Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

UA Laboratory NATO First Space War

by Oui Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 09:46:32 AM EST

While the ground war falters and mourning of mounting dead bodies emboldens anger for revenge ... in Washington DC and sunny California, in the land of opportunity. The military industrial and intelligence complex are making great strides in preserving United States National Security.

Crossing over into the Twilight Zone ..,

Israeli TV channel airs `Star Wars' spoof as Ukraine conflict footage | Arab News - 1 March 2022 |

In the clip, stormtroopers are seen surveying the crashed ship on a German autobahn while cars zoom past.

The original caption said: "Warning: Unsecured crash on the A3. Please turn right and do not overtake!"

Here is the original news footage (see time 0:08)

DOD Scouts Innovative Ideas From Industry, Allies, Partners

The Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, which was stood up last year, is a collaboration between the military services, combatant commands, industry and coalition partners with the aim of discovering new and innovative warfighting capabilities.

The idea behind this initiative is to get the best ideas, test prototypes in the laboratory and then in the field or even in contested environments, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering said.

Heidi Shyu spoke on a panel yesterday at the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

The innovations that result don't need to be a 100% solution. They could be a 70 or 80% solution to solve a vexing warfighting problem, she said. 

Small companies are and will be playing a critical role in this endeavor, she said. The Office of Strategic Capital will assist in funding companies developing technologies deemed critical to national security. 

🔻🔻🔻

The field experiments

For the advancement of mankind as the planet burns ... booking flights to Mars?

Verkhovna Rada voted through a series of tax breaks for drone makers

🇺🇦Over the past few months, Ukraine has been talking up its ambitions to leverage its battlefield innovations to build a military-tech industry of its own.

Building a domestic industry would help protect the country from future Russian aggression. And Ukrainians have a better understanding of the dynamics of the battlefield than their international counterparts. "Technologies that cost a huge amount of money, made in [overseas] laboratories, are coming to the front line, and they're not working."

Full article @WiredUK Ukraine's Battlefield Data: Global companies are offering free products to get access to live combat data

A perpetuum mōbilis, a war that keeps giving.

Star tech enterprise: Emerging technologies in Russia's war on Ukraine | ECFR Europe |

Analysts have already dubbed it the first commercial space war, the first full-scale drone war, and the first AI war. Ukrainian civilians inform their armed forces of Russian advances by logging sightings of military vehicles in apps. Drones populate the skies 24 hours a day, streaming back images of troop movements and attacks. According to Fedorov, cloud services "basically helped Ukraine survive as a state."

This war is, of course, not all about "emerging or disruptive" new technologies - as NATO calls them: AI, apps, automated systems, and more. Some of Ukraine's most urgent demands have been for tanks, artillery munitions and fighter jets. Soviet-era air defences are playing crucial roles. "Dragon's teeth" anti-tank obstacles - something most Europeans associate with the second world war - are making a reappearance, protecting the rows of trenches that scar the front lines. But the way both sides have put emerging technology to use in this context is revealing.

The war in Ukraine employs, in one way or another, most of the technological advances the world has made over the last decades. If Europeans want to be serious about building up their defence capabilities, they need to pay close attention to and learn from Ukraine's and Russia's experiences so far. 

Worthy sacrifice of Ukrainian lives for advance of NATO and emerging new disruptive technologies. The great laboratory of coming Space War ... the Ukraine is at the front and leading Europe. Greatness ... my goodness 😠

The field experiments

For the advancement of mankind as the planet burns ... booking flights to Mars?

Verkhovna Rada voted through a series of tax breaks for drone makers

🇺🇦Over the past few months, Ukraine has been talking up its ambitions to leverage its battlefield innovations to build a military-tech industry of its own.

Building a domestic industry would help protect the country from future Russian aggression. And Ukrainians have a better understanding of the dynamics of the battlefield than their international counterparts. "Technologies that cost a huge amount of money, made in [overseas] laboratories, are coming to the front line, and they're not working."

Full article @WiredUK Ukraine's Battlefield Data: Global companies are offering free products to get access to live combat data

A perpetuum mōbilis, a war that keeps giving.

Star tech enterprise: Emerging technologies in Russia's war on Ukraine | ECFR Europe |

Analysts have already dubbed it the first commercial space war, the first full-scale drone war, and the first AI war. Ukrainian civilians inform their armed forces of Russian advances by logging sightings of military vehicles in apps. Drones populate the skies 24 hours a day, streaming back images of troop movements and attacks. According to Fedorov, cloud services "basically helped Ukraine survive as a state."

