{"id":6030,"date":"2015-06-17T09:02:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hcstx.org\/?p=6030"},"modified":"2015-06-17T09:02:00","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T14:02:00","slug":"intel-overwatch-news-synopsis-6-16-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/17\/intel-overwatch-news-synopsis-6-16-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Intel Overwatch News Synopsis: 6-16-15"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ukarine\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/2015\/06\/15\/former-cia-operative-bergdahl-was-high-when-captured-in-afghanistan\/?intcmp=latestnews<\/a><\/p>\n

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was apparently \u201chigh\u201d with a small group of Afghan soldiers when they were picked up by nomads in 2009, according to a former CIA operative who was running a network of informants on the ground.<\/p>\n

CYBER WARS<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/israel-thought-to-be-behind-new-malware-found-by-kaspersky-a-1037960.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Several of the new infections with Duqu 2.0 took place in 2014 and 2015 in connection with the “P5+1” talks — the diplomatic negotiations underway since 2006 between Great Britain, the United States, China, France, Russia and Germany, aimed at reaching an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program. Kaspersky says it apparently detected traces of Duqu 2.0 in three of the P5+1 meeting locations, which constantly changed.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/spy-virus-linked-to-israel-targeted-hotels-used-for-iran-nuclear-talks-1433937601<\/a><\/p>\n

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab(who got hacked themselves) finds three hotels that hosted Iran talks were targeted by a virus believed used by Israeli spies Each was infiltrated by the virus before hosting high-stakes negotiations between Iran and world powers over curtailing Tehran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n

The spyware, the firm has now concluded, was an improved version of Duqu, a virus first identified by cybersecurity experts in 2011, according to a Kaspersky report and outside security experts. Current and former U.S. officials and many cybersecurity experts say they believe Duqu was designed to carry out Israel\u2019s most sensitive<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/06\/11\/world\/asia\/hackers-may-have-obtained-names-of-chinese-with-ties-to-us-government.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0<\/a><\/p>\n

Even military and spooks<\/p>\n

http:\/\/blogs.cfr.org\/cyber\/2015\/06\/15\/placing-the-office-of-personnel-management-hack-in-perspective\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are five Chinese hacks that are worse than the breach at OPM based on a list of significant cyber incidents compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies:<\/p>\n

1 February 2013. DHS says that between December 2011 and June 2012, cyber criminals targeted twenty-three gas pipeline companies and stole information that could be used for sabotage purposes. Forensic data suggests the probes originated in China.<\/p>\n

2-March 2015. Canadian researchers say Chinese hackers attacked U.S. hosting site GitHub<\/p>\n

October 2011. Networks of forty-eight companies in the chemical, defense, and other industries were penetrated for at least six months by a hacker looking for intellectual property. Some of the attacks are attributed to computers in Hebei, China.<\/p>\n

4-January 2010. Google announced that a sophisticated attack had penetrated its networks, along with the networks of more than thirty other U.S. companies. The goal of the penetrations, which Google ascribed to China, was to collect technology, gain access to activist Gmail accounts and to Google\u2019s Gaea password management system<\/p>\n

5-February 2012. Media reports say that Chinese hackers stole classified information about the technologies onboard F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/iran-steps-up-cyber-attacks-across-the-globe\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Iran Steps Up Cyber Attacks Across the Globe Launching cyber attacks on Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other nations<\/p>\n

ECONOMIC<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/news\/2015-06-15\/bank-america-begins-66-day-countdown-until-terrible-ghost-1937-returns<\/a><\/p>\n

The second big crash every one forgets about including FED economists \u2013 increase rates , similar dynamics at the moment, stock drops 50% – FDR did not get us out of the recession<\/p>\n

tighter money and reduced liquidity led to a sell-off in bonds, a rise in the short rate, and a sell-off in stocks. Following the second increase in reserves in March 1937, both the short-term rate and the bond yield spiked.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.theage.com.au\/business\/world-business\/fearful-greek-savers-pull-money-from-banks-and-put-it-in-cars-20150610-ghl65g?stb=twt<\/a><\/p>\n

Fearful Greek savers pull money from banks and put it in cars<\/p>\n

o protect his savings he bought a brand new Mercedes-Benz car, then took the advice of a financial consultant and invested the remainder in money market funds based in Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t want to sit by and see my hard-earned money disappear in a bail-in,” he said, recalling a banking collapse in Cyprus in 2013, in which the government raised almost \u20ac8 billion by taxing bank deposits of more than \u20ac100,000 after imposing the eurozone’s first capital controls.<\/p>\n

Many other Greeks appear to be taking similar precautions. Even as the economy has been sinking, new car registrations have soared this year as worried Greek depositors seek out alternative havens for their money. They rose 27.9 per cent in April on top of a 47.2 per cent increase in March.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.thefiscaltimes.com\/2015\/06\/16\/Asia-About-Blow-Past-US-World-s-Wealthiest-Region<\/a> CHINA and asia<\/p>\n

