________________________________
Wuhan virus -
WHO says the Omicron variant appears to be no worse than other coronavirus mutants. CDC says it still appears to be ‘mild’. Rochelle Walensky told the AP that out of the 43 known U.S. cases of Omicron, just one has been hospitalized.
European CDC: Out of hundreds of cases of Omicron here, not a single one involves severe illness. All cases for which there is available information on severity were either asymptomatic or mild. No deaths have been reported among these cases so far.
OBSERVATION - The massive cry of “WOLF” over Omicron appears to be a nothing burger so far.
_____________________________
Globalism / Great Reset -
DR. FAUCI: “I would prefer, and we all would prefer that people would be voluntarily getting vaccinated, but if they’re not gonna do that, sometimes you’ve got to do things that are unpopular, but that clearly supersede individual choices...”
NOTE - “individual choices” = rights.
Fauci said during a CNN interview on Wednesday that it’s only a matter of time before the definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 changes. Fauci’s words came in response to a question from CNN host Kate Bolduan who asked, “Is it a matter now of when, not if, the definition of fully vaccinated changes?”
US Senate passed a bill to ban biden’s OSHA vaccine mandates for private employers.
Justin Trudeau regime will spend at least another $5 million to establish more “isolation” and “quarantine” camps in British Columbia.
Known as “Canada’s Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program,” the scheme is supposedly being expanded for the purpose of facilitating people who are unable to “self-isolate” at home and require “assistance” from the Canadian government. Since Fall 2020, the federal government of Canada has pumped around $100 million into its Safe Voluntary Isolation Sites Program, which currently has locations in not just B.C., but also Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. While the claim is that these facilities will always be “voluntary,” the reality is that local health officials still have the ability to determine who needs to go to one. In other words, they can quickly become “mandatory” on a whim.
OMICRON OBSERVATION - See Wuhan above. It appears that much of the globalist world jumped the gun and the globalist powers that be were caught with an underperforming variant upon which to base their desires for increased restrictions and removal of individual rights.
_____________________________
Biden watch -
Scheduled to speak with the Ukraine president today.
___________________________
CW2/Domestic violence -
At least 12 major U.S. cities have broken their annual homicide records. Two other cities are on the verge of doing so.
The cities that have already suffered a record number of homicides are:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Columbus, Ohio
Indianapolis, Indiana
Louisville, Kentucky
St. Paul, Minnesota
Portland, Oregon
Tucson, Arizona
Toledo, Ohio
Austin, Texas
Rochester, New York
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The two cites that are likely to break their annual record before the end of the month are Minneapolis and Milwaukee.
OBSERVATIONS - Very little doubt this is linked to the BLM/Antifa riots of last year combined with the defund the policed efforts (and drastic reductions in police forces) as well as leftist governments and DAs refusing to prosecute criminals.
Some BLM elements are supporting Jussie Smollett and there are hints that violent protests could be triggered if he is found guilty.
_________________________________
POLITICAL FRONT -
Recent polling indicates that only 22% want biden to run for president in 2024. Only 18% want harris. Democrats are in a serious pickle to retain control of the House and Senate with such unpopular presidential numbers.
_____________________________________
Strategic Activity / Deployments -
The House passed the defense spending bill and the Senate expects to follow suit next week. Notable additions include $7.1 billion for a Pacific Defense Initiative, $4 billion for the European Defense Initiative, and removing female Selective Service registration from the final version. Overall spending increased by $25 billion above the President’s original request.
_________________________________
China -
Chinese property giant Evergande has defaulted for the first time, Fitch Ratings agency said Thursday, as authorities scrambled to avoid contagion throughout the world’s second biggest economy. Fitch also declared Kaisa, a smaller property company but one of China’s most indebted, had defaulted on $400 million of bonds. More than 10 Chinese real estate firms have now defaulted in the second half of this year.
OBSERVATIONS - Impacts still to be seen in global markets. Part of the delay has been China’s efforts to mitigate any fallout from the failure.
China has been flying military aircraft into the Taiwan ADZ on nearly a daily basis. There have been no large number sortiess lately.
