southfront--2020-09-18--France – Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Security is becoming more flexible during the growing process of globalization and regional integration in Europe , it is no longer possible to ignore new challenges to international stability , among which migration can stand out : as a result of the increasing flow of people freely moving around the world , migration is being viewed through the prism of security .
Over the past fifteen years , the link between immigration , public order and national security has become ingrained in French society .
France has one of the largest Muslim diasporas in Western Europe ; it is becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a healthy and constructive dialogue with this diaspora .
In addition , foreign policy and especially active French invasion in regions highly affected by terrorism , in particular in West Africa , caused direct consequences for the country and its national security – an influx of immigrants from African countries and an increasing number of terrorist attacks of ISIS .
1 .
According to the official data , French immigrants constitute only 10 % of the population , but the French themselves are already beginning to feel the trick in these statistics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabization of Europe , in general , and France , in particular , by the end of 2050 .
Researchers who share the idea of a so called “ new great Migration Period ” , reintroduced by the French writer Renault Camus , predicting the replacement of the French ( and European ) autochthonous population , as well as its civilization , by “ others ” , mainly issued from the Maghreb and Black African countries , often are “ disqualified ” in the French Republic as their ideas run counter to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integration of the immigrants into the European society is a must , but there are many factors that ruin the process of their integration and lead to the phenomenon called “ communitarianism ” .
The main ones , as researches claim , are schooling , education , employment and housing that are not arranged for a great number of immigrants that the French Republic has been welcoming since 1980s .
As the result , immigrants , who should have been integrated completely to the French society , stay outside , welcomed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This all results in immigration that becomes wild and unbridled , that can not adapt by itself to the Western way of life , threatening the country ’ s security , and leads to the “ denationalization ” of France .
Some researchers even talk about a so called “ tribalization ” of France , revealing the stronger link between mass immigration and increased crime in the country , noting that official crime statistics have been falsified for many years , and in fact , every 24 hours there are “ 13,000 thefts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed in France .
2 .
Falsified official statistics are only half the trouble .
The worst is the ban on certain types of statistics needed to understand the migration situation in France .
On August 26 , 1789 , the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen affirmed the absolute Equality of all French among themselves , regardless of religious beliefs , ethnicity or race , Freedom reigned in France , extending to every French from the day of his birth , and the French citizenship was believed to contribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France became the Home of Human Rights , and the French nation , , acquires “ universality ” , defining itself as a group of fellow citizens without a single reference to the concepts of race , ethnicity , or religion .
The purpose of such decisions was to create a space of harmony that unites people , so all those characteristics that could divide French citizens into groups were erased from above .
Thus , there were no more Catholics or Protestants or internal French ethnic groups , and the ethnic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not have an exact idea of the number of French citizens of foreign origin or the number of citizens professing a particular religion , although we understand that every year there are more and more such citizens .
Researchers interested in the most accurate data possible , including representatives of right-wing and extreme right-wing parties , are trying to approach the migration issue from different angles .
In particular , right-wing parties have often turned to screening for drepanocytosis , sickle cell anemia , a genetic blood disorder to which , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Maghreb countries are the most susceptible .
In France , screening for sickle cell anemia , carried out by the French Association for the Diagnosis and Prevention of Childhood Disability in Newborns ( ) , is targeted at newborns of Mediterranean , African and Caribbean origins .
There were statistics published in the public domain , a screening map for 2016 could be easily found : in the Ile-de-France region , 73.56 % of newborns were already at risk of the disease , and generally in the whole country there were 39.39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statistics were used by right-wing to measure the number of non-white newborns and thus to illustrate the Africanization of France .
From 2018 , disease statistics would no longer be published , as its transition into ethnic statistics is considered to be dangerous .
Still , thanks to the latest data we can imagine what regions have largest immigrant communities .
3 .
In big cities of with a high concentration of French of foreign origin , the phenomenon of communitarianism – the dense residence of immigrants in closed communities , – flourishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
During the COVID-19 pandemic , riots broke out across the country in immigrant areas due to an accident on the night of April 20 , in Villeneuve-la-Garenne , when a motorcyclist collided with a police car .
The victim ’ s origin is carefully hidden , however , at the same time , the media talk about his numerous crimes ( he was convicted 14 times for sexual violence , crimes related to drug trafficking , extortion ) , about his being under judicial supervision , about repeated violations of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riding an unregistered motorcycle without a helmet .
A whole series of clashes between the “ jeunes ” and the police unfolded throughout the densely populated disadvantaged areas .
In addition , the public became aware of the instructions for the national police of the Calvados department from April 24 , which stated that if there was no threat to health or the threat of serious damage to property , there was no need to intervene in areas with a high concentration of the population ( immigrant areas ) during Ramadan .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity provided by the government , a sign of its weakness in front of the Islamist groups operating in the country .
This summer France experienced a new round of the “ becoming wild ” process , when a wave of violent crimes , including ones against the police , took place in many major cities .
Attacks , rapes and murders , of which French immigrants are suspected or already condemned , shook the public , and the image of Emmanuel Macron was especially damaged when he , unwilling to call a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ uncivilized behaviour ” .
Despite public outrage at such statements and the fact that the president has ranked minor violations of public order and misconduct with the murder of policemen on a par , the French people start to understand that they can not make the government hear them so that the political elites living outside of the “ real ” world , would take measures to counteract mass immigration , since the French “ Gauchiste ” political system does not allow a free expression of opinions on such delicate topics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for spring 2022 , and for now France has two potential candidates who will fight each other to take the presidency .
Having been elected at the end of the 2017 , Emmanuel Macron can present his candidacy in 2022 for a second term according the Article 6 of the French Constitution .
However , as he says , the second term is not his priority for the moment , the most important is to launch the reforms , including in the migration sphere , to bring down Marine Le Pen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the other hand , can effectively use the difficult situation with immigrants to gain the trust of her electors .
Thus , in several communiqué Rassemblement National refers to the French population who feels threatened by the immigrants in their country because of the frequent attacks during this summer – “ one of the most deadly summers in the history of France ” .
Marine Le Pen proclaim the safety of the French people “ the priority ” of the Party and states : France turns wild and savage , and 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it [ Ifop ] , while the government keeps believing that it ’ s a fantasy .
She will definitely place emphasis on the migration problems during her campaign , as they were focused on during the previous presidential race , and the question is if the French are ready to respond positively to the RN measures they have always considered to be extremely severe .
If Marine Le Pen wins the presidential elections , that will definitely help other right wing parties to gain confidence in their countries , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its ’ internal crisis .
The situation with German immigration is not much better than with French one : European Medias are full of headlines about immigrants ( typically repeat offenders who commit knife attacks , beatings , rapes ) attacking German citizens on the streets .
The problem of the second and third generations does not bypass one of the leading European countries : immigrants who do not have the opportunity or a desire to get a job , learn a language , send their children to school where they would get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant areas on unemployment benefits , feel socially isolated and unfairly treated in comparison to native Germans .
This feeling of injustice of the society can lead the younger generation to revolt against the system , often resulting in violence .
What is more , the terrorist threat comes usually from Europeans of foreign origin who have failed to find their place in society .
Researchers , drawing the portrait of a “ terroriste maison ” right up to the 2015 terrorist attacks in France , suggest that they are mostly young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the law in the past .
The overwhelming majority had more or less lengthy sentences due to thefts and other violations of order .
Prison gives them the opportunity to root their hatred of a liberal society , which they do not understand because of secular principles that contradict usually their religious beliefs .
For a certain period of time , future “ terroriste maison ” have been influenced by the Islamist gurus most often found on the Internet , where jihadists are very active in recruiting Muslims seeking their path in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Syria and Iraq , some remain in France awaiting their guru ’ s call for holy war in France and other European countries as it was in 2015-2016 .
Ever since the Revolution France , a country of immigration , has been considered a “ universal ” nation , where Freedom , Equality and Brotherhood of its citizens should not have been threatened by any references to race , ethnicity , or religion .
However , the phenomenon of communitarianism , which is nowadays a stable and extremely important issue in French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic , because it , in fact , subjects the society to fragmentation according to religious or ethnic criteria .
This issue is perceived exclusively from the point of view of insufficient integration of Muslim “ jeunes ” , and the interpretation of the reasons leading to public disorder does not evoke any socio-economic problems that immigrants who are failed to find their place in the society have to face .
Terrorist attacks are reinforcing the link between immigrants and terrorism in society .
For France , the threat of terrorism becomes internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , from its own citizens – “ terroristes maison ” .
The deep social problems , inequality , social marginalization faced by immigrants make them vulnerable to manipulation by fundamental Islamism , which can lead to their radicalization .
Strong negative consequences for the country and its people would be a result of building an “ internal enemy ” and generalization about immigrant areas being full of potential “ terroristes maison ” .
Instead , all French migration problems must be addressed outside the security field as long-standing and extremely complex socio-economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to communitarianism could become a cause for greater concern .
Thus , the French migration system ended up in zugzwang : the long-term practice of welcoming and loose integration has opened a window for a massive flow of immigrants , whose cultural identity differs significantly from the cultural identity of the host society .
Conservative Muslims , who have traditional views on society , preserve their religious identity and their way of life , experience difficulties in “ cohabitation ” with the liberal secular identity of France , destroy the ideals and values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the “ native ” French , and endanger the cohesion of society .
MORE ON THE TOPIC :

