Chinese Nationals Posing as Tourists Breached US Military Bases and Other Sites, Raising Espionage Concerns: Report

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chinese nationals, sometimes posing as tourists, accessed United States military bases and other sensitive locations up to 100 times in recent years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The outlet reported that the incidents have raised espionage concerns among U.S. officials. These trespassers, referred to as gate-crashers, have accessed sensitive sites, either accidentally or intentionally, without proper authorization. . .

Some of these incidents included Chinese nationals breaching a missile range in New Mexico and scuba divers exploring a new rocket launch site in Florida. Other trespassing cases involved people following Google Maps directions to the nearest fast-food restaurant, which happened to be on a military base.

Officials also told the WSJ about a group of Chinese nationals who claimed to be tourists and insisted they had reservations at a hotel located on the Fort Wainwright military base in Alaska. The group attempted to push past security guards to access the site. . .

Chinese nationals have also accessed sensitive areas of the White House, taking photographs of the property, positions of Secret Services, and communications gear. (Read more from “Chinese Nationals Posing as Tourists Breached US Military Bases and Other Sites, Raising Espionage Concerns: Report” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Alaska Governor Endorses Trump for President

/1 Comment/in , /by

Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 nomination, becoming the third GOP governor to back him.

News of Dunleavy’s endorsement came from Politico, and it will give the former president crucial support in a state that will “hold its nominating contest on the all-important ‘Super Tuesday’ primary date”:

The endorsement comes as Trump expands his broad lead in support from Republican governors and federal lawmakers over his rivals in the GOP presidential primary. With Dunleavy’s backing, Trump has earned the support of three of the five Republican governors who have endorsed in the race. Trump has also received the support of over 80 members of Congress, more than 16 times the amount of his nearest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The former president has been aggressively courting the support of prospective endorsees; he recently spoke by phone with Dunleavy, whose state is expected to hold its primary on March 5, 2024, the same day that over a dozen states are expected to hold their nominating contests.

The former president previously endorsed Dunleavy three times in his bid for governor, including in 2022 when he faced a recall attempt. The Trump campaign will reportedly release a video on Tuesday thanking the governor for the endorsement. (Read more from “Alaska Governor Endorses Trump for President” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Missing Tennessee Couple Found After 8 Days in Alaskan Wilderness — Just 2 Miles From Car

/0 Comments/in , /by

A Tennessee couple who vanished more than a week ago while hiking in Alaska were found safe Friday — just two miles from their parked car, family said.

Couple Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37, were spotted by a hiker as they wandered through the woods in Fairbanks, a city with a population of more than 30,000.

The pair had survived eight days in the wilderness after losing their way on what was supposed to be a brief hike on an established trail, Bare’s uncle, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Post.

The family member said he believes Bare and Hovsepian became dazed and confused by the 20 hours of sunlight per day in the state this time of year, paired with temperatures that can drop to 45 degrees during the four hours of twilight.

“They were lost, I’m sure, and disoriented or else they would have been out of there,” he said. (Read more from “Missing Tennessee Couple Found After 8 Days in Alaskan Wilderness — Just 2 Miles From Car” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Man, Woman Go Missing on Vacation in Fairbanks as Police Find Abandoned Car Near Hiking Trail

/0 Comments/in , /by

Authorities in Alaska are searching for a Tennessee man and woman who failed to check out of their Airbnb in Fairbanks, leading state troopers to find their car abandoned near a hiking trail.

The Fairbanks Police Department said in a Facebook post that Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37, checked in to an Airbnb in the downtown area of the city Aug. 9, and were scheduled to check out Aug. 11 at 11 a.m., but failed to do so.

Officials say their luggage and personal belongings were still at the Airbnb, but Bare and Hovsepian were nowhere to be found. Additionally, Bare rented a dark, metallic-blue Jeep Compass Limited through Turo, which was supposed to be returned Aug. 11, but wasn’t.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety said the Jeep Compass was found at Chena Hot Springs Resort on the evening of Aug. 12, which is just over an hour’s drive from Fairbanks.

A missing person bulletin from the Alaska State Troopers says that the pair was last seen on a hiking trail near the resort Aug. 10, and adds that Hovsepian is visually impaired and sometimes uses a cane. Police said a missing persons report was filed Aug. 12. (Read more from “Man, Woman Go Missing on Vacation in Fairbanks as Police Find Abandoned Car Near Hiking Trail” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

China and Russia Sent Warships Near Alaska Coast, Prompting u.s. Response

/0 Comments/in , /by

China and Russia sent naval warships near the coast of Alaska during a joint naval patrol earlier this week, prompting a response from the U.S. Navy and condemnation from Alaska’s senators.

The two countries sent eleven ships close to Alaska’s southwest coast — nearing the Aleutian Islands — but never entered American waters, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. This is likely the largest fleet of Russian and Chinese ships ever to approach the American coast, experts told the outlet.

“It is a historical first,” senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Brent Sadler, said. “Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.”

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska told Fox News the U.S. Navy mobilized four destroyers to shadow and guide the Chinese and Russian ships away from Alaska’s coast. A U.S. defense official said the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn, and the USS Chung-Hoon tracked the foreign ships’ movements and were accompanied by a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, the Journal noted.