This war is, of course, not all about "emerging or disruptive" new technologies - as NATO calls them: AI, apps, automated systems, and more. Some of Ukraine's most urgent demands have been for tanks, artillery munitions and fighter jets. Soviet-era air defences are playing crucial roles. "Dragon's teeth" anti-tank obstacles - something most Europeans associate with the second world war - are making a reappearance, protecting the rows of trenches that scar the front lines. But the way both sides have put emerging technology to use in this context is revealing.

The war in Ukraine employs, in one way or another, most of the technological advances the world has made over the last decades. If Europeans want to be serious about building up their defence capabilities, they need to pay close attention to and learn from Ukraine's and Russia's experiences so far. 

Worthy sacrifice of Ukrainian lives for advance of NATO and emerging new disruptive technologies. The great laboratory of coming Space War ... the Ukraine is at the front and leading Europe. Greatness ... my goodness 😠

🔻🔻🔻

Ukraine War Advances EW Spoofing Avionics

Someone In the Middle East is Leading Aircraft Astray by Spoofing GPS Signals | Forbes |

Aircraft using Airway UMB688 in northern Iraq are experiencing complete navigation system failures due to hacking, according to a report.

OPSGROUP, a site used by airline, business and cargo pilots, is reporting that aircraft using Airway UMB688 in northern Iraq are experiencing complete navigation system failures because the hacker replaces the position data beamed by the GPS signals with false coordinates. 

Flights Misled Over Position, Navigation Failure Follows | 26 Sept. 2023 |

In most reports received, the situation plays out the same. A spoofed GPS signal is directed at the aircraft, or at least, received by the aircraft. The GPS position shifts by 60nm. The onboard systems start to react. Some crews have been able to quickly disable GPS inputs, but for the majority, the spoofed signal quickly leads to a nav failure.

Worrying scenario

Of all locations that we fly through, the one place we don't want to have any navigation issues would be along UM688. This airway runs southbound through Iraq, above an active conflict zone, and extremely close to the border with Iran. Any indavertent straying into Iranian airspace without a flight plan risks action by the Iranian military.

FAA warning issued, further serious navigation failures reported

Since publishing Monday's risk warning on complex navigation failures following fake GPS signals, we have received further concerning reports from operators, mirroring the same events. The impact of the nav failures is becoming clearer, with one operator almost entering Iranian airspace without clearance, and another left requiring ATC vectors all the way to their destination in Doha.

[...]

On Wednesday evening, the FAA released a memo for aircraft operators titled "Iraq/Azerbaijan - GPS Jamming and Spoofing Poses Safety Risk".

Geopolitical background, analysis from experts

Earlier, Matthew Borie of Osprey Flight Solutions provided background context for our members: "Iran has recently deployed additional military forces to its northwest border with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and Iraq has deployed security forces to this area as well as part of a border security pact reached between the two countries in March.

Both the Iran and Iraq have Electronic Warfare equipment capable of GPS jamming and spoofing and may have these deployed to the northern border area. The US military is present at several bases in northern Iraq (Erbil, Harir & Sulaymaniyah).

Turkey has military bases on its side of the Iraq border as well as inside Iraqi territory in several areas (Amadiya, Harkuk & Bashiqa). These deployments are enduring and not new - both the US and Turkey have electronic warfare (EW) equipment capable of GPS jamming and spoofing and they may have these deployed to Iraq.

An intelligence brief from Dyami Intelligence Services issued in response to Monday's reports, adds information about this new form of GPS spoofing affecting aircraft: "The surge in GPS jamming and spoofing incidents within the Iraqi FIR, along with their widespread occurrences, strongly indicates the involvement of an airborne platform (UAV). In the past, Iran has successfully intercepted a drone by GPS spoofing. Spoofing provides an attack vector that enables control over the target UAV (aircraft) without compromising the flight control software or the command-and-control radio link.


Display:
UA Laboratory NATO First Space War | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
SpaceX Communications Sevastopol, Crimea (none / 0)
Russia's Putin praises Elon Musk days after Ukraine Starlink controversy | Al Jazeera |

Alert: Disinformation, not factual

Putin hailing of tech billionaire as `outstanding' follows Musk's revelation that he "thwarted" a Ukrainian military operation against Russia's Black Sea fleet in Russian-annexed Crimea.

Putin, speaking at an economic forum in Russia's Far East, did not refer to the Starlink controversy. But when asked about the success of Musk's SpaceX company in launching rockets into space, he was full of praise.

"As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned... he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world," Putin said.

"He [Musk] is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state," he added.

Elon Musk @ElonMusk

Much appreciated, Walter.

The onus is meaningfully different if I refused to act upon a request from Ukraine vs. made a deliberate change to Starlink to thwart Ukraine.

At no point did I or anyone at SpaceX promise coverage over Crimea.

