World War III Warning Thread - Weeks of 9/25/18 - 10/09/18

[jhpigott]

وازٍ‏@ignis_fatum 2h2 hours ago
Reports of rioting on the #Gaza border fence in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Rioters are throwing stones towards the border fence.Also , a large number of IEDs and grenades exploded after being thrown by rioters towards IDF forces on the border there.


كَوْن مُوازٍ‏@ignis_fatum 38m38 minutes ago

كَوْن مُوازٍ Retweeted كَوْن مُوازٍ
Now rioting reported on the border fence along the whole #Gaza border. Rioters are throwing stones , Molotov cocktails, firing fireworks towards the border. Numerous IEDs and grenades are continuously being thrown towards IDF forces on the border.


Reuters Top News‏Verified account@Reuters 42m42 minutes ago

Pentagon gets suspected ricin-laced packages, FBI analyzing

[lonewolfinoregon]

U.S. would destroy banned Russian warheads if necessary: NATO envoy BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia must halt its covert development of a banned cruise missile system or the United States will seek to destroy it before it becomes operational, Washington’s envoy to NATO said on Tuesday. The United States believes Russia is developing a ground-launched system in breach of a Cold War treaty that could allow Russia to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice, but Moscow has consistently denied any such violation.

U.S. ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison said Washington remained committed to a diplomat solution but was prepared to consider a military strike if Russian development of the medium-range system continued.

“At that point, we would be looking at the capability to take out a (Russian) missile that could hit any of our countries,” she told a news conference.

“Counter measures (by the United States) would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty,” she added. “They are on notice.”

The Russian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment. In the past, it has said it is ready for talks with the United States to try to preserve the treaty and would comply with its obligations if the United States did.

The comments by Hutchison, who was appointed to the NATO post by U.S. President Donald Trump, are the most direct warning of a preemptive strike since a U.S. official said in 2017 the United States would consider its own system if Russia continued to violate the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The treaty bans medium-range missiles capable of hitting Europe or Alaska. The United States and Russia celebrated its 30th anniversary in Geneva in 2017.

But that same year, the U.S. State Department report found Russia had violated obligations “not to possess, produce, or flight-test” a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310-3,417 miles), “or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles.”

The U.S. accusations are likely to further strain relations between Moscow and the West that are at a low over Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea, its bombing campaign in Syria and accusations of Russian meddling in Western elections.

“We have been trying to send a message to Russia for several years that we know they are violating the treaty, we have shown Russia the evidence that we have that they are violating the treaty,” Hutchison said.

“We are laying down the markers so that our allies will help us bring Russia to the table,” she added.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said he would discuss the issue with his NATO counterparts at a scheduled two-day meeting in Brussels from Wednesday.

“I cannot forecast where it will go, it is a decision for the president, but I can tell you that both on Capitol Hill and in State Department, there is a lot of concern about this situation and I’ll return with the advice of our allies and engage in that discussion to determine the way ahead,” he told reporters in Paris. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1MC1J6

If this happens it means the Globalist have decided to start a Global war..

[jhpigott]

Sky News Breaking‏Verified account@SkyNewsBreak 3h3 hours ago
The International Court of Justice at the Hague has issued an interim order to the U.S. to lift sanctions against Iran linked to humanitarian goods and civil aviation


Palestine‏@OccuPalGaza 2h2 hours ago

Loud Israeli occupation war planes over #Gaza 12:20pm


Ryan Browne‏Verified account@rabrowne75 15h15 hours ago

Three US officials confirm that images obtained by @gCaptain are US Navy images of the "unsafe & unprofessional" encounter between the USS Decatur and a Chinese destroyer that took place Sunday while the US warship was sailing near Gaven Reef in the South China Seapic.twitter.com/A8Z4YPuXBS

[danielboon]

Mike Pompeo: Russia's Delivery of S-300 to Syria Is 'Serious Escalation' Meanwhile, U.S. secretary of state terminates 1955 treaty with Iran after UN court rulingU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Russia's delivery of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria a "serious escalation" on Wednesday.

