Israel-Palestine

Hamas-Israeli (Gaza) Conflict 2023
Hamas: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
Israel: Operation Iron Swords

STRATEGIC MAP: 9/10/2023

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SITREP (VIDEO)

Articles (Geopolitics)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Point of view

ISRAEL

""Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known... We are in a war and we will win it"."

Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister
Israel

7 October 2023

... owing to retaliate after Hamas declared war as Israeli's army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza.

Point of view

PALESTINE (HAMAS)

"This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth.... Enough is enough. Today the people are regaining their revolution"

Mohammad Deif 
Supreme Military Commander
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas

7 October 2023

... in the recorded message announcing the start of the operation broadcasted on Hamas media . He said the morning attack on 7 October 2023 was only the start of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” and called on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight..

Point of view

PALESTINE (FATAH)

"Palestinian people have the rights to defend themselves in facing the terrorism posed by settlers and the Israeli occupation forces."

Mahmoud Abbas 
President
Palestine

7 October 2023

... said during an emergency leadership meeting he chaired on Saturday that included several Palestinian civilian and security officials.

The Palestinian President stressed, during the meeting, the importance of providing the protection for Palestinian people and directed them to provide everything essential to enhance their resilience and steadfastness in the face of the crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces and the settlers' gangs.

Point of view

UNITED STATES

"Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.

We will remain in close contact with our Israeli partners. The United States supports Israel's right to defend itself"

Lloyd Austin
Defense Secretary
United States

7 October 2023

... says he is "closely monitoring" the escalating situation in Israel after Hamas militants launched a rocket attack on the Gaza Strip.

Point of view

LEBANON (HEZBOLLAH)

"It is a renewed confirmation that the will of the Palestinian people and the rifle of the resistance is the only choice in confronting aggression and occupation.

It sends a message to the Arab and Islamic world, and the international community as a whole, especially those seeking normalization with this enemy, that the Palestinian cause is an everlasting one, alive until victory and liberation.

We call on the peoples of our Arab and Islamic nation, and the free people around the world, to declare their support and backing for the Palestinian people and the Resistance movements, affirming their unity in blood, word, and action."

Hezbollah

... congratulates the resisting Palestinian people and the heroic fighters of the Palestinian factions, especially our dear brothers in the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, for the wide-ranging and divinely supported heroic operation, promising complete victory.

Point of view

YEMEN (HOUTHI)

"The Council affirmed the right of the Palestinian people and the resistance factions to combat the occupying enemy by all legitimate and possible means.

It reiterated his support for all options taken by the Palestinian resistance leadership to deter the Zionist enemy."

Houthi's Supreme Political Council

... also affirmed its principled and religious position in supporting the Palestinian people until complete victory... calling on the Arab and Islamic countries to take positions in supporting Palestinians and their resistance fighters, support them with money, weapons, and boycott American and Israeli goods.

Point of view

IRAN

"We congratulate the Palestinian fighters. We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem"

Yahya Rahim Safavi
Adviser to Ali Khamenei and former Chief Commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Iran

7 October 2023

... expressed “deep concern” on developments in Gaza and called on “all parties” to halt the escalations and “exercise utmost restraint”.

Point of view

QATAR

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Israel alone responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which is the repeated raids on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police."

Qatar Foreign Ministry

7 October 2023

... expressed “deep concern” on developments in Gaza and called on “all parties” to halt the escalations and “exercise utmost restraint”.

Point of view

SAUDI ARABIA

"Saudi Arabia had issued repeated warnings of a possible escalation in light of "the ongoing occupation and the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, as well as the repeated deliberate provocations against their sanctities."

Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry

7 October 2023

... calls for "an immediate cessation of the escalation" between both sides and "the protection of civilians".

Point of view

RUSSIA

"We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately ceasefire, renounce violence, show the necessary restraint. The long-lasting conflict between Israel and Palestine cannot be solved by force, but only by diplomatic means

Moscow was standing by its position in favor of negotiations for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with Israel."

Maria Zakharova
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
Russia

7 October 2023

...  called the parties to set up "a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace" with the help of the international community.

Point of view

INDIA

"Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour"

Narendra Modi 
Prime Minister
India

7 October 2023

... said in a post on X.

