A News Aggregator That Covers The World's Major Wars And Conflicts. Military, Political, And Intelligence News Are Also Covered. Occasionally We Will Have Our Own Opinions Or Observations To Make.
U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement about U.S. trade relations with China and Hong Kong as National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin listen in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 29, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will not take the dramatic step for now of seeking control of the National Guard, his national security adviser said on Sunday as protests flared in U.S. cities after the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis in police custody last week.
“We’re not going to federalize the Guard at this time. But, if necessary, we have further military assets that can be deployed,” Robert O’Brien told reporters at the White House. “We’ll do whatever the governors or mayors need to keep control of their cities.”
Civil unrest has swelled following Monday’s death of George Floyd, who was shown on video gasping for breath as a white Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck.
The National Guard said on Sunday that 5,000 soldiers and airmen had been activated in 15 states and Washington, D.C., but that “state and local law enforcement agencies remain responsible for security.”
WNU Editor: If I do not see the need to federalize the Guard, I am sure the President and advisers feel the same way. This is a still a local and state crisis, and until they ask for help, it will remain a local and state issue.
The president spent Sunday out of sight, berating opponents on Twitter, even as some of his campaign advisers were recommending that he deliver a televised address to an anxious nation.
WASHINGTON — Inside the White House, the mood was bristling with tension. Hundreds of protesters were gathering outside the gates, shouting curses at President Trump and in some cases throwing bricks and bottles. Nervous for his safety, Secret Service agents abruptly rushed the president to the underground bunker used in the past during terrorist attacks.
The scene on Friday night, described by a person with firsthand knowledge, added to the sense of unease at the White House as demonstrations spread after the brutal death of a black man in police custody under a white officer’s knee. While in the end officials said they were never really in danger, Mr. Trump and his family have been rattled by protests that turned violent two nights in a row near the Executive Mansion.
After days in which the empathy he expressed for George Floyd, the man killed, was overshadowed by his combative threats to ramp up violence against looters and rioters, Mr. Trump spent Sunday out of sight, even as some of his campaign advisers were recommending that he deliver a nationally televised address before another night of possible violence. The building was even emptier than usual as some White House officials planning to work were told not to come in case of renewed unrest.
WNU Editor: It is hard to trust anything coming from the New York Times when it comes to President Trump. Over the past three years this blog has chronicled the misinformation and fake news that has come from the the Times and other sources. I do not know if this one is one of those many reports, but here it is any way. The Times say they have a reliable source. But we have all heard that one before.
Update #3: Below is everything that you need to know about the bunker.
Everything you need to know about the bunker under the White House that Trump was reportedly ushered into during the protests https://t.co/QK1DI41cBX
* The US military is conducting a large-scale exercise to test its ability to fend off enemy bomber aircraft threatening the homeland.
* Four US combatant commands and NORAD are coming together for the first time for this exercise, during which fighters supported by aerial refueling tankers will protect US airspace from an approaching bomber.
* "The high-end training we are conducting enables integration between strategic-level organizations who all play a significant role in the most important mission for our nation — defending our homeland," Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, said in a statement Friday.
The US military is currently putting its ability to protect the homeland from enemy aircraft to the test in a major, first-of-its-kind exercise in the Atlantic from May 28 to May 31, US Northern Command announced Friday.
On offense, a US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) supersonic B-1B Lancer long-range strategic bomber will simulate an adversary bomber aircraft trying to penetrate US airspace, a NORTHCOM spokesman explained.
Playing defense, Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s and US Air Force F-15s under the bilateral Northern Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Navy F/A-18s from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group under US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) will fend off the approaching bomber.
Kauai has one of the Pentagon’s most valued testing sites. It’s an economic driver, but some residents say the military shouldn’t be on the islands at all.
Hawaii’s “garden island”, Kauai, is known for its breathtaking scenery and laid-back vibe, a place of plunging waterfalls and cliffs cloaked in green tropical forests. But beyond its beauty it is one of the Pentagon’s most valued testing and training sites in the Pacific.
In Hawaii, where the military is the second-largest economic driver, after tourism, weapons testing and training enjoy widespread support, but some residents view the islands’ highly militarized state as misguided or even illegal.
