Archiv: US Department of Defense (Pentagon / DoD)


13.11.2024 - 13:35 [ New York Times ]

Trump Picks Pete Hegseth, a Veteran and Fox News Host, for Defense Secretary

The choice of Mr. Hegseth was outside the norm of the traditional defense secretary. But he was a dedicated supporter of Mr. Trump during his first term, defending his interactions with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, embracing his “America First” agenda of trying to withdraw U.S. troops from abroad and energetically taking up the cause of combat veterans accused of war crimes.
(…)
He served in the Army in Afghanistan and Iraq and at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

A Minnesota native, Mr. Hegseth graduated from Princeton University, where he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative magazine, for which he wrote about seeing the statue of Saddam Hussein toppled in Baghdad in 2003.

29.10.2024 - 10:10 [ Pentagon ]

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-The-Record Press Briefing

Q: So, just to follow up on that, let‘s say US weapons are used to kill North Korean soldiers and that could have far reaching implications. I mean, how do you handle that, or you have — will you have limits on what US weapons can be used if it‘s a bunch of North Korean soldiers?

MS. SINGH: No. I think I mentioned this on Thursday and the secretary has said this as well — If North Korea — if we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, I mean, they are co-belligerents in the war. And so, they are fighting on these front lines and the Ukrainians are defending their sovereign territory and pushing the Russians back.

(…)

MS. SINGH: I don‘t have more details on the type of troops or equipment capabilities that they have. In terms of the numbers, what I have is that, you know, we estimate

approximately 10,000 are moving to train in eastern Russia. That is going to help augment Russian forces.

Again, don‘t have more fidelity to share right now on kind of what their makeup looks like, capabilities, etc. But, you know, we‘ll of course keep you updated on that.

29.10.2024 - 09:55 [ APNews.com ]

North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to likely fight against Ukraine, Pentagon says

Adding thousands of North Korean soldiers to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II will pile more pressure on Ukraine’s weary and overstretched army. It will also stoke geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the wider Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia, Western officials say.

27.10.2024 - 11:26 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iran says Israel used US-controlled airspace in Iraq for strikes, warns of retaliation

In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the Iranian Armed Forces Communications Center said, “We inform the brave and honorable Iranian people that hostile Zionist aircraft, in a blatant violation of international law, used airspace provided by the American terrorist army in Iraq early this morning to launch multiple long-range, air-launched missiles from 100 kilometers away from the Iranian border.” The statement was followed by calls to Iran’s media and experts to rely solely on official sources amid circulating rumors.

The missiles, reportedly fitted with warheads one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic warheads, targeted radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas near Tehran, the statement noted.

“Thanks to timely intervention by Iran’s air defense, the damage was limited; several radar systems sustained minor damage, with some already repaired and others undergoing restoration.”

25.10.2024 - 12:12 [ USA Today ]

North Korean troops in Russia, US defense secretary says

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that there is evidence North Korean troops are in Russia, branding their presence a „very serious“ escalation in the war that started with Russia‘s unprovoked invasion in 2022 and has left tens of thousands dead.

23.10.2024 - 07:51 [ BBC ]

What leaked US assessment of Israeli plans to strike Iran shows

The documents also report no sign of any preparations by Israel to activate its nuclear deterrent. (…)

The US has made no secret of its opposition to the targeting of either Iran’s nuclear research facilities or its oil installations.

23.10.2024 - 07:42 [ Middle East Eye ]

US intended to inform UK about Israeli stealth drone use over Iran

However, another piece of intelligence is marked as being for the eyes of US and British intelligence only: that Israel has been using a long-range unmanned surveillance drone which is capable of flying covertly over Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.

The drone, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is a “covert” drone named RA-01. It was not publicly known about.

19.10.2024 - 23:37 [ Axios ]

Pro-Iranian account leaks alleged U.S. intel on Israel‘s attack plans

Between the lines: The report, if accurate, would suggest very close and detailed surveillance by U.S. intelligence of Israel‘s preparations for an attack on Iran, including the use of satellites to spy on operations carried out at Israeli Air Force bases.

19.10.2024 - 23:30 [ CNN ]

Leaked documents show US intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, sources say

Another US official said that “these two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more.”

It is not clear how the documents became public, nor whether they were hacked or deliberately leaked.

