying it is up to Europeans who still support the nuclear deal to save it by finding ways to ensure Tehran gets the economic benefits it was promised.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, whose agency is responsible for monitoring Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal, said Iran was now producing more enriched uranium than before, but it was not clear when it might reach stockpile limits set in the pact.

“Yes, (the) production rate is increasing,” he told a news conference when asked if enriched uranium production had accelerated since the agency’s last quarterly report, which found Iran compliant with the nuclear deal as of May 20. He declined to quantify the increase...

IRAQ


Iraq sentences last 2 French IS members to death

An Iraqi judicial official says a Baghdad court has sentenced to death two more French nationals convicted of being members of the Islamic State group. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the two are Murad Mohammed Mustafa , 41, and Bilal Abdel-Fattah, 32. They are among 12 French IS members who were arrested by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and transferred from Syria to Iraqi custody in January.

ISRAEL

In Israel, Netanyahu Heads for Another Election With No Margin for Error

Highlights

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party will enter the Sept. 17 polls with their domestic legitimacy dented, making them more likely to take risks both domestically and internationally to persuade voters to choose them.

- To bolster their security credentials and entice nationalist voters, Netanyahu will take action that could inadvertently escalate tensions with the Palestinians in the West Bank, the Iranians in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

- Regardless of the new premier, the election will showcase who has the upper hand in Israel's culture wars, which has implications for future elections and social policy amid the growing population of Haredim and ultra-Orthodox communities...

Not just fire, but arson: Weekly terror report [Israel]

Israel has been facing weeks of ongoing fires in recent weeks. Fifty families have been left homeless, countless animals have died, and thousands of acres of land have been destroyed, including pristine forests in central Israel.... In Haifa for example, 527 apartments were destroyed leaving 1,600 people homeless. 75,000 residents were evacuated and more than 20,000 dunams of forests burnt. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that out of 80 fires that were checked, 71 were the result of arson.... Firefighter Ran Shlaf, considered the premier authority in fire investigations in the country said: “Yes. We've faced arson terror. There is no dilemma or doubt about it. All the villages that were burned were Jewish, and all those arrested or prosecuted were Arabs. And from a thorough investigation we conducted, no one else in the Middle East - including the Palestinians - experienced such an extreme wave of fires like we experienced".

Tunnel crossing between Lebanon and Israel went 22 storeys deep

The Israeli army on Monday showed the inside of a sophisticated tunnel passing deep underground from Lebanon into northern Israel, saying it was intended for use by Lebanese Hezbollah militants. The tunnel was rigged with electrical wiring, fuse boxes and communications equipment. An army spokesman said it began almost a kilometer (mile) away inside Lebanon and reached depths of some 80 meters (265 feet) - about the height of a 22-storey building - as it crossed into Israel, near the town of Zarit.... Hezbollah’s leader, in response to Israel’s tunnel operation, said in January that his group has been able to enter Israel for years. But he stopped short of acknowledging that the tunnels were the handiwork of Hezbollah, citing the heavily armed group’s policy of “ambiguity” on military matters and a desire to deny Israel a pretext to attack.

KOREAN PENNSULEA

(LEAD) Moon hopes to meet Kim before Trump visits S. Korea in late June

OSLO, June 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Wednesday that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the peninsula at the end of this month.

Speaking at the Oslo Forum in the Norwegian capital, Moon also emphasized the urgency of Pyongyang and Washington resuming formal dialogue.
Trump is scheduled to attend the two-day G-20 summit to open in Osaka, Japan, on June 28. He plans to travel to South Korea as well during the upcoming Northeast Asia tour. No exact schedule has been announced yet...

North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs

Overview

North Korea has made recent advancements in its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Since Kim Jong-un came to power in 2012, North Korea has conducted over 80 ballistic missile test launches. In 2016, North Korea conducted 2 nuclear weapons tests and 26 ballistic missile flight tests on a variety of platforms. In 2017, North Korea test launched 18 ballistic missiles (with 5 failures), including 2 launches in July and another in November that many ascribe as ICBM tests (intercontinental ballistic missiles). Most recently, North Korea tested short-range ballistic missiles on May 4 and 9. It last conducted a nuclear test in September 2017. In April 2018, Kim Jong Un said that nuclear and ICBM testing was no longer necessary. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban all ballistic missile tests by the DPRK.

Testing as well as official North Korean statements suggest that North Korea is striving to build a credible regional nuclear warfighting capability that might evade regional ballistic missile defenses. Such an approach likely reinforces a deterrence and coercive diplomacy strategy— lending more credibility as it demonstrates capability—but it also raises serious questions about crisis stability and escalation control. Congress may further examine these advances’ possible effects on U.S. policy...

