The List 5299 TGB
Some bits and the world news for today April 29
Regards,
skip
Thanks to Denny…I watched it last night.
Ready Room Zoom
The Eagles drummer is bored and taking advantage of no commercial air.
And, what does a pilot with idle time on his hands do when bored in times like this?
And even if you're not a pilot, ya gotta love the view of Manhattan.
https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/experimental-pilot-visits-newark-la-guardia-and-jfk-in-one-flight
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Thanks to Dutch
BLAME ALL AROUND
Congress, White House, media botched virus response
BY STEPHEN DINAN THE WASHINGTON TIMES
China reported to the World Health Organization on New Year's Eve that it was facing a novel coronavirus.
Three weeks later, the first mention of the coronavirus was made on the floor of one of the chambers of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, interrupted Democrats' impeachment proceedings against President Trump on Jan. 23 to announce a high-level, closed-door briefing the next day. Few senators bothered to attend.
Rep. Roger Marshall, Kansas Republican and a medical doctor, five days later became the first to broach the virus on the House floor. He thought the information he heard coming out of China sounded fishy, and he wanted to sound the alarm.
"There were just too many loose ends," Mr. Marshall told The Washington Times last week, looking back at what prompted him to take the matter to the well of the House.
The finger-pointing in Washington has hit fever pitch. Democrats and the media accuse Mr. Trump of being slow off the mark in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a Washington Times review of who said and did what and when shows few heroes inside the Beltway in the early weeks of the outbreak. The press and politicians were more consumed with phone calls to Ukraine than a virus killing people in China.
U.S. health officials did move early to try to get on top of the situation and offered assistance to China on Jan. 3. They renewed the offer two days later, according to the president's team.
Those same public health officials spent much of January insisting the danger to the U.S. was minimal and telling Americans not to wear masks. That directive now seems unimaginable, given current knowledge about the virus.
Mr. Trump made his first public mentions of the coronavirus on Jan. 22 in a CNBC interview and in a meeting with the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government. He downplayed risks to the U.S. and praised China's handling of the outbreak.
"We do have a plan, and we think it's going to be handled very well. We've already handled it very well," he said. "CDC has been terrific. Very great professionals. And we're in very good shape. And I think China is in very good shape, also."
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was about to ship tests already tainted with the virus, rendering them uninterpretable.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, raised the matter at a press conference in New York on Jan. 26. He said the Department of Health and Human Services needed to declare a public health emergency to free up money in the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund. Five days later, the Trump administration issued the declaration.
The House didn't hold its first hearing on the virus until Feb. 5, and it took almost another week for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, to make her first public mention. In a press conference, she complained that the president's budget proposal envisioned less money for the CDC.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, weighed in with an op-ed in USA Today on Jan. 27. He said Mr. Trump was the wrong type of person to lead America through a pandemic, though he cast the international outbreak as more of a foreign policy challenge than a U.S. public health threat.
Throughout those early months, the press delivered contradictory coverage of the "Chinese virus," as The New York Times called it in a Jan. 20 "briefing" article. The coronavirus repeatedly played second chair to impeachment and other Trump-gazing until weeks into the growing outbreak. It wasn't until early February that the Gray Lady's briefing scribes began to give the coronavirus top billing on its daily update column.
CNN has been particularly defiant in recent weeks and challenged Mr. Trump's assertion that the press was slower than he was to spot the dangers. The network ran its first story about a "mysterious virus" on Jan. 6 and reported Jan. 18 that China's statements were "likely grossly underestimated."
The network began posting live daily updates on Jan. 22 of what it labeled the "Wuhan virus" deep into February. Like Mr. Trump, Congress and health officials, CNN was limited chiefly to what China was reporting, though it offered more caveats than the president did in trusting Beijing's statements.
While the coronavirus was spreading in China, the U.S. didn't have its first confirmed COVID-19 case until Jan. 21. Eight cases had been confirmed as of Feb. 1, and just 15 had been confirmed when Mr. Trump held a press conference at the White House.
Top health officials said they expected the number to rise, though they said the immediate risk was still low.
