On Tuesday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that the State Dept was compiling a list of US citizens in need of assistance departing Niger following last week's military coup (by US-trained forces..). One day later, the State Dept ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey.

Readers are reminded that last Sunday, the Economic Community of West African States (otherwise known as ECOWAS), issued a one-week ultimatum to the interim military government in Niger to restore constitutional order or risk the possible use of force. That deadline is Sunday, August 6.

Here is where things get interesting.

Nigeria and Senegal, at a minimum, have publicly agreed to contribute troops to any intervention effort in Niger. But Mali and Burkina Faso, who are also ECOWAS member states, jointly announced on July 31 that any foreign intervention in Niger would be deemed a “declaration of war” against their own countries.

Confused yet? It gets better.

Mali and Burkina Faso each have security agreements with Russia. The Wagner PMC Group (of Ukraine and Belarus fame) is employed by both countries to lead training exercises, fight anti-government forces, and to quell protests.

France and the U.S. have military bases in Niger. On Friday, Niger’s military junta severed all military agreements with France, its former colonial ruler.

In an official statement, the French government has warned:

"Anyone attacking French nationals, the army, diplomats or French bases would see France retaliate immediately and intractably. The President of the Republic will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests."

Deposed President Mohamed Bazoum this week published a plea for assistance in the Washington Post. “I write this as a hostage and urged the U.S. and partners to help."

Niger is the fourth West African country to fall to a coup since 2020 and the last major US security partner in the Sahel region, the new global center for Islamic terrorism. Will the US and allies allow Niger to fall away from the West and into Russia's sphere of influence? There will be interesting days ahead.

AlertsUSA continues to monitor the situation around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers of any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.

Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have dramatically increased their security posture this week in response to the presence of Wagner PMC forces in Belarus following their failed Russian coup attempt in June. Their presence in Belarus is publicly stated to be for the purpose of training local forces, though some of that training is taking place at a base near the town of Grondo, approximately 10 miles from the Polish border.

On Tuesday, Poland tracked two Belarusian helicopters that breached their airspace by several miles during low-altitude flights, setting off alarm bells across the eastern flank of the alliance. The Pentagon characterized the incident as an “incursion into Polish airspace by Belarusian aircraft.” in a statement issued Friday.

As a result, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have surged armed forces and their own gunships to the border in anticipation of further Wagner and Belarusian provocations. It was also announced this week that Lithuania and Latvia have sent letters to thousands of Russian and Belarusian citizens in their countries informing them they are now recognized by the government as national security risks and to depart the country.

On Monday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a warning issued to Russia by US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield regard Wagner:

"We have seen their hostile efforts on the African continent, so we are certainly concerned about the activities of this group on behalf of the Russian authorities, because they do not act independently of the Russian authorities. This is a threat to all of us and we must ensure that our message is clear: That any attack by the Wagner Group will be considered by NATO to be an attack by the Russian authorities."

Medvedev Nuclear Threat

Former Russian President and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, Dimitri Medvedev, himself warned on Monday that Moscow “would be forced” to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counter-offensive was a success.

“Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by Nato, was a success and they tore off a part of our land, then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon, according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia.”

“There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors’ (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited.”

Ending Our Chinese Drone Addiction

On her recent trip to Beijing, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained to her Chinese hosts that the United States, like the Chinese government, prioritizes national security imperatives over commercial considerations. The U.S. therefore keeps import and export restrictions on trade with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) despite their economic costs. The same considerations should lead Congress to pass legislation like the American Security Drone Act to prohibit federal government agencies from buying or using drones supplied by regimes hostile to the U.S.

~ READ MORE HERE (Hudson Institute) ~

The Axis of Tyrannies

"The greatest of all evils is a weak government," said Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the UK (1868, 1874-80)." This comment sadly brings us to the weak and possibly compromised administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, which appears to have enabled and empowered the autocrats of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, all of whom seem to be working overtime to create a new authoritarian world order with themselves at the helm.

~ READ MORE HERE (Gatestone Institute) ~

Biden Is a Boon to Mexican Cartels

Three cheers for Governor Greg Abbott’s recent efforts to halt the flow of illegal migrants into Texas by placing floating barriers in the Rio Grande. On behalf of his state and the entire country, the Texas governor is desperately fighting open-border radicals in the Biden administration and the Mexican government. The unlawful migrant diaspora intentionally sparked by President Joe Biden is fundamentally disrupting both countries and feeding Mexican criminal cartels more opportunities than ever before for illicit profits and human exploitation.

~ READ MORE HERE (CIS) ~

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 31, 2023 based on U.S. Navy, public data provided by the U.S. Naval Institute, and open source reporting.

AMERICAS

Two U.S. Navy service members arrested for spying for China
Rogers demands Pentagon comply with Space Command inquiry
U.S. hunts Chinese malware that could disrupt American military operations
Hunter Biden was employed at Chinese military proxy plotting against U.S.
Tanker program adds 9 ships to fuel US military in a crisis
‘Ripe for political violence’: US election officials quitting at an alarming rate
U.S. moves to put Marines on commercial ships to stop Iranian seizures
Russian official pitched N. Korea on increasing sale of munitions to Moscow
The chip titan whose life’s work is at the center of a tech cold war
A monumental UFO scandal is looming

EUROPE

Denmark beefs up border controls after Koran burnings
Russia pitched North Korea on increasing sale of munitions to Moscow
Russian warship seen listing in Black Sea after Ukrainian sea drone attack
Ukrainian troops abandoning US tactics in their counteroffensive
Top Russian general leaks number of elite casualties in Ukraine war
Conspiracy theories and disinformation mar UK local election
We would be 'forced to use nuclear weapon' if counter-offensive successful
Kremlin threatens use of nuclear weapons in retaliation for drone strike
Macron warns against attacks on French interests in Niger after coup
Russian military plane flies to North Korea days after Shoigu visit
Sweden: Eritrea-themed cultural festival descends into chaos
Sweden weighs tighter border controls after Quran burnings

MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

West African leaders make plan for military intervention in Niger
Niger coup undermines French military strategy in Sahel
Niger coup leader defiant as Nigeria cuts power, ECOWAS mulls action
Liberia set to concede 10% of its territory for carbon credit production
Ethiopia declares 'state of emergency' over Amhara violence
Syrian Army destroys 2 militant drones, downs 3 others in near Aleppo
World Bank, 'alarmed' by events in Niger, pauses disbursements
3 years after Beirut port blast, intrigue foils the investigation
Niger coup leaders blamed insecurity; conflict data paints a different picture
With spoiling goods, Niger truckers feel early sting of coup sanctions
Cameroon says military deployed after new attack kills at least a dozen
Lebanon warns Palestinian president that troops may intervene
More than six million people 'one step away from famine' in Sudan
Mob breaks into police armoury in Manipur, loots weapons...
Christians come under attack in Israel

ASIA

China airs documentary signalling military preparation for Taiwan attack
Makeshift bases & fast-moving troops: How the Marines train to beat China
China deepens military ties with Russia for 'non-Western' front
China’s military shake-up may hint at corruption — or Xi Jinping’s weakness
China likely providing military aid to Russia: US intelligence report
Several wounded in stabbing rampage, vehicle attack near Seoul
Chinese reclamation in Manila Bay worries US
Philippine Senate passes resolution condemning China over harassment
Philippine coast guard rescues 67 people from ferry accident

PUBLIC HEALTH

Central Florida: Leprosy Capital Of The USA
'COVID-Karen' Installed As Fauci's Replacement At NIAID
Pfizer Employees Given a *Special Batch* of Vax, Different From the Public
Fresno Lab: China's Operation to Exterminate Americans