The List 6199 TGB
Good Sunday Morning August 28 .
I hope that you all are having a great weekend
Regards,
Skip
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Today in Naval and Marine Corps History
August. 28
1867 Capt. William Reynolds of the screw sloop-of-war, USS Lackawanna, raises the U.S. flag over Midway Islands and takes formal possession of these islands for the United States.
1891 During a period of political unrest at Valparaiso, Chile, Marines form boarding parties from cruisers USS San Francisco and USS Baltimore to protect American lives and guard the U.S. Consulate.
1942 120 women are commissioned as ensigns or lieutenant junior grades as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and report to "USS Northampton," Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
1942 PBY Catalinas from VP-92 and Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville sink German submarine U-94. USS Lea (DD 118) and Oakville pick up the survivors. Previously, U-94 had sunk 26 Allied vessels while also damaging one Allied vessel, although none from the United States.
1952 USS Boxer (CV 21) launches an explosive-filled drone which explodes against a railroad bridge near Hungnam, Korea. This mission marks the first guided missile launched from a ship during the Korean War.
1965 - CDR Scott Carpenter and 9 aquanauts enter SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests
1991 A helicopter from USS America (CVA 66) rescues three civilian sailors who spent 10 days in a lifeboat 80 miles off Cape May, N.J., after their sailboat capsizes.
1992 - Navy and Marine forces begin providing disaster relief after Typhoon Omar hit Guam
1992 - Marines and Army forces begin providing disaster relief in Florida after Hurricane Andrew.
2004 USS Momsen (DDG 92) is commissioned at Panama City, Fla., before sailing to its homeport of Everett, Wash. The 42nd of the Arleigh Burke-class of guided-missile destroyers is the first to carry the remote minehunting system and the first ship named after Vice Adm. Charles B. Momsen, the designer of the submarine escape breathing apparatus now known as the Momsen Lung.
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This Day in History
1676 Indian chief King Philip, also known as Metacom, is killed by English soldiers, ending the war between Indians and colonists.
1862 Mistakenly believing the Confederate Army to be in retreat, Union General John Pope attacks, beginning the Battle of Groveton. Both sides sustain heavy casualties.
1914 Three German cruisers are sunk by ships of the Royal Navy in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the first major naval battle of World War I.
1938 The first degree given to a ventriloquist's dummy is awarded to Charlie McCarthy--Edgar Bergen's wooden partner. The honorary degree, "Master of Innuendo and Snappy Comeback," is presented on radio by Ralph Dennis, the dean of the School of Speech at Northwestern University.
1941The German U-boat U-570 is captured by the British and renamed Graph
1944 German forces in Toulon and Marseilles, France, surrender to the Allies.
1945 Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-Tung arrives in Chunking to confer with Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek in a futile effort to avert civil war.
1963 One of the largest demonstrations in the history of the United States, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, takes place and reaches its climax at the base of the Lincoln Memorial when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I have a dream" speech.
1965 The Viet Cong are routed in the Mekong Delta by U.S. forces, with more than 50 killed.
1968 Clash between police and anti-war demonstrators during Democratic Party's National Convention in Chicago.
1979 Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb explodes under bandstand in Brussels' Great Market as British Army musicians prepare for a performance; four British soldiers wounded.
1981 John Hinckley Jr. pleads innocent to attempting to assassinate Pres. Ronald Reagan.
1982 First Gay Games held, in San Francisco.
1983 Israeli's prime minister Menachem Begin announces his resignation.
1986 US Navy officer Jerry A. Whitworth given 365-year prison term for spying for USSR.
1986 Bolivian president Victor Paz Estenssoro declares a state of siege and uses troops and tanks to halt a march by 10,000 striking tin miners1993 Two hundred twenty-three die when a dam breaks at Qinghai (Kokonor), in northwest China.
2003 Power blackout affects half-million people in southeast England and halts 60% of London's underground trains.
2005 Hurricane Katrina reaches Category 5 strength; Louisiana Superdome opened as a "refuge of last resort" in New Orleans.