"Our containment strategy has been working," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
Mr. Trump chimed in: "When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done."
Instead, the U.S. had 98 confirmed cases a week later and recorded its first death in Washington state. It now turns out that two people in California died at the beginning of February, but their deaths weren't attributed to the virus until this month.
Mrs. Pelosi, while touring Chinatown in San Francisco on Feb. 24, insisted that the risk of infection was low and fears of the virus' spread were "unwarranted in light of the precautions that are being taken here in the United States."
Her big gripe against Mr. Trump was over money and his proposed budget for fiscal 2021. Congress had already shelved the document.
Now Mrs. Pelosi says Mr. Trump is responsible for the deaths of Americans because he reacted too slowly, and the president complains that Democrats fiddled or, more accurately, impeached while he was crafting policy in January.
The public has been left wondering what to make of it all.
Yotam Ophir, a communications professor at the University of Buffalo, said neither the press nor the politicians got it right in the early days, though for different reasons.
Reporters covered the coronavirus "as an external threat," with headlines calling it "the Wuhan virus." It's a mistake news media often make, said Mr. Ophir, pointing to his own research with outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and H1N1.
"So my view on the media is that, as was in the past, it took journalists too long to consider the virus a local problem. It was kept as an international news curiosity at times when major health organizations already warned of an upcoming dramatic outbreak," he told The Washington Times.
The finger-pointing in Washington, meanwhile, is the latest example of politicizing science, Mr. Ophir said. COVID19 became yet another issue viewed through the lens of the presidential campaign.
"Right away, it was framed through its potential effects on Trump's chances in the elections, as it could threaten the economy, which is perceived by some, including the Republican Party, to be one of his advantages …," he said. "A few weeks later, not only did the Trump administration and the president himself downplay the severity of the virus, but they also began accusing the media of pushing forward a Democrat plot to overthrow the president."
Mr. Ophir gave the public health agencies a cleaner bill of health. He said their messages evolved as knowledge of the coronavirus grew
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Thanks to Shadow .
What to say to your Democrat friends
Recently Rich sent out a post that was spot on… think it was called "A Thought". Meant to thank him for it and I'll do so now. Thanks Rich!
It coincided with two posts from friends on Facebook… one, like me, expressing his concern that the greatest danger the virus poses at this point, is the destruction of our economy and the very fabric of our society. I wrote a sympathetic response to his musing and said that I agreed with him whole heartedly. I was kinda surprised when he messaged me and thanked me for my response and then he said he was concerned he might be alienating his brother and other family members. He comes from a long line of Massachusetts, Kennedy Democrats. I understood where he was coming from. I'm gonna reach out to him later… and explain how most of our generation, at one time, were also probably "Kennedy Democrats". In fact, it was the "Golden Age" for the Democratic Party. But things changed… what came after Kennedy was nothing less than a downhill slide into the abyss of socialistic politics. He was replaced by the first "Boss Hog" career politician (Johnson)… who was as crooked as the day is long. In many was, he made Huey P. Long look like a piker… he got us into a shooting war in Southeast Asia… and then meddled in it and refused to let the military do its' job. In prosecuting the war, he seemed more concerned with avoiding casualties of the enemy (the aggressors) in their country of North Vietnam… than he was of our own fighting men in the South. He interfered with targeting, tactics and strategy; none of which he or his minions like McNamara were qualified to do. 58,000 American's paid the ultimate price for their folly… and God only knows how many Vietnamese. And left a lot of us who were participants, angry and disillusioned.
The country was in agony and rejected Johnson and his hand picked successor… only to have the Republicans put up a very flawed man in Richard Nixon. Nixon won… was only slightly better than Johnson and then let his ego and worst basic instincts get the best of him and he was tainted for life because of a very amateurish break-in called "Watergate". As Michener so eloquently once wrote… "Where do we get such men"? The fact is… politicians!
