/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 11:08

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Hegseth Discouraged Attacking Iran -- Are Neocons Getting Revenge?

🔗 Ron Paul

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 08:37

🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan’s Biggest Problem in Steeling Itself for War with China is Cultural

General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly wants to prepare China for a war over Taiwan. The measures he is taking to ready its people, economy, legal system, and especially its military are clear for everyone to see. The best way to dissuade him from actually rolling the iron dice is for Washington and Taipei to work together, because neither can stop Beijing on their own. It would be a fool’s errand for Taiwan to resist a Chinese military onslaught without its chief patron and protector. And the United States needs Taiwan to hold on and hold out long enough for the U.S. military to arrive in decisive force.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Many Taiwanese citizens question whether America will actually defend them. Washington’s long standing posture of strategic ambiguity is obviously one source of skepticism. But even strategic clarity toward Taipei will not solve the problem. The fact is that Washington and Taipei have a long and complicated relationship. Taiwanese voters know the United States has a long history of turning its back on them in their moment of need.

Therefore, any effort to enhance cross-Strait deterrence must start with the culture of its officer corps. Taiwan needs uniformed leaders who are willing to address hard truths, embrace innovation, and place strategic thinking above parochial interest, legacy systems, and bureaucratic convenience. To get from here to there, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te ought to trim the bloated ranks of his general and flag officer corps and insist that the military finally produce a coherent blueprint for mounting a genuine, asymmetric, whole-of-society defense of Taiwan. The Lai administration should insist on — and the Kuomintang-dominated Legislative Yuan will need to support — the creation of institutional mechanisms to enhance civilian control over the military. Washington can and should help by addressing the arms backlog, if only to prevent Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense from using it as an excuse; toning down public demands for dramatically higher defense spending; making it clear that other forms of support are conditional on efforts to address these cultural problems; and helping the Lai administration develop a coherent blueprint for asymmetric defense.

https://warontherocks.com/2025/04/taiwans-biggest-problem-in-steeling-itself-for-war-with-china-is-cultural/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 07:10

🇨🇳🇺🇸 China to retaliate with sanctions on US officials, NGO leaders over Hong Kong issues

China will sanction United States officials, lawmakers and leaders of non-governmental organizations who it says have “performed poorly” on Hong Kong issues, the foreign ministry announced.

The U.S. in March sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who it alleged were involved in “transnational repression” and acts threatening to further erode the city’s autonomy.

https://apnews.com/article/china-us-sanctions-hong-kong-89a7c78f16cadbc8ab43717a6f316b76

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 02:11

📝 Philip Pilkington: Liberalism really is unwinding. It’s not just due to rising populism. It’s because many of the principles of liberalism are incompatible with a stable society and growing economy.

https://youtu.be/IvGdu1vAtgc

🔗 Philip Pilkington

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 13:49

🇮🇱🇮🇷 According to Reuters, Israel has not ruled out a full-scale or limited-strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months, despite U.S. President Trump telling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that the United States would not support or aid in such a strike during the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.

🔗 OSINTdefender

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 10:20

🇻🇦⚡️- BREAKING: Pope Francis, Our Holy Father, the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away today, on April 21st, 2025.

In the coming days, his body will lie in state for public viewing, followed by a funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica and a nine-day mourning period.

With the Papacy now vacant, the College of Cardinals will oversee Vatican affairs until a new Pope is elected. The conclave held in the Sistine Chapel will begin in 15 to 20 days where Cardinals under 80 will vote in secret ballots until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

Once a Pope is chosen, white smoke will rise from the Vatican chimney, and the new Pontiff will be introduced to the world with the traditional “Habemus Papam” announcement from St. Peter’s balcony. Rerum Novarum will cover the conclave process from start to finish.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 10:06

🇻🇦 - With considerable speculation taking place around Francis' health, here are the runners and riders for the next papal conclave:
Cdl. Tagle - Liberal, ex-Archbishop of Manila, seen as the "Asian Francis," supports Rome's stance on LGBT and divorced couples.
Cdl. Erdő - Conservative, Primate (chief bishop) of Hungary, supports Orbán, has spoken out against Francis over migration, divorce.
Cdl. Turkson - Conservative, been in Rome since 2009 so has an inside advantage.
Cdl. Sarah - Long-standing hope of traditionalists, known for support of the Latin Mass and staunch criticism of the current pope, but over 80 - so can't vote.
Cdl. Parolin - Vatican secretary of state, seen as Francis' number two, would be the first Italian to sit in St Peter's since John Paul I. Little is really known about his personal beliefs.
Cdl. Zuppi - Arguably the most liberal candidate, close collaborator with American leftist, pro-gay and anti-Trump priest James Martin, allegedly blessed a gay wedding per conservative Catholic media in Italy.
Cdl. Pizzaballa - Moderate, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, advocate for peace in the Levant war, supports inter-Christian outreach.
Cdls. Eijk (of Utrecht) Aborelius (of Stockholm) and Ranjith (of Colombo) have also been suggested as potential candidates.

