Canada Kicks Ass
Chatter for August 1, 2017

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BartSimpson @ Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:57 pm

As always, this is from a chat with a friend and I do not represent any of this as confirmed. There are no dates on any of these stories (unless specified) but it's safe to say they occurred since June 1, 2017.

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In the Deir Ezzor province in Syria the US conducted an airstrike on a suspected convoy of Iranian-backed Shia mercenaries who were heading for the Tanf border crossing. In a total coincidence sigint reported a large number of funerals for the Iranian 64th Infantry Division (Urmia) due to a tragic training exercise.

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Turkey refused to participate in the battle to retake Raqqa because of the presence of SDF (Kurds) who were members of the coalition arrayed against the IS.

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Russia lifted sanctions against Turkey which were imposed after the shoot down of a Russian fighter back in November 2015. Turkey was getting hurt economically due to the large number of Russian tourists who usually winter at Turkish resorts. Turkey's concession is reportedly reduced support for NATO.

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Russia has moved at least five S-400 batteries into eastern Syria and they're using a new finely directed radar and laser targeting system that supposedly renders anti-air suppression systems ineffective.

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The Russians have also deployed around eighty Verba shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles to their ground units in Syria.

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Mexico's government has stepped up monitoring of journalists telephones, mail, and internet communications. Forensics on cyber attacks against television reporters and newspaper reporters lead back to the Army. The Mexican government says they're investigating the issue.

Also in Mexico two members of an unspecified law enforcement unit were found beheaded near Cabo San Lucas.

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China significantly reduced fuel shipments to North Korea in the first half of 2017 and while this has been publicly represented as supporting Western sanctions the truth is that North Korea is short on hard currency needed to buy fuel. The Chinese are also unhappy that North Korea isn't returning all of the locomotives and fuel tank cars that deliver oil into the DPRK.

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Early indications are that a new famine is starting in North Korea.

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Chinese tourists are not being allowed to cross into North Korea to use their resort areas. The DPRK in 2015 received over 250,000 Chinese as tourists and now that number is as low as 3,000.

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Russia was allowing increased trade traffic with North Korea but then the DPRK inexplicably seized two separate Russian ships that were at least 100Km out to sea from North Korean waters. The two ships and their crews were released unharmed but the Russians cancelled several cargo shipments in retaliation.

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The US Navy is developing software that will turn the venerable Tomahawk missile into an anti-ship missile.

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That is all.

   



xerxes @ Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:17 pm

The first five and the last five sound very plausible. Though I don't see why they USN would want to turn the Tomahawn into an ASM. It's awfully large for that kind of role is it not?

The Mexico bit is interesting....It sounds like some people in the army think they have that kind of authority. But it could be part of drug war they have going on too.

   



BartSimpson @ Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:36 am

I do know the Navy wants to extend the life of the Tomahawk out to at least 2040 and adding another capability to it helps to justify the expense. The probable reason they want the Tomahawk is that it can be a sea skimmer that avoids radar detection as opposed to the ballistic ASM platforms that are popular these days.

   



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