| Aug 14, 2021 |
Threat Journal is a weekly supplement to the
AlertsUSA National Threat
and Incident Notification
Service for Mobile Devices |
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WEEKLY THREAT AND ALERT ROUNDUP
Published Each Saturday Afternoon |
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U.S. Military Deploys for Kabul Evacuation
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Aug 14, 2021 |
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On August 12, the following
related Flash SMS
messages were sent to AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices: |
8/12 - US troops returning to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation of embassy personnel. Taliban closing on capital. All Americans urged to leave immediately.
8/12 - DoD: ~3000 soldiers to move to Kabul airport within 24-48 hrs. Calls security situation "rapidly deteriorating." Add'l forces deploying to Qatar and Kuwait.
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What You Need To Know |
On Thursday, AlertsUSA subscribers were some of the first in the nation to learn that U.S. forces will deploy back to Afghanistan and other sites in U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility to ensure the safety of American embassy personnel and to facilitate the departure of Afghans under the special immigrant visa program.
According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, "We believe that this is the prudent thing to do given the rapidly deteriorating security situation in and around Kabul."
Kirby goes onto explain the order of deployment:
The first movement is of three infantry battalions — two Marine Corps, one U.S. Army — to Hamid Karzai International Airport. As of the time of this report's preparation on Friday evening, those forces had already begun arriving.
"The next movement will consist of a joint U.S. Army/Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel to facilitate the processing of SIV [special immigrant visa] applicants. These personnel will arrive in Qatar in the next few days."
The third movement is to deploy one infantry brigade combat team out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait. They will be a quick reaction force for security in Kabul if needed. "We anticipate those forces will reach Kuwait sometime within the next week," Kirby said.
Overall, it is expected that this mission will involve roughly 8,000 U.S. service members.
And the U.S. is not alone in this situation:
Canadian special forces are gearing up to deploy back to Afghanistan to evacuate Canadians at their embassy, which itself is being shut down.
The British Government has said it is deploying 600 paratroopers back to Afghanistan to help British nationals flee as the Taliban continue to seize territory around the country. In addition, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Norway and others are bolstering security and evacuating embassy staff.
The New York Times is reporting that American negotiators are pleading with the Taliban that they not attack the U.S. Embassy in Kabul if the extremist group takes over the country’s government.
The US Embassy is urging U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. The State Dept. offers what are referred to as repatriation loans if funds for evacuation are an issue. Within days there will also be significant airlift capability via the U.S. military.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
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AlertsUSA.com
SMS ALERTS FROM THIS WEEK
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE
8/7 - AlertsUSA monitoring 3 developing tropical systems in the Atlantic. 2 could affect Caribbean next week. Coastal and Gulf interests should be paying attention.
8/8 - AlertsUSA monitoring response to reports of multiple victim shooting, Target store, 3835 Dryland Way, Easton, PA. Large police presence. Avoid the area.
8/9 - DoD to require all members of the U.S. military to receive COVID-19 vaccination by Sept 15. Full details to be released in coming days..
8/10 - On Aug 11 @ 2:00 PM eastern, FEMA and the FCC will be conducting a Nationwide Emergency Alert test. Test messages will be sent to TV's, radios & cell phones.
8/11 - M7.2 Earthquake - Mindanao, Philippines (9.2 mi E of Pondaguitan). Tsunami alert issued for coastal areas within 300 miles of epicenter. AlertsUSA monitoring..
8/11 - AlertsUSA monitoring response to reports of gunfire, Danbury Mall, Danbury, CT. Heavy police presence. Evacuation underway. Add'l alerts as warranted.
8/13 - Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (Washington, DC) on lockdown due to multiple reports of gunfire. Security sweep underway. Expect delays. AlertsUSA monitoring..
8/13 - Canada to require all federal public servants, air travelers, passengers on interprovincial trains, and large marine vessels to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
8/13 - M8.1 Earthquake - S. Sandwich Islands region (S. Atlantic). Awaiting NOAA/NWS tsunami assessment.
8/14 - Notable M7.2 earthquake, 8 km N of Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti. TSUNAMI THREAT for coasts nearest the epicenter. AlertsUSA monitoring.. |
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DHS Issues New National Terrorism
Advisory System Bulletin |
Aug 14, 2021 |
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On August 13, the following
related Flash SMS
message was sent to AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices: |
8/13 - DHS issues new Nat'l Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin warning of heightened threat environment in runup to 9/11 anniversary. Full details via email.
