Posts

Marines Identify Americans Killed in NATO Crash

/0 Comments/in , /by

Authorities have identified the four U.S. Marines who were killed during a NATO cold response training exercise in Norway on Friday.

The U.S. Marines Corps identified the deceased as Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Capt. Ross A. Reynolds of Leominster, Massachusetts, Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy of Cambridge, Ohio, and Cpl. Jacob M. Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The men, who were based out of North Carolina, crashed their MV-22 Osprey on Friday after navigating rough terrain in poor weather conditions. They ranged in age from 24 to 30. . .

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, though Norwegian police have speculated that bad weather played a major role.

The four service members assigned to the Marine Aircraft Wing were headed for Bodo, a municipality on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea that is known to have strong winds, per the Norwegian officials’ statement. (Read more from “Marines Identify Americans Killed in NATO Crash” HERE)

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

South Africa’s President Blames NATO for Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: ‘War Could Have Been Avoided’

/0 Comments/in , /by

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday blamed NATO for provoking Russia into invading its neighbor Ukraine.

Speaking in parliament Thursday, Ramaphosa said the war, now entering its 4th week, could have been avoided if NATO hadn’t expanded eastward.

“The war could have been avoided if NATO had heeded warnings from amongst its own leaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would lead to greater, not less, instability in the region,” Ramaphosa said.

He was careful to clarify that South Africa “cannot condone the use of force and violation of international law.”

The South African president refused to condemn Russia, saying he had been approached to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict but did not specify who approached him. (Read more from “South Africa’s President Blames NATO for Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: ‘War Could Have Been Avoided’” HERE)

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

Washington Is Ramping up Its Campaign to Draw NATO Into War With Russia; China Condemns Taiwan for Sending Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine

/0 Comments/in , /by

By The Federalist. By now it should be obvious that a concerted and bipartisan effort is underway in Washington to escalate U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war. This effort has been ongoing since the war began three weeks ago, but now it’s entering a new and dangerous phase.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, a half-dozen top Republican lawmakers called for the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with “Soviet- or Russian-made strategic and tactical air defense systems and associated radars to Ukraine.”

That means long-range surface-to-air missiles, like the Soviet-made S-300 system, which is designed to shoot down enemy aircraft and intercept ballistic missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States to help Ukraine acquire S-300 air defense systems from countries that have them, like North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members Bulgaria, Greece, and Slovakia, and he might do so again on Wednesday when he addresses Congress. . .

The provision of such heavy weaponry to Ukraine, whether by the United States or our NATO allies, would represent an unprecedented level of direct military support for Ukraine that would undoubtedly — and rightly — be interpreted by Moscow as a sharp escalation by the West.

Top Republican lawmakers, though, are undeterred by such concerns. The letter, signed by GOP Sens. James Inhofe, Marco Rubio, James Risch, and Reps. Mike Rogers, Michael Turner, and Michael McCaul, also calls for an array of other weapons to be sent immediately to Ukraine, including more Javelin antitank and Stinger antiaircraft missiles, which the United States has been providing to Ukraine in large quantities, as well as myriad small arms, ammunition, and other supplies. (Read more from “Washington Is Ramping up Its Campaign to Draw NATO Into War With Russia” HERE)

________________________________________________________

China Condemns Taiwan for Sending Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine

By Breitbart. The Chinese Communist government on Wednesday blasted Taiwan for sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine and supporting sanctions against Russia, accusing the island of “taking advantage of others’ difficulties” to score political points against Beijing.

“The Democratic Progressive Party authorities are using the Ukraine issue to validate their existence and piggyback on a hot issue, taking advantage of others’ difficulties,” snarled spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is the governing party of Taiwan.

“Their attempts to incite confrontation and create hostility through political manipulation will not succeed,” Zhu vowed.

Furious outbursts over humanitarian aid to civilians trapped in a war zone might seem odd even for the Chinese Communist regime, but Beijing’s specific concern is that Taiwan is trying to make China look bad for refusing to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and capitalize on worldwide sympathy for the besieged Ukrainians by highlighting Taiwan’s position as the potential victim of a perpetually threatened Chinese invasion.