Mixed Signals on Engagement

Since mid-May, there have been signs of a high-level policy discussion in Pyongyang over how to proceed with diplomatic engagement with Washington. On one hand, there has been a positive shift in DPRK commentary on US-DPRK negotiations both from the North Korean Foreign Ministry and via the pro-DPRK paper in Japan, Choson Sinbo. Externally, Pyongyang appears to be signaling that it would welcome a US gesture allowing the two sides to resume engagement. Internally, however, there seems to be opposition to this course, or at the very least serious warnings about proceeding along the same lines that Pyongyang took from January 2018-February 2019.

As usual, no single statement or commentary unambiguously tells the story. Rather, it is in combination—along with the shadings of language, topics omitted and even the choice of audience—that suggest Pyongyang is moving beyond its immediate post-Hanoi policy reevaluation and into a new phase.

The positive shift began with a May 18 Choson Sinbo commentary—authored by Kim Ji Yong—breaking with the North’s standard portrayal of the February US-DPRK Hanoi Summit as a failure, and instead emphasizing positive aspects of the summit. Over the years, Kim Ji Yong has appeared to be an especially well plugged-in journalist for the pro-NK paper in Japan. Simply put, he does not write his commentaries off the top of his head, and often either directly transmits or at least accurately conveys thinking in some circles in Pyongyang. In his May 18 commentary, Kim reached back to a February 28 KCNA report on the Hanoi talks (an extremely upbeat report apparently released before the extent of the failure was fully digested) as having resulted in the DPRK and US leaders gaining “in each other greater respect and trust.” To nail down that image, Kim repeated this positive portrayal of Hanoi elsewhere in the piece: “Eventually, the President himself will have to make a resolute decision based on the trust built during the past two summit talks...”

RUSSIA

US Intelligence Officials and Satellite Photos Detail Russian Military Buildup on Crimea

Five S-400 anti-aircraft missile batteries, plus additional troops and fighters, let Moscow better defend the Black Sea and threaten Europe and the Middle East. Russia has added troops, aircraft, and weapons to Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in what amounts to a “significant” buildup of forces over the past 18 months, according to U.S. intelligence officials, observers, and new satellite photos that reveal the locations of new S-400 air defense systems and improvements to Soviet-era bases...

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

Saudi Arabia: Houthi Cruise Missile Attack on Airport Injures 26

What Happened: A cruise missile launched by Houthi rebel forces struck Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport, injuring 26 people in the arrival hall. Both the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi media outlets described the projectile as a cruise missile, a departure from the ballistic missiles commonly been used by the Houthis.

Why It Matters: The incident shows a continuation of the development of the Houthi's offensive capabilities. Though Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks are a familiar threat in southwestern Saudi Arabia, an attack with this many casualties is unusual. Because the Saudis blame Iran for actions perpetrated by the Houthis, increasingly capable Houthi attacks will only intensify already high tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as between the United States and Iran. Cruise missiles add a new type of threat to personnel and assets in Saudi Arabia, given that they have greater accuracy than ballistic missiles, their launching systems are more mobile and they can evade anti-missile systems more effectively.

Background: Iran reportedly began ramping up support for the Houthis in November 2018, including the provision of more advanced drones capable of striking central Saudi Arabia, additional ballistic missiles and now cruise missiles. The Houthis released a video of a supposed cruise missile launch in December 2017, but there was no indication that the projectile struck its target, and no subsequent videos or incidents have emerged since. The Houthis have launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia, which have most heavily impacted the Saudi-Yemen border area, though some have reached as far as Riyadh.

Egypt: Troops kill 14 militants day after IS attack in Sinai

Egypt says security forces killed 14 militants while pursuing attackers behind an assault on a police checkpoint in northern Sinai that authorities said left eight policemen dead. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack near the city of el-Arish. Egyptian security officials initially said as many as 10 policemen died in the attack but the discrepancy in the accounts could not be reconciled. The area is off limits to reporters.

CYBER ISSUES

AI Can Thrive in Open Societies

The belief that China’s surveillance gives it an advantage is misleading—and dangerous.

According to foreign-policy experts and the defense establishment, the United States is caught in an artificial intelligence arms race with China—one with serious implications for national security. The conventional version of this story suggests that the United States is at a disadvantage because of self-imposed restraints on the collection of data and the privacy of its citizens, while China, an unrestrained surveillance state, is at an advantage. In this vision, the data that China collects will be fed into its systems, leading to more powerful AI with capabilities we can only imagine today. Since Western countries can’t or won’t reap such a comprehensive harvest of data from their citizens, China will win the AI arms race and dominate the next century.

This idea makes for a compelling narrative, especially for those trying to justify surveillance—whether government- or corporate-run. But it ignores some fundamental realities about how AI works and how AI research is conducted.

