Replies

Back up and running - and the global situation continues to go south.

Globalism / Great Reset –
Upcoming meetings of importance
- WHO February 19 to 21, Trans guideline committee.
- WHO pandemic ‘treaty’ May 2024

*****

Dutch political commentator, Eva Vlaardingerbroek - “Unelected globalists are using the Climate Scam as a pretext to shut down the global farming industry, leaving people no option but to eat insects and lab-grown meat, under the banner of UN Agenda 2030.”

“The people behind this want to establish a one world government, a ‘New World Order’, in which they decide what we eat, when we eat, where we travel, when we travel, who we meet, and what we are allowed to spend our money on. Basically, control over every single aspect of our lives.”

“They don’t want us to eat foods that make us strong. They want us to eat synthetic meat created by Bill Gates. They want us to eat bugs, they want us to drink soy milk, so that we become weak and obedient, and we do as they say.”

OBSERVATION - She gets it. The meme that is increasingly valid - We are the carbon they want to reduce. Control the food, control the masses.

***
Farmer revolt continues to press on.

Hundreds of Belgian farmers have arrived outside the EU in Brussels to protest against climate policies. Belgian authorities surrounded the headquarters with barbwire in advance.

Greek farmers escalated protests against net zero taxes and globalist policies.

It appears the Irish farmers are mobilizing with many convoys forming up.

In France, farmers have essentially cut off Paris from the ground. Police forces mobilized to try to prevent some Farmer elements from continuing into Paris. Recent reports that nearly a couple dozen farmers have been arrested and their tractors confiscated.

German protests continue across the country as well.

OBSERVATION - Even the local news agencies indicate that the public opinions are still favorable towards the farmers, even those inconvenienced by the road blockages. Over a dozen EU dominated countries have farmer revolts ongoing in some degree.

CW2 / Domestic violence - Heightened THREAT

Showdown in TX continues. The beacons of Gondor are lit ! !

Situation remains status quo on the TX border. TX law enforcement continue to arrest stray illegals that they come upon. Much of the influx via TX now shifting west towards NM, AZ and CA.

***
Six pro-life activists were just found guilty in federal court after being prosecuted by Biden’s DOJ under the FACE Act for protesting outside a Nashville abortion clinic.
For the crime of praying and singing hymns, these six activists now face a maximum of 11 years.

OBSERVATION - This is important to show that the regime is continuing its two-tiered justice system. It sees pro-life as a domestic terror offshoot, thus goes after a peaceful protest with the full power of the govt to dissuade other protests, while ignoring violent actions by the left.

***
Biden’s Department of Alcohol, Tabacco, and Firearms is working with the Department of Justice to regulate private gun sales into oblivion by mandating background checks for personal firearm exchanges, according to whistleblower group Empower Oversight.

Federal law currently requires background checks for any gun buyers who purchase their new weapons through a licensed federal firearms dealer (FFL). Two sources in communication with Empower Oversight confirmed the ATF is prepared to move forward with a rule that would classify a closed-door gun sale between friends or family members the same as firearm purchases made from FFLs.

The rule, proposed by the DOJ and ATF at the behest of Biden’s gun control wish list issued in March 2023, seeks to change the definition of “who is engaged in the business of dealing in firearms” to increase the number of Americans required to become FFLs, a lengthy and far from “easy” process, that must conduct background checks to sell their guns. The ATF and DOJ credits Democrats’ 2022 gun control bill, which passed because more than a dozen Republican senators agreed to betray their base.

The 1986 Firearms Owners’ Protection Act determined that regulation of those “engaged in the business” of selling guns commercially “shall not include a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.”

The ATF and DOJ have made several unconstitutional moves against law-abiding gun owners in the last three years. At Biden’s direction, the ATF attempted to turn pistol brace owners into felons, shutter gun stores over paperwork flukes, “ban” ghost guns, shut down ammunition sales, and alter the legal definition of a firearm to instate background checks for gun parts.

https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/31/doj-atf-pressed-over-secret-plans-for-unconstitutional-regulation-of-private-gun-sales/

OBSERVATION - The regime is bound and determined to deny citizens their constitutional rights. When the govt works to disarm the country, bad things historically occur.