Support SouthFront
DEAR FRIENDS. IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK: PayPal: southfront@internet.ru Donation alerts: https://donationalerts.com/r/southfront Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/southfront Or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront, BTC: 3Gbs4rjcVUtQd8p3CiFUCxPLZwRqurezRZ, BCH ABC: qpf2cphc5dkuclkqur7lhj2yuqq9pk3hmukle77vhq, ETH: 0x9f4cda013e354b8fc285bf4b9a60460cee7f7ea9
Written by Emma Dujardin exclusively for SouthFront
Security is becoming more flexible during the growing process of globalization and regional integration in Europe, it is no longer possible to ignore new challenges to international stability, among which migration can stand out: as a result of the increasing flow of people freely moving around the world, migration is being viewed through the prism of security.
Over the past fifteen years, the link between immigration, public order and national security has become ingrained in French society. France has one of the largest Muslim diasporas in Western Europe; it is becoming increasingly difficult for republican institutions to maintain a healthy and constructive dialogue with this diaspora. In addition, foreign policy and especially active French invasion in regions highly affected by terrorism, in particular in West Africa, caused direct consequences for the country and its national security – an influx of immigrants from African countries and an increasing number of terrorist attacks of ISIS.
1. According to the official data, French immigrants constitute only 10% of the population, but the French themselves are already beginning to feel the trick in these statistics. They talk about the inevitable Africanization and Arabization of Europe, in general, and France, in particular, by the end of 2050. Researchers who share the idea of a so called “new great Migration Period”, reintroduced by the French writer Renault Camus, predicting the replacement of the French (and European) autochthonous population, as well as its civilization, by “others”, mainly issued from the Maghreb and Black African countries, often are “disqualified” in the French Republic as their ideas run counter to the leading “left” opinion.
The integration of the immigrants into the European society is a must, but there are many factors that ruin the process of their integration and lead to the phenomenon called “communitarianism”. The main ones, as researches claim, are schooling, education, employment and housing that are not arranged for a great number of immigrants that the French Republic has been welcoming since 1980s. As the result, immigrants, who should have been integrated completely to the French society, stay outside, welcomed by the officials but unwelcomed by the system. This all results in immigration that becomes wild and unbridled, that cannot adapt by itself to the Western way of life, threatening the country’s security, and leads to the “denationalization” of France. Some researchers even talk about a so called “tribalization” of France, revealing the stronger link between mass immigration and increased crime in the country, noting that official crime statistics have been falsified for many years, and in fact, every 24 hours there are “13,000 thefts, 2,000 attacks and 200 rapes” committed in France.
2. Falsified official statistics are only half the trouble. The worst is the ban on certain types of statistics needed to understand the migration situation in France.
On August 26, 1789, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen affirmed the absolute Equality of all French among themselves, regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity or race, Freedom reigned in France, extending to every French from the day of his birth, and the French citizenship was believed to contribute to the republican ideal of Brotherhood. France became the Home of Human Rights, and the French nation, La Grande Nation, acquires “universality”, defining itself as a group of fellow citizens without a single reference to the concepts of race, ethnicity, or religion. The purpose of such decisions was to create a space of harmony that unites people, so all those characteristics that could divide French citizens into groups were erased from above.
Thus, there were no more Catholics or Protestants or internal French ethnic groups, and the ethnic and religious statistics has been prohibited. We do not have an exact idea of the number of French citizens of foreign origin or the number of citizens professing a particular religion, although we understand that every year there are more and more such citizens.
Researchers interested in the most accurate data possible, including representatives of right-wing and extreme right-wing parties, are trying to approach the migration issue from different angles. In particular, right-wing parties have often turned to screening for drepanocytosis, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder to which, according to numerous studies, people from Sub-Saharan and Maghreb countries are the most susceptible. In France, screening for sickle cell anemia, carried out by the French Association for the Diagnosis and Prevention of Childhood Disability in Newborns (Association Française pour le Dépistage et la Prévention des Handicaps de l’Enfant), is targeted at newborns of Mediterranean, African and Caribbean origins. There were statistics published in the public domain, a screening map for 2016 could be easily found: in the Ile-de-France region, 73.56% of newborns were already at risk of the disease, and generally in the whole country there were 39.39% of newborns at risk. This statistics were used by right-wing to measure the number of non-white newborns and thus to illustrate the Africanization of France. From 2018, disease statistics would no longer be published, as its transition into ethnic statistics is considered to be dangerous. Still, thanks to the latest data we can imagine what regions have largest immigrant communities.
3. In big cities of with a high concentration of French of foreign origin, the phenomenon of communitarianism – the dense residence of immigrants in closed communities, – flourishes, making these immigrant areas “lawless”. During the COVID-19 pandemic, riots broke out across the country in immigrant areas due to an accident on the night of April 20, in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, when a motorcyclist collided with a police car. The victim’s origin is carefully hidden, however, at the same time, the media talk about his numerous crimes (he was convicted 14 times for sexual violence, crimes related to drug trafficking, extortion), about his being under judicial supervision, about repeated violations of the quarantine regime, and about the motorcyclist riding an unregistered motorcycle without a helmet. A whole series of clashes between the “jeunes” and the police unfolded throughout the densely populated disadvantaged areas. In addition, the public became aware of the instructions for the national police of the Calvados department from April 24, which stated that if there was no threat to health or the threat of serious damage to property, there was no need to intervene in areas with a high concentration of the population (immigrant areas) during Ramadan. The extreme right called this instruction the religious immunity provided by the government, a sign of its weakness in front of the Islamist groups operating in the country.
This summer France experienced a new round of the “becoming wild” process, when a wave of violent crimes, including ones against the police, took place in many major cities. Attacks, rapes and murders, of which French immigrants are suspected or already condemned, shook the public, and the image of Emmanuel Macron was especially damaged when he, unwilling to call a spade a spade, classified the crimes as “uncivilized behaviour”.
Despite public outrage at such statements and the fact that the president has ranked minor violations of public order and misconduct with the murder of policemen on a par, the French people start to understand that they cannot make the government hear them so that the political elites living outside of the “real” world, would take measures to counteract mass immigration, since the French “Gauchiste” political system does not allow a free expression of opinions on such delicate topics.
4. The next elections are set for spring 2022, and for now France has two potential candidates who will fight each other to take the presidency.
Having been elected at the end of the 2017, Emmanuel Macron can present his candidacy in 2022 for a second term according the Article 6 of the French Constitution. However, as he says, the second term is not his priority for the moment, the most important is to launch the reforms, including in the migration sphere, to bring down Marine Le Pen and her Party.
Marine Le Pen, on the other hand, can effectively use the difficult situation with immigrants to gain the trust of her electors. Thus, in several communiqué Rassemblement National refers to the French population who feels threatened by the immigrants in their country because of the frequent attacks during this summer – “one of the most deadly summers in the history of France”. Marine Le Pen proclaim the safety of the French people “the priority” of the Party and states: France turns wild and savage, and 70% of the French see and sense it [Ifop], while the government keeps believing that it’s a fantasy. She will definitely place emphasis on the migration problems during her campaign, as they were focused on during the previous presidential race, and the question is if the French are ready to respond positively to the RN measures they have always considered to be extremely severe.
If Marine Le Pen wins the presidential elections, that will definitely help other right wing parties to gain confidence in their countries, for instance, Alternative for Germany that is currently in its’ internal crisis. The situation with German immigration is not much better than with French one: European Medias are full of headlines about immigrants (typically repeat offenders who commit knife attacks, beatings, rapes) attacking German citizens on the streets.
The problem of the second and third generations does not bypass one of the leading European countries: immigrants who do not have the opportunity or a desire to get a job, learn a language, send their children to school where they would get the opportunity to socialize, living in immigrant areas on unemployment benefits, feel socially isolated and unfairly treated in comparison to native Germans. This feeling of injustice of the society can lead the younger generation to revolt against the system, often resulting in violence. What is more, the terrorist threat comes usually from Europeans of foreign origin who have failed to find their place in society. Researchers, drawing the portrait of a “terroriste maison” right up to the 2015 terrorist attacks in France, suggest that they are mostly young people with immigrant background who have had problems with the law in the past. The overwhelming majority had more or less lengthy sentences due to thefts and other violations of order. Prison gives them the opportunity to root their hatred of a liberal society, which they do not understand because of secular principles that contradict usually their religious beliefs. For a certain period of time, future “terroriste maison” have been influenced by the Islamist gurus most often found on the Internet, where jihadists are very active in recruiting Muslims seeking their path in life. Many young French Islamists travel to Syria and Iraq, some remain in France awaiting their guru’s call for holy war in France and other European countries as it was in 2015-2016.
Ever since the Revolution France, a country of immigration, has been considered a “universal” nation, where Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood of its citizens should not have been threatened by any references to race, ethnicity, or religion. However, the phenomenon of communitarianism, which is nowadays a stable and extremely important issue in French society, contradicts the Ideals of the Republic, because it, in fact, subjects the society to fragmentation according to religious or ethnic criteria. This issue is perceived exclusively from the point of view of insufficient integration of Muslim “jeunes”, and the interpretation of the reasons leading to public disorder does not evoke any socio-economic problems that immigrants who are failed to find their place in the society have to face.
Terrorist attacks are reinforcing the link between immigrants and terrorism in society. For France, the threat of terrorism becomes internal, as it comes from within the state, from its own citizens – “terroristes maison”. The deep social problems, inequality, social marginalization faced by immigrants make them vulnerable to manipulation by fundamental Islamism, which can lead to their radicalization. Strong negative consequences for the country and its people would be a result of building an “internal enemy” and generalization about immigrant areas being full of potential “terroristes maison”.
Instead, all French migration problems must be addressed outside the security field as long-standing and extremely complex socio-economic problems, otherwise, immigrant areas prone to communitarianism could become a cause for greater concern.
Thus, the French migration system ended up in zugzwang: the long-term practice of welcoming and loose integration has opened a window for a massive flow of immigrants, whose cultural identity differs significantly from the cultural identity of the host society. Conservative Muslims, who have traditional views on society, preserve their religious identity and their way of life, experience difficulties in “cohabitation” with the liberal secular identity of France, destroy the ideals and values of the Republic, so fiercely defended by the “native” French, and endanger the cohesion of society.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--ISIS Terrorists Slaughtered Six Syrian Soldiers In Southern Deir Ezzor: Monitoring Group