The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday announced an $11.5 million donation to Ukrainian refugees on Tuesday, bolstering $3.5 million pledged this month. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen kicked in one month of her salary to the cause. (Read more from “China Condemns Taiwan for Sending Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine” HERE)

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

Trump Was Right About Germany and NATO. Their Latest Move Proves It. (VIDEO)

/1 Comment/in , /by

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Sunday he will dedicate at least two percent of the country’s GDP to defense, fully satisfying membership requirements for the NATO alliance. For years Germany has been paying well below the requirement and committed amount to deter Russian aggression. . .

But it wasn’t so long ago that President Donald Trump repeatedly urged all European countries, including Germany, to step up and fulfill their commitments to NATO.

“What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are there only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment? The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025,” Trump tweeted in July 2018.

(Read more from “Trump Was Right About Germany and NATO. Their Latest Move Proves It.” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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

Senators Slam NATO ‘Free-Riders’ in Closed-Door Meeting With Secretary General

/1 Comment/in , /by

Donald Trump has spent much of his campaign deriding NATO allies for “ripping off” the American taxpayer and failing to contribute to the world’s most powerful military alliance. But on Wednesday, his fellow Republicans joined the chorus during a closed-door meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Capitol Hill, according to sources inside the room.

For under an hour, senators grilled Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, about why only five members of the 28-nation club spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense, the official amount NATO recommends each nation set aside. Some expressed particular dissatisfaction with Germany, the fourth largest economy in the world, which does not meet the 2 percent threshold.

“They’re being laggards. I can’t think of a better word for it,” Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Foreign Policy after exiting the meeting. “I have expressed this in Munich, I have expressed this in Davos, I have expressed this in every forum where Europeans are listening.”

For years, Corker and other U.S. officials have blasted European allies for taking for granted the disproportionate amount the U.S. contributes to the transatlantic organization. But what once was an esoteric concern confined to the halls of think tanks and embassies is now a red-hot campaign issue. Corker said Trump’s campaign rhetoric speaks to a concern he’s heard from his own Tennessee constituents, which he relayed to Stoltenberg. (Read more from “Senators Slam NATO ‘Free-Riders’ in Closed-Door Meeting With Secretary General” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Special Ops Chief: Russia Aims to Divide NATO, Poses ‘EXISTENTIAL’ Threat to US

/2 Comments/in , /by

Russia seeks to test the United States at every opportunity and divide the NATO alliance, posing the most significant long term threat to US national security, the head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, General Joseph Votel, told the Aspen Security Forum.

“Russia is looking to challenge us wherever they can,” Votel told Fox News’ Catherine Herridge. “The intent is to create a situation where NATO can’t continue to thrive.”

Votel said he did not have “unique insights” into Russian President Vladimir Putin but he believes Putin sees the expansion of NATO “…as a threat to him and I think what they (Moscow) are attempting to do is create these frozen conflicts and create situations that are very, very difficult to resolve along their border.”

That “does, could pose an existential threat,” Votel added.

He also said Russia is using a “hybrid approach to warfare” where state and non-state actors are mixing military and non-military capabilities. The result is “a coercive effect…using information operations, using manipulation of media , using social media.” (Read more from “Special Ops Chief: Russia Aims to Divide NATO, Poses ‘Existential’ Threat to US” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Russian Bear Back on the Prowl: Is NATO Ready?

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: CNN

Photo Credit: CNN

BRUSSELS AND STOCKHOLM — A famous 1984 Ronald Reagan presidential campaign commercial warned voters that “there is a bear in the woods.”

It was a reminder that the Soviet Union was a dangerous adversary and that America needed a strong military to oppose the Russian “bear.”

In 2014, there is a bear in the woods again. But this time, NATO and Western Europe seem unprepared.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Western Europe began to disarm. Now, it’s scrambling to rearm.

When a suspected Russian sub was found lurking in Swedish waters in October, Sweden, a NATO “partner,” was unable to find it, perhaps because it scrapped its anti-submarine helicopters.

