WEDNESDAY PDB – Texas Guard flies ‘Come and Take It' flag amid dispute with feds. The Texas Military Department posted a photo to its official X account Tuesday afternoon, showing the Gonzales flag flying above its headquarters in Austin.
THIS, AS – Texas-bound convoy tries to recruit veterans for border protests. A protest convoy warning of a migrant “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border left Virginia on Monday and began making its way toward Texas, where a standoff continued between the state and federal governments over border authority and security.
MEANWHILE – House Republicans vote to advance effort to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for border failure. This moves them closer to taking the rare step of impeaching a Cabinet official.
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
Why America's enemies are rooting for another Trump v. Biden election. America is entering perhaps the most dangerous period in the last century and a half of its existence.
Congress dithers while threats abound, and military readiness suffers. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have drawn the West's attention to those regions, but there are several other regions that could easily erupt with situations just as serious.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
VA to drop limits on IVF services for vets, following DOD's lead. The Department of Veterans Affairs for the first time will provide in vitro fertilization services to single vets, unmarried couples, and LGBT veterans.
Sen Thune challenges Biden Pentagon's abortion policy, demands protection for military leaders. Thune argues SecDef should take personal responsibility for approving service members' abortion travel.
POLITICS
Former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly shares his side of things. In his own words, Modly talks grace, regret and standing by his firing of Capt. Crozier as commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. – CROZIER HAD TO GO!
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST ISLAMIST TERROR
UNRWA, Hamas and the ‘genocide' smear against Israel. South Africa's case at the ICJ is built on reports from groups with links to terrorist organizations.
The Israel Air Force bombed a Hezbollah's airstrip in Lebanon. On January 24, the Israel Defense Forces announced that Israeli warplanes had struck “a military airstrip and military infrastructure used by [Hezbollah] to direct terror attacks at the Israeli home front.”
IRAN THREAT
Pentagon not taking Iran-backed militia pause declaration seriously. A message from an Iran-backed militia to its fighters to suspend attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria hasn't changed the Pentagon's calculus for retaliatory strikes following Sunday's deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.
Shock, grief and mourning for 3 soldiers killed in Jordan drone strike. The three citizen-soldiers from different corners of Georgia all died in an Iranian-backed militia drone strike on a U.S. base in Jordan near the Syrian border.
Army posthumously promotes 2 Georgia soldiers who were killed by Iran militia drone attack in Jordan. This, as questions remain about what transpired at the small outpost.
US sees ‘footprints' of Iran-backed group in Tower 22 drone attack. A drone strike that killed three U.S. troops and injured dozens more in Jordan could have been executed with a number of airframes but bore the signs of an extremist group with access to Iranian weaponry.
CHINA THREAT
Taiwan launches spring military drills following presidential election amid China threats. China claims the independent democratic island as its own territory that it is determined to annex, possibly by force.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
CIA director: Not passing Ukraine aid would be a mistake ‘of historic proportions.' Helping Ukraine is “a relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical returns,” the director wrote.
For Europe and NATO, a Russian invasion is no longer unthinkable. Amid crumbling U.S. support for Ukraine and Donald Trump's rising candidacy, European nations and NATO are making plans to take on Russia by themselves. – IT'S ABOUT TIME!
Swiss export tanks to replace German gear sent to Ukraine. Switzerland shipped a first batch of Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, which replaces tanks its northern neighbor is sending to Ukraine, as pledges of billions in aid from Europe and the US are tied up amid political wrangling.
Ukraine's strikes on targets inside Russia hurt Putin's efforts trying to show the war isn't hitting home. The wail of air raid sirens is commonplace in Belgorod, a Russian border city whose residents are on edge following a Ukrainian missile attack on a New Year's holiday left dozens of people dead and injured.
South Korea says North launched third round of cruise missiles. This is the third time this month.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Indian navy repels 3 Somali pirate hijackings. This, during a two-day period from Sunday to Monday, with one warship rescuing separately two hijacked ships off the east coast of Somalia, while a second ship participated in a multinational operation with Sri Lanka and the Seychelles to rescue a third hijacked ship.
US POWER OVERSEAS
US Navy works on war response plan amid Red Sea ship surge. The plan would affect how ships and crews prepare and deploy for combat.
Inside a US Navy base protecting the Red Sea. Troops at the base in Bahrain are tasked with protecting American assets and interests in the waters of the Middle East, including the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels have launched several attacks on shipping vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
US pilot safely ejects before his F-16 fighter crashes in South Korean sea. The jet crashed into waters off South Korea's southwestern coast on Wednesday, the second such crash in less than two months.
US MILITARY
First ‘Bamboo Eagle' exercise builds on Red Flag, adds multi-domain elements. The new exercise, which overlaps with the final days of Red Flag 24-1, adds elements such as maritime warfare, as well as elements of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) to the Air Force's premiere air dominance wargame.
Marine Corps to field squad-level loitering munitions by 2027. The Corps' experience with logistics drones is yielding valuable lessons about deconflicting with friendly aircraft.
Boeing expects Grey Wolf helicopter deliveries to Air Force this year. It should start delivering the first field-ready MH-139A helicopters later this year.
TOXIC FEMALE LEADERSHIP – Cruiser captain bullied and struck sailors before being relieved, Navy investigation finds. A Navy captain relieved of command of a San Diego-based cruiser last year battered and bullied sailors while creating a culture of fear through temper tantrums and public humiliation.
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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