US National Security Threat: Is this about one thing, or the other?

[Byrd]

My first intruding thought was... "wait... that little tidbit sat unreported for a week?"  It seems to me that the whole "urgent matter" was not reported until the Chair of the Intelligence Committee cried "Yo!  We can't ignore this!"  Is that right?  And he received it a week ago too.  And evidently recognized its apparent magnitude.

The National Security Advisor acknowledged, and apparently executed a personal briefing for the Committee Chairmen the very next day ... which must have been alarming enough justify this 'open call' request to the administration.

I think it's a reflection of how politically fraught the US has been lately.  

If you'll recall, Congress has had a lot of problems getting its act together in this past year (the long fight over "who's speaker" and then the more recent action trying to get a border bill (which was then immediately nuked (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congres...rcna137477) after the deal was firmed and sealed for delivery)

So in a way, yes, political games have interfered.  Instead of acting for the better of the US, all sides have been acting for the betterment of their party and this is getting in the way of things that should have been attended to.

note:  my opinion only, not supported by anything other than my own observations.

[TheRedneck]

Kinda hard to tell from the (lack of) information given, but I do know this: The USA is not in an enviable position right now. Our economy is struggling with hyperinflation, our energy independence is gone, our energy-producing allies are not cooperating with us, and we now are engaging in proxy wars on three different fronts (Russia, via Ukraine; Iran via Israel/Palestine; China via Taiwan... last one not very proxy either). We just started direct air strikes against Yemen, which is another ally of Iran. We aren't approaching WWIII... we're already in it, just somewhat contained at the moment. All three of our "enemies" in these wars are also already allied: Russia allied with Iran some time back and connected pipelines to give Russia Persian Gulf port access (with Syria also allying to give Mediterranean port access to both countries), and there is now a growing economic alliance between Russia and China thanks to the European sanctions on Russian oil.

Don't forget, we just had a Chinese surveillance balloon float all the way across the country not long ago. Our military was unconcerned until it was recovered... then we were shooting down everything that popped up in the sky. I consider that quite telling, especially knowing what I know about electronic communication protocols and their weaknesses. And never forget... all of our electronics, from control systems to communication to computers, are made in China.

I'm pretty sure everyone in DC is well aware of this, as well as everyone in Russia, Iran, and China. The only ones still oblivious are the American people. Thank you, MSM.

If this was something that was intended to be broadcast to the American people, there would be a lot more than a blurb released. It would be splattered across every news headline in existence. So it's not something that the American people are supposed to know. That tells me it is related to some sort of inner intelligence reports, quite possibly the Southern border. After all, there's a lot more military-age young men crossing that border than there are women and children. The opposite would be expected from refugees. The border crossings are a potential invasion. My first though is that it was initially unrecognized as such, and certain people in DC have realized what is actually happening.

Make no mistake; things are about to get real.

TheRedneck

[Maxmars]

It`s too much to ask Russians to be rational in a sense that they would act only in a way that has beneficial outcomes to themselves. Even the old USSR was more rational than what Russia is now , they are openly bragging about destroying other countries ....they are even proud about this side of their nationatily /psyche ....." We are Russians, we destroy , kill , it is our mission "

A compilation of Russian propaganda threats to destroy other countries. Was your country mentioned?

Ok back to space ....

Threats In Space “Extremely Concerning”: Space Force Boss


I dont see the logic using nukes in space since it would harm also Russian and Chinese space satellites also.

But i am guessing , i dont know any more than you what`s going on

I'm not trying to diminish what you are saying.  It is actually an important aspect of this question to explore.  But I have to recall, at least for myself, that when it comes to the "media evidence" we all rely on, there can be be very little trust.

Yes, your example of "A compilation of Russian propaganda threats to destroy other countries. Was your country mentioned?" is quite extensive and well produced... but it is produced.  Media collects, curates, and controls the content of these videos for a purpose... and, again, in my opinion, it is NOT to "inform" but expressly to influence. 