Pompeo's statement came after the Russian Defense Ministry published a video Tuesday night of the systems' delivery. Russian crewmembers appear to be unloading of the launcher, the radar and the commanding control vehicle.Pompeo also announced that the U.S. is canceling a 1955 treaty with Iran establishing economic relations and consular rights between the two nations.

The move follows a ruling by the United Nations’ highest court ordering the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods.

Iran alleges that the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration after its withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran violated the so-called Treaty of Amity.

Pompeo told reporters Wednesday that the termination of the treaty was decades overdue. He said that Iran was abusing the International Court of Justice for political and propaganda purposes.

He said Iran’s claims under the treaty were “absurd.”https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/u-s-...ling-1.6529185

[danielboon]

TURKEY SAYS U.S. STALLING IN SYRIA'S MANBIJ IS A 'GROWING PROBLEM' ANKARA - The United States is stalling over the establishment of joint patrols with Turkey in the northern Syrian town of Manbij which the two countries agreed, and Ankara sees the delay as a growing problem, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said.

Speaking to reporters following a cabinet meeting, Ibrahim Kalin also said that de-escalation in Syria's Idlib region had largely been achieved following a deal with Russia to set up a demilitarized zone around the region. https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/...problem-568594

[danielboon]

Amid trade spat, US-China military tensions soar WASHINGTON: The bitter trade dispute between China and the US is increasingly spilling into the military domain, with a risky incident in the South China Sea highlighting the dangers of souring relations.

In what the US Navy has called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter, a Chinese warship sailed within just 45 yards (41 meters) of a US destroyer Sunday as it passed by Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action. The close call capped days of tit-for-tat military moves that came as President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with China.

"The close encounter between the Chinese destroyer and the USS Decatur was the closest one yet," Timothy Heath, senior international defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

It "may reflect in part the growing US-China tensions. But it also appears to reflect a growing willingness by Beijing to test the Americans in the South China .. he added.

Beijing reacted furiously after the incident, saying America's "freedom of navigation" operation threatened China's sovereignty and security, and damaged military relations between the two powers.

The encounter followed a string of other military incidents.

Last week, plans for a Beijing meeting between US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe fell through after China declined to make Wei available.

Days earlier, China nixed a planned port visit of a US warship to Hong Kong, and canceled a meeting between the head of the Chinese navy and his American counterpart.

That all came around the time US B-52 bombers took part in a combined operation with Japan over the East China Sea, and flew through ..

international airspace over the South China Sea.

The Chinese defense ministry denounced the flyovers as "provocative" actions.

Mattis this week acknowledged "tension points" between the US and China, but told reporters he did not "see it getting worse."

The US and Chinese militaries in 2014 agreed on a code of conduct for unplanned encounters at sea, aimed at helping the two navies avoid mishaps.

It was unclear whether Sunday's manoeuver came at Beijing's request -- or was initiated by the Chinese ship's captain --- but political motivations were likely a factor in forcing a close call.

"With tensions elevated, China seems motivated to risk a possible collision as a means of intimidation. There is a real risk of miscalculation ..

Heath said.

Trump's trade war has infuriated Beijing, as did his authorization of a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province.

Washington last week enacted new tariffs against China covering another $200 billion of its imports.

And Washington has placed financial sanctions on China for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66051459.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medi um=text&utm_campaign=cppst

[jhpigott]

Reuters Top News‏Verified account@Reuters 2h2 hours agoBritain accuses Russian military intelligence of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies https://reut.rs/2O3YMFH


Reuters World‏Verified account@ReutersWorld 2h2 hours ago

JUST IN: Russian intelligence agents expelled after being caught spying on chemical weapons body - Dutch official


AFP news agency‏Verified account@AFP 50m50 minutes ago

#BREAKING Cyber attacks: NATO warns Russia to halt 'reckless' behavior

[jhpigott]

ELINT News‏@ELINTNews 13h13 hours ago#UPDATE: US Navy's Pacific Fleet draws up a classified proposal to carry out a global show of force as a warning to China. The plan is to sail warships & flying combataircraft near China's territorial waters in the South China Sea & Taiwan Strait during a single week in November


Anna Ahronheim‏Verified account@AAhronheim 3h3 hours ago

#BREAKING: #IDF to significantly boost its forces in southern #Israel following situational assessment with the Shin Bet and senior IDF officials. Cites its policy to "thwart terrorism and prevent penetration into Israel along the Gaza border fence."