Moreover, our terms of service clearly prohibit Starlink for offensive military action, as we are a civilian system, so they were again asking for something that was expressly prohibited.

SpaceX is building Starshield for the US government, which is similar to, but much smaller than Starlink, as it will not have to handle millions of users. That system will be owned and controlled by the US government.

1.) As the Second World War ended, Churchill was already planning to attack the Soviet Union in 1945 and sacrifice tens of thousands more soldiers ... NATO was established to thwart another German war in Europe ... within a few years the end became the Soviet Union. Civilization was destroyed and Europe had to rise from ruins. The Coal and Steel Community was an excellent initiative and start what later was to become the EEC of six founding nations. Shaking my head in disbelief was has become a disbanded and sorry state of affairs ... irreversible. Social-democracy and liberal progressive policy has died.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 11:16:53 AM EST
UA Regions Reunited w 'Motherland' (none / 0)
Alert: Russian war propaganda ... Medvedev severely punished for UNSC gross voting error in March 2011 on Libya and NATO military intervention. Lasting turmoil in Libya and all of MENA states.

Medvedev expects number of Russian regions to grow | TASS |

Russia will continue its special military operation until it completely destroys the Nazi regime in Ukraine and liberates its original lands, Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.
"The special military operation will continue until the Nazi Kiev regime is completely destroyed and the original Russian lands are liberated from the enemy," he wrote on Telegram on the Day of Reunification of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions with Russia.

Medvedev noted that a year ago, residents of those regions had made a life-changing decision to reunite with their Motherland. "Their choice became a symbol not only of restored historical justice but also of the unity of the Russian people, their enormous will power and determination," he stressed.

"Victory will be ours and there will be more new Russian regions," Medvedev added.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 03:03:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This material is idiotic, (none / 1)
beginning with the thesis, "Russia's abstention from UNSCR 1973 ... was either a carefully-planned strategy or a tactical miscalculation, but the result—Russian rejection of regime decapitation and Western distaste for further intervention—...bolsters Russia's political capital by discrediting that of the West". That's quite an exaggeration of unanimity among permanent and temporary members of the UNSC, as well as mythical "peaceful demonstrators"; when it quickly turned out the West (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and the United Arab Emirates) discredited the "international community" responsibility to protect civilians. The author's criticism misses the one available, plenopetentiary act available only to permanent members which could "discredit" UNSC authorization of "armed intervention": veto.

ROLL CALL

[...]
Speaking before the vote, ALAIN JUPPÉ [RFI 2016], Minister for Foreign Affairs of France [Feb 2011], said the world was experiencing "a wave of great revolutions that would change the course of history", as people throughout North Africa and the Middle East were calling for "a breath of fresh air", for freedom of expression and democracy. Such calls for democratic transition had echoed through Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco. Everyone had witnessed the events with great hope, and he believed "this new Arab springtime is good news for all". The changes required the international community not to "give lessons", but to help the people of those countries build a new future.

In light of that, France had been working assiduously with the United Kingdom, the United States, and other members of the international community calling for means to protect the civilian population.  Those efforts had led to the elaboration of the current resolution, which authorized the Arab League and those Member States wishing to do so to take all measures to protect areas that were being threatened by the Qadhafi regime.  "We have very little time left—perhaps only a matter of hours," he said, adding that each hour and day that passed "increased the weight" on the international community's shoulders. The Security Council had acted to ensure that democracy prevailed.
[...]
The representatives of China and the Russian Federation, explaining their abstentions, prioritized peaceful means of resolving the conflict and said that many questions had not been answered in regard to provisions of the resolution, including, as the Russian representative put it, how and by whom the measures would be enforced and what the limits of the engagement would be. He said the resolution included a sorely needed ceasefire, which he had called for earlier. China had not blocked the action with a negative vote in consideration of the wishes of the Arab League and the African Union, its representative said.

The delegations of India, Germany, and Brazil, having also abstained, equally stressed the need for peaceful resolution of the conflict and warned against unintended consequences of armed intervention. Statements were also made made by the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Portugal, Nigeria, and South Africa.
[...]
The Council then adopted resolution 1973 (2011) by a vote of 10 in favour to none against, with 5 abstentions (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Russian Federation).
[...]

Failing to contest the decision of each UNSC member not to veto, the author's sophomoric discursion into unscrupulous Russian foreign policy slips into comic relief, when introducing el Sisi and Haftar—both US American paid emoloyees—as collaborators in Medvedev's scheme to counterfeit "provisional" currency and facilitate "illegal migration to and political instability in Europe, harming Europe's unity around anti-Russia measures [A/HRC/RES/S-15/1] and increasing popular fears of Islamic terrorism". I honestly can't imagine what 2019-Sakari would make of this 2023 showcase for State.gov's latest advocate for calculated risks.