ISIS terrorists have slaughtered six soldier of the Syrian Arab Army in Deir Ezzor ’ s southern countryside , the @ @ @ @ @ ( SOHR ) reported on September 18 .
According to the London-based monitoring group , @ @ @ @ @ were found in Beir Abu al-Hayaya in the outskirt of the city of al-Mayadin .
@ @ @ @ @ and the circumstances surrounding their capture by the terrorist group were not revealed by the @ @ @ @ @ up their attacks on the southern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor in the last @ @ @ @ @ launched their attacks from their hideouts in the nearby Homs desert .
Earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ apprehended an undercover ISIS cell in al-Bukamal city in southern Deir Ezzor .
The terrorists @ @ @ @ @ Iranian personnel , were buying supplies for their comrades in the Homs desert .
ISIS @ @ @ @ @ its influence to government-held areas in Deir Ezzor and other regions in central Syria .
@ @ @ @ @ • Two Turkish Armored Vehicles Damaged By Syrian Army Fire In Greater Idlib

Support SouthFront
ISIS terrorists have slaughtered six soldier of the Syrian Arab Army in Deir Ezzor’s southern countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on September 18.
According to the London-based monitoring group, the bodies of the soldiers were found in Beir Abu al-Hayaya in the outskirt of the city of al-Mayadin.
“The six personnel were slaughtered with knifes,” a local source with knowledge on the incident told the SOHR.
The identities of the victims and the circumstances surrounding their capture by the terrorist group were not revealed by the SOHR.
ISIS terrorists stepped up their attacks on the southern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor in the last few weeks. The terrorists launched their attacks from their hideouts in the nearby Homs desert.
Earlier this month, Syrian and Iranian forces apprehended an undercover ISIS cell in al-Bukamal city in southern Deir Ezzor. The terrorists, who were disguised as Iranian personnel, were buying supplies for their comrades in the Homs desert.
ISIS is clearly attempting to expand its influence to government-held areas in Deir Ezzor and other regions in central Syria.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--Turkish Armored Vehicles Damaged By Syrian Army Fire In Greater Idlib

On September 18 morning , the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) targeted two armored vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces in the southern part of Greater Idlib .
Syrian troops fired several projectiles at two vehicles , which were passing near the town of Marzaf .
The attack was carried out from a position in the town of Kafr Battikh .
Some opposition sources said the vehicles were targeted with artillery shells .
However , anti-tank guided missiles were likely used .
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , the armored vehicles were damaged .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was injured .
This has not been confirmed yet by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense .
The attack was likely a response to the recent provocations of Turkish-backed militants , who are violating the ceasefire in Greater Idlib on a regular basis .
Under the March 5 agreement with Russia , Turkey committed to neutralize radicals in Greater Idlib .
Turkish forces are yet to fulfill this obligation .
Moreover , some of the factions in the region are still receiving support from Ankara .
Greater Idlib ceasefire appears to be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , Turkish Foreign Minister revealed that the last Russian-Turkish talks on the region were not productive , warning from a new escalation .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Turkish Foreign Minister : Recent Talks With Russia On Greater Idlib Were Not Productive

Support SouthFront
On September 18 morning, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) targeted two armored vehicles of the Turkish Armed Forces in the southern part of Greater Idlib.
Syrian troops fired several projectiles at two vehicles, which were passing near the town of Marzaf. The attack was carried out from a position in the town of Kafr Battikh. Some opposition sources said the vehicles were targeted with artillery shells. However, anti-tank guided missiles were likely used.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the armored vehicles were damaged. Other sources claimed that a Turkish service member was injured. This has not been confirmed yet by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
The attack was likely a response to the recent provocations of Turkish-backed militants, who are violating the ceasefire in Greater Idlib on a regular basis.
Under the March 5 agreement with Russia, Turkey committed to neutralize radicals in Greater Idlib. Turkish forces are yet to fulfill this obligation. Moreover, some of the factions in the region are still receiving support from Ankara.
Greater Idlib ceasefire appears to be on the brink of collapse. Two days ago, Turkish Foreign Minister revealed that the last Russian-Turkish talks on the region were not productive, warning from a new escalation.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--SouthFront Will Not Survive Without Your Help

The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises .
This includes the global economic crisis , the COVID-19 outbreak , the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further .
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists .
Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view .
SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign .
The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented .
Despite this , our team is not going to surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage ( including text analyses , exclusive videos , maps and infographics ) .
Nonetheless , the situation remains critical .
Since September 1 , we ’ ve collected 1,333 USD .
This is about 26.66 % of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further .
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment , SouthFront operates thanks to the audience ’ s donations .
We will not be able to survive without your help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bitcoin and other options .
This systems accepts all types of cards , PayPal , Amazon Payments , bitcoin ( FAQ is under the main text , in P.S . )
You can subscribe for a monthly donation of $ 15 ( or any another amount ) OR make one time donation by clicking buttons below

Support SouthFront
DEAR FRIENDS,
The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises. This includes the global economic crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak, the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further.
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists. Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view. SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign. The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented.
Despite this, our team is not going to surrender. Thanks to your support, SouthFront survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage (including text analyses, exclusive videos, maps and infographics). Nonetheless, the situation remains critical.
Since September 1, we’ve collected 1,333 USD. This is about 26.66% of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further.
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment, SouthFront operates thanks to the audience’s donations. We will not be able to survive without your help.
SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK:
PayPal
Account: southfront@list.ru
DonationAlerts
Donate via VISA, PayPal, Paysafecard, Bitcoin and other options.
Tinypass (Piano)
This systems accepts all types of cards, PayPal, Amazon Payments, bitcoin (FAQ is under the main text, in P.S.)
You can subscribe for a monthly donation of $15 (or any another amount) OR make one time donation by clicking buttons below
Patreon
Donate via SouthFront’s Patreon account (click here)
SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence Team
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--House Of Ukrainian Activist’s Parents Burned Down. But Nobody Cares Because He’s On The Wrong Side O

House Of Ukrainian Activist’s Parents Burned Down. But Nobody Cares Because He’s On The Wrong Side Of “Democracy”

On September 17th , Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Vasilets said that during a fire his parents ’ house in the Cherkasy region was burned down .
Vasilets was a political prisoner of the Poroshenko era , who was thrown into prison on charges of separatism .
Later , the court released him , and the case fell apart , but no after he was initially sentenced to 9 years in prison .
Judging photos , the house , which is located 200 km from Kiev , burned down almost completely .
There are no casualties .
His mother managed to crawl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was doing housework .
According to the official version , the cause of the fire was a short circuit , but Vasilets said he doubted that .
He stated that he was waiting for an investigation and a response from the Office of the President .
According to him , there was a new wiring in the house , and the neighbors saw a car , which was quickly leaving the village .
“ Especially for the Avakov experts : the wiring in the house was all new , while everything was burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the light was on , the gas was not connected to the house .
While the house was still burning , and the firemen extinguished it , the relevant services had already drawn up an act that “ everything happened due to a short circuit.
” After a couple of hours , the house was extinguished and the “ services ” left .
Some neighbors claimed that at about the time of the fire they saw a car , quickly leaving the village ( there are not many cars in the village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The journalist added that he wrote about the fire because he expects there to be an investigation into the incident .
There was no reaction to Vasilets ’ statement .
Although in similar cases , even the President ’ s Office commented on the situation ( for example , when the house of anti-corruption activist Shabunin was on fire ) .
“ Well , we ’ ll wait until tomorrow , maybe the president ’ s office and the US embassy are very busy , and they need time to react .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arson , hope , as they say , dies last , ” the journalist wrote .
“ There is no reaction from either the President ’ s Office or the US Embassy .
I even wondered if there would be a reaction .
I remember a similar story with the house of activist Vitaly Shabunin .
There is no reaction from the police .
They said that there is a paper from the firemen and that will be enough for them .
In this regard , it is difficult .
Moreover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We will make a decision with a lawyer about the fact that the police did not initiate a criminal case , we will demand that it be opened .
There are inconsistencies .
The light burned without any drops .
When half of the house was flooded with water , then only the light was turned off by firefighters .
No examination was carried out .
While the house was being extinguished , they already wrote that it was a short circuit .
This is also one of the reasons why one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
I live in Ukraine , so even if the case is entered into the ERDR ( Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations of Ukraine ) , Then the likelihood that it will be investigated tends to zero .
Parents , thank God , are fine .
There are a lot of other problems now .
What to do next with this house , whether it is necessary to restore it , is there any sense in it , ” Vasilets said .
Who is Dmitry Vasilets ?
His history may explain why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , and why the authorities are choosing to disregard the incident .
Dmitry Vasilets worked in Ukrainian tv Channel 17 , and was the speaker of the Medialyustratsiya public movement .
During Former President Petro Poroshenko ’ s presidency , he spent two years in jail on a falsified case .
In November 2015 , he was arrested on suspicion of assisting in the technical setup of the Novorossiya TV YouTube channel .
The reason was his official trip in July 2014 to Donetsk .
Vasilets and his colleague Yevgeny Timonin received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the end the appellate court found the charges unlawful , and the journalists themselves were released .
President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly reacted to the arson of the house of the head of the Anti-Corruption Center Vitaly Shabunin , which occurred on the night of July 23rd .
He said that this event worried and upset him .
The US Embassy expressed concern about pressure on activists on the day of the fire in Shabunin ’ s house .
Nothing of the kind was said about Vasilets .
One would presume activism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the direction it is focused in .
That would appear to be false , as evidence shows .
The similar wave of ‘ incident fires ’ recently targeted homes of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church ( Moscow Patriarchate ) .
These ‘ accidents ’ also were mostly ignored by the government and were not really investigated .
The ‘ democratic government ’ of Ukraine and the US State Department turn a ‘ blind eye ’ on these developments or pretend that this is an ordinary situation that does not cast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The similar double-faced approach is employed by the so-called international community towards all actions of the Euro-Atlantic establishment and its local puppets in Ukraine .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Documents Reveal More Details Regarding Biden And Poroshenko ’ s Adventures In Ukraine • On The Freedom Of Ukrainain Church • U.S. B-52H Strategic Bombers Fly Over Ukraine Again , As Lukashenko And Putin Meet In Sochi