Thanks to advances in machine learning, AI has flipped from theoretical to practical in recent years, and successes dominate public understanding of how it works. Machine learning systems can now diagnose pneumonia from X-rays, play the games of go and poker, and read human lips, all better than humans. They’re increasingly watching surveillance video. They are at the core of self-driving car technology and are playing roles in both intelligence-gathering and military operations. These systems monitor our networks to detect intrusions and look for spam and malware in our email....

INTEL GENERAL

How to Take Care of an Ex-Spy

Former intelligence officers need compassion —or they can turn sour.

Philip CarusoJune 14, 2019, 3:29 PM

There’s been a surge of Americans caught spying for foreign countries of late. On March 15, former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) case officer Ron Hansen pleaded guilty to attempted transmission of national defense information to China. On February 13, Monica Witt was indicted in absentia for spying on behalf of Iran. On June 8, 2018, former CIA officer and DIA intelligence officer Kevin Mallory was convicted of selling classified documents to China. And on May 8, 2018, former CIA case officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee was indicted for conspiring to provide national defense information to China after he left the CIA.

You may be wondering what the U.S. government is doing about this. Over the past decade, unauthorized disclosures have incited questions about the U.S. government’s ability to protect classified information, sensitive equipment, and specialized tradecraft—to the extent that even The Onion has weighed in.

Many unauthorized disclosures, including severely damaging ones such as from Edward Snowden, have come from current employees with ready access to sensitive information. However, as the cases this year show, an equally susceptible population—former U.S. government employees—has faced increased scrutiny for unauthorized disclosures in the course of employment by foreign countries and outright espionage. What’s more, cases that are actually brought to indictment and trial may only represent a fraction of the whole. No government can entirely protect against treason, but the United States could be doing far more to both serve former employees and protect against their defection to its foes.

TERRORISM

Lessons from a Workplace Shooting in Virginia Beach

Highlights

- Incidents of workplace violence and mass public attacks are a persistent concern.

- Training for responding to active shooters and other attacks can help save lives in the event of an attack.

- Nevertheless, proactive security measures must accompany any response to help avoid attacks. An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure

Hezbollah Isn’t Just in Beirut. It’s in New York, Too.

The trial of a senior operative reveals the extent of the terrorist organization’s reach in the United States and Canada.

Fighters with the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah party, carry flags as they parade in a southern suburb of the capital Beirut, to mark the al-Quds (Jerusalem) International Day, on May 31. ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images
In recent years, Hezbollah has stepped up its activities beyond Lebanon’s borders. This uptick has been clearest in the Middle East—in Iraq, Yemen, and especially Syria—but plots have also been thwarted in South America, Asia, Europe, and now, possibly, the United States.

Reports of Hezbollah activity in North America are not new, though such reporting tends to focus on the group’s fundraising, money laundering, procurement, or other logistical activities from Vancouver to Miami. But last month, the criminal prosecution and conviction in New York of the Hezbollah operative Ali Kourani revealed disturbing new information about the extent of Hezbollah’s operations and activities in the United States and Canada...

Trump’s Iran Crackdown Isn’t Enough to Stop Hezbollah


Unless Washington targets the group more effectively, it can outlive the pressure on Tehran.

Hezbollah is reportedly feeling the pain of U.S. President Donald Trump administration’s maximum-pressure campaign against Iran. Tehran, after all, contributes about $700 million to the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s estimated yearly budget of approximately $1 billion. As sanctions squeeze Tehran, less money is supposedly flowing to Hezbollah as a result.

However, sanctions on Iran are unlikely to cause Hezbollah to go broke, because the Lebanese group brings in an estimated $300 million per year from independent sources including the proceeds of transnational crime, although the true figure is likely much higher. In Latin America’s booming cocaine trade, Hezbollah members and associates provide cartels with reliable money-laundering services.

Unless the Trump administration begins disrupting these cash flows, Hezbollah will live to fight another day.

Hezbollah has already shown it can survive tough sanctions on Iran...

No bail for man accused of plotting terror attack in Times Square

A man who investigators allege was plotting to kill people in New York's Times Square is being held on weapons charges, accused of buying two illegal pistols from an undercover government agent, federal prosecutors said Friday. Ashiqul Alam, 22, of Queens, was charged in a federal court in Brooklyn with knowingly receiving two firearms with obliterated serial numbers, a criminal complaint reads. He is being held without bail.

English-speaking ISIS supporters exploit messaging app

The English-speaking supporters of the terrorist group ISIS have been using the encrypted messaging app Telegram to communicate with like-minded sympathizers around the world, a new report finds. A new study by George Washington University's Program on Extremism found that English-speaking ISIS supporters "exploit Telegram's suite of features to communicate with like-minded supporters across the world, disseminate official and unofficial (ISIS) media, and provide instructional material for operations." The report calls Telegram "effective and secure" and "the preferred digital communication tool for (ISIS) sympathizers."
MISC

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT