/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 16:28

"Why is there no longer that professionalism?

Some people are asking me again why I like to point out the errors of NATO in the planning of the war in Ukraine. I point out these errors because they scare me. It frightens me how much money has been put into the hands of a primary plan, which has allowed the Russians to be winning a war against more than 40 countries. Nothing can better synthesize the level of degradation of this work than that report with spelling errors leaked by a young officer. Obviously there ar several levels of reports, but that was painful.

But it hasn't always been this way. I have sometimes read NATO reports during the Cold War that were very well crafted in a time when intelligence work was much more difficult and risky. In certain periods of past decades, NATO not only knew the quantity but also where the Warsaw Pact units were, and had absolute knowledge of the capability of each Soviet military factory. What happened to that professionalism and dedication? Perhaps the same thing that happened to the Western political class, which motivates people to seek incisively for political leaders capable of steering the West back on course.

I truly criticize NATO's current body of analysts precisely because if they are applying the same logic regarding Chinese capabilities as was done in Ukraine, it will be chaos. Last month, the Philippines conducted military exercises with A29 turboprop aircraft, which here in South America we use in the fight against drug trafficking, along with some A-10s sent by the US. When I read that news, I thought, "these guys are joking." The Chinese are conducting training with hypersonic missiles and cutting-edge technology, structuring and increasing military production in their factories, as well as massively investing in technological development. They are not joking.

Again: what happened to the seriousness of the public service, not only in the military sphere but also in politics?

What we have seen the most in this war in Ukraine are governments transferring exorbitant resources to arms companies that sold at absurd prices, draining resources from citizens. Where is the pride of these companies and these governments in winning this war? It is beneath the unreasonable ambition to make money.

Russia had closed nearly 20 factories due to bankruptcy, and its defense sector was in a critical situation a decade ago. They began a restructuring and a long-term war plan, not because they have better virtues than the West, but because they are determined to win.

The West has been deeply reflecting on all of this but without finding solutions. It is necessary to reconstruct values so that these axes reflect in public service."

📎 Patricia Marins

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 15:10

🇪🇺 The European Central Bank cut interest rates by 0.25%

It revised economic growth projections for 2024, 2025 and 2026 and the inflation rate. However it remains moderately optimistic that the EU will overcome the phenomena of "stagflation" and things will start to improve beginning in 2025.

Meanwhile, Europe‘s largest economies:

Germany - decided to get rid of its industry, sick man of Europe

France - 6% fiscal deficit despite highest tax burden in Europe, political paralysis

Italy & Spain - heading into pensions and healthcare benefits crisis due to collapsing demographics

🔗 Michael Arouet

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 14:18

🇸🇾 Syrian Navy losses to Israeli Navy, estimated Dec 12

9 x OSA class missile boats in Latakia
5 x Tir class missile boats in Minet el-Beida

6 OSA and 1 Tir remain in Tartus, possibly untouched due to proximity to Russian Navy targets

🔗 H. Sutton

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 11:57

Dawn Fantasia, New Jersey Assemblywoman, on the mysterious drone sightings, on X:

"I just left the New Jersey State Police HQ following the briefing of New Jersey State Legislators relating to the unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey.

1. We know nothing. PERIOD. To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment.

2. State authorities, including the NJSP, are shackled with what they are able to do. Any interception or takedown of any UAS is under the strict jurisdiction of the federal government.

3. At this point, I believe military intervention is the only path forward. There will be no answers in the absence of proactivity.

4. The US Coast Guard seems to be the most likely to intervene based upon our briefing, but even that component was shrouded in mystery."

🧵 https://fxtwitter.com/DawnFantasia_NJ/status/1866896860578717994

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 09:52

🇰🇷The Blue Roof on X:

"National Assembly's Defense Committee met to question the generals who participated in Yoon Suk-yeol's self coup attempt, which is revealing some truly shocking stuff:

To arrest key liberal leaders including Lee Jae-myung, the military dispatched the HID unit, the special forces whose main task is to assassinate major North Korean leaders in case of a war. They are normally near the DMZ, but were just outside of Seoul on Dec 3.

The HID unit were not dressed in the ROK military uniform. Instead, they were given a false North Korean uniform. The plan was to have the HID unit either assassinate Lee and others, and if that failed, have the "rescuing" South Korean soldiers to kill both Lee and the HID unit.

The Defense Minister's original plan was to provoke an attack from North Korea, then use that as an excuse to declare martial law. To that end, South Korean military flew several drones over the Pyongyang sky, spraying propaganda fliers. North Korea did not attack, however.

