Tag: international relations

Russia to take out the West’s internet?

Posted on by Lone Candle

Undersea cables that support much of the internet and services are vulnerable to Russian attack. Russia uses mostly a land based internet network, so is not similarly vulnerable. Russia can attack such cables with civilian vessels and then pretend like they had nothing to do with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxsaWhXG1Gg

An Israeli Military Legend Lays Out Scenarios for a New Middle East

Posted on by Lone Candle

“In 2015, when the Assad regime was about to collapse, the opposition force had the upper hand on their way to Damascus. And then, who came to help Assad? The Russians with an air force, against which the rebels didn’t have any air defense. And Hezbollah came to help Assad on the ground. Iranians delivered money, weapons and some Shia militia. What happened this time? All three players were absent. The Russians were in Ukraine. Hezbollah was destroyed by Israel. And the Iranians were deterred by Israel. So the Syrian army was left alone.”

…

” I can see four scenarios. The first one I call the “Libyan scenario.” After the fall of Qaddafi, everybody fought with everybody to have dominance. In the end, Libya was stabilized by two main entities. But only after many, many years of internal war with the support from outside forces like Turkey, Russia and Egypt. The second scenario is some kind of “former Yugoslavia model.” Each one of the sects will have its own autonomy, and they will be smart enough not to fight each other. The third scenario is a jihadist state ranging from an extreme ISIS type to a Taliban in a moderate sense. The fourth scenario is a political Islam kind of country under the model of Turkey and Qatar. A political Islam, not jihadist Islam.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/11/what-the-future-of-syria-might-look-like-00193792

Saudi Arabia Abandons US and Israel, Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Wavers and More.

Posted on by Lone Candle

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its goal of an alliance with the U.S. in exchange for recognizing Israel. Its people and the region are too heavily against it during the continued Israeli war in Gaza.

The Georgian people protest against their pro-Russia leader while the government cracks down. The protestors want the country to lean toward the EU, not Russia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vPPL3TRjO4

China’s warplanes have all but erased the dividing line in the Taiwan Strait, creating a dangerous new normal

Posted on by Lone Candle

”
China’s military has flown into Taiwan’s ADIZ almost every day since 2020.

Crossings of the median line have soared, effectively erasing it altogether.

The incursions, as well as large-scale military drills, wear down Taiwan’s military.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinas-warplanes-erased-dividing-line-165641392.html

A Year of War in the Middle East Cost Americans Nearly $23 Billion

Posted on by Lone Candle

“A new study by the Costs of War Project at Brown University pinned down exactly what that cost is: at least $22.76 billion from October 7, 2023, to September 30, 2024. The bulk of the money, $17.9 billion, was spent on U.S. aid to the Israeli military—both financial grants given to Israel to purchase weapons, and the cost of replacing munitions such as artillery shells sent directly from American stockpiles to the Israeli army.”

…

“The study only counts the direct burden on the U.S. military budget. It doesn’t include indirect costs, “such as increased U.S. security assistance to Egypt, Saudi Arabia or any other countries, and costs to the commercial airline industry and to U.S. consumers.” Nor does it count the $1 billion in U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians.”

https://reason.com/2024/10/08/a-year-of-war-in-the-middle-east-cost-americans-nearly-23-billion/