MONDAY PDB – From the beginning of this conflict, I have asked whether a full-scale Israeli ground invasion of Gaza was a good idea. I also recalled how U.S. forces avoided some direct urban combat in Iraq earlier in that war by conducting rapid but heavily armored ‘thunder runs' in and out of major cities such as Baghdad.
These were a variation of ‘reconnaissance in force' operations by armored units. And it appears the Israelis may be doing something similar.
Israel Ground Forces Conduct Limited Raids In Gaza Overnight. The incursions that went “deep” into were raids by tank and infantry forces. They went in to kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war.
Israeli forces were trying to find information on missing hostages. Over 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists when they savagely attacked cities in southern Israel on October 7.
Israel has pummeled the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory with airstrikes for over two weeks and is also mobilizing troops along the Gaza border for a potential ground offensive.
The Israeli military said it had hit “over 320 military targets in the Gaza Strip” over the past 24 hours.
“The terror targets struck included tunnels containing Hamas terrorists, dozens of operational command centers… and Islamic Jihad terrorists, military compounds, and observation posts.”
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
The fight in Gaza will be hell, military experts in urban combat say. A ground offensive in Gaza promises to be long, brutal, and costly.
He rushed from Maryland to Israel to fight. On Friday, he was killed. The Israeli American was killed by an antitank missile fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah terrorists while his unit served on that country's border with Israel.
Israeli army releases footage of first operational use of ‘Iron Sting' munition destroying rocket launcher. The Iron Sting uses laser and GPS guidance systems, minimizes risk of collateral damage.
Israel-Hamas war revives interest in US production of Iron Dome missiles. U.S. invested in homegrown system better suited for potential conflict in Pacific than in Middle East
NATIONAL SECURITY
Russian cruise missiles have US Air Force scouting land in US for radars to detect them. Six over-the-horizon radar sites are envisioned in the U.S. and Canada.
Drop the ‘stalemate' metaphor in Ukraine's war. In that dynamic battlefield, no one talks about a “stalemate.” And yet back in the US, I hear the phrase all the time. When we speak of the war as a “stalemate,” we misunderstand it, and prepare to make moral and strategic errors.
CHINA THREAT
Not all in China's military view Taiwan, the West as primary threat. As China prepares for a future conflict with Taiwan and the US, some see such a confrontation as unnecessary, unwinnable.
Philippines says a coast guard ship and supply boat were rammed by Chinese vessels at disputed shoal. The aggressive incident is heightening fears of an armed conflict in the disputed South China Sea.
China outs yet another national as US ‘spy', says he was groomed during visiting scholar stint. China has published the backstory of yet another “US spy”, detailing how the Chinese defense industry researcher was groomed by American intelligence to become an “informant” when he was in the U.S.
MISTAKE – Australia makes decision on Chinese firm's lease of critical port. The Australian government announced Friday it has decided not to cancel a Chinese company's 99-year lease on the strategically important Darwin Port, despite U.S. concerns that the foreign control could be used to spy on its military forces.
RUSSIA THREAT– UKRAINE WAR
The leaders of Ukraine and Russia assess resources as their war heads toward another winter. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with Joe Biden about future U.S. support for his nation, and Vladimir Putin visited a military headquarters near the Ukrainian border as the warring countries prepare for the winter and next year's combat operations.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 607. Russian forces kept sustained pressure on Avdiivka in Ukraine's east with Ukraine saying that its troops had repelled nearly 20 Russian attacks around the largely ruined town.
With raids across Dnipro River, Ukraine may be seeking new front in war. Extensive strikes on Russian-held territory in the south could point to the goal of establishing a bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro.
IRAN THREAT
Blinken, Austin say US is ready to respond if US personnel become targets of Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. expects the war to escalate through involvement by proxies of Iran, and says Team Biden is prepared to respond if Americans become the target of any such hostilities.
Ike carrier strike group headed to the Middle East. The Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group is part of an effort to counter “recent escalations” by Iran and its proxy forces. The Pentagon has also placed “an additional number of forces on prepare to deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning.
NORTH KOREA
South Korea, US and Japan hold first-ever trilateral aerial exercise in face of North Korean threats. The aerial exercise on Sunday is in response to evolving North Korean nuclear threats.
SPACE THREAT
Space Force plans next MEO missile tracking satellite awards by early 2025. The Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) missile warning/tracking configuration providing global coverage will include “approximately 27 satellites.
Space Force sets sights on small geostationary communications satellites. The military also is interested in buying direct-to-cell satellite services.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
NATO to adopt first-ever counter-drone doctrine for member nations. It will in part advise member states on layered approaches to defend against unmanned aerial systems and the common training of operators.
Jets on highways: Why European militaries are expanding ‘dispersed' road exercises. An enemy strike can't take out a whole air wing at an airfield within a morning, if friendly aircraft are dispersed around the country and moving from A to B to C to D, the whole time.
NATO allies send planes and ships to Baltic Sea following suspected sabotage. Drones, reconnaissance planes and ships have been dispatched to the Baltic Sea, a move that comes in response to recently discovered damage to critical undersea infrastructure.
Including women in security missions prevents violence, boosts intel. Women serving in tactical peacekeeping and security operations often work better with the civilian populations they're charged with protecting because of cultural norms,
US MILITARY
Testing of Navy SEALs may unveil scale of performance-enhancing drug use — and unleash legal battles. The Navy's Special Warfare Command is poised to begin regularly testing all Navy SEALs for performance-enhancing drugs next month.
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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