The drone incursion happened in early October. Dem lawmakers say the South Korean military collected the drones that were not shot down, and burned them down to destroy evidence.

Yoon Suk-yeol directly commanded the military at the scene of the National Assembly to arrest the lawmakers. The president personally called Cdr. Gwak Jong-geun and told him: "They don't have quorum yet. Get in there and drag them all out."

During the coup, helicopters carrying special forces headed to the Assembly were held up at the capital no-fly zone, because the Air Force was not aware of the coup plan. In the end, the Air Force never approved the flight; the Army forged the approval order.

Initial preparation for the coup began as far back as July 2023, as the military compiled the reference materials for operations under a martial law situation and produced a manual around that time.

https://news.jtbc.co.kr/article/NB12226755

A reminder on how close we were. The martial law command was planning to have two more special forces located outside of Seoul to march to the capital on the second day of martial law. If the Assembly did not vote that night to lift the martial law, many more soldiers would have been in Seoul, with a potential massacre on our hands."

🔗 BluRoofPolitics

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 07:08

🇪🇹🇸🇴 Ethiopia, Somalia reach agreement in Ankara-mediated peace talks: Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced late Wednesday that Ethiopia and Somalia reached an agreement to solve the conflict between the two nations in Ankara-mediated peace talks.

“We have taken the first step toward a new beginning based on peace, cooperation between Somalia, Ethiopia,” President Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Somalian counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Erdogan expressed his satisfaction with hosting his guests and their delegations in Türkiye.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/ethiopia-somalia-reach-agreement-in-ankara-mediated-peace-talks-turkish-president/3422113

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 21:00

FBI leader says it's 'concerning' how little his agency knows about mysterious drones seen over New Jersey

A top FBI leader revealed the agency knows concerningly little about the mysterious drones that have been seen hovering over New Jersey.

Asked if Americans are "at risk," FBI Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group Robert Wheeler told Congress: "There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don't know. And that's the concerning part."

Dozens of drones have been spotted flying near sensitive sites like a military research facility in recent weeks.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-agency-concerning-mysterious-drones-new-jersey

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 20:22

U.S. congressman says that an Iranian "mothership" is launching drones off the east coast of the United States.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 20:10

🇺🇸 FBI Director Chris Wray has resigned — making way for President Trump's nominee, Kash Patel.

🔗 Trump War Room

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 19:46

🇺🇦🤝🇸🇾 WaPo's David Ignatius reports that Ukrainian intelligence sent 20 experienced drone operators and 150 FPV drones to Idlib to aid the Syrian rebels last month.

📝Anon: For reference, 150 FPVs is what 5 or less FPV operators in Ukraine may use in a day. To topple a regime, this was a stupidly cheap investment.

🔗 https://archive.ph/YLBNo

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 18:51

Philip Pilkington on X:

"Yellen saying that the Trump administration is going to have to bring the deficit down after she blew it out. These people are so brazen. It still seems likely that there will be an attempt to force Trump into austerity and if he doesn't play along he'll get Trussed."

📎 Philip Pilkington

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 17:37

🇸🇾❌🇬🇷 — Jihadist factions operating under the Umbrella of Hayath Tahrir al-Sham desecrated the Hagia Sophia Greek orthodox Church in Al-Suqaylabiyah, in Hama province’s countryside, vandalizing and destroying its contents, as shown in the video.

➡️ This same church was attacked by Jihadists with UAVs during its inauguration a year ago

🔗 Jean ☦️ 🔺ن (@poqanarii)

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 17:05

🇦🇷💥 — Javier Milei, President of Argentina, announced the launch of an Argentine Nuclear Plan aimed at promoting nuclear energy as a strategic cornerstone for the country's development.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 16:24

🌹🤝🟦🤝🟦🤝🇭🇺 PSD-PNL-USR-UDMR and representatives of ethnic minorities have signed a new deal agreeing to form a big-tent ”pro-EU” government and cordon off nationalist parties.

They also agreed to nominate in the future a joint candidate for Romanian president that will have the support of all 4 parties.

The new alliance will reveal a joint government program in the coming days.

🔗 https://www.zf.ro/eveniment/breaking-s-discutat-intalnirea-palatul-victoria-toate-partidele-pro-22602146

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 11:29

🏘 New construction homes are hitting the market at 2007 levels:

The number of homes completed and under construction is now at 385,000, the highest since the 2007 housing market crash.

Over the last 3 years, the supply of new homes has risen by 70%.

Since 2012, the number of new homes for sale has more than TRIPLED.

The majority these homes are in the Southern US region where with levels surpassing 2006 housing bubble levels.

For the first time since 2005, the median new home is now CHEAPER than the median existing home for sale.