A Conversation With External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India

reference
UN Security Council Resolution 1970, 26.02.11
UN Security Council Resolution 2009, 16.09.11

by Cat on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 10:09:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This material is idiotic, (none / 1)
NATO | Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR Final Mission Stats, 2 Nov 2011
"Strike sorties are intended to identify and engage appropriate targets, but do not necessarily deploy munitions each time."
by Cat on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 10:24:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This material is idiotic, (none / 0)
also from Wilson Center brain trust, "Echoes of Abstention"

AkJazeera. "Saudi's 'gave Libya's Haftar millions of dollars before offensive'." AlJazeera News, 12 Apr. 2019 [!]. Web, accessed 9 May 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/saudis-gave-libya-haftar-million...
Days before Libya's renegade General Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on the country's capital, Tripoli, Saudi Arabia offered tens of millions of dollars to help pay for the operation, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
[...]
"We were quite generous," one of the unnamed advisers told the Journal.

The latest conflict in the North African country pits Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) against forces allied to the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

The GNA controls Tripoli, situated in northwestern Libya, while the LNA is allied to a parallel administration based in the east  of the oil-rich country [east of formerly peaceful protesting BENGHAZI!], which splintered into a patchwork of competing power bases following the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
[...]
The United Nations, which had hoped to organise a national conference this month bringing the rival eastern and western administrations together to organise an election, has called for a ceasefire. The United States, G7 bloc of wealthy nations and the European Union have also urged the LNA to halt its offensive....Several Middle Eastern countries including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have backed Hafter as a bulwark against Islamist groups, notably the Muslim Brotherhood, who took a prominent role in Libya following the 2011 uprising and continued to participate in Libyan politics under the Tripoli government.
[...]

oh
by Cat on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 11:31:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This material is idiotic, (none / 1)
Libya: Marshal Haftar meets Vladimir Putin in Moscow | Africa News |

Moscow maintains close relations with Marshal Haftar, who had used mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in his failed attempt to seize the capital Tripoli, from April 2019 to June 2020.

This failure was followed in October 2020 by a ceasefire agreement, compliance with which is supervised by a military commission comprising five officers from each side.

Since then, hundreds of Wagner members have remained active in the east, which is also the oil terminal zone, and in southern Libya, despite the departure of some of their forces to Mali or Ukraine to fight alongside the Russian army.

Riddled by divisions since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya is governed by two rival administrations: one in Tripoli (west), headed by Abdelhamid Dbeibah and recognized by the UN, the other in the east, embodied by Parliament and affiliated to Khalifa Haftar's camp.

LNA Commander Haftar meets with Putin, Shoigu in Moscow | TASS |

Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu during his visit in Moscow, the LNA said on its statement, published on social media.

I have written about Haftar (Hiftir) a number of times ... after a failed coup in the Sudan saga, he lived in exile as a CIA asset indeed.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 12:01:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
writing about Haftar ... (none / 1)
playing all sides in Viginia, USA, "insurgent" Benghazi, and Idlib (HTS city and province).

vOLDemRT | Putin meets Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, 29 Sep cover story

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting in Moscow with the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"We confirm this meeting. Indeed, it took place today in the Kremlin. The situation in Libya and in the region as a whole was discussed," said Peskov.

archive Prigozhin's BFF "General Armageddon" spotted in Algeria (Sorovikin 15.09.23)
[...]
A Russian Defense Ministry delegation visited Libya for the first time on August 22. According to the department's press service, Yevkurov and Haftar planned to discuss the potential for collaboration in the fight against international terrorism and other issues of mutual interest.

On September 17, [RU Dep. Defense Minister Col. Gen. Yunus-Bek] Yevkurov traveled to Benghazi and met with Haftar, visiting Derna, a city that had been devastated by intense floods.

A peculiar R2P subplot has faded from MSM headlines as it became clear that Red Cross assisted GNA married to Gaddafi's postuhumous treachery was unable to displace Red Crescent, Islamic Relief "organization" funded by the GCC, ironically.
Meanwhile, US Africa Command [AFRICOM] Leader Michael Langley met with the head of the Libyan Government of National Unity [GNA], Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, in Tripoli. He then traveled to Benghazi to meet with Khalifa Haftar, and this happened just six days after Yevkurov had visited Benghazi and Derna. The Wall Street Journal reported that Langley had intended to discuss Russia's growing presence in the region.
by Cat on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 12:35:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
CIA and Haftar's Curriculum Vitae (none / 0)
Khalifa Haftar: The former exile who wants to rule Libya | MEMO |

To Haftar, the 2011 civil war was an opportunity to edit his CV, and he jumped on it. He left Langley, Virginia in the US, to join the rebels and merge with the NATO-supported rebellion that eventually toppled his ex-boss, Muammar Gaddafi.