LATEST ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE

[ TOLO News ] Massoud, Taliban Agree to Not Fight Until Next Round of Talks

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 27, 2021

Supporters of Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the resistance front against the Taliban, and Taliban representatives held their first meeting on Wednesday afternoon in the center of Parwan province to seek an alternative to fighting.   The resistance front delegation was composed of 12 people led by Almas Zahid, a former Mujahideen commander, and the…

[ Politico ] U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 27, 2021

U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that’s prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials. The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional…

[ Gateway Pundit ] US State Department Goes Into Hiding, Cancels Press Briefing After 4 US Marines Killed, 3 Injured in Kabul Blasts

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 27, 2021

The State Department on Thursday canceled its press briefing after 4 US Marines were killed and at least 3 others were injured in the Kabul blasts. There were two explosions reported outside the Kabul Airport on Thursday. The Biden White House has canceled all meetings and press briefings so far. DPA Notes: The lack of…

[ MEMO ] Israel: IDF acknowledges failure to destroy ‘Hamas metro’

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 26, 2021

Senior officers have recognised that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) failed to achieve the goals set for the military offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip between 11 and 21 May, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi have discussed these issues with senior…

[ The Drive ] Navy Halts Plans To Give Its Super Hornets Conformal Fuel Tanks

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 26, 2021

The U.S. Navy appears to have all but scrapped its plans to equip its future Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornets with conformal fuel tanks, or CFTs, at least for the time being. Boeing says it is not presently expecting to deliver any Block III jets with CFTs to the Navy. The service itself has also revealed that it…

[ Euasianet ] Tajikistan: President demands Tajik role in running Afghanistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 26, 2021

The president of Tajikistan has said that his government will not recognize the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan unless the country’s ethnic Tajik minority is accorded a “worthy role” in the running of the country. Rahmon said his confidence in the Taliban has been undermined by the group’s abandonment of pledges to consider power-sharing with all…

[ Reuters ] EXCLUSIVE-Internal UN document says Taliban threatened, beat staff

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 26, 2021

 The Taliban stopped an Afghan United Nations staff member as he tried to reach Kabul airport on Sunday. They searched his vehicle and found his U.N. identification. Then they beat him. The incidents are among dozens contained in an internal U.N. security document seen by Reuters that describes veiled threats, the looting of U.N. offices…

[ RICE ] Meet Paul, The Singaporean Who Cleared Taliban Landmines In Afghanistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 25, 2021

When I was young, I wasn’t the most academic kid. So I decided to join the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) boys school at the age of 16. Then I did my NS, and stayed on to work in the military for 30 years. Eventually, I got to a point where I was no longer satisfied…

[ The News Pakistan ] From battlefield to power table: Khalil Haqqani emerges as key player

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 25, 2021

KABUL, Afghanistan: He has a $5 million bounty on his head and a triumphant smile on his face. The head money marked by the US Treasury Department for Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani has lost much of its significance in the fast-changing circumstances of Afghanistan. Khalil, a scion of the feared Haqqani Network, is not an ordinary man…

[ The Guardian ] Ukraine denies minister’s claims of hijacked Afghanistan evacuation flight

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 25, 2021

A Ukrainian minister has claimed a passenger jet meant to evacuate people fleeing Afghanistan to Ukraine was hijacked at gunpoint and flown instead to Iran, in an unconfirmed incident that was later denied by his own government. Ukraine’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, Yevhen Yenin, said armed hijackers seized the plane at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai international airport,…

[ Middle East Eye ] Algeria severs diplomatic ties with Morocco over ‘hostile manoeuvres’

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 25, 2021

Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/algeria-morocco-sever-diplomatic-ties Algeria announced on Tuesday that it was officially severing ties with neighbouring Morocco “starting today”, after months of tensions between the two countries. Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday evening. “It has been proven that the (Moroccan) kingdom has not ceased its unfriendly, low and hostile manoeuvres against…

[ Vulcan Post ] Binance CEO worked at McDonald’s, now he’s a crypto billionaire and one of Singapore’s richest

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 25, 2021

Most recently, Binance founder and CEO Zhao Changpeng (also known as “CZ”) was a new entrant to Forbes’ Singapore’s 50 Richest 2021 list, where he took the 22nd spot. The 45-year-old amassed a net worth of US$1.9 billion (as of 10 August 2021), thanks in part to an estimated 30 per cent stake in his company.…

Become a writer / contributor to DPA

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 24, 2021

We have just added a form on the home page, as well as on the Editor’s Notes page that will allow anyone to submit their articles to be published on DPA. ( alternatively, you can simply just contact us directly at admin@defensepoliticsasia.com ) Of course, as usual for any website, we will need to vet…

[ The Epoch Times ] New Jersey Military Base to Be Used to House Afghan Evacuees: Pentagon

