China Provokes Befuddled Biden During Latest Mideast Crisis

MONDAY PDB – As the U.S. rightly moves to militarily back its ally Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists, China is already becoming more openly belligerent and reckless.

China’s naval provocations are getting too blatant to ignore. With Team Biden focused on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, there is always the danger of a new overseas crisis emerging in a different part of the world.

China’s communist leaders see an America distracted by two major regional conflicts and a weak and befuddled U.S. president in nominal charge.

MEANWHILE – Chinese carrier Shandong deploys, operating near Taiwan. The CNS Shandong (17) on Thursday deployed into the western Pacific for the third time this year while, on the same day, the U.S. released a video of a Chinese aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. plane.

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:

ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR

SMART, METHODICAL, PIECEMEAL APPROACH – Israel sends some ground troops into Gaza, calls it a “new stage” of the war. Tanks and infantry have pressed into the northern part of Gaza following massive airstrikes in the territory.

Israeli troops trade fire over its northern border with Hezbollah. This could escalate into a two-front war for Israel.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower now in the Mediterranean Sea, Bataan ARG in the Red Sea. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is almost in the Eastern Mediterranean after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday.

THE BUCK STILL STOPS WITH IRAN – Amid US strikes in Syria, examining Iran, its proxies, and the question of control. The U.S. holds Iran responsible for the actions of its regional proxies, but Tehran’s level of control can vary from group to group.

NO, BIDEN – PALESTINIANS HAVE REJECTED EVERY TWO-STATE PROPOSAL MADE IN LAST DECADES – Mission impossible? Biden says Mideast leaders must consider a two-state solution after the war ends. As the Israel-Hamas war enters what could be a “long and difficult” new stage.

NATIONAL SECURITY

BIDEN GETS A REALITY CHECK – US to build new nuclear gravity bomb. The Pentagon is moving forward with developing a new version of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb.

China and Russia cast US as agent of global instability at Beijing military forum. Their military officials on Monday criticized the U.S. as an agent of global instability and Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, also accused the West of seeking to expand the Ukraine war to Asia-Pacific and threatened grave consequences over Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.

HOMELAND SECURITY – LAW ENFORCEMENT

Army reservist suspected in Maine mass shooting found dead. Robert Card was found on Oct. 27 in Lisbon Falls, Maine.

AS I SAID FROM DAY ONE – Maine shooting suspect had mental health issues, authorities say. Investigators have increasingly been focused on the Army reservist’s mental health history.

POLITICS

DECENT MAN – Former Vice President Mike Pence ends his 2024 presidential bid. his campaign never gained traction as he confronted a GOP that has moved beyond the Reagan-era conservatism he embodied. NOT HIS TIME.

McConnell tests leadership with all-out push for Ukraine. His intense lobbying effort puts the Senate GOP leader at odds with his new House counterpart, Speaker Mike Johnson.

New GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson says he thinks stand-alone Israel aid bill will pass the House this week. He is resisting Joe Biden’s call for Congress to provide a broader package that also includes aid to Ukraine.

DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF FOIA – First Amendment advocates say Air Force tweak to public records request process ‘very troubling.‘ A new change to the Air Force’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) submission portal, asking whether individuals seeking public information would agree to accept only “clearly releasable” information, is alarming.

CHINA THREAT

US military bulk buys Japanese seafood to counter China ban. It will use the food to supply its military there in response to China’s ban imposed after Tokyo released treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

Italy readies quick sale of patrol ships to Indonesia amid China fears. It plans to sell the Pacific nation two of its new PPA multipurpose patrol vessels.

RUSSIA THREAT– UKRAINE WAR

Kremlin’s onetime pick to be Ukraine’s puppet leader is shot in Crimea. Oleg Tsaryov, a pro-Russian businessman and former lawmaker, was said to have been wounded in the attack. Moscow had planned to make him head of government in Kyiv if its invasion had succeeded.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

US and South Korean forces stage drills. The troops have been conducting joint live-fire exercises.

SPACE THREAT

New Joint Force space doctrine clarifies Space Command’s ‘offensive’, ‘defensive’ ops. The new version of Joint Publication 3-14 explains that “offensive and defensive space operations” are supported primarily by “direct capabilities” — that is, “fires that impact an adversary.”

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

B-1 and B-52 bombers crisscross Europe, integrating with NATO allies. Air Force bombers have been a regular sight in the skies over Europe in recent days, integrating with a host of allies along the way.

Jordan asked US to deploy Patriot air defense missiles. The staunch U.S. ally asked for the air defense systems at a time of heightened regional conflict.

Saudi defense minister to visit White House amid fears of regional war. Khalid bin Salman (KBS) is expected to visit Washington on Monday for talks with senior Biden officials.

Russia’s war in Ukraine stokes tensions in nation of Georgia. An influx of Russians into Georgia has stoked fears of war. Many also fear it could hurt Georgia’s chances of gaining membership into the European Union.

US MILITARY

ROCKETS NOT INCLUDED – Watch Marines fire rocket from ‘creepy’ robot goat available on Amazon. Marines strapped a rocket launcher to a so-called robotic goat in the California desert in September, in a test of robots’ abilities to carry and fire weapons in battle.

New image of B-21 bomber tail shows different exhausts and rear deck from B-2. The photograph circulating on the internet is the first to reveal what the back of the secret aircraft looks like. It shows a different geometry of exhaust area and rear deck from its predecessor.

The Navy will call its next hospital ship Balboa, the beloved nickname of Naval Medical Center San Diego. The 337-foot-long ship will feature three operating rooms and will be capable of moving roughly 35 mph.

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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