____________________________________
India/China -
The Air version of Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired from the supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I at 1030 hrs from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on December 08, 2021.
OBSERVATION - This development has implications in the current standoff with China, providing India more flexibility in launching this standoff weapon that would be difficult for China to shoot down.
India’s Defense Chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 other people were killed after a military helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has said.
OBSERVATION - It is too early to tell how the death of Rawat will impact India’s defense posture along its disputed border with China.
__________________________________
Russia -
Putin was dutifully unimpressed by biden’s threats from yesterday’s call. Russia continues to make preparations for war. The leverage is clearly on Russia’s side right now, taking advantage of weak Western leaders, political environment, energy crises, and their proximity to potential targets
Russian Chief of Staff Gerasimov at the meeting with Foreign military attaches, denied that Russia prepares to attack Ukraine, calls lies any information about it He further said 95% of Russian nuclear forces are ready for combat use and accused United States in training launches of cruise missiles against targets in Russia by strategic bombers
____________________________________
Ukraine -
Biden said Wednesday he would not deploy US troops to Ukraine to deter a possible Russian invasion, telling reporters the option was “not on the table.”
For the first time, Kyiv’s City Hall has issued a public service announcement about bomb shelters, and emergency alert systems. On its Facebook page, City Hall shared this post by Deputy Mayor – Secretary of the Kyiv City Council Volodymyr Bondarenko.
State Dept spokesman stated that the US is coordinating with allies “to ensure that we’re operating from the same sheet of music, that we have a common understanding of Russia’s plans, but also to see to it that we have a common understanding of what would need to happen” if Russia invades Ukraine.
Recent Russian battle preparations include sustainment and medical assets arriving in Ukraine’s border regions. A Russian “flying hospital” moved from the Central Military District (Moscow) to Rostov-on-Don, well within the so-called “golden hour” for many combat casualties. The aircraft likely delivered not only medical supplies and personnel but could serve as a staging area for hospital operations and evacuations. This indicates Russia is prepared to take and treat casualties, something not seen as a component of recent military exercises.
Communications networks have been deploying closer to the Ukraine border, with some stations now broadcasting for the first time in two years.
OBSERVATION - Some analysts suggest that the Baltics, Romania, and Poland are likely to send troops to Ukraine in the event of invasion. This would trigger NATO and US involvement in combat. The recent Russian deployments seem to reinforce the assumption that Russia if going to invade no matter what, taking advantage of a weak and indecisive US and expected delayed response by NATO forces/countries. Putin claims he wants NATO eastward expansion to cease, but may actually get just the opposite if he attacks.
____________________________________
Europe General -
Germany has tacitly agreed to cease gas flows from Russia’s NordStream I & II if Ukraine is invaded further. Their hesitance to agree is the result of a months-long scheme by Russia to reduce natural gas reserves in Europe. Winter storage levels are around 12-15% of capacity, meaning the Germans and several other European nations have mere weeks of fuel reserves. This will become a major geopolitical bargaining chip and touch-point for citizens in support of a conflict against Russia. Quality of life impacts will be felt immediately as rolling blackouts would become commonplace until at least the summer when alternative power sources become viable. (FO)
____________________________________
Israel -
US official tells reuters Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, is heading to DC this week, will discuss w Secretary of Defense Austin possible military exercises ahead of worst case scenarios in the event nuclear talks w Iran fail.
In one potential scenario Israeli strike plan in Iran will focus on 4 key sites: Isfahan, Arak, Fordow & Natanz,. IDF will mobilize over 100 planes for assault; satellites closely monitoring nuclear facilities to detect any changes and track Iranian progress.
Israel has completed its massive 30-foot wall at the Gaza Strip, and defense officials are calling it a “game-changer,” reports Newsmax Jerusalem correspondent Daniel Cohen.
The wall runs 40 miles, end-to-end, and covers the entire length of the Gaza Strip both above and underground.
“The barrier stops those who try to cross above ground and more importantly, below ground as well. [This is] an important countermeasure developed after Hamas militants used tunnels to blindside Israeli troops in a war in 2014.”