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 24, 2021

A military base in New Jersey will house evacuees from Afghanistan as the United States works on flying tens of thousands of Afghans from the Taliban-held country. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, about 39 miles northeast of Philadelphia, is the fourth base that is preparing to or already has accepted evacuees. The other three bases are Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort McCoy…

[ BBC ] Pfizer becomes first Covid vaccine to gain full FDA approva

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 24, 2021

Pfizer’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the first jab to be licensed in the nation. The vaccine had initially been given emergency use authorisation. Its two jabs, three weeks apart, are now fully approved for those aged 16 and older. In a statement, the…

[ BBC ] Anti-Taliban resistance group says it has thousands of fighters

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 24, 2021

Ali Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), told the BBC they want to pursue peaceful negotiations. But, he added, “if this fails… then we’re not going to accept any sort of aggression”. Meanwhile, the Taliban say they have surrounded the group’s Panjshir valley stronghold and put them under…

Failure to evacuate Afghan contractors will have dire consequences for the rest of US foreign deployments around the world

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 23, 2021

Daniella Mestyanek Young@daniellamyoungBFF deployed to Africa tells me that all of their translators have quit & nobody wants to work with the US military right now… This is perhaps one of the first signal that a impending translator drought (or local guide for that matter) for US foreign operations/deployment. Locally employed guides and translator (or…

Singapore’s Minister answering Malaysian military’s passive aggression on Singapore’s National Day

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 23, 2021

In case you missed it, Singapore celebrated the nation’s 56th birthday last Saturday (Aug 21) with a belated bash at the floating platform in Marina Bay, featuring the usual fanfare — fireworks, the Red Lions and displays from the Singapore Armed Forces. Across the Causeway, Malaysia was also highlighting its own military with a display of their…

[ The Atlantic ] What I Learned While Eavesdropping on the Taliban

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 23, 2021

In 2011, about 20 people in the world were trained to do the job I did. Technically, only two people had the exact training I had. We had been formally trained in Dari and Pashto, the two main languages spoken in Afghanistan, and then assigned to receive specialized training to become linguists aboard Air Force…

[ Anny Bonny Pirate ] Afghanistan: The End of the Occupation

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 23, 2021

Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale write: A lot of nonsense about Afghanistan is being written in Britain and the United States. Most of this nonsense hides a number of important truths. First, the Taliban have defeated the United States. Second, the Taliban have won because they have more popular support. Third, this is not because most Afghans love…

[ CS Monitor ] Afghanistan: How the Taliban won over northern ethnic minorities

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 22, 2021

When the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, they faced stiff resistance across the country’s north from ethnic-based paramilitaries that resented the southern Pashtun militants. That resistance would prove decisive in 2001 when the same ethnic minorities, backed by U.S. air power, ousted the Taliban regime in Kabul. This time around, the Taliban had…

Ismail Sabri’s first statements as PM on twitter after sworn in as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 22, 2021

Ismail Sabri, the new Malaysian Prime Minister thank God, King and MPs for their support and trust – vow to carry out the duty of the office and fulfill the trust in him for the country. Syukur kehadrat Ilahi. Patik menjunjung kasih atas limpah perkenan KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin…

[ UnHerd ] The man who lost Afghanistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 21, 2021

If there was one family in Afghanistan who incarnated the hopes, illusions and failures of the last two decades there, it was the Ghanis. Ashraf, the father, was the country’s last president. A trained anthropologist, he believed in books, and the power of the ideas within them to move the world. His wife, Rula, a…

Malaysian King has confirmed that Ismail Sabri will become Malaysia 9th Prime Minister

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 20, 2021

The Istana Negara (National Palace) has confirmed that the Bera MP, Ismail Sabri will be Malaysia’s 9th Prime Minister. The swearing-in ceremony is slated to be held tomorrow (21 August 2021) at 2.30pm. However, the large swats of the Malaysian internet reacted with #kerajaangagal (failed government / government failure) upon hearing the news of the…

[ The Epoch Times ] US Black Hawk Helicopters Captured by Taliban as ‘Horrified’ Senators Demand DOD Audit

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 20, 2021

Likely billions of dollars of American weapons and vehicles are now in the hands of the Taliban extremist group after the collapse of the Afghan government and army, with numerous videos and photos surfacing online showing Taliban members seizing the equipment. Photos have circulated of Taliban members holding American M-4 carbines and M-16 rifles rather than AK-47s…

[ Bloomberg ] China is blocking fleeing Hong Kongers from getting their retirement money