***
RUMINT - Word is spreading through out the truckers convoy in support of TX of agent provocateurs infiltrating into the mass to ID participants, and potentially create an incident (s) that the govt can use to crackdown on participants a la Canada and J6.

RUMINT - only to the extent of the goals of these infiltrators. It is very well established that the feds will plant agents or paid informers into groups like this for “intelligence” purposes. How and where any provocative actions will take place is uncertain. Convoy promoters reportedly are becoming more aware of this potential problem and are screening suspect individuals in a counter - HUMINT manner.

Terrorism - Level is HIGH due to impending conflict with Iran.

CONTINUED WARNING - impending military action against Iranian assets for the attack that killed US forces in Jordan could result in Iranian terror groups here in the US to activate and conduct terror ops here. These attacks can range from infrastructure destruction (water, power, communications, etc) to mass casualty events (superbowl related attacks) or attacks on political candidates - heavily leaning against current administration but also Trump as well. So far the govt hasn’t come out with any warnings but the risk has increased significantly the last 24 hours, based on common sense and stated goals of the Islamist movement/Iran.

Economy-

Markets weren’t too happy with the Fed’s announcement yesterday. Fed Chair Jerome Powell made his remarks following the conclusion of the central bank’s policy meeting on Wednesday.

March is probably not the “base case” for when the Fed might start lowering its benchmark rate, Powell said during the press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

“Based on the meeting today, I would tell you that I don’t think it’s likely that the committee will reach a level of confidence by the time of the March meeting to identify March as the time” for its first rate cut, he said. “But that’s to be seen.”

OBSERVATIONS - Markets were hoping rates would decrease in March, but now it is uncertain and may get pushed later into the year. Standard practice of economists note that changes to the prime rate often take as much as 6 months to effect the economy, so that a March rate decrease will likely have very little bearing on the economy at election time.

***
United Parcel Service said Tuesday that it plans to cut about 12,000 jobs this year, a move that the package-delivery giant said would result in $1 billion in savings.

Most of the cuts will be to full-time and part-time management positions and contract workers, and executives said they don’t expect these jobs to return when parcel volumes return.

UPS has around 85,000 workers in management. The job cuts were unveiled after the company said its revenue declined in the last quarter of 2023 as volumes in both its domestic and international businesses dropped.
UPS drivers to make $170,000 in pay and benefits following Union deal

OBSERVATION - These layoffs are part of layoffs all across the economy that appear to be growing in number and economic sector. During the wuhan plandemic, shipping suffered under a severe lack of delivery. Since wuhan, trucking companies and companies like USP have been suffering from a large slowdown in shipments. Such a slow down are often considered harbingers of a recession.

In related jobs data, companies added 107,000 workers in the first month of 2024, off from the downwardly revised 158,000 in December, ADP reported Wednesday. Leisure and hospitality reported the biggest increase, with an addition of 28,000 workers, while trade, transportation and utilities added 23,000, and construction rose by 22,000. The release comes two days ahead of the Labor Department’s nonfarm payrolls report, which is expected to show growth of 185,000.

These numbers are below expected levels, indicating weaknesses in the jobs sector.

***
Observers are concerned that a new round of bank failures may be upon us. ‘New York Community Bancorp,’ the bank that acquired troubled Signature Bank last year announced a $264 million loss in Q4 yesterday, and as a result, the stock opened down over -40%. This could trigger some affiliated bank problems.

***
(FO) The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permitting rule under the Clean Water Act would significantly disrupt meat packers and producers nationwide

The EPA’s proposed rule would more stringently limit nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and a public hearing is scheduled for today

This new EPA rule is similar to proposals used in the Netherlands to try to run beef producers out of business, ultimately leading to farmer protests against the government. The price increases that move downstream as producers are forced to pay billions of dollars to comply with the new rule will hit Americans’ pocketbooks at a time when food price inflation is already high.