____________________________________
Iran -
Biden administration is moving to tighten enforcement of sanctions against Iran, according to senior U.S. officials, the 1st sign of Washington increasing economic pressure on Tehran as diplomatic efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal falter.
__________________________________
Iraq -
The Iraqi National Security Adviser announces the end of the combat missions of the international coalition forces in the country. This follows a Joint statement expected today on U.S. transition to non-combat roll in Iraq. “U.S. forces will remain in Iraq . in an advising assisting enabling an intelligence sharing role to support the Iraqi Security Forces in their fight against ISIS.”
_________________________________
Poland -
Poland’s PM Morawiecki after a meeting with Italian PM Draghi in Rome: on Sunday I will call on chancellor Scholz not to succumb pressure from Russia and not to allow NordStream2 to be used as instrument for blackmail by Russia
______________________________________
Belarus -
Belarus has opened a new military outpost on the border with Ukraine, near the town of Malorita in the Brest region. By the end of the year, the Belarusian Border Committee promises to open two more such outposts on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.
_______________________________________
Black Swans -
Continuing in the inter webs are concerns that China may have hidden strategic rockets in containers stacked on ships around the world - particularly the US. This delivery method is not new, intial fears surfaced after 9/11 that Iran or Iraq could hide a simpler short range missile in the containers and launch against the US. Even the EMP concerns are relatively old. As I pointed out the last time I address this, such an attack does fit the Chinese asymetrical military doctrine of open warfare. Included in this are cyber and other attacks.
The uniformed have been quick to say the ‘big one’ is about to hit the Cascadia subduction zone due to a series of earthquakes hitting off the coast of Oregon, U.S. on December 7 and 8, 2021. The quakes are taking place at a shallow depth of about 10 km (6.2 miles), some 500 km (320 miles) W of Salem, Oregon.
These quakes are right lateral faults associated with the Blqnco Fault zone, a transform fault zone associated the the Juan De Fuca spreading zone. This spreading zone is on the western margin of the plate with the Cascadia zone on the eastern margin. Separated by distance, this swarm is unlikely to trigger the big one on their own. They do represent the active tectonic forces overall driving the plate beneath the Pacific Northwest which WILL trigger the next one. But on their own, don’t jump on the doom wagon.
As usual, your comments and analysis are much appreciated.
A few additional thoughts:
Russia would not be doing what they are doing militarily near the border with Ukraine unless they expected to gain something from it. Thus far it seems they have gained nothing.
The steps they have taken cost an unknown amount but are not free. And they create a negative impression of Russia in much of the world.
The negative impression may adversely affect Russia in a business sense.
It is even possible the Russian buildup will lead to increased military spending in the parts of Europe that feel threatened. (Talk is cheap, so I would not expect Germany, France, and the UK to actually do anything.)
So.. Given these negatives, what is Russia’s objective?
Personally, I think Russia can see the obvious: U.S. leadership is incredibly weak and our ability to respond is nearly non-existent. If Russia wishes to annex the portions of Ukraine with substantial populations of ethnic Russians to Russia itself, what better time to do so?
The next question is when?
Historically, winter in that part of the world is where armies go to die. But that applies to attacks on Russia. It may not be relevant if Russia’s objective is limited to something they can quickly achieve and then stop.
In that case, winter would work in Russia’s favor just as it has in the past. A western military response would be difficult, and the loss of Russian natural gas in western Europe would create civilian havoc.
If Russia EVER intends to add portions of Ukraine, they cannot risk waiting until next year’s elections in the U.S. change control of Congress. Next winter would be too late. Spring and/or summer would throw away their weather advantage.
So... My personal guess is any time between Christmas this year and the middle of next month. It is interesting that Putin very publicly stated that his military would be given two days off around New Year’s day. A statement like that could easily be designed to mislead.
If this is limited to a Russian annexation of parts of Ukraine, the world response will be all talk and no action. It will blow over within months.
A much worse scenario would include coordination between China and Russia. If China decides to take over Taiwan at the same time then things could spiral out of control.