In missile defense circles, Kauai is known for its outsized role in weapons testing at the navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF), which its commanding officer, Capt Timothy Young, likens to a sports stadium that provides a venue for customers (weapons manufacturers, government agencies and military branches) to train people or test new technology.
More of Susan Rice speculating on CNN that Russia is fueling US protests: "I would not be surprised to learn that they have fomented some of these extremists on both sides using social media. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they are funding it in some way, shape, or form." pic.twitter.com/qLGdZuxBuo
Former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice bizarrely suggested in a televised interview Sunday that the Russians could be behind the violent nationwide demonstrations following the in-custody death of George Floyd, although she offered no evidence for the incendiary claim.
Rice's made the claim after top Democrats insisted for years that the White House had conspired with Russia, although Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence to support any conspiracy with Russia by any U.S. actor to influence the 2016 election. Her remarks also came amid efforts by Democrats to pin the blame on outside white supremacist agitators, even though data suggests the vast majority of arrested protesters in recent days are local.
WNU Editor: Does Susan Rice provide any proof. Of course not. But it is what a lot of people like her in the establishment like to believe in. As to what is my take. Russia does not need to ferment the unrest that America is going through right now. It is already there. A lot of people have been impacted by the lock-downs that have been imposed on them. They are poor and desperate, and they are responding. If the videos that I have seen today are true, race is losing steam as the driving force behind these protests. It is rapidly becoming a social/class conflict, and it is starting in the cities.
NEW DELHI: Indian and Chinese armies were moving in heavy equipment and weaponry including artillery guns and combat vehicles to their rear bases close to the disputed areas in eastern Ladakh as the two militaries remain engaged in a bitter standoff along the troubled border for over 25 days, military sources said on Sunday.
The enhancement of combat capability by the two armies in the region came even as both the countries continued their efforts to resolve the dispute through talks at military and and diplomatic levels.
New Delhi (Sputnik): India and China have been sending reinforcements to the contested Ladakh region amid ongoing diplomatic talks to de-escalate the situation. The current border clashes erupted after Beijing claimed that the Indian Army had built up defence fortifications on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control.
The Indian Army has categorically rejected the authenticity of a viral video claiming that Indian and Chinese troops have once again become embroiled in an intense fight in the contested Ladakh region. The military says that attempts to link it with the situation on the northern borders is "malafide".
"Currently no violence is happening. Differences are being addressed through interaction between military commanders, guided by established protocols on management of borders between the two countries", the Indian Army said after a video started making the rounds on social media.
* China’s leadership has made it clear to its people that the world will become more dangerous and they must be prepared for hard times
* Beijing’s relatively small stimulus response to Covid-19 suggests it wants to save its economic policy ammunition for a bigger battle
Beijing’s decision not to set an annual GDP target for 2020 – for the first time since 2002 – is a sign it is putting stability ahead of growth as part of its preparations for an escalating conflict with the United States.
Economic development has always been the central theme for Beijing since it established diplomatic relations with the US in 1979. But this year it has given priority to job creation and tackling poverty. The coronavirus outbreak might appear to have been the reason for the shift, but the underlying factor is the tension with the US.
Covid-19 offered a preview of what a decoupling of China and US might look like: aircraft grounded, cargo flows disrupted, value chains broken, goodwill and cooperation lost, blame games started.
Both countries have suffered heavy human and economic losses from the coronavirus, yet that did not inspire them to work together. Instead, hostility and rivalry has thrived, and neither wants to blink first.
WNU Editor: I disagree with the above author's conclusion that the reason why Beijing did not set out an annual GDP target for 2020 is that they are putting stability ahead of growth as part of its preparations for an escalating conflict with the United States. GDP growth is what has kept China stable for the past few decades, and what has been instrumental in that growth are those multiple $400 billion trade surpluses with the US each year. This is why the U.S. decoupling away from China is going to hurt China in the long term, and why future historians will look back at this time and try to figure out why China decided to choose this path of economic hardship when they should have pursued a policy of compromise and accommodation.
The move comes after violent protests across the country over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization after Democratic and Republican officials pointed to extremist groups and out of town demonstrators as responsible for violent episodes at protests in major cities across the country.
Trump and Attorney General William Barr had earlier pointed to anti-fascist organizers and anarchists as culprits behind the mayhem following the death of a 46-year-old black man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police. Others said right-wing extremists such as Boogaloo followers, who hope to bring about a second Civil War, were pushing for such uprising in the protests.