2012 US Republican convention nominates Mitt Romney as the party's presidential candidate.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Thanks to THE BEAR
For The List for Sunday, 28 August 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 28 August 1967… McNamara testimony: "…masterful performance, repudiated… "
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War
. Listed by last name and has other info
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This Week in American Military History:
From the flag's first action to the Japanese surrender by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Aug. 28, 1862: The Second battle of Bull Run (known to many Southerners as Second Manassas) opens between Union Army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. John Pope and Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (Gen. Robert E. Lee in overall command).Within days, Confederate forces will drive Union forces from the field, not unlike what happened at First Bull Run /Manassas on July 21, 1861.
Aug. 28, 1972: U.S. Air Force Capt. Richard Stephen Richie, flying an F-4 Phantom, shoots down his fifth MiG over North Vietnam, becoming the Air Force's first ace of the war.
But to hear Richie tell it, it was just a ride. "My fifth MiG kill was an exact duplicate of a syllabus mission, so I had not only flown that as a student, but had taught it probably a dozen times prior to actually doing it in combat," he says.
Sept. 2, 1901: Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a speech at the Minnesota State Fair in which he says, "A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick – you will go far.' If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble, and neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, power."In four days, Pres. William McKinley will be mortally wounded by an assassin's
Sept. 2, 1945: A delegation from the defeated Japanese Empire sign the documents of surrender about the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.Gen. Douglas MacArthur , a Medal of Honor recipient and Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific, says, "Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed."World War II is over.
Sept. 3, 1777: The Battle of Cooch's Bridge (a.k.a. the Battle of IronHill) – the only pitched battle of the American Revolution to be fought in Delaware – opens between Continental Army and militia forces under the command of Brig. Gen. William Maxwell and a combined force of British, Hessian, and Ansbach soldiers under the overall command of British Gen. Sir Charles Cornwallis (and under the immediate tactical command of Hessian Lt. Col. Ludwig von Wurmb).Though a British victory, which devolved into a savage close-quarters engagement, the Battle of Cooch's Bridge is significant as the first time the Stars-and-Stripes is flown in action.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Tiny little DJI drone flies off summit of Everest… great video!!
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Thanks to Dutch
A clear example of people making decisions on something they know nothing about. You'd think they'd ask a question before making such decisions.
The Truth, According to Common Sense and Reasoning.
For those of you that think electric vehicles are the answer- this is a true story from a farmer in the Midwest of USA - and I'm reposting it-
A close friend farms over 10,000 acres of corn in the Midwest. The property is spread out over 3 counties. His operation is a "partnership farm" with John Deere. They use the larger farm operations as demonstration projects for the promotion and development of new equipment. He recently received a phone call from his John Deere representative, and they want the farm to go to electric tractors and combines in 2023. He currently has 5 diesel combines that cost $900,000 each that are traded in every 3 years. Also, over 10 really BIG tractors.
JD wants him to go all-electric soon.
He said: "Ok, I have some questions. How do I charge these combines when they are 3 counties away from the shop in the middle of a cornfield, in the middle of nowhere?"
"How do I run them 24 hours a day for 10 or 12 days straight when the harvest is ready, and the weather is coming in?"
"How do I get a 50,000+ lb. combine that takes up the width of an entire road back to the shop 20 miles away when the battery goes dead?"
There was dead silence on the other end of the phone.
When the corn is ready to harvest, it has to have the proper sugar and moisture content. If it is too wet, it has to be put in giant dryers that burn natural or propane gas, and lots of it. Harvest time is critical because if it degrades in sugar content or quality, it can drop the value of his crop by half a million dollars or more.
It is analysed at the time of sale.
It is standard procedure to run these machines 10 to 12 days straight, 24 hours a day at peak harvest time.
When they need fuel, a tanker truck delivers it, and the machines keep going. John Deere's only answer is "we're working on it."
They are being pushed by the Democrats in the government to force these electric machines on the farmer.
These people are out of control.
They are messing with the production of food crops that feed people and livestock... all in the name of their "green dream."
Look for the cost of your box of cornflakes to triple in the next 24 months..."
Peter J Sheppard
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Thanks to Walt
Arkansas Online
Mud,
In my humble opinion it has occurred to me the reason these agencies are purchasing huge quantities of ammo is to make it scarce and much more expensive for ordinary gun owners. What do you think about that?
Walt
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 26, 2022, at 19:22, Mud <mudmarine@aol.com> wrote:
To me if these facts are true, it is more comical than anything else. What would these agencies want with all these guns and ammunition? I guess they could amuse themselves at a range on Saturdays at the tax payers' expense. I do that on occasion, but I have to pay for it.
BTW I did not check these figures, but like everything else we get from the media these days they MUST be true. 😂
S/F,
- Mud
Arkansas Online
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Thanks to Mud and Walt
Hi Gang,
I'm away visiting my brother and working off my phone. I've found one of the best sites for good info on the war is Jack Keane's Institute for the Study of War. Google it for the URL.
Walt
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 26, 2022, at 19:14, Mud <mudmarine@aol.com> wrote:
It would appear that indeed the Ukrainians have taken the offense.
S/F,
- Mud
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
History Special: Miracle Over the Atlantic
Thanks to Michael ...
The "Whisperliner" …
On Thursday, May 5, 1983, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar series 1 registered N334EA, a widebody jet powered by three Rolls-Royce RB.211 turbofans, was rostered for a morning rotation from Miami to Nassau …
View the article. https://flip.it/_46rJx
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This Day in U S Military History
1565 – St Augustine Fla, oldest city in the US, was established.
1609 – Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay.
1867 – Captain William Reynolds of Lackawanna raises U.S. flag over Midway Island and took formal possession of these islands for the U.S.
1883 – John Montgomery (d.1911 in a glider crash) made the first manned, controlled flight in the US in his "Gull" glider, whose design was inspired by watching birds.
1898 – Marines defended American interests in Valparaiso, Chile.
1942 – At Guadalcanal, the Japanese received more reinforcements brought in by Admiral Tanaka's 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, nicknamed the "Tokyo Express."
1945 – Goring, Ribbentrop, and 22 others former Nazi government officials are indicted as war criminals. Hermann Goring heads the list of 24. Rudolf Hess, formerly deputy to Hitler, who has been a prisoner in Britain since May 1941, is next on the list, followed by Martin Bormann, the secretary of the NSDAP, who disappeared from the Berlin bunker. Others include Konstantin von Neurath, the first foreign minister to Hitler; Gustav Krupp von Bohlen, the industrialist; Franz von Papen, the vice-chancellor in 1933-34; and, Hjalmar Schacht, who served as the minister of finance in the Nazi government until falling out of favor with Hitler.
1945 – US forces under General George Marshall landed in Japan. This advance guard of 150 American technicians land at Atsugi airfield, near Yokohama. For the first time, the Allies set foot on Japanese soil. Their arrival has been delayed for 48 hours by the forecast of a typhoon.
1945 – Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-tung arrived in Chunking to confer with Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek in a futile effort to avert civil war.
1952 – Units on USS Boxer (CV-21) launch explosive-filled drone which explodes against railroad bridge near Hungnam, Korea. First guided missile launched from ship during Korean Conflict.
1963 – As soon as two U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft became reported as overdue at their destination, Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard Eastern Area Commander initiated an intensive air search. It lasted through 2 September with as many as 25 U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy planes participating. None of the 11 occupants of the two KC-135's were ever found, only wreckage, indicating that there had been a midair collision.
1965 – Navy CDR Scott Carpenter and 9 aquanauts enter SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests.
1966 – It is reported in three Soviet newspapers that North Vietnamese pilots are undergoing training in a secret Soviet air base to fly supersonic interceptors against U.S. aircraft. This only confirms earlier reports that the Soviets had initiated close relations with North Vietnam after a visit by Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin to Hanoi in February 1965 during which he signed economic and military treaties with the North, pledging full support for their war effort. The Soviets and North Vietnamese leadership planned military strategy and discussed North Vietnam's needs to prosecute such a strategy. The Soviets agreed to supply the necessary war materials, to include air defense weapons for the North and offensive weapons to be employed in the South. At one point in the war, the Soviets would supply 80 percent of all supplies reaching North Vietnam.