Producing more millionaires faster . Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) is projected to overtake North America as the world\u2019s richest region in 2016, with $57 trillion in private wealth. The region already overtook Europe to become the world\u2019s second-wealthiest region this year with $47 trillion in private wealth.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/16\/us-eurozone-greece-idUSKBN0OW16320150616<\/a><\/p>\n

Tsipras lashed out at Greece’s creditors on Tuesday, accusing them of trying to “humiliate” Greeks, as he defied a drumbeat of warnings that Europe is preparing for his country to leave the euro. \u00a0Too much talk, not enough action. Greece is set to default on a 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund on June 30 unless it receives fresh funds by then, possibly driving it toward the exit of the euro zone. Euro down, nyse down a bit<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.thisdaylive.com\/articles\/greek-bank-deposit-outflows\/117915\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Outflows reached as much as 6 billion euros in May, Athens-based Kathimerini reported June 9, without saying where it got the information, Greek deposit outflows have accelerated before this weekend\u2019s elections, two bankers familiar with the situation said, on concern the nation may move closer to abandoning the euro. \u00a0Daily withdrawals have increased to the upper end of a 100 million-euro ($125 million) to 500 million-euro range this month, one banker said, asking not to be identified because the figures aren\u2019t public. \u00a0A second banker said the drawdown may have exceeded 700 million euros yesterday. An official for the Bank of Greece (TELL), the Athens-based central bank, declined to comment, according to Bloomberg report. \u00a0Greek banks are under strain after individuals and companies withdrew about 72 billion euros since the nation triggered a region-wide sovereign-debt crisis in October 2009.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/news\/2015-06-16\/russian-pivot-greek-pm-schedules-putin-meeting-ahead-lehman-weekend<\/a><\/p>\n

Before, Greece willing to have 2 pipelines \u2013 1 Southern Gas Corridor, a project which, when complete, will \u00a0allow the EU to tap into Caspian gas via a series of connecting pipelines running from Azerbaijan to Italy. The corridor is aimed at breaking Gazprom\u2019s stranglehold in Europe.<\/p>\n

2- Turkish stream – a \u201cworking meeting\u201d between the Greek PM and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now scheduled for Friday in St. Petersburg: possibilities, including a multibillion euro advance on Greece\u2019s Turkish Stream revenue and the arrangement of a loan from the BRICS bank. Note that this is a perfect time for Greece to explore the BRICS option. As we’ve noted on serveral occasions, Russia has invited Greece to join and reports indicate Athens could be eligible for a loan immediately and would be allowed to tender its paid in capital in installments to ease the financial burden of joining. Further, Russia will host this year’s BRICS summit in Ulfa on July 8-9 where the $100 billion bank will officially be launched along with a $100 billion currency reserve, meaning Greece could serve as a kind of pilot project for the new fund.<\/p>\n

All of the above serve to underscore Angela Merkel’s insistence on going to extra mile to keep Greece in the euro even in the face of staunch opposition both from lawmakers and from the German finance ministry. In short, the Chancellor fears the geopolitical ramifications of a Grexit could, in the long run, prove more detrimental than the economic consequences, especially considering the situation in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/europe-wants-turkmenistan-gas-instead-of-russia-2015-6<\/a><\/p>\n

European Union has been buttering up Turkmenistan, which has the fourth-largest known gas reserves, and Azerbaijan over the past year with the aim of shifting away from Russian gas.\u00a0Problem is they think Greece will not run from Euro and Turkey will stay in Nato \u2013 double whammy.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/blogs.reuters.com\/breakingviews\/2015\/06\/12\/zimbabwes-15-digit-money-woe-is-mercifully-rare\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Zimbabwe has offered a reminder of what really bad monetary policy can do. On June 11, its central bank said it would implement the government\u2019s policy of eliminating the national currency by exchanging Zimbabwe dollars into U.S. dollars at a ratio of 35 quadrillion to one. Zimbabwe\u2019s mirage-quadrillionaires are witnesses to its monetary disaster. Harare is the new Weimar. Just as Germany created money to pay for reparations after World War One, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe used newly created cash to spend well beyond the government\u2019s means. \u00a0The Zimbabwe example was frequently cited by opponents (LIKE ME) \u00a0of central banks\u2019 quantitative easing programmes after the 2008 financial crisis. Surely, they would say, this is the first step on the road to ruin.<\/p>\n

EPIDEMIC<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-3123625\/Fears-Mers-reached-central-Europe-death-toll-current-outbreak-reached-15-diagnosed-South-Korea-four-weeks-ago.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Slovakia hospital is testing a man for the deadly MERS disease.\u00a0All that mass migration from Libya to Yemen heading to Europe.<\/p>\n

CHINA<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/zhou-yongkang-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-2015-6<\/a><\/p>\n