In a Sunday statement, Barr said the Justice Department is taking aim at "apprehending and charging the violent radical agitators who have hijacked peaceful protest and are engaged in violations of federal law."
Turkey's drilling ship Fatih is anchored off the Tasucu Port in Silifke district of Mersin, Turkey on 1 February 2020. [Mustafa Ünal Uysal - Anadolu Agency]
In the world of energy geopolitics and economics are closely linked to each other. The exploitation of oil and gas reserves is a major source of income for energy-rich countries and therefore tension and competition. In some cases, it’s difficult to distinguish whether political or economic goals are being pursued. The Eastern Mediterranean has become a theatre for power politics which has its origin in energy exploration and production activities.
Before the current global health crisis erupted, the discovery of major gas fields was exciting news in several capitals across the region. Egypt has already started production at its Zohr field while Israel's Leviathan provides much-needed gas to a country that's been lacking significant energy resources for most of its history. Turkey, however, enviously watched discovery after discovery in the backyard of its political adversaries.
* Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's Gao Fu admitted no viruses were detected in animal samples
* He said they were found only in environmental samples, including sewage
* Gao's sudden reversal came after series of studies cast doubt on his original claim
China has become used to public confessions on television. But this time the words came from one of the nation’s top officials and had seismic global implications.
‘At first, we assumed the seafood market might have the virus, but now the market is more like a victim,’ said Gao Fu, director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
This was a stunning admission. For the same scientist had unequivocally pointed the finger of blame at Wuhan’s market where wild animals were sold when his country eventually told the world about a deadly new virus in the city.
The market was shut and cleaned up like a crime scene, in the words of another expert, as global attention focused on the ghastly trade in wild animals.
The Fighting Blacklions flies F/A-18F Super Hornets (pictured) and is based out of Virginia's Naval Air Station Oceana. They were on the USS Ford doing carrier pilot qualifications
* The sailor is a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 213, the 'Fighting Blacklions'
* The sailor tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday after being in isolation since the previous week
* More than 100 members of the sailor's squadron boarded the USS Ford Tuesday
* They were medically screened and none had displayed flu-like symptoms then
* They were taken off the carrier Wednesday as a precautionary measure
* The sailor had not been aboard the ship but had contact with the squadron
About 100 members of a fighter jet squadron were forced to leave the USS Gerald R. Ford after one of its members tested positive for coronavirus, US Navy officials said.
The sailor tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, the day before the aircraft carrier departed from Virginia's Naval Station Norfolk, a Navy spokesperson told Stars & Stripes.
The sailor, who has not been named, is a member of the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 - the 'Fighting Blacklions' - which flies F/A-18F Super Hornets and is based out of Virginia's Naval Air Station Oceana.
WNU Editor: This is what strikes me about the protests and riots that have engulfed a few dozen U.S. cities in the past few days.
* George Floyd was unemployed. Losing his job because of the Covid-19 shutdown. Was he receiving any benefits to make his life easier? I do not know. But he was clearly desperate enough to try and use a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase.
* The police conduct in his arrest was beyond horrible. That is not how professional law enforcement officers operate.
* George Floyd's autopsy report shows that he did not die from asphyxiation. Apparently other factors were involved. My guess is that the stress of being arrested and how he was arrested overwhelmed his system. This probably explains why the charge against the police officer who was caught on film kneeling on Mr. Floyd's neck was murder in the third degree.
* The mayor of Minneapolis is clearly not up to the job. He was quick to fire the four police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, but his response to the rioters was slow and uneven. He basically abandoned a good part of his city on Thursday to the rioters, and as a result many innocent business owners and civilians have now had their livelihoods destroyed. His accusations that the riots were caused by white supremacists are bizarre.
* The Governor was even more inept. Literally disappearing on Friday, thereby providing no leadership to the National Guard on what needed to be done. This lack of law-enforcement only encouraged the rioters, and to spread even more violence. Blaming the violence on outsiders was also not backed up by the evidence.
* Almost all of the riots and violence that broke out in the U.S. yesterday were in cities controlled by Democrat politicians for decades. Considering the rot and decay in many of these cities with the lack of job opportunities, coupled with the high unemployment that many are now experiencing because of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It did not take much for the situation to blow up. Throw race and feelings of inequality into the mix, and you now have a disaster.
