/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 02:34

🇺🇸 Pentagon turmoil deepens: Top Hegseth aide leaves post

Joe Kasper, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff will leave his role in the coming days for a new position at the agency, according to a senior administration official, amid a week of turmoil for the Pentagon.

The changes will leave Hegseth without a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, or senior adviser in his front office.

“There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership,” said a senior defense official. “Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don’t have his interests at heart.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/18/defense-secretary-chief-of-staff-joe-kasper-departure-00299508

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 00:29

🇨🇳🇷🇺 People’s Republic of China (PRC) military officers have visited Russian-held territory in Ukraine and toured the frontlines, according to a former Western official speaking to Reuters. These visits highlight PRC efforts to learn from the Russia-Ukraine war in preparation for modern warfare

🔗 ISW

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 22:29

🇨🇳🇺🇸📝 Corrine on X:

"“No quick wins”: China becomes the first country with an operational thorium nuclear reactor.

The team completed a milestone fuel reload while the molten salt reactor was still running — a world first.

This marks the first stable, long-term operation of thorium tech, putting China at the forefront of a global race to harness this safer, more abundant alternative to uranium.

Some experts call it the next energy revolution: one thorium-rich mine in Inner Mongolia could, in theory, power China for tens of thousands of years — with minimal radioactive waste.

While China pushes the frontier of green energy, the US and Europe are… restarting coal.

Guess who’s really betting on the future — and who’s just burning the past."

🔗 Corrine

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 20:29

🇹🇷 The first deliveries of the Altay tank are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025.

Production will take place at a renovated 1970s plant in Arifiye, near Istanbul. The renovated 1,000-square-meter facility will house production of the Altay MBT, and BMC will also launch an engine and gearbox testing center there.

🔗 Junsupreme

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 19:29

🇨🇳 CIC Midwatch Team on X: "if more than one NMESIS battery is deployed to the 🇵🇭, they could be positioned on any of the Babuyan/Batanes islands and still effectively deny access through the Luzon Strait or Bashi Channel.

If the U.S. decides to deploy the same missile system to either the Senkakus or the southern Japanese island chains, I've included those locations hypothetically. I believe Japan has either already deployed its own assets to those islands or is planning to do so."

https://fxtwitter.com/CIC_OS/status/1912995874168603108

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 17:29

Ras Isa fuel port US 🇺🇲 attack damage aerials TODAY 👇

Dozens of toasted tanker trucks in Ras issa west side where diesel and gasoline was unloaded.

Guess terminal is closed for good. Nobody will risk parking trucks here for a while.

https://fxtwitter.com/tom_bike/status/1913362789810442717

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 15:54

🇺🇸/🇷🇺🇺🇦 Rubio says Trump admin may soon "move on" from Ukraine-Russia peace efforts: "It's not our war"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. may "move on" from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days.

"We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not," Rubio told reporters upon departure. "Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on."

"It's not our war," Rubio said. "We have other priorities to focus on." He said the U.S. administration wants to decide "in a matter of days."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-ukraine-war-russia-rubio-says-us-may-move-on-peace-efforts-not-our-war/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=801076747

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 13:54

🇺🇸🇸🇾 Massive U.S. Army convoys withdraw from Syria, heading toward Iraq.

The first phase of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria saw around 600 troops pulled out, bringing total troop numbers down to about 1,400.

Three U.S. bases in northeastern Syria were closed, including one near the Conoco gas field in Deir ez-Zor.

Some U.S. Army commanders support keeping at least 500 troops in Syria.

🔗 Clash Report

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 11:54

🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷 Amit Segal on X: "The NYT report that Trump blocked an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites was the most serious leak in Israel’s history. That’s according to figures in Israel’s security establishment.

Why? Let’s put it into context. As Israel is reportedly planning what may well be one of its most consequential ever military operations, the New York Times lays out for the Iranians what Israel will target, when it will carry out the operation, and how. That’s not just any other leak."

https://fxtwitter.com/AmitSegal/status/1913222975844757814

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 09:54

🇸🇴 Al Shabaab captured two key areas in central Somalia as it continues to gain momentum.

Al Shabaab's gains have set conditions to undo the US-backed Somali counterterrorism offensive in 2022 and pressure the remaining government-controlled areas in central Somalia.

Al Shabaab captured the Aboorey/Yasooman area in Hiraan region and Adan Yabal—a district capital in the Middle Shabelle region—on April 16.

These two critical areas will help al Shabaab reconnect its territory in central Somalia to its center of gravity in southern Somalia.