1972 – The U.S. Air Force gets its first ace (a designation traditionally awarded for five enemy aircraft confirmed shot down) since the Korean War. Captain Richard S. Ritchie, flying with his "backseater" (radar intercept officer), Captain Charles B. DeBellevue, in an F-4 out of Udorn Air Base in Thailand, shoots down his fifth MiG near Hanoi. Two weeks later, Captain DeBellvue, flying with Captain John A. Madden, Jr., shot down his fifth and sixth MiGs. The U.S. Navy already had two aces, Lieutenants Randall Cunningham and Bill Driscoll. By this time in the war, there was only one U.S. fighter-bomber base left in South Vietnam at Bien Hoa. The rest of the air support was provided by aircraft flying from aircraft carriers or U.S. bases in Thailand. Also on this day: Back in the United States, President Nixon announces that the military draft will end by July 1973.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HARRIS, MOSES
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Smithfield, Va., 28 August 1864. Entered service at: New Hampshire. Birth: Andover, N.H. Date of issue: 23 January 1896. Citation: In an attack upon a largely superior force, his personal gallantry was so conspicuous as to inspire the men to extraordinary efforts, resulting in complete rout of the enemy.
RHODES, JULIUS D.
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 5th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Thoroughfare Gap, Va., 28 August 1862. At Bull Run, Va., 30 August 1862. Entered service at: Springville, N.Y. Birth: Monroe County, Mich. Date of issue: 9 March 1887. Citation: After having had his horse shot under him in the fight at Thoroughfare Gap, Va., he voluntarily joined the 105th New York Volunteers and was conspicuous in the advance on the enemy's lines. Displayed gallantry in the advance on the skirmish line at Bull Run, Va., where he was wounded.
*JIMENEZ, JOSE FRANCISCO
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 28 August 1969. Entered service at: Phoenix, Ariz. Born: 20 March 1946, Mexico City, Mex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader with Company K, in operations against the enemy. L/Cpl. Jimenez' unit came under heavy attack by North Vietnamese soldiers concealed in well camouflaged emplacements. L/Cpl. Jimenez reacted by seizing the initiative and plunging forward toward the enemy positions. He personally destroyed several enemy personnel and silenced an antiaircraft weapon. Shouting encouragement to his companions, L/Cpl. Jimenez continued his aggressive forward movement. He slowly maneuvered to within 10 feet of hostile soldiers who were firing automatic weapons from a trench and, in the face of vicious enemy fire, destroyed the position. Although he was by now the target of concentrated fire from hostile gunners intent upon halting his assault, L/Cpl. Jimenez continued to press forward. As he moved to attack another enemy soldier, he was mortally wounded. L/Cpl. Jimenez' indomitable courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unfaltering devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 28, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
28 August
1908: The Army accepted Dirigible No. 1 after flight tests at Fort Myer from Capt Thomas S. Baldwin. (21)
1909: Charles F. Willard, after receiving instruction from Glenn H. Curtiss, became America's first exhibition pilot by giving a show at Scarsborough Beach, Toronto, Canada. (24)
1919: Through 19 September, Lawson "Air Line," a 26-passenger twin-engine Liberty biplane, made a demonstration trip from Milwaukee to Washington DC, via Chicago, New York, and other cities. (24)
1942: The War Department directed the ATC to provide aircraft and equipment to evacuate sick and wounded American servicemen and women throughout the world. (2)
1943: The 482 BG, equipped with Oboe, H2S, and H2X blind bombing equipment, became the first radar-equipped Pathfinder unit in the US AAF. (4)
1944: Maj Joseph Myers and 2d Lt Manford O. Croy, Jr., from the 78 FG, Eighth Air Force, shared an aerial victory for a Me-262, the first jet to be downed in combat. At the time, Major Myers was leading eight P-47s flying top cover at 11,000 feet in the vicinity Termonde, near Brussels, Belgium, when he saw an aircraft flying low and extremely fast. Myers and Croy then made a 45- degree dive and caught up with the twin-engine Me262. Before they could fire on the jet, the German pilot scuttled the aircraft in an open field. He fled on foot, but was but killed by other P-47s as they strafed the wreck to destroy it. Nevertheless, Major Myers and Lt Croy both received half credit for an aerial victory. (20) (21)
1945: FEAF ARRIVAL IN JAPAN. An advance communications team flew in to Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo. Under the protection of Imperial Army units, this team set up the control tower and communication equipment necessary for occupation forces to land. On 30 August, the Mission 75 began, and it ended 13 days later without a single fatal aircraft accident. The 1,336 C-54 flights brought the 11th Airborne Division, the 27th Infantry Division, and advanced echelons of General MacArthur's headquarters, FEAF, the Eighth Army, and an initial ATC detachment into Atsugi Airport. (17)
1948: A Navy transport, the Caroline Mars, landed at Chicago after a record nonstop flight from Honolulu. It carried 42 people and a 14,000-pound payload in setting the 24-hour, 9-minute FAI record. (9)
1953: At Santa Susana, a complete liquid-rocket engine assembly (Navaho) having thrust in excess of 200,000 pounds was fired for the first time. (16) (24)
1957: The 1607 ATW at Dover AFB received the first Douglas C-133A Cargomaster. (18)
1958: An Atlas ICBM, launched from Cape Canaveral flew 3,000 miles and landed in the target area in the first test of a radio-command guidance system. (16) (24) RF-101 CONVERSION. The 15th TRS, 67 TRW, received its first new RF-101C, making the unit the first in PACAF to convert to this aircraft. (17)
1961: Lts Huntington Hardisty and Earl H. DeEsch (USN) flew a McDonnell F-4H Phantom II to a low-level record of 902.769 MPH over a 3-kilometer course at Holloman AFB. (9)
1963: First test of the Apollo program made with the launching of the General Dynamics/Convair Little Joe II rocket at White Sands Missile Range.
