TheList 5286

The List 5286 TGB


Good Tuesday Morning April 21

I hope that your week has started well .

Regards,

skip

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Today in Naval History

April 21

On This Day

1861

Sloop-of-War Saratoga, commanded by Alfred Taylor, captures Nightingale, a clipper slaver, at the mouth of the Congo River at Cabinda, Angola, with 961 slaves on board.

1898

President William McKinley orders the Navy to begin a blockade of Cuba and Spain, the beginning of the Spanish-American War. Congress responds with a formal declaration of war April 25, made retroactive to the start of the blockade.

1914

President Woodrow Wilson orders intervention at Vera Cruz, Mexico, after the Tampico Affair where Sailors from USS Dolphin were detained. The U.S. Atlantic Fleet, under the command of Rear Adm. Frank F. Fletcher, land the first Marines and Sailors from USS Florida and USS Utah and engage in battle.

1944

Task Force 58 begins the bombing of Japanese airfields and defensive positions at Hollandia, Wakde, Sawar, and Sarmi, New Guinea, in preparation for the U.S. Army landing operations Persecution and Reckless.

1972

Navy Capt. John W. Young, commander of Apollo 16, is the ninth man to walk on the moon. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas K. Mattingly II is the command module pilot for the 11-day, 1-hour and 51-minute mission where 213 pounds of lunar material is collected.

1990

USNS John Ericcson (T-AO 194) is launched at Chester, Penn. The Henry J. Kiser-class replenishment oiler is named for John Ericcson who designed USS Monitor.

2001

USS Lassen (DDG 82) is commissioned at Tampa, Fla., prior to sailing for her homeport in San Diego as part of Destroyer Squadron 23. The Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after Lt. Clyde Everett Lassen, a Medal of Honor recipient for rescuing two downed aviators while he was the commander of a search and rescue helicopter in Vietnam.



CHINFO

Executive Summary:

• USNI News and Reuters report that USS America is operating near an ongoing international standoff between China and Malaysia in the South China Sea.

• The New York Times reported in depth on last summer's deadly fire aboard the Russian submarine Losharik.

• South Korean officials disputed reports that Kim Jong-un was receiving treatment following a heart surgery, multiple outlets report.







This day in World History

April 21

0043 Marcus Antonius is defeated by Octavian near Modena, Italy.

0753 Traditional date of the foundation of Rome.

1526 Mongol Emperor Babur annihilates the Indian Army of Ibrahim Lodi.

1649 The Maryland Toleration Act is passed, allowing all people freedom of worship.

1689 William III and Mary II are crowned joint king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.

1836 General Sam Houston defeats Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas wins independence from Mexico.

1862 Congress establishes the U.S. Mint.

1865 Abraham Lincoln's funeral train leaves Washington.

1898 The Spanish-American War begins.

1910 Mark Twain dies at the age of 75.

1914 U.S. Marines occupy Vera Cruz, Mexico. They will stay six months.

1916 Bill Carlisle, the infamous 'last train robber,' robs a train in Hanna, Wyoming.

1918 German fighter ace Baron von Richthofen, "The Red Baron," is shot down and killed.

1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces that several Doolittle pilots have been executed by Japanese.

1960 Brasilia becomes the capital of Brazil.

1961 The French army revolts in Algeria.

1966 Pfc. Milton Lee Olive is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for bravery during the Vietnam War.

1975 The last South Vietnam president, Nguyen Van Thieu, resigns.

1995 Federal authorities arrest Timothy McVeigh in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.



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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

20 April



1911: Lts Thomas DeWitt Milling and Henry H. Arnold received orders to Dayton for flight instruction at the Wright School. (4) 1913: Mr. Boise Penrose of Pennsylvania proposed the first aircraft registration and license bill in the Senate (S.1295). (24)

1933: The Navy's dirigible Macon made its maiden flight. (24)

1948: KEY WEST AGREEMENT. The SECDEF issued a memo to his Secretaries, with a paper defining the functions of the services and the JCS, based on the National Security Act. It was the first functions paper drawn up after the act. The Air Force received responsibility for the air defense of America. (20)

1950: Lt Cmdr R. C. Starkey took off from the USS Coral Sea in a P2V-3C Neptune bomber with a gross weight of 74,688 pounds. This was the heaviest aircraft launched from a carrier to date. (24)