However, from China’s perspective, the same U.S. weakness would work in China’s favor. China has the additional advantage of a near strangle hold on many things used in the U.S., such as medicines and medical supplies, and the raw materials used in modern electronics. If China took over Taiwan they would gain significantly in high tech chip/circuit manufacturing as well.
I’m sure you’re aware of all this, but I thought it might useful to put it in writing.
Color Key
BLACK - An area worth noting, but not immediately impacting on US safety
BLUE - Incidents increasing and needing further monitoring, low threat to the US
YELLOW - This is the moderate concern level. Definitely becoming a threat but in the longer term.
ORANGE - A definite threat in both short term and long term. Some active events occurring
RED - Active and ongoing. Examples of this would be 2020 rioting, etc.
Morning - Note upgrades to Russian/Ukraine related topics.
________________________________
Wuhan virus - YELLOW *updated 12-10-21*
DISCUSSION - OMICRON is a big nothing burger. Globally there have been no fatalities associated with it and its transmission is not significantly greater than Delta. .
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is saying that it needs a full 75 years in order to fully release all data concerning the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19. Previously, the FDA claimed it needed 55 years to release vaccine information such as safety, efficacy, test protocols, and adverse reaction reports, among other data.
OBSERVATION - Slow moving cover up.
Still no reported deaths associated with Omicron that i’ve been able to find.
_____________________________
Globalism / Great Reset - YELLOW trending upward *unchanged*
DISCUSSION - Global powers that be (GPTB) backing off from hyping Omicron given its underwhelming threat. Countries and the US are moving forward for harsher treatment of the Unvaxxed anyway.
Illinois Representative Jonathan Carroll wants to push through a change to the state’s insurance law that would mean health insurers no longer have to cover unvaccinated people who get Covid, forcing people to pay their medical bills out of pocket.
OBSERVATION - Expect more attacks like this to strip away medical coverage for the unvaxxed as a way to coerce compliance to their rules.
biden ordered that the US government must be carbon neutral by 2050. He ordered that agencies start cutting emissions and to “buy clean.”.
OBSERVATION - Climate change is another key avenue being used by globalists to impose restrictions on the world. US govt purchases huge quantities of stuff - driving the market in many ways.
Pfizer chief: I think we’ll all need a fourth vaccine dose, and maybe sooner than we think. Echos what Fauci said in that the goal of ‘fully vaccinated’ will continue to change.
Governor Jay Inslee says unvaccinated Washingtonians are domestic terrorists. Inslee’s comment was made at a press conference last week. He made no caveats, nor did he approach the issue with a sense of nuance. “Thirty-four percent of Washingtonians are walking around with a time bomb in their backpack because they’re not vaccinated,”
OBSERVATION - Demonizng opposition is a common tactic used by leftists. Expect this trend to continue in blue states as well as countries trying to consolidate their wuhan derived powers.
_____________________________
Economy - ORANGE trending upward *unchanged*
DISCUSSION - US inflation continues to get worse. Setting record highs. Supply issues continue to get worse. Congress keeps kicking budget and debt ceiling down the road a month at a time. China’s Evergande has defaulted posing a threat depending on how well China is able to mitigate the damage.
November’s inflation rate came out at 6.8%. That would be the highest rate since Jimmy Carter was president in the early 1980s — and in the lifetimes of most Americans. And the CPI change since last year, according to the Federal Reserve of St Louis FRED is a staggering 16.262%. Some economists are saying that November will be the ‘high water’ mark and that inflation will drop to the 3% range in the next few months.
Next year, supply chains for automobiles, semiconductors, raw materials, and finished goods will likely see a declination of quality into Q2 2022 before realizing any improvement headed into the second half of next year.
Goldman Sachs expects that inflation will begin to normalize after “July 2022,” when Goldman says the Fed will start to raise interest rates. Goldman says “we expect a funds rate hike every six months,” and inflation “should settle 0.5% above the pre-pandemic level on average, in part because central banks have tweaked their goals accordingly.” Inflation is at 6.2% right now,
4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August, and 4.4 million quit in September, totaling 5.39% of the workforce in the country. In 2022, job opportunities are expected to remain plentiful, with the “Great Resignation” lasting well into the year, according to ZipRecruiter Chief Economist Julia Pollak.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization finds that world food prices have increased 27.3% year over year as a whole since last November, pushing the food price index to an all-time high for the last decade.