1964: A new weather satellite, Nimbus, launched. This 830-pound spacecraft offered two major improvements over the earlier TIROS. First its cameras faced the earth at all times during orbit, whereas TIROS could only photograph cloud coverage during a portion of an orbit. Second, it flew a near-polar circular orbit, which allowed it to view each section of the earth twice a day.
1970: SAC crews, using operational hardware and procedures, launched a Minuteman III on its first demonstration and shakedown operational test flight. (16)
1972: Capt Richard S. "Steve" Ritchie, with his backseater Capt Charles D. DeBellevue, shot down his fifth MiG-21 near Hanoi. He thus became the first USAF ace of the Vietnam War and first since the Korean War. For this feat, Ritchie shared the 1972 Mackay Trophy with Captains Jeffrey S. Feinstein, and Charles B. DeBellevue. (16) (17)
1981: SECAF Verne Orr selected McDonnell Douglas Corporation to develop the C-X aircraft. (12)
1984: A C-5 Galaxy delivered the first shipment of support equipment for GLCMs at Florennes AB, Belgium. (16)
1988: Shortages of hospital equipment and medical supplies on the island of Sao Tome off the west coast of Africa led the US to send a 20 MAS C-141 with 29 tons of supply items there. (26)
2005: AFFTC completed the RQ-4A Global Hawk UAV flight test program. The last three sorties supported an Air Combat Command decision process on the operational readiness of the Block 10 aircraft and their sensors. (3)
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: GEOPOLITICAL DIGEST
By: GPF Staff
The Week Ahead:
German Chancellor to Unveil Views on EU Policy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will give a speech during his 29 August visit to the Czech Republic (which holds the European Union's rotational presidency) in which he is expected to outline Germany's vision for the future of the continental bloc. While the Ukraine invasion forced Germany to significantly change its position on Russia (including the cancellation of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the delivery of weapons to Ukraine), Scholz has so far failed to present a comprehensive, long-term view of both Berlin's foreign policy and EU policy. Amid the ongoing energy crisis, Scholz is expected to make proposals on continuing to diversify the European Union away from Russian oil and gas supplies, while also making the bloc more self-reliant and reducing carbon emissions. In addition, his speech is expected to touch on the topic of EU enlargement and include proposals on EU defense and security integration (in line with Scholz's plans to increase military spending announced earlier this year).
Armenian and Azerbaijani Leaders to Meet. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in Brussels for talks mediated by the European Union on 31 August. The announcement of the meeting came as Azerbaijani forces assumed control of the Lachin Corridor as per the two countries' 2020 cease-fire agreement, and the operation of an alternative road between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh bypassing Lachin is expected to become operational in a matter of days. The meeting is likely intended to chart a course for completion of the remaining stipulations of the 2020 cease-fire while avoiding violent flare-ups that would derail negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The meeting may result in further clarity regarding the timeline by which the Armenian forces who remain in Nagorno-Karabakh will leave the region, as Armenian officials have indicated they would in September.