1951: KOREAN WAR. An SA-16 from the 3 ARS tried to pick up a downed enemy YAK pilot near Chinnampo for intelligence purposes. The aircrew landed and put out a raft but had to take off because of intense enemy fire, leaving the YAK pilot behind. (28)

1952: In aerial combat, Capt. Robert J. Love, 335 FIS, destroyed two MiGs to become an ace. (28)

1953: Operation LITTLE SWITCH. Through 15 May, the USAF airlifted more than 150 sick and wounded former prisoners of war from Korea to Japan and from Japan to the US. (21)

1960: The USAF retrieved the instrument capsule from a Titan that had flown 5,000 miles. (24) AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1961: Maj Robert White set a speed record in the X-15's first full-throttle flight. At 79,000 feet, he attained 3,074 MPH before coasting upward to 105,100 feet. (9) (24) 1964: The numbers of ICBMs and bombers on alert in SAC were equal. Hereafter, the ICBM became the dominant alert force. (1)

1967: SAC declared its 20th Minuteman squadron, the 564 SMS at Malmstrom AFB, to be operational. When the squadron's last Minuteman IIs went on alert in May, the deployment of a 1,000- missile Minuteman force ended. (1) (6)

1969: SECAF Robert C. Seamans, Jr., and NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine signed an agreement to establish a joing civilian-military manned space station. (16)

1972: The F-111 Joint Test Force at Edwards AFB flew an F-111A on its longest flight to date—5,400 nautical miles in 12 hours.

1975: Lt Col Fred C. Hartstein of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group at Barksdale AFB flew a operational KC-135 from March AFB to refuel Rockwell's B-1 Lancer for the first time. (1)

1995: Geraldine P. May, first director for Women in the Air Force (WAF), celebrated her 100th birthday at her residence in Menlo Park, Calif. May, who was born in Albany, N.Y., entered the Women's Army Corps in 1942. She became WAF director on 16 June 1948, and held the position for nearly three years before leaving the service in the early-1950s. (AFNEWS, 21 Apr 95)

2003: The last of 546 AMC KC-135 tankers completed the final PACER CRAG modification. Eight program depot maintenance facilities ran 25 production lines to install PACER CRAG upgrades. It took approximately 4,150 man-hours to modify each aircraft. (22)

2005: While offloading 84,000 pounds of JP-8 fuel to three aircraft over Iraq, a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 92 AREFW at Fairchild AFB achieved a historic milestone while assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. The tankers exceeded one billion pounds of fuel offloaded in the US Central Command's theater since 30 January 2003. (22)



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HOLEP

Thanks to Kent…..Another option

Good morning Skip..............

After reading Padre's experience in The List, this morning I wanted to send you a description of the HOLEP............a prostate operation short of total removal..........a surgeon goes in and peels the inside of the prostate out, leaving the outer layer and MOST important all the nerves that affect erectile function. They guarantee that after the surgery, you will have the same erectile function as before.......no better, no worse. The surgery is done completely through the urethea, no incisions. I still marvel that they could put a laser, camera, light, grinder, vacuum all through that tiny hole !!

Although I was fortunate to NOT have cancer yet, I had a high PSA, and after a couple of those anal biopsies, I continued to have recurring infections and bleeding for several years, and my prostate continued to grow (even with two different shrinking medications) until the Urologist said it was TEN times the normal size. I was getting no rest, was up peeing every half hour many nights (actually just dribbling).

My urologist finally told me that he could not do anything for me except complete removal, my prostate was too large for the TERP or the Blue Light Laser. He recommended an alternate to complete removal, the HOLEP. He referred me to Dr. Miller at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. When you see her resume, you will wonder when she has time to do surgery as she has published more papers and been members of so many organizations. She instructs other Uro's around the country in the HOLEP procedure as well. She is a very kind, gentle woman, that has a genuine interest in her patients and the procedure which is her specialty. She did the ONLY painless cystoscopy I have ever had, barely felt it and no tissue tearing with painful after-effects at all.

I had this done 4 years ago and after a reasonable time for recovery, residual bleeding and some incontinenance, I have had no problems whatsoever, do not even get up to pee once most nights. I do have the retrograde ejaculation which is common in most cases, as forewarned, but the euphoric feelings still occur. At 78 years old, am glad to get what I can !! grin.

I have included a couple of links to Miller and a full description of the procedure. I stayed overnight while they continually and automatically flushed the wound with a saline solution, through the urethea and they sent me home the next day.