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What You Need To Know |
Summary:
"The Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the current heightened threat environment across the United States. The Homeland continues to face a diverse and challenging threat environment leading up to and following the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks as well religious holidays we assess could serve as a catalyst for acts of targeted violence. These threats include those posed by domestic terrorists, individuals and groups engaged in grievance-based violence, and those inspired or motivated by foreign terrorists and other malign foreign influences. These actors are increasingly exploiting online forums to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and promote violent activity. Such threats are also exacerbated by impacts of the ongoing global pandemic, including grievances over public health safety measures and perceived government restrictions."
Read the Full Bulletin HERE.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
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Coronavirus Quick Hits |
Aug 14, 2021 |
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What You Need To Know |
According to data provided by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, as of Friday evening there have been just under 620,000 total deaths in the U.S. attributed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to data provided by the HHS / CDC / ASPR Community Profile Report, total new deaths in the U.S. over the last 7 days were just under 3,500, which is a 21% increase over the previous 7 day period. Total confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions in the U.S. over the last 7 days was 70,500, which is an increase of 29% over the previous 7 day period.
The Delta variant continues to drive case and death numbers up across the country. Daily caseloads have increased tenfold since late June. Death reports, which can lag well behind case data, have doubled. More coronavirus patients are hospitalized than at any point since February.
Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii are reporting their highest daily caseloads of the pandemic. The situation is especially dire in Louisiana and Florida, which have the country’s worst hospitalization rates.
The CDC still requires all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure, or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days.
The CDC still requires the wearing of face masks while on conveyances and at transportation hubs.
DHS has extended the restrictions on non-essential cross-border LAND travel with Canada and Mexico (lol) through Aug 21.
Oregon's governor deployed 1,500 National Guard troops this week to support frontline healthcare workers as hospitals in the state are facing a surge of admissions due to the spread of the Delta variant.
It was announced this week that by mid-September, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will request a waiver from President Joe Biden to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for service members.
Vaccines for Pregnant Women?
The Centers for Disease Control this week began recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women and women who want to become pregnant, a dramatic change in position which has resulting in a quick backlash from the medical community.
Concerns range from a lack of a full understanding of clotting side effects, particularly in a high hormonal environment, to concerns about infants possibly ingesting spike protein through the mother's milk, to a growing number of reports of miscarriages occurring coincident to receiving a vaccination.
As one MD virologist told AlertsUSA during a Friday-evening discussion:
"This is not erring on the side of caution. This seems reckless and is outrageous in the opinion of many doctors."
CANADA
Active case numbers continue to rise in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.
LATIN AMERICA
Brazil remains the regional leader in daily new case numbers and deaths, followed by Mexico and Argentina.
EUROPE
While many many EU nations have reopened for business and are accepting travelers from the U.S., the continent is a patchwork of different rules and regulations, as well as widely differing COVID standings.
Important COVID-19 Headlines
Deadly Lambda variant could be neutralizing vaccines, new study says
Here’s Why Experts Are Keeping an Eye on the Lambda Coronavirus Variant
Covid-19 cases continue to increase in the U.S.
WHO 180: COVID Patient Zero may have been a Wuhan lab worker
China Flight Departures Collapse Amid Delta Virus Spread
China orders Covid-19 tests for millions within days
"They're Experimenting On Us" - Why Black NYs Don't Trust The Vaccine
Fauci says EVERY American will eventually need 19 vaccine boosters
WHO scientist says Chinese pressured investigation to drop lab-leak theory
440 students in Palm Beach County forced to quarantine
Coast Guard, National Guard will follow DoD in mandating vaccines
Military Members Can Request Exemptions From COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Major ports in eastern China see worsening congestion after COVID cases
New data on coronavirus vaccine effectiveness may be "a wakeup call"
SITUATION REPORTS / OFFICIAL CASE NUMBERS
HealthData.gov
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control (U.S.)
Johns Hopkins CSSE (Interactive map updated multiple times daily) |
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Commentary / Analysis / Research |
Aug 14, 2021 |
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Space as a Warfighting Domain: Reshaping Defense Space Policy
Pressure to bolster deterrence and prepare for the defense of U.S. interests in space is growing. Given that the United States has responded to the technological and policy developments of other nations in space by establishing a new military service with responsibility to guard U.S. interests in space, what steps will the nation take next to fulfill the U.S. Space Force mission to “defeat aggression and deliver space combat power”?
~ READ MORE HERE ~
Why America Loses Wars
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is moving to its inevitable conclusion. The Taliban, the radical Islamists the U.S. was fighting, are taking back control of the country, one city at a time. Put differently, the United States has lost the war it fought for the past 20 years. There are those who want to continue to fight, but I doubt that another 20 years will bring victory considering that the definition of success is vague and wildly ambitious. The goal was to transform an ancient and complex society from what it was to into what we wanted it to be. Defeating a country comprising warring factions and imposing peace and a new culture was beyond Washington’s reach.