Are housing market prices peaking?

📎 Kobeissi Letter

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 15:38

🇪🇺 ECB Chief, Christine Lagarde, says that the situation in the Eurozone "can worsen if trade friction continues".

She further says that "political uncertainty" in the U.S. could further tank economic growth in the EU.

The ECB's most recent revision of GDP growth say:

2024 — 0.7%

2025 — 1.1%

2026 — 1.4%

The ECB is really worried about Donald Trump's tariffs and believes they will generate inflation at least on the short term.

@CIG_telegram

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 14:27

🇦🇹 The Austrian Parliament voted to lift Herbert Kickl's immunity and start a criminal investigation

Kickl is the president of the right-wing FPO party which won the latest Austrian Parliamentary elections, becoming the biggest political force in the country with 56 seats in the Parliament.

Prosecutors claim Kickl gave a false testimony for alleged misuse of public funds.

The greens, socialists and center-right conservatives voted to remove Kickl's immunity. Along with Kickl, three other FPO MPs had their immunity lifted for other alleged crimes.

The FPO, like in every European country, was sidelined and the center-right OVP formed a coalition with the socialists (SPO) and liberal-progressives (NEOS), creating a cordon sanitaire against the FPO.

🔗 https://uk.news.yahoo.com/austrian-parliament-lifts-far-leaders-213427897.html

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 14:15

🇸🇾🤝🇸🇾 Mazloum Abdi: SDF is ready to communicate with new authority in Damascus

The commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, expressed his readiness to communicate with the new authority in Damascus, emphasizing the importance of representing all regions and components through dialogue.

He added that there is ongoing communication with Turkey through the Americans aimed at reducing escalation, noting that there is also communication with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) through the Americans.

Abdi pointed out that there had been no relationships or consensus between the faction based in northeastern Syria and the previous Syrian regime, noting that his forces were “the most confrontational” with the previous regime.

He expressed their readiness to communicate with the new authority in Damascus and to participate with new forces in the political process in Syria.

Previously, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (the political umbrella of the SDF) had expressed its willingness to engage in discussions with the Syrian regime and “liberate the occupied areas alongside the Syrian army.”

🔗 https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2024/12/mazloum-abdi-sdf-is-ready-to-communicate-with-new-authority-in-damascus/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 10:48

🇺🇸🇨🇳Trump invites China's Xi Jinping to inauguration

President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month, multiple sources told CBS News, and inauguration officials are making plans for additional foreign dignitaries to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Trump invited Xi in early November, shortly after the election, sources said, but it was not clear whether he has accepted the invitation. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-invites-china-xi-jinping-inauguration/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 07:10

🇪🇹🇸🇴 Full details of the agreement reached by Somalia and Ethiopia.

The two countries will respect one another’s sovereignty. Unity, independence and territorial integrity.

They have also agreed to closely work together to finalise “mutually advantageous commercial arrangements and sustainable access to and from the sea under the sovereign authority of the federal republic of Somalia.”

📎 Harun Maruf

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

12 Dec 2024 06:01

🇸🇾 Syria after Assad's rule - December 11th

- SNA and SFA entered into Manbij, Deir ez-Zor and Abu Kamal
- IDF are expanding the "buffer zone" towards Damascus

📎 NewsMap

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 20:45

PENTAGON: No evidence the drones are from a foreign entity or adversary. They are not US military either.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 20:20

Rep. Smith: 50 drones came in from ocean; At least a dozen trailed Coast Guard ship

More than a dozen drones followed a 47-foot Coast Guard boat Sunday night, while law enforcement tracked another 50 drones coming onto land from the ocean at Island State Park, Rep. Chris Smith said.

Meanwhile, an FBI assistant director admitted that the agency doesn’t know who is behind the unidentified drones that are flying over New Jersey.

Authorities did confirm that the drones are not coming from local military bases.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nj-congressman-says-50-drones-231945665.html

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 20:06

🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦 The battle of Pokrovsk became the biggest battle of this war. But it also became one of the largest battles in history in terms of the number of armored vehicles lost.

In the battles near Pokrovsk, Ru losses are close to the number of the entire Western Military District of the Ru Fed as of 2022, which was being prepared for war with NATO. And this is about 60% of the forces with which Russia planned to seize Ukraine in three days in 2022.

In October 2023, Ru defined the offensive on Pokrovsk as the main axis of its offensive campaign. Obviously, Putin is focused on the goal of completely capturing the Donetsk region as the highest priority goal in the coming years. But this offensive led to colossal losses.