Somali forces in 2022 launched an offensive that disrupted al Shabaab’s ground lines of communication between central and southern Somalia by clearing al Shabaab from the eastern halves of Hiraan and Middle Shabelle regions east of the Shabelle River.

Al Shabaab has waged an offensive in central Somalia throughout 2025 to overturn these losses.

The group likely reestablished a support zone in the Adale district of Middle Shabelle that allowed it to reinforce and resupply its forces in central Somalia.

Somali forces have performed poorly in some areas, and the scope of al Shabaab’s offensive has likely overstretched Somalia’s international partner-provided air support.

Al Shabaab undoing the 2022 counterterrorism offensive would be a strategic setback for the Somali Federal Government.

Such a loss would undermine domestic and international belief in the SFG's ability to retake its national territory from al Shabaab.

Al Shabaab opened a second front south of Mogadishu in March and has captured several operationally key towns.

Al Shabaab is highly unlikely to launch an offensive on Mogadishu to seize power in the short term, despite its gains around the capital.

Al Shabaab's gains in central & southern Somalia will allow the group to destabilize Mogadishu and undermine the legitimacy of the SFG.

The group can use its gains to launch more high-visibility attacks, support shadow governance efforts, and pressure the Mogadishu economy.

🔗 Critical Threats

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 23:44

💸 CBP says latest tariffs have generated $500 million, well below Trump’s estimate — CNBC

📝 Rei: The Americans have wiped out almost $30 trillion of their own wealth, in order to generate only $500 million dollars in tax revenue.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/16/us-customs-tariffs-revenue-generated-since-april-5.html

🔗 Rei Murasame

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 21:34

🚘🔋🇪🇺 Tesla Sales in Europe Drops, Again

New Tesla registrations plunged across most of Europe in the first quarter of 2025, with some countries seeing dramatic drops:

🇩🇪 Germany: -62.2%
🇸🇪 Sweden: -55.3%
🇩🇰 Denmark: -55.3%
🇳🇱 Netherlands: -49.7%
🇫🇷 France: -41.1%
🇵🇹 Portugal: -25.7%
🇳🇴 Norway: -12.5%
🇪🇸 Spain: -11.8%
🇮🇹 Italy: -6.8%

But one country bucked the trend:
🇬🇧 UK: +3.5% growth

🔗 Clash Report

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 19:24

🇨🇳🇾🇪🇺🇸 Chinese government-linked satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology, Co., Ltd (CGSTL), provided satellite intelligence to the Houthis as part of ongoing Chinese, Russian, and Iranian support to the Houthis.

This intelligence could support Houthi attacks against US vessels and commercial shipping, which demonstrates how the Houthis are continuing to cooperate with US adversaries to disrupt global trade.

CGSTL has ties to the Chinese military through China’s military-civilian “fusion” program which integrates private sector work with military research and development.

Houthi-owned military communications and domestic surveillance companies have reportedly imported Chinese-made communications equipment.

The Yemeni coast guard and Omani customs have previously seized shipments of Chinese-made military equipment to the Houthis, such as hydrogen fuel cells for powering missiles and drone propellers.

Targeting intelligence from Iran and Russia aids Houthi attacks on international shipment.

The Houthis reportedly told China and Russia in March 2024 that the Houthis would not target Chinese and Russian-flagged vessels transiting the Red Sea.

🔗 Critical Threats

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 17:59

🇺🇸🇾🇪 U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced a series of strikes targeting the Houthis' capacity to import, store, and distribute fuel by striking the Ras Isa Fuel Port in the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah Region of Yemen. The release also sends a direct message to Iran, the Houthis' primary state backer:

"The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organization."

🔗 OSINTdefender

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 16:24

📉📈 We really did it.

We took a growing US manufacturing economy, declared it broken, started a trade war, and ... broke US manufacturing.

In last 48 hours:

- Philly Fed Survey: "New orders fell sharply, from 8.7 in March to -34.2, its lowest reading since April 2020"

- NY Fed Survey: Expected orders and shipments plunging

Again, this is a policy to revive US manufacturing.

🔗 Derek Thompson

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 01:18

🇺🇸🇾🇪 US Air Campaign in Yemen: US Central Command (CENTCOM) struck Houthi fuel stockpiles and oil export and import facilities at Ras Issa Port, Hudaydah Governorate, on April 17.

A large proportion of US airstrikes have targeted Hudaydah Governorate, likely in an effort to degrade Houthi targeting capabilities and degrade other Houthi infrastructure.