Support SouthFront
On September 17th, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Vasilets said that during a fire his parents’ house in the Cherkasy region was burned down.
Vasilets was a political prisoner of the Poroshenko era, who was thrown into prison on charges of separatism. Later, the court released him, and the case fell apart, but no after he was initially sentenced to 9 years in prison.
Judging photos, the house, which is located 200 km from Kiev, burned down almost completely.
There are no casualties. His mother managed to crawl out of the kitchen, where she was doing housework.
According to the official version, the cause of the fire was a short circuit, but Vasilets said he doubted that.
He stated that he was waiting for an investigation and a response from the Office of the President.
According to him, there was a new wiring in the house, and the neighbors saw a car, which was quickly leaving the village.
“Especially for the Avakov experts: the wiring in the house was all new, while everything was burning in the kitchen where my mother was, the light was on, the gas was not connected to the house. While the house was still burning, and the firemen extinguished it, the relevant services had already drawn up an act that “everything happened due to a short circuit.” After a couple of hours, the house was extinguished and the “services” left. Some neighbors claimed that at about the time of the fire they saw a car, quickly leaving the village (there are not many cars in the village),” Vasilets wrote on Facebook.
The journalist added that he wrote about the fire because he expects there to be an investigation into the incident.
“Suddenly, the Office of the President of Ukraine and the US Embassy in Ukraine will react to the arson, then there is a chance for investigation. It is clear that I have never received grants, I have never worked for any “non-governmental organizations “, but what if there are no double standards in relation to journalists and to public figures in Ukraine?” Vasilets said.
There was no reaction to Vasilets’ statement. Although in similar cases, even the President’s Office commented on the situation (for example, when the house of anti-corruption activist Shabunin was on fire).
“Well, we’ll wait until tomorrow, maybe the president’s office and the US embassy are very busy, and they need time to react. And then they may start to investigate the arson, hope, as they say, dies last,” the journalist wrote. “There is no reaction from either the President’s Office or the US Embassy. I even wondered if there would be a reaction. I remember a similar story with the house of activist Vitaly Shabunin. There is no reaction from the police. They said that there is a paper from the firemen and that will be enough for them. In this regard, it is difficult. Moreover, my parents are in a semi-shock state. We will make a decision with a lawyer about the fact that the police did not initiate a criminal case, we will demand that it be opened. There are inconsistencies. The light burned without any drops. When half of the house was flooded with water, then only the light was turned off by firefighters. No examination was carried out. While the house was being extinguished, they already wrote that it was a short circuit. This is also one of the reasons why one does not really believe in the official history. I live in Ukraine, so even if the case is entered into the ERDR (Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations of Ukraine), Then the likelihood that it will be investigated tends to zero. Parents, thank God, are fine. There are a lot of other problems now. What to do next with this house, whether it is necessary to restore it, is there any sense in it,” Vasilets said.
Who is Dmitry Vasilets? His history may explain why his parents’ house was likely burned down, and why the authorities are choosing to disregard the incident.
Dmitry Vasilets worked in Ukrainian tv Channel 17, and was the speaker of the Medialyustratsiya public movement.
During Former President Petro Poroshenko’s presidency, he spent two years in jail on a falsified case.
In November 2015, he was arrested on suspicion of assisting in the technical setup of the Novorossiya TV YouTube channel. The reason was his official trip in July 2014 to Donetsk.
Vasilets and his colleague Yevgeny Timonin received 9 years in prison each, but in the end the appellate court found the charges unlawful, and the journalists themselves were released.
President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly reacted to the arson of the house of the head of the Anti-Corruption Center Vitaly Shabunin, which occurred on the night of July 23rd. He said that this event worried and upset him.
“The parental home of activist Vitaly Shabunin, which was cynically set on fire, is a clear sign that our society cannot recover after numerous tragedies and social upheavals. It cannot refuse uncivilized forms of clarification of relations. It cannot stop playing demonstrative violence,” Zelensky said.
The US Embassy expressed concern about pressure on activists on the day of the fire in Shabunin’s house.
Nothing of the kind was said about Vasilets. One would presume activism, if peaceful, is acceptable, regardless of the direction it is focused in. That would appear to be false, as evidence shows.
The similar wave of ‘incident fires’ recently targeted homes of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). These ‘accidents’ also were mostly ignored by the government and were not really investigated. The ‘democratic government’ of Ukraine and the US State Department turn a ‘blind eye’ on these developments or pretend that this is an ordinary situation that does not cast a shadow over the Ukrainian young democracy.
The similar double-faced approach is employed by the so-called international community towards all actions of the Euro-Atlantic establishment and its local puppets in Ukraine.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--Roskosmos’ Chief Rogozin Claimed Venus As “Russian Planet”

In 1969 , when the United States landed on the Moon and struck a flag on it , nobody with common sense considered it that the entire Moon had been claimed as some sort of real estate .
However , according to an executive order in earlier 2020 signed by US President Donald Trump , that is specifically how his administration looks at the situation .
President Donald Trump signed an executive order today ( April 6 ) establishing U.S. policy on the exploitation of off-Earth resources .
That policy stresses that the current regulatory regime — notably , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of such resources .
The United States , like the other major spacefaring nations , has not signed the 1979 Moon Treaty , which stipulates that non-scientific use of space resources be governed by an international regulatory framework .
And in 2015 , Congress passed a law explicitly allowing American companies and citizens to use moon and asteroid resources .
Well , the time for a response has finally come from Russia .
Infamous space troll and head of Russia ’ s Roskosmos Dmitry Rogozin , who , back in 2014 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight programme , saying it might as well “ deliver its astronauts to the ISS by using a trampoline ” , after Washington announced new sanctions against Moscow which included some space industries .
Now , Rogozin has decided to ramp up his rhetoric .
Just days ago , scientists discovered evidence of a biosignature in the atmosphere of Venus .
And that may indicate signs of life of some sort on the planet .
And since it makes sense in a world where the Moon belongs to the US , Rogozin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” since Moscow had sent probes there .
Since 1970 , Russia has been landing probes on Venus and has been planning for a new mission to continue exploring the planet .
The new mission is still in its planning stage and is likely to be conducted with NASA .
Regardless , Rogozin is getting with the times , with Elon Musk planning to send Americans to Mars , Russia is , basically , left with no choice but to look for space expansion elsewhere , and Venus appears to be just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boss , said that they are also planning a separate Venus mission that will be independent from any other country .
Rogozin said that the exploration of Venus is now an important point on Roscosmos ’ agenda .
They are currently preparing the Venera-D project in cooperation with NASA , but they are also considering their own mission .
The exploration of Venus is part of the space missions by the Russians for 2021-2030 , included in the united government program .
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Lev Zeleny of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia is already planning at least three research vehicles sent to Venus .
So far , the Russian probes that were sent to Venus did not last long and were dead only after half an hour due to the hostile environment of Venus .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia And China Weaponized Space With Killer Satellites , Energy Weapons : US Secretary Of Defense • Trump ’ s Space Force Conducts First Official Deployment… And It Is Not To The Moon