Senate passes a ‘fast track’ debt ceiling bill bypassing the filibuster on a special case basis. Kicks the can into the January 2022.
Just when we have a trucker shortage getting shipments out of kalifornia, the global warming goons in that state take actions to further reduce the number of trucks. State regulators on Thursday voted to crack down on heavy duty trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms) — those big semi-trailers that make up just 3% of all vehicles in California but spend so much time on the road they account for more than half of all pollution from cars and trucks each year.
New rules will require these big trucks, including ones from other states passing through Califonria — to be tested at least four times per year to make sure they meet the state’s standards for particulate matter and ozone pollution. To enforce the rules, state officials say they will install roadside monitoring devices to catch trucks that pollute too much. Automated license plate readers would help authorities identify offenders, who could be cited if they refuse to make repairs. The state has two of these unattended monitoring devices in place and plans to install more. The devices resemble toll booths and capture a sample of the truck’s exhaust as it passes through without stopping.
______________________________
Invasion of Illegals - ORANGE trending upward *unchanged*
DISCUSSION - Illegals continue to push across the border with record numbers of intercepts
At least 54 people have been killed and scores more injured after the truck they were being transported in crashed in southern Mexico, authorities say.
More than 150 people, said to be migrants from Central America, were crammed into the truck’s trailer when it rolled in the state of Chiapas.
Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls proclaimed a local emergency at approximately 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9, due to the unprecedented numbers of migrants entering the city prior to being processed and released by Border Patrol. The influx of these undocumented persons entering the Yuma area is resulting in a humanitarian and border crisis.
Texas National Guard troops deployed to the southern border have apprehended over 2,600 illegal migrants since last Wednesday. The troops are stationed at the border as part of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star,” which has mobilized state assets to counter illegal activity. Texas National Guard border public affairs officer Major Mike Perry told the DCNF that the Texas National Guard “is getting a lot of apprehensions right now.”
______________________________
Biden watch - ORANGE trending upward *unchanged*
DISCUSSION - Mental facilities continue to degrade
During yesterday’s ceremony for former Senator Bob Dole, Biden initially stood next to Harris. Once he realized this he swapped places with his wife. Obviously the imaging is not favorable to a happy happy WH.
It was reported yesterday that Biden and other U.S. officials planned to advise Ukraine to cede land to appease Russia and prevent an invasion. White House press secretary Jen Psaki had to belay that ‘order’ again saying the reports were “absolutely false,”
___________________________
CW2/Domestic violence - YELLOW trending upward
DISCUSSION - New trials are stimulating BLM violent protests. Potentially may also leverage a reversal of Roe v Way for addition violence.
Jessie Smollett was found guilty on 5 out of 6 counts of lying to police about a hate crime. Other than a statement from BLM activists in Chicago, no protests are scheduled.
_________________________________
POLITICAL FRONT - YELLOW *updated 12-10-21*
DISCUSSION - Democrat infighting increasing. biden / harris split increasing and it is becoming clear there is an effort developing to replace harris.
See Biden watch for reactions to being seated next to harris
_____________________________________
Strategic Activity / Deployments - BLUE trending neutral
US air reconnaissance platforms have increased their flights in the Black Sea region monitoring Russian forces build up. Many of these flight are being intercepted / escorted by Russian fighter jets.
_________________________________
China - ORANGE trending neutral to upward
The House voted 428-1 to ban the import of goods from China using slave labor. The bill (HR1155). The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force and State Department will determine if the treatment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang “constitute crimes against humanity or genocide” within 90-days of enactment Companies trading on U.S. exchanges will also be required to disclose their engagement with any entity using slave labor or mass surveillance programs.
The U.S. government imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia Wednesday over complaints about human rights, corruption and coordinated activities with China there. Cambodia’s leader Hun Sen is one of China’s closest partners in Asia.