NASA to Launch Artemis I Mission to the Moon. NASA is slated to launch the first major mission under its Artemis lunar exploration program on 29 August. The unmanned Artemis I mission will test the performance of the US space agency's new Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever built, and the Orion spacecraft in the hopes of certifying their use for future crewed missions. In addition to sending astronauts back to the moon for the first time in five decades, the United States is also seeking to set the rules for future space exploration and resource development by having the space programs of other countries that want to participate in the ambitious Artemis program first sign bilateral agreements with NASA. Through these agreements, known as the Artemis Accords, Washington hopes to force upon its view of how space should be governed and push back against China and Russia's own interpretation of space law.
Please read on for our coverage of the week that was...
KEY DEVELOPMENTS - ANALYSIS
US Official Says Iran Has ''Crossed the Rubicon'' Toward Possible Nuclear Deal
What Happened: Iran has reportedly dropped several of its key demands hanging up a nuclear deal, including its demand that the United Nations' nuclear watchdog close its probe into Iran's nuclear activity at three undeclared sites, Reuters reported on 23 August, citing a senior US official. The official added that the United States thinks Iran has, ''finally crossed the Rubicon and moved toward possibly getting back into the deal on terms that President Biden can accept.''
Why It Matters: The dropping of Iran's key demands -- if they remain off the table -- makes a nuclear deal more likely, but much will depend on the final stretch of talks, as Iran has previously thrown last-minute curveballs when negotiators appeared ready to ink an agreement. A deal would reduce US-Iran tensions in the Middle East, but would not deescalate Israel-Iran tensions, keeping security risks in places like Syria and Lebanon high. A restored nuclear deal would also see the United States remove sanctions on Iran's oil sector, which could ease the global energy crisis by bringing more Iranian oil to the market.
Source: RANE Worldview
Russia Offers Long-Term Oil Discounts to Thwart Price Cap Push
What Happened: Russia has approached several Asian countries to discuss possible long-term oil purchase contracts at steep discounts, which Western officials believe is part of Russia's strategy to prevent G-7 nations and others from enacting a price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reported on 24 August.
Why It Matters: Russia's willingness to offer extremely steep discounts on market prices over the long term suggests Moscow is concerned about the possibility of an attempt to enact the price cap and is trying to lock in replacement buyers for the oil it's currently selling to Europe, deliveries of which will be curtailed starting on 5 December. This comes as the United States and other G-7 nations are stepping up their efforts to bring on key Asian economies (including India and China) to support a Russian oil price cap in the hopes of further undercutting Moscow's ability to finance its war in Ukraine by reducing Russia's oil revenue.
Source: RANE Worldview
Assessments: The Drivers and Potential Threats to Deepening Russia-Turkey Ties
On 5 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Sochi for four hours, the second time in a month. The recent meetings between the two leaders reflect the value both Moscow and Ankara place on their bilateral relationship, which has only deepened since the former invaded Ukraine in February. The financial fallout from the Ukraine war is increasing Turkey and Russia's immediate importance to each other. Both Turkey and Russia also benefit from using the other as a source of political leverage. Russia has long lorded its massive military and energy industry, as well as its long history of countering US and European influence, over Turkey. But Russia's international isolation due to the Ukraine war is now shifting the power dynamic in Turkey's favor by increasing Ankara's importance to Moscow. However, several developments have the potential to disrupt Turkey and Russia's deepening bilateral relationship, including: Russian losses in Ukraine. If the Russian military suffers further setbacks in Ukraine and looks weak on the global stage, some political forces in Turkey could argue that it stands to gain more from distancing itself from Russia. Russian advances in the Black Sea. If, by contrast, Russia were to assume control of significantly more territory along the Black Sea as a result of the Ukraine war, Turkey would likely feel threatened by this encroachment, because it controls the outlet of the Black Sea and depends on it for energy production.
Source: RANE Worldview
On Security: Reflecting on the Taliban's First Year Back in Power in Afghanistan, Part 1: Exceeding Expectations
Although the Taliban have fared better than initially expected at managing certain aspects of governance since seizing power last August, the group continues to face a diverse array of challenges that it appears poorly equipped to resolve amid persistent disunity and the dominance of hard-liners in the movement. Amid regional countries' interest in stabilizing Afghanistan, the Taliban have sought to legitimize their rule internationally by engaging in more sophisticated diplomacy, which has resulted in more meaningful and productive relations — at least with certain key countries. The Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan remains unrecognized by the international community, including by their closer partners like Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (all of whom recognized the Taliban as the leader of Afghanistan during the group's prior reign). But more countries have demonstrated a greater willingness to meaningfully engage with the current Taliban regime.