Following Nixon and Ford (by default)… we get Jimmy Carter. Perhaps the weakest President of our lifetime… and as a politician, he was a fraud and a weakling. Also a phony populist. He portrayed himself as the "common man"… even carried his own suit bag off the airplane (it was empty except for a couple of hangers and a shirt)… and then presided over the oil crisis, out of control inflation… betrayed our most loyal ally in the Middle East (you know what that led to)… and then to cap it off, he fainted trying to complete a marathon (Hey Jimmy, Momma's Boys ain't supposed to be running marathons). He was the weakling personified… and he was a petty vindictive person as well. He was the first President I was aware of that tried to use the IRS against his perceived enemies, including every day Joe's who had offended him. Four years were more than enough for this nation to stomach and he was booted out by Ronald Reagan after just one term (Thank God).
Reagan was a man of hope, he believed in American Exceptionalism and presided over perhaps the best recovery and time in modern America. He was a man of warmth, good humor and kindness. He was a true believer in himself and his country. I was proud to have been an intern for him when he was Governor of California. And I can tell you that in private… his persona was no different than he was in public. He was also a kind man.
After Reagan, we got our first "Republican Lite" President... George Bush. Now I may surprise you in that I didn't think much of Bush. He was never a conservative… he rode into office on Reagan's coattails. I was suspect from the beginning and when he broke his solemn pledge of "No New Taxes"… he lost me completely. At that point I knew, he was not only not a conservative, he was a charlatan as well. And then came the first Gulf War… I surprised a lot of people when I said I was against it; unless the politicians got the hell out of the way and let the military do their job without petty interference. And for a while, he surprised me… he actually did what I had advocated. Seems there were still some Admirals and Generals on active duty that were warriors at heart and insisted they be allowed to do what they could do. They embargoed the media for much of the war and went into "Shock and Awe"! And it went great until politics reared its' ugly head after the "Highway of death" incident where the military trapped the fleeing Iraqi's coming out of Kuwait and literally annihilated thousands of Republican Guards. The destruction was otherworldly. But as soon as reports and photos came back… the weakhearted immediately mounted a campaign to cease and desist. They were worried about world opinion. And Bush capitulated. He stopped the war and left a tyrant who had started the whole thing in power! Go figure?
And then to cap it all off… a President who entered his campaign with an almost 80% approval rating… managed to squander it all away and lose to a pair of grifters out of Arkansas. YGTBSM! The Bush campaign had to be the worst run national campaign in history. The were both tone deaf and brain dead at the same time. My God how could they do that? Through their ineptness… they turned our country over to two of the most dishonest, mendacious, corrupt, venal and horrible human beings to ever occupy the White House. It was one scandal after another! White Water, the Rose Law firm records and files… Hillary Care… Travel Gate, absconding of FBI background checks illegally… Lies and "I don't recalls" before the Grand Jury. And then came the little blue dress. Now it was obvious Bill was a rounder long before they got to the White House, thanks to Jennifer Flowers. Only a little later did we find out he was more than just that; but a misogynist and rapist to boot! Through it all… Hillary stood by her man and a weird thing happened… not only did they not suffer the humiliation they were entitled to… but somehow a fawning media made them out to be victims. Again, YGTBSM? Even the little blue dress wasn't enough to overcome the media support. Anybody else would have been tarred and feathered… run out of town on a rail… instead they were portrayed as victims of a vast right wing conspiracy. I sat back and couldn't help but wonder… what the hell had happened to this country's values? I watched as military men and business men were ruined by unproven allegations of sexual misconduct and this SOB was diddling an intern in the Oval Office at the same time with no penalty… at least one not sufficient to fit the crime. What the hell was going on? Old Bill just yucked his way through it, while Hillary attacked. Good guy, bad gal.. twosome. They couldn't have gotten away with it, without the full on, hard core press of the media. It was the beginning of the end for integrity for the media and our national politicians. What became the new truth was… you could lie, deceive and commit crimes and go unpunished... as long as you had the national media on your side. It became a one sided contest.