Xi Jinping’s total grip on power over China has brought down one of the most powerful men in the country’s modern history. \u00a0\u00a0Zhou Yongkang, 73, is the former head of China’s domestic spy organization. As of Thursday he has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting over $20 million in bribes for himself and his family, leaking confidential documents, and abusing power.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/16\/us-china-southchinasea-idUSKBN0OW07L20150616<\/a><\/p>\n

is china stopping the island building<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/news\/2015-06-15\/china-dumps-record-120-billion-us-treasurys-two-month-belgium<\/a><\/p>\n

China Dumps Record $120 Billion In US Treasurys In Two Month Via Belgium – most curious is that even with China liquidating such a massive amount of US paper into a very illiquid market, the yield on the 10Y did not blow out far more in the months of March or April. And the last question: who did China sell all this paper to \u2013 the FED?<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2015-06-15\/five-million-reasons-china-may-be-drawn-into-foreign-conflicts<\/a><\/p>\n

5mm citizens to protect and billions of investment dollars at stake, China is rethinking its policy of keeping out of other countries\u2019 affairs.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/news.xinhuanet.com\/english\/2015-06\/11\/c_134315746.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Chinese president’s state visit to Britain to usher in “golden era” for China-UK relations pay a state visit to Britain in October, which would become the most important event in China-UK relations this year and represent a milestone in bilateral ties. Wang also proposed that the two nations deepen global financial cooperation, jointly accelerate the internationalization of renminbi (RMB), join hands in establishing and governing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and step up coordination in global financial governance.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/china-conducts-fourth-test-of-wu-14-strike-vehicle\/<\/a><\/p>\n

China this week carried out the fourth test of an ultra high-speed nuclear delivery vehicle that conducted what intelligence officials say were extreme maneuvers.<\/p>\n

The test of the Wu-14 hypersonic strike vehicle was carried out Sunday, launched atop a ballistic missile fired from a test facility in western China.<\/p>\n

It was the fourth successful test of the Wu-14 in the past 18 months and the frequency of tests is being viewed by U.S. intelligence analysts as an indicator of the high priority placed on developing the weapon by the Chinese.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/n3\/1387559-in-push-for-power-china-seeks-control-over-global-trade-chokepoints\/<\/a><\/p>\n

In Push for Power, China Seeks Control Over Global Trade Chokepoints. Whoever controls the world\u2019s shipping chokepoints controls the flow of oil and close to 90 percent of global trade. In its push to become a global naval power, the Chinese regime has sought power over nearly every one of these chokepoints through a string of new naval bases and a series of economic deals. -strait of Malacca, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Turkish Straits.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/russia-insider.com\/en\/politics\/geopolitics-american-global-decline-washington-versus-china-twenty-first-century\/ri7836#.VXshfRimnmk.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Beijing has recently begun revealing its grand strategy for global power, move by careful move. Its two-step plan is designed to build a transcontinental infrastructure for the economic integration of the world island from within, while mobilizing military forces to surgically slice through Washington\u2019s encircling containment. in a decade or two, should the need arise, China will be ready to surgically slice through Washington\u2019s continental encirclement at a few strategic points without having to confront the full global might of the U.S. military, potentially rendering the vast American armada of carriers, cruisers, drones, fighters, and submarines redundant. If China succeeds in linking its rising industries to the vast natural resources of the Eurasian heartland the empire of the world would be in sight<\/p>\n

IRAN<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/iran-backs-taliban-with-cash-and-arms-1434065528?mod=e2tw<\/a><\/p>\n

Iran Backs Taliban With Cash and Arms<\/p>\n

Shiite Tehran has quietly boosted ties with the Sunni militant group and is now recruiting and training its fighters. Resurgence of attacks in astan<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/middleeast\/20150610\/1023188312.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Former US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Michael Flynn said that Iran intends to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) with enough range to hit US soil as part of Tehran\u2019s nuclear weapons program.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.jpost.com\/International\/US-seeks-a-compromise-on-managed-access-to-Irans-military-sites-405773?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork<\/a><\/p>\n

US diplomats are bracing for a tough road toward a final nuclear agreement with Iran and other world powers by the June 30 deadline, searching for compromise.\u00a0The most challenging gap appears to be over Iran\u2019s refusal to allow access \u2013 managed or otherwise \u2013 to its military sites, some of which are suspected of hosting its experimentation with nuclear weapons technology.<\/p>\n

IRAQ<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/06\/11\/middleeast\/iraqi-baiji-mazraa\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

We don’t need training, we need weapons’ \u2013 the same type of weapons they had before that ISIS has now?\u00a0However they do need land mine detection equipment.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/12\/us-mideast-crisis-usa-taqaddum-idUSKBN0OS1DI20150612<\/a><\/p>\n

President Barack Obama has said American forces being sent to a new operations center in the heart of the war against Islamic State will not engage in combat, but they will do almost everything but fight to support the beleaguered Iraqi forces. \u00a0\u00a0U.S. defense officials say the tasks of the troops going to Taqaddum air base will range from advising Iraqi commanders how to ensure soldiers have enough bullets to integrating air power into combat plans.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/us\/20150611\/1023197153.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Navy plans to pull its aircraft carriers out of the Middle East temporarily this fall- one to two months after the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group leaves the Middle East this fall. The USS Harry Truman and its escorts will take the Roosevelt’s place this winter<\/p>\n

http:\/\/english.farsnews.com\/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000567<\/a><\/p>\n