For the Russian people it serves to offer reinforcement of the idea that "Russia rocks and kicks ass!"  For its notional adversaries it serves as a soft sell of how scary Russia is.  Yet the proof of "the pudding" during their recent military exploits demonstrates they are not far removed from normal scary.

I'm certain that such a collection of utterances in the political and diplomatic theater could be crafted about nearly ANY country, including our own (Can you imagine how many threats our own blowhard politicians have recklessly proffered for the sake of their own political currency?) 

It appears that the 'public relations' arm of the defense industry (M.I.C. anyone?) would be well-served by collating all manner of fear fodder to inflate the perceived need for more purchases from their client-base.  And, because such a large portion of our local political theater still pretends "Russia" is the larger threat against the US, this kind of marketing will never cease to be.  China, at least, will see to it.

Thanks for the Threats In Space “Extremely Concerning”: Space Force Boss link... it kind of serves to highlight what I was talking about regarding the collective efforts of the body of associated defense industries.  It kind of reeks of self-service when you consider that all the sources and principle making these statements actually represent the industry which consumes the Lionshare of defense spending... and according to them, we can never spend enough ...

I want to focus on the meaning of the words "a destabilizing foreign military capability" ... and while this is both important and noteworthy... I have to return to the idea that this could cause the Chair of the Intelligence Committee to pull the fire alarm doesn't seem to fit, as none of this is "new" exactly.

It makes me even more inclined to suspect this is more theatrics brought to us by political thespians and their producers.  Where is the fire?

---

I think it's a reflection of how politically fraught the US has been lately.  

If you'll recall, Congress has had a lot of problems getting its act together in this past year (the long fight over "who's speaker" and then the more recent action trying to get a border bill (which was then immediately nuked (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congres...rcna137477) after the deal was firmed and sealed for delivery)

So in a way, yes, political games have interfered.  Instead of acting for the better of the US, all sides have been acting for the betterment of their party and this is getting in the way of things that should have been attended to.

note:  my opinion only, not supported by anything other than my own observations.

You know, I have to say, I'm coming to a point where I can no longer support the political "matter-of-fact" party paradigm.  I can't believe that we have been so conditioned to pretend that political "personalities" are what matters... and not the actual actions and policies.  I'm not even certain any longer that the "party" is a real thing... it's effectively just a trope. 

Apologies for my response being a tad "off-topic"... I just had to get that off my chest.

[Byrd]

You know, I have to say, I'm coming to a point where I can no longer support the political "matter-of-fact" party paradigm.  I can't believe that we have been so conditioned to pretend that political "personalities" are what matters... and not the actual actions and policies.  I'm not even certain any longer that the "party" is a real thing... it's effectively just a trope. 

Apologies for my response being a tad "off-topic"... I just had to get that off my chest.

Perhaps we should start a thread on that.  I've been very disgusted by it as well.

[FlyersFan]

Yesterday it was a 'mysterious' security threat.
Today we know what it is.
It didn't remain mysterious long.
Leaked out pretty fast.

[Maxmars]

Kinda hard to tell from the (lack of) information given, but I do know this: The USA is not in an enviable position right now. Our economy is struggling with hyperinflation, our energy independence is gone, our energy-producing allies are not cooperating with us, and we now are engaging in proxy wars on three different fronts (Russia, via Ukraine; Iran via Israel/Palestine; China via Taiwan... last one not very proxy either). We just started direct air strikes against Yemen, which is another ally of Iran. We aren't approaching WWIII... we're already in it, just somewhat contained at the moment. All three of our "enemies" in these wars are also already allied: Russia allied with Iran some time back and connected pipelines to give Russia Persian Gulf port access (with Syria also allying to give Mediterranean port access to both countries), and there is now a growing economic alliance between Russia and China thanks to the European sanctions on Russian oil.