Source: RANE Worldview
Essential Geopolitics: Indonesia on the Rise
In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, the topic is Indonesia. How much do you know about Indonesia and its growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region? RANE Asia-Pacific analyst Scott Kardas says Jakarta's position in the Asia-Pacific region is changing, and that change is bringing power. Please click on the RANE Worldview link below to access the podcast.
Source: RANE Worldview
OTHER STORIES WE'RE TRACKING - CURATED CONTENT
ASIA
Has Xi Jinping Stopped Caring About China's Economy?
Economic growth used to be sacred, but Xi Jinping is sacrificing it for greater political and ideological control. His vision for maintaining stability calls for extreme political and ideological control, and he is more than willing to sacrifice economic progress to achieve it. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, Xi's "no limits" partnership with Russia and soft support for Russia's actions have created additional economic risks. Xi's detrimental economic policies extend far beyond misguided attempts to correct real estate bubbles or local governments' over investment in infrastructure; they decimate prospering industries in the name of social goals.
Source: The National Interest
What Is Taiwan's Plan to Protect Itself Against Chinese Pressure?
Even though China's military exercises were ongoing while we were visiting Taiwan, there was not much evidence of new thinking or greater urgency around Taiwan's defense reforms. Officials and experts pointed to Taiwan's plans to raise defense spending in 2023. Taiwan still seemed to favor a mix of defense investments between conventional and asymmetric capabilities to deal with a range of contingencies, as opposed to a pure "porcupine strategy.
Source: The Brookings Institution
After Pelosi's Visit, Most of the Indo-Pacific Sides With Beijing
Almost the entire region backs China—but the regime's behavior has also crystallized support for Taiwan. Across the rest of South Asia, there was no sign of support for Taiwan, only China. Beijing's "iron brother" Pakistan, for example, spouted Chinese talking points on the importance of "non-interference in internal affairs" of sovereign nations—well-worn code for letting China decide on its plans for Taiwan. Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka similarly upheld Beijing's rights in the crisis.
Source: Foreign Policy
EUROPE
After Six Months of War in Ukraine, Momentum Tilts Against Russia
Six months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, signs are accumulating that the balance on the military and economic battlefields is slowly tilting the way of Kyiv and its Western backers. In the biggest war between European countries since World War II, the death and destruction have no end in sight. Ukraine is still struggling against Russia's advantage in raw firepower, but the country's defenders are increasingly hitting Russian logistics and bases, including in Crimea, as they receive more Western weapons.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
A Petty Squabble Between Serbia and Kosovo Has NATO Preparing to Intervene
What seems like a petty car tag issue risks escalating into a major source of instability in Europe, actively fomented by Vladimir Putin's regime. At the heart of the ongoing quarrel lies Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo's 14-year-old institutions as legitimate. As a result, when Kosovo's government started requiring its Serbian residents to switch their (Serbian) license plates to Kosovar ones last year, they were incensed.
Source: American Enterprise Institute
Viktor Orbán Strengthens His Crony State Capitalism
Vodafone's announcement of the sale of its Hungarian business to two state-linked holding companies this week said strangely little about the rationale for Vodafone, but a lot about what it meant for Hungary. But the deal is the latest step in the construction by Hungary's premier Viktor Orbán of state-dominated crony capitalism. Such crony capitalism also risks institutionalizing graft. The EU is withholding €15 billion of pandemic recovery funds over rule of law concerns; EU officials fear, too, that as Orbán moves closer to a "Putinism-lite" political and economic model, Budapest — already a holdout over an EU oil embargo — will be an impediment to further sanctions on Russia.
Source: Financial Times
AMERICAS
urope's Woes Reverberate in Latin America
In much of Latin America, especially Brazil and the Southern Cone, policymakers and other elites watch Europe just as closely as the United States. And they are taking away several lessons from this (northern) summer of suffering. Among them: This is what you get for taking sides in this emerging era of multipolar conflict. Most Latin American countries condemned the Russian invasion in a United Nations vote in March, but have been more cautious since then, with most refusing to participate in Western sanctions.