ISIL Starts Mass Killing of Captured Iraqi Soldiers in Mosul.\u00a0ISIL had asked the soldiers to join the group and fight alongside the terrorists,\u201d the sources said, claiming they were killed for their refusal to join the group. \u00a0How very piratesque \u2013 and part or their mystique<\/p>\n

ISIS<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/en\/perspective\/features\/2015\/05\/11\/ISIS-publishes-manual-on-How-to-Survive-in-the-West-.html<\/a><\/p>\n

ISIS has published a manual entitled \u201cHow to Survive in the West\u201d which advises its followers to use the website of British advocacy agency Cage for tips regarding surveillance, raids and interrogations. manual includes tips for bomb making and committing fraud, and mentions the advocacy agency as a suggestion to turn to for legal aid, according to The Daily Mail.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/state-department-we-actually-do-have-a-strategy-against-islamic-state\/article\/2565861#.VXitflFcBDk.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

State Department: We actually ‘do have a strategy’ against Islamic State, The ends are very clear, we’ve said this all along, the goal is to degrade and defeat [the Islamic State], to remove them as a threat in the region and frankly, around the world. The ways we are going to do that are through obviously airstrikes. We have to train and equip Iraqi Security forces; this is their fight on the ground. We have to stem the flow of foreign fighters, \u00a0THE SAME ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN WORKING<\/p>\n

http:\/\/english.farsnews.com\/newstext.aspx?nn=13940325000281<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes Lebanon is now in play , Hezbollah will have to make a call.\u00a0SIL is becoming prepared for staging a big operation in Tripoli on the first day of Ramadan against the Lebanese army; \u00a0TOMORROW..ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence \u2013 I agree with this statement.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.isn.ethz.ch\/Digital-Library\/Publications\/Detail\/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=191531<\/a><\/p>\n

romance novel isis style \u2013again the mystique\u00a0women are drawn to join the IS due to perceptions that Sunni Islam is under attack, feelings of discrimination in the West, promise of adventure and empowerment. in order to be effective, counter-messaging, counseling and de-radicalization programs aimed at diminishing IS influence on these women should come directly from their family members and Muslim community leaders rather than Western governments.\u00a0In other words \u2013 A REALITY CHECK<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2015\/06\/16\/is-terrorist-recruiters-posing-as-social-workers-to-snare-at-risk-australian-youths\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Men would pose as community workers and visit Sydney\u2019s Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service (BMYS) to befriend and convert youths to the IS cause before facilitating their travel to the Middle East. You saw they had the black and white ISIS flag and writing yet they excused it by saying they were words from the Koran,<\/p>\n

https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2015\/06\/09\/airstrikes-killing-thousands-of-islamic-state-fighters-but-it-just-recruits-more\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Foreign fighters are flocking to Iraq and Syria, as the militant group also recruits from areas under its control. Most recent estimate that I have is that ISIS is gaining about 1,000 foreign fighters a month.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.presstv.ir\/Detail\/2015\/06\/12\/415486\/Turkey-Syria-ISIL-National-Intelligence-Organization-MT-Cumhuriyet-Selahattin<\/a><\/p>\n

Newly-surfaced video footage has corroborated widespread assertions that the Turkish government’s intelligence agency has been ensuring ISIL terrorists safe passage into Syria \u2013 mayb not for lonng<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/06\/16\/middleeast\/syria-kurds-capture-border-town\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Kurdish fighters claimed Tuesday to have taken the strategic Syrian town of Tal Abyad from ISIS. town’s loss will probably cut off an important ISIS supply route. \u00a0The strategic advance comes a day after the Kurdish YPG, or People’s Protection Units, captured the Syrian side of a Turkish border crossing at Akcakale.The town is close to the border with Turkey, about 310 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of Damascus, and lies on a main road to Raqqa, the city ISIS considers to be its capital. Kurdish fighters have already taken about 50 towns and villages from ISIS.\u00a0This is huge, no major weapon resupply and ISIS is NOT INVINCIBLE.<\/p>\n

LATIN AMERICA<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/china-plans-to-build-a-3300-mile-railway-across-south-america-2015-6<\/a><\/p>\n

China has just agreed on feasibility studies with Brazil and Peru for a 3,300-mile rail link connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Reuters reported recently, lanned railway would connect Brazil\u2019s Atlantic coast and Peru\u2019s Pacific coast and would \u201creduce the cost of shipping grain and minerals to Asia.\u201d As of now, most of South America\u2019s import to China has to pass through the Panama Canal, which has become very costly as prices have tripled over the last five years.\u00a0But like the $50 billion canal a Chinese billionaire wants to build across Nicaragua or the 3 hectares of pristine Amazonian rainforest that Ecuador sold to China, all the promise for commerce comes at a price.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2015\/06\/11\/professors-flee-socialist-venezuela\/<\/a><\/p>\n