Don't forget, we just had a Chinese surveillance balloon float all the way across the country not long ago. Our military was unconcerned until it was recovered... then we were shooting down everything that popped up in the sky. I consider that quite telling, especially knowing what I know about electronic communication protocols and their weaknesses. And never forget... all of our electronics, from control systems to communication to computers, are made in China.

I'm pretty sure everyone in DC is well aware of this, as well as everyone in Russia, Iran, and China. The only ones still oblivious are the American people. Thank you, MSM.

If this was something that was intended to be broadcast to the American people, there would be a lot more than a blurb released. It would be splattered across every news headline in existence. So it's not something that the American people are supposed to know. That tells me it is related to some sort of inner intelligence reports, quite possibly the Southern border. After all, there's a lot more military-age young men crossing that border than there are women and children. The opposite would be expected from refugees. The border crossings are a potential invasion. My first though is that it was initially unrecognized as such, and certain people in DC have realized what is actually happening.

Make no mistake; things are about to get real.

TheRedneck

My friend, it does my heart well to speak with you again.

I have to say that I agree about the sad state of 'information consumerism' in our country.  People often suffer from the plethora of nonsense which dilutes the "news" (not that we have true "news" services anymore.)

Our problem has been rooted in the built-in weakness within our stable of political "personalities."  They are not beholden to the people anymore.  They speak the words they are told to say, by people who pay for the airtime.  They are 'sold' to us with commercial marketing practices and folded into the 'appearance machine' that is the media apparatus.  People who worship the 'appearances' doctrine are destroying all trust.

I grant that the idea of "world war" is malleable and we could argue that since war is now the most "selling" storyline we will always appear to be in 'crisis' mode.

I truly hope that some would-be supervillain hasn't orchestrated the insertion of a military force into the country... but there are people whose responsibility includes actually watching and preparing for such contingencies... I only pray that they haven't been politically coopted to ignore the dangers while holding the cue card that reads "who knew?"   Because we as a nation have already proven that we will accept that from our leaders and in the know people as an excuse for allowing tragedy to strike.

[Blaine91555]

This smells. It seems to me it's purpose is to get conversations like this one going. A seed that's going to grow slowly in the background. When I ask myself why would they dangle this riddle out there to sucker us in, the answer is for the money.

In this case, I think we need to follow the money. At some point in the near future, I'd expect this to blossom as an excuse to force a yea vote for a massive spending bill to do with our military readiness. In fact, I may not disagree. We likely should be rebuilding our military for war.

[Maxmars]

Yesterday it was a 'mysterious' security threat.
Today we know what it is.
It didn't remain mysterious long.
Leaked out pretty fast.

Thank you.  Upon reading this, I immediately did a Startpage search on the web and found several "sources" to confirm the 'mystery' had been solved...

the most recent I found (at the time) was a CBS reporting piece which give my Spidey senses tinges of government-coordination.  The part I was most interested in was this... (Which I can't help but dissemble...)

---

1. "One U.S. official told CBS News that the intelligence in question relates to Russian capabilities in space.
   
2. U.S. officials told CBS News that Russia is developing a nuclear-capable weapon that could take down U.S. satellites, knocking out the ability to communicate, but there is no evidence a weapon has actually been deployed.
   
3. The threat described does not involve an active capability, though the issue is considered significant.
   
4. A U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the information publicly, pointed to a series of Russian space launches known as Cosmos, many of which carry classified Ministry of Defense payloads."
   

---

(numbering added for comment clarity)

One:    Some person CBS claims was "an official" informed them the "the intelligence" "relates" to Russian capabilities.
Two:    Yet "officials" told CBS that Russia was developing a weapon the "could" take down our satellites... developing, not deployed.
Three:  The threat described is NOT an active capability... (Does that mean somebody lied?)
Four:    Interestingly, another "someone" who WAS NOT AUTHORIZED to discuss this formally, drew attention to Russian space launches...