I remember watching a talking head Sunday Morning talk show during this time and one commentator made the comment that what ever the issue was about at the time, that Bill Clinton was obviously lying… and the next thing that was said immediately following was by a female report that said… "But you have to admit, he's so "good" at it"… and she said it as if it was a gift that should be admired! Blew me away! So much of America was asleep at the wheel and failed to notice that with all the soap opera shenanigans going on… at the same time the Clintons were selling out our nation right and left! When they couldn't get permission from a career bureaucrat at the State Department to allow Loral Corporation to teach the Chinese how to improve the accuracy of their ballistic missiles… they pulled a slight of hand and transferred that responsibility to the Commerce Department and their hand picked fellow grifter, Ron Brown, approved it immediately! BTW… Loral's Chairman of the Board was their biggest campaign contributor. And that folks, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Like all con artist politicians… they claimed they were commoners and pled "poor mouth" when they left the White House… but gee… a few million for a book contract here and another few million there… then a few high six figure speaking gigs… why these poor grifters from Arkansas were rolling in the dough… and then came their genius 501c3 scams. And now, not just millions rolled in… but hundreds of millions… most of it when Hillary became Secretary of State! And again… the nation was asleep at the switch. While the State Department seemed to be missing an unaccounted for, few billion dollars under Hillary's leadership… magically, Bill and Hillary's scam non profits, laundered through an off shore supposed charity… was racking in hundreds of millions of dollars from anonymous sources, donors and countries. Is this a great country or what? Oh, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree as their kid lands a high six figure job right out of college… with a media organization of all things. Again, go figure?
Enough of the Clintons for now… After their reign ended… along came Bubba Bush… and like his dad, he immediately sold out to the Democrats and was joined at the hip with Ted Kennedy and others. And like his dad… he blew it. By the time he left, the economy was in shambles and it opened the door for the gifted street hustler by the name of Barack Hussein Obama. The proverbial "Community Organizer". The Democrats are great wordsmiths… and really good at euphemisms… me thinks if there was a proper definition of what a "Community Organizer" really was; it would probably fall somewhere between con artist, agitator and marplot!
Barack Hussein Obama... or Barry Soetoro as his friends knew him from High School. I call him the mystery man… who the hell is this guy… really? He is truly the Lon Chaney of American politics… the political equivalent of "The man of a thousand faces"… The trouble is, we don't know and probably never will know… just who the hell this son of a bitch really is or was? When his first book came out, his Bio stated unequivocally that he was born in Kenya… and it stayed that way until he ran for President. Then it was explained away by saying it was a scriveners error… fault of the editor you know. Trust me, with as big an ego as Barack has… if he read his own damn book… he would have corrected that error right off the bat. If it was an error? I am always suspect of people that go to extraordinary extremes to hide basic human milestones… like a damn birth certificate. What's to hide? My damn birth certificate has been plastered all over the place for my entire life! To get my drivers license… to join the military, to get a security clearance… to get a passport. What the hell is there to hide? And why spend thousands and thousands of dollars to try to keep it a secret? Let's say for the heck of it… if the late disclosure of what is supposed to be his birth certificate (not really, a certificate of live birth… then why would you go to extremes to try to prevent its' release in the first place? No logic or common sense related to that. And then, every other part of his life remains a mystery as well… his academic records are embargoed… no one has access to them. In a time when the media was always demanding the records of Republican candidates… they were eerily silent when it came to Obama. Was he allowed to attend and get scholarships as a foreign student? Who paid his tuition at Columbia and Harvard? How did he visit Pakistan while in college, when Americans were not allowed to travel there? What passport did he use? Wait, those are embargoed too. The mystery of this man goes on and on… and to cap it off… there seems to be no interest or desire on the part of the national media to even make the tiniest inquiry of the true facts of his life. Go figure?
I'll admit that he's glib and has a gift for speech… but then again, most con artist I've known fit the same category. He is smooth, no doubt about that. But who is he; really? Maybe before the Burr investigations are over… we might get an inkling of the truth? That's a big "maybe" by the way. As it turns out, he ran one of the most corrupt administrations in history. Using all kinds of government agencies to spy on and harm everyday American citizens and political candidates… from the IRS, to the FBI… to the various intelligence agencies. He was corrupt from beginning to end. He almost destroyed the economy by profligate spending that only went to his allies…. Forget those shovel ready projects they claimed they were gonna do. He lied, he spied, he was corrupt. This country has suffered so much disservice by the Democratic Party over the last five decades. It's a crime. Gonna cut this off here… I could go on for hours.