They helped bring in Chavez now\u2026<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-latin-america-33105398<\/a><\/p>\n

Colombia’s Farc rebels have shot dead three police officers and cut off power to almost half a million people, the military has said. The twin attacks come despite continuing peace talks between the government and the left-wing group. \u00a0The negotiations aim to end a more than 50-year long conflict that has left an estimated 220,000 people dead. \u00a0Last month the Farc ended a unilateral ceasefire it called, ambushing and killing 11 soldiers.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/mexicos-deportations-central-americans-rise-sharply-184258116.html;_ylt=A0LEVxf3soBVnUYAPHJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyZDc0MWJnBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjAxMjFfMQRzZWMDc2M-<\/a><\/p>\n

Mexico deported 79 percent more people from Central America’s northern triangle in the first four months of 2015 than it did during the same period a year earlier, according to government statistics.<\/p>\n

MIDDLE EAST\/AFRICA<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.israeltoday.co.il\/NewsItem\/tabid\/178\/nid\/26773\/Default.aspx#.VXrx6RWSEkU.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Recent Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York highlighted that back in 2010, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently ordered Israel\u2019s defense establishment to attack Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities, or to prepare to do so- former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi of refusing Netanyahu\u2019s orders during their respective tenures. were given an order to prepare the military for an imminent strike against Iran\u2019s military installations and they refused<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/africa\/20150612\/1023253356.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Morocco\u2019s intelligence services on Thursday broke up an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist cell that planned a series of kidnappings and killings on Moroccan soil targeting tourists. Morocco is in play but not much in the news.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.algemeiner.com\/2015\/06\/16\/israeli-minister-steinitiz-confirms-he-proposed-plan-to-ship-assad-wmds-to-russia\/<\/a><\/p>\n

American-Russian deal that pressured President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to abandon his stockpile of chemical weapons two years ago was encouraged by an Israeli minister, according to a new memoir by a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.presstv.ir\/Detail\/2015\/06\/15\/415936\/Egypt-Gaza-Strip-underground-tunnels-Saina-<\/a><\/p>\n

1430 Tunnels in 18 months<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.un.org\/apps\/news\/story.asp?NewsID=51165#.VYBx2kaqG8A<\/a><\/p>\n

Thousands flee Syria for Turkey, escaping aggression between rival military forces \u2013 UN refugee agency. Turkey had shut down border and ISIS actually corralled the refugees and herded them back. However, Turkey has now reopened the crossings after public outcry. latest data available, Turkey is host to 1,772,535 registered Syrian refugees \u2013 more than any other in the world \u2013 with about 259,000 living in 23 camps set up and managed by the Government.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/12\/us-mideast-crisis-syria-base-idUSKBN0OS0IP20150612<\/a><\/p>\n

Syria’s Druze minority have helped repel a rebel attack on an army base in the south, mobilizing to confront insurgents including al Qaeda’s Nusra Front who are trying to build on gains against President Bashar al-Assad.\u00a0Druze in Israel have been lobbying for arms to be sent to Syria, a U.S. official has said. Lebanese Druze politicians aligned with the Syrian government have also called for the arming of their kin in Syria. But Walid Jumblatt, a Lebanese Druze leader who backs the uprising against Assad, has urged the Druze of Sweida to reconcile their differences with the Syrian opposition.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blogs\/order-from-chaos\/posts\/2015\/06\/08-turkish-voters-send-message-kirisci-cengiz#.VXcryzF-zWg.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish voters send a strong message.\u00a0Turkey\u2019s parliamentary election 6\/8 was an electoral earthquake. The governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) saw its share of parliament drop dramatically: it won almost 50 percent of the votes in the 2011 general election and only 40.8 percent on Sunday. This election marks the end of current president Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan\u2019s rise and the beginning of a more pluralistic chapter in Turkish politics. Read, for the moment no redux of the Ottoman empire<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/story\/defense\/2015\/06\/10\/lebanon-receives-us-missiles\/71026186\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Problem is ISIS has a lot more like 7 x more it has captured from FSA factions. Lebanese and American officials gathered Wednesday to mark the delivery of more than 200 anti-tank missiles the United States says will help Lebanon’s army defend its borders against terrorists. The 200 US-made TOW-II missiles and launchers, valued more than $10 million, were delivered in late May as part of a joint US-Saudi effort to support Lebanon’s army<\/p>\n

RUSSIA<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.heraldsun.com.au\/news\/world\/putin-god-gave-me-perfect-judgment\/story-fni0xs61-1227392830599<\/a><\/p>\n

