https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pentagon-report:-sexual-assault-is-up-13-in-the-us-military

Pentagon report: Sexual assault is up 13% in the US military

According to a Defense Department survey published on Thursday, which began to collect data in 2015, nearly 36,000 service members said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact, a sharp increase over the 20,500 victims among active-duty personnel found in 2018, the last time the survey was conducted.

About one in 12 women on active duty (8.4%) reported having been assaulted or subjected to an assault attempt in the last year, while figures for men doubled to 1.5%, the Pentagon’s Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military for 2021 reports.

Nearly one in every three active-duty women (29%) had reported sexual harassment on the job, with a quarter of these claiming to have been assaulted. At the same time, the report rate has declined so that only one in five assaults are now reported – down from one-third in 2018.

Accordingly, trust in the ability of military leaders to protect the privacy and safety of victims and treat them with dignity has cratered 20 or more points among both male and female service members.

“These numbers are tragic and extremely disappointing,” Elizabeth Foster, the Pentagon’s executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency, told reporters on Thursday.

“These events not only have an impact at an individual level, but they also degrade our readiness and ability for the department to conduct our mission.”

Following last year’s Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, the Pentagon has already begun implementing new procedures to deal with the crisis, including the establishment of special victims’ units to handle sex crimes.

The department is expected to hire over 2,000 people to staff the new units, which will take responsibility for prosecuting sexual assaults out of the military chain of command.

House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel chair and California congresswoman Jackie Speier promised a hearing in the weeks to come, vowing to bring “the watchful eye of Congress” to bear in order to “address this national embarrassment and crisis.”

She suggested a direct causal link between the Defense Department’s failure to address the sexual misconduct epidemic and its inability to meet recruitment goals.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/miscellaneous/8-drown-37-rescued-as-92-migrants-attempt-to-cross-the-rio-g

8 drown, 37 rescued as 92 migrants attempt to cross the Rio Grande

The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) confirmed on Friday that at least eight migrants drowned while dozens were rescued after having attempted to cross the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas on Thursday from Mexico into the United States.

According to CBP, 37 people were rescued, but "part of the rescue mission also led to the discovery of eight deceased migrants, two found by the Government of Mexico and six by (US) agents," adding that "The search continues for other possible victims."

The group that attempted to migrate through the river was much larger than that with 92 people detained in total. 39 of them were detained on the Mexican side of the river while 53 were detained on the US side.

While the CBP did not offer any information regarding the ages or nationalities of the migrants, an official did inform the Washington Post, citing government data, that mass drownings have worsened over the past year with over 50,000 migrants detained last month across the Rio Grande River.

According to Manuel Mello, the city's fire chief, the migrants were swept off by powerful currents approximately a mile south of the International Bridge connecting Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Recent mass migration fatalities have brought attention to the risky route that hundreds of thousands of migrants undergo each year as they attempt to cross from Mexico to the United States noting that approximately the rate of death by drowning has increased in recent months to reach one migrant per day.

Near San Antonio, Texas, over 50 individuals passed away in June after being left in a sweltering trailer.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/art-culture/3000-year-old-mythical-creature-artifact-found-in-china

3,000-year-old mythical creature artifact found in China

In the Bronze-Age archaeological site of Sanxingdui in southwest China, a large 3,000-year-old bronze relic in the shape of a mythical creature was found, that is 150 kg and about 90 cm in height.

This animal-shaped bronze artifact, discovered in sacrificial pit No.8, is the most complete animal-shaped piece of ancient bronze found at the site, which has been in the scope of archeological research since the 1980s.

The bronze creature has a sacred tree engraved on its chest and a horn on its head, along with a bronze statue of a man standing on it.

Archaeologists have interpreted the figure, drawing a narrative that the man may be attempting to control the creature.

The Sanxingdui archaeological site is located in the Sichuan region of China. Although it was officialized in 1986, local communities have recognized its ancient artifacts as early as the 1920s. Although around 14,000 artifacts have been found at this site, the aforementioned relic is the first of its kind.

The site dates back to the ancient kingdom of Shu, which reigned until 316 BCE. Thousands of gold, bronze, jade and other artifacts made with precious metals have been discovered at the site.

Zhao Hao, an excavation team member, told China Global Television Network that “Since the first excavation at Sanxingdui in 1986, the unearthed mythical beasts have been smaller in size, only about 20 to 30 centimeters long."

Zhao went on to describe the relic and what it meant for the relevant communities: “The tree is engraved directly on it and can be seen as Sanxingdui people’s worship of the sacred tree, or has taken the sacred tree as a kind of divine presence.”