28.09.2024 - 23:47 [ Archive.org ]

Operation Northwoods

(March 13, 1962)

c. Commence large scale United States military operations.
3. A „Remember the Maine“ incident could be arranged in several forms:
a. We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba.
b. We could blow up a drone (unmanned) vessel anywhere in the Cuban waters. We could arrange to cause such incident in the vicinity of Havana or Santiago as a spectacular result of Cuban attack from the air or sea, or both. The presence of Cuban planes or ships merely investigating the intent of the vessel could be fairly compelling evidence that the ship was taken under attack. The nearness to Havana or Santiago would add credibility especially to those people that might have heard the blast or have seen the fire. The US could follow up with an air/sea rescue operation covered by US fighters to „evacuate“ remaining members of the non-existent crew. Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.
4. We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington.

The terror campaign could be pointed at refugees seeking haven in the United States. We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated). We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding in instances to be widely publicized. Exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots, the arrest of Cuban agents and the release of prepared documents substantiating Cuban involvement, also would be helpful in projecting the idea of an irresponsible government.

28.09.2024 - 11:50 [ Wired ]

Bump: Mother Of All Bunker Busters Detonated

(Mar 27, 2007)

The U.S. just detonated an absolutely enormous bomb, in an underground test: a king-sized bunker-buster, six times larger than what‘s currently in the American arsenal.

No, it‘s not the famed Divine Strake, but something else entirely…
You may remember the GBU-43 MOAB – Massive Ordnance Air Burst (or ‘Mother Of All Bombs’) the 21,000-pound megabomb that was wheeled out before Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now MOAB is to get an even bigger sibling, the MOP, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

It‘s a 30,000-pound weapon, designed to strike targets too deep or too hard for the biggest bunker-buster America‘s got, the 5,000-pound BLU-113. It can go through some 22 feet of concrete or over 100 feet of earth. MOP will go a lot deeper – 200 feet of 5,000 psi concrete.

04.09.2024 - 12:42 [ Axios.com ]

Biden‘s „war cabinet“: The key people advising him on the Israel-Hamas war

(Nov 4, 2023)

President Biden has been deeply involved in the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas war — one of the thorniest challenges of his presidency so far — receiving briefings at least once per day and speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times a week.

The big picture: Biden is leaning on a tight circle of trusted aides and officials. Here‘s a look at who‘s in the room when major decisions are being made.

26.08.2024 - 21:22 [ Times of Israel ]

Israel said to push US to present credible military threat or attack Iran’s nuclear sites

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the Northern Command headquarters earlier today with his American counterpart, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.

09.05.2024 - 08:16 [ CNN ]

Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches major invasion of Rafah

The president’s announcement that he was prepared to condition American weaponry on Israel’s actions amounts to a turning point in the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. And his acknowledgement that American bombs had been used to kill civilians in Gaza was a stark recognition of the United States’ role in the war.

The president has come under extraordinary pressure, including from members of his own party, to limit shipments of arms amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

09.05.2024 - 08:10 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Drohung von Präsident Biden: USA wollen keine Waffen für Großangriff auf Rafah liefern

In dem CNN-Interview wurde Biden gefragt, ob mit dem Typ an US-Bomben, deren Lieferung vorerst auf Eis liege, Zivilisten in Gaza getötet worden seien. Biden sagte dazu: „Zivilisten wurden im Gazastreifen infolge dieser Bomben und anderer Methoden, mit denen sie Bevölkerungszentren angreifen, getötet.“

Biden machte zugleich deutlich, die US-Regierung werde weiter sicherstellen, dass Israel ausreichend militärische Ausrüstung zur eigenen Verteidigung habe, etwa das Raketenabwehrsystems Iron Dome.

08.05.2024 - 19:41 [ JNS.org ]

US OKs 2,000-lb. bombs, F-35 fighter jets to Israel

(31.03.2024)

The arms packages included more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, according to Pentagon and State Department officials.

This month, the State Department also authorized the transfer to Israel of 25 F-35A fighter jets and engines worth roughly $2.5 billion, U.S. officials said.

08.05.2024 - 19:34 [ CBS News ]

White House pauses shipment of some weapons to Israel

The White House last week paused a shipment of weapons to Israel, as Israeli leaders closed in on a decision to launch an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Wednesday in testimony to Congress that „we paused one shipment of high payload munitions.„

09.04.2024 - 11:15 [ Haaretz ]

The Truth About Israel, Iran and 1980s U.S. Arms Deals

(Nov. 26, 2010)

In the aforesaid period Netanyahu served as deputy to Moshe Arens, when he was Israel‘s ambassador to Washington, D.C. (1982-83 ).