A U.S. Northern Command spokesman confirmed to the Journal a combined patrol consisting of Russian and Chinese ships had occurred but would not confirm the number of vessels or their location. (Read more from “China and Russia Sent Warships Near Alaska Coast, Prompting u.s. Response” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Ranked-Choice Voting Could Come Back to Bite Alaskan Republicans… Again

/0 Comments/in , /by

Rep. Mary Peltola continues to have support among left-leaning American politicos, after emerging victorious in Alaska’s messy open-primary, ranked-choice general voting system in 2022.

Conservative Alaska voters, faced with a contentious field last year, awarded Peltola enough second-place votes to lock in her win.

As a candidate with low name recognition, Peltola committed to bipartisanship, saying she drew inspiration from the late Congressman Don Young. However, her voting record since November has revealed a different story.

Peltola’s support for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as House speaker, casting 15 votes in his favor, was the first big item that raised eyebrows around the 49th state.

She voted against the Strategic Production Response Act and justified her absence during the final vote by claiming she was unaware voting was about to occur. (Read more from “Ranked-Choice Voting Could Come Back to Bite Alaskan Republicans… Again” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Chinese ‘Spies’ Disguised Themselves as Tourists and Tried to Infiltrate Multiple US Military Bases in Alaska

/0 Comments/in , /by

Suspected Chinese spies disguised as tourists have made multiple attempts to infiltrate US military bases in Alaska, according to US officials.

The attempted breaches may be probes into US military activities in the state, soldiers familiar with the matter told USA Today.

On one recent occasion, a vehicle carrying Chinese citizens blew past a security checkpoint at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.

The vehicle was stopped and the occupants claimed to be tourists but a search of their car revealed a drone. . .

Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and Global Resiliences, told a September news conference that Chinese leaders have ‘been trying to insert themselves into the Arctic.’ (Read more from “Chinese ‘Spies’ Disguised Themselves as Tourists and Tried to Infiltrate Multiple US Military Bases in Alaska” HERE)

Photo credit: US Army via Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Russian Lawmaker Threatens Missile Strikes on Alaska

/10 Comments/in , , /by

By New York Post. A Russian lawmaker suggested the country launch a pre-emptive missile attack on Alaska in a television segment that surfaced just as Senator Lindsey Graham appeared to say Russian deaths from United States’ funding to Ukraine was “the best money we’ve ever spent.”

Duma Deputy Andrey Gurulyov said there were missiles stationed near the US “quite capable of scouring Alaska to the ground,” and that Russia should move with them instead of waiting for aggression from its enemies to attack.

Gurulyov’s comments came during an appearance on a state-run Russian news show hosted by Olga Skabeyeva, a commentator so known for her gleeful propaganda she’s earned the nickname the “Iron Doll of Putin TV.”

On the show, Gurulyov — who has previously suggested Britain be wiped “off the face of the Earth,” according to Newsweek — said Russia needed “not for us to respond to the threats we are confronted with, but for them to rush around with no idea what to do next.”

“We have a strategic nuclear force that holds America’s territory. Let me remind you, there’s Alaska across the strait,” he said, before listing off a number of different types of missiles Russia had at the ready. “It doesn’t take much, a couple of brigades will suffice,” he added. (Read more from “Russian Lawmaker Threatens Missile Strikes on Alaska” HERE)

___________________________________________

Russian Lawmaker Threatens Alaska With Missile Strikes

By Newsweek. Russia State Duma Deputy Andrey Gurulyov recently threatened to attack Alaska with an array of different missile strikes. . .

“There are our operational Iskander missiles, ballistic, cruise missiles are quite capable of scouring Alaska to the ground,” Gurulyov said. “It doesn’t take much, a couple of brigades will suffice.”

When another commentator chimed in and asked why Russia would attack Alaska, Skabeyeva responded by saying “to make them feel scared.”

The comments by Gurulyov and Skabeyeva come amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has lasted over a year with intense fighting between the two nations in several different parts of Ukraine. (Read more from “Russian Lawmaker Threatens Alaska With Missile Strikes” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Alaska Passes Bill to Limit Govt From Shutting Down Gun Stores During Emergencies

/0 Comments/in , /by

Alaska’s Republican-led Legislature has passed a bill prohibiting the authorities from singling out firearm and ammunition retailers when they start shutting down businesses during a declared emergency.

House Bill 61, heading to the desk of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, states that firearm businesses cannot be forced to close, shorten their business hours, limit their sales, or hand over merchandise during a declared state of emergency unless the government equally does that to all other businesses.

The Senate version of the bill initially included language that would allow the government to shut down gun stores while still keeping certain businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies, clinics and hospitals, and hotels and motels open during an emergency declaration. This language was removed with an amendment by state Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat representing East Anchorage.

According to Wielechowski, firearm, and ammunition stores are just as important as, if not more important than, grocery stores for Alaskans relying on hunting as a way of life and sustenance. (Read more from “Alaska Passes Bill to Limit Govt From Shutting Down Gun Stores During Emergencies” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Army Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash

/0 Comments/in , /by

The U.S. Army identified on Saturday the three soldiers who were killed when two helicopters collided in Alaska while returning from a training mission.

The helicopters were headed to Fort Wainwright from a mission in the Donnelly Training Area when they crashed at 1:39 p.m. Thursday, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Healy.

The U.S. Army announced Friday that it has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.

“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement.

Killed in Thursday’s crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah. (Read more from “Army Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.