The excavation of pit No. 8 is bound to completion between September and October.

>> I wish they told us what is this mystical creature, a dragon, a unicorn etc.

>>17489122

sorry, forgot to attach second picture. This is a funny picture since the digging is taking place inside a room.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israel-eyeing-azerbaijan-as-a-potential-rival-to-iran

Breaking Defense: "Israel" eyes Azerbaijan to confront Iran

With all signs indicating the revival of a new nuclear deal, "Israel" is looking for strategic alliances to challenge Tehran's growing influence. Azerbaijan, Iran’s northern neighbor, appears to be the right fit to take part in "Israel's" dirty work.

Breaking Defense magazine stated that while "Tel Aviv" is still struggling to foil the revival of a new nuclear deal, there is little hope among the Israeli government that these last-minute attempts will be fruitful.

Mossad chief David Barnea is planning a visit to Washinton this week, and his message will not be a surprise after he bluntly called a potential new agreement a “strategic disaster” for "Israel" last week.

The Israeli press reported that Barnea received behind-the-scenes blowback for his phrasing, which may be an accurate representation of "Tel Aviv's" views, while others considered this was not in line with the exchange of messages from Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and security minister Benny Gantz to Washington.

Nevertheless, "Israel" is preparing its options. Last week, there were reports that an Israeli air force F-35 flew into Iranian airspace, likely to simulate a strike on Iranian ships. But there are fewer direct options "Israel" is looking at, which is where Azerbaijan comes in, the magazine wrote.

Officially the Israeli security establishment is not commenting on how Azerbaijan may help "Israel" in a future conflict with Iran. “This is a very sensitive issue, and we better shut up,” a security source told Breaking Defense.

Breaking Defense mentioned that research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that "Israel" accounted for 27 percent of Azerbaijan’s major arms imports from 2011–2020.

It added that from 2016–2020, "Israel" accounted for 69 percent of Azerbaijan’s major arms imports — a number that represents 17 percent of Israeli arms exports for that same period, adding that among the systems currently used by Azerbaijan are loitering munitions that were visibly successful during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

It is worth noting that "the border between Iran and Azerbaijan is approximately 420 miles, and they have shared volatile relations over the years, and Israel now hopes to exploit the hidden tensions between Baku and Tehran for its own purposes," according to the magazine.

It also considered that "Azerbaijan can, in theory, expose its airspace to Israeli planes to enter Iranian territory if necessary."

In a recent interview published by the Teheran Times, Iran’s ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan raised some of Iran’s concerns.

“We suspect they [Israel] must have special intelligence, security, and maybe an intention to do an act of sabotage behind what they are doing, which is under our monitoring. We made the necessary complaints and gave the necessary warnings to the Azeris, and the officials of the Republic of Azerbaijan at different levels have assured us that nothing against the national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran will happen from the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

>> Azerbaijan the puppet & Israel the puppet master.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pentagon-forms-task-force-to-accelerate-weapon-supply-to-asi

Pentagon forms task force to accelerate weapon supply to Asia, Europe

The Pentagon has established a special task force - the "Tiger team" - to facilitate arms sales to Washington's allies, according to a senior US defense official to Wall Street Journal.

The force was assembled in August, and its main task is to speed up the process of delivering US-made weapons to foreign entities, according to the outlet in a Friday article.

The new Pentagon body is co-chaired by two under-secretaries of defense, in addition to representatives from the military institution, tasked with providing various services.

“It’s about the mechanical steps in the process,” the official told the WSJ. “How can we do a better job of bringing inefficiencies out of the system that will apply to all of the countries that we work with?”

The source revealed that the team was launched due to the mounting tensions with China over Taiwan, in addition to the urge to send more weapons to Europe. Washington's European allies' arsenals have, at large, been depleted due to recklessly providing Ukraine with arms.

“The longstanding argument for American equipment is that it is the best – and it is the best,” an official said. “That also makes it the most expensive, it’s not cheap.”

Just earlier today, Saturday, the Biden administration announced the sale of $1.1bn worth of arms to Taiwan.

Washington sees that the complicated approval process of sending arms has been putting the US at a disadvantage in knocking China (and Russia) off its seat as a rising power. Arms sales are executed by the Pentagon and State Department and they require approval by the US Congress.

“That slow pace can leave some countries unsure if the US really wants them as partners and risks sending countries with whom the US wants to stay close elsewhere to shop for arms,” the outlet pointed out.