OBSERVATION - Additionally, the use of regulatory warfare to kill off agriculture and in particular the meat industry is insidious. This has been the MO of agencies like the EPA under biden’s regime. The EPA on many other regulations such as the ones to go after global warming gasses have been repudiated by the USSC as exceeding their congressional mandate. However, it takes years for these lawsuits to push through to the SC, and absent restraining orders, generally force the regulations onto industries in the interim, costing billions of dollars. They will try to force us to eat bugs one way or another.

Military / Strategic Activity / Deployments –

Carriers USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) drilled with Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH-182) in the Philippine Sea in a multi-day event. A JMSDF release stated that the drills began on Monday and will conclude on Thursday.
“The purpose of this training is to improve the tactical skill and interoperability with the U.S. Navy,” Rear Adm. Hitoshi Shimuzu, commander of Escort Flotilla 2, said in a JMSDF release. “Our relationship is committed to regional peace and stability.”
The Navy release said that the last exercise of its kind took place in November in the Philippine Sea with the Carl Vinson and Ronald Reagan strike groups.

OBSERVATION - Eyes on these flattops as it would take about a week or so for them to get to the Persian Gulf region should things go sideways. Even then, likely only one would go as the other would stay in the region to deter China from actions against Taiwan.

Wuhan and other “new” Plandemics –

Australia’s Department of Child Protection (DCP) must pay compensation and medical expenses to a youth worker who developed pericarditis after getting a Covid booster under a workplace vaccination directive, the South Australian Employment Tribunal has ruled.

In a decision handed down on January 15th 2024, the tribunal determined that Daniel Shepherd’s employment was “a significant contributing cause” to his injury, which has since rendered him incapable of performing his role at work.
Shepherd got a Covid booster in February 2022 as a requirement for his ongoing employment with the DCP. The DCP admitted that Shepherd’s pericarditis had been caused by the booster, but denied responsibility for the injury, arguing that it did not arise from Shepherd’s employment, but from a lawful State Government Public Health Order (PHO), issued under the Emergency Management Act 2004 (EMA).

However, the tribunal rejected the DCP’s argument, deciding that because the injury arose as a result of both the state-directed vaccination mandate and his employment, Mr. Shepherd was entitled to workers compensation.

https://dailysceptic.org/2024/01/31/employer-liable-for-vaccine-injury-acquired-due-to-vaccine-mandate-court-rules/

OBSERVATION - Though this is in Australia, I believe we can expect similar lawsuits against companies here in the US for similar. What is important here is that the defense that these mandated jabs were due to a governmental health order was put aside. Australia was more severe in its jab orders than the US, which only mandated jabs for fed employees. No jabs were mandated for private companies. States mandated jabs for its employees and schools. Now this whole defense is questionable here - workmans’ comp lawsuits -as well as wrongful death - are probably inbound.

POLITICAL FRONT –

Dates of importance
Feb 8 - The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the Colorado case.
March - latest CR expires
March 5- Super Tuesday primaries

****

A lot of lawfare news - I defer to other FR threads for details and discussion. Key for me is that court decisions for some of Trump’s trials are due this week. And as they come out - evidence/proof of DA and judge funny business are coming out that on top of the illegitimate way these trials have been conducted, may well blow them out of the water on appeal. Again, two-tiered justice system.

***
Homeland Security Committee passed articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in an 18-15 vote along party lines.

Biden / Harris Watch –

Dates to watch -
March 7 - State of the union

****
James OKeefe has opened up a new can of worms on todays WH. Top White House Cyber Official tells O’Keefe in Disguise “they can’t say it publicly” the White House wants to replace Kamala Harris and Confirms biden is in
mental decline: “Biden is definitely slowing down.”

“I’m just telling you what I’ve heard… they’re really concerned about it” …“I think they need to get rid of him or her.”

“But no one in modern history has ever said, like, ‘We’re not going to renominate the president for a second term.’”

OBSERVATION - This also sums up democrat problems with biden. Granted, this guy is kinda low on the totem pole, he is in enough position to hear this information and discussions. In addition to the WH disfunction and his mental issues, the polls are slamming him even further behind Trump - especially in key swing states and demographics. Remember - polling has a second purpose and that is to shape public opinion. But they are facing some hard decisions.