(…)

The recently revealed documents deal with an operation dubbed „Tipped Kettle,“ involving weapons the Israel Defense Forces looted from the Palestine Liberation Organization during Operation Peace for Galilee in Lebanon, and their transfer to the Contras – opponents of the socialistic Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.

(…)

Part II was patently illegal – a blatant effort by the White House to violate a Congressional order and to cook up a strange deal involving the sale of American weapons (originally supplied to the IDF ) to anti-American Iran, for use in its war with Iraq; the release of Western hostages being held in Lebanon by Iranian-controlled Hezbollah; and the financing of Contras‘ activities thanks to the difference between the sum paid by the Iranians and the true value of the weapons – minus a profit for those engaged in the deal.

(…)

The CIA had direct intelligence connections with the Mossad, but in the affair of the captured weapons the American agency preferred to hide behind the Pentagon.

20.03.2024 - 22:35 [ Ukrainska Pravda ]

Lloyd Austin promised at Ramstein meeting that US and other allies will not allow Ukraine to fail

(19.03.2024)

US Secretary of Defenсe Lloyd Austin, opening the Ramstein meeting on Tuesday, promised that the United States will continue to support Ukraine‘s military efforts against Russia. In practice, however, the US Congress continues to obstruct funding for Kyiv.

In his opening remarks, Austin said Russia paid a staggering price for the war, echoing estimates that at least 315,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded during the war, which has cost Russia up to US$211 billion.

09.03.2024 - 04:00 [ Harvard.edu ]

Brief History of the Domain Name System

Jan. 7, 1958 – President Eisenhower requested funds to start ARPA.

(…)

Summer 1975 – The Defense Communications Agency (DCA) took over the management of ARPANET.

(…)

· November 1983 – The rapid growth of the internet caused massive problems in bookkeeping. To deal with this problem a group including Jon Postel, Paul Mockapetris and Craig Partrige published RFC 882 which created the domain name system (DNS) to make Internet navigation easier. With DNS, users can type host names such as “USC-ISIF” instead of “10.2.0.52.” Every Address would have information from specific to general.

 

08.03.2024 - 21:24 [ David Cameron / Twitter ]

People in Gaza are in desperate humanitarian need. Alongside the US, the UK and partners have announced we will open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza. We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.

08.03.2024 - 21:14 [ White House ]

Joint Statement from the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States Endorsing the Activation of a Maritime Corridor to Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza

The United States announced an emergency mission led by the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier in Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the Government of Israel.

The delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza by sea will be complex, and our nations will continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as possible. This maritime corridor can—and must—be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes.

08.03.2024 - 20:54 [ Middle East Eye ]

US military conducts fourth Gaza airdrop

The US military carried out its fourth airdrop of assistance into Gaza, responding to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the densely populated coastal area on Friday, a US official told Reuters.

07.03.2024 - 21:00 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. floods arms into Israel despite mounting alarm over war’s conduct

Washington has approved more than 100 separate military sales to Israel since its invasion of Gaza, even as officials complain Israeli leaders have not done enough to protect civilians

05.03.2024 - 00:05 [ New York Times ]

Commando Network Coordinates Flow of Weapons in Ukraine, Officials Say

(June 25, 2022)

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group, which before the war had been training Ukrainian commandos at a base in the country’s west, quietly established a coalition planning cell in Germany to coordinate military assistance to Ukrainian commandos and other Ukrainian troops. The cell has now grown to 20 nations.

02.03.2024 - 22:36 [ Washington Post ]

Dropping aid from planes is expensive and inefficient. Why do it?

“No excuses, because the truth is aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough,” he said. “I won’t stand by, we won’t let up and we’re trying to pull out every stop we can to get more assistance in.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday the airdrops were intended to “supplement delivery on the ground,” not replace it.

“You can’t replicate the size and scale and scope of a convoy of 20 or 30 trucks,” he said.

02.03.2024 - 22:13 [ Yahoo.com ]

US carries out first airdrop of aid into Gaza

(today)

The U.S. airdrop used C-130 transport aircraft which dropped more than 38,000 meals along Gaza‘s Mediterranean coastline, the U.S. military said in a statement. (…)

A second U.S. official told Reuters the airdrops took place over southwestern Gaza and the town of Mawasi.

02.03.2024 - 22:04 [ Yahoo Canada ]

Israel‘s liberal use of large US-made bombs accounts for the high civilian casualty toll in Gaza, military experts say: ‚It‘s beyond anything that I‘ve seen in my career‘

(26.11.2023)

Israel‘s use of large, American-made bombs is contributing to the massive death toll in Gaza, passing some of the deadliest conflicts in recent memory.

