Officer Down

Corrections Officer IV Kelvin D. Wilcher
Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas
End of Watch Monday, April 6, 2020
Age 49
Tour 1 year
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Corrections Officer IV Kelvin Wilcher died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the Estelle Unit.

Officer Wilcher was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for one year. He is survived by his wife and two children.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

BIO

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. 

Officer Down

Sergeant Jose Diaz-Ayala
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Saturday, April 4, 2020
Age 38
Tour 14 years

Sergeant Jose Diaz-Ayala died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center.

Sergeant Diaz-Ayala had served with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for 14 years. He is survived by three daughters, two sisters, and parents.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Not real Independence Day...

But good enough! Two of my favorite singers, Pat Benatar and Martina McBride. One of the first women of rock, and one kick ass country singer. When I first heard Martina, I thought, "This is country's Pat Benatar!" 

One of the greatest series in music was CMT Crossroads, country and rock singers playing their music. I remember this episode, with Martine starting off with "Promises in the Dark," and after the first verse, Pat walks on stage. The next hour are awesome. 

Here is one of Martina's signature songs, "Independence Day", on domestic violence. Pat covered child abuse in "Hell is for Children", so both have a social conciousness in their songes.  

Have a great weekend.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Shannon Bennett
Broward County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch Friday, April 3, 2020
Age 39
Tour 12 years
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Friday, March 27, 2020
Deputy Sheriff Shannon Bennett died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.

Deputy Bennett had served with the Broward County Sheriff's Office for 12 years and served as an SRO at Deerfield Beach Elementary School. He is survived by his fiance, mother, and brother.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Officer Down

Police Officer Marco DiFranco
Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch Thursday, April 2, 2020
Age 50
Tour 21 years
Badge 19312
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Thursday, March 26, 2020

Police Officer Marco DiFranco died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.

Officer DiFranco had served with the Chicago Police Department for 21 years. He is survived by his wife, two children, and a brother who also serves with the agency.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Terrell Young
Riverside County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch Thursday, April 2, 2020
Tour 15 years
Deputy Sheriff Terrell Young died after contracting COVID-19 from an infected inmate at the Byrd Detention Center.

Deputy Young had served with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and four children.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Don't read just the headline...

I am a constant critic of reporters/"journal-list," etc., for getting basic information wrong, or just out and out lying to fit an agency. Classic example is when The Washington Post (and others are in the process) settled with a teenager who they liable, saying he charged an Indian while visiting the capital. That is an extreme examples (I have doubt their in office council was screaming "STOP! He's not a public figure, he can sue and win!"), but here is another great example. 

 

Reading the headline, it would be a bit extreme for operating on a man's teeth on a hoverboard. Well, it's not just for that.

Dentist who extracted tooth while riding hoverboard given 12-year prison sentence 

An Alaska dentist who extracted a patient’s tooth while riding a hoverboard has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his reckless stunt along with other crimes. 

Seth Lookhart was sentenced Monday in Anchorage Superior Court on dozens of charges that stemmed from his hoverboarding antics to Medicaid fraud and removing a patient’s teeth without permission, Newser reported. He was convicted on 46 counts back in January on charges, which included reckless endangerment, illegally practicing dentistry and medical assistance fraud, Law Officer reported. “ 

In reviewing all this over and over again, I have this visceral response — you darn near killed some people,” Judge Michael Wolverton said in handing down the sentence..."

OK, got it, if the jury got it right, he deserved long time in prison. But it's not just for the antics while conducting oral surgery. If reporters/media want to be respected (ask a certain former reporter for Rolling Stone), suggest you simply tell your readers/viewers the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

 

Officer Down

Correctional Officer Kenneth J. Moore
District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, District of Columbia
End of Watch Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Age 52
Tour 16 years
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Sunday, March 15, 2020

Correctional Officer Kenneth Moore died after contracting COVID-19 during a presumed exposure two weeks earlier while on duty at the District of Columbia Superior Court.

Officer Moore had served with the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services for 16 years. He is survived by his children, stepchildren, and grandchildren.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Jeff Hopkins
El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Colorado
End of Watch Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Age 41
Tour 20 years

Deputy Sheriff Jeff Hopkins died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center. He was serving at the jail's intake when he had confirmed exposure to other employees who were symptomatic and later confirmed to have COVID-19.