Thought you might want to alert The List folks of this procedure. It is done in a several other hospitals around the country, but I cannot vouch for the other surgeons of course.

Not sure if it can be done, once cancer develops. They did a biopsy of the tissue removed, was benign. I think now that my chance of prostate cancer is near zero.

kent Henson


Description of procedure. - https://wjso.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7819-1-6

Dr. Miller resume' - https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/root/pdfs/urology/CV_Nicole_Miller.pdf





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This Day in U.S. Military History

1836 – During the Texan War for Independence, the Texas militia under Sam Houston launches a surprise attack against the forces of Mexican General Santa Anna along the San Jacinto River. The Mexicans were thoroughly routed, and hundreds were taken prisoner, including General Santa Anna himself. After gaining independence from Spain in the 1820s, Mexico welcomed foreign settlers to sparsely populated Texas, and a large group of Americans led by Stephen F. Austin settled along the Brazos River. The Americans soon outnumbered the resident Mexicans, and by the 1830s attempts by the Mexican government to regulate these semi-autonomous American communities led to rebellion. In March 1836, in the midst of armed conflict with the Mexican government, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. The Texas volunteers initially suffered defeat against the forces of Santa Anna–Sam Houston's troops were forced into an eastward retreat, and the Alamo fell. However, in late April, Houston's army surprised a Mexican force at San Jacinto, and Santa Anna was captured, bringing an end to Mexico's effort to subdue Texas. In exchange for his freedom, Santa Anna recognized Texas's independence; although the treaty was later abrogated and tensions built up along the Texas-Mexico border. The citizens of the so-called Lone Star Republic elected Sam Houston as president and endorsed the entrance of Texas into the United States. However, the likelihood of Texas joining the Union as a slave state delayed any formal action by the U.S. Congress for more than a decade. Finally, in 1845, President John Tyler orchestrated a compromise in which Texas would join the United States as a slave state. On December 29, 1845, Texas entered the United States as the 28th state, broadening the irrepressible differences in the U.S. over the issue of slavery and igniting the Mexican-American War.



1934 – Moe Berg, Senators catcher (and later US spy), played an AL record 117th consecutive, errorless game. In 1934, five years before he retired as a player, Berg made a trip to Japan as part of a traveling major league All-Star team. One might wonder what the seldom-used catcher, a .251 hitter that season, was doing playing with the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Berg, who spoke Japanese, took home movies of the Tokyo skyline that were used in the planning of General Jimmy Doolittle's 1942 bombing raids on the Japanese capital. The U.S. government wrote a letter to Berg, thanking him for the movies.



1975 – Xuan Loc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls to the communists. The North Vietnamese had launched a major offensive in March to capture the provincial capital of Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands. The South Vietnamese defenders fought very poorly and were quickly overwhelmed by the North Vietnamese attackers. Despite previous promises to provide support to the South Vietnamese if the communists violated the provisions of the cease-fire, the United States did nothing. In an attempt to reposition his forces for a better defense, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered his forces in the Highlands to withdraw to more defensible positions to the south. What started out as a reasonably orderly withdrawal soon degenerated into a panic that spread throughout the South Vietnamese armed forces. They abandoned Pleiku and Kontum in the Highlands with very little fighting and the North Vietnamese pressed the attack from the west and north. In quick succession, Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang in the north fell to the communist onslaught. The North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast, defeating the South Vietnamese forces at each encounter. As the North Vietnamese forces closed on the approaches to Saigon, the politburo in Hanoi issued an order to Gen. Van Tien Dung to launch the "Ho Chi Minh Campaign," the final assault on Saigon itself. Dung began to move his forces into position for the final battle. The South Vietnamese 18th Division made a valiant final stand at Xuan Loc, 40 miles northeast of Saigon, and the South Vietnamese soldiers destroyed three of Dung's divisions. However, the South Vietnamese succumbed to the superior North Vietnamese numbers. With the fall of Xuan Loc, President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned and transferred authority to Vice-President Tran Van Huong. Thieu then fled Saigon, flying to Taiwan on April 25 and eventually on to Great Britain, where he now resides. By April 27, the North Vietnamese had completely encircled Saigon and began to maneuver for their final assault. By the morning of April 30, the war was over. When the North Vietnamese tanks broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, the South Vietnamese surrendered and the Vietnam War came to an end.