Now… back to the Facebook postings. My first comments have dragged on, but this one will be short. The second posting was from a former neighbor and friend. Sweet lady… beautiful and kind. But her politics suck! She made a posting that literally said that anybody who voted for Trump had to be stupid. And she lamented… "How in the hell did this man ever become President"? For her and her kind (Democrats)… I have a fairly short answer… it is this; "Go look in the mirror"!
Your party and your friends voted to nominate Hillary Clinton to run for President of the United States… knowing she was perhaps the most evil, mendacious, corrupt, narcissistic, manipulative and horrible human being that ever served in our government! Yep, you voted for her… ignored all her evil deeds, accepted her lies when you knew she was lying… excused her corruption. You made a deal with the devil and got your due.
I'll go one step further… I can't stand the way Trump talks, don't even like his hair… didn't support him in the primary (I voted for Cruz)… and it is my firm belief, that if the Democratic Party had nominated a candidate that had one iota of human decency… you probably would have defeated Trump. But by nominating Hillary… it was a bridge too far… it was truly a pill, too bitter to swallow for rational Americans. No matter how much the media tried to help her, no matter how much voter fraud occurred… no much how hard the FBI and Obama administration tried to rig the election with phony accusations and investigations… she was doomed from the start. So if you want to know how Trump got elected… like I said… "Go look in the mirror"!
One last thing… I didn't like Trump… but he surprised the hell out of me, in spite of his oft putting personality… He started doing the right things to right the ship of State… and for that I'm grateful and will vote for him again. Your party, by the way… has once agin nominated a crook. Say what you want about Trumps kids and son in law getting rich off dad… at least it was done with his money… and not through graft, corruption and the taxpayers' dollars. I suspect you will have to revisit your trip to gaze into the looking glass once again... after the next election. At least I hope to God it will be so.
Rant over for today… Shadow
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USA—Destroyer Reports Nearly 50 COVID-19 Cases USNI News | 04/29/2020 A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer has confirmed that nearly 50 sailors have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports USNI News. As of April 27, 47 crewmembers on USS Kidd (DDG-100) had tested positive for COVID-19, reported Navy Live. The cases were identified following testing on 45 percent of the destroyer's crew. Two of those sailors had been evacuated to the U.S. and another transferred to the amphibious assault ship Makin Island due to persistent symptoms. The Makin Island was ordered to rendezvous with the Kidd over the weekend to support the destroyer with its embarked fleet surgical team, onboard intensive care unit, ventilators and COVID-19 testing capability. None of the sailors from the Kidd were in the ICU or on ventilators. The Kidd deployed on a counter-narcotics operation with U.S. Southern Command in early April. The destroyer is the second U.S. warship to report COVID-19 cases while deployed, following the carrier Theodore Roosevelt. The Kidd is en route to San Diego, Calif., to offload its crew and disinfect the ship.
USA—Nimitz Carrier Heads Out On Training After Crew Completes Quarantine Navy Newsstand | 04/29/2020 The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has departed for task group training after its crew completed a quarantine in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the ship, reports the Navy NewsStand. On Monday, the Nimitz left Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., after a 27-day quarantine intended to ensure none of her crew were infected with COVID-19 and the completion of testing to ensure all crewmembers were healthy and ready for operations at sea, the service said. At least one sailor had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in April. The composite training unit exercise is designed to fully integrate the various units of a carrier strike group and demonstrate the strike group's ability to conduct sustained combat operations. Also participating in the drills will be the guided-missile cruiser Princeton (CG-59) and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers John Paul Jones (DDG-53), Sterett (DDG-104) and Ralph Johnson (DDG-114). The exercise is part of pre-deployment training ahead of a deployment to the Pacific scheduled for this summer, reported the Navy Times.
