Daily SA: Omaha gets new DHS counterterrorism center
Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness briefing for Wednesday, 18 August 2021. You can receive this daily intel brief via email by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- Omaha’s new Counterterrorism Center
- Chinese media targets Taiwan
- More truckers on the road
- Colorado River drought gets worse
- Chinese hackers target Israel
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
OMAHA: The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center (NCITE) in Omaha, Nebraska is one of 10 centers used to “study urgent security concerns.” The center manages a $3.65 million budget for research across 18 universities including a Capitol Hill Riot defendant database, ISIS repatriation studies, and technology-enhanced counterterror methods. The director pledged the location in Omaha would prevent “the next Timothy McVeigh.” (Analyst Comment: Critics cite civil liberty concerns as the center is unlikely to fulfill its mandate without breaking the law. DHS’s orientation toward the Midwest is designed to be a signal to would-be domestic violent extremists that the Federal response is not isolated to the coasts. – D.M.)
TAIWAN: Chinese state-media are working overtime to damage U.S. credibility following recent news from Afghanistan. Pointedly drawing parallels between the Revolutionary War, Saigon, Kurdistan, and Kabul, the Chinese contend the U.S. doesn’t have the will to fight or defend “allies” and will seek convenience first. This is a renewed propaganda effort to degrade Taiwanese faith as well as Western cohesion, centered around U.S. leadership. (AC: The propaganda efforts of Chinese state-media are often amplified by self-loathing Westerners in major media and social media outlets. This is an easy talking point for China, for which the U.S. doesn’t have a cohesive or believable response. – D.M.)
TRUCKERS: Werner Enterprises is seeking to alleviate driver shortages across the country. The company filed an application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to allow commercial learner’s permit (CPL) holders on the road faster. The change in status would allow more driver teams to be on the road, reducing the impact of driver shortages and logistics backlogs. The company believes inexperienced drivers will be up to the task as the demand for drivers and goods is not slowing down. (AC: Other driving companies received approval from FMCSA for similar permitting changes, giving hope to logistics analysts that relief may be in sight as holiday shipping is underway. – D.M.)
WATER: Due to extended drought conditions, Arizona’s water apportionment from the Colorado River is being cut by 18% for water year 2022. The Bureau of Reclamation also announced a 7% cut in Nevada’s apportionment. Lake Mead will operate in a shortage condition for the first time in its 85 year history. The Colorado River system is down to 40% capacity, risking power access for millions and 2.5 million acres of crops in Arizona alone. (AC: Mexico is facing a 5% reduction in concurrence with the 1944 Water Treaty with Mexico. Separate from domestic resource scarcity, extended global drought conditions could begin to have geopolitical impacts as shortages are projected to remain for a number of years. – D.M.)
CYBER: Following the U.S., NATO, and EU announcement of persistent Chinese cyber espionage efforts, Israel finds itself the victim of similar efforts. For the past two years, Sharepoint vulnerabilities were exploited across the Middle East and Central Asia. Cybersecurity firm Fireeye said, “analysis showed multiple, concurrent operations against Israeli government institutions, IT providers and telecommunications entities” and is likely ongoing. (AC: The Chinese units involved are not directly publicly linked but shared methodology and tradecraft indicators give a higher likelihood the efforts are coordinated. China appears to be engaging in these espionage efforts globally and without recourse or meaningful attribution. – D.M.)
HAZARDS WARNING
HURRICANE SEASON: Tropical Depression Fred continues to deliver heavy rainfall across Appalachia and will dissipate over the next 48 hours according to the National Hurricane Center’s final alert for Fred. Tropical Storm Grace turned slightly south and is no longer projected to impact the Texas coast. Tropical Storm Henri remains in the Atlantic and is expected to dissipate within the next 72 hours.
In today’s Early Warning briefing, Dustin looks at the shaky long term future between China and Russia. Plus there’s information on over 50 coordinated protests nationwide in today’s Low Intensity Conflict SITREP. Upgrade your Situational Awareness to Early Warning here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe
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GUNS N GEAR
Note on Colorado River/Drought:
Tree rings that accurately reflect wet/dry periods in the American Southwest indicate no basis for timelines or severity. They show no periodicity or links to known cause.
The current drought could end this year. Or extend many decades further.
Allotments for Colorado River water shares/amounts were calculated using data from the more recent “wet” periods. An optimism that is coming back to bite current users.
It’s unlikely to end this year. The PDO is a 20-30 year cycle.
There was an error regarding Obama’s new Das Heimat Schutze center in the heart of Whiteystan.
They will import the terrorists so that we have to fight them here and the crackdown can begin.
CDL age will be lowered so that the trucker shortage can be lessened and starting pay for long haul is $100,000+ but it is more suited for a single person.
Enjoying groceries and prepping stocks? Thank a trucker.
Coming up on 100 years since the Colorado River plans were worked out and when it dries up bye bye American Southwest which will cause a migration and famine but that is a feature to the we must move quickly globalists and Weather Underground Government.
At least we don’t have the bad orange tweets.
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I think the damage to US credibility is the fault of the US. China is merely reminding everyone of the obvious, that the US failed miserably in Afghanistan. The only question remaining is what will now happen to us. Somewhere around the house I have a book titled The Fateful Pebble, which makes the argument that the failure of the Afghanistan campaign was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back with the Soviet Union. It fell apart within four years after the withdraw from Afghanistan. One of the arguments made by the book is that the Soviet failure destroyed what remained of the credibility of the Red Army and the Soviet military establishment.
I don’t think we can defend Taiwan, nor should we. We Americans should focus on our own very serious problems.
We have to defend the Taiwan or China will dominate Microchip production.
This isn’t an option, it’s a requirement.
In two years 3 U.S. Domestic Microchip and Silicon Wafer production facilities go online. One is owned by TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
So, despite what the media and CCP say, we are friends with Taiwan. Forever.
I absolutely disagree and I have a number of reasons for my viewpoint, but for now, I’ll say that if any American wants to volunteer to go to war for Taiwan that is fine by me, but I hope you don’t expect the rest of the country to participate. Indeed, I think that our Pharisee would be masters would love to see both countries destroyed in a stupid war over a non-entity, a tiny little island in the Pacific. It would remove some potential stumbling blocks for their great reset.
We are going to need our fighting age males right here. We have bigger problems than computer chips.
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