Analysts suspect the next conclave will be mainly between Tagle and Erdő, with both representing their wings of the Church. Nonetheless, Pizzaballa, in our opinion, could emerge as a compromise candidate.
It's worth bearing in mind that anyone can be elected pope - this list is just a guide. John Paul II, when he went into the 1979 conclave as Archbishop Wojtyla of Krakow, was completely unknown outside Poland.

Follow: @ThermopylaeNews

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 09:59

— ❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇱/🇮🇷 NEW: Steve Witkoff confirmed to Mossad Chief David Barnea in Paris that the U.S. is not demanding Iran dismantle its nuclear program – Israeli Channel 12

@Middle_East_Spectator

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 08:11

#BREAKING Gold Futures break above $3400/oz for the first time in history!

@CIG_Telegram

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 00:08

We have a new X account! Despite our inquiries, we were unable to get verification on the old one and it got throttled due to competition with Substack.

Now that the website is complete, we're ready to go for it again. 😎

Please follow us here and share our new handle: https://x.com/WhitePapersPol

Thanks!

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 18:42

DOGE has partnered with Palantir to build a “mega API” for the IRS.

The “mega API” would centralize sensitive taxpayer information such as names, Social Security numbers, income, and filing history into one platform accessible across federal systems.

🔗 AF Post

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 16:54

🇺🇸 Every single one of the 50 fastest growing counties in America is in a state that was won by Trump.

🔗 StatisticUrban

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 14:54

🇰🇵/🇷🇺🇺🇦 North Korea conducted a special operations forces (SOF) exercise, which similarly appeared to incorporate lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war.

🔗 ISW

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 12:54

🇾🇪 Latest Data on Red Sea Crisis Interceptions and Strikes 19APR2025

Houthis claim they have shot down a second U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in the last 24 hours. This would mark the 7th since March 3rd, the 6th since the start of the operation on March 15th and the 21st since October 7th 2023.

🔗 Intelschizo

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 10:54

The Global Safe Haven Is Slowly Breaking: Why Central Banks Are Turning to Gold

In just the past year, the U.S. dollar has lost over 35% of its purchasing power against gold, driven by record central bank gold buying. This isn’t a trend, it’s a signal.

https://www.goldtelegraph.com/2025/04/18/the-global-safe-haven-is-slowly-breaking-why-central-banks-are-turning-to-gold/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 09:36

🇨🇳🇻🇳 Amid the ongoing 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this month, in an article for VietnamNet, this is the first time ever that Vietnam openly recognizes that over 300,000 PLA personnel served in the Vietnam War (mostly in northern Vietnam).

Such recognition has been steadily growing in recent years as the VCP has become more confident to manage popular nationalism & historical narratives. It’s also an indicator of warming ties, while it remains complicated elsewhere.

Vietnam's recognition of Chinese help has been standard diplomatic protocol since 1991. What is new here is an account by the Vietnamese side of the specific number of PLA personnel in northern Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

https://vietnamnet.vn/su-giup-do-cua-trung-quoc-trong-khang-chien-chong-my-cuu-nuoc-2391788.html

🔗 C Nguyen

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 07:45

🇨🇳🇺🇸 China vows retaliation against countries that follow U.S. calls to isolate Beijing

China on Monday warned it will retaliate against countries that cooperate with the U.S. in ways that compromise Beijing’s interests, as the trade war between the world’s two largest economies threatens to embroil other nations.

“China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests. If this happens, China will not accept it and will resolutely take reciprocal countermeasures,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said, according to a CNBC translation.

The ministry cautioned about the risk to all countries once international trade returns to the “law of the jungle.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/21/china-to-retaliate-against-nations-that-work-with-us-to-isolate-beijing.html

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

22 Apr 2025 05:30

#BREAKING Gold Futures break above $3500/oz for the first time in history!

