MONDAY PDB – Putin finally learns the lesson all tyrants learn. Russian leader Vladimir Putin is learning what so many tyrants have learned before him: When you unleash the dogs of war, they can come back to bite you.
Russian troops withdraw from Moscow after mercenary revolt ends. The extraordinary challenge to Putin's two-decade hold on power could have long-term consequences for his rule and his war in Ukraine.
SMELLS FISHY – Russia says rebel Wagner chief will move to Belarus, all pardoned. The charges against Yevgeny Prigozhin for mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped and the troops who joined him also will not be prosecuted.
Russian defense minister appears for first time since Wagner rebellion aimed to oust him. Sergei Shoigu was shown visiting troops in a video released by his ministry early Monday, though there was still no sign of Putin or Prigozhin.
Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal. On Saturday he vowed harsh punishment for the leaders of an armed rebellion spearheaded Russian city.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 488. Wagner chief Prigozhin and his mercenaries pulled out of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and the region of Voronezh after a deal was mediated by the Belarusian president to end their short-lived armed mutiny.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
TITANIC SUB SEARCH
The Navy heard the tourist sub implode. But it shouldn't have changed the search effort. The revelation raised questions about how the Navy evidence, which was collected Sunday but not made public until Thursday, played into the large search-and-rescue effort that transfixed the world.
US Coast Guard launches investigation into fatal Titan implosion. Last week's implosion of the Titan submersible as it was en route to the Titanic wreckage, killed all five people on board.
No one knows the cost to US military for Titan submersible search. The search area spanned thousands of miles with agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
AGREED – Senator Tommy Tuberville: My hold on military nominees doesn't affect national security. Max Boot's June 19 column about me, “The GOP claims to be strong on defense. Tommy Tuberville shows otherwise.,” spent a lot of ink attacking me but showed no evidence that my hold on military nominations over DoD abortion policies is affecting military readiness. Mr. Boot didn't show how this delay would affect our military's ability to fight and win wars.
SUDDENLY THEY AREN'T AWARE OF BENEFITS? – COME ON – Perception of ‘wokeness' isn't major driver of recruitment woes, Army former enlisted leader says. Some potential recruits likely aren't joining the Army because they think it's become too “woke,” but the main reason is because many remain unaware of the service's full benefits, says retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army.
NATIONAL SECURITY
New Poll finds continued public support for Ukraine (but less money), Taiwan aid. Three-quarters of respondents believe it is important for Ukraine to win its war against Russia's invasion, but not all of them support providing Ukraine military aid. They do support aid for Taiwan.
HOMELAND DEFENSE
Pentagon mulling new Arctic strategy and critical infrastructure defense plan. Both as part of a push toward what the head of Northern Command and NORAD said must be a “vastly different” and more forward-leaning vision of the future for homeland defense.
CHINA THREAT
China throws support behind ‘strategic partner' Russia after Wagner insurrection challenges Putin. China has voiced support for Russia after a short-lived insurrection posed the gravest challenge to the 23-year rule of Vladimir Putin, a close partner of Chinese leader Xi Jinping in his push for a new world order and strategic alignment against the U.S.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
EU NEEDS TO GIVE MUCH MORE – EU agrees 3.5 bn ($3.8 billion) euro boost to fund used for Ukraine military aid. EU countries on Monday agreed to increase the maximum size of a fund used to finance military aid for Ukraine, raising its ceiling to over 12 billion euros.
NORTH KOREA
REGIME PUPPETS – Tens of thousands of North Koreans march in anti-US rallies as country marks Korean War anniversary. They marched over the weekend, pledging “merciless” revenge against “U.S. imperialists,” as the country marked the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War, according to state media.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Kosovo-Serbia conflict creates fear of escalation in tense Europe. The growing conflict is threatening to become a major crisis for the U.S. and Western leaders who are already responding to the largest land war in Europe since World War II in Ukraine.
Nine dead, dozens injured after Russian warplanes attack near Syrian market. Russian jets reportedly bombed a city in Syria's rebel controlled northwestern Idlib province.
FULDA GAP REDUX – Detailed defense plans for US and allied troops remind senior Army leaders of Cold War. New allied war plans for Europe may provide the kind of granular detail typical of the Cold War, when American troops in Germany knew what territory they would be defending if war broke out.
Biggest air exercise in NATO history wraps up: Here are some of the best photos. Air Defender 2023 ended June 23.
USS Ronald Reagan to make a rare Vietnam port call. The visit by one of the Navy's biggest supercarriers comes as Washington and Beijing step up efforts to bolster ties with Southeast Asian nations.
Japan protests Russia's declaring Sept 3 as day of victory over ‘militaristic' Japan. Japan says Russia's decision would fan mutual antagonism.
Invaluable: Utah Guard, Morocco celebrate 20 years of military ties. The Utah National Guard and Morocco are celebrating two decades of working together through the State Department's State Partnership Program.
US MILITARY
Flame-throwing robot dog is the stuff of nightmares. Hot dog, indeed.
NO DISCERNABLE DIFFERENCE – Marines face no confirmed commandant for first time in 164 years. The Marine Corps is on track to be led by an acting commandant as senators leave town for two weeks with no end in sight to a standoff over military confirmations.
Senators back 5.2% pay raise for troops, but not other salary boosts. In their first draft of the annual defense authorization bill, they held back on more aggressive plans to boost junior enlisted pay, preferring to study higher base salaries for the lowest-paid service members.
SERIOUSLY? – US navy accused of cover-up over radioactive shipyard waste. There are dangerous levels of radioactive waste on a 40-acre former Navy shipyard parcel in San Francisco's waterside Hunters Point neighborhood, public health advocates charge.
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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Seeds for Russian Rev 2??
Russia’s mercenary revolt smells fishy?
Yeah, pretty much like an entire school of dead fish rotting for 3 days on a hot, humid, sun-baked river bank.
I’ll bet there’s WAY MORE suffocating stench to this story than is currently curdling anybody’s nostril hairs.