Read more from this story HERE.

Afghan Taliban Claim Attack on NATO Convoy in Kabul

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Reuters/Mohammad Ismail

Photo Credit: Reuters/Mohammad Ismail

The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on a military convoy belonging to the NATO-led ISAF security force in Kabul on Saturday, striking at the heart of the capital but without causing any casualties.

Security sources said the bomb had targeted a military convoy near Camp Eggers, an ISAF base in the diplomatic quarter of the capital close to both the German and Italian embassies.

Reuters reporters heard sirens and helicopters flying overhead, and a loudspeaker announcement ordered troops at the base to load their weapons and take up defensive positions.

Read more from this story HERE.

US Special Forces Ordered To Leave Critical Afghanistan Province

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: ReutersThe troops were given a fortnight to leave the strategically critical Wardak province, south west of the capital, in a move likely to trigger another confrontation with Nato commanders.

Aimal Faizi, the Afghan president’s spokesman, said the national security council ordered the expulsion after complaints that “armed groups known as special forces” were committing murder, torture and kidnap.

“The US special forces and illegal armed groups created by them are causing insecurity, instability, and harass local people,” he said. He appeared to pin the blame on Afghan fighters or militiamen recruited by and working with the Americans, but held the US forces responsible.

“These belong to the US special forces,” he said.

In one case nine people went missing after an operation and in another a young student was taken from his home and found dead two days later, with his throat cut.
The surprise announcement appeared to blindside Nato headquarters in Kabul and struck directly at troops who have long been a cornerstone of coalition strategy.

Read more from this story HERE.

Syria and Turkey are on the Brink of All-out War, Threatens US-Russian Involvement

/1 Comment/in , /by

The cross-border bombardments that Restoring Liberty has been reporting on have now become daily occurrences. Some pundits believe that the conflict could erupt into a regional war, and worse. Here’s one report from the front lines:

If anyone believed that Syria’s bloodshed would stay inside the country’s borders, the events of the last week should have put them right. I’m in southern Turkey, near the frontier with Syria, and this area feels like the new front line of the battle against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Convoys of Turkish army vehicles ply the roads down to the border and, quietly, civilians are trickling away to safer areas.

The reason is simple: cross-border artillery and mortar bombardments have become daily events. Last Friday, I went to the scene of the bloodiest incident so far, when a Syrian mortar bomb landed outside a family home in the Turkish town of Akçakale. By malign chance, a mother, her six daughters and a female relative happened to be outside, making dinner under an olive tree, when the weapon exploded beside them. They were, quite simply, cut to pieces. When I arrived, a severed human finger, covered in flies, was still lying on the ground. Three of the girls survived with critical injuries; the mother, three daughters and the visiting relative were all killed.

Additionally, the increasingly Islamic Turkey, a NATO member country that the United States is obligated to defend by treaty, forced down a Russian plane yesterday and is at risk of direct conflict with Russia:

Adding to strains with Turkey over the conflict in Syria, Russia demanded an explanation on Thursday after Turkish warplanes forced a Syrian passenger plane flying from Moscow to Damascus to land in Ankara on suspicion of carrying military cargo.

The episode on Wednesday also marked a sharp escalation of Turkey’s confrontation with Syria as authorities in Ankara ordered Turkish civilian airplanes to avoid Syria’s airspace and warned of increasingly forceful responses if Syrian artillery gunners keep lobbing shells across the border.

The forced landing exposed new fissures of dispute as the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation from Turkey, and other officials in Moscow denied that there were weapons or other military supplies on board the plane, which was carrying some Russian passengers.

Moscow’s complaints brought a quick response from Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, who was quoted by the semiofficial Anatolian News Agency as saying “materials that infringed international regulations” had been confiscated when Turkish officials searched the aircraft.

Russia and Turkey are already at odds over the Syrian crisis with Ankara joining Western and many Arab nations in support of insurgents seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad while Moscow has consistently shielded Mr. Assad, its main regional ally. Russia is Syria’s main arms supplier.