Cyber attacks/warfare – HEIGHTENED ALERT

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers on Wednesday about the growing threat posed by Chinese hackers who are targeting U.S. electrical grids and other infrastructure during testimony before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
“China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” Wray said in his opening remarks to the panel.

Wray and other national security officials, including Jen Easterly, who leads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, testified just as the FBI and Justice Department announced Wednesday that it had shut down a major China-based hacking group that had been working to compromise U.S. cyber infrastructure.

“So far, we’ve discovered CCP malware in certain critical infrastructure, but they haven’t been activated yet,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), the ranking member of the committee.
The group, called “Volt Typhoon,” is believed to have attacked hundreds of routers in offices, allowing the Chinese government to access critical data. It was apparently targeting U.S. water treatment plants, the power grid, oil and natural gas pipelines, and transportation systems.

OBSERVATION - Cyberwarefare initiated by China or Iran, would be a combat ‘multiplier’ at a strategic level, permitting them to attack US directly without threats to loss of operatives lives. There is also a cover of anonymity involved in that it is difficult to pin any attack on a national player or so call unaffiliated ‘groups’ doing the hacking/attacking.

Illegal Immigration –

See CW2 on Texas standoff.

***

Police departments in sanctuary cities and their suburbs are reporting crime waves tied to illegal aliens who are summarily released into the country by the Biden administration after crossing the southern border. In particular, Chicago and New York City are suffering significant increases in crimes committed by illegals.

Oak Brook, Illinois, Police Chief Brian Strockis reported six illegal alien felonies in a recent single day. The chief told Fox News his department has arrested 47 illegals since October 23.
In NYC, illegals attacked and hospitalized two policeman. 5 individuals were arrested and turned back onto the streets with no bail.

OBSERVATION - Can link this to movement towards CW2. All these single men of military age that have poured across the border the past several years is starting to bring home the bacon for democrats - in a way they may or may not have expected. For the marxist deep state democrats, the chaos this increased crime and violence produces fits their Hegelian dialectic models. To the rank and file democrat sheeple, they are being shocked and angered as the crime hits home to them - an not some podunk border town in TX not mentioned on the MSM. This is increasingly straining the cultural ties of this country.

China –

Chinese lithium giants Ganfeng and Tianqi warned investors on Tuesday that their profits are plunging by up to 80 percent as the demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries weakened, producing a glut of lithium that drove prices down.

Ganfeng posted a note to the Hong Kong stock market that said net profits declined by up to 80 percent in 2023 because the “cyclical” nature of the lithium industry, and the “growth rate of demand slowing down,” caused a “significant decrease in the price of lithium-salt products.”
Ganfeng shares fell by five percent in trading after the announcement. Rival lithium supplier Tianqi suffered a 6 percent decline after making a similar announcement of profits slipping by up to 73 percent in 2023.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2024/01/31/chinas-lithium-producers-see-profits-collapse-as-ev-demand-craters/

OBSERVATION - China’s economy takes another hit. In the US, EV sales are tanking and the automakers who bet the farm by moving to convert all production to EVs are rapidly backtracking.
Another item is that massive Lithium deposits are being found outside of China’s control of the metal. Two major deposits in the US announced in the past year alone.

****
The Chinese Coast Guard spokesman asserted “indisputable sovereignty” over the Scarborough Shoal and its adjacent waters. An estimated 200 Chinese boats surrounded the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at the same time as the sovereignty claim.

OBSERVATION - This island continues to be a potential flash point between China and the Philippines. Same region where Chinese coast guard attacked Philippine ships with high pressure water cannons.

Phillipines –

The Philippines is preparing for a massive and complex iteration of the Balikatan exercise in April that will include several nations, practice in non-kinetic warfare domains such as cyberspace and information operations.

Routine participants include the Philippines, the United States, and Australia, but the Philippines is open to any nation with which it has a Status of Forces agreement joining in.

OBSERVATION - Growing joint exercises are a result of Chinese aggression in the region and the necessity of western Pacific nations to band together to resist.

Russia -

WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022

CURRENT ASSESSMENT - Updated Jan 1, 2024, New assessment underway.