* The attempt of some protesters to storm the White House is insane. Deadly force will be used.
* I personally never like to see important symbols or institutions destroyed or defaced. The looting and the destruction of the College Football Hall of Fame on Friday, followed last night by St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City desecrated with protest graffiti. These monsters disgust me.
* The main stream media has shown itself once again that their priority is no longer to report on the news, but to shape it. You can hear the disappointment in their voices when they were reporting on peaceful demonstrations where "nothing" was happening. They want the violence because it means ratings and recognition.
* Speaking of the main stream media (again). On all of the Sunday morning talk shows the pundits and reporters are saying that people are angry and enraged over the killing of George Floyd, inequality, police brutality, Trump, etc.. Fair enough. But I think the media is missing an even bigger story. The anger among the mass majority of Americans who do not see themselves as racists, who work hard, who obey the laws of the country, and who need to feel that their government will protect them from the mob. They are not at all happy with what they are seeing. In five months these people are going to the polls, and here is an easy prediction. If this unrest continues and the economy shows no signs of improvement in the coming months, they are going to unload on the politicians who they feel have failed them, from the municipal level straight to the country's top leaders.
Update: Some of my readers think these protests/riots will end in a few days. I am not sure. Too many people are invested in these protests to continue. The economy is fragile. Tens of millions are out of work. There is a lot of fear, anger, and desperation out there. And what is adding extra fuel to all of this is the pandemic. It is still with us, and it has no desire to disappear.
A crowd gathers in Downtown Atlanta during a protest against the death in Minneapolis of African-American man George Floyd, in Atlanta, Georgia, May 30. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers
Officials in US cities engulfed in protests over the police killing of George Floyd are worried the large gatherings of people could spread the coronavirus and lead to a new wave of outbreaks.
"It's not OK that in the middle of a pandemic we have to be out here risking our lives," Spence Ingram said in Atlanta. "But I have to protest for my life and fight for my life all the time."
While many people have been wearing masks and trying to keep physical distance, protesters, law enforcement, and even political leaders have been seen not following public health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The massive protests sweeping across US cities following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota have sent shudders through the health community and elevated fears that the huge crowds will lead to a new surge in cases of the coronavirus.
Some leaders appealing for calm in places where people smashed storefronts and destroyed police cars, and police used tear gas to disperse crowds in recent nights have been handing out masks and warning demonstrators they were putting themselves at risk.
"If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID test this week," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Saturday evening. "There is still a pandemic in America that's killing black and brown people at higher numbers."
Minnesota's governor said too many protesters weren't socially distancing or wearing masks after heeding the call earlier in the week.
WNU Editor: I doubt that most of these protesters/demonstrators/rioters are going to self-isolate for 14 days. And while this is a disease that does not particular the hit the young, I am sure that many of these individuals have parents and grand parents, and they have now put at high risk.
* Scenes of destruction continued to spread across America as the death of the black man at the hands of white cop Derek Chauvin ignited outrage over what many feel is a systemic problem with police brutality
* 11 states and the District of Columbia activated the National Guard while at least 25 cities put curfews in place
* In Minneapolis, protesters fled after cops hurled tear gas while some responded by launching fireworks
* The National Guard was activated to the White House as the Secret Service agents struggled to keep control
* The Big Apple was ablaze as NYPD vehicles burned while shock footage showed cops violent to protesters
* One person was shot dead and three injured when gunfire rung out during a protest in Indianapolis
* In Atlanta a cop suffered 'significant injuries' when they were hit by an ATV
* A man commandeered a police horse in Chicago and rode off on it
* LA deployed the National Guard for the first since the 1992 Rodney King riots
* A Dallas man was beaten up by a mob when he allegedly tried to defend a store from looters with a machete
George Floyd riots spiralled out of control Saturday night as cop cars were torched, stores were looted and at least 11 states activated the National Guard on a fifth night of protests that show no signs of stopping.
Scenes of destruction continued to spread across America as the death of the black man at the hands of white cop Derek Chauvin ignited outrage over what many feel is a systemic problem with police brutality against African-American men.
In Minneapolis, protesters were seen fleeing after cops hurled tear gas into the crowds while some responded by launching fireworks back at officers.