Anna Ahronheim‏Verified account@AAhronheim 4m4 minutes ago

The #IDF has also deployed Iron Dome batteries over concerns of mortar and rocket fire from the #GazaStrip

[danielboon]

Exercise Trident Juncture 18 to demonstrate NATO’s ability to defend itself All Allies, as well as partners Finland and Sweden, will participate in NATO’s largest military exercise in recent years, which will take place in Norway in October-November. Trident Juncture 18 will have an Article 5 (collective defence) scenario, and will be under the command of Admiral James G. Foggo, Commander of Joint Force Command Naples. At a press briefing in Brussels today (11 June), Admiral Foggo gave the media a first preview of the exercise together with Vice Admiral Ketil Olsen, Military Representative of Norway to the NATO Military Committee.Trident Juncture 18 will have some 40,000 participants from more than 30 countries. “The sheer size of the exercise gives Norway as host nation an excellent opportunity to realistically train reception and support of substantial Allied reinforcements. And NATO gets to test their plans for the reinforcement of Norway. In sum, this strengthens our common capability to handle a crisis, should it ever come to that,” Vice Admiral Olsen said.

Today’s briefing highlighted NATO’s commitment to transparency of its military activities. In line with its obligations as host nation, Norway has already notified the OSCE about Trident Juncture 18 and all OSCE nations will be able to send observers. NATO also briefed Russia about this exercise during the last meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.

“NATO is a defensive Alliance. We’re not looking for a fight, but we are committed to defense and deterrence. That’s what this exercise is all about: training to defend, and providing a deterrent effect, ready to respond to any threat from any direction at any time,” Admiral Foggo underlined.https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_155866.htm

[danielboon]

'We will not stand down': White House warns China after their latest clash with the US Navy in the South China Sea The White House responded publicly Thursday to a heated confrontation between the Chinese navy and a US destroyer in the South China Sea this past weekend.

"China wants nothing less than to push the United States of America from the Western Pacific and attempt to prevent us from coming to the aid of our allies," Vice President Mike Pence said at the Hudson Institute. "They will fail."

He explained that China prioritizes the erosion of American military power."China's aggression was on display this week," he said, referring to a dangerous encounter between the People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer Lanzhou and the US destroyer USS Decatur in the hotly-contested South China Sea Sunday. "A Chinese naval vessel came within 45 yards of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, forcing our ship to quickly maneuver to avoid collision."

"Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand," Pence explained. "We will not be intimidated; we will not stand down."

Highlighting the Trump administration's focus on renewed great power competition with China and Russia, the vice president insisted that the US will employ "decisive action to respond to China."

China has accused the US of endangering regional peace and stability."The U.S. side has sent warships into waters near China's islands and reefs in South China Sea time and again, which has posed a grave threat to China's sovereignty and security, severely damaged the relations between the two militaries, and significantly undermined regional peace and stability," the Ministry of Defense said in response to the latest clash.

"The Chinese military resolutely opposes such actions," the ministry added.

The latest incident in the South China Sea comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, and the situation could soon worsen, as the US military is reportedly considering a proposal for a major show of force as a warning to the Chinese, which perceive American actions moves to contain Chinese power.While the vice president stressed the threats posed by China to American interests, he emphasized that the US desires a productive relationship with Beijing. "But be assured, we will not relent until our relationship with China is grounded in fairness, reciprocity, and respect for our sovereignty," he said. https://www.businessinsider.com/whit...ferrer=twitter