With the end of the Ukraine summer offensive and the ongoing winter mud season, Russia is struggling to gain the initiative on several fronts in easter Ukraine. Russia maintains it attacks to take Avdiivka, even in the face of huge losses. Russia continues to launch smaller attacks daily across the front lines.

Russian has been shepherding its stockpile of missiles/drones with the likelihood of attempting to take down the Ukraine power grid as they did winter 2023. This task has become increasingly difficult as Ukraine adds air defense systems and gets better coverage.

The Russian Black Sea fleet is is essentially impotent and hesitant to deploy into now contested waters. In the latest, large missile / drone attack, the Black Sea fleet was noticeably out of action. In the last half of 2023, Ukraine was able to take out about 20% of the fleet.

While Russia has reportedly about 400K of soldiers in the theater, all evidence indicates that they are poorly trained and equipped. Russian forces are increasingly having to rely on 50’s and 60’s vintage tanks, APCs and other vehicles. Russian large assaults continue to be what are referred to as ‘meat’ attacks - throwing large numbers of lightly armed, foot troops at Ukraine defenses in hopes of overwhelming them. These tactics ‘worked’ at Bakhmut but there Russia still had a superiority in artillery support. Concerted efforts by Ukraine to locate and destroy Russian artillery, combined with wear and tear taking systems out and poor/no ammo has generally caused Russia to lose the edge in artillery firepower.

Russian leadership reportedly planning for a long duration conflict, hoping to wear the Ukraine army down and cause European allies to tire of their support - forcing some sort of cease fire and negotiated peace.

Russia is believed to be trying to muster a force for a winter offensive, once the soils freeze up and permit cross country maneuver. Focus of such an offensive has not solidified but the most likely candidate for one front is the continued attempt to eliminate the salient at Adviivka.

RUMINT-

Analysts believe Russia has kicked off its winter/spring offensive in eastern Ukraine - See Ukraine below for discussion.

Ukraine –

WEATHER FORECAST – Temperatures in the 20-30 range with scattered snow and rain.

24 HOUR ROUND UP – Weather continues to dominate action on the ground. However, temperatures are reaching levels around Ukraine that are starting to freeze the ground locally, meaning that ground operations may have their tempo increase over the coming days/weeks.

2 of 4 Shahed drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defense overnight around Kharkiv. Russia also launched S-300 missiles at Myrnohrad overnight

Ukrainian Military Intelligence reports Russian Black Sea Tarantul-class corvette Ivanovets was sunk after an attack with naval drones.

Massive wave of Ukrainian missile strikes against Russian military positions in occupied Crimea took place overnight. The attacks follow suicide drone swarm attack two days ago which destroyed a Russian S-300 air defense system in northern Crimea.

Major target of the attack was the Russian military airfield in Belbek in occupied Crimea. Initial damage rpts destroying two Su-27 and one Su-30 aircraft. 12 Russian soldiers killed, 10 injured.

Multiple large smoke plumes floating over the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol were also reported.. Another 9 Russians were reportedly killed, 7 injured in a Ukrainian strike on a GRU military intelligence training camp in Hvardiyske, occupied Crimea. Just north of Simferopol.
Russian Telegram channels report that a drone attacked Nevsky Mazut plant in St Petersburg last night.
There is a fire on the plant’s territory, the entrances to the plant are blocked by security services.
NOTE - This is a recurring pattern, Ukraine takes out strategic air defense radar(s) and follows up with a major missile / drone attack.

Analysts are indicating that the anticipated Russian 2024 winter-spring offensive effort is officially underway in the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border area. GUR Head Budanov stated on January 30 that the Russian offensive in Ukraine is currently ongoing and that Russian forces aim to reach the Zherebets River and the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (basically from the northern most edge of the eastern front southward to the Avdiivka region).

Outlook —

Weather and mud conditions are continuing to dictate ground operations, which are at a low level due to lack of maneuverability cross country and on dirt roads due to the mud.