Support SouthFront
In 1969, when the United States landed on the Moon and struck a flag on it, nobody with common sense considered it that the entire Moon had been claimed as some sort of real estate.
However, according to an executive order in earlier 2020 signed by US President Donald Trump, that is specifically how his administration looks at the situation.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (April 6) establishing U.S. policy on the exploitation of off-Earth resources. That policy stresses that the current regulatory regime — notably, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — allows the use of such resources.
The United States, like the other major spacefaring nations, has not signed the 1979 Moon Treaty, which stipulates that non-scientific use of space resources be governed by an international regulatory framework. And in 2015, Congress passed a law explicitly allowing American companies and citizens to use moon and asteroid resources.
Well, the time for a response has finally come from Russia. Infamous space troll and head of Russia’s Roskosmos Dmitry Rogozin, who, back in 2014, mocked the lack of a US manned flight programme, saying it might as well “deliver its astronauts to the ISS by using a trampoline”, after Washington announced new sanctions against Moscow which included some space industries.
Now, Rogozin has decided to ramp up his rhetoric. Just days ago, scientists discovered evidence of a biosignature in the atmosphere of Venus.
And that may indicate signs of life of some sort on the planet. And since it makes sense in a world where the Moon belongs to the US, Rogozin said that Venus was a “Russian planet” since Moscow had sent probes there.
Since 1970, Russia has been landing probes on Venus and has been planning for a new mission to continue exploring the planet.
The new mission is still in its planning stage and is likely to be conducted with NASA.
Regardless, Rogozin is getting with the times, with Elon Musk planning to send Americans to Mars, Russia is, basically, left with no choice but to look for space expansion elsewhere, and Venus appears to be just the place.
Dmitry Rogozin, Roscosmos’ boss, said that they are also planning a separate Venus mission that will be independent from any other country.
Rogozin said that the exploration of Venus is now an important point on Roscosmos’ agenda. They are currently preparing the Venera-D project in cooperation with NASA, but they are also considering their own mission.
“We think that Venus is a Russian planet, so we shouldn’t lag behind,” Rogozin said.
The exploration of Venus is part of the space missions by the Russians for 2021-2030, included in the united government program.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Lev Zeleny of the Russian Space Research Institute said that Russia is already planning at least three research vehicles sent to Venus.
So far, the Russian probes that were sent to Venus did not last long and were dead only after half an hour due to the hostile environment of Venus.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--Novichok Allegedly Discovered On Water Bottle In Navalny’s Room, But It Traveled With Him To Germany

On September 17th , Alexey Navalny ’ s team said that traces of poison , allegedly Novichok , were found on a water bottle from the hotel room in Siberia where he stayed before getting ill .
Despite this , a member of Navalny ’ s team said that the water bottle was not necessarily the item used to poison the Kremlin critic , suggesting the substance could have been placed on a different object .
“ As we understand , the bottle was not the source of this poisonous substance but more likely as he drank from it … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poison ] on the bottle , ” Georgy Alburov , who works at Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation , said .
“ We are guided by what the experts have said , which is that there was a small amount [ of the substance ] , most likely just a trace of it [ on the bottle ] , ” he added .
Navalny fell ill on August 20th , on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow .
Alburov said he had remained in the Siberian city with several colleagues for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a local official .
He and his colleagues barely managed to get access to the Kremlin critic ’ s room to collect his personal items before it was cleaned .
“ Just knowing the political history of Russia and knowing the state of Alexey ’ s health , it could not have been anything else but poisoning , ” Alburov said .
“ So our first thought was that we must preserve the maximum of what could have something to do with the poisoning , specifically items from his room , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into plastic bags and sealed them , so no one would get hurt in case there was indeed some poison on them and so that nothing else could get inside.
” Alburov said that local police in Tomsk displayed “ special interest ” in the water bottles and tried to confiscate them .
The bottles were then taken to Germany in the same medevac plane which was used to evacuate Navalny from Omsk , where his plane made an urgent landing , to Berlin ’ s Charite Hospital on August 22nd , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of himself sitting up in a hospital bed and surrounded by his family on September 15 .
In his first direct message after his hospitalization , Navalny said he was now breathing on his own without medical support .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • “ Novichok ” Does Not Work : Deadly-Poisoned Navalny Wakes Up

Support SouthFront
On September 17th, Alexey Navalny’s team said that traces of poison, allegedly Novichok, were found on a water bottle from the hotel room in Siberia where he stayed before getting ill.
Despite this, a member of Navalny’s team said that the water bottle was not necessarily the item used to poison the Kremlin critic, suggesting the substance could have been placed on a different object.
“As we understand, the bottle was not the source of this poisonous substance but more likely as he drank from it … his mouth … left traces of [the poison] on the bottle,” Georgy Alburov, who works at Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said. “We are guided by what the experts have said, which is that there was a small amount [of the substance], most likely just a trace of it [on the bottle],” he added.
Navalny fell ill on August 20th, on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow.
Alburov said he had remained in the Siberian city with several colleagues for an extra day to finish an investigative report on a local official.
He and his colleagues barely managed to get access to the Kremlin critic’s room to collect his personal items before it was cleaned.
“Just knowing the political history of Russia and knowing the state of Alexey’s health, it could not have been anything else but poisoning,” Alburov said. “So our first thought was that we must preserve the maximum of what could have something to do with the poisoning, specifically items from his room,” he added. “We put everything into plastic bags and sealed them, so no one would get hurt in case there was indeed some poison on them and so that nothing else could get inside.”
Alburov said that local police in Tomsk displayed “special interest” in the water bottles and tried to confiscate them.
“When the police questioned us, they were especially interested in the water bottles, weirdly, even though we took a lot of other items,” he said.
The bottles were then taken to Germany in the same medevac plane which was used to evacuate Navalny from Omsk, where his plane made an urgent landing, to Berlin’s Charite Hospital on August 22nd, where he remains.
“Two weeks later, it was on the bottle from Tomsk that the German laboratory found traces of Novichok,” Navalny’s team said on Instagram on September 17th. “And then two more laboratories that took tests from Alexey confirmed that Navalny was poisoned by it [Novichok].”
Navalny posted a photograph of himself sitting up in a hospital bed and surrounded by his family on September 15.
In his first direct message after his hospitalization, Navalny said he was now breathing on his own without medical support.
“Hi, this is Navalny,” the politician wrote in the caption. “I miss you. I still can hardly do anything, but yesterday I was able to breathe on my own for the whole day. Just myself. I did not use any outside help, not even the simplest valve in my throat.”
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--“Sci-Fi Awesome” – Hypersonic “Smart Bullet” Fired From Tank Downs Cruise Missile

The U.S. Air Force used a hyper velocity projectile ( HVP ) , capable of traveling Mach 7.3 , or about 5,600 mph , fired from an Army M109 howitzer tank , to shoot down a fast-moving cruise missile over a missile range in New Mexico .
“ Tanks shooting down cruise missiles is awesome , ” Dr. Will Roper , assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition , technology , and logistics , told reporters , who was quoted by Asia Times .
“ Video game , sci-fi awesome .
“ You ’ re not supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a tank .
But , yes , you can , if the bullet is smart enough , and the bullet we use for that system is exceptionally smart , ” Roper said .
Main battle tanks , nevertheless a self-propelled 155 mm howitzer , are not designed to destroy fast-moving cruise missiles , suggests the HVP “ smart bullet ” is ground-breaking technology that could revolutionize the modern battlefield .
The successful firing of the HVP was conducted at White Sands Missile Range , New Mexico , destroyed a “ surrogate ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force ’ s Advanced Battle Management System that ’ s designed to detect incoming missiles .
HVP was initially developed in 2013 to fire out of the electromagnetic railgun .
However , the Pentagon ’ s Strategic Capabilities Office has shifted to firing the HVP out of more conventional guns , such as common artillery pieces found on the battlefield .
The advantage of the HVP over conventional missile defenses is a dramatic decline in cost-per-kill .
Each HVP costs around $ 85,000 , opposed to $ 1.5 million Tomahawk missiles , $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 147,000 Javelin shoulder-rocket .
So what does this mean ?
Well , the Pentagon can shoot a lot more of these smart bullets and not feel bad they ’ re robbing taxpayers .
There ’ s also a strategic component to HVP , that is , precision-guided short-range defense at hypersonic speeds to take out enemy missiles .

Support SouthFront
Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The U.S. Air Force used a hyper velocity projectile (HVP), capable of traveling Mach 7.3, or about 5,600 mph, fired from an Army M109 howitzer tank, to shoot down a fast-moving cruise missile over a missile range in New Mexico.
“Tanks shooting down cruise missiles is awesome,” Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, told reporters, who was quoted by Asia Times. “Video game, sci-fi awesome.
“You’re not supposed to be able to shoot down a cruise missile with a tank. But, yes, you can, if the bullet is smart enough, and the bullet we use for that system is exceptionally smart,” Roper said.
Main battle tanks, nevertheless a self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, are not designed to destroy fast-moving cruise missiles, suggests the HVP “smart bullet” is ground-breaking technology that could revolutionize the modern battlefield.
M-109 fires HVP at a cruise missile on Sept. 2. h/t U.S. Army
The successful firing of the HVP was conducted at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, destroyed a “surrogate” Russian cruise missile target using the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System that’s designed to detect incoming missiles.
HVP was initially developed in 2013 to fire out of the electromagnetic railgun. However, the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office has shifted to firing the HVP out of more conventional guns, such as common artillery pieces found on the battlefield.
The advantage of the HVP over conventional missile defenses is a dramatic decline in cost-per-kill. Each HVP costs around $85,000, opposed to $1.5 million Tomahawk missiles, $155,000 Hellfire rockets, and or $147,000 Javelin shoulder-rocket.
So what does this mean? Well, the Pentagon can shoot a lot more of these smart bullets and not feel bad they’re robbing taxpayers. There’s also a strategic component to HVP, that is, precision-guided short-range defense at hypersonic speeds to take out enemy missiles.
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--Assange’s Eighth Day at the Old Bailey: Software Redactions, the Iraq Logs and the Extradition Act