The National Guard was activated to defend the White House from attack as the Secret Service agents on the ground struggled to keep control of crowds descending on the seat of the US government.
The Big Apple was ablaze as NYPD vehicles were torched and ransacked while shocking footage emerged of cops violently detaining protesters.
WNU Editor: The AP is missing an even bigger story than this .... ‘We’re sick of it’: Anger over police killings shatters US (AP). I am sure there is a massive majority who are angry at these riots and the destruction that they are causing.
Protests And Riots Erupts In 25 Major U.S. Cities From New York To Los Angeles In A Fifth Night Of Violence -- News Roundup May 31, 2020
The announcement comes as both of China's aircraft carriers may be preparing to work together in a first-of-its-kind exercise.
Taiwanese authorities say that they are looking to buy ground-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles and mobile launchers to augment the island's coastal defenses. This announcement follows reports that China's People's Liberation Army Navy might be gearing up for a first-ever naval exercise featuring both of its aircraft carriers. Chinese naval forces have been steadily and significantly growing in recent years, in general, which has already prompted the Taiwanese military to seek a variety of new and improved anti-ship capabilities.
Taiwanese Deputy Defense Minister Chang Che Ping informed lawmakers on the island about the plans to acquire the land-based Harpoons during a committee meeting on May 28, 2020. Reports had first begun to emerge earlier this month that the Taiwanese military could be looking to buy these missiles.
.@realDonaldTrump reacts as he refuses a handshake as he steps off Marine One to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews for a trip to the Kennedy Space Center to view the lift off of SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2. pic.twitter.com/MKzs1YrdmQ
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 30. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana J. Boente looks on while Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a meeting with the Organized Crime Council and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Executive Committee
Boente was asked to resign on Friday and two sources familiar with the decision to dismiss him said it came from high levels of the Justice Department rather than directly from FBI Director Christopher Wray.
After a 38-year career with the Justice Department, the FBI's top lawyer Dana Boente was asked to resign on Friday. Two sources familiar with the decision to dismiss Boente said it came from high levels of the Justice Department rather than directly from FBI Director Christopher Wray.
His departure comes on the heels of recent criticism by Fox News for his role in the investigation of former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
A spokesman for the FBI confirmed to NBC News that Boente did in fact resign on Friday.
Fox News has recently criticized Boente's role in the investigation of Flynn, whose criminal charge for lying to the FBI was recently dropped by the Justice Department based in part on the argument that his lies were not material to an underlying investigation.
WNU Editor: FOX Is not the reason why he is out of a job. Considering how the Flynn case was handled and all the abuses pertaining to FISA being disclosed. Yeah. His days were numbered.
Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden is seen at War Memorial Plaza during Memorial Day, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Castle, Delaware, U.S. May 25, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Campaign staff for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are advertising their donations to a group that pays bail fees in Minneapolis after the city’s police jailed people protesting the killing of a black man by a white police officer.
At least 13 Biden campaign staff members posted on Twitter on Friday and Saturday that they made donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which opposes the practice of cash bail, or making people pay to avoid pre-trial imprisonment. The group uses donations to pay bail fees in Minneapolis.
Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement to Reuters that the former vice president opposes the institution of cash bail as a “modern day debtors prison.”
But the campaign declined to answer questions on whether the donations were coordinated within the campaign, underscoring the politically thorny nature of the sometimes violent protests.
WNU Editor: The intention of Biden's staff is clear. To assist suspects arrested for rioting, looting, and destroying property by paying their bail. Here is an easy prediction. Helping those who have been arrested for these crimes is not going to go over well for most people in Minnesota. Biden's staff may have just cost him the state of Minnesota.
FILE PHOTO: China's President Xi Jinping meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo
BERLIN — Forget Make America Great Again. Here comes Make Europe Strong Again.
The German government has settled on “Gemeinsam. Europa wieder stark machen" — which translates into English as "Together. Making Europe strong again" — as its slogan for the country's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, which kicks off on July 1.
The official English motto is a less Trumpian "Together for Europe's recovery," however.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday that the motto — launched along with a Möbius strip logo and website — aims to illustrate the German presidency will have to "find compromises and solutions to tackle the challenges posed by the corona pandemic" across Europe.