This is not the first war the U.S. has lost since World War II, and given the overwhelming military power of the United States, it must be explained.
~ READ MORE HERE ~
Why The Next Major War Is Likely To Start In Taiwan
If the United States and China get into a shooting war, there is a good chance it would start in Taiwan, which the Chinese communists view as a renegade province.
It’s no secret that China has long wanted to conquer the island nation, where nationalist forces retreated in 1949 after losing to the communists in China’s civil war. The U.S government provides Taiwan with military equipment, much to China’s chagrin.
~ READ MORE HERE ~
Biden on Afghanistan: Not My Problem
As the Taliban blitz across Afghanistan and U.S. officials scramble to assess just how quickly the government in Kabul could fall, President Joe Biden is recalibrating his message to Americans.
Where he once insisted that two decades of U.S. backing had left Afghan forces capable of defending themselves, Biden and his aides have shifted to a more cold-blooded mantra: If they can’t, that’s not our problem.
~ READ MORE HERE ~ |
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| USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker |
Aug 14, 2021 |
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These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Aug 9, 2021 based on U.S. Navy, public data provided by the U.S. Naval Institute, and open source reporting. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
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| World News Roundup |
Aug 14, 2021 |
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AMERICAS
Biden on Afghanistan: Not my problem
Biden asks OPEC to produce MORE oil after HE shut down Keystone pipeline
Arrests Along US-Mexico Border Hit 21-Year Monthly High
2020 Cencus: US white population declines for first time ever
U.S. Asks Taliban to Spare Its Embassy in Coming Fight for Kabul
Afghan ambassador to US slams Biden for political solution to Taliban
Canada sending special forces to EVACUATE staff from Kabul embassy
TX Gov. Greg Abbott rips Biden's policies
Venezuela government, opposition to start talks in Mexico
The drug war at sea is getting bigger and bigger
New Skunk Works plant to build advanced fighters, other projects
Air Force successfully tests intercontinental ballistic missile
EUROPE
Russia detains head of hypersonic research facility in treason case
Russia Slams "Crude Provocation" After US Invited To Put Troops In Ukraine
Boris Johnson calls emergency Cobra meeting over Afghanistan collapse
Germany: Afghanistan conflict will increase migration
Scale of Russian mercenary mission in Libya exposed
600 UK paratroopers to be sent to Afghanistan to get Brits out
Belarus floods the European Union with migrants
Europe sees surge in illegal migration, 59% more than in 2020 so far
Europe a fearful bystander as Taliban sweeps through Afghanistan
MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA
US warns Middle East allies not to give China a military base
Israel’s Bennett and Lapid partners, but still rivals
Iran’s nuclear program – and averting a war nobody wants
Russian, British envoys anger Iranians with WWII memorial photo
Hezbollah has inter-regional tunnel network stretching hundreds of km.
Baghdad Says Iran Halted Electricity Exports To Iraq
Libya: Why are there more than 20K fighters from Russia, Syria and Chad?
Scale of Russian mercenary mission in Libya exposed
Turkish capital reels from violent protests against Syrians
Zambia starts counting ballots in closely fought elections
ASIA
China Preparing to Recognize Taliban if Kabul Falls
The Taliban may be executing Afghan troops who surrender
Taliban take Kandahar, Herat in major Afghanistan offensive
Potential Al Qaeda resurgence in Afghanistan worries U.S. officials
Al-Qaeda operates under Taliban protection: UN report
Obama defense official tears into Biden's Afghan troop withdrawal
Exodus Afghanistan: Hundreds of thousands flee homes as Taliban take over
US, Taiwan dance creating "historic" opportunity for PLA overflights
U.S. and Taiwan Coast Guards to Hold First Joint Drills At Sea
Chinese electronic intelligence plane enters Taiwan’s ADIZ
Guardian: US deserves big share of blame for Afghanistan military disaster
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Travel Security Resources
The U.S. Dept. of State Travel Website is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to research on the security situation at your destination prior to departure.
The Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides a variety of resources to enhance the safety and security of the U.S. private sector businesses and organizations operating abroad.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is the authoritative federal source for information on current health issues related to specific destinations worldwide. These issues may arise from disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, natural disasters, or other conditions that may affect travelers’ health.
Foreign Sources of Travel Guidance
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Take Advantage of These Resources
Our social media channels provide a steady steam of important news and resources between issues of Threat Journal with little or no overlap of content. Combined with the AlertsUSA service for instant mobile notification of the really bad developments, you have an unmatched set of tools to keep yourself fully up to speed on the nation's threat environment. With times getting worse by the day, we urge you to utilize these resources.
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