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Thanks to Dutch



New documentary reveals Bill Clinton kept CIA from killing bin Laden

" ...if President Clinton had taken action and killed Usama bin Laden, there wouldn't have been a 9/11, and if there wouldn't have been a 9/11 there wouldn't have been an Afghanistan, and if there wouldn't have been an Afghanistan there wouldn't have been an Iraq. What would the world be like?"

New documentary reveals Bill Clinton kept CIA from killing bin Laden

By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News

New exhibit at National September 11th Memorial and Museum examines the hunt for Usama bin Laden

Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden tells the story of the pursuit of the terror mastermind through the eyes of the principals involved; senior correspondent Rick Leventhal reports.

A new documentary reveals that the U.S. had an opportunity to kill Usama bin Laden in the 1990s after tracking his location with the help of Afghan tribal informants, but were unable to do so because of an order signed by then-President Bill Clinton.

That order allowed the CIA to engage in "lethal activity" against the Al Qaeda leader, but the purpose of the strike could not be to kill him.

"We were being asked to remove this threat to the United States essentially with one hand tied behind our backs," said now-former CIA station chief Bob Grenier in Showtime's "The Longest War," in a clip posted by The Daily Beast. Grenier was based in Islamabad, Pakistan at the time.

"Our tribal contacts came to us and said, 'Look, he's in this location now. When he leaves, he's going to have to go through this particular crossroads.' And so what they proposed was to bury a huge cache of explosives underneath those crossroads so that when his convoy came through they could simply blow it up. And we said absolutely not. We were risking jail if we didn't tell them that."

The documentary's director Greg Barker told The Daily Beast that at that point in time, the president, State Department, and other officials did not view bin Laden as much of a threat, and senior officials "ignored and even ridiculed" those who said otherwise.

Clinton has in the past discussed why he did not go after bin Laden on another occasion, essentially arguing that he did not want to kill innocent bystanders. The documentary explores what could have happened if the administration took action at the time.

"The threat was real," Marty Martin, who was a CIA counterterrorism officer at the time, said in the documentary. "And if President Clinton had taken action and killed Usama bin Laden, there wouldn't have been a 9/11, and if there wouldn't have been a 9/11 there wouldn't have been an Afghanistan, and if there wouldn't have been an Afghanistan there wouldn't have been an Iraq. What would the world be like?"



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thanks to Doctor Rich

Finally .. a common sense perspective on Covid-19 ... becoming more obviously correct day-by-day ...



HEALTHCARE

Epidemiologist: Coronavirus could be 'exterminated' if lockdowns were lifted



Going outdoors is what stops every respiratory disease'





A veteran scholar of epidemiology has warned that the ongoing lockdowns throughout the United States and the rest of the world are almost certainly just prolonging the coronavirus outbreak rather than doing anything to truly mitigate it.

Knut Wittkowski, previously the longtime head of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design at the Rockefeller University in New York City, said in an interview with the Press and the Public Project that the coronavirus could be "exterminated" if we permitted most people to lead normal lives and sheltered the most vulnerable parts of society until the danger had passed.

"[W]hat people are trying to do is flatten the curve. I don't really know why. But, what happens is if you flatten the curve, you also prolong, to widen it, and it takes more time. And I don't see a good reason for a respiratory disease to stay in the population longer than necessary," he said.

"With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won't even have recognized that they were infected, or they had very, very mild symptoms, especially if they are children. So, it's very important to keep the schools open and kids mingling to spread the virus to get herd immunity as fast as possible, and then the elderly people, who should be separated, and the nursing homes should be closed during that time, can come back and meet their children and grandchildren after about 4 weeks when the virus has been exterminated," he added.

Wittkowski argued that the standard cycle of respiratory diseases is a two-week outbreak, including a peak, after which "it's gone." He pointed out that even in a regime of "social distancing," the virus will still find ways to spread, just more slowly:

You cannot stop the spread of a respiratory disease within a family, and you cannot stop it from spreading with neighbors, with people who are delivering, who are physicians—anybody. People are social, and even in times of social distancing, they have contacts, and any of those contacts could spread the disease. It will go slowly, and so it will not build up herd immunity, but it will happen. And it will go on forever unless we let it go.

Asked about Anthony Fauci, the White House medical expert who for weeks has been predicting significant numbers of COVID-19 deaths in America as well as major ongoing disruptions to daily life possibly for years, Wittkowski replied: "Well, I'm not paid by the government, so I'm entitled to actually do science."