During the first few weeks of the offensive, Russian losses were estimated at 13,000 soldiers. In February 2024, Russian losses were estimated at 47,000 soldiers killed and wounded. In the future, the dynamics of battles in this direction did not decrease.

Under this dynamic, Russia's total losses for 13 months of fighting in the Pokrovsky direction amount to about 150,000 soldiers killed and wounded. This is more than Russia's losses in the battles for Bakhmut (100,000).

Only the visually confirmed losses of the Russian army during the 13 months of fighting in the Pokrov region amount to 1,800 units of armor. The real losses are even greater.

Russia lost more tanks at Pokrovsk than any country in Europe has in its army. Or more soldiers than the entire Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

🔗 Volodymyr Dacenko

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 19:25

🇹🇷🤝🇮🇷 Iran, Turkiye sign trade cooperation agreement, set $30 billion target

The agreement was signed in the presence of Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Turkiye's Minister of Trade during the 29th Joint Economic Cooperation Commission meeting held in Tehran on Wednesday.

Currently, trade between the two nations stands at $11.7 billion, with plans to increase this figure to $30 billion over the next five years,

🔗 https://en.irna.ir/news/85687275/Iran-Turkiye-sign-trade-cooperation-agreement-set-30-billion

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 17:56

If DOGE is "not going to cut Medicare benefits or Social Security", then there are only two things big enough to cut to get to even $1T of cuts (let alone $2T of cuts): Defense or Interest Expense (sharp rate cuts)

📎 Luke Gromen

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 17:37

🇬🇷📞🇪🇺🇬🇷 — Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias says that Greek Government and the European Union have a duty to protect the Christian population of Syria

➡️ Syria is the homeland for over an 1 million Antiochian Greek Christians, as well millions of Assyrians and Arab Christians

A new, uncertain day begins in Syria. No one will mourn the Assad regime. But what will happen from here is not clear.

Greece and the European Union have a duty – I repeat A DUTY – to defend the Christian populations in Syria and the Middle East [...]

They are part of our overall European cultural identity.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 16:52

🔌🌊 Israeli wave energy project draws interest from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and even Iran

An Israeli company, Eco Wave Power, whose pioneering ocean wave energy technology has attracted interest from countries with which Israel currently has no diplomatic relations, including Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, has formally opened its demonstration project at the Jaffa Port with its significant strategic partner, EDF Renewables Israel.

The technology, designed to use existing infrastructure such as breakwaters, piers, and jetties, is mainly onshore or near shore. The only parts in contact with the water are large floaters, which move with the waves, setting in motion pistons and motors that turn electric generators.

This, according to founder and CEO Inna Braverman, sets the company apart from the vast majority of wave energy projects, which have been built out at sea, at a high cost, and with stationary infrastructure exposed to the punishing might of the waves.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-wave-energy-project-draws-interest-from-qatar-saudi-arabia-and-even-iran/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 13:05

A Trump White House looks set to recognize the world’s newest country

Somaliland, a self-governing region within Somalia, will be much closer to being recognized by the United States as the world’s newest country when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.

Support for the region has grown strong among Republican US-Africa policy leaders on Capitol Hill, right-leaning Washington DC think tanks, and likely Africa advisors of Trump’s incoming White House. Many of these people told Semafor Africa they would encourage Trump to recognize Somaliland “even if it wasn’t on Day One.”

Recognizing Somaliland could enable US intelligence to set up long term operations to monitor the movement of weapons in a volatile region as well as keep an eye on Chinese activity. China already has a permanent military base in neighboring Djibouti. It should allow the US to better monitor Houthi activity in Yemen.

https://www.semafor.com/article/12/10/2024/somaliland-trump-white-house-looks-set-to-recognize-the-region

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

11 Dec 2024 11:09

🇺🇸🌏📞🇸🇾 🇸🇾 — On December 10, 2024, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced visits US-backed forces in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as the SDF and the Turkish proxies from the Syrian National Army started to fight

🌏📝 In Statement, the US Military has said:

𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐂𝐎𝐌 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐪

𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚
Today, Dec. 10, Gen. Kurilla visited U.S. military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria. He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation. USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.

𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐪
After visiting Syria, Gen. Kurilla visited Baghdad where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al Sudani, Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and Iraqi Joint Operations Deputy Commander Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawai. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria, as well as the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq. The leaders also discussed the continued partnership between Coalition and Iraqi forces. Additionally, Gen. Kurilla met with Major Gen. Kevin Leahy, Commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) and his staff for an assessment of the D-ISIS mission inside Iraq and Syria. "We remain dedicated to the enduring defeat of ISIS and committed to the security of our partners that neighbor Syria - including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel," said Gen. Kurilla.