Deputy Hopkins had served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for 20 years. He is survived by his wife and parents.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Sypraseuth "Bud" Phouangphrachanh
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Age 43
Tour 14 years
Badge 853
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Monday, March 23, 2020

Deputy Sheriff Sypraseuth Phouangphrachanh died as the result of contracting COVID-19 while on duty as a school resource officer. Deputy Phouangphrachanh contracted the virus at the beginning of a small outbreak of the virus affecting school employees.

Deputy Phouangphrachanh had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for 14 years and was assigned as the school resource officer for the county's middle schools and high schools. He had previously served with the Candor Police Department. He is survived by his wife, five children, parents, and two brothers.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Manic Monday!

On a Finally Friday! A band I would love to see live, part of my bucket list, The Bangles. I know I was not the only 20 something with fantasies of Susanna Hoffs. I beautiful body, awesome hear, incredible face, perfect voice, and a set of eyes that said, "Come over here boy and..." 

Let's not go there! :) 

Written by the late Prince for another group who's name escapes me right now, Manic Monday was their first hit off of Different Light, a LP I've got somewhere in my record collection. But here is a live version from 2016.

  

Have a great weekend!

Barracuda Country!

I've loved Heart for ages, Ann and Nancy Wilson definitely kick ass and paved the way for many women in rock. And I've loved Gretchen Wilson since her first hit single Redneck Woman. And while checking on YouTube, I found this awesome cover of Barracuda from Gretchen Wilson. You have to appreciate a woman who drinks a beer while she is preforming, not water! While the video is a little shaky (likely from a smart phone), the audio is excellent. Enjoy one hell of a Redneck Woman, Gretchen Wilson.

Have a great weekend!

Officer Down

Detective Marylou Armer
Santa Rosa Police Department, California
End of Watch Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Age 43
Tour 20 years
Badge 442
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Sunday, March 15, 2020

Detective Marylou Armer died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty. It is presumed she contracted the illness during her duties as a domestic violence detective which required her to visit local hospitals, the county jail, confined interview rooms, and other high-risk locations.

Detective Armer had served with the Santa Rosa Police Department for 20 years. She is survived by her husband and daughter.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Officer Down

Sheriff Kirk A. Coker
Hutchinson County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch Sunday, March 29, 2020
Age 57
Tour 35 years
Badge 801

Sheriff Kirk Coker suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after responding to an unattended death near Fritch, Texas.

He had responded from his home to the scene of the death. While at the scene of the investigation he received numerous calls about gatherings in violations of the COVID-19 social distancing executive order. When cleared the death investigation and was en route to the scene of the reported gathering when he suffered a heart attack as he drove on State Highway 136, one mile east of Fritch. His vehicle left the roadway.

He was found by other deputies approximately two hours later.

Sheriff Coker had served with the Hutchinson County Sheriff's Office for 12-1/2 years and had served in law enforcement for 35 years. He is survived by his wife and three 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. 

What's Going On In The World Today 200907

HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL OR SUBSCRIPTION:

USA

USAF Errantly Reveals Research On ICBM-Range Hypersonic Glide Vehicle

The U.S. Air Force agency that manages the service’s nuclear arsenal has started research on enabling technology for an intercontinental-range hypersonic glide vehicle, according to a document that was briefly published in error on a public website.

Although the document shows that a U.S. nuclear weapons agency is researching hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) technology, senior Defense Department officials say there has been no change to a policy that “strictly” limits the emerging class of hypersonic gliders and cruise missiles to non-nuclear warheads.

The Pentagon remains committed to non-nuclear role for hypersonics

The Air Force removed the document from a public website

A request for information (RFI) published on Aug. 12 by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center asks companies to submit ideas across seven categories of potential upgrades for ICBMs designed with a “modular open architecture.” The Air Force often describes the future Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) ICBM as featuring a “modular systems architecture,” in contrast with the aging Minuteman III, which does not.