The killing in Gaza, aided by the use of 2,000-pound US-made bombs, is outpacing many of this century‘s „deadliest moments,“ including the United States campaigns in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, according to The New York Times.

01.03.2024 - 06:56 [ Middle East Eye ]

Pentagon chief says over 25,000 Palestinian women and children killed by Israel in Gaza

At a congressional hearing on Thursday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said more than 25,000 Palestinian women and children had been killed by Israel since 7 October.

The remarks were in response to a question posed by Congressman Ro Khanna. The figure appears to be significantly higher than the death toll provided by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.

08.02.2024 - 19:46 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. strike in Baghdad kills key militia commander, officials say

U.S. military officials said Wednesday’s strike was carried out about 9:30 p.m. “in response to the attacks on U.S. service members” and resulted in the death of a militia commander “responsible for directly planning and participating” in those attacks. The statement, which does not identify the individual who was killed, said there were no initial indications of civilian casualties.

08.02.2024 - 19:42 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Drohnenangriff: US-Militär tötet irakischen Milizkommandeur

Nach Angaben des Sprechers der irakischen Streitkräfte, Jahja Rasul, ereignete sich der Angriff in einer Wohngegend. Der US-Angriff habe stattgefunden „ohne Rücksicht auf das Leben von Zivilisten oder internationales Recht“. Es bereite noch mehr Sorge, dass die Koalition ständig von den eigentlichen „Gründen und Zielen ihrer Präsenz“ im Irak abweiche.

Rasul bezeichnete die Präsenz der US-geführten Koalition als „Faktor für Instabilität“: „Dieser Kurs zwingt die irakische Regierung mehr als jemals zuvor, den Einsatz dieser Koalition zu beenden.“

02.02.2024 - 09:35 [ theCradle.co ]

Iraq wants ‘orderly’ withdrawal of ‘destabilizing’ US troops: PM

(10.01.2024)

„There is a need to re-organize [our] relationship [with Washington] so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani said, partly in reference to attacks by the Iraqi resistance on US bases.

The Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly said that Baghdad will neither accept foreign troops nor armed factions operating on its soil.

01.02.2024 - 19:05 [ CBS News ]

Plans for U.S. strikes on Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq, Syria approved after Jordan drone attack

Weather will be a major factor in the timing of the strikes, the U.S. officials told CBS News, as the U.S. has the capability to carry out strikes in bad weather but prefers to have better visibility of selected targets…

30.01.2024 - 06:45 [ Ray McGovern, Former Intelligence Analyst/Activist/Justice person / Twitter ]

Do we now have ISRAELI FALSE FLAG ATTACK killing US troops? It’s “Iran-backed” MSM says. Biden: we already “know” that; “while we are still gathering the facts.” Neocons/Israel lust to get US atk on Iran. CENTCOM lied threw its teeth under then Gen. Austin

(28.01.2024)

29.01.2024 - 09:42 [ Rudaw.net ]

Coalition mission will end during current cabinet: Iraqi govt spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Ending the mission of the United States-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq will be achieved during the current cabinet, said a government spokesperson on Sunday, noting that the process has already been set in motion.

29.01.2024 - 09:34 [ David M. Witty / Twitter ]

Iraqi government: the mission of the International Coalition in Iraq will end during the term of PM Sudani.

24.01.2024 - 12:49 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraq Condemns U.S. Strikes on PMF Headquarters as ‚Aggressive Actions‘

„While positive steps have been taken to reshape the future relationship and missions of the Coalition members and advisors in Iraq, the recent actions are hindering this progress, undermining agreements and various sectors of joint security cooperation,“ Rasool said.

„This unacceptable act undermines years of cooperation, blatantly violates Iraq‘s sovereignty, and contributes to an irresponsible escalation.“

Maj. Gen. Rasool said the strikes came at a time when the region is already grappling with the „danger of expanding conflict, the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza, and the consequences of the immoral war of extermination faced by the Palestinian people.“

24.01.2024 - 12:42 [ NPR.org ]

U.S. hits Iraq militia sites and anti-ship missiles in Yemen

(today)

Both the strikes in Iraq and Yemen targeted sites that the U.S. has said are involved in the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and were threatening U.S. military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

23.01.2024 - 01:46 [ Hindustan Times ]

US, UK forces carry out fresh airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen: Top updates

The airstrikes, carried out on Monday night, marked the eighth round of allied attacks in 12 days. They targeted an underground storage site and locations linked to the Houthis’ “missile and air surveillance capabilities,” the US and UK said in a statement along with partners Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.