This Langley connection is deeper than it appears, as it authenticates his work with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), near which Haftar lived for over two decades. The spy agency referred to him as an "asset" -- a term used in the secret spying world to mean someone who is not an official agent, but rather a reserve individual for specific operations.[think Chalabi as in Iraq]

He cooperated earnestly to overthrow his former boss, the late Gaddafi, with whom he fell out with during the Chad-Libyan war. Haftar became a prisoner of war in 1987 and Gaddafi, trying to cover his tracks, denied having any soldiers in Chad, let alone his top lieutenant as prisoner.

The CIA moved in to evacuate Haftar, along with a few of his subordinates, from a Chadian jail and took them to the US and started plotting to overthrow Gaddafi. Hence how he became an asset.

That mission never saw the light of day, and the humiliated Haftar became referred to as a "traitor" in his own country, even being sentenced to death by a court martial. This rather shameful experience was printed onto Haftar's CV, and he has been hoping to delete it ever since.

Additional reading ...

Libya's Haftar 'rerouting' supplies to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 04:12:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This material is idiotic, (none / 1)
Liberating Libya? The legality and consequences of military intervention under international law | Friday 25 March 2011 |

Summary of the Rapid Response Seminar held at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law

.

NATO's Intervention in Libya: Assessment and Implications

Throughout Operation Unified Protector, NATO appeared keen to work on its image crisis and polish its reputation in the Arab region, where it has been forging two forums for dialogue and partnerships: the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) with North African countries since 1994 and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) with the Gulf States since 2004. It was, hence, eager to pull out of Libya as soon as the Libyan opposition, represented by the National Transitional Council, had taken control of the country and once the protestors had captured and killed Gaddafi.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 11:42:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
venimus, vidimus, mortuus est (none / 1)
by Cat on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 12:40:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: This material is idiotic, (none / 1)
Libya & the Arab League

Abstract

The Arab League played a key role in legitimizing the intervention in Libya, and as a consequence the League increased its status and role as a legitimizer of conflict and popular demands for democratic freedoms. This was the first time the Arab League had supported military action against one of its own member states on account of its internal affairs. In many ways the Libya conflict transformed the Arab League into a more respectable and significant actor in the region. This chapter argues that the Arab Spring protests established a new moral and political framework within the region, and that this framework today allows the Arab League to act more strongly in defence of human rights and democratic freedoms, despite the autocratic and conservative nature of its member states.

Overthrow "legitimate" leader Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood, supported by Türkiye and Qatar) in Egypt against the wishes of the US and EU. General Sisi had full backing of the Saudi government (Salafist, Sunni). Role Lebanon in support of overthrow, a Saudi client state led by Hariri ... status destroyed.

Thousands Jihadists, Sunni foreign fighters, moved out of Libya and with ship loads full of weapons and munitions into Northern Syria via Türkiye. Status Syria .. destroyed. Assad and Syria has been welcomed back in the fold of the Arab League.

Role UAE and Saudi Arabia in the civil war Arabian peninsula ... Yemen destroyed.

Protecting human lives ... looked more an exercise of military intervention and regime change.

Status Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger ... partially destroyed due to arms trafficking, movement Islamist terrorists and Tuareg mercenaries leaving a destroyed Libya.

The Arab League's Many Failures | Oct. 2020 |

In fact, the occasions have been rare when the Arab League succeeded in resolving a crisis. It presently exhibits a complete inability to deal with active civil wars--such as those in Yemen, Syria, or Libya--or with simmering disputes such as the Gulf Cooperation Council Crisis of 2017. [Between Qatar and KSA / UAE] It cannot be counted on to represent the wishes of millions of Arabs in necessary and serious political and economic reforms in their countries.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 at 11:43:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Will Self-interest States Doom the Ukraine (none / 0)
.

Babiš congratulates Fico on win in Slovak elections

Former Slovak leader Robert Fico says Czech president is interfering in Slovakia's election campaign | Radio Prague - 25 Sept. 2023 |

Robert Fico, former Slovak prime minister and leader of the Smer-Social Democracy Party, which is heading the polls ahead of Saturday's parliamentary elections, has criticized Czech President Petr Pavelfor allegedly interfering in the election campaign. Speaking to journalists in New York, the Czech president said that Fico's views were in line with Russian propaganda and his victory in the elections could disrupt Czech-Slovak relations.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 09:43:23 AM EST
Ukraine Aid Cut from House Spending Bill (none / 0)
Government shutdown updates: Biden signs 45-day funding bill to keep government open | CNBC |

The bill allows the government to stay open for 45 days, giving the House and Senate more time to finish their funding legislation.