The extradition trial of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey struck similar notes to the previous day ’ s proceedings : the documentary work and practise of WikiLeaks , the method of redactions , and the legacy of exposing war crimes .
In the afternoon , the legal teams returned to well combed themes : testimony on the politicised nature of the Assange prosecution , and the dangers posed by the extra-territorial application of the Extradition Act of 1917 to publishing .
Assange the discerning publisher ( for the defence ) or reckless discloser ( for the prosecution ) were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was John Sloboda , co-founder of the British NGO , Iraq Body Count , who took the stand .
IBC had its origins in a noble sentiment : to give “ dignity to the memory of those killed.
” To know how loved ones perished sates a “ fundamental human need ” , and aids “ processes of truth , justice , and reconciliation.
” The outfit “ maintains the world ’ s largest public database of violent civilian deaths since the 2003 invasion , as well as a separate running total which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s testimony was the importance of the Iraq War Logs , released in October 2010 .
As IBC puts it , the logs did not constitute the first release of US military data on Iraqi casualties but were pioneering , making it “ possible to examine such data and to compare and combine it with other sources in a way that adds appreciably to public knowledge.
” The compilation of 400,000 Significant Activity reports put together by the US Army comprised , in Sloboda ’ s words , “ the single largest contribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq.
” They were , he told the court , “ a very meticulous record of military patrols in streets in every area of Iraq , noting and documenting what they saw.
” Some 15,000 previously unknown civilian deaths were duly identified .
In terms of collaboration , IBC approached WikiLeaks in the aftermath of publishing the Afghan War Diary .
An invitation from Assange to join a media consortium including , and followed .
“ It was impressed on us from our early encounters with Julian Assange that the aim was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no information damaging to individuals was present.
” The redaction of the logs was part of a “ painstaking process ” that took “ weeks ” .
Given the physical impossibility of manually redacting 400,000 documents in timely fashion , “ The call was out to find a method that would be effective and would not take forever.
” Sloboda made mention of a computer program developed by a colleague , one that would remove names from the documents .
“ It was a process of writing the software , testing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running it again until the process was completed.
” The publication release was delayed , as the software in question “ was not ready by the original planned publication date ” .
Modifications were also affected in terms of how thoroughly redaction might take place of “ different categories of information ” : the removal of architectural features ( mosques , for instance ) , or expertise or professions of individuals .
Pressure was placed on WikiLeaks by the other media partners to publish .
Their contribution to the redaction process had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Assange held firm against such impatience : redactions had to take place systematically ; “ the entire database , ” recalled Sloboda , was “ to be released together.
” If anything , the final product was one of overcautious sifting , one overly pruned to prevent any dangers .
For all that , Sloboda insisted in his witness statement that a decade on , the Iraq War Logs “ remain the only source of information regarding many thousands of violent civilian deaths in Iraq between 2004 and 2009.
” The position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casualty data should always be made public.
” In doing so , no harm hard occurred to a single individual , despite repeated assertions by the US government to the contrary , not least because of the thorough redaction process .
“ It could well be argued , therefore , that by making this information public , [ Chelsea ] Manning and Assange were carrying out a duty on behalf of the victims and the public at large that the US government was failing to carry out.
” Joel Smith QC for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the field of classifying or declassifying documents , and whether he had earned his stripes dealing with corroborating sources in an oppressive regime .
Such questioning had a simple purpose : to anathemise the civilian or journalist publisher of documents best left to agents and thumbing bureaucrats .
Had Sloboda and staff at the IBC been appropriately vetted ?
“ We paid a visit to the offices of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the then director Iain Overton .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his written submission , conceded that the previous publications by WikiLeaks , in particular the Afghan War Diary , came with its host of challenges , a “ steep learning curve for all of those concerned.
” To Smith ’ s questioning , he revealed that “ there was a sense there needed to be a better process in the next round ” , the redaction process having not quite been up to scratch .
Another line of the prosecution ’ s inquiry was the accuracy of the redaction .
Was there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war logs to avoid any “ jigsaw risk ” enabling the identification of individuals ?
Checking did take place , answered Sloboda , “ but no human could go through them all.
” Smith , as with other prosecutors , persevered with the Assange as ruthless motif , this time asking if Sloboda was aware of comments allegedly made at the Frontline Club for journalists .
The transcript of the event supposedly has the publisher claiming that WikiLeaks nursed no obligation to protect sources in leaked documents except in cases of unjust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that I have read the transcript.
” Sloboda could “ remember nothing like that in our conversations about the Iraq logs.
” The possibility that Iraqi lives were probably put at risk was aired , with Smith reading a witness statement from assistant US attorney Kellen S. Dwyer that the Iraq War Logs had named local Iraqis who had been informants for the US military .
( Dwyer ’ s competence might be gauged by the “ cut and paste ” mistake he made in revealing that Assange had been charged under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or assessment ( qualifying risk and harm ) , Sloboda expressed surprise ; if the reference was to “ the heavily redacted logs published in October 2010 , this is the first time I have heard of it.
” Human rights attorney and historian Carey Shenkman followed to testify via videolink .
Shenkman , a keen student of the historical and often invidious use of the Espionage Act , was in the employ of the late and formidable Michael Ratner , president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights .
Shenkman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now being used with such relish against Assange .
Much said by Shenkman would be familiar to those even mildly acquainted with that period of executive overreach .
It arose from “ one of the most politically repressive ” times in US history , a nasty product of the Woodrow Wilson administration ’ s fondness of targeting dissidents .
“ During World War I , federal prosecutors considered the mere circulation of anti-war materials a violation of the law .
Nearly 2,500 individuals were prosecuted under the Act on account of their dissenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Among them were such notables as William “ Big Bill ” Haywood of the International Workers of the World , film producer Robert Goldstein and , with much disgrace , Eugene Debs , presidential candidate for the Socialist Party .
The word “ espionage ” , he explained to Judge Vanessa Baraitser , was a misnomer .
“ Although the law allowed for the prosecution of spies , the conduct it prescribed went well beyond spying.
” The Act became the primary “ tool for what President Wilson dubbed his administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ against opposition to US participation in the war.
” As Shenkman noted in his statement to the court , the Act targeted spying for foreign enemies in wartime and was intended to address “ such matters as US control of arm shipments and its ports ” .
But it also “ reflected the government ’ s desire to control information and public opinion regarding the war effort.
” Its broadness lies in how it criminalises information : not merely “ national security information ” but all material falling under the umbrella of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has previously argued that public interest defences focused on the positive outcomes of disclosures be given to whistleblowers and hacktivists .
But for the First Amendment advocate , the Espionage Act remains fiendishly controversial when it comes to the press , the reason , he testified , why there was never “ an indictment of a US publisher under the law for the publication of secrets .
Accordingly , there has never been an extraterritorial indictment of a non-US publisher under the Act.
” The idea of prosecuting publishers involving grand juries had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but never seen through .
Shenkman offered a few highlights .
The faced the possibility in 1942 when it published secrets after the Battle of Midway .
The effort crumbled when the prosecutor in that case , William Mitchell , expressed doubts that the Espionage Act extended to newspapers .
The Truman administration had also tentatively tested these waters , arresting three journalists and three government sources for conspiracy to violate the Act .
No indictments followed , though it emerged that political pressure had been brought to bear on the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration.
” An uproar led to a jettisoning of the case and the imposition of small fines .
Previous examples are also noted in Shenkman ’ s court submission , including the threatened prosecutions of Seymour Hersh during the Ford administration , and James Bamford in 1981 .
Dick Cheney , future dark puppeteer of the George W. Bush administration , felt it would be “ a public relations disaster ” to target Hersh .
According to Shenkman , a chilling change in the winds took place during the Obama administration , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosen had been named as an “ aider , abettor , and co-conspirator ” in a Justice Department case against Stephen Kim , a State Department employee .
The effort stalled and Eric Holder ’ s remarks on resigning as Attorney General in 2014 spoke of deep regret that Rosen had ever been named .
Journalists felt relief .
Then came the Assange indictment .
“ I never thought based on history we ’ d see an indictment that looked like this.
” It was part of the Trump administration ’ s desire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ jailing journalists who publish classified information.
’ The Espionage Act ’ s breath provides such a means.
” Prosecutor Claire Dobbin was blunter than her colleague , preoccupied with attacking Shenkman ’ s credibility for having worked with Ratner when representing Assange .
Little time was spent on the substance of Shenkman ’ s submission ; instead , the prosecution sought to convince the witness that the case against Assange would be best heard on US soil .
What mattered to Dobbin was taking the politics out of the prosecution .
Surely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could still believe in 2015 that the US would bring charges against Assange .
The less than subtle insinuation here is that a refusal to do so under the Obama administration was merely a lull rather than an abandonment of interest .
“ [ O ] ftentimes , ” replied Shenkman , “ these things are left to simmer , but ultimately , an indictment was not brought.
” Had President Barack Obama and Attorney General Holder wished to pursue Assange , they would have surely shown a measure of eagerness to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the politicisation thesis : the singular use of the Espionage Act , the framing of the charges , and the timing of the indictment , all pointing to “ a highly politicized prosecution.
” Prosecutorial tactics switched to hair splitting .
What constituted the stealing of national security and national defence information ?
Would that be covered by the First Amendment ?
Depends , countered Shenkman , reminding Dobbin of the recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in accepting the merit of Edward Snowden ’ s disclosures on unwarranted surveillance by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an instance of theft .
There was a divergence of views on the issue of “ hacking ” as well .
“ Are you saying that hacking government databases is protected under the First Amendment ?
” shot Dobbin .
Again , more clarity was needed , suggested Shenkman .
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act , for instance , makes no reference to the term .
Nuance is required : “ crack a password ’ and “ hack a computer ” have “ scary ” connotations ; in other instances there would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be relevant.
” Given such disagreement and lack of clarity of terms , Dobbin pushed Shenkman to agree that a US court would be the most appropriate body to determine the issue .
“ No , ” came the emphatic answer .
The way the indictment had been drafted was political .
The prosecution had , effectively , dithered .
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Assange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bailey : Diligent Redactions and Avoiding Harm • Assange ’ s Sixth Day at the Old Bailey : US Prison Conditions and Politicised Prosecutions • Assange ’ s Fourth Day at the Old Bailey : COVID in the Courtroom • Assange ’ s Third Day at the Old Bailey : Bias , Politics and Wars on Journalism • Assange ’ s Second Day at the Old Bailey : Torture , Drone Strikes and Journalism