This is a rise of $100/oz in 24 hours

@CIG_Telegram

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 21:59

🇺🇸🔌 Fossil fuels accounted for less than 50% of the US electricity mix for the first time ever in March 2025

https://ember-energy.org/latest-updates/fossil-fuels-fall-below-50-of-us-electricity-for-the-first-month-on-record/

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 11:04

🇺🇸 The Pentagon’s hottest drone startups are just patriotic middlemen for Chinese supply chains.

DJI didn’t win because of espionage.It won because America forgot how to build things.

A brutal reality check, thread below

🧵https://fxtwitter.com/wmhuo168/status/1914030934120071467

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjeans/2025/04/16/silicon-valley-drones-china-problem/

https://archive.ph/8v8TG

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 10:08

🇺🇸 John Ullyot, who until last week was chief Pentagon spokesman, has written a piece in Politico in which he says the Pentagon is in “total chaos” and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unlikely to remain in his role.

“The building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership… the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership.”

Ullyot, who has a long history in Trump world, including work in both administrations and on the 2016 campaign, says he resigned from his position voluntarily. The Pentagon says he was asked to resign.

Full piece: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/04/20/pentagon-chaos-ullyot-hegseth-00205594

🔗 Yashar

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 10:05

🇻🇦 🕊 Pope Francis has passed away, the Vatican has announced

@CIG_Telegram

🔗 Link

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 09:06

🇺🇸📝 Nick Fuentes: There is currently a political knife fight happening in the Trump admin between Hegseth & Waltz.

10 of Waltz’s people fired, 5 of Hegseth’s, and rumors that both of them will be replaced. Whoever wins determines whether we go to war with Iran. Israel may force us to either way.

🔗 Nick Fuentes

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

21 Apr 2025 00:08

📣We now have a YouTube account!

Please check it out, share and subscribe here: https://youtu.be/YVDZUE2y4No?si=NUmPv99SsYPDvQeO

Special thanks to J &T for sponsoring this episode. And to our videographer who jumped into action. 🙏

You’ve all been waiting patiently for more audio and video content, and I’m proud to say this is just the beginning.

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 23:22

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Smotrich: Israel must have full occupation of Gaza, military government if needed

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip and a military government if "necessary," in a speech at a Mimouna ceremony in Netivot on Saturday night.

Smotrich also quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Saturday night statements in which the Israeli leader said, "the war will not end until we destroy Hamas in Gaza."

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-850715

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 16:59

🇺🇸📝 arctotherium: I point out regularly that internal migration in the US is overwhelmingly blue state => red state, but I didn't realize the pattern was so strong it could completely overwhelm international immigration (which slightly favors blue states) at the county level.

https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/wrecking-the-laboratories-of-democracy

🔗 arctotherium

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 15:54

🇮🇱🇮🇷🇺🇸 Israel is eyeing a “limited” strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities despite Trump’s stated opposition.

Israel’s proposed attack would sabotage the White House’s attempts at diplomacy to negotiate a nuclear deal.

🔗 AF Post

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 13:54

🇺🇸 REPORTER: Powell says he won't leave even if you ask him to

TRUMP: Oh, he'll leave. If I ask him to he'll be out of there ... I'm not happy with him. If I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast. Believe me.

REPORTER: Are you trying to remove him?

TRUMP: Yeah, next question.

🔗 unusual_whales

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 11:54

🇺🇸 BREAKING: The Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration from deporting foreign nationals under the Alien Enemies Act. Thomas, Alito dissent.

📝 atticus: 250 years ago American militiamen fired the first shots of Independence to obtain the right to refuse, among other things, the obligation to quarter strangers.

🔗 Kyle Cheney

/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global

20 Apr 2025 09:38

The University of Illinois Chicago used population projections to conclude that by 2100 the populations of some 15,000 US cities could dwindle to become “ghost towns” which they argue is a 12-23% decline. Already many cities fit this bill 1950-2020.

When you look at cities and towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, etc this is hardly dramatic news. Many cities and towns in the rust belt peaked in the 1940s or 1950s & have lost significant population since then. The rest of the U.S. will simply follow that trajectory.

Cities & towns in Texas, Florida, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, Nevada etc will still see population increases while most of the rest of the country (especially Illinois, Wisconsin, California, New Jersey (outside of Hasidic areas obviously), NY (ibid), sees decline.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thousands-of-u-s-cities-could-become-virtual-ghost-towns-by-2100/

🔗 Demographics Now & Then