Big stories over the past couple days are the cruise missile strikes on Crimea as well as the sinking of another significant Russian Black See combatant. Ukraine’s asymmetric fight continues to catch Russia flat footed. As noted before, major Ukraine strikes on Russian ADA radars will be followed up closely by drone/missile attacks through the radar gaps. Russia ADA assets are increasing stretched to their limits as Ukraine continues to take major systems out and Russia diverts resources to protect deeper cities from Ukraine drones.

The sinking the “Ivanovets “ should be especially concerning for Russia given the ease with which the attack was executed. Video shows the second sea drone hitting the same spot as the first drone, rapidly sinking the ship.

When the new US gliding missile / bombs reach Ukraine in force, Russian strategic resources in the region will be severely at risk. Their range puts all of occupied Ukraine in range as well as most of Crimea.

RE the start of a Russian winter/spring offensive, minor tactical gains were reported along the northern portions of the eastern front. What is notable is that these attack axises are not supporting one another - just pushes where they see a defensive weakness. No larger, grander overall combat plans, such as deep envelopment, etc.

Russia has been attempting an offensive in this part of the front since this past summer.

As per pervious battles, Ukraine will likely give up selected territory in order to draw Russian forces into kill zones and chew them up.

Another problem is that Russia is hard pressed for adequate armor forces to exploit any breakthroughs. More and more the tanks being relied on are old T-62 and T54/55 vintage with MTLVs for APCs. Ukrainian video shows the results of one of the larger attacks of the past couple days, where the Russian armor force drove into the open only to chewed up by Ukraine anti-armor elements - killing nearly a dozen tanks and APCs. Poor equipment, poorly trained and motivated soldiers equal a very blood fight for Russia.

ISRAEL –

Key overnight developments -

- Negotiations over hostage releases and prisoner swaps are increasing.

- biden threatens to unilaterally impose a two state solution on Israel.

——— GENERAL ——————————-

Lest we forget - there are still 136 being held hostage in Gaza.

***
Likud Party - There is no talk at all about a ceasefire, talk only about “temporary pauses”
Any deal to return detainees without completely destroying Hamas is “not acceptable”.

The White House - “We seek a longer truce in Gaza than the previous one in November”

***
The Biden White House intends to pursue a policy of recognizing a Palestinian state at the end of the Israel-Hamas War without the participation of the Israeli government. Along with bilateral recognition, the Biden White House contemplates urging other states to do the same and permitting that Palestinian state to join the United Nations. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron says the United Kingdom will do the same to bring about “irreversible progress to a two-state solution.”

https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/01/31/us-considering-recognizing-palestinian-state-without-negotiations-with-israel-n2169472

OBSERVATION - To unilaterally impose a two state solution by recognizing Palestine as a nation-state and adding it to the UN would be a huge knife in the back to Israel. It would face overwhelming support by the general assembly as well as no veto in the security council.

——— GAZA FRONT ———————————-

In addition to the increase in Hamas military activity, the political arm is also increasing its influence and control in N Gaza and Gaza city.

One former Israeli national security advisor, Eyal Hulata, has described, “We are hearing more, unfortunately, of the recovery of [an] insurgency in both central and northern Gaza … We’re hearing more and more that Hamas are doing policing in northern Gaza and governing trade, and that is a very bad outcome.”

Michael Milstein of the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israel-based think tank, explained to the publication how this could be possible. “Hamas control these areas. There is no chaos or vacuum because it is the workers of Gaza municipality or civil rescue defense forces, who are effectively part of Hamas, who are enforcing public order. Hamas still exists. Hamas has survived,” he said.

Israel is still seeking out terror tunnels, and small Hamas teams are making effective use of to launch ambushes or utilize other insurgent or guerilla tactics.

OBSERVATION - This will be a big problem for Israel to overcome given the hatred of Jews in the region and support from international agencies like the UN and Iran that will work to rebuild its political and militarily structure.

——— LEBANON / HEZBOLLAH——————————-

Continued exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and IDF along the border.
The Israeli army says fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon’s Ayta ash-Shab, Beit Lif, and Blida today. Several projectiles were also launched from Lebanon at Metula. The Israeli army says it is striking the source of the fire

——— SYRIA / HEZBOLLAH / IRAN———————————-

Iran has withdrawn its senior officers from Syria after recent Israeli attacks.
Reuters, citing sources reports that Iran informed Syria of its concern about the leakage of information after its advisors were targeted.

