We live in a busy world with a lot of information being thrown at you. Don’t feel overwhelmed. OpsLens will give you a weekly briefing on the major stories you need to know about and cut out all the extra information that isn’t important. Here’s your weekly briefing on what’s going on in national security and military news.
U.S. Concerned by Russian Satellite
The Pentagon is concerned that a Russian satellite launched last year is actually a weapon.
A U.S. diplomat recently warned a global arms control conference in Geneva that “we are concerned with what appears to be very abnormal behavior by a declared ‘space apparatus inspector.’ We don’t know for certain what it is, and there is no way to verify it.”
The satellite, called Kosmos 2519, is being tracked by U.S. military radars. It appeared to deploy two smaller satellites after entering into orbit around the Earth and then rendezvoused with them. U.S. intelligence agencies have reason to believe that this could be a maneuver used to attack other satellites, to spy on them, or to deliberately crash into and knock them out of orbit.
China and Russia have both been performing these types of tests in space in recent years, further reason why President Trump’s proposed Space Force should be taken seriously.
POTUS Military Parade Postponed
The Pentagon announced on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s military parade through the capital would be postponed until 2019.
Military officials had indicated that the price tag for the parade would exceed $92 million. That would have been nearly three times higher than originally believed by the administration.
President Trump had been pushing for a military parade in the nation’s capital since being impressed by a Bastille Day celebration he attended with French President Emmanuel Macron in France in 2017.
The idea of a parade has been unpopular with the very troops who would have to march in it. Military Times conducted a survey of servicemembers and nearly 82 percent reported that they were opposed to the idea.
U.S. Ends Syria Stabilization Funding
The Trump administration has decided to end funding for Syria stabilization projects as the U.S. tries to reduce its role in the conflict.
Nearly $230 million had been planned for Syria programs but the State Department notified Congress on Friday that the funds would be put towards other areas to “support other key foreign policy priorities.”
The Islamic State has been almost entirely removed from Syria and the country is mostly controlled by a mix of extremist groups and government forces.
President Trump Removes Ex-CIA Chief’s Security Clearance
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of John Brennan, the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Brennan has been vocally critical of President Trump, calling his performance at a press conference last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland “nothing short of treasonous.”
President Trump signaled that he could remove more security clearances from officials who served in the administration of President Barack Obama.
Heavy Fighting in Ghazni
Taliban forces launched a major assault on the town of Ghazni, 100 miles south of Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul last week. Afghan government troops called in elements of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division and the U.S. Air Force for air support to stop the enemy advance.
The Taliban were able to capture a base in the city and a number of Afghan National Army soldiers. Many of the city’s 270,000 people have fled the fighting, and civilian life is virtually at a standstill. Many residents remain sheltered indoors amid reports that there are still Taliban forces, supported Islamist militants, still in the city.
U.S. military reports indicate that the city “remains under Afghan government control” despite the setbacks experienced during the preplanned assault by the Taliban.
UN Report: As Many as 30,000 Islamic State Fighters in Iraq and Syria
A United Nations report released on Monday indicates that there may be between 20,000 and 30,000 Islamic State fighters still active in Iraq and Syria.
The number is around five times higher than originally thought and expected by U.S. intelligence. The Pentagon reported to Congress that they believe there are approximately 14,000 fighters in Syria and 17,000 in Iraq.
According to the Pentagon: “We have assessed that, even after the liberation of ISIS-controlled territory, ISIS probably is still more capable than al-Qaeda in Iraq at its peak in 2006-2007, suggesting it is well-positioned to rebuild and work on enabling its physical caliphate to remerge.”
Green Beret Dies of Wounds Received in Afghanistan
A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier died of his wounds five days after he was seriously injured by an improvised explosive device in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Sgt. 1st Class Reymund Transfiguracion, 36, of Waikoloa, Hawaii, was an engineer sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Erik Prince’s Plan to Privatize the War in Afghanistan
President Donald Trump has voiced his frustration with the conduct of the war in Afghanistan and is reportedly considering a proposal to privatize the U.S. role in the conflict.
Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s idea first surfaced last year during the Afghanistan strategy review held by the President and his National Security team. The plan would see the replacement of U.S. troops in Afghanistan with private military contractors who would work for a U.S. envoy that would oversee the war and report directly to the President.
The idea has raised serious ethical concerns and President Trump’s advisers are reportedly concerned that the President is seriously considering Prince’s idea.