Support SouthFront
Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
September 17. Central Criminal Court, London.
The extradition trial of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey struck similar notes to the previous day’s proceedings: the documentary work and practise of WikiLeaks, the method of redactions, and the legacy of exposing war crimes. In the afternoon, the legal teams returned to well combed themes: testimony on the politicised nature of the Assange prosecution, and the dangers posed by the extra-territorial application of the Extradition Act of 1917 to publishing.
Assange the discerning publisher (for the defence) or reckless discloser (for the prosecution) were recurrent features. This time, it was John Sloboda, co-founder of the British NGO, Iraq Body Count, who took the stand. IBC had its origins in a noble sentiment: to give “dignity to the memory of those killed.” To know how loved ones perished sates a “fundamental human need”, and aids “processes of truth, justice, and reconciliation.” The outfit “maintains the world’s largest public database of violent civilian deaths since the 2003 invasion, as well as a separate running total which includes combatants.”
Central to Sloboda’s testimony was the importance of the Iraq War Logs, released in October 2010. As IBC puts it, the logs did not constitute the first release of US military data on Iraqi casualties but were pioneering, making it “possible to examine such data and to compare and combine it with other sources in a way that adds appreciably to public knowledge.” The compilation of 400,000 Significant Activity reports put together by the US Army comprised, in Sloboda’s words, “the single largest contribution to public knowledge about civilian casualties in Iraq.” They were, he told the court, “a very meticulous record of military patrols in streets in every area of Iraq, noting and documenting what they saw.” Some 15,000 previously unknown civilian deaths were duly identified.
In terms of collaboration, IBC approached WikiLeaks in the aftermath of publishing the Afghan War Diary. An invitation from Assange to join a media consortium including The Guardian, Der Spiegel and The New York Times followed. “It was impressed on us from our early encounters with Julian Assange that the aim was a very stringent redaction of documents to ensure that no information damaging to individuals was present.”
The redaction of the logs was part of a “painstaking process” that took “weeks”. Given the physical impossibility of manually redacting 400,000 documents in timely fashion, “The call was out to find a method that would be effective and would not take forever.” Sloboda made mention of a computer program developed by a colleague, one that would remove names from the documents. “It was a process of writing the software, testing it on logs, finding bugs, and running it again until the process was completed.”
The publication release was delayed, as the software in question “was not ready by the original planned publication date”. Modifications were also affected in terms of how thoroughly redaction might take place of “different categories of information”: the removal of architectural features (mosques, for instance), or expertise or professions of individuals.
Pressure was placed on WikiLeaks by the other media partners to publish. Their contribution to the redaction process had been sparse and manual: a mere sampling. Assange held firm against such impatience: redactions had to take place systematically; “the entire database,” recalled Sloboda, was “to be released together.” If anything, the final product was one of overcautious sifting, one overly pruned to prevent any dangers.
For all that, Sloboda insisted in his witness statement that a decade on, the Iraq War Logs “remain the only source of information regarding many thousands of violent civilian deaths in Iraq between 2004 and 2009.” The position of IBC was simple: “civilian casualty data should always be made public.” In doing so, no harm hard occurred to a single individual, despite repeated assertions by the US government to the contrary, not least because of the thorough redaction process. “It could well be argued, therefore, that by making this information public, [Chelsea] Manning and Assange were carrying out a duty on behalf of the victims and the public at large that the US government was failing to carry out.”
Joel Smith QC for the prosecution duly probed Sloboda on his experience in the field of classifying or declassifying documents, and whether he had earned his stripes dealing with corroborating sources in an oppressive regime. Such questioning had a simple purpose: to anathemise the civilian or journalist publisher of documents best left to agents and thumbing bureaucrats. Had Sloboda and staff at the IBC been appropriately vetted? “We paid a visit to the offices of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the then director Iain Overton. I don’t remember any vetting process.”
Sloboda, in his written submission, conceded that the previous publications by WikiLeaks, in particular the Afghan War Diary, came with its host of challenges, a “steep learning curve for all of those concerned.” To Smith’s questioning, he revealed that “there was a sense there needed to be a better process in the next round”, the redaction process having not quite been up to scratch.
Another line of the prosecution’s inquiry was the accuracy of the redaction. Was there human agency at any time in reviewing the war logs to avoid any “jigsaw risk” enabling the identification of individuals? Checking did take place, answered Sloboda, “but no human could go through them all.”
Smith, as with other prosecutors, persevered with the Assange as ruthless motif, this time asking if Sloboda was aware of comments allegedly made at the Frontline Club for journalists. The transcript of the event supposedly has the publisher claiming that WikiLeaks nursed no obligation to protect sources in leaked documents except in cases of unjust reprisal. “Today is the first time that I have read the transcript.” Sloboda could “remember nothing like that in our conversations about the Iraq logs.”
The possibility that Iraqi lives were probably put at risk was aired, with Smith reading a witness statement from assistant US attorney Kellen S. Dwyer that the Iraq War Logs had named local Iraqis who had been informants for the US military. (Dwyer’s competence might be gauged by the “cut and paste” mistake he made in revealing that Assange had been charged under seal.) To this unprovable assertion or assessment (qualifying risk and harm), Sloboda expressed surprise; if the reference was to “the heavily redacted logs published in October 2010, this is the first time I have heard of it.”
Human rights attorney and historian Carey Shenkman followed to testify via videolink. Shenkman, a keen student of the historical and often invidious use of the Espionage Act, was in the employ of the late and formidable Michael Ratner, president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Shenkman’s written testimony is withering of the statute now being used with such relish against Assange.
Much said by Shenkman would be familiar to those even mildly acquainted with that period of executive overreach. It arose from “one of the most politically repressive” times in US history, a nasty product of the Woodrow Wilson administration’s fondness of targeting dissidents. “During World War I, federal prosecutors considered the mere circulation of anti-war materials a violation of the law. Nearly 2,500 individuals were prosecuted under the Act on account of their dissenting opposition to US entry into the war.” Among them were such notables as William “Big Bill” Haywood of the International Workers of the World, film producer Robert Goldstein and, with much disgrace, Eugene Debs, presidential candidate for the Socialist Party.
The word “espionage”, he explained to Judge Vanessa Baraitser, was a misnomer. “Although the law allowed for the prosecution of spies, the conduct it prescribed went well beyond spying.” The Act became the primary “tool for what President Wilson dubbed his administration’s ‘firm hand of stern repression’ against opposition to US participation in the war.”
As Shenkman noted in his statement to the court, the Act targeted spying for foreign enemies in wartime and was intended to address “such matters as US control of arm shipments and its ports”. But it also “reflected the government’s desire to control information and public opinion regarding the war effort.”
Its broadness lies in how it criminalises information: not merely “national security information” but all material falling under the umbrella of “national defence” information. Shenkman has previously argued that public interest defences focused on the positive outcomes of disclosures be given to whistleblowers and hacktivists. But for the First Amendment advocate, the Espionage Act remains fiendishly controversial when it comes to the press, the reason, he testified, why there was never “an indictment of a US publisher under the law for the publication of secrets. Accordingly, there has never been an extraterritorial indictment of a non-US publisher under the Act.”
The idea of prosecuting publishers involving grand juries had been flirted with in some cases, but never seen through. Shenkman offered a few highlights. The Chicago Tribune faced the possibility in 1942 when it published secrets after the Battle of Midway. The effort crumbled when the prosecutor in that case, William Mitchell, expressed doubts that the Espionage Act extended to newspapers. The Truman administration had also tentatively tested these waters, arresting three journalists and three government sources for conspiracy to violate the Act. No indictments followed, though it emerged that political pressure had been brought to bear on the Justice Department from “multiple factions within the Truman administration.” An uproar led to a jettisoning of the case and the imposition of small fines.
Previous examples are also noted in Shenkman’s court submission, including the threatened prosecutions of Seymour Hersh during the Ford administration, and James Bamford in 1981. Dick Cheney, future dark puppeteer of the George W. Bush administration, felt it would be “a public relations disaster” to target Hersh.
According to Shenkman, a chilling change in the winds took place during the Obama administration, if only briefly. Fox News journalist James Rosen had been named as an “aider, abettor, and co-conspirator” in a Justice Department case against Stephen Kim, a State Department employee. The effort stalled and Eric Holder’s remarks on resigning as Attorney General in 2014 spoke of deep regret that Rosen had ever been named. Journalists felt relief.
Then came the Assange indictment. “I never thought based on history we’d see an indictment that looked like this.” It was part of the Trump administration’s desire “to escalate prosecutions as well as ‘jailing journalists who publish classified information.’ The Espionage Act’s breath provides such a means.”
Prosecutor Claire Dobbin was blunter than her colleague, preoccupied with attacking Shenkman’s credibility for having worked with Ratner when representing Assange. Little time was spent on the substance of Shenkman’s submission; instead, the prosecution sought to convince the witness that the case against Assange would be best heard on US soil.
What mattered to Dobbin was taking the politics out of the prosecution. Surely, she put to Shenkman, he could still believe in 2015 that the US would bring charges against Assange. The less than subtle insinuation here is that a refusal to do so under the Obama administration was merely a lull rather than an abandonment of interest. “[O]ftentimes,” replied Shenkman, “these things are left to simmer, but ultimately, an indictment was not brought.” Had President Barack Obama and Attorney General Holder wished to pursue Assange, they would have surely shown a measure of eagerness to do so.
More could be said about the politicisation thesis: the singular use of the Espionage Act, the framing of the charges, and the timing of the indictment, all pointing to “a highly politicized prosecution.”
Prosecutorial tactics switched to hair splitting. What constituted the stealing of national security and national defence information? Would that be covered by the First Amendment? Depends, countered Shenkman, reminding Dobbin of the recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in United States v Moalin accepting the merit of Edward Snowden’s disclosures on unwarranted surveillance by the National Security Agency, despite deriving from an instance of theft.
There was a divergence of views on the issue of “hacking” as well. “Are you saying that hacking government databases is protected under the First Amendment?” shot Dobbin. Again, more clarity was needed, suggested Shenkman. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, for instance, makes no reference to the term. Nuance is required: “crack a password’ and “hack a computer” have “scary” connotations; in other instances there would be “ways the First Amendment could be relevant.”
Given such disagreement and lack of clarity of terms, Dobbin pushed Shenkman to agree that a US court would be the most appropriate body to determine the issue. “No,” came the emphatic answer. The way the indictment had been drafted was political. The prosecution had, effectively, dithered.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-09-18--Russia And China Weaponized Space With Killer Satellites, Energy Weapons: US Secretary Of Defense