Here's a video of his interview, if you want more detail ...





https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=lGC5sGdz4kg&feature=emb_logo



And the magazine article above:



https://www.thecollegefix.com/epidemiologist-coronavirus-could-be-exterminated-if-lockdowns-were-lifted/?fbclid=IwAR0mZTC4tiGvGgUd9sWmEvp26zJCqbCn-EyedO8f3gH1S3SPfuXRR0ZS1fc







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World News from Military Periscope for 21 April



USA—Warships Monitor Standoff Between China, Malaysia In S. China Sea Reuters | 04/21/2020 Two U.S. warships are reportedly monitoring a standoff between Chinese and Malaysian survey vessels in the South China Sea, reports Reuters. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on Tuesday that the amphibious assault ship USS America and the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill were operating in the region. U.S. operations in the South China Sea promote freedom of navigation and overflight and the global rules-based order and the interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners, said the spokeswoman. Three regional sources told the wire service that the warships were operating near an ongoing standoff between a Chinese hydrographic survey vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, and a Malaysian survey vessel operated by state oil firm Petronas. The survey ships were facing off about 200 nautical miles (370 km) off the eastern coast of Malaysia, in waters claimed by China, Malaysia and Vietnam. Rear Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of the USS America Expeditionary Strike Group, said that his group had several interactions with Chinese naval forces this week, all of which were professional. China rejected reports of a standoff, saying the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was operating normally. Washington has accused Beijing of taking advantage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to boost its presence in the South China Sea



USA—Trump Rejects Latest S. Korea Burden-Sharing Offer Yonhap | 04/21/2020 President Donald Trump says he has rejected the latest cost-sharing proposal from the South Korean government, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). During a press briefing on Monday, Trump said he had declined the South Korean offer, without providing details. Trump sidestepped questions about the withdrawal of U.S. troops, saying the issue was not about the troop levels but how much South Korea was willing to contribute to its defense. The Dong-A Ilbo (Seoul) previously reported that the U.S. would consider reducing troops levels on the peninsula as a negotiating tactic. South Korea had offered to increase its share of the costs of maintain U.S. troops by 13 percent. The two nations agreed to a one-year Special Measures Agreement (SMA) in 2019, with Seoul shouldering US$870 million of the costs. More than 4,000 South Korean employees on U.S. military bases have been furloughed since the SMA lapsed at the beginning of April.



USA—Air Force Academy Graduates 1st Space Force Officers Space News | 04/21/2020 The U.S. Air Force Academy has just graduated its first class with officers who are joining the Space Force, reports Space News. On April 18, 86 of the 967 graduates were sworn into the Space Force during a ceremony at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Most of the new graduates have been assigned the space operations career field and will head to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for undergraduate space training. Others will undertake training in cyberspace operations, intelligence, engineering and acquisition. Prior to the ceremony, the only official members of the Space Force were Gen. John Raymond, the chief of space operations, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, the senior enlisted adviser. The graduation ceremony was held six weeks ahead of schedule due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.



USA—Air Force Ends Continuous Bomber Deployments To Guam Air Force Magazine | 04/21/2020 The U.S. Air Force has ended the continuous deployment of bomber aircraft to Guam, reports Air Force magazine. On April 16, five B-52s deployed to the island returned to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., without replacement, reported the War Zone website. The redeployment is part of a shift to a "dynamic force deployment" model, which is designed to make major deployments less predictable to potential adversaries, such as China and Russia. The deployments are intended to be "strategically predictable and operationally unpredictable," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein. As part of the change, the service is experimenting with sending bombers to new or less common deployment locations in the Pacific and Europe. The Air Force had maintained a continual bomber presence on Guam since 2004.



USA—Attack Sub Vermont Enters Service Navy News | 04/21/2020 The U.S. Navy has commissioned its first Virginia-class Block IV attack submarine, reports the Navy NewsStand. On April 18, the Vermont (SSN-792) was administratively commissioned and made the transition to normal operations, the Navy said. The traditional public commissioning ceremony was canceled due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Navy hopes to hold a formal celebration in the future. The Vermont is the second submarine to enter service without ceremony this month. USS Delaware (SSN-791) was commissioned on April 4. The Vermont is the first Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service. The Block IV boats incorporate design changes to reduce the amount of maintenance required and increase deployments over their service life.