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 20, 2021

As tens of thousands flee Hong Kong for a new life in the UK, they’re confronting the risk that they will be forced to leave behind their retirement savings as China intensifies its crackdown on the city’s freedoms. Scores are being denied access to money in the Mandatory Provident Fund because of the cascading impact…

[ The Drive ] The State Department Has Abandoned Its CH-46 Helicopters In Afghanistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 19, 2021

The U.S. State Department has confirmed that seven CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters, also colloquially known as “Phrogs,” belonging to its Air Wing have been rendered inoperable and abandoned in Afghanistan as part of the ongoing evacuation effort. This non-combatant evacuation operation, or NEO, could very well be the last major mission ever for any Sea Knight belonging…

[ The Independent Singapore ] Who is Ismail Sabri Yaakob? A look at UMNO vice-president, now frontrunner for Malaysia’s premiership

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 19, 2021

 Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob has emerged as next in line to be Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, with Mr Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation last Monday (Aug 16). Mr Muhyiddin, however, is staying on as caretaker premier until his successor is named. Support for the UMNO vice president was confirmed by the party’s secretary-general, Mr Ahmad Maslan, who tweeted, “only…

[ AP ] Taliban allowing ‘safe passage’ from Kabul in US airlift

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 18, 2021

The Taliban have agreed to allow “safe passage” from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a U.S.-directed airlift from the capital, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser said Tuesday, although a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked out with the country’s new rulers. Jake Sullivan…

[ Decrypt ] Dogecoin Foundation Returns With Elon Musk Rep, Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin as Advisors

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 18, 2021

The core developers behind Dogecoin, the meme cryptocurrency that seeks to be a global payment method, have announced the members of the renewed Dogecoin Foundation. Its new advisory board includes Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Elon Musk representative Jared Birchall, according to a statement shared today by the foundation. Three prominent Dogecoin community members, Gary Lachance, Jens Wiechers…

[ AP ] Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 17, 2021

A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders.  The woman, 26-year-old Wu Huan, was on the run to avoid extradition…

[ MalaysiaKini ] Palace instructs MPs to vote on new PM in writing

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 17, 2021

Istana Negara has instructed members of the Dewan Rakyat to submit their choice of prime minister in writing. The MPs will have until 4pm tomorrow to do so. Their letters have to be certified as true. This instruction – sighted by Malaysiakini – was sent by Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to all MPs this morning.…

[ Mothership ] A glimpse inside an overloaded US military plane with over 600 Afghans fleeing country

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 17, 2021

The cargo plane, which was one of the many which were able to take off with hundreds of civilians on board, was carrying over five times of its suggested load as it departed. Over 600 Afghans, including women and children, were packed into that space. Some of the other flights may have had an even…

[ BBC ] UK blood supplies to be used to make life-saving drug

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 17, 2021

Plasma from blood donations in England will be used to make a vital medicine, following a rule change to reduce reliance on imported stocks. Each year about 17,000 people need immunoglobulin treatment and, until recently, there was a ban on using plasma from UK  donors to safeguard against vCJD or “mad cow disease”. Officials say…

Muhyiddin resigns, but status quo remains, likely to stay on as the Prime Minister for at least another year

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tendered his resignation to the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, on Monday (Aug 16). But while he stays on as caretaker premier for now, there appears to be no clear candidate for his successor. Mr Muhyiddin’s ouster – the Constitution obliges him to resign as there is no provision for a minority government – looks set to throw the nation…

[ MEMO ] Lebanon premier blames corruption for fuel tank explosion

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab has blamed corruption for Sunday’s fuel tanker explosion, describing the incident as a “humanitarian tragedy”, reports Anadolu Agency. At least 28 people were killed and 79 others injured when a fuel tanker exploded in Akkar region in northern Lebanon early Sunday. “What happened in Talali town in Akkar is a humanitarian…

[ Jamestown Foundation ] Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Latest Merger Enables Renewed Attacks in Pakistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), announced on August 7 that it had merged with a former al-Qaeda-affiliated, anti-state Pakistani jihadist group once led by Ustad Aslam (Umar Media, August 7). It becomes the ninth jihadist group to join the TTP since July 2020. Among the other groups are three TTP splinters, two…

[ Middle East Eye ] ‘Our children are fuel for war’: Village sons leave Yemen countryside for the battlefield

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-taiz-village-sons-leave-countryside-battle-saleh Thousands of Yemenis from far-flung provinces fighting under the leadership of Tareq Saleh, the nephew of late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have joined battles against Houthi rebels on the country’s western coast. These fighters and their families have rented homes in the Taiz countryside, providing an unexpected source of income for cash-strapped villagers. But while…