The logo is meant to symbolize "joint action emerging from the EU's diversity again and again," he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel "cannot confirm" that she will attend a possible G7 summit of world leaders in Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesperson at the Chancellery said Saturday.
US President Donald Trump has said the event could be hosted in Washington in late June, having previously announced in March that the summit would be held virtually.
"The Chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit in Washington at the end of June," Merkel's spokesperson said in a statement.
"As of today, given the overall pandemic situation, she cannot confirm her personal participation, that is, a trip to Washington," the spokesperson added.
It would take only a matter of months for the Department of Energy to perform an underground nuclear-explosive test with minimal diagnostics, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.
Previous heads of the agency’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have talked “about a very quick test with limited diagnostics, though certainly diagnostics, within months,” said Drew Walter, who is performing the duties of deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear matters. “A fuller test, fully diagnostic, and lots of data, all the bells and whistles, so to speak, might be measured in years. But ultimately, if the President directed because of a technical issue or a geopolitical issue, a system to go test, I think it would happen relatively rapidly.”
Walter also said that he believes the NNSA has a borehole at the Nevada National Security Site that would be suitable for such a rapid test.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called for full mobilization of the state's National Guard, as he suggested that foreign and extremist influences are fueling chaos
* Trump blamed antifa and radical leftists for violence in cities across the country on Friday
* Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earlier suggested that foreign and extremist influences are fueling chaos
* Walz hinted that white supremacists and drug cartels may be instigating the violence
* He said the riots resemble a 'military operation' and he is considering asking for Pentagon assistance.
* Said that widespread arson and looting made a 'mockery' of Floyd's death and is an attack on civil society
* Walz called for full mobilization of the state's National Guard for the first time in the state's history
* Protests devolved into chaos and violence in at least 30 cities across the country on Friday night
* Federal protective officer in California and protester in Detroit were shot dead overnight
* White House was besieged by hundreds of demonstrators attempting to break through Secret Service lines
President Donald Trump has blamed antifa and the 'radical left' as protests over the death of George Floyd devolved into violence nationwide, after the governor of Minnesota suggested that foreign influences, white supremacists and drug cartels are the fueling chaos.
'It's ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don't lay the blame on others!' Trump said in a tweet on Saturday, referring to the militant far-left movement, short for 'anti-fascist', that is known for violence.
On Friday night, widespread looting and arson continued in Minneapolis and nearby St. Paul, in defiance of curfews there, and protests spilled into violence in 30 cities, as a federal agent in California and a protester in Detroit were shot dead.
Echoing the president, Attorney General Bill Barr said on Saturday that 'the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by radical elements.'
WNU Editor: Does Minnesota Governor Tim Walz provide any evidence to back his claims .... of course not. When I look at the videos that have been posted documenting the carnage in Minneapolis, there are some clips where you see some whites looting stores and attacking the police. But they are a very small minority. As to white supremacists and black rioters joining together to destabilize the nation as the Governor is suggesting .... hmmm .... I doubt that.
Update #2: This disaster in Minnesota does not reflect well of the Democrat leadership in Minnesota .... Standing Down: Progressive politicians watch as Minneapolis burns. (Willis L. Krumholz, City-Journal). Bottom line. The voters in Minnesota have some things to think about when they go to the polls this November.
A student of the Special Forces Sniper Course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School moves quietly while avoiding detection during a stalking exercise at Fort Bragg, NC, on January 27, 2011. US Army
* In the past year, the US Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command have all shown interest in the same bolt-action rifle for their snipers — the Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle able to fire three different rounds.
* "We're excited about it because it's going to improve capabilities, it's going to improve our ability to conduct operations, and it is going to allow for a more flexible sniper element," a veteran Army sniper told Insider.
* The multi-caliber rifle known by a few different names can be chambered in 7.62X51 mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum, and .338 Norma Magnum, meaning snipers no longer have to choose between weapons systems capable of firing different rounds for different missions and targets.
The Army, the Marine Corps, and the special operations community all want the same bolt-action rifle for their snipers, and US sharpshooters are excited to get their hands on it.
"It's an awesome gun," 1st Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a seasoned Army sniper, told Insider, referring to the Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle, known as the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) in the Army and the Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) by Special Operations Command and the Marines.