Croatia—Kiowa Warrior Choppers Reach Full Operational Capability Croatian Ministry of Defense | 04/21/2020 Croatia's fleet of OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters has attained full operational capability following the delivery of anti-tank missiles from the U.S., reports the Croatian Ministry of Defense. Delivery of the AGM-114 Hellfires was the final step before the milestone could be declared, the ministry said in an April 17 release. The helicopters have received the necessary software and pilots have trained on the system using dummy munitions. The missiles will provide a long-range strike capability against a variety of targets in day and night conditions, said the ministry.



Russia—T-14 Tanks Sent To Syria For Combat Evaluation Tass | 04/21/2020 Russia has sent its newest tanks to Syria for field testing, according to senior officials cited by Russia's Tass news agency. The T-14 Armata tanks were deployed to Syria for operational testing ahead of production deliveries to the Russian military, which are scheduled to begin in 2021, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov told Russian media. The vehicles are undergoing additional testing and upgrades following defense ministry requests for new capabilities, Manturov said. The first tanks were expected to arrive in Syria in mid-March, reported the Middle East Monitor, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. Russia has been accused of using the civil war in Syria as a proving ground for its latest military equipment.



North Korea—Reports Suggest Kim May Be In Ill Health Cable News Network | 04/21/2020 U.S. intelligence is monitoring reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is in critical condition following surgery, reports CNN. Kim underwent surgery for a cardiovascular issue on April 12, the Daily NK reported at the time. The North Korean dictator is well known to suffer from problems related to smoking and weight. He is now believed to be recuperating at a villa in Hyangsan county. Kim's condition had reportedly improved sufficiently by April 19 for most of his medical team to return to Pyongyang. Issues related to the surgery are believed to be behind Kim's absence from the April 15 celebration commemorating the birthday of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the founder of the North Korean regime. A South Korean presidential spokesman told the Yonhap news agency (Seoul) that Seoul had no information about Kim's condition and that there were "no unusual signs" from within the North. Another presidential official said that Kim was believed to be staying at a location outside the capital with close aides. The source did not identify the location, only saying that it was not in the Mount Myohyang area. Kim was last seen on April 11, presiding over a meeting to coordinate the government response to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.



Philippines—Fighting Continues Between Military, NPA Rebels Rappler | 04/21/2020 Clashes over the weekend between the Philippine army and New People's Army (NPA) militants have killed at least four, reports the the Rappler (Manila) On Sunday, four Philippine soldiers were killed in two separate engagements in the southern Negros Occidental and central Masbate provinces. In Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental, troops from the 94th Infantry Battalion hit an improvised explosive device after pursuing NPA rebels for three days. Three soldiers were killed and four injured in a 30-minute gun battle following the blast. The rebels were said to have been engaged in extorting civilians in the area. Separately, troops from the 2nd Infantry Battalion and Philippine National Police officers engaged in a one-hour gunfight with NPA rebels in San Fernando, Masbate province. One soldier was killed in the clash. The insurgents were allegedly planning attacks on communities and government forces in the region. No figures were given for potential casualties among the rebels. Finally, the Philippine army said it killed a suspected NPA leader in the central Samar province, reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Noel Galvez was killed during fighting in Barangay Buluan, in the town of Calbiga. He was reportedly responsible for the murder of a former rebel leader on April 9.



Philippines—Military Prepares For Stronger Crackdown On Violators Of COVID-19 Lockdown CNN Philippines | 04/21/2020 The Philippine military has confirmed the authenticity of a leaked memo detailing plans to strengthen enforcement of a lockdown intended to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports CNN Philippines. The memo, which was issued by Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, the air force chief, on April 17 and leaked the same day, ordered commanders to begin preparing their units to enforce an "extensive enhanced community quarantine." According to the memo, Philippine military units would be in charge along roads and highways during an enhanced lockdown. The order serves only as guidance to prepare military units in case President Rodrigo Duterte decides to order a tighter lockdown due to the large number of violations, said a military spokesman. The Philippine National Police says that 130,177 violators have been arrested, fined and warned as officers step up quarantine enforcement, reported the Manila Standard. The highest numbers of violations were recorded in Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. On April 20, the Philippine Dept. of Health reported 6,459 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 428 deaths.