An Iraqi official told CBS News that some militias that are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have already evacuated their bases in Syria and Iraq - due to fear that they will be targeted by a U.S. retaliatory strike(s).

———WEST BANK——————————-

Continued Israeli security forces operations to arrest Hamas and affiliated terrorists

———“ISLAMIC RESISTANCE” ———————————

U.S. forces have been attacked 166 times from Oct. 17 to Jan. 30, per DOD official: 67 in Iraq, 98 in Syria and once in Jordan.

***
Things remained active in the Red Sea region. On Jan. 30, at approximately 11:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. The missile was shot down by USS Gravely (DDG 107). There were no injuries or damage reported.

The USS Carney (DDG-64), shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile along with several one-way “suicide” drones launched by the Houthis yesterday. The ballistic mssile was downed using an SM-6 interceptor missile while the drones were downed using a combination of other defensive weapons.

According to a U.S. Defense Official the Arleigh Burke-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer, USS Gravely (DDG-107) was forced to use her Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS) last night during a “Close Call” with a Anti-Ship Cruise Missile launched by the Houthi Terrorist Group in Western Yemen; the Cruise Missile is reported to have come within 1 Mile of the Ship likely following a Miss or Malfunction with an SM-2 Interceptor Missile.
NOTE - The Phalanx system is a weapon of last resort - indicating how dangerously close the Houthi go to hitting the ship.

Jan. 31 at approximately 3:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), USCENTCOM forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missiles prepared to launch. U.S. forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that it presented an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft.

British Maritime Trade Operations Authority: Report of an incident 57 nautical miles west of Hodeidah in Yemen

***

Local Yemeni sources are reporting significant activity by U.S. Military Aircraft over the City of Hodeidah in Western Yemen following what appears to have been additional airstrikes against the Houthi sites. According to a Senior U.S. Defense Officials, several F/A-18 “Super Hornets” from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) launched airstrikes tonight in against 10 launch sites for one-way “Suicide” Drones, that were being prepared by the Houthi to be used against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

———INTERNATIONAL ——————————-

Italian Defense Minister - “Unrest in the Red Sea threatens the stability of Italy’s economy”

——— FORECAST ————————-

Israel to continue search and destroy operations across Gaza. Fighting to continue to be intense in central and S Gaza while N Gaza levels are dropping fast.

The fact that Hamas is once again leaning more towards a hostage exchange suggests that they need time to covertly restructure and rearm its forces. Both sides have laid out major demands that may likely for now continue to stop any exchanges.

The whole Gaza war focus and attention has shifted to the US / Iran confrontations - to be expanded upon below.

Inspire of air strikes, Houthi continue to successfully shoot commercial ships in the Red Sea region. Some analysts/observers are beginning to equate the constipation of sea traffic to that which occurred during wuhan.

That the Houti came within a minute of hitting the USS Gravely bears repeating. They are looking for a lucky hit. With the present regime’s unwillingness to really use the power of the military forces at its disposal, it seems that US forces will be essentially forced to retreat in that event, given the cluster fark that response to other Iranian backed proxy attacks have been substandard to say the least. I expect the Houthi will increases its direct attacks on US vessels in order to get a successful hit or more.

Iran – Potential war with US developing.

A Senior U.S. Official has told NBC News that the Biden administration are preparing for a “Military Campaign in the Middle East which could last for Several Weeks” and include strikes on Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria as well as cyberattacks against targets likely located inside of Iran.

It was emphasized that there will be a series of strikes and what was referenced above is only part of the overall strike plan.

OBSERVATION - The world awaits any significant US operations. Many are shaking their heads over the telegraphing what we are going to ‘do’ in that is gives Iran lots of time to get its critical assets to safety. biden’s apologetic ‘we don’t want war’ bleats are making the US a joke to nations in the region as well as Europe, Russia and China. The last time I saw such paralysis by an administration was the Iranian Hostage Crisis under carter.