France—Perpetrator Of Car Attack Outside Paris Linked To ISIS Reuters | 04/29/2020 A man who attacked police outside Paris earlier this week had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, according to French prosecutors cited by Reuters. On Monday, the man rammed two police motorcyclists in the northwest suburb of Colombes, injuring both. On Tuesday, the special prosecutor for terrorist acts said a search of the perpetrator's car uncovered a knife and a letter pledging allegiance to the international terrorist group. The prosecutor did not say if he had been formally charged. French intelligence services were not previously aware of the man, said the prosecutor's office. The suspect lived in the area where the attack took place, said an unnamed judicial source.
Norway—Navy To Jointly Buy Identical Submarines With Germany Norwegian Ministry Of Defense | 04/29/2020 The Norwegian and German defense ministries are continuing to negotiate with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for a joint procurement of diesel-electric submarines, reports the Norwegian Ministry of Defense. TKMS submitted a revised offer for the submarines in February, the ministry said in an update on the program on Monday. Norway and Germany will acquire identical boats. The ministry expects the negotiations to conclude and a contract to be ready to sign by the end of the year. However, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could delay the process. The delivery date and schedule for the new submarines will be established as part of the contract, said the defense ministry. Norway is looking to replace its six Ula-class submarines with the new boats. The Ula-class subs can remain in service longer than planned if the new submarines are delayed, according to the ministry.
China—New Cybersecurity Rules Could Hit Foreign Providers Of Network Products South China Morning Post | 04/29/2020 The Chinese government has published new cybersecurity requirements for operators of "critical information infrastructure" under its 2017 cybersecurity law, reports the South China Morning Post. The rules, which were unveiled on Monday and will enter force on June 1, require infrastructure operators to complete a cybersecurity review for any purchases that could have national security implications. The guidelines were needed to comply with national security stipulations under the 2017 legislation. What qualifies as a critical information infrastructure operator remains unclear, but the broad term could permit the government to increase its oversight of industries such as telecommunications, energy, transport, finance, health care, social security and defense-related science and technology. Potential products covered by the law include core network equipment, servers, cloud computing services, database software and network security equipment. The guidelines include a timeline for a government review and steps companies must take when purchasing products with national security implications. Under the rules, a review will generally take 45 days, but could last up to three months, reported the Wall Street Journal. The review will cover the risk of theft, breach or damage of critical data; interference with infrastructure; compliance with Chinese law; and the potential for supply chain disruptions caused by political, diplomatic or trade factors. The supply chain disruption review was first inserted in a May 2019 draft, after the U.S. had started work to cut out Chinese firm Huawei from its telecommunications infrastructure due to national security concerns. The overall order could be used to block purchases from the U.S. or other countries on the basis of national security, said experts.
China—Another Task Force Deploys For Counter-Piracy Missions Off Horn Of Africa Xinhua | 04/29/2020 The People's Liberation Army Navy has sent a new flotilla to conduct counter-piracy missions in the waters off the Horn of Africa, reports Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. On Tuesday, the ships departed from Zhoushan in the eastern Zhejiang province to conduct counter-piracy patrols and escort civilian shipping in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The task force consists of the destroyer Taiyun, frigate Jingzhou and supply ship Chaohu. More than 690 personnel are participating in the deployment, including several dozen special operations troops.
Taiwan—Lead Ship In New Class Of Coast Guard Patrol Ships Launched In Kaohsiung Taipei Times | 04/29/2020 The first ship in a new class of patrol ships for the Taiwanese coast guard has been launched in Kaohsiung, reports the Taipei Times. On Monday, the Anping, the first of 12 coast guard vessels based on the navy's Hsun Hai-class design, was launched at the Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Corp. shipyard. Delivery is scheduled for October, two months ahead of schedule. The 600-metric-ton ships retain the launchers for Hsiung Feng 2 and 3 anti-ship cruise missiles but has additional facilities and equipment for rescue operations, said coast guard officials. Retaining the missile launchers enables Taiwan to rapidly increase its defense capabilities in case of a conflict. A water cannon and the multibarrel Zhenhai rocket system are also equipped. A second Anping-class vessel is under construction, and a ceremony to start construction on the third ship was also held on Monday. During Monday's ceremony, the coast guard also took delivery of three 35-ton cutters, reported Deutsche Presse-Agentur. In addition, work began on another 35-ton cutter.