On September 16th , US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper claimed that Russia and China have both weaponized space and turned it into a war zone , via “ killer satellites ” and “ directed energy weapons ” .
He came one step short of simply saying that Moscow and Beijing have built a Death Star .
“ China and Russia , seek to erode our longstanding dominance in air power through long-range fires , anti-access/area-denial systems and other asymmetric capabilities designed to counter our strengths , ” he said .
“ Meanwhile , in space , Moscow and Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warfighting domain .
China and Russia have placed weapons on satellites and are developing directed energy weapons to exploit U.S. systems “ and chip away at our military advantage , ” he said .
Directed energy weapons use converted chemical or electrical energy and focus it on a target , resulting in physical damage .
Weapons used by the U.S. military include systems that use high energy lasers .
A US Department of Defense official , Dr. Michael D. Griffin , under secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing—it ’ s really hard to envision handling swarming attacks by purely kinetic means—so that ’ s one of the future threats that I think we face.
” According to DARPA ’ s High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System ( HELLADS ) project briefing , “ Enemy surface-to-air threats to manned and unmanned aircraft have become increasingly sophisticated , creating a need for rapid and effective response to this growing category of threats .
In addition to space , Esper furthermore said that the United States ’ adversaries also employ cyberspace ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to also attempt and erode Washington ’ s interests and dominance .
Russia , China , North Korea , Iran and some violent extremist groups also look to exploit cyberspace to undermine U.S. security without confronting American conventional overmatch .
Finally , he mentioned the military guidebook for the future , which is the National Defense Strategy .
The strategy calls on the military to divest legacy systems , reinvest savings in higher priority systems and make the tough choices required to break from the status quo and continue outpacing the competition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department research and development budget is the largest in history , he said , and it concentrates on critical technologies such as hypersonic weapons , directed energy and autonomous systems .
“ In the Air Force , specifically , we are modernizing our force for the 21st century with aircraft such as the B-21 , the X-37 and the Next Generation Air Dominance platform , ” Esper said .
“ Equally important , we are transforming the way we fight through the implementation of novel concepts such as Dynamic Force Employment , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force while preserving our capabilities for major combat.
” In order to preserve US advantage , it is necessary for the US armed forces to be able to seamlessly exchanged information among all domains .
“ The Department of the Air Force is leading on this front with the advancement of Joint All-Domain Command and Control , ” Esper said .
This concept is part of the development of a Joint Warfighting concept that will drive transition to all-domain operations , he said .
“ For these breakthroughs to succeed in any future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate high ground — space , ” Esper said .
The military stood up U.S. Space Command a year ago , and Congress created the U.S. Space Force .
The command is charged with operations and the USSF looks to man , train and equip the force .
It has a budget request , and its first doctrine called “ Spacepower.
” Cyberwar is a distinct possibility and DOD is looking to the department ’ s Digital Modernization Strategy to improve our capabilities and policies , Esper underlined .
The military is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificial intelligence and 5G , and looks to move the fight into the cloud .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Trump ’ s Space Force Conducts First Official Deployment… And It Is Not To The Moon

Support SouthFront
On September 16th, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper claimed that Russia and China have both weaponized space and turned it into a war zone, via “killer satellites” and “directed energy weapons”.
He came one step short of simply saying that Moscow and Beijing have built a Death Star.
“China and Russia, seek to erode our longstanding dominance in air power through long-range fires, anti-access/area-denial systems and other asymmetric capabilities designed to counter our strengths,” he said. “Meanwhile, in space, Moscow and Beijing have turned a once peaceful arena into a warfighting domain. China and Russia have placed weapons on satellites and are developing directed energy weapons to exploit U.S. systems “and chip away at our military advantage,” he said.
Directed energy weapons use converted chemical or electrical energy and focus it on a target, resulting in physical damage. Weapons used by the U.S. military include systems that use high energy lasers.
A US Department of Defense official, Dr. Michael D. Griffin, under secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said the following regarding energy weapons:
“We often think about directed energy as large lasers, and I’ve certainly been involved with some of that for decades, but we also have high power microwaves which can be very effective as what we call an electronics kill.
That sort of thing—it’s really hard to envision handling swarming attacks by purely kinetic means—so that’s one of the future threats that I think we face.”
According to DARPA’s High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) project briefing, “Enemy surface-to-air threats to manned and unmanned aircraft have become increasingly sophisticated, creating a need for rapid and effective response to this growing category of threats.
“High power lasers can provide a solution to this challenge, as they harness the speed and power of light to counter multiple threats. Laser weapon systems provide additional capability for offensive missions as well—adding precise targeting with low probability of collateral damage.”
In addition to space, Esper furthermore said that the United States’ adversaries also employ cyberspace (all about all sorts of space) to also attempt and erode Washington’s interests and dominance.
Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and some violent extremist groups also look to exploit cyberspace to undermine U.S. security without confronting American conventional overmatch.
“They do this all in an increasingly ‘gray zone’ of engagement that keeps us in a perpetual state of competition,” the secretary said.
Finally, he mentioned the military guidebook for the future, which is the National Defense Strategy.
The strategy calls on the military to divest legacy systems, reinvest savings in higher priority systems and make the tough choices required to break from the status quo and continue outpacing the competition, Esper said.
The fiscal 2020 Defense Department research and development budget is the largest in history, he said, and it concentrates on critical technologies such as hypersonic weapons, directed energy and autonomous systems.
“In the Air Force, specifically, we are modernizing our force for the 21st century with aircraft such as the B-21, the X-37 and the Next Generation Air Dominance platform,” Esper said. “Equally important, we are transforming the way we fight through the implementation of novel concepts such as Dynamic Force Employment, which provides scalable options to employ the joint force while preserving our capabilities for major combat.”
In order to preserve US advantage, it is necessary for the US armed forces to be able to seamlessly exchanged information among all domains.
“The Department of the Air Force is leading on this front with the advancement of Joint All-Domain Command and Control,” Esper said.
This concept is part of the development of a Joint Warfighting concept that will drive transition to all-domain operations, he said.
“For these breakthroughs to succeed in any future conflict … we must maintain superiority in the ultimate high ground — space,” Esper said.
The military stood up U.S. Space Command a year ago, and Congress created the U.S. Space Force. The command is charged with operations and the USSF looks to man, train and equip the force.
It has a budget request, and its first doctrine called “Spacepower.”
Cyberwar is a distinct possibility and DOD is looking to the department’s Digital Modernization Strategy to improve our capabilities and policies, Esper underlined.
The military is working on game-changing technologies, such as artificial intelligence and 5G, and looks to move the fight into the cloud.
The Air Force is on the leading edge of DOD efforts to harness the power of artificial intelligence. “In collaboration with academia and industry, the Air Force’s AI Accelerator program is able to rapidly prototype cutting-edge innovation,” Esper said.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront