Podcasts about rimpac

Back Home, One week later.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.There is something worse than waking up and not knowing where you are: you could wake up and not know who you are.Note: World Events Stuff ~ aka Why things are happening in Cáel's lifeThe phone was from Iskender. His boss, Oyuun Tömörbaatar (OT), the former UN ambassador from Kazakhstan and now the informal and unrecognized UN representative and chief diplomat of the Khanate to the same august body, wanted to talk with me, immediately. OT wasn't being diplomatic at the moment, that would come later.{Now this is going to get convoluted}Any inquiries to the Khanate that didn't also include immediate official recognition of the Khanate currently were being steered my (and Hana's) way. For all the behind closed doors crap, he had me, his loyal ass-monkey mutton-head. I held faint hope that this latest meeting would work out to my benefit. For the meeting, I traveled light, only Naomi (the Amazon) and Chaz (British SRR) watched over me.Now fathers who know me, hide their daughters. I'd earned my 'scoundrel' reputation. T. Sarangerel, OT's daughter, was in the room when Iskender ushered me in. She gave me an uncertain look, I shrugged and she smiled. It took me 3 nano seconds to figure that out, OT was scoping me out as a potential son-in-law. I was in Temujin's Inner Circle and a man who he trusted (a rarity). Any union with me would strengthen OT's clan's standing in the new regime.The genetic footprint Temujin, and his immediate family collectively, had put down in the 13th and 14th centuries CE today was vast. He needed that to make his plans for the internal reorganization of the Khanate work. The old republics would go away, to be replaced by a system akin to the Byzantine 'themes, the re-organization of regions based on the recruitment of the Tumens.The Khanate was aiming for an 'Autocratic Republic' ~ a term invented in the 19th century. My use of this terminology was based on my gut instinct, Alal's host of memories involving every form of governance, and my experience with human nature. That clued me in to what Temujin was up to, his Greater Plan. He wasn't going to form a false-front government. He was going to retain the decision-making powers and do so openly, thus 'Autocratic'.He also planned to have a bicameral legislative branch. The Upper House would be based in Tumens and bureaucratic leadership, intellectual standing, religious sects, and tribal entities. This body would be based on merit, not primogeniture. The Lower, main chamber, would be a democratically-elected assembly (aka a democratic republic) that advised him on policy matters, thus 'Republic'.All the power would remain in the Great Khan's hands and would be exercised by his genetic descendants (which some geneticists estimated as being as high as 25% of the Central Asian population.) Marrying into that extended family would be easy, the 'family' itself would have a vested interesting in supporting a state that benefited them.Men and women could exercise power in the government through marriage alliances, identical to the manner Hana was working through me. Being surrounded by very populous countries in various states of belligerence, empowering women wouldn't be an issue since every willing mind and pair of hands mattered. Outsiders who shone through could be offered a spouse and brought into the ruling elite since polygamy was permissible.In the Khanate there would be universal compulsive suffrage (everyone 18+ was legally required to vote) to decide on the representatives in the new legislative body. Everyone was expected to fight, so everyone voted. It would be modeled on the Duma of early 20th century Imperial Russia. Unlike the ill-fated Tsar Nicholas II, Temujin would be much more attentive to the voice of the people, in the Information Age, he had to.Or so I hoped. I spewed forth my ideas to OT who didn't agree, or disagree with my vision. Perhaps Temujin and I did share a bond that went beyond obligation. OT then pulled a 'Pamela'."He told me he knew immediately you were his brother when you and I shared that vision," he commented out of nowhere."His words: You (Earth and Sky) are the old. He (meaning me) is the new. He (me again) will show us the way." My, that was nice, obtuse and not at all helpful. What did OT want? My good buddy, the Great Khan, wanted to cash in on Hana's and my sudden popularity. His most pressing need remained 'time'. He needed to have a cease-fire in the wings when his offensive resumed the next day.The Earth and Sky had moved, well, the Heaven and Earth to get the Tumens and their accompanying national armies up and running after only a two day respite. Thanks to me, Manchuria was a mess. The Russians had carried out my 'Operation: Funhouse' with mixed, mostly positive results.Dozens of smaller Chinese military police units along the border went, 'inactive' was the term most often used in the media. They didn't disarm, yet they didn't fight the Russians either. They sat back and let events unfold. The issue wasn't the Chinese's willingness to fight and die for their country. It was the schizophrenic government in Beijing.The PRC didn't want to wage a war with the Russian Federation at that moment. The Khanate was the priority. There were two fundamentally incompatible courses of action favored for dealing with the Russians:One large group advocated a passive Option A: let the Russians step in and shield the three remaining provinces making up Manchuria that were still in Chinese possession. Later, China would use military, economic and political means to edge the Russians out, once the Khanate was dealt with.A sizable faction favored a more aggressive Option B: play a game of chicken with Vladimir Putin. Tell the Bear not to come across the border while threatening him with a bloody and pointless (for him) guerilla war if he did intervene. Events on the ground were not providing a lot of support for that school of thought,However, this split at the highest levels of leadership left the local and regional commanders to try and muddle through as best they could. To the local commanders defending the Amur River side of the Chinese-Russian border, common sense dictated that they not oppose the Russian crossings, because the Russian 35th Army would kill them.All their military units had gone west to the Nen River line. With no heavy weapons and little air support, the People's Armed Police (PAP) (paramilitary) and the Public Security Bureau (regular police) units would be wiped out for little gain.Russia's GRU (Military Intelligence) sweetened the pot by allowing the police units to remain armed and in formation. It could be argued that they weren't even committing treason. At any time, they could throw themselves into the battle, or form the core of a resistance movement. 'Conserving your strength' had been a hallmark of the Communist Chinese struggle against the Imperial Japanese and Nationalists forces from the 1920's until 1945 and it had served them well.For the party officials, civil authorities and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Army Air Force (PLAAF), and Army Navy (PLAN) who had gone with Option B, things weren't working out. In the north of Heilongjiang province at Morin Dawa/the Nen River line, the regional commander of the ad hoc forces facing the Khanate decided to duke it out with the Russian 36th Army as well. He was boned from the get-go.The PLAAF's overall command and control had been badly disrupted in the first few hours of The Unification War and had never fully recovered. Of the 22 air regiments that the PLAAF had started the war with in the Shenyang Military District (NE China), only 5 remained as effective formations flying, on average, a meager 20% of their original complement of advanced Shenyang J-16's, J-11's, Chengdu J-10's and Xian JH-7's aircraft.Replacing their aircraft losses meant sending up aged Shenyang J-8's (rolled out in 1980) and Nanchang Q-5's (in 1970) to fly and die in droves fighting their technologically superior Khanate foes. To add insult to injury, China's fleet of 97 Su-30MKK/MK2's (built in Russia) had suffered numerous suspicious mechanical and electronic failures, rendering them either flying coffins, or space holders in bomb-proof shelters.Furthermore, of the forces arrayed in the far north, only two of the five air regiments were responding. Two of the other three had begun displacing south into the Beijing Military District and preparing to defend the capital city. The fifth formation had another problem, North Korea (, more on that later.)In opposition to those two Chinese air regiments (roughly 60 aircraft of mixed types) stood seven complete and fresh Russian air regiments (over 400 front-line aircraft) and that didn't include the regiment and elements of the Far East Naval Aviation which was ALSO watching North Korea (, again more on that later.) The latter was of small comfort to the forces trying to hold the already compromised Nen River line.Behind those valiant troops, along the much more defensible Amur River line, the commander of the key city of Heihe sided with the Option A group and let the Russian 35th Army cross the river unopposed. By the time the PLA commanding general of the 'Nen Force' (the 69th Motorized Division and the subordinate 7th Reserve Division) figured that out, he was already in a shooting war with the Russians. So his supply lines weren't in danger, they were lost.The final indignity took place at Zalantun. The commander of the 3rd Reserve Div. had died during the attempt to recapture Zalantun. His replacement died when his helicopter was shot down as he was coming to assume command. In the absence of these officers, the divisional chief of staff told his men, including two hastily hustled forward mechanized brigades, to put down their arms. That meant 'Nen Force' was completely cut-off and surrounded.One battalion of the 36th Russian Motorized Brigade (yes, too many 36's running around) disarmed the Chinese troops while the rest, plus the 74th Independent Motorized Brigade raced for the prize, the city of Qiqihar. The last major mechanized formation of the 36th Rus. Army, the 39th MB was following them. However, instead of manning Qiqihar's defenses, the Chinese garrison in that city was waging war on its own populace.It wasn't only in Qiqihar; chaos reigned throughout Heilongjiang province. The Provincial Head of the Communist Party, Wang Xiankui, supported Option A. The Provincial Governor, Lu Hao, went with Option B. Both figures were rising stars in the PRC. Wang had ordered the still forming Reserve Divisions and the PAP units to disperse, thus avoiding any untimely confrontations with the Russians.Lu, without consulting Wang, ordered the same forces to launch a violent crackdown on all dissident forces, specifically all racial minorities. (It turned out that Lu was also a member of the Seven Pillars and his witch-hunt was aimed at getting the Earth and Sky organization operating in Heilongjiang).For the men and women on the other end of those phone conversations, there was no 'right' answer. Lest we forget, their organizations were already degraded by the Anthrax outbreak. Both men were powerful and represented China's future leadership, so if the person in charge at the ground level obeyed the wrong one, they could be assured of being roasted by the other.Some did try to do both, repress and disband at the same time. That meant that in the process of making mass arrests among an already war-fearful and plague-fearful populace, the law enforcement infrastructure began disintegrating.The problem with Lu's/7P's plan was that there was no 'revolutionary' organization to round up. That wasn't how the Earth and Sky operated in North-East China. They remained in tiny sabotage and reconnaissance cells. While they were scurrying for cover from the police crackdown, an opportunity presented itself.The afflicted minorities were getting furious with their treatment. These minorities saw themselves as loyal Chinese, yet they were being dragged out into the streets, put in detentions centers and (in a few cases) summarily executed. Being less than 10% of the overall population, resistance had never crossed their minds. It seemed all that those defenseless people could do was pray for Russian intervention forces to arrive.Within that mix of fear, betrayal and rage, the E and S discovered a way to start the dominos falling. The small, well-armed and well-trained E and S cells began ambushing police detachments. Weapons from those dead men and women were turned over to the pissed off locals before the cell went off to stalk the next police unit.Wash, rinse and repeat. It became a perverse and bloody case of wish fulfillment. Lu and the 7P's had been looking for an insurrection and they started one. Even though a miniscule portion of the population was involved, from the outside looking in, it reinforced the Putin Public Affairs initiative that portrayed Putin (and his army) as coming in to restore order to a collapsing civil system, which he was helping disrupt.From Moscow, the PRC's indecisiveness looked like Manna from Heaven. For the massive numbers of Russian soldiers riding through the Manchurian countryside, it felt like they were rolling into Arkham Asylum. Unlike the NATO countries' professional armies, Russia remained a largely conscript force whose normal term of service was only one year. These unseasoned troops could never tell if the local military, military police and police would attack until they rolled up on the Chinese units.At the start of that Day One of Operation: Funhouse, the Russian ROE (Rules of Engagement) was 'Ask and Verify'. It was tactically advantageous for the belligerent Chinese forces to lie about their intentions, then begin shooting at the Russians when they got close enough to hurt them. By Day Two, the standard front-line Russian soldier had adjusted that ROE to 'if they look at us wrong, light their asses up'. By Day Three, the officers had stopped trying to enforce Moscow's ROE orders.That was fine for the combat and rear echelon support troops because both the Chinese and Russian governments had another series of problems and they all centered around Pyongyang and Kim Jong-un's declaration that North Korea would intervene as well, without letting anyone know who he was 'intervening' against. To keep everyone guessing, the North Korean' People's Army was massing on all three borders, facing off with the PRC, Russia and South Korea. To prove his diplomatic intentions, Kim pledged to only mobilize half of his reserves, merely 4,250,000 extra men and women to go with his 950,000 strong standing army.It didn't take a military, or economic genius to realize the North Korean's chronically 'near death' economy was stampeding off a cliff. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was in the middle of an oil crisis and Kim was increasing their fuel consumption by 400% while decreasing his workforce by 10%. To put it in perspective, the US unemployment was around 6%. Now imagine that in one week's time it would become 26%. One week, no severance packages. Would the population become unsettled?But wait, it gets better. The Secret War was colliding with the Real World in more places than Manchuria. Setting aside the assassination attempt (Grrr) of Hana Sulkanen, my fiancée, six Nipponese elders (two women and four men) appeared in the personal quarters of the Japanese Prime Minister on the first full night of 'Funhouse' and relayed their urgent requests.Those six were the Head of the Six (formerly Seven) Ninja Families and they were there at, my urging. Cause I'm an idiot and requiring the deaths of Romanians in my personal crusade obviously wasn't enough. Now I was asking the Japanese Defense Forces (JDF) to pony up as well. So take a deep breath and put on the hip-waders.You might be wondering why I would want the JDF, see, there was part of Operation: Funhouse that was hitting a predictable snag, namely the Korea People's Navy Force (KPNF) and the uncertain determination of the PLAN:The KPNF's vessels were rather old, small and crappy. They also had a love affair with anything that could launch a torpedo and they listed over 700 of these floating deathtraps (only 13 of which could be classified as surface warships) and the fanatical crews to take them into battle.The PLAN's numbers were far more realistic and the fleet generally more modern. Only their North (18 surface warships) and East Fleets (22 plus 5 'elsewhere') could play any role in an upcoming FUBAR, and both fleets were heading out to sea, mainly to avoid the sporadic, but increasingly effective Khanate air strikes.The FU to be BAR'ed was the Russian Far East Fleet (RFEF) (6 warships strong, ) that had seized on this crazy idea (per my suggestion) to sail south, around the Korean peninsula so they could land elements of the 55th Guards Red Banner Marine Brigade (the 165th Marine Regiment and the 180th Marine Tank Battalion).Theoretically they were going to be the 'Southern Shielding Force' that would interpose itself between the Khanate and Beijing. It should surprise no one that the RFEF's flotilla was unequal to the task of taking their destination, the port of Qinhuangdao, by amphibious assault. Fortunately for the Gods of War (which did not include me), there were five other navies involved.Meanwhile, South Korea was having kittens because their always crazy northern kin were slathering on the insanity. (In how many Buddhist countries do people flock to the temples and pray that their neighbor attacks someone, anyone else, but them? That wasn't a religious conundrum I wanted to deal with.) N.Korea mobilizing meant S.Korea had to mobilize, which sucked down on their GNP as well.Besides, N.Korean dams and coal-powered plants kept the lights on in Seoul. Erring on the side of caution, the S. Korea (aka Republic of Korea, ROK) Army suggested calling up only one million of their three million person reserve force in order to assure Cousin Kim that this was a purely defensive gesture. It didn't work. Kim Jong-un castigated the ROK for antagonizing him, despite his declaration that he 'might' feel like invading the South in the immediate future.Into the emerging crisis, the ROK Navy could sortie nineteen small surface ships. Japan's Navy wasn't up to its old imperial standards, but could still deploy 45 surface warships. The 800 lb. gorilla in the room was the core of the 7th Fleet stationed at Yokosuka, Japan, the USS carrier George Washington and her 14 escort vessels.If the George Washington was the gorilla, RIMPAC 2014 was King Kong. 22 nations, 50 ships, including the USS carrier Ronald Reagan were engaged in war games in the Central Pacific. With them were 5 vessels of the PLAN, had Kim Jong-un just kept his mouth shut, this wouldn't have been an issue. Hell, if the Khanate had not come into existence and launched its Unification War, but he had and they did,To show the US was taking this escalation seriously (without tipping their hand that they knew about Funhouse, Carrier Strike Group One (CSG 1) (the Carl Vinson +10) was rushing across the Pacific from San Diego. CSG 3 (the John C. Stennis +2) was being assembled hastily so that they could rendezvous with CSG 1 ASAP. So many brave souls running toward the danger, sometimes I hate myself.So now does it make sense that I found myself in a room with a US Senator tasked with riding herd on me?Anyway, there were the other three navies still unaccounted for, Taiwan / the Republic of China (ROC) (22 surface ships), Vietnam (7) and the Philippines (3). Taiwanese involvement was easy to explain, the PRC refused to acknowledge them as an independent country and probably never would.The Vietnam People's Navy was tiny in both numbers and tonnage. Five of the vessels were 1960's Soviet frigates. What Vietnam did have was a huge grudge against the PRC. The PLA invaded Vietnam in 1979 and devastated the northernmost provinces, killing as many as 100,000 civilians.The PLAN had walloped the VPN in 1974 (technically South Vietnam) and again in 1988. Out in the South China Sea were two island archipelagos; the Paracel (occupied by a small PLA garrison and claimed by the PRC, Vietnam and the ROC) and Spratlys Islands (disputed by Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, the PRC, the ROC, and Vietnam).The Philippines had a grand total of three frigates (all between 50 and 70 years old). 99% of the time, they faced a hopeless struggle enforcing Philippines' South China Sea claims, except they were now experiencing that 1% where the PRC found itself in a life and death struggle. Even then, the PLAN's South Sea Fleet was hands-down the biggest player with 26 surface warships centered on the Carrier Liaoning.Except (and there always seems to be an 'except') virtually all the PLAN's naval aviation had gone off to fight the Khanate and it wasn't coming back, ever. In the air, the Philippines was next to useless. What did they have of offer in the struggle for the South China Sea? Bases. The ROC and Vietnam had much more to bring to the table.The Vietnamese People's Liberation Air Force (VPLAR) had about 50 front-line aircraft and 175 nearly obsolete models ~ the same models the PLAAF was now piloting. The ROC Air Force could put up 325 almost-new fighters that were now superior to their opponents on the mainland. Why would I give a shit?Things cascade. The Khanate Air Force took a two-day long deep breath as Putin's 'Policeman that only looks like an invading army' started their intervention. Forty-eight hours later, the Khanate started the fourth stage (the first lunge, defeat the PLA's counter-attack then the second lunge) of the campaign.Their initial air power was still skating on thin ice where maintenance was concerned. They need more time to thoroughly rest their pilots and bring all their top-flight equipment to 100% working condition. Against them, in two days the PLAAF's assets increased by over 250 fighters.In turn, the Khanate had added their constituent state air forces plus nearly 80 new cutting edge air planes and 25 drones. Phase Four saw rolling airstrikes all along the forces massing in front of the northern and central Tumens. For a few hours, the PLA thought they knew what was going on.They were wrong and this was where my meeting with OT came in. Jab with the right, cut them down with the left. The left in my case was Tibet. Yeah, Tibet. Economic value = not nearly enough. From the very start of the war, a small number of seemingly inconsequential air strikes had seriously eroded the PLA and PLAAFs combat power in the Tibetan Plateau while leaving the roads, bridges and towns intact.Common military logic dictated that the Khanate had to punch their way further east into Qinghai (to the south) and Gansu (to the north) provinces. That was where the population and industry where. Farther east were even greater numbers of people and factories and the Khanate forces in the North hadn't been strong enough to threaten to cut off the Qinghai-Gansu front. Then the Russians showed up and the Khanate forces threatening that flank doubled overnight.The PLA hastily reinforced their northern flank, using troops from their strategic reserves. The move resulted in incredible attrition by airpower to the freshly equipped formations. The PLA was about to get flanked, but not from the north. Southwest of Qinghai was Tibet. A third of the Khanate's mobile forces now swept around in a huge left haymaker to the south.My job? I needed the 'Free Tibet' forces in the US and UK to provide public and moral support to the Khanate move. As Khanate Special Forces seized crucial bottlenecks in Tibet, they needed the locals to keep their 'liberators' informed of PLA presences and undermine any attempt to create a guerilla movement.The five Tumens dedicated to being the Schwerpunkt (point of maximum effort) of this flanking maneuver were going to be on a tight timetable if they were going to surround the PLA forces in Central China.My plan was to convince the Tibetans that the PRC's 55 years of occupation was coming to an end and the Great Khan wanted to sign a 'Treaty of Mutual Respect' (my invention). This would require both the Khanate and Tibet to recognize each other's right to exist the moment a cease-fire was reached. That was it. No 'armed presence', or 'mutual defense' agreements.The treaty would be formally signed in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, when the city was safe ~ as determined by the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile, CTA). Riki came up with an additional sweetener and proved she was quickly adjusting to our group's extra-governmental capabilities.

Originally from San Francisco, Brandon Lee was working as a journalist in Ifugao in the Philippines when he survived an assassination attempt–a shooting carried out by forces close to the US-backed Duterte regime.    Brandon talks about surviving the attack, the US disinformation machine, and why the Bay goes so hard for liberation in the Philippines.    Website: Justice4BrandonLee.org IG: Justice4BrandonLee: https://www.instagram.com/justice4brandonlee/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/Justice4BrandonLee    International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines-US: https://ichrpus.wordpress.com/  BAYAN USA: https://www.bayanusa.org/    "Death Squads Hunting Environmental Defenders" (Brandon, In These Times): https://inthesetimes.com/article/brandon-lee-philippines-violence-environmental-activists "The U.S. Is Complicit in War Crimes in the Philippines" (Brandon, Inkstick Media): https://inkstickmedia.com/the-us-is-complicit-in-war-crimes-in-the-philippines/ "The Forces That Nearly Murdered Me Are Meeting In San Francisco Today" (Brandon, The Nation): https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/apec-summit-san-francisco/    "Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic" (Chris Bing and Joel Schectman, Reuters): https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/   "SHUTDOWN: The Rise and Fall of Direct Action to Stop the War": documentary about the protests in response to the Iraq war in 2003 that shut down San Francisco for: https://vimeo.com/57710595   Past episodes mentioned: Imperial War Games of RIMPAC f/ Abbey Irodistan from BAYAN USA NorCal: https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-imperial-f-108415933 SF Against APEC w/ Anakbayan CCSF: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sf-against-apec-109660245 - Support us and find links to our past episodes: patreon.com/sadfrancisco  

This summer, two Poseidon MRA.1 (P-8A) Maritime Reconnaissance Attack aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth flew to Hawaii for the world's largest international maritime exercise. Called Exercise Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC for short, it involved 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. InsideAIR went to find out more. InsideAIR is produced for the Royal Air Force by RAF Media Reserves. Theme music by RAF Music Services.

On this episode of Defence Deconstructed, David Perry speaks to Commodore Kristjan Monaghan about his experiences at RIMPAC, role in the exercise, and lessons learned. Then at 34:10, Dave has a discussion with Dr. Casey Babb about the China-Russia partnership in light of his recent paper for us, titled "A Match Made in Heaven: China-Russia Technology Co-operation and Canada's National Security". You can find his paper here: https://www.cgai.ca/a_match_made_in_heaven_china_russia_tech_co_operation_and_canadas_national_security Guests' bios: - Canadian Navy Commodore Kristjan Monaghan was the Commander of the Combined Forces Maritime Component Command of Exercise RIMPAC - Dr. Casey Babb is Senior Fellow with the Macdonald Laurier Institute, International Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and an Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute Host biography Dr. David Perry is the President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute Book Recommendations: - "Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media", by Peter Singer and Emerson Brooking: https://www.amazon.com/LikeWar-Weaponization-P-W-Singer/dp/1328695743 Recording Date: 16 August and 7 August 2024 Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary.

On this episode of Defence Deconstructed, David Perry speaks to Dr. Ian Brodie and Dr. Alexander Salt about their participation at the 2024 edition of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise. Then at 41:00, you'll hear a panel discussion on the practical aspects of Canada-US cooperation for NORAD modernization, featuring MGen Constance Jenkins, MGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Joanne Lostracco, MGen (ret'd) Punch Moulton, and moderated by Dr. Andrea Charron. Guests' bios: Dr. Ian Brodie is CGAI's Program Director and Professor at the University of Calgary. Dr. Alexander Salt is Triple Helix' Post-Doctoral Fellow MGen Constance Jenkins is Director Logistics and Engineering for NORAD/ USNORTHCOM MGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet is the Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force Joanne Lostracco is the DG (Minister), Defence Procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada MGen (ret'd) Punch Moulton is the Vice President of Stellar Advisors, Stellar Solutions Dr. Andrea Charron is Professor at the University of Manitoba and a Fellow for Canadian Global Affairs Institute Host biography Dr. David Perry is the President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute Book Recommendations: - "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology", by Chris Miller: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chip-War/Chris-Miller/9781982172008 - "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class", by Rob Henderson: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Troubled/Rob-Henderson/9781982168537 Recording Date: 6 August and 1 May 2024 Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary.

Am vergangenen Freitag (2. August) endete mit RIMPAC 2024 das bis dato weltweit größte Flottenmanöver, das alle zwei Jahre von der U.S. Third Fleet mit Sitz auf Hawaii ausgerichtet wird. RIMPAC steht für „Rim of the Pacific”, was so viel wie „Randzone des Pazifiks” bedeutet. An den diesjährigen Manövern, die am 29. Juni begannen, warenWeiterlesen

Im Indopazifik findet unter der Leitung der USA die Militärübung “Rimpac” statt. Bundesverteidigungsminister Pistorius reist mit mehr Personal und Material an. Welche Strategie verfolgt er für die Bundeswehr international?

Hawaiian Electric alerted customers they could potentially lose power yesterday. What caused this alert and which communities were warned they could be affected. For the first time, Germany is taking part in RIMPAC. What Germany's Defense Minister says he is working on with U.S. military leaders. It's been nearly one year since the Maui wildfires. A new study on Maui resident's mental health shows how people are still struggling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   His Week That Was – Kevin Healy Court decision in Philippines for those charged with assisting Lumad children blockaded by the government in Mindanao – human rights activist Peter Murphy Retired South Australian QC Paul Heywood-Smith analyzing the ICJ advisory opinion regarding the unlawful presence of Israel in the Palestinian occupied territories. Retired US Colonel, now anti war activist Ann Wright speaking about demonstrations in Washington and elsewhere in the US about genocide and the Impact of the RIMPAC war games in Hawaii. Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees and the impact of the Zionist Federation of Australia taking freelance journalist Mary Kostakidis to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Director of the GeneEthics Network Bob Phelps on the dismissal of the class action of 800 non Hodgkin lymphoma patients on round up use. Head to www.3cr.org.au/hometime-tuesday for full access to links and previous podcasts

What's next for the Democratic Party after Biden's announcement that he would not seek reelection?; Data on greenhouse gas emissions from RIMPAC

For review:1. Royal Australian Navy Destroyer Employs Naval Strike Missile at RIMPAC 2024.Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG-42) successfully fired a Naval Strike Missile and sank former amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1) in the waters off Hawaii during the biennial Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercise.2. China & Philippines open a direct line of communication between respective presidential offices to prevent escalation of events during territorial disputes in the South China Sea.3. Israel Prime Minister in Washington D.C. (Monday).PM Netanyahu will address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday and will meet with President Joe Biden in the White House on Thursday. 4. At Farnborough Air Show, Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) partners (Italy, Japan, & UK), unveil a concept of the future crewed fighter. The concept design is a delta wing shape, with increased wingspan ,compared to previous iterations.5. At Farnborough, USAF Secretary comments on the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter program.6. US releases Arctic Strategy document: 2024 National Strategy for the Arctic Region.7. US Army Reports 6 Month Schedule Delay in JLTV Production. According to PEO Combat Support & Combat Systems Support Spokesperson: AM General's initial delivery of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), has been delayed by six months- due to challenges starting up a new production line.

For RIMPAC, 29 countries and so-called Israel are in Hawaii to explode some old naval ships, waste a ton of money, kill some birds and dolphins, and make local kids feel like they're under a perpetual state of siege. Abbey Irodistan is with the Filipino anti-imperialist group BAYAN USA NorCal, which is joining Hawaiians to call for an end to RIMPAC forever.  "SF Against APEC" episode with Anakbayan CCSF BAYAN USA NorCal (Instagram) Anakbayan USA  Gabriela USA  SF Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines Toshio Meronek and Tofu Estolas make Sad Francisco.  Support us and find links to our past episodes: patreon.com/sadfrancisco

The Navy is trying out an experimental 3D printer to make spare parts during RIMPAC; A UH researcher has new insights on how to repair faulty genes

For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party's Ricardo Menéndez March about the new climate strategy announced by Climate Change Minister Simon Watts.  He spoke to John Minto from Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa about the updated death toll in Gaza published by UK Medical Journal - The Lancet, as well as New Zealand's participation in RIMPAC and the government's increased support for Ukraine. For this week's Get Action! He spoke to Ayah Kayed from Students for Justice in Palestine Pōneke to talk about a petition calling for Victoria University of Wellington to divest from the state of Israel. And he spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney from the University of Auckland about advancements in solar and wind power and the contribution to our net zero emissions goals. Sasha spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney from the University of Auckland about advancements in solar and wind power and it's contribution to our net zero emissions goals.

A recent report by the UK medical journal - The Lancet, estimated that the actual number of casualties in the Gaza strip is above 186,000. This number was estimated based on the percentage of infrastructure in Gaza destroyed by Israeli missiles, as well as the impacts of famine and communicable disease caused by Israel's war on the Gaza strip.  Oto spoke to John Minto from Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa to discuss the figures published in the Lancet and what it means for the war in Gaza.  They also spoke about New Zealand's involvement in RIMPAC, as well as Christopher Luxon's increased support to Ukraine.

For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party's Ricardo Menéndez March about the new climate strategy announced by Climate Change Minister Simon Watts.  He spoke to John Minto from Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa about the updated death toll in Gaza published by UK Medical Journal - The Lancet, as well as New Zealand's participation in RIMPAC and the government's increased support for Ukraine. For this week's Get Action! He spoke to Ayah Kayed from Students for Justice in Palestine Pōneke to talk about a petition calling for Victoria University of Wellington to divest from the state of Israel. And he spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney from the University of Auckland about advancements in solar and wind power and the contribution to our net zero emissions goals. Sasha spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney from the University of Auckland about advancements in solar and wind power and it's contribution to our net zero emissions goals.

A recent report by the UK medical journal - The Lancet, estimated that the actual number of casualties in the Gaza strip is above 186,000. This number was estimated based on the percentage of infrastructure in Gaza destroyed by Israeli missiles, as well as the impacts of famine and communicable disease caused by Israel's war on the Gaza strip.  Oto spoke to John Minto from Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa to discuss the figures published in the Lancet and what it means for the war in Gaza.  They also spoke about New Zealand's involvement in RIMPAC, as well as Christopher Luxon's increased support to Ukraine.

Mới đây Hoa Kỳ và 28 quốc gia đối tác đã bắt đầu cuộc tập trận hải quân lớn nhất thế giới ngoài khơi bờ biển Hawaii. Được gọi là Cuộc tập trận Vành đai Thái Bình Dương (RIMPAC), các nhà phân tích cho biết cuộc tập trận năm nay mang đến cho các đối tác cơ hội hợp tác trong khi gửi thông điệp răn đe mạnh mẽ tới Trung Quốc.

A local law historian gives his thoughts on the presidential immunity Supreme Court ruling; The PUC chair discusses a potential solution to keeping the power on during future electrical outages; We take a tour of RIMPAC, the largest international maritime war exercise; The story behind Chamorro tattoos

It is the eve of the 2024 iteration of RIMPAC -- the Rim of the Pacific exercise -- which is hosted by the United States Navy.RIMPAC is the biggest naval exercise in the world and it is held primarily in the waters around Hawaii. RIMPAC 2024 will see 29 nations, 40 ships and numerous aircraft participate. One of those ships is His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Max Bernays, the newest ship in Canada's Pacific Fleet.HMCS Max Bernays is a Harry DeWolf class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV). These ships operate primarily in a constabulary role and have the ability to carry out a number of missions.At approximately 6,500 tons, Canada's AOPVs have a lot of capability with their special spaces, large quarterback, large flight deck, and the ability to operate in first year sea ice. Being a new class of ship means that they are not without issues however, so we will discuss some of them in this episode.What's not commonly known however are some of the operating limitations that exist due to the lengthy process to certify capabilities for the class.Joining me to speak about the Royal Canadian Navy's participation in RIMPAC 2024 is Commodore David Mazur, the Commander of Canada's Pacific Fleet. It is ships under his command that are participating in RIMPAC, They are: HMCS Max Bernays, HMCS Vancouver, and the Combat Support Ship MV Asterix.  Our focus of this episode is to discuss the rationale for the Navy to deploy HMCS Max Bernays to RIMPAC 2024 -- it will be the first of Canada's new AOPVs to take part in the exercise -- and to discuss the process to configure the ship to best contribute to the exercise. You'll learn that there is a lot of forethought to this decision, and much effort to unlock capability in the ship. In doing so, the Canadian Pacific Fleet is unlocking capability for the entire Harry DeWolf class.Our chat took place on 18 June 2024, the day that HMCS Max Bernays set sail for Hawaii. This episode is a fascinating discussion with candid perspective, so I'm confident you will come away from this episode with a better understanding of Canada's Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, and an appreciation for a senior military leader who I have great respect for.My thanks to Commodore David Mazur for his time, insight and candor.Go Bold!

Two members of Veterans for Peace participated in a recent delegation to South Korea to mark the anniversary of two young girls who were killed by a US tank during a military exercise. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ellen Barfield, a long time activist who was on delegation and who was serving in South Korea in 1980 when the massacre of students and leftists occurred in Gwangju, about the trip and the ongoing war in Korea. Barfield also discusses the RIMPAC military exercises that begin this week in the Pacific and the veteran-led Peace Walk that is headed to Washington, DC for the anti-NATO activities starting the weekend of July 6 and 7. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

RIMPAC Pacific Rim military exercise - Kevin Clements on RIMPAC former director & Foundation Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies Center at Otago, and Secr. Gen. of the International Peace Research Association. Kevin is now Director of Toda Peace Institute located in Japan. We're talking about NZ participating with 29 other nations including Israel in the islands building and practicing military alliances tactics together we will also be talking about AUKUS and the relationship these events and alliances have with the Treaty of the 1997 Treaty of Rarotonga declaring the South Pacific and nuclear free zone. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

This week on Voices Radio: Eric Mann and Channing Martinez talk to Misty Pegram of Anakbayan about the Cancel RIMPAC Campaign. The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises are the largest joint war exercises in the world with 26 of the U.S' allies, including Israel. The RIMPAC campaign has led to severe environmental impacts, gender-based violence, and fatter pockets for weapons manufacturers. Later in the episode, Eric Mann pays tribute to Willie Mays, who passed recently on June 18, 2024. Willie Mays was one of the 'greatest' baseball players of all time according to Eric, describing his infectious personality and electrifying performances. You will also hear a reading of Ishmael Reed's essay, "Juneteenth: Why Were The Enslaved In Texas?," published on Counterpunch. And last but not least, Channing talks about CicLAvia, an event which 'catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free street events.' -- Want stories and updates? Follow us on @voicesfromthefrontlines on Instagram. Today's episode of Voices from the Frontlines was produced by Eric Mann, Channing Martinez, and Shane Dimapanat. Edits by Shane Dimapanat. Find our past shows and articles on our website: voicesfromthefrontlines.com/

A new health survey lays out West Hawaiʻi's needs; Some activist groups are calling for the cancellation of RIMPAC; A former pro-football player speaks candidly about the culture of the NFL

For their weekly catch-up, Wire Host Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent March for Nature protests, changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme and the government spending $4 Billion on fixing potholes. He also spoke to Eru Kapa-Kingi from the University of Auckland to discuss Te Pati Māori's calls to establish a separate Māori parliament. Wire producer Rawan spoke with Valerie Morse from Peace Action Wellington about the New Zealand defence force being part of US-led RIMPAC alongside several other countries including Israel. She also spoke with Neeve O'flynn from Greenpeace Aotearoa about the government's recent decision to take agriculture out of the Emision trading scheme.

Les États-Unis se préparent à prendre la tête d'une coalition navale destinée à lutter contre les attaques en mer rouge. Pour leur part, les Houthis, soutenus par l'Iran, se disent déterminés à poursuivre leurs attaques. « Même si l'Amérique mobilise le monde entier, nos opérations militaires ne s'arrêteront pas » assurent les rebelles yéménites, via le réseau « X ». Sur les réseaux sociaux, des post trompeurs et des vidéos de propagande alimentent la montée des tensions. Une vidéo impressionnante circule depuis quelques jours sur les réseaux.  Elle a été reprise par de nombreux comptes « X » anciennement Twitter, et sur TikTok. On y voit une trentaine de navires de guerre alignés derrière un porte-avions américain. La tonalité des post est souvent la même, et prend la forme d'une mise en garde qui pourrait se traduire ainsi : « L'armada occidentale arrive, les Houthis devront en assumer les conséquences ». Cette vidéo qui fait étalage de toute la puissance américaine a été vue près d'un million de fois. Problème :  jamais des bâtiments de guerre navigueraient aussi proches, les uns derrières les autres et de manière aussi visible, dans un contexte aussi tendu. Après vérifications, ces images ont été prises durant une parade navale. Plus précisément, après une recherche par image inversée, il apparaît qu'elles proviennent d'une séance photo clôturant les grands exercices militaires interalliés dans le Pacifique : exercices RIMPAC. Ces images n'ont donc rien à voir avec la situation actuelle dans le golfe d'Aden et en mer Rouge.Une bataille navale sur les réseauxAu moment où nous mettons en ligne cet article, il faut rappeler qu'effectivement un bateau de commerce a été attaqué par des drones et des missiles, mais c'est un chimiquier norvégien  : le « Strinda ».Pour leur part, les marines française et américaine ont réalisé des interceptions de drones Des incidents mineurs sont signalés chaque jour, mais à ce stade aucun navire de guerre n'a été touché et aucun pétrolier n'a été perdu.Des vidéos circulent, censées montrer des navires américains frappés par des missiles houthisLa cellule Info-Vérif de RFI a passé trois de ces vidéos en revue. La première est relayée par des comptes proches de l'Iran et de leurs alliés houthis, et voudrait faire croire à la destruction d'un croiseur américain près du port de Berbera en Somalie, alors que c'est un exercice anti-navire en Norvège en 2013. Deux autres extraits vidéos se retrouvent dans des films de propagande sur les forces navales yéménites : L'une montre une attaque suicide contre la frégate saoudienne Al Madina, mais elle date de 2017 et l'autre un tir contre une frégate américaine de la classe « Perry », mais c'est là encore lors d'un exercice avec des munitions réelles (SINKEX) en 2022 dans le Pacifique.Agitations sur les réseaux et répercussions dans le monde réelOn pourrait parler des gesticulations sur fond de menace bien réelle. En tout cas, les primes d'assurances pour les bateaux souhaitant transiter par le détroit de Bab-el-Mandeb flambent, les cours du baril augmentent également même si pour l'heure les experts estiment qu'il n'y a pas de risques de pénuries.À écouter aussiCanal de Suez / corne de l'Afrique : enjeux stratégiques majeurs

We start our first interview series off with a bang. And boy, can this hot rock make some steam! I'd like to give his reactor a rod if you know what I mean. We dive into the beauty, comedy, and tragedy of Spencer's brother's experience in the Navy. Get ready for a deep dive into the training involved with operating a nuclear reactor, stories of the Navy performing emergency operations and humanitarian aid, stories of the ridiculous things sailors get up to, and a look at our recent tensions with China. (0:00-5:00) Intro/What It Means To Be a Veteran (5:01-8:33) Let's Talk Shirtless Volleyball/Fake Beer on Deployment (8:34-12:43) Why The Nuclear Navy? (12:44-19:57) The Crimson Tide Debate/Submarine Talk (19:58-41:52) Training to be a Nuke in The Navy Explained (41:53-46:15) The Father of The Nuclear Navy: Admiral Hyman G. Rickover (46:16-50:04) Why Nuclear Energy/How the Reactor Works (50:05-54:40) Graduation from Nuke School (54:41-59:52) The Fleet! (59:53-1:19:36) Deployment: Saving Lives. Typhoon Relief. RIMPAC. Guam. Singapore. Prostitution? South Korea. Japan. (1:19:43-1:27:11) Deployment Continued: Persian Gulf supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (1:27:12-1:34:02) Cleighton wrote a Letter from Sasebo, Japan to Spencer while he was in USMC Boot Camp (1:34:03-1:36:24) Navy and Marine Corps Relationship (1:36:25-1:46:25) China and Naval Warfare Right Now (1:46:26-1:50:01) Shout out to ALL VETERANS/Conclusion/Outro --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thebattlebuddiespod/support

Taiwan's status in the world has never been clear and neither has the United States' position on the issue. In this Congressional Dish, via footage from the C-SPAN archive dating back into the 1960s, we examine the history of Taiwan since World War II in order to see the dramatic shift in Taiwan policy that is happening in Congress - and in law - right now. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd272-what-is-taiwan Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD259: CHIPS: A State Subsidization of Industry CD187: Combating China Taiwan History and Background “In Focus: Taiwan: Political and Security Issues” [IF10275]. Susan V. Lawrence and Caitlin Campbell. Updated Mar 31, 2023. Congressional Research Service. “Taiwan taps on United Nations' door, 50 years after departure.” Erin Hale. Oct 25, 2021. Aljazeera. “China must 'face reality' of Taiwan's independence: Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.” Stacy Chen. Jan 16, 2020. ABC News. “Taiwan weighs options after diplomatic allies switch allegiance.” Randy Mulyanto. Sep 26, 2019. Aljazeera. U.S.-Taiwan Relationship Past “The Taiwan Relations Act” [Pub. L. 96–8, § 2, Apr. 10, 1979, 93 Stat. 14.] “22 U.S. Code § 3301 - Congressional findings and declaration of policy.” Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Current “China moves warships after US hosts Taiwan's Tsai.” Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. Apr 6, 2023. BBC News. “Speaker Pelosi's Taiwan Visit: Implications for the Indo-Pacific.” Jude Blanchette et al. Aug 15, 2022. Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Pelosi in Taiwan: Signal or historic mistake?” Aug 4, 2022. DW News. “China threatens 'targeted military operations' as Pelosi arrives in Taiwan.” News Wires. Feb 8, 2022. France 24. “Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan would be 'ill-conceived' and 'reckless.'” Dheepthika Laurent. Feb 8, 2022. France 24. Presidential Drawdown Authority “Use of Presidential Drawdown Authority for Military Assistance for Ukraine.” Apr 19, 2023. U.S. Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. U.S. China Relationship “America, China and a Crisis of Trust.” Thomas L. Friedman. Apr 14, 2023. The New York Times. Laws H.R.7776: James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Full Text Outline of Taiwan Provisions TITLE X - GENERAL PROVISIONS Subtitle G - Other Matters Sec. 1088: National Tabletop Exercise By the end of 2023, the Secretary of Defense is to assess the viability of our domestic critical infrastructure to identify chokepoints and the ability of our armed forces to respond to a contingency involving Taiwan, including our armed forces' ability to respond to attacks on our infrastructure. TITLE XII - MATTERS RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS Subtitle E - Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region Sec. 1263: Statement of Policy on Taiwan “It shall be the policy of the United States to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist a fait accompli that would jeopardize the security of thepeople of Taiwan.” Fait accompli is defined as, “the resort to force by the People's Republic of China to invade and seize control of Taiwan before the United States can respond effectively.” Sec. 1264: Sense of Congress on Joint Exercises with Taiwan Congress wants the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command to carry out joint military exercises with Taiwan in “multiple warfare domains” and practice using “secure communications between the forces of the United States, Taiwan, and other foreign partners” Taiwan should be invited to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2024. RIMPAC is a multinational maritime exercise, now the world's largest, that has happened 28 times since 1971. The last one took place in and around Hawaii and Southern California in the summer of 2022. 26 countries, including the US, participated. TITLE LV - FOREIGN AFFAIRS MATTERS Subtitle A - Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act PART 1 - IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENHANCED DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN Sec. 5502: Modernizing Taiwan's Security Capabilities to Deter and, if necessary, Defeat Aggression by the People's Republic of China Grants: Expands the purpose of the State Department's Foreign Military Financing Program to “provide assistance including equipment, training, and other support, to build the civilian and defensive military capabilities of Taiwan” Authorizes the State Department to spend up to $100 million per year for 10 years to maintain a stockpile of munitions and other weapons (authorized by Sec. 5503). Any amounts that are not obligated and used in one year can be carried over into the next year (which essentially makes this a $1 billion authorization that expires in 2032). The stockpile money is only authorized if the State Department certifies every year that Taiwan has increased its defense spending (requirement is easily waived by the Secretary of State). Authorizes $2 billion per year for the Foreign Military Financing grants each year for the next 5 years (total $10 billion in grants). The money is expressly allowed to be used to purchase weapons and “defense services” that are “not sold by the United States Government” (= sold by the private sector). No more than 15% of the weapons for Taiwan purchased via the Foreign Military Financing Program can be purchased from within Taiwan Loans: Also authorizes the Secretary of State to directly loan Taiwan up to $2 billion. The loans must be paid back within 12 years and must include interest. The Secretary of State is also authorized to guarantee commercial loans up to$2 billion each (which can not be used to pay off other debts). Loans guaranteed by the US must be paid back in 12 years. Sec. 5504: International Military Education and Training Cooperation with Taiwan Requires the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to create a military training program with Taiwan by authorizing the Secretary of State to train Taiwan through the International Military Education and Training Program. The purposes of the training include enhancements of interoperability between the US and Taiwan and the training of “future leaders of Taiwan”. The training itself can include “full scale military exercises” and “an enduring rotational United States military presence” Sec. 5505: Additional Authorities to Support Taiwan Authorizes the President to drawdown weapons from the stocks of the Defense Department, use Defense Department services, and provide military education and training to Taiwan, the value of which will be capped at $1 billion per year The President is also given the “emergency authority” to transfer weapons and services in “immediate assistance” to Taiwan specifically valued at up to $25 million per fiscal year. Sec. 5512: Sense of Congress on Taiwan Defense Relations “The Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances provided by the United States to Taiwan in July 1982 are the foundation for United States-Taiwan relations.” “The increasingly coercive and aggressive behavior of the People's Republic of China toward Taiwan is contrary to the expectation of the peaceful resolution of the future of Taiwan” “As set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act, the capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan should be maintained.” The US should continue to support Taiwanese defense forces by “supporting acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles and services through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis on capabilities that support an asymmetric strategy.” Support should also include “Exchanges between defense officials and officers of the US and Taiwan at the strategic, policy, and functional levels, consistent with the Taiwan Travel Act.” PART 3 - INCLUSION OF TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Sec. 5516: Findings “Since 2016, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati, have severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations with China” “Taiwan was invited to participate in the World Health Assembly, the decision making body of the World Health Organization, as an observer annually between 2009 and 2016. Since the 2016 election of President Tsai, the PRC has increasingly resisted Taiwan's participation in the WHA. Taiwan was not invited to attend the WHA in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021.” “United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of representation of Taiwan and its people at the United Nations, nor does it give the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan.” Sec. 5518: Strategy to Support Taiwan's Meaningful Participation in International Organizations By the end of Summer 2023, the Secretary of State must create a classified strategy for getting Taiwan included in 20 international organizations. The strategy will be a response to “growing pressure from the PRC on foreign governments, international organizations, commercial actors, and civil society organizations to comply with its ‘One-China Principle' with respect to Taiwan.” PART 4 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Sec. 5525: Sense of Congress on Expanding United States Economic Relations with Taiwan “Taiwan is now the United States 10th largest goods trading partner, 13th largest export market, 13th largest source of imports, and a key destination for United States agricultural exports.” Audio Sources Evaluating U.S.-China Policy in the Era of Strategic Competition February 9, 2023 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense Clips 17:40 Wendy Sherman: We remain committed to our long standing One China Policy and oppose any unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo. Our policy has not changed. What has changed is Beijing's growing coercion. So we will keep assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. 41:30 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): I want to get a little broader because I think it's important to understand sort of the strategic vision behind our tactics on everything that we do. So if we go back to the late 80s, early 90s, end of the Cold War, and the gamble at the time was, if we created this international economic order, led by the US and the West, built on this global commitment to free trade, that this notion of that this trade and commerce would bind nations together via trade, via commerce and international interest and economic interest, that it would lead to more wealth and prosperity, that it would lead to democracy and freedom, basically domestic changes in many countries, and that it would ultimately ensure peace. The famous saying now seems silly, that no two countries with McDonald's have ever gone to war. That's obviously no longer the case. But the point being is that was the notion behind it. It was what the then Director General of the WTO called a "world without walls," rules-based international order. Others call it globalization. And basically, our foreign policy has been built around that, even though it's an economic theory it basically, is what we have built our foreign policy on. I think it's now fair to say that we admitted China to the World Trade Organization, Russia as well, I think it's now fair to say that while wealth certainly increased, particularly in China through its export driven economy, massive, historic, unprecedented amount of economic growth in that regard, I don't think we can say either China or Russia are more democratic. In fact, they're more autocratic. I don't think we can say that they're more peaceful. Russia has invaded Ukraine now twice, and the Chinese are conducting live fire drills off the coast of Taiwan. So I think it's fair to say that gamble failed. And we have now to enter -- and I think the President actually hinted at some of that in his speech the other night -- we're now entering a new era. What is that new era? What is our vision now for that world, in which not just the global international order and World Without Walls did not pacify or buy nations, but in fact, have now placed us into situations where autocracies, through a joint communique, are openly signaling that we need to reject Western visions of democracy and the like. So, before we can talk about what we're going to do, we have to understand what our strategic vision is. What is the strategic vision of this administration on what the new order of the world is? The Future of War: Is the Pentagon Prepared to Deter and Defeat America's Adversaries? February 7, 2023 House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Chris Brose, Author Rear Admiral Upper Half Mark Montgomery (Ret.), Senior Director, Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Peter Singer, Strategist at New America and Managing Partner of Useful Fiction LLC Clips 1:16:30 Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery: We don't have weapons stowed in Taiwan. In the last National Defense Authorization Act you authorized up to $300 million a year to be appropriated for Taiwan-specific munitions. The appropriators, which happened about seven days later, appropriated $0. In fact, almost all of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, which you all pushed through the NDAA, ended up not being appropriated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed eight days later. 30:10 Chris Brose: Nothing you do in this Congress will make larger numbers of traditional ships, aircraft and other platforms materialized over the next several years. It is possible, however, to generate an arsenal of alternative military capabilities that could be delivered to U.S. forces in large enough quantities within the next few years to make a decisive difference. Those decisions could all be taken by this Congress. The goal would be to rapidly field what I have referred to as a "moneyball military," one that is achievable, affordable and capable of winning. Such a military would be composed not of small quantities of large, exquisite, expensive things, but rather by large quantities of smaller, lower cost, more autonomous consumable things, and most importantly, the digital means of integrating them. These kinds of alternative capabilities exist now, or could be rapidly matured and fielded in massive quantities within the window of maximum danger. You could set this in motion in the next two years. The goal would be more about defense than offense, more about countering power projection than projecting power ourselves. It would be to demonstrate that the United States, together with our allies and partners, could do to a Chinese invasion or a Chinese offensive what the Ukrainians, with our support, have thus far been able to do to their Russian invaders: degrade and deny the ability of a great power to accomplish its objectives through violence, and in so doing to prevent that future war from ever happening. After all, this is all about deterrence. All of this is possible. We have sufficient money, technology, authorities, and we still have enough time. If we are serious, if we make better decisions now, we can push this looming period of vulnerability further into the future. The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Defense February 7, 2023 House Armed Services Committee Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Dr. Melanie W. Sisson, Foreign Policy Fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology Clips 28:15 Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL): China is the most challenging national security threat America has faced in 30 years. If we fail to acknowledge that and take immediate action to deter it, the next 30 years could be devastating for our nation. Under President Xi, the Chinese Communist Party has nearly tripled its defense spending in the last decade alone. The PLA has gone from an obsolete force barely capable of defending its borders to a modern fighting force capable of winning regional conflicts. The CCP now controls the largest army and navy in the world, with a goal of having them fully integrated and modernized by 2027. The CCP is rapidly expanding its nuclear capability; they have doubled their number of warheads in two years. We estimated it would take them a decade to do that. We also were just informed by the DOD [that] the CCP now has more ICBM launchers than the United States. The CCP is starting to outpace us on new battlefields as well. They have leapfrogged us on hypersonic technology, they are fielding what we are still developing. They are making advances in AI and quantum computing that we struggle to keep pace with. Finally, their rapid advances in space were one of the primary motivations for us establishing a Space Force. The CCP is not building these new and advanced military capabilities for self defense. In recent years, the CCP has used its military to push out its borders, to threaten our allies in the region, and to gain footholds on new continents. In violation of international law, the CCP has built new and commandeered existing islands in the South China Sea, where it has deployed stealth fighters, bombers and missiles. It continues to intimidate and coerce Taiwan, most recently by surrounding the island with naval forces and launching endless fighter sorties across its centerline. In recent years, the CCP has also established a space tracking facility in South America to monitor U.S, satellites, as well as an overseas naval base miles from our own on the strategically vital Horn of Africa. These are just a few destabilizing actions taken by the CCP. They speak nothing of the CCPs Belt and Road debt trap diplomacy, it's illegal harvesting of personal data and intellectual property, it's ongoing human rights abuses, and its advanced espionage efforts, the latter of which came into full focus for all Americans last week when the Biden administration allowed a CCP spy balloon to traverse some of our nation's most sensitive military sites. Make no mistake, that balloon was intentionally lost as a calculated show of force. 44:15 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: Since 1979, the United States has adopted a constellation of official positions, together known as the One China policy, that allow us to acknowledge but not to accept China's perspective that there is one China and that Taiwan is part of China. Under the One China policy, the United States has developed robust unofficial relations with the government and people of Taiwan consistent with our interest in preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. US policy is guided by an interest in ensuring cross-strait disputes are resolved peacefully and in a manner that reflects the will of Taiwan's people. This has required the United States to deter Taiwan from declaring independence, and also to deter the CCP from attempting unification by force. The 40 year success of the strategy of dual deterrence rests upon the unwillingness of the United States to provide either an unconditional commitment to Taipei that it will come to its defense militarily, or an unconditional commitment to Beijing that we will not. The U.S. national security interest in the status of Taiwan remains that the CCP and the people of Taiwan resolve the island's political status peacefully. Dual deterrence therefore remains U.S. strategy, reinforced by U.S. declaratory policy which is to oppose unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. 45:28 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: The modernization of the PLA has changed the regional military balance and significantly enough that the United States no longer can be confident that we would decisively defeat every type of PLA use of force in the Taiwan Strait. This fact, however, does not necessitate that the US abandon the strategy of dual deterrence and it doesn't mean that the United States should seek to reconstitute its prior degree of dominance. Posturing the U.S. military to convince the CCP that the PLA could not succeed in any and every contingency over Taiwan is infeasible in the near term and likely beyond. The PLA is advances are considerable and ongoing, geography works in its favor, and history demonstrates that it's far easier to arrive at an overconfident assessment of relative capability than it is to arrive at an accurate one. Attempting to demonstrate superiority for all contingencies would require a commitment of forces that would inhibit the United States from behaving like the global power that it is with global interests to which its military must also attend. This posture, moreover, is not necessary for dual deterrence to extend its 40 year record of success. We can instead encourage the government of Taiwan to adopt a defense concept that forces the PLA into sub-optimal strategies and increases the battle damage Beijing would have to anticipate and accept. 46:45 Dr. Melanie W. Sisson: U.S. military superiority in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean allows us to threaten the maritime shipping upon which China depends for access to energy, global markets, and supply chains. The inevitable damage a use of force would cause to the global economy and the imposition of sanctions and restricted access to critical inputs needed to sustain China's economic development and the quality of life of its people, moreover, would certainly compound China's losses. 1:04:50 Adm. Harry B. Harris: We're going to share the crown jewel of America's military technology, the nuclear submarine and the nuclear reactors, with another country and that's Australia. We have not done that with any other country, except for the UK, back in the late 50s, and into the 60s. So here we have the two countries with with that capability, the United States and the UK, and we're going to share that with Australia. It's significant. But it's only going to going to be significant over the long term if we follow through. So it's a decade long process. You know, some people the CNO, Chief of Naval Operations, has said it could be 30 years before we see an Australian nuclear submarine underway in the Indian Ocean. I said that if we put our hearts and minds to it, and our resources to it, and by ours, I mean the United States', the UK's and Australia's, we can do this faster than that. I mean we put a man on the moon and eight years, and we developed a COVID vaccine in one year. We can do this, but we're going to have to put our shoulders to the task for Australia, which has a tremendous military. For them to have the long reach of a nuclear submarine force would be dramatic. It would help us dramatically. It would change the balance of power in the Indian Ocean, and it will make Australia a Bluewater navy. They are our key ally in that part of the world and I'm all for it. 1:32:05 Adm. Harry B. Harris: I think this issue of strategic clarity versus strategic ambiguity is critical, and we have been well served, I'll be the first to say that, by the policy of strategic ambiguity with Taiwan over the past 44 years, but I think the time for ambiguity is over. I think we have to be as clear about our intent with regard to what would happen if the PRC invades Taiwan as the PRC is clear in its intent that it's ultimately going to seize Taiwan if need. 1:41:25 Adm. Harry B. Harris: I used to talk about during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, almost every branch of the U.S. government understood that the Soviet Union was the threat. You know, I used to joke even a park ranger, Smokey Bear, would tell you that the Soviets were the bad guys. We didn't have that comprehensive unified view of the PRC. You know, State Department looked at as in negotiation, DOD look at it as a military operation, Commerce looked at it as a trading partner, and Treasury looked at it as a lender. So we didn't have this unified view across the government. But I think now we are getting to that unified view and I think the Congress has done a lot to get us in that position. 1:49:45 Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): We have the capability to block the transmission of information from the balloon back to China, don't we? Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr.: We do. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): And in this type of an environment do you think it's probably likely that we did that? Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr.: I would only guess, but I think General van Herk said that -- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): Well you can't see any reason why we wouldn't do that, right? U.S.-Taiwan Relations March 14, 2014 House Foreign Affairs Committee Witnesses: Kin Moy, [Former] Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 7:20 [Former] Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY): Taiwan is a flourishing multiparty democracy of over 20 million people with a vibrant free market economy. It is a leading trade partner of the United States alongside much bigger countries like Brazil and India. Over the past 60 years, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has undergone dramatic changes, but Taiwan's development into a robust and lively democracy underpins the strong U.S.-Taiwan friendship we enjoy today. 14:00 Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA): I think that it's important that we provide Taiwan the tools to defend itself, but Taiwan needs to act as well. Taiwan spends less than $11 billion on its defense, less than 1/5 per capita what we in America do, and God blessed us with the Pacific Ocean separating us from China. Taiwan has only the Taiwan Strait. On a percentage of GDP basis, Taiwan spends roughly half what we do. So we should be willing to sell them the tools and they should be willing to spend the money to buy those tools. 1:11:50 Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX): I think Chris Smith raised the issue of a One China policy. Does it not bother you that that exists, that there are statements that people have made, high level officials, that said they they agreed on one China policy? Does the administration not view that as a problem? Kin Moy: Our one China policy is one that has existed for several decades now. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX): Okay. Well, I take that as a no, but let me follow up with what Jerry Connolly said. So you haven't sold submarines yet, you don't take Beijing into account. People around the world watch us. Words and actions have consequences. Would you agree that y'all would be okay with a one Russia policy when it comes to Crimea and the Ukraine? Is that akin to the same kind of ideology? Kin Moy: Well, I can't speak to those issues. But again, we are obligated to provide those defense materials and services to Taiwan and we have been through several administrations, I think very vigilant in terms of providing that. U.S.-China Relations May 15, 2008 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations Harry Harding, Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University, 1995-2009 Clips 1:46:42 Richard N. Haass: The bottom line is China is not yet a military competitor, much less a military peer. Interestingly, I think Chinese leaders understand this. And they understand just how much their country requires decades of external stability so that they can continue to focus their energies and their attention on economic growth and political evolution. China is an emerging country, but in no way is it a revolutionary threat to world order as we know it. 1:47:20 Richard N. Haass: We alone cannot bring about a successful us Chinese relationship. What the Chinese do and say will count just as much. They will need to begin to exercise restraint and patience on Taiwan. There can be no shortcuts, no use of force. We, at the same time, must meet our obligations to assist Taiwan with its defense. We can also help by discouraging statements and actions by Taiwan's leaders that would be viewed as provocative or worse. 2:03:47 Harry Harding: Now with the support and encouragement of the United States, China has now become a member of virtually all the international regimes for which it is qualified. And therefore the process of integration is basically over, not entirely, but it's largely completed. And so the issue, as Bob Zoellick rightly suggested, is no longer securing China's membership, but encouraging it to be something more, what he called a "responsible stakeholder." So this means not only honoring the rules and norms of the system, but also enforcing them when others violate them, and assisting those who wish to join the system but who lack the capacity to do so. It means, in other words, not simply passive membership, but active participation. It means accepting the burdens and responsibilities of being a major power with a stake in international peace and stability, rather than simply being a free rider on the efforts of others. Now, China's reacted to the concept of responsible stakeholding with some ambivalence. On the one hand, it appreciates that the United States is thereby seeking a positive relationship with China. It suggests that we can accept and even welcome the rise of Chinese power and Beijing's growing role in the world. It certainly is seen by the Chinese as preferable to the Bush administration's earlier idea that China would be a strategic competitor of the United States, as was expressed during the campaign of 2000 and in the early months of 2001. However, Beijing also perceives, largely correctly, that America's more accommodative posture as expressed in this concept is conditional. China will be expected to honor international norms and respect international organizations that it did not create and it may sometimes question. And even more worrying from Beijing's perspective is the prospect that it's the United States that is reserving the right to be the judge as to whether Chinese behavior on particular issues is sufficiently responsible or not. Taiwanese Security August 4, 1999 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witnesses: David “Mike” M. Lampton, Founding Director, Chinese Studies Program, Nixon Center Stanley Roth, Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Caspar W. Weinberger, Former Secretary, Department of Defense James Woolsey, Former Director, CIA Clips 9:00 Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE): Taiwan security, in my view, flows from its democratic form of government's growing economic, cultural and political contacts with the mainland and, ultimately, the United States' abiding commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question. In my opinion, we should concentrate on strengthening those areas rather than spend time pre-authorizing the sales of weapon systems, some of which don't even exist yet. 20:10 Stanley Roth: There are three pillars of the [Clinton] administration's policy. First, the administration's commitment to a One China policy is unchanged. Regardless of the position of the parties, we have not changed our policy. The President has said that both publicly and privately. Second, we believe that the best means to resolve these issues is by direct dialogue between the parties themselves. We have taken every opportunity, including on my own trip to Beijing last week with Ken Lieberthal from the NSC, to urge the PRC to continue this dialogue. It strikes us that it's precisely when times are difficult that you need to dialogue, and to cancel it because of disagreements would be a mistake. China has not yet indicated whether or not these talks will continue in the Fall, as had been previously anticipated, but they put out a lot of hints suggesting that it wouldn't take place, and we are urging them to continue with this dialogue. Third point that is integral to our position. We have stressed again, at every opportunity, the importance of a peaceful resolution of this issue and the President has made that absolutely clear, as did Secretary Albright in her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Tong in Singapore last week, as did Ken Leiberthal and I in our meetings in Beijing. But China can have no doubts about what the United States' position is, with respect to peaceful resolution of this issue. 1:29:15 Caspar Weinberger: So I don't think that we should be hampered by or felt that we are in any way bound by what is said by the communique, nor should we accept the argument that the communique sets the policy of the United States. 1:32:50 Caspar Weinberger: There are two separate states now, with a state-to-state relationship, and that the unification which was before emphasized, they repeated again in the statement of Mr. Koo, the head of their Trans- Strait Negotiating Committee, that the unification might come when China itself, the mainland, changes, but that that has not been the case and it is not now the case. 1:41:15 David “Mike” Lampton: Once both the mainland and Taiwan are in the WTO, each will have obligations to conduct its economic relations with the other according to international norms and in more efficient ways than now possible. 1:45:20 James Woolsey: The disestablishment of large, state-owned enterprises in China over the long run will bring some economic freedoms, I believe, that will quite possibly help change China and Chinese society and make it more conducive over time to political freedoms as well. But in the short run, the unemployment from the disestablishment of those enterprises can lead to substantial instability. U.S.-Taiwan Relations February 7, 1996 Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Witness: Winston Lord, Assistant Secretary of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 16:45 Winston Lord: The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 forms the basis of US policy regarding the security of Taiwan. Its premise is that an adequate defense in Taiwan is conducive to maintaining peace and security while differences remain between Taiwan and the PRC. I'm going to quote a few sections here because this is a very important statement of our policy. Section two B states, "It is the policy of the United States to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area, and of grave concern to the United States. To provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character, and to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the socioeconomic system of the people on Taiwan." Section three of the TRA also provides that the "United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self defense capability." 18:00 Winston Lord: The key elements of the US policy toward the Taiwan question are expressed in the three joint communiques with the PRC as follows. The United States recognizes the government of the PRC as the sole legal government of China. The US acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan as part of China. In 1982, the US assured the PRC that it has no intention of pursuing a policy of two Chinas, or one China, one Taiwan. Within this context, the people the US will maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan. The US has consistently held that the resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter to be worked out peacefully by the Chinese themselves. A sole and abiding concern is that any resolution be peaceful. 19:30 Winston Lord: The U.S. government made reciprocal statements concerning our intentions with respect to arms sales to Taiwan, that we did not intend to increase the quantity or quality of arms supplied, and in fact intended gradually to reduce the sales. At the time the joint communique was signed, we made it clear to all parties concerned that our tensions were premised on the PRC's continued adherence to a policy of striving for peaceful reunification with Taiwan. 21:30 Winston Lord: The basic inventory of equipment which Taiwan has or will have in its possession will, in our view, be sufficient to deter any major military action against Taiwan. While arms sales policy aims to enhance the self defense capability of Taiwan, it also seeks to reinforce stability in the region. We will not provide Taiwan with capabilities that might provoke an arms race with the PRC or other countries in the region. 21:55 Winston Lord: Decisions on the release of arms made without proper consideration of the long term impact. both on the situation in the Taiwan Strait and on the region as a whole, would be dangerous and irresponsible. If armed conflict were actually breakout in the Taiwan Strait, the impact on Taiwan, the PRC, and indeed the region, would be extremely serious. The peaceful, stable environment that has prevailed in the Taiwan Strait since the establishment of our current policy in 1979 has promoted progress and prosperity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The benefits to Taiwan and the PRC have been obvious and I outline these in my statement. All of these achievements would be immediately put at risk in the event of conflict in the Strait. Conflict would also be costly to the United States and to our friends and allies in the region. Any confrontation between the PRC and Taiwan, however limited in scale or scope, would destabilize the military balance in East Asia and constrict the commerce and shipping, which is the economic lifeblood of the region. It would force other countries in the region to reevaluate their own defense policies, possibly fueling an arms race with unforeseeable consequences. It would seriously affect the tens of thousands of Americans who live and work in Taiwan and the PRC. Relations between the US and the PRC would suffer damage regardless of the specific action chosen by the President, in consultation with Congress. For all these reasons, we are firmly determined to maintain a balanced policy, which is best designed to avoid conflict in the area. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

On April Fools' Day, you stay on your guard to avoid being pranked. In IT, you always want to test before releasing something into production to avoid any surprises. That methodology extends into other places, including the US military. Every year, the Navy and Marines conduct experimental training exercises to test field deployment readiness called Trident Warrior. And in even years, Trident Warrior combines with other allied nations RIMPAC forces to conduct these tests. NetApp was able to participate in these exercises recently and Eddie Huerta, Frank Alcantar and Dan Holmay join us to discuss their experience and how NetApp ONTAP helps enhance the US Public Sector's storage needs.

 CLIMATE ACTION RADIO SHOWProduced by Vivien LangfordFebruary 20th 2023PACIFIC  PEACE  TALKS  DUNEDIN  NZ "NO ONE IS FREE 'TIL EVERYONE IS FREE " Father Walter Lini- First PM VanuatuINTERVIEWS AND SPEECHES FROM THE NUCLEAR  CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE AT OTAGO UNIVERSITY IN AOTEAROA NZ Speaker bios - Nuclear Connections (mailchimpsites.com) As Cyclone Gabrielle fuelled by  a marine heatwave,  brings more floods and damage to Auckland NZ, we watch anxiously in February 2023In November 2022, I was invited to a conference by climate activists in Otepoti Dunedin.Nuclear Connections Across Oceania (November 2022) | Te Ao O Rongomaraeroa (otago.ac.nz)  I wanted to hear about climate action from Pacific people. There are three interviews and a speech but honestly most of the people found it hard to focus on  climate action with the immediate problem of Fukushima waste water about to be discharged into their part of the world The Pacific. They are worried too about the militarisation of the Pacific through RIMPAC military exercises every two years which have a climate impact also. Behind this is a colonial mentality which is prepared to discount their lives and culture. The islands, which were coaling stations for  steam ships are now essential fuel  depots for a massive amount of trade. Some are still occupied like W.Papua or tied to the colonial powers like Tahiti. Supporting their struggles is something we can do to liberate them for climate action.Pacific Islands Forum and Japan deliver differing statements on plans to dump nuclear wastewater in ocean - ABC Pacific Report from Nic Mc Lellan February 9th 2023We Bleed Black & Red - YOUNGSOLWARA PACIFICTake Action (ourislandsourhome.com.au) Petition“My new home was a dream come true – then climate disaster struck” – Virginia, activist taking on Shell at sea - Greenpeace Aotearoa- DonateIn reality the climate action most needed is from countries like Australia, which are still profiting from the export of climate changing coal, oil and gas.N.Z Writer and Environmental Lawyer Teall Crossen had the  humility to say " New Zealand is stealing from the people of the Pacific. We are stealing their land, their homes, their water and possibly we may recolonise their future".GUESTS:Hinamoeura Cross from TahitiHinamoeura CROSS is a Polynesian woman.  Between 1966 and 1996, there were 193 nuclear tests in so-called French Polynesia. She refers to them as bombs as "test" hides the real meaning of what was unleashed.Since 1980, her family has been affected by thyroid cancer, first her great gradmother, grandmother, and in 1990 her aunty and her Mom. In 2000 her Aunty got a breast cancer also. In 2013, it was her turn: leukemia. In 2019, she spoke in front of the United Nations 4th Committee to denounce the nuclear legacy on her people. She shares the story of her family as an example of what thousands of Polynesian families face as a result of nuclear weapons. In June 2022, she was one of the two Polynesian invited to participate to the first Meeting of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna, Austria. In October 2022, she was in New York to to denounce France's nuclear legacy and its failure to address the disastrous health and environmental consequences. She realises that the nuclear fact in Polynesia is inseparable from colonial history. This is why she wishes to alert the international community to what is happening in her country. SHE SPOKE TO CLIMATE ACTION RADIO ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF DECOLONISING ONES MIND IN ORDER TO TAKE CLIAMET ACTION  Ronny Ato Buai Kareni from West PapuaRonny Kareni is a Canberra-based Free West Papua activist, musician, cultural diplomat and bilingual health educator. He graduated in diplomacy studies at the Australian National University, and a honorary fellow at the University of Wollongong West Papua Project. He is also the co-founder and collaborator of Rize of the Morning Star, a musical and cultural movement, and Pacific representative for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).RONNY SPOKE TO THE CLIMATE ACTION SHOW ABOUT THE 3CR RADIO PROGRAMME "VOICES OF WEST PAPUA" ABOUT THE NEED FOR WEST PAPUA TO BE FREE SO THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SO SORELY NEEDED BY ALL OF US CAN BE STARTED. HE QUOTED FATHER WALYER LINI FROM VANUATU" nO ONE IS FREE UNTIL ALL OF US ARE FREE" WHICH WAS ECHOED THROUGH THE CONFERENCE AT OTAGO UNIVERSITY IN DUNEDIN /OTEPOTI NZ  Joy Lehuanani Enomoto from Hawai'iJoy Lehuanani Enomoto is a mixed Kānaka Maoli scholar, community organizer and visual artist,. She currently lives in Honolulu, Oʻahu and is the executive director for Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice, which focuses on demilitarizing and de-occupying Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.WE HEAR PART OF HER SPEACH ABOUT RIMPAC MILITARY EXERCISES WHICH HUGELY IMPACT THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND DEVASTATE CORAL REEFS TURTLES AND OCEAN LIFE.Her scholarship has been featured in several publications including Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs, Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Hawaiʻi, Routledge Postcolonial Handbook & PostModern Culture Journal. Her artwork engages issues currently affecting the peoples of the Pacific and has been featured in the exhibitions “Inundation: Art & Climate Change in the Pacific”(2020) Mere Tuilau from FijiI am Mere Tuilau, an anti-nuclear advocate, human rights defender, facilitator and youth leader from Fiji.  I believe in the value of a people-centered approach to weave our struggles together on self-determination, socio-economic, climate change resistance and nuclear justice. In 2017, my role expanded to coordinating and strengthening the Youngsolwara Pacific movement — a regional movement made up of Pacific students, artists, poets, writers, academics and activists, who are passionate in safe-guarding our Oceans and self-determination.  In 2022, I initiated the forming of the Pacific Youth for TPNW and led the conversation on our collective implementation paper at the 1st Meeting of State Parties' in Vienna. I am also involved with Youth for TPNW and Reverse the Trend Pacific.As stewards of the vast Pacific Ocean, I believe that we are called to safeguard, guide and determine our destiny, as well as to navigate our narratives until we the people of Oceania are fully free.. Mere contributed to the  “Pacific voices” session and “Stopping the wastewater discharge at TEPCO's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant” panel. She spoke to CLIMATE ACTION RADIO about climate activism in the Pacific. Read her poem  here"The elephant in the room Diplomacy….Diplomacy? Swallowing my mixed em(Ocean),I stood up and saidExcuse me, I need some air.With thoughts rushing,Anger rizing,Feet rushing,Soul hurting,Face blushing,Heartbeat accelerating,I burst into tears on my way through the hallwaysand into the bathroom to hide myself…..in the name of “diplomacy” What is relationship without principles?Without it''s values?What is history without evidence ?What are humans without feelings ?What is hurt without its wound?What are lessons without learning?What are we, without each other? How can we  look at Britain, France and U.S in the eye and have historical amnesia?Or how can the devils empire look at us in the eye and say "For the Good of Mankind" ? Thoughts of my ancestors crying,Mother screaming in the delivery roomSisters dyingFathers blindBrothers displacedMy family in crisisMy emOcean drowning “Diplomacy” Not him, not her, not them, but us.US who carries the weight,the burden of proof,To prove the suffering,the biggest aggression of our lives. “Diplomacy”  Where our tears and sacrifices are being politicizedWhere Love is being testedWhere hearing is being testedWhere humanity is being tested “Diplomacy” Hear us in our rawest self.Hear us to hear our ancestors cry freelyHear us to let our generation live freelya future where we can dream freelyNa numa noqu Waitui. We look back to look forwardWe look back to pauseWe look back to set sailThe Ocean creates livesThe Ocean hubs livesAnd the Ocean is liveProtect our waitui.      

As a year of foreign policy crises hurtles to a close, what is the state of New Zealand's independent foreign policy? Does it still have one, if it ever did? And what might an alternative approach look like, if it's even possible? The 1/200 crew are joined by Andrey Ivanov to discuss.You can find an earlier 1/200 podcast on RIMPAC in our past episodes.https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Harvey and Jim highlight just a small portion of the recent Veterans for Peace conference. Garett Reppenhagen, Susan Schnall, Chris Velasquez, Jules Vaquera, and the rest of the staff deserve such high praise for a great convention. In this show, we feature poems about the Korean War, voices from the front lines of Rimpac, a new way to look at the military's effect on climate, a focus on recruitment and then resistance, a discussion on moral injury, and we finish with Reverend Barber.

Today's Story: Reapers at RIMPAC

On this episode of Defence Deconstructed, David Perry speaks to Rear-Admiral Christopher Robinson about the 2022 iteration of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise. This episode of Defence Deconstructed is brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding and Davie Shipyard. Participant Bio: RAdm Christopher Robinson is the Commander of the Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific. He served as the Deputy Commander of the 2022 Rim of the Pacific Exercise. Host Bio: David Perry is the President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute What RAdm Robinson is reading Submarine Technology in the 21st Century by Stan Zimmerman – https://www.trafford.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/173961-Submarine-Technology-for-the-21st-Century Recording Date: 10 August 2022 Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary. Produced by Charlotte Duval-Lantoine. Music credits to Drew Phillips

Two experts help us put the most recent Taiwan Strait crisis in perspective, and we learn a bit about “the largest international maritime exercise in the world,” RIMPAC 2022. Guests include: Caitlin Kenney, Defense One staff reporter (at the 1:57 mark); Collin Koh, research fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore (at 9:55); And Becca Wasser, fellow for the Defense Program and lead of the Gaming Lab at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C. (at the 29:51 mark).

World's Largest Maritime Exercise. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is James Dobson. The 28th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is a biennial international maritime exercise. Following its theme of Capable Adaptive Partners, RIMPAC will exercise a wide range of capabilities, projecting the inherent flexibility of maritime forces and helping to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6komvysbIElhwa0iN1zzvn_ Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

英语新闻︱国防部:人民解放军绝不姑息分裂行径The People's Liberation Army will never tolerate "Taiwan independence" acts or any interference from outside forces and will firmly smash such actions, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense.国防部新闻发言人吴谦大校强调，对于“台独”分裂行径和外部势力干涉，中国人民解放军绝不姑息，坚决反制。Wu made the remark at a news conference in Beijing on Thursday while responding to a request for comment on Taiwan authorities' recent claims that the PLA crossed the "median line" in the Taiwan Straits several times and "sabotaged regional peace and stability".28日下午召开的国防部例行记者会上，吴谦针对台湾防务部门日前声称解放军战机多次越过所谓“海峡中线”，“严重破坏区域和平稳定”一事作出上述回应。The spokesman said that there has never been such a thing as a "median line" in the Taiwan Straits.吴谦强调，两岸之间根本不存在所谓的“海峡中线”。"The very root of the current tensions and turbulence in the Straits lies in the collaboration between the 'Taiwan independence' forces and some foreign parties," Wu said. "The ruling Democratic Progressive Party continues to seek 'Taiwan independence' and make provocations. The external forces keep attempting to play the 'Taiwan card' to contain China. They are the very saboteurs of the peace and stability across the Straits."吴谦表示：“当前，台海形势紧张动荡的根源是‘台独'势力和外部势力勾连作乱。破坏台海和平稳定的恰恰是不断谋‘独'挑衅的民进党当局，恰恰是企图‘以台遏华'的外部势力。”The spokesman said the PLA will use strong countermeasures, stressing that "actions are the most powerful responses".吴谦强调，解放军绝不姑息，坚决反制，“行动是最有力的语言”。"The related parties had better get used to (the PLA's actions) and reflect on their own. More important, they had better learn how to 'stop their running horses in front of the cliff edge'," he said.吴谦说，有关方面要学会适应，学会反思，更重要的是学会悬崖勒马。When commenting on the United States' recent moves concerning Taiwan, Wu said the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China and brooks no interference from the US.针对美国近期在台湾问题上的种种举措，吴谦表示，台湾问题纯属中国内政，不容美方干涉。The Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, passed recently by the US House of Representatives, would, if enacted, authorize the US military to carry out joint exercises with Taiwan's armed forces and invite Taiwan to partake in its biennial RIMPAC naval exercise. In addition, the US government approved a new round of arms sale to Taiwan.近日，美国众议院通过了《2023年国防授权法案》，据日前公布的草案，法案将授权美军与台湾进行联合演习，并邀请台湾参加两年一度的环太平洋军事演习。美国政府近期还批准了新一轮对台军售。The US has been playing a two-faced game with China on the Taiwan question for a while, according to the spokesman.吴谦说，一段时间以来，美方说一套、做一套。"They are dangerous acts of playing with fire and will gravely impact the diplomatic and military relations between China and the US, seriously compromise peace and stability across the Straits, and greatly increase the risk of armed confrontations between the two countries," Wu said.“这种玩火行径非常危险，将严重冲击中美两国两军关系，严重危害台海地区和平稳定，严重推高中美军事对抗风险。”吴谦表示。The senior colonel said it is a fundamentally important mission for the PLA to prevent the motherland from being split and to finally unify the nation. The Chinese military is always determined and ready to safeguard the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added.吴谦说，统一祖国、制止分裂，是中国人民解放军的神圣使命。中国人民解放军将一如既往，坚决捍卫国家主权和领土完整。smash英[smæʃ]；美[smæʃ]v. 打碎;撞击;猛击;扣球n.打碎;撞车;扣球;十分走红的歌曲turbulence英[ˈtɜːbjələns]；美[ˈtɜːrbjələns]n. 骚动，骚乱; [物]湍流;（海洋、天气等的）狂暴;动荡countermeasure英[ˈkaʊntəmeʒə(r)]；美[ˈkaʊntərmeʒə(r)]n.对策，反措施partake英[pɑ:ˈteɪk]；美[pɑrˈteɪk]vi.参加;参与;吃

Full 90min episode only at https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles. Exciting news! We successfully got Abby access to the RIMPAC war games, including Navy assault ships and press conferences with top commanders, as well as the Secretary of the Navy. We got incredible footage and interactions for our new documentary Earth's Greatest Enemy, and are making this inside story available to everyone who has donated to the film. Thank you so much for your support, we are so excited about the progress we've made and what's to come! https://earthsgreatestenemy.com

Kyle and Philip talk with Marco de Jong from the Cancel RIMPAC coalition about the mythos of NZ's independent foreign policy and the stark reality of what closer military coordination with the US looks like for the future of the Pacific.https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/cancel-rimpac-2020-new-zealand-withdraw-1https://www.nzalternative.org/https://www.instagram.com/cancelrimpac_aotearoa/https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Two sailors injured in war exercises at RIMPAC; After-school programs assuage learning loss from the pandemic; Finding sustainable solutions to wastewater management

号称史上规模最大的2022“环太平洋”军演 (RIMPAC)，目前正在美国夏威夷周边海域展开。共有26个国家的42艘军舰和潜艇、170架飞机，9国地面部队，约25000千名军人参加这场长达37天的跨国演习。其中除了美国海军首次派出号称“幽灵舰队”的无人军舰，美国在印太地区的核心盟友也是精锐尽出。

Zach, Amin and Mayes are deployed in naval war games for RIMPAC 2012 when all of a sudden, for the second time in Cinephobe history, the fate of Hawaii hangs in the balance. Will these honest podcasters fendi off their second consecutive alien invasion thanks to Rihanna's acting debut? Tune in to find out as Space Month continues. Subscribe to Cinephobe! Then Rate 5 Stars on Apple or Spotify.   Follow Cinephobe on Twitter & Instagram:   Zach Harper @talkhoops IG: @talkhoops   Amin Elhassan @darthamin IG: @darthamin   Anthony Mayes @cornpuzzle IG: @cornpuzzle The show page Amin recently excavated @CinephobePod   Email: cinephobepodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zach, Amin and Mayes are deployed in naval war games for RIMPAC 2012 when all of a sudden, for the second time in Cinephobe history, the fate of Hawaii hangs in the balance. Will these honest podcasters fendi off their second consecutive alien invasion thanks to Rihanna's acting debut? Tune in to find out as Space Month continues. Subscribe to Cinephobe! Then Rate 5 Stars on Apple or Spotify.   Follow Cinephobe on Twitter & Instagram:   Zach Harper @talkhoops IG: @talkhoops   Amin Elhassan @darthamin IG: @darthamin   Anthony Mayes @cornpuzzle IG: @cornpuzzle The show page Amin recently excavated @CinephobePod   Email: cinephobepodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisette Reymer and Alessio Patalano discuss the latest Capitol riot hearings, the Rimpac military exercises, the race to be the UK's next prime minister and favourite film soundtracks after the composer of the Bond theme tune dies. Plus: an interview with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.

Listen to the daily news on the go with the KHON 2GO podcast, from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m.

2022年世界上最大的海上戰爭遊戲——環太平洋演習（RIMPAC），將有美國以及來自全球的主要合作夥伴參加，包括印度、日本和澳大利亞等Quad（四方同盟）成員，以及五個南海周邊國家等。這項兩年一度的演習被認為起到威懾中共的作用。 更多內容請見：https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/22/6/2/n13751040.htm 大纪元,大纪元新闻,大紀元,大紀元新聞, RIMPAC, 環太平洋軍演, QUAD, 四方同盟

Palama Settlement Oral History; Scaled-back RIMPAC; Economic Shortfall of RIMPAC

We decided to tie in our two episodes prior to this (militarism and RIMPAC) by highlighting the illegal occupation of the united states here in Hawaiʻi. We share our own gist of the genealogy of this fake "annexation" as well as explaining how unjust and corrupt our history with the united states is. We broke down main contributing historical dates such as January 17, 1893 (Illegal Overthrow of The Hawaiian Kingdom) and August 21, 1959 (FAKE "state"hood day) that shaped Hawaiʻiʻs complicated corrupt history. We also took the time to discuss a common statement we are often faced with when we tell folks who are not as educated in Hawaiʻiʻs history: "If America didnʻt take over Hawaiʻi someone else would have". We hope you all learned a little something from this episode as we try our best to use our platform to educate as well as start the conversation to such complexed ideas we were spoon fed to accept. Mahalo Nui Loa for listening. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bekautiousstayhumble/support

In today's episode we decided to highlight RIMPAC or "Rim of the Pacific Exercise" and how it affects our oceans, land, marine and wild life animals, and our people here in Hawaiʻi as well as other places in Oceania and around the world. We hope you all learned a little something from this particular episode, and we hope this helps to push many of you folks to open up about this particular topic with your friends, family, and loved ones. Stay tuned for Friday's episode as we connect militarization and RIMPAC to Hawaiʻi's illegal occupation of the united states on of course, FAKE statehood Day. Mahlo Nui Loa for listening! The beautiful artwork was created by the one and only Kautious (with a K). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bekautiousstayhumble/support

Rep. Ed Case on COVID-19 and RIMPAC; The Long View with Neal Milner: Correlation between political ideology and COVID-19 reactions; Antiquated IT system hinders Hawaii's unemployed; Chaminade University President Lynn Babington talks fall semester; Rural community comes together for distance learning