The Fortune, an Iranian-flagged fuel tanker, is seen after it docked at El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, May 26, 2020. Photo by Economy Vice President's Office/Anadolu Agency
The Trump administration halted scheduled Iranian fuel deliveries to Venezuela Wednesday by threatening sanctions on the ships carrying the cargo, according to U.S. officials.
Iran and Venezuela attempted to outmaneuver American sanctions by establishing a new oil partnership.
Two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ships that "were en route to Venezuela carrying Iranian fuel, scrapped their deliveries after the U.S. threatened sanctions," a senior U.S. official told Fox News.
First reported by The Wall Street Journal, the ships were expected to arrive in Venezuela as the final delivery in a previously planned five-oil-tanker shipment, an effort that the Venezuelan regime has said is a partnership to thwart the American sanctions.
The Navy’s vision and mission scope for its emerging new combat-capable frigate includes the ability to destroy swarming small boat attacks, operate undersea and aerial drones, support carrier strike groups, conduct disaggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare.
These plans for the ship are taking a large step forward, following the Navy’s recent ship development award to Marinette Marine Corp. for up to 10 new Guided Missile Frigates (FFX(X)). Concepts for the ship include an advanced, heavily armed frigate with a stronger, reinforced hull, space armor, over-the-horizon missiles and a wider complement of additional high-tech weapons. Sure enough, according to Navy officials, the ship is now being designed as much more than a “toughened” Littoral Combat Ship, but a ship with an even wider combat scope to include additional air-defenses, AEGIS radar systems and major missile attack options with Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems.
WNU Editor: The U.S. Navy has high hopes for this warship .... the ship is now being designed as much more than a “toughened” Littoral
Combat Ship, but a ship with an even wider combat scope to include
additional air-defenses, AEGIS radar systems and major missile attack
options with Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems.
Image: China's President Xi Jinping (C) attends the bilateral meeting with President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 31 August 2018. Roman Pilipey/Pool via Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is so nervous about the position of the Communist Party that he is risking a new Cold War and imperilling Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s pre-eminent financial hub, the last British governor of the territory told Reuters.
Chris Patten said Xi’s ‘thuggish’ crackdown in Hong Kong risked triggering an outflow of capital and people from the city which funnels the bulk of foreign investment into mainland China.
The West, he said, should stop being naive about Xi, who has served as General Secretary of the Communist Party since 2012.
“We have long since passed the stage where, without wanting another Cold War, we have to react to the fact Xi seems to want one himself,” Patten said.
WNU Editor: China is now only risking a Cold War with the U.S. and its allies, but China is also risking its relationships with almost every country in Asia because of its territorial demands. In the short term this may bolster the Chinese Communist Party and their legitimacy to rule China, but in the medium to long term the costs are going to be ery high.
How exhilarating! PLA revealed a new video of the Chinese #1st domestically built #aircraft carrier Shandong training on the sea as J-15 fighter jets taking off the carrier smoothly. pic.twitter.com/t7eJ9AXEMU
At a moment a US Navy destroyer just rolled up on China's doorstep in the South China Sea near the contested Paracel Islands, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has taken the country's first domestically-made aircraft to sea trials.
Bloomberg noted of the sea trials that Beijing and Washington are locked in an escalating tit-for-tat on multiple fronts only set to get worse, for which "there is no off ramp".
A protestor stands in the middle of the tear gas confronting tactical officers at the intersection of Young St. and S. Griffin St. in downtown Dallas on Friday
* The Pentagon ordered the Army to ready military police for deployment to Minneapolis amid riots incited by the death of George Floyd, a senior Pentagon official told The Associated Press.
* The protests demanding justice for Floyd turned violent on Thursday when rioters set the Minneapolis Third Police Precinct on fire near where Floyd was detained.
* A Pentagon spokesman told the AP that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz did not ask for military police to be deployed to Minneapolis.
* Alyssa Farah, the White House director of strategic communications, reportedly denied the claim.
The Pentagon ordered the US Army to ready its active-duty military police to deploy to Minneapolis where the death of George Floyd incited protests across the US, The Associated Press reported late Friday night.
Roughly 800 US soldiers would deploy to the city if called to the ready, AP reported.
The orders were sent Friday after President Donald Trump looked to Defense Secretary Mark Esper for immediate deployment options as tensions escalated between protesters and police officers in Minneapolis, according to the AP.
