WEEKEND PDB – In response, the U.S. is strengthening its allied coalition. – US, Japanese, South Korean military leaders send message to ‘regional threats.’ The highest-ranking military officers from the U.S., Japan and South Korea gathered here Thursday to talk cooperation amid rising challenges from China, North Korea and Russia.
Chinese PLAN and Russian Navy finish South China Sea exercise. The two wrapped up a joint exercise in the South China Sea and a separate joint naval patrol this week.
US close to sending $2 billion in security aid across the Indo-Pacific. This, a part of a broader effort to help countries defend against an increasingly aggressive China.
Taiwan responds to Trump comments, says defense spending has reached historic levels. This, following former President Trump’s comments earlier this week that the island nation should pay more for its defense amid threats from China.
Brown visits Philippines and Japan, pledging to bolster ties in the face of China. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week. In the Philippines in particular, Brown discussed ramping up joint training between the two nations amid Chinese hostility towards Manila.
Marine rotational force joins allied troops in Australia for month-long littoral combat training. The Marines kicked off a 25-day littoral combat exercise this week with thousands of troops from three allied nations in Australia’s Northern Territory. Predator’s Run, which began Monday and concludes Aug. 8, includes troops from Australia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
European leaders cast wary eye to Trump’s tepid Ukraine support. The prospect of a second U.S. presidency for Donald Trump, and what that means for the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression is hanging over a major gathering of European leaders on the other side of the Atlantic.
SOUTHCOM chief calls for ‘Marshall Plan’ for Western Hemisphere to counter Russia, China. She also said she needs high-profile visitors to “tell them [local officials] and show them how important they are to this region, and to the hemisphere that we all live in,” or Beijing would step into the void.
HOMELAND SECURITY
At Aspen conference, worries about what comes after assassination attempt against Trump.
BUT DOMESTIC USE BY STATES IS THEIR PRIMARY MISSION – NOT WARFIGHTING – At what cost: Guard chief argues border mission is getting in the way of warfighting. The outgoing chief of the National Guard is doubling down on his recent criticisms of the service component’s long-troubled security mission on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Navy officer convicted in bribery scheme to provide unknown Afghan nationals visas to the US.
Bay Area man gets prison for selling counterfeit electronics to US military. An Alameda County man has been sentenced to federal prison for selling counterfeit electronics to the Department of Defense that were intended to be used in military equipment, including a nuclear submarine.
POLITICS
OR NOT – Once defiant, Biden is now ‘soul searching’ about dropping out of race. Joe Biden is taking calls to step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate seriously and multiple Democratic officials think an exit is a matter of time.
Tester becomes second Senate Democrat to call for Biden to step aside. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is locked in a tight reelection bid.
Trump says he will end Ukraine War, though not how. Former President Donald Trump reiterated a promise to end “the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine.” He had previously said he could find a resolution to the war in 24 hours but has provided no explanation for how.
Families of US troops killed in Kabul airport bombing criticize Biden. Relatives of some of the 13 American service members appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention Wednesday in an emotional moment that revived one of the low points of Joe Biden’s presidency.
US didn’t keep tabs on $293 million in Afghanistan funding, audit finds. Much of that U.S. taxpayer funds, intended for development aid in Afghanistan, may have helped extremists in the Taliban-run country.
LEFTIST COWARDS – More than 200 anonymous congressional staffers sign letter protesting Netanyahu address. The staff members across 122 Democratic and Republican congressional offices (LIKELY MOST DEMOCRATS) signed a letter this week calling for Congress to protest or boycott the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech next week on Capitol Hill, over the ongoing war in Gaza.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
AS LONG AS THEY PAY FOR IT – Europe must brace for decade of Russia-Ukraine war says outgoing NATO chief.
Zelensky urges new UK PM to help lift Ukraine weapon limits. Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Sir Keir Starmer to “show your leadership” by helping to remove restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons supplied by its western allies.
TOTAL SHAM – Russian prosecutors seek 18-year sentence for falsely accused Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Germany must raise its nuclear-deterrence IQ. Russia’s attack on Ukraine and its blatant threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine’s supporters have confronted the Western public with the danger of nuclear escalation for the first time since the Cold War. At the 75th Summit in Washington, NATO leaders, for the first time in decades, even spoke about modernizing the alliance’s nuclear capabilities.
Russian oil is still paying for Putin’s war. After initial success, Western energy sanctions are stalling out.
IRAN THREAT
Iranian terror proxies attack US base in Iraq for the first time in months.
Former Trump defense secretary urges Biden to do more to stop Iran’s threats on officials. Mark Esper, one of the Trump administration officials now under constant security because of Iranian threats, said that it was time for Biden “to do better than just playing defense.”
ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST TERROR
After lull, Israeli strikes in Gaza rise over last 90 days: IDF. Israel Defense Forces picked up the tempo of strikes in Gaza over the last three months, though the figures are dwarfed by operations in the opening weeks of the war.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim drone strike that kills 1 person, injures at least 10 in Tel Aviv. The Iranian-made drone struck a neighborhood near the U.S. Embassy. The explosion did not trigger air raid alarms. The drone was reportedly identified but the sirens were not sounded allegedly due to human error. The Houthis said their new drone, called “Yafa”, is undetectable by radars.
SPACE THREAT
After SpaceX rocket mishap, SPACECOM boss has ‘full confidence’ in fast return to launch. This, after a rare mishap involving one of its Falcon 9 rockets. But he was also grateful that the U.S. has more than one family of launch rockets to choose from at a time when the Space Force is trying to fortify its presence in Earth orbit.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
A long-sought European defense ‘awakening’ has arrived, EUCOM commander says. Europe is finally getting serious about defense—and should receive more, not less, transatlantic investment and engagement.
US MILITARY
Navy missile intercepts target using Army’s new missile defense radar. The Navy Standard Missile-6, guided by the Army’s new missile defense radar and command and control system, intercepted a target during Valiant Shield 24 in the Indo-Pacific.
Current military, veterans, and their families, can stream Paris Olympics coverage for free. These, and others authorized to shop online at military exchanges will be able to stream over 5,000 hours of coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for free, thanks to a partnership between the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and Comcast NBCUniversal.
END of PDB
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US And Allies Facing Rapidly Growing Threats In The Pacific from the guy’s we sell farm land to! you just cant make stupidity like this up! unfortunately you have to vote stupidity like this in