Former secretary of the US Navy, Richard Spencer, applauded the situation, slamming the diplomatic obstacles which have impeded weapon flows from Washington to the world: “The building has to get agility. We are sclerotic, we are arthritic, we have to get over it,” he said.

However, despite this move, a reality haunts the US at home: Washington itself has a shortage in weapon and ammunition stockpiles due to its fueling of the war in Ukraine, according to the WSJ.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-approves-11bn-arms-sales-to-taiwan-china-responds

Biden approves $1.1bn arms sales to Taiwan, China responds

Escalating tensions with China, the Biden administration has announced the sale of $1.1bn worth of arms to Taiwan within the framework of three contracts.

The largest contract is owed to a $655 million logistics package for the Taiwanese surveillance radar program. Harpoon air-to-sea missiles worth $355 million form the second contract while the third consists of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles worth $85 million, revealed the US Department of State, asserting that the equipment was necessary for Taiwan to “maintain a sufficient self-defense capability”.

US Congress has a countdown of 30 days to assess the agreements and give approval to the sales.

Washington alleged that the deal is consistent with the One-China policy, while also urging Beijing “to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan”.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, remarked on the arms sale to TASS, saying it “severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary countermeasures in light of the development of the situation.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The United States interferes in China's internal affairs and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests by selling arms to the Taiwan region," he said, explaining that Washington's move "sends wrong signals" to Taiwan's separatist forces, in addition to that it against "international law and basic principles in international relations."

The decision, furthermore, "violates the one-China principle and provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique."

This week, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that it bought a new batch of the US Javelin anti-tank missiles and announced that it was planning on increasing its order of the HIMARS rocket systems amid heightened tensions with China.

Taiwan announced last week plans to increase its security budget, proposing a security budget of $13.7 billion for 2023, marking a 13% year-on-year increase, pending parliamentary approval.

Tensions soared between China and Taiwan earlier last month, reaching their highest in decades, due to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island after Beijing warned both Washington and Taipei against such a trip.

The bipartisan trip sparked a caustic response from Beijing, which said it had carried out "combat readiness patrol and combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island."

In response to the delegation's visit, Beijing called on Washington to "stop going further down the wrong path of hollowing out and distorting the one-China principle, so as not to cause further damage to China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Since early August, China has carried out several large-scale military exercises near Taiwan in response to the visits of high-ranking US officials to the island.

Pelosi's visit also led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia-to-expose-evidence-of-us-bioweapon-research-in-ukrain

Russia to expose evidence of US Bioweapon research in Ukraine

Russia is preparing to present evidence to the UN Office in Geneva next week that proves the Pentagon has been illegally researching bioweapons at US-run labs in Ukraine, a senior Russian military official said Saturday.

"We want that organizations overseeing the implementation of the [Biological and Toxin Weapons] Convention and the international community to take note of these biological threats," Igor Kirillov told a news briefing.

The head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Force, Igor Kirillov, revealed evidence that the US and Ukraine had violated articles I and IV of the convention. The convention clearly prohibits signatories from developing, producing, or stockpiling dangerous agents or toxins and permits them to take necessary action to prevent such actions.

Igor revealed to sources on August 4 that the Kremlin was "considering the possibility that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved in the emergence of the new coronavirus."

He told sources that the organization launched a program called PREDICT in 2009, which was used to detect emerging disease threats at their source.

The program was used to study new strains of Coronavirus and captured bats that carry these viruses, the official said.

In response to these statements, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, which has waged a misinformation war regarding US Biolabs in Ukraine, has repeatedly dismissed the many invitations Russia has sent to discuss the matter.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova revealed in March that data on biological laboratories found in Ukraine does not help the case of the US against claims regarding its compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).

Additionally, Moscow found that President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, helped finance military research into dangerous pathogens at Biolabs in Ukraine, depending on new emails from his infamous laptop.

Russia has detected more than 50 US-run Biolabs near its borders, Kirillov said. China’s estimates suggest there are more than 300 US-affiliated Biolabs operating in 30 countries. Nonetheless, their presence has increased the number of infectious outbreaks and has led to the spread of non-endemic pathogens.

Russia has recorded a rise in cases of brucellosis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, and African swine fever in its territories bordering Ukraine in the past decade, the official said further.

He said the Russian Defense Ministry had documents proving that Ukraine had been shipping abroad dangerous pathogens and disease carriers as well as tissue and blood samples taken from patients. At least 16,000 such samples have been transferred to the US and its allies in the past years.

>>17489151

Slaves to money

>>17489161

Nice one. Sad, but so true.