CENTCOM has conducted at least 112 airstrikes in at least 33 sorties targeting Houthi infrastructure and leadership in Houthi-controlled Hudaydah Governorate on the Red Sea coast, since the start of its airstrike campaign on March 15.

Hudaydah Governorate is important because it hosts Hudaydah Port, Yemen’s largest port, and Ras Issa and al Salif ports.

An air campaign can only achieve temporary effects. A campaign to permanently prevent the Houthis from using Hudaydah Governorate to launch attacks targeting international shipping would require a ground operation to take and hold ground.

🔗 ISW

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 23:29

🇮🇪 Tucker Carlson and Conor McGregor: it's an attempted erasure of the Irish people.

"This is a genocide of our people"

Glad he's not pulling any punches on this.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 21:29

🇨🇳🇷🇺 PRC military thinkers have previously noted the cost effectiveness of using drones to destroy high-value targets, such as air defense systems, based on their observations from the war in Ukraine. The lessons that the PRC draws from the war will likely inform its doctrine, training, and development of capabilities moving forward.

The PRC has likely already used some of these lessons to develop new counter-drone systems.

The PRC is emphasizing counter-drone capabilities likely in preparation for the fighting that it would face in a Taiwan invasion scenario.

The PRC has increased its military cooperation with Russia to improve PLA readiness, further highlighting how Russia is helping the PRC prepare for future wars.

The PRC has separately provided economic support, including dual-use goods, to Russia throughout the Russia-Ukraine, despite consistently claiming to be an impartial mediator and voice for peace.

🔗 ISW

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 20:02

Beijing's Green Light | zerohedge

⬛️ "China stimulus is coming"

🔶 After repeatedly teasing the idea of incoming stimulus several times last year, getting investors' hopes up only to scale it back and disappoint, recent memos from State officials give China's stimulus plans a precise framework they are looking to deliver on. Officials indicated they are waiting to launch the long-awaited "stimulus bazooka" once improving Chinese economic data is met with deteriorating US data.

🔶 This is a historically unusual combination, as global financial flows tend to move in sync (booms and busts are global). Never before has the US entered into a downturn without China. It suggests that Beijing is waiting for signs that the Mainland economy has decoupled before deploying roaring stimulus.

🔶 Finance Minister Lan Fuan points to the fact that Chinese strength relative to US weakness would necessarily attract new foreign direct investment (FDI). Positive real GDP and new FDI coupled with massive consumption stimulus is the path China seeks out of the stubborn economic malaise it has faced since Covid.

🔶 The Chinese State Council released a better-than-expected Q1 GDP report this week, and US GDP looks to decline in Q1. That's the exact divergence Chinese officials have been waiting for to greenlight massive stimulus.

🔶 Chinese stimulus will mean inflation (rising wages, growth and improved employment) and higher bond yields. China's lenders will be in a stronger position and credit spreads will lower. Chinese equities, specifically in sectors whose performance is tied to domestic demand, will also benefit. Demand for industrial commodities - in particular oil, copper and other metals - will increase.

🔶 Western officials continue to talk up looming delisting threats and investment bans, but both look to be far off as reciprocal investment bans from China could collapse the private sector and disturb the Treasury market in ways that would make the recent stress look like a walk in the park.

By DeathTaxesandQE

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 18:29

🇺🇸🇹🇼 The US Marine Corps is all set to deploy Anti Ship Missiles to Batanes Islands in the Luzon strait, as a part of Balikatan 2025. This marks the first time that these missiles will be deployed near this very strategic chokepoint.

🔗 Orion Intel

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 16:54

🇺🇸🇾🇪 New High-Res Satellite Images of Houthi Strikes

"On the western part of the shoreline, the storage tanks have been completely flattened. Further southeast down the beach, we can see that fuel trucks were targeted, and this would explain the high death toll; currently standing at at least 74, with 171 others wounded

The issue however, is that vessels are still unable to leave the bay because they remain under the threat of the Houthis, who (according to our sources) have declared that they would fire upon the vessels should they attempt to depart without discharging their cargo. We can also see that there’s fuel spillage into the bay as a result of the bombings. Oddly enough, a jetty remains intact even though the beach behind it is showing impact craters.

The Houthis are still holding the GALAXY LEADER (9237307) vessel."

🔗 TankerTrackers

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 14:54

🇺🇸🇮🇱 Trump's White House Faith Advisor Paula White says Christians should be mandated to visit Israel before getting into heaven

🔗 HOT SPOT

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 12:54

🇲🇱🇧🇫 The first of these west African juntas to collapse is going to cause a ripple effect across the whole region that will cause another junta to collapse which will then in turn cause other juntas to collapse. And this is a very real danger of occurring this year.