Russian President says God has blessed him with perfect judgment and he has a clean conscience. \u00a0In a bizarre interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera to coincide with his private meeting at the Vatican with the Pope, Putin said he did not regret any decisions he had made in his life. \u00a0\u201cI will be quite frank with you. I cannot recollect anything of the kind,\u201d he said when asked if he had any regrets.\u201cBy the grace of God, I have nothing to regret in my life.\u201d\u00a0Putin said God had \u201cclearly\u201d built his life \u201cin a way that I won\u2019t have anything to regret.\u201d<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2015\/jun\/9\/stealth-b-2s-buzz-europe-russian-bombers-skirt-us-\/#.VXm0Z4WkEV8.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

B2 \u00a0buzz Europe \u2013 not placed there because ..( op polar growl)\u00a0The military denies that dispatching the Stealth B2s to England were in response to the Russian bombers. \u201cThese flights demonstrate the ability of U.S. bomber forces to provide a credible, flexible and always-ready capability to respond to a variety of potential threats and situations, both conventionally and strategically, when called upon to do so,\u201d USSTRATCOM Public Affairs Current Operations Chief Lt. Col. Martin L. O\u2019 Donnell.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.vocativ.com\/news\/200580\/mark-dice-nuke-russia-petition\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Russian media is whipping up fear about a potential nuclear attack by the United States\u2014and it\u2019s all thanks to a prank video featuring confused people in San Diego.\u00a0The video at the center of the nuclear fear-mongering features Americans allegedly signing a petition to annihilate Russia. Mark Dice, a conspiracy theorist and activist, produced the video. It shows him approaching passers-by in San Diego, asking them to support a plan by President Obama to nuke Russia in order to keep America the world\u2019s leading superpower. Russians wondering how Californians can be so stupid and the stupidity validates their paranoia.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.rferl.org\/content\/russia-adding-intercontinental-missiles-arsenal\/27075277.html<\/a><\/p>\n

40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to its arsenal this year capable of “penetrating” any current missile defense systems.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.gatestoneinstitute.org\/2727\/new-cold-war-russia<\/a><\/p>\n

We Build, They Build. We Stop, They Build.” \u00a0Plenty of warning but no one at the mosque on pennsylvania cares<\/p>\n

http:\/\/tass.ru\/en\/russia\/801179<\/a><\/p>\n

Putin rather sees threat in US missile defense system than weapons deployment in Europe. Russian president noted that if someone threatens Russia\u2019s territory, it is to aim its weapons where the threat is coming from. So if the missile systems are for defense, why does Putin need to go offense?<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/politics\/20150611\/1023203008.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Members of the Forza Italia party plan to come forth with the initiative that envisages the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia by Italy, party leader Silvio Berlusconi<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/europe\/la-fg-russia-stalin-model-20150611-story.html#page=1<\/a><\/p>\n

Putin, once critical of Stalin, now embraces Soviet dictator’s tactics. Putin’s embrace of Stalin’s power-play tactics is applauded by many Russians and other former Soviet citizens as the sort of decisive leadership they longed for while watching communism collapse around them. To the proponents of a reinvigorated Russia, reformist Mikhail Gorbachev and his successor, Boris Yeltsin, are seen as having submitted Russia to Western domination. A quirk of the Russian mind set \u2013prediction is there will be no more credible elections as long as Putin chooses to stay in power- another parallel with Stalin’s lifetime sinecure as Soviet leader.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/tass.ru\/en\/russia\/801076<\/a><\/p>\n

Not a single Russia-NATO cooperation program is functioning for the moment, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov told TASS on Tuesday.\u00a0“None of the Russia-NATO programs that used to be at work are functioning at a working level,”<\/p>\n

http:\/\/tass.ru\/en\/russia\/801081<\/a><\/p>\n

Moscow-based Steel Research Institute said previously that the Armata tank\u2019s armour ensures protection against all modern tank shells, anti-tank guided missiles and grenade launchers with the calibre of 100 to 150 mm. “The armour of Armata ensures protection from all current and projected tank ammunition with 120-millimeter caliber,” an institute spokesman said.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/267187-shf-cannon-russia-drones\/#.VX8FPkPug2c.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/russian-jet-again-harasses-u-s-reconnaissance-plane\/<\/a><\/p>\n

However, it is unclear whether the May 30 incident between the RC-135 reconnaissance jet and a Russian Su-27 interceptor that flew too close was intentional or due to the pilot\u2019s lack of flying experience \u2013like 150\u2019<\/p>\n

SAUDI ARABIA<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/middleeast\/saudiarabia\/11658338\/The-Saudis-are-ready-to-go-nuclear.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Kingdom\u2019s ambassador to London tells the Telegraph that ‘all options are on the table\u2019 if talks fail to keep Iran in check.\u00a0Since its creation 85 years ago, Saudi Arabia has acquired a reputation as a country that tries to avoid confrontation with its neighbours at all costs. During the long war between Iran and Iraq during the 1980s the Saudis desperately sought to preserve their neutrality, even if Riyadh\u2019s sympathies lay with its fellow Sunni co-religionists in Iraq rather than the Shi\u2019ite Muslim hardliners running Iran.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/articles\/2015-06-11\/can-house-saud-survive-isis?cid=soc-tw-rdr<\/a><\/p>\n