South Korea—Military Again Postpones Reserve Training Due To COVID-19 Yonhap | 04/29/2020 South Korea has decided to push back training for reservists due to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). South Korean reservists are required to complete one to three days of training annually. Reserve training was scheduled to start in June after being delayed twice from its original dates in March. An announcement will be made 45 days before reserve training is to resume, said the defense ministry. South Korea has about 2.75 million reservists. The South Korean military last reported a confirmed case of COVID-19 in March, with a total of 39 cases reported throughout the armed forces.
Burma—U.N. Human Rights Monitor Blasts Military For Ongoing Violence In Rakhine, Chin States NPR News | 04/29/2020 The outgoing chief U.N. human-rights monitor for Burma has called for an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma's western Chin and Rakhine states, reports NPR News. The Burmese military has exploited the world's focus on the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to step up operations against rebel groups, Yanghee Lee said on Wednesday. Civilians have been increasingly caught in the crossfire despite calls from the international community and Arakan Army rebel group for a truce. Fighting between the military and the Arakan Army has increased in the last six months, with military air and artillery strikes leading to scores of civilian casualties. The armed forces have also blocked the injured from receiving medical care, Lee said, as cited by the Guardian (U.K.). The military is targeting all ethnic groups in the region, with members of the Rakhine, Rohingya, Mro, Daignet and Chin communities being killed in recent months, she said. Attacks in April have killed children and a U.N. worker transporting COVID-19 tests. Burmese forces have already faced accusations of genocide and crimes against humanity for their campaign against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, which displaced more than 700,000 people.
India—3 Militants Killed In Kashmir Clash India Today | 04/29/2020 Three militants have been killed in the latest fighting with security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir, reports India Today. On Monday, a joint army and police cordon-and-search operation was being conducted in the Lower Munda area of Qazigund in the Kulgam district in southern Kashmir when militants opened fire. Three militants were killed in the fighting. Six local civilians including four children, were injured in an explosion during the gunfight, reported the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). Meanwhile, a separate clash on Sunday night during a combined operation involving district police, the Indian army's Rashtriya Rifles and the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), resulted in the death of at least one militant. The security forces said they had hit two to four terrorists in fighting between the villages of Chehlan and Asthal. A search on Monday turned up only one body, with evidence that at least one other militant had been injured. Fighting in Kashmir has increased over the past month, with 34 militants, security personnel and civilians killed, making April the deadliest period over the past four months.
Afghanistan—3 Civilians Die In Suicide Attack Near Special Ops HQ Near Kabul Khaama Press | 04/29/2020 At least three civilians have been killed in a suicide bombing south of Kabul, reports the Khaama Press (Kabul). On Wednesday, an attacker set off their explosive device in a group of civilians in the Reshkhor area of Chahar Asiab district, said a spokesman for the interior ministry. At least 15 people were wounded in the blast. The explosion occurred at a graveyard about 600 feet (180 m) away from a special operations unit base in the area, reported the Stars and Stripes. The attack came a day after Gen. Scott Miller, commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, visited the base. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.
Syria—46 Killed In Market Bombing In Turkish-Held Afrin Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | 04/29/2020 At least 46 people have been killed and 50 wounded after a car bomb exploded in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.). On Tuesday, a fuel tanker fitted with an explosive device was detonated in the Mahmoudiya neighborhood of Afrin, near the residence of the local governor. The death toll was expected to increase. Afrin has been under the control of Turkish forces and allied militias since March 2018. At least 11 children were killed in the attack, which took place during a period of heightened foot traffic. At least nine members of Turkish-backed militias were killed, the observatory said. Turkish officials blamed the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers to be the Syrian arm of the the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group in Turkey, for the attack. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces Council blamed Turkey for allowing "terrorist organizations" to reorganize and launch attacks, a reference to the Islamic State, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar). Syrian Kurds played a major role in fighting ISIS in Syria. Following the attack, Turkish intelligence issued a decision to close all entrances to the city.