Among the seven items on the upgrade list, the Air Force called for a new “thermal protection system that can support [a] hypersonic glide to ICBM ranges,” according to the RFI, which is no longer publicly available on the government’s procurement website...
ASIA



AFRICA

Oops Sec. Photo captions posted on the Defense Department’s online content hub are shedding new light on how secretive U.S. counter-terrorism forces in Somalia operate, according to ace national security reporters Wesley Morgan and Chad Garland. The article posted late last week by the Pentagon’s top task force in the Horn of Africa reveals more clearly the structure of American forces in the war-torn country than previously known. The United States is using a military assistance group, office of security cooperation, and joint special operations task force that likely oversees the bulk of the Navy SEAL team operating there, Morgan said. The Pentagon statement indicated that the military assistance group works with United Nations-backed military forces in Somalia to develop their “capability to conduct combined operations.” (But as VOA’s Jeff Seldin reports this week, a new Pentagon watchdog assessment found that terrorist groups are gaining ground in Africa despite U.S. and international counter-terrorism efforts.)

EUROPE

Extinction Rebellion Is Back to Shut Down Central London

After a lockdown-enforced protest hiatus, the radical environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion is back at it again. Today, over 1,000 XR activists marched through central London towards Parliament Square, as the group begins another ten days of demonstrations aimed at forcing the British government to do something – anything – about the climate crisis. After four protest marches converged on Westminster, a number of activists sat in the middle of the road outside Parliament, blocking traffic, on the day MPs returned to work after a summer recess. At least five were arrested, with police taking them to nearby vans as crowds of people – the vast majority of whom were wearing face masks – cheered and chanted...

ASIS
India To Hold Naval Drills With Russia After Pulling-Out From Kavkaz 2020 Military Exercise

India will be hosting a bilateral naval exercise with the Russian Navy, in which at least three of its warships are expected to participate. The exercise will take place on 4-5 September at the Andaman Islands.... India, mindful that pulling out of Kavkaz would be upsetting for the Russians, has welcomed the Russian Navy for a maritime exercise in the Andaman Sea, near the Straits of Malacca. The exercise will interestingly take place in the same waters in which India will be hosting the Malabar -2020 Naval Exercise later this year....

NORTH/SOUTH AMERICA

Mexican Army Finds Unfinished Tunnel Under Rio Grande River

The Mexican army said Thursday that soldiers patrolling along the Rio Grande river have found an unfinished tunnel that was apparently dug under the river bed in a bid to reach U.S. territory. Predictably, the tunnel flooded and was found partly full of water. The army said a small pump was found at the mouth of the structure and was apparently used to clear water from it. Photos distributed by the army showed the builders had tried to shore up the walls of the shaft with timbers that appeared to be buckling. The army said the tunnel was found earlier this week near the city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The tunnel was apparently used for illegal activities...

AFGHANISTAN

Defying Peace Deal, Freed Taliban Return to Battlefield

A new confidential report concludes that a majority of fighters are resuming their “jihad” to overthrow the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

Taliban prisoners released by the Afghan government as part of a deal brokered by the United States aimed at ending almost 20 years of war are returning to the battlefield as commanders and fighters, in direct contravention of pledges made by the insurgents to the White House.

Confidential research obtained by Foreign Policy shows that the majority of Taliban prisoners released under an agreement signed by insurgent leaders and the United States are taking up arms to fight Afghan forces and continue their “jihad” to overthrow the U.S.-backed Afghan government and replace it with an Islamic emirate.

In an unreleased paper written for the Afghan Peace Dialogue Project at Queen’s University in Belfast, Norther Ireland, the Taliban experts Michael Semple and Felix Kuehn found that former Taliban prisoners were “participating in combat, being killed fighting, being taken prisoner and one case of an ex-prisoner being involved with revenge assassinations.”

A majority, 68 percent, of the 108 former Taliban prisoners profiled for the research “have already been re-integrated into the Taliban and have resumed active roles in the conflict, or are in Taliban groups intent on resuming fighting, or are occupying military or political positions which are fundamentally linked to the Taliban war effort,” Semple and Kuehn write...

PERSONAL COMMENT: Not surprised.