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has neither the charisma nor the sophisticated and integrated network bin Laden had in the Kingdom in 2002\u201306. Baghdadi\u2019s plan, however, which he borrowed from the late chief of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is more clever, devilish, and dangerous: His goal is to ignite a sectarian civil war in Saudi Arabia by targeting the Shia community and provoking them to unleash their anger against the Saudi government. (Dozens of Saudi Shia have already started forming civil defense groups to better protect themselves against ISIS and other threats, an outcome that has made the Saudi authorities uneasy). Saudi king cannot rule effectively without the clerics, he does hold absolute power, as the country\u2019s 1992 Basic Law of Government clearly stipulates. He also controls the country\u2019s wealth and the armed forces and selects the leader of the country\u2019s highest religious office\u2014the grand mufti. With the political shake-up he recently orchestrated, there is no question that King Salman is the man in charge. Only way can only be achieved by further limiting the influence of uncompromising Wahhabi sheikhs, which the late king had tried to do.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/english.farsnews.com\/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324001205<\/a><\/p>\n

Salman to be declared incompetent. He sees himself as the savior of the sunni \u2013 Iran will not stop.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/columns\/partial-justice-how-saudi-executions-serve-monarchy-1013161145<\/a><\/p>\n

Surge in beheadings is tied to assertion of power by new king – not to poverty, bureaucratic tinkering, or rule of law \u2013now 100, still gunning for seat on human rights council.<\/p>\n

UKRAINE<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/putin-is-headed-into-a-standoff-with-the-west-2015-6<\/a><\/p>\n

Putin is determined to blow up the post-Cold War order in Europe and turn the former Soviet republics into Moscow’s vassals. The only way to stop him is to defeat him by means short of war with a nuclear-armed rogue state.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.chathamhouse.org\/sites\/files\/chathamhouse\/field\/field_document\/20150605RussianChallengeGilesHansonLyneNixeySherrWood.pdf?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&nr_email_referer=1<\/a><\/p>\n

Putin win in Ukraine , will only be emboldened to act elsewhere Chatham House report recommends a series of steps to contain Putin, some of which are already in progress: turn Ukraine into a strong sovereign European state; get serious about backing Georgia and Moldova’s European aspirations; rearm and refocus NATO and boost the alliance’s credibility; systematically counter the Kremlin’s disinformation machine; and strip Russia of political leverage in energy markets.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/europe\/20150613\/1023333078.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Kiev\u2019s decision to deploy S-300 air defense systems in the Odessa Region puts Russian aircraft, flying in and out of Transnistria, in danger of getting shot down. This, in turn, increases the chances of a military confrontation between Russia and the West, US global intelligence company Stratfor predicted.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/photo\/20150615\/1023380090.html<\/a><\/p>\n

F-22 to be stationed including more armor but nothing that will stop a bear charge<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.thefiscaltimes.com\/2015\/06\/15\/US-Move-Eastern-Europe-Prompts-Cold-War-Charge-Russia<\/a><\/p>\n

The most aggressive step by the Pentagon and NATO since the Cold War. Russia would have \u201cno option\u201d other than to strengthen its military forces on its Western border and possibly speed up the deployment of the short-range ballistic Iskander missile systems to Kaliningrad, a small piece of Russian territory detached from the rest of the country, and sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/news\/2015-06-10\/obama-destroying-europe-dragging-it-crusade-against-russia-former-french-pm-german-b<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, Europe is not independent\u2026 The US is drawing us [the EU] into a crusade against Russia, which contradicts the interests of Europe,\u201d said the former French Prime Minister Fillon while the chief economist at Bremer Landesbank adds that as a result of US policies “unmeasurable damage lies in an elevated geopolitical risk situation for the people in the EU.\u00a0But not too long ago , they thought he was a global messiah<\/p>\n

SOUTH CHINA<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2015\/06\/no-china-is-not-reclaiming-land-in-the-south-china-sea\/?utm_content=buffera27ba&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer<\/a><\/p>\n

China Is Not Reclaiming Land in the South China Sea, Rather, China is slowly excising the maritime heart out of Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2015\/06\/the-south-china-sea-defining-the-status-quo\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201cstatus quo\u201d in the South China Sea is a slippery concept that does little to advance a rules-based order. The od show doctrine should be no bar, beach or bikinis (or topless women) its not an island<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.wantchinatimes.com\/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20150611000117&cid=1101&MainCatID=0<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether the H-6K strategic bomber, suspected to be in development, will replace all H-6 series bombers , H-6K will likely have a range of 2,500-3,000 kilometers, be able to travel at supersonic speeds and will have certain stealth capabilities to help it avoid detection beyond China’s borders. The bomber will likely be powered by a WS-18 engine and will carry CJ-20 cruise missiles.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/16\/us-china-southchinasea-usa-idUSKBN0OW2HE20150616?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews<\/a><\/p>\n