OK, seriously?  Are we that dense?

If Russia was not developing such a weapon, it would be surprising.  I'm sure we are too... along with at least half of the other space-capable would-be global domination aspirants.  Also, simplistically speaking, any nuclear capable nation might look into this. As I understood it, nukes in space don't affect only one country's satellites.  Also, they are declaring this isn't even a 'capability.'  Item four seems like a throw away... just meant to further bolster the anti-Russia angle... unless no one else has been launching equipment into space.

I feel like this is a 'gimme' report from the media machinery... almost as if it could be something else, they dare not speak of.  But that's just the distrust they have sewn coming home to roost.

Somebody should be embarrassed that the "Chicken Little" routine was invoked so basely...

---

This smells. It seems to me it's purpose is to get conversations like this one going. A seed that's going to grow slowly in the background. When I ask myself why would they dangle this riddle out there to sucker us in, the answer is for the money.

In this case, I think we need to follow the money. At some point in the near future, I'd expect this to blossom as an excuse to force a yea vote for a massive spending bill to do with our military readiness. In fact, I may not disagree. We likely should be rebuilding our military for war.

Hi there!  So happy to hear from you.

The trick with conversations like this is not to provide any such machinations with support.  I don't claim to know the reality in question... they are 'expert' at hiding, and there are things to be hid.  I agree that ultimately, money fuels their manifestation... but in the end, every secret is a weakness, and every lie becomes evidence...  

I agree that when it comes to military readiness and proper security, we are casually approaching free-fall; mostly because technology is not the whole picture.  But these morons are so hell bent on "selling" us the side-show they've lost the point of the exercise.  It is the curse of "appearances" becoming the goal, rather than actual reality.

This was the reason to curtail the emergence of the various cabals that now entrench themselves in governance.  The solution?  Oh no, you'll not get me to drift that far off the topic... you sly devil you.

---

Perhaps we should start a thread on that.  I've been very disgusted by it as well.

Now we're talkin'

M

[Blaine91555]

Well, OK. So the threat was in space. That I see as a serious issue that, like usual, is probably something that should have been addressed years ago.

The "Star Wars program" of old was a fake to win a game of chicken. Is this the reverse of that. Putins' "Star Wars program"?  I'd imagine a lot of money will flow as we enter the new Cold War. Only this time China is part of the equation.

[Maxmars]

For everyone who is following the story behind this thread, a bit of reporting from ARS Technica.

Interestingly, it appears 
 

---

Russia launches a classified satellite. On February 9, Russia launched its first orbital mission of the year with the liftoff of a Soyuz-2-1v rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the far north of the country. The two-stage rocket delivered a classified satellite into orbit for the Russian military, Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com reports. In keeping with the Russian military's naming convention, the satellite is known simply as Kosmos 2575, and there's little indication about what it will do in space, except for one key fact.
 ... It turns out the launch of Kosmos 2575 occurred at exactly the same time of day as another Soyuz-2-1v rocket launched on December 27 with a Russian military satellite named Kosmos 2574. The newer spacecraft launched into the same orbital plane as Kosmos 2574, a strong indication that the two satellites have a shared mission.

In recent years, Russia has tested rendezvous, proximity operations, and, at least in one instance, a projectile that would have applications for an anti-satellite weapon. You can be sure the US military and a global community of hobbyist satellite trackers will watch closely to see if these two satellites approach one another. If they do, they could continue technology demonstrations for an anti-satellite system. It's unclear if the recent revelations regarding US officials' concerns about Russian anti-satellite capabilities are related to these recent launches.

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Notice the last paragraph seems to be "added on" to bolster the narrative that supports the "alarm."  Citing "in recent years" and the justification for the "concerns" (which seems an understatement considering the operative phrases "a serious national security threat... and ... a destabilizing foreign military capability".) 

How clever they are, no?

So yeah, send the defense contractors more money... obviously the sky is, in fact, falling.