The 71-page short-term bill, crafted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., allocates disaster relief funds, but does not include new financial assistance for Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.

Since the inception of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, the U.S. has unleashed a war chest worth more than $43 billion in security assistance for Kyiv.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 09:44:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Wisdom of EU Top Diplomat Josep Borrell (none / 0)
War will be won on the battlefield ... facts on the ground will establish basis for negotiations ... both sides aim to win. Therefore Russia must be totally defeated according to Zelenskyy.

EU's Borrell: Russia won't enter negotiations while trying to win war | Reuters - 29 May 2023 |

Borrell's comments came the same day Russia said its military had hit Ukrainian air bases and Ukrainian forces shelled industrial facilities inside Russia as both sides sought the upper hand ahead of what Kyiv hopes will be a decisive counter-offensive.

"I'm afraid that between now and the summer, the war is going to continue. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has amassed over 300,000 men there, twice as many as he had when he launched the invasion," Borrell told reporters after the event.

HR/VP Josep Borrell | Mission to Ukraine | Meeting with NGO | 30.09.2023 |

HR/VP Josep Borrell met with NGOs representatives in Odesa. "I am really admiring the Ukrainian people. They have a war to win and at the same time they have to build a resilient political system and prepare to become members of the EU".

Borrell makes unannounced visit to Odesa | Kyiv Independent |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 09:45:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Absolute Nonsense Headline Dutch Politics (none / 0)
Will the Netherlands be rudderless without Rutte? | Dutch News |

    Chaos created by the collapse of Rutte III and the foolish continuation of same three political leaders, now ending their failed political careers.

Goodbyes

In fact, none of the party leaders from the previous coalition is staying in politics. D66 leader and finance minister Sigrid Kaag bailed out, citing the negative impact of her job on her family.

Then CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra, the erstwhile foreign minister, said he would not stand for election in November. He's headed for Brussels to be the next climate tzar. The long-standing leader of the minor Christian party ChristenUnie, Gert-Jan Segers, got ahead of the curve by quitting in January.

When it comes to political leaders, what the Dutch value above all else is consistency. Before Rutte, it was Jan Peter Balkenende, Wim Kok and Ruud Lubbers. Lubbers came to power in 1982. Four leaders in the previous 41 years.

The Brits, meanwhile, have gone through five prime ministers in just over six.

Since 1982, the United States has had eight chiefs, Australia has had 12 and Britain nine. Italy has had so many leaders in the last 40 years that I gave up counting.

It's like the captain, first mate, second mate, chief, cook and bottle washer all abandoned the ship and left the Dutch adrift in a vast expanse of ocean.

[Total bull ... Rutte III collapsed by a vote of no confidence. Rutte IV started off w/o a mandate from the people. The earlier election in March was a voter revolt against policy and failure of the Rutte presidential regime. Rutte was never transparent and left no room for parliamentary debate ... Rutte failed the basic constitutional rights of the people. The polls showed there was zero support for Rutte to continue. Only Segers was a steady politician, the leading three were losers and were chased off by party members]

Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Ruud Lubbers was elected United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees without a vote by the General Assembly

Ruud Lubbers is a former Dutch prime minister who took office in 2001 as UNHCR marked its 50th anniversary. As High Commissioner, he focused much of his attention on developing innovative new approaches toward finding solutions for the world's refugees.

    "The politicization of immigration and confusion between refugees and migrants has combined to sour public debate and water down legislation in many States"


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 11:16:45 AM EST
Will Self-interest States Doom the Ukraine (none / 0)
.

Contrary to other election results within the EU, there is a lack of reaction or congratulating messages from Fico's colleagues.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 12:17:34 PM EST
Re: Will Self-interest States Doom the Ukraine (none / 0)
Firebrand Ex-Premier Wins in Slovakia in Fresh Blow to EU Unity | Bloomberg |

  • Robert Fico has assailed EU on Ukraine aid, Russian sanctions
  • Forming coalition would boost nationalist forces in Europe

A former prime minister who's derided the European Union's sanctions against Russia and pledged to end military aid to Ukraine won Slovakia's election, delivering a fresh blow to Western unity. [no doubt this will lead to some form of debate within the EU and NATO on staying on the policy leash commanded by Biden's White House -- Europe's interest]

Robert Fico looked on track to return to the eastern EU nation's premiership after Saturday's vote, adding to the tide of nationalist and populist forces in Europe. The parties have have gained traction by tapping into voters' frustration over the lingering impact of Covid pandemic, the region's cost-of-living crisis, and fatigue over the war in Ukraine.