The Chinese government created a new “supply chain organizer” called the Chinese Logistics Group to combat logistics and supply chain issues. China’s government formed the group by merging China Railway Materials, Huamao International Freight Limited (Shenzhen Branch), China Logistics, China National Packaging Corporation, and China National Materials Storage and Transportation Group. The group has investors, including COSCO Shipping, China Eastern Airlines, and China Merchants Group.
While debt in the property sector contributes to construction slowdowns, debt contributes to China’s economic downturn. The latest report from Evergrande shows that the real estate giant has defaulted. The Chinese government is trying to regulate the collapse, not through a bailout, but assistance in what some analysts call an “orderly break up” of the conglomerate.
China states it will attack U.S. forces that come to aid Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
Taiwan Ministry of Defense:13 PLA aircraft (Y-8 EW, H-6*2, J-16*6, Y-8 ASW, J-10*2 and KJ-500 AEW&C) entered Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ on December 10, 2021.
NOTE - these flights are almost ‘normal’ occurring on almost a daily basis.
China’s weather woes aren’t letting up. With record rain/flooding in the northern half of the nation over the last two years, drought has gripped the south. China’s major southern cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen have warned of severe water shortages lasting into next spring as the East River, a tributary of Guangdong’s Pearl River, continues to be hit by its most severe drought in decades.
____________________________________
Japan - BLUE
Toyota Motor Co. on Friday expanded production stoppages at some factories in Japan because of a shortage of components shipped from parts plants in Southeast Asia.
The latest halts will cut car output by 9,000 vehicles when added to curbs announced on Thursday, affecting production of Lexus models and its four-wheel-drive Land Cruiser, Toyota said in a press release.
____________________________________
Russia - ORANGE and increasing *updated 121021*
DISCUSSION - Putin sees US/NATO weakness, especially after his phoncon with biden. Russia deploying medical and combat sustainment units to the region - a step unusual for an ‘exercise’.
See comments under Ukraine,Poland and Europe in general.
____________________________________
Ukraine - ORANGE *updated 121021*
DISCUSSION - Increased potential of an attack by Russia.
Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky yesterday. He also spoke to leaders of the Bucharest Nine group of eastern flank
NATO allies. He promised to deploy ‘additional capabilities’ into the region according to a Lithuanian sources.
France and NATO: Russia must stop escalation on Ukraine’s borders and adhere to a diplomatic solution.
Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Ukraine in provocation because of sailing Navy ship in Azov Sea yesterday. The vessel is a command ship that sailed towards approaching Kerch strait near Crimea before turning away.
____________________________________
Belarus - YELLOW *updated 121021*
DISCUSSION - Migrant ‘crisis’ has significantly decrease. Monitoring / evaluating if it will participate with Russia in a Ukraine invasion.
The UK will send a team of troops to Lithuania to see what help they can offer Lithuanian forces dealing with a migrant crisis on their border with Belarus.
________________________________________
Poland - YELLOW trending upward *updated 121021*
DISCUSSION - Migrant ‘crisis’ has significantly decrease. Monitoring / evaluating if it will participate against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. Ongoing illegal islamic migrant issues with Belarus
Poland is exploring the purchase of 250 Abrams tanks from the U.S. to counter a potential Russian invasion. The deal would cost roughly $3 billion or 21% of Poland’s military budget.
________________________________________
Europe General - YELLOW TRENDING UPWARD *updated 121021*
DISCUSSION - Increasing potential that NATO will become involved in a Ukraine invasion as Poland, Romania and the Baltic Nations respond.
____________________________________
Israel - ORANGE trending neutral to upward
DISCUSSION - Ongoing threat from Hezebollah and Iran continues.
Israeli and American military leaders are set to discuss possible military drills to practice destroying Iranian nuclear facilities in a potential worst-case scenario, a senior US official said on Wednesday. The US official did not give details about the potential preparations.
____________________________________
Iran - ORANGE
Biden orders ‘preparations’ in case Iran nuclear diplomacy fails, the White House says. These ‘preparations’ are unspecified and talks are not going anywhere fast.
__________________________________
Iraq - YELLOW trending down *updated 121021*
US announced end of combat operations against ISIS, while keeping troops in country.
_________________________________