China’s South China Sea plans will not ease tensions – U.S. State Department so why are we having training with them again? “China’s stated plans do not contribute to a reduction in tensions, support the emergence of diplomatic and peaceful solutions, or bolster China’s disputed maritime claims,” a State Department spokesperson said.\u00a0China said earlier on Tuesday it will soon complete some of its land reclamation on the Spratly islands in the disputed South China Sea, indicating that Beijing is close to setting up new outposts in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/05\/us-vietnam-southchinasea-idUSKBN0OK22220150605<\/a><\/p>\n

Vietnam is offering scores of patriotic citizens the holiday of a lifetime with a cruise to some of Asia’s most hotly contested islands, In a special $800 promotion offer, 180 Vietnamese will get to see parts of the disputed Spratly archipelago later this month and take part in night fishing, visit a lighthouse and enjoy local seafood. \u00a0High-rollers will have VIP hotel rooms and can fly in on their private helicopters, according to the Ho Chi Minh City government’s website. See 300 species of coral creating wonderful reefs in sparkling colors, in ravishing, fantastic beauty,” it said. “Watch the sunrise over the ocean, and say goodbye to the sunset in the evening amid the immense sky and sea.”<\/p>\n

http:\/\/wantchinatimes.com\/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20150513000120<\/a><\/p>\n

China’s foreign ministry criticized the Philippine’s invitation to journalists to visit an island in the South China Sea, saying their attempt at occupation is futile.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/12\/us-china-navy-idUSKBN0OS0WY20150612<\/a><\/p>\n

China’s sole aircraft carrier conducted exercises on Friday, the navy said without specifying its location, amid escalating disputes over maritime territory with some of China’s Asian neighbors. The Liaoning, a Soviet-era ship bought from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China, has long been a symbol of China’s naval build-up.\u00a0Successfully operating the 60,000-tonne Liaoning is the first step in what state media and some military experts believe will be the deployment of domestically built carriers by 2020<\/p>\n

http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/asia\/20150611\/1023222326.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Aircraft of the Chinese naval forces joined a fleet to take part in a military drill in the western Pacific Ocean east of the Bashi Channel on Wednesday, a military spokesperson of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy told media.The ships and the aircraft carried out numerous exercises that imitated real combat conditions in waters east of the Bashi Channel, south of Taiwan, according to Chinese navy spokesperson Liang Yang.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/267241-china-us-drills-agreement\/#.VX8EmB0So28.twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

US and China have signed a rare agreement to strengthen ties and develop a more productive military relationship. However, mistrust still remains, with Beijing saying progress can only be made if Washington respects China\u2019s South China Sea ambitions. We have tried this and all China does it take the intel and upgrade and continue on with its plan \u2013 from their mindset \u2013 we are weak. This stops nothing for china<\/p>\n

SUDAN<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.un.org\/apps\/news\/story.asp?NewsID=51166#.VYBzjkaqG8A<\/a><\/p>\n

Still going on for decades , South Sudan: amid \u2018intensifying\u2019 crisis, UN and European Union mobilize $275 million in aid. More than 2 million people have been internally displaced and are vulnerable to attack, gender-based violence and forced recruitment to armed groups. An estimated 4.6 million people are facing severe food insecurity and the start of the rainy season is increasing people\u2019s risk of water-borne diseases and malaria. ave more new South Sudanese refugees than when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed after decades of civil war,\u201d<\/p>\n

YEMEN<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/06\/16\/us-yemen-security-qaeda-us-idUSKBN0OW0FJ20150616<\/a><\/p>\n

One good thing about yemen, deputy leader of al Qaeda, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, has been killed in a U.S. bombing in Yemen, the group and the White House said on Tuesday, removing the director of a string of attacks against the West and a man once seen as a successor to leader Ayman al-Zawahri. A close associate of Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Wuhayshi, a Yemeni in his late 30s, was named by Zawahri as al Qaeda’s effective number two in 2013. A $10 million price on his head offered by U.S. authorities<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.i24news.tv\/en\/news\/international\/middle-east\/74651-150612-saudi-led-warplanes-hit-unesco-listed-old-sanaa<\/a><\/p>\n

Saudi-led warplanes hit ‘jewel’ of Islamic culture in Sanaa-Saudi denies bombing neighborhood which has thousands of 11th century homes, killing five residents.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stay Informed, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/2015\/06\/15\/former-cia-operative-bergdahl-was-high-when-captured-in-afghanistan\/?intcmp=latestnews Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was apparently \u201chigh\u201d with a small group of Afghan soldiers when they were picked up by nomads in 2009, according to a former CIA operative who was running a network of informants on the ground. CYBER WARS http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/israel-thought-to-be-behind-new-malware-found-by-kaspersky-a-1037960.html Several of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1444,74,1445,1489],"tags":[1568,1569,1570,1488],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6030"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6030\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}