The Far Right Is Advancing in a Vulnerable Europe Again

Former fringe parties now place among the top three most-popular political groups in almost half of the 27-member EU.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 1st, 2023 at 12:22:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU Leaders Silent On Fico Victory (none / 0)
International news headlines on Slovakia and effect NATO unity

Robert Fico's election win in Slovakia defies European consensus with call to oppose arming Ukraine | ABC News Australia |

Analysts consider Mr Fico, who has previously served as prime minister, to be inspired by Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has frequently clashed with the European Union.

"We are prepared to help with the reconstruction of the state but you know our opinion on arming Ukraine," Mr Fico said

Slovakia is a member of the NATO military alliance, which is backing Ukraine against Russian President Vladimir Putin, but many of its people are sympathetic to Moscow's line that the West wants to annihilate it.

Mr Fico said Slovakia had bigger problems than the Ukraine issue, including energy prices and living costs, but his party would do everything possible to start peace talks.

Coalition talks

Mr Fico may well look to the moderate leftist HLAS party, which came third with nearly 15 per cent of votes, as a partner along with the nationalist, pro-Russian Slovak National Party.

He said coalition talks could take two weeks.

HLAS leader Peter Pellegrini has said ammunition supplies to Ukraine are good for Slovakia's defence industry and the party has backed the EU stance against the invasion.

Multiple parties in a divided nation suffering from NATO stance on expansion and consequences of war in the Ukraine. Democracy provided a reality check with 51% backing end to hostilities on Eastern frontier of Europe. Joe's war with Vlad over too many issues from Georgia to Syria ... attrition at the expense of Ukrainians.

BTW the Ukraine is NOT a member of NATO and not even of the EU. Making war is at your own risk as we have seen played out. War knows no winners, only losers. UA is not fighting for my freedom. Society has too many real issues that have priority. Survival from Climate Change and underdeveloped regions in Africa, Central America and Asia. Migration of peoples.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2023 at 07:41:51 AM EST
archive (none / 1)
D2: World POWs Jeddah Hotel Outreach

Jeddah Hotel Outreach - Ukrinform edition

It appears to me that either Slovakia lost interest in Zelensk*'s "peace formula" between 6-12 Aug or Zelensk*'s communications department published in error.

One can't be too sure either way. After all, the trickle of "work group" publicity carried through G7 outlets has dried up. Perhaps Slovakia's task is covert action until Ukraine issues reconstruction RFPs?

by Cat on Mon Oct 2nd, 2023 at 01:15:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EU Eternal Support Handout Photo Borrell (none / 0)
EU Pledges Lasting Support at `Historic' Kyiv Meeting | Kyiv Post |

The European Union signalled its long-term support for Ukraine on Monday as its foreign ministers convened in Kyiv for a historic first gathering outside the bloc's borders.

The meeting came as disagreements grow among EU members over support for Ukraine and as Kyiv's forces make limited gains in a high-stakes counteroffensive against Russian troops.

"We are convening in a historic meeting of the EU foreign ministers here in Ukraine, candidate country and future member of the EU," the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

The purpose of the meeting was to "express our solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people", he said, acknowledging that the gathering "does not have the aim of reaching concrete conclusions and decisions".

[...]

The EU's 27 nations have remained broadly united through the 19 months of war on their support for Ukraine, hitting Russia with 11 rounds of sanctions and spending billions of euros on arms for Kyiv.

- 'Lasting support' -

But there are growing fears of cracks appearing within the bloc as concern also rises over the support of key backer the United States.

As counteroffensive falters, goal seems beyond military reach, stalemate expression of solidarity ... #WeAreNatp by fail to build up our own defense organization ... purchasing US parts and building blocs.

Ukrainian victory depends on cooperation with Europe, Zelenskiy tells EU foreign ministers in Kyiv | The Guardian |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2023 at 03:08:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
As US Falters, EU Willing to Pick Up the Tab (none / 0)
EU proposes €5bn military aid package for Ukraine after 'historic' meeting

As I predicted...

UA already honorary EU member ... what is there to gain?

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 at 01:36:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
McCarthy Attacked On WH Side Deal Ukraine (none / 0)
Did House Speaker Kevin McCarthy make a secret deal with Biden on Ukraine? | CBS News |

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden are facing a barrage of questions about whether they made a secret side deal on Ukraine funding, after McCarthy headed off a government shutdown by dropping the funding from a last-minute, short-term spending bill over the weekend.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, who says he plans to file a motion to oust McCarthy as speaker within days, spoke on the House floor Monday, demanding to know "what was the secret side deal on Ukraine?"