3 Afghans accused of links to insider attacks that killed U.S. troops ... to be released

Three Afghans accused of involvement in the deaths of U.S. troops in so-called insider attacks are among more than 300 high-value Taliban prisoners that the Afghan government is set to release to facilitate direct talks with the militant group, according to a senior Afghan official and a Kabul-based diplomat briefed on the matter. The United States has not publicly objected to the expected release of the three prisoners; instead, negotiators are exploring other options, including temporarily placing the inmates under house arrest, the two officials said, both speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Taliban Violated Afghan Deal With Shelling of American Bases, U.S. Officials Say

Rockets launched at a U.S. military base and a joint U.S.-Afghan airfield in southern Afghanistan in recent weeks are believed to have been fired by the Taliban, according to three American military officials, in what would amount to a clear breach of the peace agreement between the United States and the insurgent group. Roughly a dozen rockets struck in late July around Camp Bastion, a sprawling air base used by Afghan and American forces in the southern province of Helmand. And several rockets were fired within the last week or so at Camp Dwyer, a large U.S. military base about 50 miles south of Bastion. A Taliban commander familiar with the region denied that the group had carried out any strikes on American bases in Helmand and said that the group would investigate. The rocket strikes may also have been carried out by a Taliban faction that is against the agreement, according to one military official who was briefed on the matter.

CHINA

US: China fires 4 missiles toward South China Sea

US military authorities say China launched four ballistic missiles toward the South China Sea on Wednesday. They say the missiles fell between Hainan Island and the Paracel Islands. The types of the missiles have not yet been determined. The test-launch comes one day after China denounced the United States for sending a surveillance aircraft over a no-fly zone the Chinese military set up for live-fire drills. China's defense ministry said in a statement that the U- 2 plane trespassed into the zone without notice on Tuesday...

Destroyer Conducts South China Sea FONOP Day After Chinese ‘Carrier Killer’ Missile Tests

A guided-missile destroyer conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea past the Paracel Island chain on Thursday, one day after China launched missile tests in the South China Sea, U.S. 7th Fleet announced on Thursday. USS Mustin (DDG-89) operated past the islands that are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. “This freedom of navigation upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging the unlawful restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and also by challenging China’s claim to straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands,” Cmdr. Reann Mommsen told USNI News...

China’s growing military might. China plans to transform its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a force that rivals the U.S. military within 30 years, according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s new annual report on China’s military and security developments. Not only have China’s navy, ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, and air defense systems recently surpassed those of the United States, but the country has also entirely restructured the PLA, forged closer ties to foreign militaries, and expanded its presence overseas. The modernization of the PLA is part of the government’s plans for “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049, and its ambitions are far from symbolic: The government’s goal, according to the report, is to use the PLA as a tool in its statecraft to bolster China’s place in the international order and help the country “lead the reform of the global governance system.”

IRAN

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

IRAQ

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

ISRAEL

Israel Strikes Gaza Strip After Militants Fire Rockets

The Israeli military says it struck militant targets in Gaza, including a weapons manufacturing site, after six rockets were fired from the territory early Friday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage on either side. But the U.N.'s Mideast envoy warned that the situation was “rapidly deteriorating" and that life inside the blockaded Palestinian territory had become “unbearable.”

KOREAN PENINSULA

IAEA concerned about N.Korea's nuclear activities

The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed strong concern about North Korea in its latest report on the country's nuclear program.... The report says vehicle movements were detected at a uranium enrichment facility at the North's Nyongbyon nuclear complex. It says internal construction is likely continuing at an experimental light water reactor there. It says in Kangson, near Pyongyang, a group of buildings under observation appear to be a uranium enrichment facility. It says regular vehicle movements at the site suggest that activities are ongoing...

North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Center: Significant Flooding of the Kuryong River

Commercial satellite imagery of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center from August 6 reveals significant flooding along the Kuryong River, perhaps the worst in the past several years. Despite ongoing efforts to improve the embankment along the river against annual flooding, they failed to meet the challenge of this year’s rising waters, which reached the pump houses. More importantly, the flooding exposed how vulnerable the nuclear reactors’ cooling systems are to extreme weather events, in this case, for the potential for damage to the pumps and their power systems, or for clogging of piping systems that draw water from the river. Although the 5 MWe Reactor does not appear to have been operating for quite some time and the Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) has yet to come online, both would need consistent water flow to operate. Therefore, if or when either of the reactors is operating, clogged intakes and/or broken or damaged pumps would necessitate a shutdown.

Partial coverage of the area from August 8 and 11 shows the waters have retreated, suggesting that the major facilities within the complex, such as the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP), have been spared...

