As Civil War Grows, US Special Ops Evacuate Diplomats From Embassy In Sudan

MONDAY PDB – Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan. About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation.

Sudan slides toward civil war and state collapse. People who have navigated Sudan’s tortured politics fear an even darker turn in a nation that is no stranger to ruinous war.

In Sudan bloodbath, neither warring general should win. Four years ago, a popular uprising led to the ouster of Sudan’s 30-year dictator, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He was replaced by a joint military-civilian council that was to pave the way to full democracy.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of other developing stories.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:

NATIONAL SECURITY

US Space Command wants red phones with China, Russia. Global norms and mil-to-mil hotlines are urgently needed as the prospects for war in space rise.

No credible evidence of alien UFO activity, Pentagon official says. The director of DOD’s unidentified aerial phenomena research office on Wednesday refuted the possibility that any UAP the office has investigated came from extraterrestrial origins.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Accused Air National Guardsman leaked classified intelligence for more than a year. A newly discovered Discord chat shows Jack Teixeira allegedly was sharing documents since the war in Ukraine began.

Our classified leaks conundrum: ‘Need to know’ became ‘a need to share.’ One of my colleagues at CIA was Aldrich Ames. We knew him as Rick. I was never that fond of him. He seemed an arrogant, know-it-all jerk, unhappy with his position and not “recognized” for his brilliance. But, if they fired everyone like that in D.C., there wouldn’t be people left.

CHINA THREAT

SINGAPORE PLAYING BOTH SIDES? – China, Singapore plan military drills as Beijing forges defense ties. The two will hold a joint military exercise as soon as this week, their first combined drills since 2021, as Beijing deepens its defense and security ties in a region with strong existing U.S. alliances.

Australia plans major overhaul of defenses as China rises. Australia needs to spend more money on defense, make its own munitions and develop the ability to strike longer-range targets as China’s military buildup challenges regional security, according to government report.

Aussies plan massive armored cuts; shift to ‘power projection.’ The planned purchase of Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) will be cut from 450 to 129.

Bipartisan bill would ‘arm Taiwan to the teeth’ with US cyber tech. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to apply U.S. cybersecurity technologies and techniques in defense of Taiwan, a target of Chinese influence campaigns, digital attacks, and potential military takeover.

Lawmakers war-gamed conflict with China, hoping to deter one. The exercise explored American diplomatic, economic, and military options if the U.S. and China were to reach the brink of war over Taiwan.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Biden’s team fears the aftermath of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive. It is quietly preparing for the possibility that if Ukraine’s spring counteroffensive falls short of expectations, critics at home and allies abroad will argue that America has come up short, too.

11,000 Ukrainians have had at least some US training as spring offensive looms. Ukraine also set to start training on U.S. Abrams tanks by mid-May.

Why the 155mm round is so critical to the war in Ukraine. It is one of the most requested artillery munitions of the war.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 425. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that if the G7 bans exports to Russia, Moscow would respond by terminating the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine, signaling an end to the agreement after May 18.

Drones attack Sevastopol, crashed drone found near Moscow. Russian sources in Crimea said the military fended off a Ukrainian strike on the port of Sevastopol, while a drone was also reportedly found in a forest near Moscow.

Air defense top priority for Ukraine amid leak revealing missile stockpiles running out. “Ukraine urgently needs our help to shield its citizens and infrastructure from Russia’s missile threat,” said the US secretary of defense.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

North Korea calls its nukes ‘stark reality,’ criticizes G-7. N Korea’s foreign minister called the Group of Seven wealthy democracies a “tool for ensuring the U.S. hegemony” as she lambasted the group’s recent call for the North’s denuclearization.

Embarrassing wrench: How Pentagon leak complicates South Korean president’s state visit with Biden. Evidence that the U.S. has been spying on allies is complicating a high-profile visit by South Korea’s president to Washington this week.

SPACE THREAT

A SpaceX rocket exploded. Here’s why the Space Force remains hopeful. The Starship launch vehicle, the world’s heaviest rocket, could be a game changer for the Space Force, even after its first attempt at a suborbital flight on April 20 ended in an explosion.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Wagner Group surges in Africa as US influence fades, leak reveals. Wagner’s influence in Africa is a source of alarm to the U.S., prompting a push to find ways to hit the group.

BIDEN’S AFGHAN DISASTER

BUT, OF COURSE, IT HAS – Afghanistan has become a terrorism staging ground again, leak reveals. A classified Pentagon assessment portrays the Islamic State threat arising from Afghanistan as a growing security concern.

US MILITARY

WELL-DESERVED – Buzz Aldrin to be promoted to Air Force brigadier general. The second man on the moon is getting a promotion.

Combating propaganda: Information warfare in the sea services. Leaders of the Navy and Marines spoke on how to counter Chinese and Russian disinformation.

Marine Corps inks deal for drone that would deliver bullets to far-off troops. The transport drone should supply ammo up to 100 miles.

A LONG LIFE – GOD BLESS – Ken Potts, one of last USS Arizona survivors, dies at 102. He was one of two remaining survivors of the battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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