The president himself certainly fueled the idea, when CBS News asked him on Sunday, "Are you going to be able to trust Speaker McCarthy when the next deal comes around?"

"We just made one about Ukraine," he replied. "So, we'll find out."



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 at 04:05:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: McCarthy Attacked On WH Side Deal Ukraine (none / 0)
Democrats unite against McCarthy as far right moves to vote him out as House speaker - Live | The Guardian |

Leigh Ann Caldwell

BREAKING NEWS: Democrats will NOT vote present and will NOT vote to table.
Sources say the caucus is unified.

McCarthy's actions on Jan 6, his trip to Mar a Lago, his attempt to discredit the Jan 6 Cmte, his reneging on debt limit deal and his actions this weekend are all the reasons



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 at 05:07:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: McCarthy Attacked On WH Side Deal Ukraine (none / 0)
Speaker Kevin McCarthy is on the ropes. Here are some possible successors. | NBC News |

The list of possibilities include members of his leadership team and some top conservative allies.I

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 at 08:15:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MCCARTHY OUT AS HOUSE SPEAKER (none / 0)
Kevin McCarthy removed as House speaker in historic vote: Live updates

A handful of conservatives and all present House Democrats voted on a motion to vacate to remove McCarthy from the top post.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Oct 3rd, 2023 at 09:36:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Washington Signaling Desperation on Ukraine (none / 0)
Excellent coverage ... wanted to expand, don't have the time .. last two days on London visit ... much to do and see 😄

SITREP 10/4/23: The Beginning of a Long Fall for Ukraine 🇺🇦

As we head into fall and winter, the situation continues to worsen for Ukraine. The biggest developments have happened outside the locus of the conflict itself, but rather in the geopolitical scene where Ukraine is faced with a disastrous loss of financial support.

[...]

The facade is literally falling apart before our very eyes, showcased most poignantly in this Sky News interview with Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko. which was taken down soon after because of how inconvenient her "slip ups" were in admitting that Russia is winning not losing  ...

Especially watch press briefing John Kirby and missers (truthfulness) Ukrainian MP ..,

One year ago ... missing Boris Johnson already ... decline ever since 🙃 no peace ☮️



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Oct 5th, 2023 at 11:08:45 AM EST
Russia Aims to Revoke Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (none / 0)
Russia says considering revoking ratification of nuclear test ban treaty | TRT World |

Duma Speaker's comments follows Putin's assertion that Moscow should ditch the CTBT as the United States had signed it but not ratified.

Russia has indicated that it was moving swiftly towards revoking ratification for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty after President Vladimir Putin held out the possibility of resuming nuclear testing.
A resumption in nuclear tests by Russia, the United States or both would be profoundly destabilising at a time when tensions between the two countries are greater than at any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Putin said Russia's nuclear doctrine did not need updating but that he was not yet ready to say whether or not Russia needed to resume nuclear tests.

The Kremlin chief said that Russia should look at revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) as the United States had signed it but not ratified.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 6th, 2023 at 12:06:32 PM EST
Deadly Tor-M2 vs Switchblade 600 (none / 0)
'Critical' Tank-Killer Switchblades Will Boost Ukraine's Drone Stocks | Newsweek |

Ukraine is set to receive further deliveries of the Switchblade 600 suicide drone, according to its manufacturer, in a move that could boost Kyiv's ability to take out Russian assets far behind the heavily fortified front lines.

Ukraine's military currently has more of the smaller Switchblade 300 drones than the larger Switchblade 600 models, but "that will soon change," said Charlie Dean, the vice president of global business development and marketing at defense contractor AeroVironment.

The Switchblade 600 is "tremendously important to the defense of Ukraine," Dean told Newsweek.

The U.S. has provided several types of drones to Ukraine in military aid packages, including the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost loitering munitions. The Switchblades-- also used by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan--have appeared in combat footage coming out of Ukraine but the Pentagon has not disclosed just how many were sent.

RF too posted their footage ...

Russia's Deadly Tor-M2 Destroys Ukraine's U.S.-made Switchblade Drone

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Oct 12th, 2023 at 01:31:31 PM EST
UK Sends Pentagon Secrets to Mali, Not .Mil (none / 0)
U.K. Sent Hypersonic Missile Data to Putin Ally After Email Typo

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense inadvertently sent emails containing classified information--including about hypersonic missile research--to an African nation which has close ties with Russia, according to a report in a British newspaper.

The issue was said to arise from a typographical error. British military officials who had been attempting to send information to counterparts in the Pentagon--which uses the domain name ".mil" for email addresses--missed out the middle letter, sending the emails to ".ml," the domain for the West African nation, Mali.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Oct 12th, 2023 at 01:34:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
UA Laboratory NATO First Space War | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


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