RUSSIA

2 Russian aircraft make 'unsafe' intercept of US Air Force B-52 bomber

Two Russian aircraft made an "unsafe, unprofessional" intercept of a US Air Force B-52 bomber on Friday over the Black Sea and in international waters, according to a statement from US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs. The Russia pilots crossed within 100 feet of the nose of the B-52 multiple times and also caused turbulence to the B-52 restricting its ability to maneuver, according to the statement. Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions, are unnecessary, and inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules," said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, in the statement. "While the Russian aircraft were operating in international airspace, they jeopardized the safety of flight of the aircraft involved. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and prevent accidents," he said...

Russian navy conducts major maneuvers near Alaska

The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft, the military said Friday, the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times. Russia's navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, said that more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea, which involved multiple practice missile launches. “We are holding such massive drills there for the first time ever,” Yevmenov said in a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry. It wasn't immediately clear when the exercises began or if they had finished...

Russia, China: Gazprom Begins Design of Power of Siberia 2 Pipeline

What Happened: Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller announced that the company has initiated the design phase of the future Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will provide an additional route for Russian natural gas exports to China, Vedomosti reported Sept. 3. The pipeline is expected to run through Mongolia into China.

Why It Matters: Russia began deliveries of natural gas to China via the first Power of Siberia pipeline in December 2019, and the announcement of progress on Power of Siberia 2 highlights Beijing and Moscow’s continued desire to expand their energy trade.

Background: The latest statements on the pipeline design follow last week’s agreement between Gazprom and the government of Mongolia to establish a joint venture that will conduct feasibility studies for a transit pipeline.

MIDDLE EAST GENERAL

Multiple US troops injured in collision with a Russian military convoy in Syria

Multiple US troops were injured in a collision with a Russian military convoy in eastern Syria Tuesday, several US officials tell CNN. The official said that the injuries occurred when one of the Russian vehicles apparently deliberately collided with the American vehicle causing the crew to suffer "concussion-like injuries." Initial reports indicate as many as four Americans may have been injured. The officials said a Russian military helicopter flew low and fast over the area in a tactic that is often used by military forces to try to disperse personnel on the ground...

A New Brand of Nationalism Takes Root in the Middle East

Once the salve for crushed Middle Eastern empires, Pan-Islamism and its vision of a singular caliphate are now increasingly seen as a threat to stability in the region, with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia turning toward nationalism to instead define their policies and behavior. Indeed, even the countries that still claim to embody the movement’s ideals, such as Qatar and Turkey, are only doing so as a means to a nationalist end, exploiting its preachings of Islamic unity to project their government’s strength at home and abroad. This trend has most recently been illuminated by the UAE-Israel normalization pact by dealing yet another blow to the idea that a global Muslim community, despite its many differences, could at the very least agree on issues such as the Palestinian question.

The Birth of a Movement

Pan-Islamism emerged after World War I as an ideological counter to the encroachment of the European ideals. As European imperialism shattered the Ottoman Empire and colonized the Muslim world, Muslim leaders sought new modes of political thought to turn back the tide of Western power. Some embraced the nation-state model of their colonizers; Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1923-1938) famously abolished the Sunni caliphate in his bid to transform the ashes of the Ottoman state into a modern, competitive Turkey. Beyond Turkey, some attempted Pan-Arabism, embodied by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1954-1970), who sought a politically unified Arab world. But after Egypt suffered repeated military defeats against Israel in 1967 and 1973, followed by Nasser’s death in 1970, pan-Arabism rapidly waned. This gave space for those who sought to update Islamist governance, borrowing aspects of the Western nation-state while not fully embracing Europe’s secular and often divisive brand of nationalism...

CYBER ISSUES

Global internet cables threatened.

Global internet traffic largely depends upon high-speed undersea cables, especially between continents. The U.S. Clean Network Initiative, launched by Pompeo, includes a Clean Cables section, amid fears that Chinese ownership or investment in those cables could be used for sabotage or espionage. The move has caused Google and Facebook to abandon major Asia-North America cable projects due to the involvement of Chinese investors.

INTEL/ESPIONAGE/SPYING GENERAL

Is Seoul Prepared to Join a Five Eyes Plus Framework?

Recently, there have been increased talks about expanding the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence-sharing alliance between the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to include Japan, Germany, France and South Korea. While Seoul is yet to officially commit to this “FVEY Plus” arrangement, this development is largely a welcome development, as it aims to track activities in North Korea and China.