Source: Americas Quarterly
Colombia, Largest Cocaine Supplier to US, Considers Decriminalizing
It's the largest producer of cocaine in the world, the source of more than 90 percent of the drug seized in the United States. It's home to the largest Drug Enforcement Administration office overseas. And for decades, it's been a key partner in Washington's never-ending "war on drugs." Now, Colombia is calling for an end to that war. It wants instead to lead a global experiment: decriminalizing cocaine. Two weeks after taking office, the country's first leftist government is proposing an end to "prohibition" and the start of a government-regulated cocaine market.
Source: The Washington Post
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
The Diplomatic Ice Is Breaking in the Gulf. What Does That Mean for the Region?
The announcements in mid-August that both the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will be returning their ambassadors to Tehran after six years provided the latest indication that the diplomatic ice has started to break in the Gulf region. Reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has proposed for the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers to meet in Baghdad offered further evidence of a shift in the regional political winds. None of these developments comes as a surprise, of course.
Source: Middle East Institute
Rift Between Tehran and Shi'ite Cleric Fuels Instability in Iraq
Once a partner of Tehran, Muqtada al-Sadr has rebelled against Iranian political interference in Iraq. After Sadrists defeated pro-Iran parties at the polls, tensions between Shi'ite camps have stalled government and, some fear, could spur violence.
Source: Reuters Special Report
GLOBAL
Biden-Xi Meeting Unlikely to Halt US-Chinese Slide
U. S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have their work cut out. Sino-US bilateral ties are the worst they've been in decades following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and China's subsequent military reaction. Biden and Xi now look likely to meet in person at the G-20 summit in Indonesia in November. If they will indeed sit down together in just three months, their respective teams will already be thinking of ways to repair the damage. For that to happen, however, both sides need a clear analysis of why the situation in Taiwan is so unstable—and need to recognize that it is likely to get worse without intervention from the top.
Source: Foreign Policy
Washington Wins as Turkey and Israel Restore Normal Ties
Better ties between Turkey and Israel is also likely to lower bloc-based behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean and thus contribute to lowering the likelihood of military confrontations between US allies in the region. For its part, Washington stands to gain by having two of its regional allies end a years-long discord in the strategically important East Mediterranean basin, which is a flashpoint of strategic competition between the United States and Russia. Most of the countries around the East Mediterranean basin are US allies, and thus it is in Washington's strategic interest when its allies work together. Reduced tensions between Turkey and Israel also mean and that Washington does not need to waste time mitigating a conflict between its allies.
Source: Atlantic Council
China's ASEAN Silk Road Gets Slippery as Other Powers Move in
European and Pacific powers compete with Beijing's "new Silk Road" infrastructure projects -- and offer their Asian trade partners an alternative. The battle is intense on China's doorstep in Southeast Asia, where bridges and ports have sprung up to meet the infrastructure needs of some of the world's fastest-growing economies and key supply chain hubs. These rival powers have announced a string of ambitious and overlapping hybrid state and commercial projects. Australia's new government is expected to increase development aid, the European Union wants to sign an infrastructure deal with Southeast Asia, and the U.S. has led a Group of Seven riposte to the BRI. Some suggest unleashing Indian conglomerates as well.
Source: Nikkei Asia
Lithium Monopoly in the Making? Beijing Expands in the Lithium Triangle
China aims to expand its influence in the "Lithium Triangle" as a component of a broader campaign to construct a near-monopoly in the global lithium market. The Lithium Triangle, comprising Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, accounts for approximately 56% percent of global lithium supply. Beijing's acquisition of multiple Argentinian, Chilean, and Bolivia lithium mining operations enables China to dominate regional lithium operations.
Source: Geopolitical Monitor
Six Months, Twenty-Three Lessons: What the World Has Learned From Russia's War in Ukraine
So as the war hits its half-year mark, we asked experts across our vast network to share the biggest lessons they've learned. Lesson for global diplomacy: Putin's regime can't be trusted—and needs to be defeated. The United States can no longer rely on strategic ambiguity. Nimble modern weapons can defeat larger, conventionally armed forces—especially when on the defensive. The private sector should play a critical military-operational role in cyberspace. Decades of energy diplomacy can disappear with one brutal invasion.
Source: Atlantic Council
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