🔗 Woofers

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 10:54

🇺🇸🇨🇳 China stops buying liquefied natural gas from the US

There have been no shipments between the two countries since February 6 as the Sino-American trade war spilled into the energy sector.

https://www.ft.com/content/a6ad1627-3481-455e-ade8-65c595c1d3e5

https://archive.ph/1iRjU

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

19 Apr 2025 08:46

🇨🇳🇺🇸🚢 INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Paparo testifies that China's warship production ratio is 3.3:1 compared to the United States

https://fxtwitter.com/tshugart3/status/1913206746417447349

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 22:29

📉📝 The Kobeissi Letter: Foreign investors are dumping US stocks at a rapid pace:

Investors from overseas withdrew ~$6.5 billion from US equity funds over the last week, the second-largest amount on record.

📝 EndGame Macro: Absolutely wild stat that foreigners just pulled $6.5B from U.S. equity funds in one week the second-biggest outflow ever, only behind the March 2023 banking crisis. This isn’t just noise. When foreign capital, which owns ~$18.5T in U.S. equities, $7.2T in Treasuries, and $4.6T in corporate credit, starts dumping this fast, it’s a full-spectrum stress signal. We’re talking nearly $30T of foreign exposure that can exit faster than domestic allocators can react.

The BofA chart tells the story visually: a sharp vertical rejection of U.S. equity exposure by rest-of-world (RoW) funds. This is happening while volatility is spiking, U.S. tariffs are escalating, and the bond market is showing signs of internal fracture (e.g., swap spreads going deeply negative, curve steepening violently). The question isn’t whether this is “manipulation” or a “pullback” it’s: what are they front-running? Rising U.S. refinancing risk? Policy error? Currency war escalation?

This might be the beginning of a structural reallocation foreign institutions repositioning in response to a weaponized dollar, elevated geopolitical friction, and a U.S. that looks increasingly unpredictable in fiscal and foreign policy. And remember: foreigners don’t panic; they rotate. If they’re bailing, it’s likely coordinated and forward-looking.

Watch credit spreads, swap basis, and long-end Treasury demand for confirmation. If those crack further, this isn’t just a “dip” it’s a macro phase shift.

🔗 EndGame Macro

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 20:44

📊 It’s pretty insane that DOGE is already voluntarily lowering its guidance by -97% and it’s not even Easter yet.

One of the biggest failures in political history.

And it was *so* obvious both ex ante and ex post.

🔗 Spencer Hakimian

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 18:34

🇺🇸🇸🇾 After media in Israel earlier this week suggested that the United States was preparing to begin a phased-withdrawal from Syria in the coming months, the New York Times is now reporting that the U.S. has begun drawing down hundreds of troops in Northeastern Syria, as well as the shuttering of three of eight military bases in Kurdish-controlled territory to the Northeast.

The drawdown began Thursday and will initially involve 600 of the 2,000 U.S. Servicemembers currently deployed to Northeastern Syria, with MSS (Mission Support Site) Green Village, MSS Euphrates, and another much smaller base located near Deir ez-Zor to be shutdown, with control being handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now operating under the Syrian Government. According to U.S. officials, after 60 days military officials will assess whether or not to make additional cuts to forces in the country, though commanders on the ground have recommended keeping at least 500 troops in Syria.

U.S. President Trump, however, has expressed deep skepticism about keeping any troops in the country. At least for now the reductions that started on Thursday are based on ground commanders’ recommendations to close and consolidate bases, and were approved by the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The Trump Administration is expected to conduct a broad review of its policy regarding Syria, with some official stating that U.S. forces in the country could be entirely withdrawn by 2026.

🔗 OSINTdefender

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 16:59

🇺🇸🪖🇨🇩 Erik Prince, a key Trump ally and founder of Blackwater, has struck a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo to help secure and tax its mineral wealth.

The arrangement, made before a major rebel offensive, focuses on curbing smuggling and improving tax collection — not deploying contractors to conflict zones.

Talks continue as the U.S. and Congo discuss a critical minerals partnership.

🔗 Clash Report

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

18 Apr 2025 15:29

✝️ Young people are converting to Catholicism en masse — driven by pandemic, internet, ‘lax’ alternatives

According to the National Catholic Register, some dioceses are reporting year-over-year increases of 30% to 70% in new converts. The Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, for instance, experienced a 72% jump in converts just from 2023 to 2024.

https://nypost.com/2025/04/17/lifestyle/why-young-people-are-converting-to-catholicism-en-masse/