Seoul’s participation in the FVEY January 2020 talks confirms its willingness to increase intelligence collaboration with this group. However, that may require South Korea to end its bilateral intelligence-sharing arrangement with Japan, which is set to expire on August 24. With the likelihood high that Seoul may terminate this pact, it is vital to look at the feasibility of Seoul’s inclusion in the FVEY Plus framework and its regional implications...

TERRORISM

Spy games in East Africa.
From the Daily Maverick, a must-read piece of investigative reporting that details the CIA and MI6’s secret counter-terrorism wars in Kenya.

MISC

FBI: Ring Smart Doorbells Could Sabotage Cops

The FBI is worried that Ring doorbell owners can use footage collected from their smart devices to keep tabs on police, newly uncovered documents show. The documents – a 2019 Technical Analysis Bulletin from the FBI – was spotted by The Intercept in the BlueLeaks database.... The FBI document outlines how Ring surveillance footage could present new “challenges” for law enforcement. Ring owners can get an early alert if police officers are approaching their house, for instance, or the footage could give away officer locations in a standoff...

You down with I-C-C? (Not U.S.G.)

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced sanctions on top International Criminal Court officials who investigate or prosecute American service members and personnel without the consent of the U.S. government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. sanctions first unveiled in June will be slapped on ICC’s top prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and its head of jurisdiction, Phakiso Mochochoko, freezing their American assets and hitting them with harsh travel restrictions typically reserved for war criminals. One of just a few nations that have not signed up to the court, U.S. grievances against the Hague-based body come as it is investigating whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

Tour the Pentagon’s nuke museum. Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request, you can now tour the Pentagon’s own museum of nuclear weapons dating back to the Manhattan Project. Some of the highlights: rarely seen pictures of scuttled Cold War-era nukes and the Defense Department’s very own collection of Soviet missiles.

Officer Down

Reserve Captain Raymond Andrew Boseman
New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana
End of Watch Sunday, March 29, 2020
Age 78
Tour 35 years
Cause COVID19
Incident Date Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Reserve Captain Raymond Boseman died after contracting COVID-19 as the result of a presumed exposure during Mardi Gras.

Captain Boseman supervised the busy intersection of Poydras Street and St. Charles Avenue, known as the "Cross-Over." He interacted with thousands of Mardi Gras participants during the detail from February 14th, 2020, to February 25th, 2020. He and two other officers assigned to the same location were diagnosed with COVID-19 following the conclusion of festivities.

Captain Boseman had served with the New Orleans Police Department's Reserve Division for 35 years. He is survived by his wife, two children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

In early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders died as a result of COVID-19.

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. 

Happy Labor Day Comrades!

As we are heading into Labor Day, couldn't think of a better song for this three day weekend. I plan to not labor on Labor Day. Got the garage work mostly done, and now I'm going to start working on prep for my promotion test. Who knows, may break this video out for the weekend. The version is from The Hunt for Red October, what the hell, it's still a great movie after 30 years. Have a great long weekend Comrades!

Officer Down

Commander Greg Carnicle
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch Sunday, March 29, 2020
Age 56
Tour 31 years
Badge 5179

Commander Greg Carnicle was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call involving roommates at an apartment near 40th Drive and Pinnacle Peak Street.

He and two other officers were speaking to one of the occupants inside of the home when the man suddenly drew a weapon and opened fire, wounding all three officers. Commander Carnicle was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

The other two officers suffered non-life threatening wounds.

The subject was shot and killed by tactical units as they attempted to take him into custody.

Commander Carnicle had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 31 years and was scheduled to retire in two months. He is survived by his wife and four 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. 

Officer Down

Sergeant Ben Jenkins
Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada
End of Watch Friday, March 27, 2020
Age 47
Tour 12 years
Badge 4196

Sergeant Ben Jenkins was shot and killed when he stopped to assist a disabled motorist on US-93 near mile marker 106 in White Pine County shortly before 6:00 am.

During the encounter with the subject, the man fatally shot Sergeant Jenkins. The man then stole Sergeant Jenkins' uniform and patrol car and fled the area. He was apprehended several hours later following a massive manhunt involving numerous agencies.

Sergeant Jenkins was a veteran of both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. He had served with the Nevada Highway Patrol for 12 years. He had previously served with the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division and with the Nevada Division of Forestry. He is survived by his wife, four children, five grandchildren, and mother.

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.