Taliban: The war is over in Afghanistan

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Naeem, for the Taliban’s political office told Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV that the war is over and that the type of rule and the form of regime will be clear soon. This happens as Afghanistan President, Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, saying that he wanted to avoid bloodshed – a move…

[ ABC News ] Afghanistan updates: Another 1K US troops heading to Kabul, bringing total to 6,000

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 16, 2021

Another 1,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne have been ordered to head directly to Afghanistan’s capital instead of Kuwait to assist in the evacuation of U.S. personnel and Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission, a U.S. official told ABC News. That brings the total number of U.S. troops being sent back to Afghanistan to…

[ SCMP ] Hong Kong experiences ‘alarming’ population drop, but government says not all 90,000 leaving city because of national security law

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 13, 2021

Number of people in city now estimated to be 7.39 million, a 1.2 per cent drop in a year Social administration expert Professor Paul Yip says officials should try and address the concerns of those going elsewhere Nearly 90,000 residents have left Hong Kong amid a wave of emigration in the year after the national security…

Petition to call for UN recognition of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) underway

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 13, 2021

A petition is started on Change.org by “Nang Si Si Win NUG support group Australia” to call for the recognition of Myanmar’s government in exile, the National Unity Government (NUG) by the United Nations General Assembly. When we first encountered the petition, it was around 7000 signed. Currently as of the writing of the article,…

[ Reuters ] Indonesian army says has stopped ‘virginity tests’ on female cadets

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 11, 2021

The Indonesian army has ended a controversial practice of virginity tests on women who apply to become cadets, according to its chief of staff, a move welcomed by activists who have long campaigned against it. “Two-finger tests”, where doctors check the hymen of female recruits to try to determine their virginity, was systematic, abusive and…

[ Task & Purpose ] The US is sending B-52s and AC-130 gunships back in Afghanistan to slow its impending collapse

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 11, 2021

The U.S. Air Force has committed B-52 bombers and AC-130 gunships to support Afghan forces on the ground, Task & Purpose has confirmed. The Times of London was first to report about those U.S. aircraft being used to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan. No information was immediately available on how many airstrikes the B-52s and AC-130s have carried…

Exercise Falcon Strike 2015: China J11 34 – 42 Thai Gripen | Full Translated Report

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 11, 2021

According to a report by Alert5 that is published on 10 December 2019, which somehow gone viral recently after National Interest wrote an article based on the report. So we decided to join in the fun, but report directly based on the “leaked photos” of the after action review presentation in the Alert5 report. We…

[ Business Insider ] Chinese sleeper agents are trying to enter the UK through a scheme designed for Hong Kongers fleeing the city, report says

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 10, 2021

– Chinese agents are trying to enter the UK with a visa designed to give refuge to Hong Kongers. – Sources told The Times agents try use the visa introduced after China’s new national security law. – It is not clear if any have been successful, and the UK government said it has a strict vetting process.…

The Myanmar military junta had denied responsibility for the alleged assassination plot on Myanmar’s UN Ambassador

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 10, 2021

According to the report by Reuters on the statement by the Myanmar military-led government on state television MRTV, the junta had denied responsibility for the uncovered assassination attempt on the Myanmar’s United Nations ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, dismissing it as a domestic U.S case. “The event is a domestic case in the United States. Judgment…

[ SCMP ] China sticks with zero Covid-19 approach, leaving borders closed for now

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 10, 2021

Beijing is set to stick to its zero-tolerance Covid-19 strategy, in a sign that mainland China’s borders will not be opening to Hong Kong or the outside world any time soon. While some experts – including leading epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong, known as “China’s Dr Fauci” – are suggesting the country will need to live with…

[ CNN ] China’s spiraling Delta variant outbreak hits Wuhan, as country introduces mass travel restrictions

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 7, 2021

China’s spiraling Delta variant outbreak has reached Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, prompting citywide coronavirus testing as authorities scramble to contain the city’s first reported local infections in more than a year. China is grappling with its worst outbreak in months, with more than 300 cases detected in more than two dozen cities across the…

[ The Guardian ] Myanmar duo arrested in New York over plot to kill UN ambassador

By Wyatt Mingji Lim | August 7, 2021

Two Myanmar citizens have been arrested in New York state for plotting with an arms dealer in Thailand – who sells weapons to the Burmese military – to kill or injure Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations. The US attorney’s office for the southern district of New York said on Friday that Phyo Hein Htut, 28, and…