What kind of threat ?

Yesterday House Intel Committee chair Rep Mike Turner announced that the whole House had been briefed about what he called a "serious national security threat".
He called on Clueless Joe to release all classified documents on the issue .( no doubt he's have to search his garage for some of them) .

Speculation abounds about the nature of the threat . Maybe we will know more today. I find it very hard to believe that 435 Reps will all be able to keep their pie holes shut.

CNN is saying that it is about a Russian nuclear capability in space with the ability to take out our satellite system.

US has new intelligence on Russian nuclear capabilities in space | CNN Politics (https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/14/politics/house-intel-chairman-serious-national-security-threat/index.html)


ABC says it is about Russia "wanting " the capability .

GOP warning of 'national security threat' is about Russia wanting nuclear weapon in space: Sources - ABC News (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-plans-brief-lawmakers-house-chairman-warns/story?id=107232293)

Huge difference between having a capability and wanting one.

Time for another arms race to close a gap.

The Missile Gap Myth and Its Progeny | Arms Control Association (https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2011-05/missile-gap-myth-its-progeny)

Bomber gap | Military Wiki | Fandom (https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Bomber_gap)

But this one may be real. Last week Russia used a hypersonic missile in Ukraine.

Russia uses Zircon hypersonic missile in Ukraine for first time, researchers say | Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-uses-zircon-hypersonic-missile-ukraine-first-time-researchers-say-2024-02-12/)

This would be a short range tactical weapon. The kind the Chinese have and we are trying to develop.

Test Failures Put Hypersonic Program in Doubt | Arms Control Association (https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2023-11/news/test-failures-put-hypersonic-program-doubt)

Army hopes to field Dark Eagle hypersonic missile in summer 2024 after resolving problems with launcher | DefenseScoop (https://defensescoop.com/2023/12/03/army-hopes-to-field-dark-eagle-hypersonic-missile-in-summer-2024-after-resolving-problems-with-launcher/)


Russia has already deployed it's most up to date intercontinental ballistic missile ;the Satan II into it's silos. They also war gamed the use of their strategic nuclear weapon late last year as they formally revoked their participation in the nuclear test ban treaty .

Putin Oversees Yars ICBM Launch in Russia's Nuclear Drill: Video (newsweek.com) (https://www.newsweek.com/russia-putin-nuclear-tests-drills-yars-video-1838070)


Here's the caveat . Turner is a Ukraine war hawk.

US House members express 'overwhelming' support for Ukraine aid during visit to Kyiv (yahoo.com) (https://news.yahoo.com/us-house-members-express-overwhelming-155159235.html)

This announcement comes on the eve of a potential House vote on an aid package to the tune of $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, $9.2 billion for humanitarian assistance and $4.8 billion for Taiwan.

Remember money spent on the Ukraine war really is going to the US military industrial complex.


The President’s most recent national security supplemental request will build on our successful efforts to date and will direct over $50 billion into our nation’s DIB, which builds on the funding that has already been invested in manufacturing lines across 35 states. While we cannot predict exactly which U.S companies will be awarded new contracts, we do know the funding will be used to acquire advanced capabilities to defend against attacks on civilians in Israel and Ukraine—for example, air defense systems built in Alabama, Texas, and Georgia and vital subcomponents sourced from nearly all 50 states. We will modernize vital munitions and equipment like Javelins made in Alabama; Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) made in West Virginia, Arkansas and Texas; tactical vehicles made in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana; and 155mm artillery shells made in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Iowa and many other states.

Letter to Congressional Leadership Regarding the Need for Urgent Action to Support Ukraine's Defense | OMB | The White House (https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2023/12/04/letter-to-congressional-leadership-regarding-the-need-for-urgent-action-to-support-ukraines-defense/)

What better way to gin up support than to play the national security risk card ?

This announcement comes on the eve of a potential House vote on an aid package to the tune of $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, $9.2 billion for humanitarian assistance and $4.8 billion for Taiwan.Thankfully, due to the commendable diligence with responsible budgeting exercised by the Congress over the past decades, we have boatloads of dollars laying around with which to do this.

Just think how this is all going to shake out when we can no longer endlessly borrow money and have to go on a "pay as you go" basis.

It is money down a rabbit hole .Yes we have severely depleted our stockpile that will need to be replaced . But let's be realistic . Ukraine is what they call a boneyard .
Boneyard Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boneyard)

Equipment we and our NATO allies we sent there are no longer usable. Not because Russia blew them up .They need to be maintained . There are 2 possible ways to do that (actually 3 if you include NATO maintenance crews being deployed in Ukraine which as of now is a non-starter ) .

One would be to move the tanks and other weapons systems out of Ukraine to service . That is a logistic impossibility .

The 2nd one is the bring Ukrainians to NATO nations to train them how to service the weapons. Ukraine has no manpower to spare .
The average age of a Ukraine soldier is now 43 years old.

Average Age of Ukrainian Soldier Is 43 Amid Personnel Problems (businessinsider.com) (https://www.businessinsider.com/average-age-ukrainian-soldier-43-amid-personnel-problems-2023-11)

Part of the reason for the recent shakeup in Ukraine is conscription.

Ukrainian bill intended to draft more soldiers passes first reading | Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-bill-intended-draft-more-soldiers-passes-first-reading-2024-02-07/)

Zelinsky fired General Valery Zaluzhny ;who was assumed to be a candidate to opposed Zelensky in what is now a cancelled Presidential election.

In an op-ed the General complained about "the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures”.

Ukraine’s army chief: The design of war has changed | CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/01/opinions/ukraine-army-chief-war-strategy-russia-valerii-zaluzhnyi/index.html)

Let's say that NATO comes through with a replacement stock pile . Do they think Russia is going to sit on it's thumbs and do nothing ? Putin has been able to turn the Russian economy into a war time economy. Russian defenses ;already formidable based on their defeat of the Ukraine offensive ;will only be further fortified .

The new commander Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi is a butcher . He led the defense of Bakhmut which was a strategically insignificant piece of real estate that was ultimately lost to Russia after many needlessly lost Ukraine soldiers were sacrificed .

The end is coming at a time and place of Quid Pro Joe's choosing . He needs Ukraine to hold out until after the US elections .He is willing to fight to the last Ukrainian to achieve his goals . Then win or lose ;the reconstruction of Ukraine begins (10% for the big guy) .

Tom, I wish you would post your views on the deal with Fani Willis and her testimony yesterday. I thought the testimony of her former friend as to when her little romance started was pretty significant.

I wrote about Willis a month ago . She denied it in testimony but the proof is conclusive
Georgia on my mind (askmehelpdesk.com) (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=850914&p=3895260#post3895260)

Yesterday she employed the 'loudest denial' defense. Yet she could not explain where the cash she used came from. Her former friend testified basically that Willis perjured herself She acted corruptly and fraudulently . She used public funds on romantic junkets with her lover ;who she employed to get Trump even though he was a small fry prosecutor.

He in turn ;caught holding his dip stick, settled his divorce case. No doubt it cost him.

I see an orange jump suit in Willis' future . I doubt if Geogia will revisit it's case against Trump. Most of the rest of the state has no enthusiasm for it . But if they do ;Trump's claims of immunity ;true or not ;have no bearing on a state case.

I thought the contention by both Willis and Wade that she reimbursed him thousands of dollars in cash, and that he never deposited the cash but used it as "walking around money", or that he gave it to his children, just seemed to be ludicrous. No one deals in thousands of dollars in cash without a reason. The more likely explanation would seem that she repaid him nothing.