Burma—WHO Worker Killed In Rakhine State Irrawaddy | 04/21/2020 An international health care worker has been killed in an attack in Rakhine state in western Burma, reports the Irrawaddy (Burma). On Monday, a World Health Organization van carrying swabs taken from suspected novel coronavirus (COVID-19) victims was fired on near the Yar Maung bridge in the Minbya township. Both WHO employees in the van were injured in the shooting. On Tuesday, the driver died of his wounds. The vehicle was marked with the insignia of the U.N. agency, reported Agence France-Presse. State media blamed the Arakan Army (AA) for the attack. The group, which recruits from the predominately Buddhist Rakhine community, denied responsibility and blamed the Burmese military. The AA and Burmese army frequently clash in the region.



Pakistan—6 Die In Assault On Army Outpost In N. Waziristan Inter-Services Public Relations | 04/21/2020 A Pakistani soldier and five militants have been killed in fighting in North Waziristan, reports the Inter-Services Public Relations On Monday, militants launched a raid on a military outpost 6 miles (10 km) west of Miranshah, said the military public affairs outlet. Three soldiers were injured in the clash. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. North Waziristan has experienced an uptick in violence in the last month despite the military's claims that most of the district has been cleared of militants, reported the Voice of America News. At least five soldiers and two dozen militants have been killed in fighting in the region.



Syria—Air Defenses Reportedly Intercept Suspected Israeli Strike Near Palmyra Syrian Arab News Agency | 04/21/2020 Syrian army air defenses have intercepted incoming missiles believed to be launched by Israel in central Syria, reports the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Late Monday, air defense systems near Palmyra (Tadmur) in the eastern part of Homs province intercepted several Israeli missiles, said Syrian military sources. The strikes targeted military posts used by Iranian forces in the Palmyra desert, sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.). Israeli jets attempted to attack military facilities north of the Palmyra airport, according to a report by the Hezbollah-friendly Al Mayadeen TV, as cited by the Tass news agency (Moscow). Citing Russian reports, the semi-official Tasnim news agency (Tehran) said that the strikes targeted the Al Sukhnah, Al Amariyah and Al Talila areas. No casualties were immediately reported. Syria often claims that its air defenses defeat Israeli attacks on its territory. Israel does not comment on such strikes.



Nigeria—1st Super Tucano For Air Force Makes Maiden Flight Embraer Inc. | 04/21/2020 The first of 12 Super Tucano light attack aircraft ordered by Nigeria has made its first flight in Florida, reports Embraer, the Brazilian manufacturer. The milestone was reached at Embraer partner Sierra Nevada's A-29 Super Tucano production line in Jacksonville, Fla., Embraer announced on April 17. All 12 of the Super Tucanos ordered by the air force in December 2018 under a US$329 million deal are under construction, reported Defence Web (South Africa). The A-29 will next undergo mission modifications and final testing in Centennial, Colo., before Nigerian air force pilots began training to fly the planes. Training with the U.S. Air Force 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., is scheduled to begin mid-year. All 12 Super Tucanos are scheduled to be delivered in 2021.



Chad—5 Die In Accidental Rocket Launch At N'Djamena Air Base Defence Web | 04/21/2020 At least five civilians have been killed after a Chadian air force strike aircraft launched a rocket while on the ground at the Adji Kossei air base in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital, reports Defence Web (South Africa). On April 17, an air force crew was refueling an Su-25 when the rocket was fired. The rocket passed through an empty French air force refueling truck, narrowly missed a parked French air force C-130H from Transport Squadron 2/61 and struck the house belonging to Gen. Mahamata Salaha Barhima, the deputy commander of the Presidential Guard, reported the Aviationist blog. Three children and two adults were killed when the rocket detonated. At least one other person was injured. An investigation has been launched into the incident, which has been labeled an accident.



Central African Republic—Security Council Sanctions Rebel Leader For Violating Peace Deal Agence France-Presse | 04/21/2020 The U.N. Security Council has sanctioned a Central African Republic rebel leader who is believed to be violating a peace deal he signed with the government last year, reports Agence France-Presse. On Monday, the council approved measures including an asset freeze and travel ban on Abdoulaye Miskine, the leader of the Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC). In February 2019, Miksine was among 14 armed group chiefs who signed a pact with President Faustin-Archange Touadera under which rebel leaders would receive senior government posts as part of peace efforts. However, the most recent report to the Security Council on the arms embargo and sanctions in the C.A.R. indicated that Miksine was still seeking to recruit fighters. The rebel leader also never took up his government post, according to officials in Bangui. A diplomatic source said that the FDPC leader remains a threat to peace. In November, the C.A.R. government said that Miksine had been arrested in neighboring Chad and demanded his extradition.