Lebanon—1 Killed In Ongoing Demonstrations Over Currency Collapse Al Jazeera | 04/29/2020 At least one person has been killed in ongoing protests and riots in northern Lebanon, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Monday, protests erupted amid rapid depreciation of the Lebanese pound. The currency has lost more than 50 percent of its value in the last six months. Demonstrations targeted banks in response to harsh capital controls that have eliminated withdrawals in foreign currencies and limited withdrawals of Lebanese pounds. In the northern city of Tripoli, soldiers opened fire on protesters, killing one and injuring 20, reported the Daily Star (Beirut). On Tuesday, demonstrations spread to other cities, including Beirut, Sidon, Nabatieh, the Bekaa Valley and Akkar. At least a dozen banks have been attacked with fire bombs. The military has said that at least 81 security personnel have been injured, including 50 in Tripoli. On Wednesday, David Schenker, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told Al Arabiya (Dubai) that the Lebanese government should pass needed reforms to battle rising inflation, unemployment and cost of living increases.
Nigeria—MNJTF Warns Of Boko Haram Recruiting Drive Guardian | 04/29/2020 The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) combating Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region has warned that the terrorist group plans a major recruiting drive to recover recent losses, reports the Guardian (Nigeria). The task force, consisting of troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, has obtained credible intelligence that Boko Haram plans to launch aggressive indoctrination and recruitment drives in May, an MNJTF spokesman said on Monday. Boko Haram is targeting males in the Lake Chad region with money, reported the CAJ News Agency (Johannesburg, South Africa). Should the group fail to recruit enough through financial incentives, its backup plan is to kidnap individuals and force them to fight, the spokesman said. The group has been hobbled by recent offensive operations and internal fighting over money and power, he said.
Mozambique—Security Forces Kill 129 Militants In Cabo Delgado Province Reuters | 04/29/2020 Mozambican security forces say they killed 129 suspected militants during operations in the northern Cabo Delgado region in April, reports Reuters. On Tuesday, the interior ministry revealed details of its month-long operation against suspected Islamist militants in the oil-rich province. On April 7, 39 extremists were killed in an attack on Muidumbe village, said the ministry. Three days later, security forces killed 59 in a battle with militants in the Querimba islands. Between April 11 and April 13, another 31 fighters were killed on Ibo Island, the ministry said. The statement did not address accusations of civilian casualties in Ibo made by the opposition, as was reported by Agence France-Presse at the time. The campaign was launched after an attack on the village of Xitaxi in the Muidumbe district killed 52 civilians earlier this month. Since 2017, a group known as Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency in the province. It is unaffiliated with the Somali group of the same name. The Islamic State has also claimed several attacks in the region.
Peru—9 Dead In Prison Protest Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Voice Of America News | 04/29/2020 Peruvian officials say that nine prisoners have been killed in a riot over living conditions, reports the Voice of America News. On Monday, inmates at the Miguel Castro prison outside of Lima launched a protest demanding better living conditions after two prisoners died from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Sixty guards, five police officers and two inmates were wounded in the violence, reported Agence France-Presse. The deaths in the riot were the result of gunshot wounds, said officials cited by PA Media (U.K.). The source of the gunfire was under investigation. The situation was brought under control by nightfall after a warden agreed to improve medical care. The rioters demanded improved access to health care and humanitarian pardons to reduce crowded conditions that contribute to the spread of the virus. The Peruvian government has extended a national quarantine until May 10. While other countries have implemented humanitarian pardons due to the pandemic, Lima has indicated no plans to do so. Peruvian prisons have reported 600 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 15 deaths. More than 100 prison staff have also been diagnosed with the virus. At least 30,000 cases have been reported in Peru along with 782 deaths, reported Reuters.
