An affordable price is probably the major benefit persuading people to buy drugs at www.americanbestpills.com. The cost of medications in Canadian drugstores is considerably lower than anywhere else simply because the medications here are oriented on international customers. In many cases, you will be able to cut your costs to a great extent and probably even save up a big fortune on your prescription drugs. What's more, pharmacies of Canada offer free-of-charge shipping, which is a convenient addition to all other benefits on offer. Cheap price is especially appealing to those users who are tight on a budget
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Yes, China is Surrounding the S. China Sea, but what about Florida?

The two faced dragon….tie to really recalibrate the relationship between the United States and China AGAIN….Previously n this website, I have discussed not only by a post but several times on radio about how the former intelligence/snooping base owned by Russia in Cuba known as the Lourdes SIGINT station was sold to China….no one in media or the national security realm seems to give it much attention…but now…we have an additional problem with China and that is the Bahamas.

How about the largest Chinese embassy in the world with hundreds of Chinese intelligence officers deployed there…..Embassy of China in Nassau in Nassau, Bahamas (Google Maps)

In part from FNC:

“The People’s Republic of China has been making diplomatic, economic and even military and quasi-military inroads into the Caribbean, South and Central America for the past couple of decades,” retired Rear Adm. Peter Brown, former Homeland Security advisor to President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital.

Brown pointed to the rise in dual-use infrastructure projects along the Bahamas coastline, which is located just 50 miles off the coast of Florida.

“It doesn’t take a lot of imagination for the People’s Republic of China to use its commercial footprint in the Bahamas to monitor, exploit and perhaps even do worse to [the] U.S.,” he said. Pointing to the Chinese-controlled British Colonial Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas, Brown said that its location directly across from the U.S. Embassy could give way to intelligence gathering on U.S. personnel.

The hotel is owned by a Chinese company, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, which has raised geopolitical concerns given its location. Fox News Digital has reached out to the British Colonial Hotel for comment.

China has invested heavily in the Bahamas through a range of additional high-profile projects, including a $40 million grant for a national stadium, a $3 billion mega-port in Freeport, and $40 million for the North Abaco Port and Little Abaco Bridge.

In 2019, now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned in a Miami Herald op-ed that the devastation caused by the natural disaster could create an opening for the People’s Republic of China to use aid as a Trojan horse to gain a foothold near American shores.

“By targeting the Bahamian government in this period of crisis, Beijing would be making the same opportunistic play to access critical foreign infrastructure,” Rubio wrote in 2019. “But in this case, the national security threat is especially perilous, as it would give China a foothold just 50 miles from the coast of Florida.”

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How about another look at things in the Caribbean…Chinese expansion

Chinese Expansion in the Caribbean (Extra) - Virtual Mirage

China’s Influence in the Caribbean:

China is a member of both the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and an observer at the Organization of American States (OAS). Alongside Italy and Germany, China is the third largest shareholder at the CDB with 5.6% of overall shares, exponentially higher than the majority of Caribbean countries.

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) engagement in the Caribbean has largely focused on investments in infrastructure and developing trade relationships. As of 2022, ten Caribbean countries have signed up to Belt and Road (BRI) – Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.

The PRC is working towards diminishing the region’s ties to Taiwan as the region contains the largest bulk of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. Today, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, and Belize remain the only Caribbean nations that recognize Taiwan.

China’s Trade and Economic Investment in the Caribbean

While the Caribbean’s trade with China has grown at a slower pace than overall trade with the region, it increased from $1 billion in 2002 to $8 billion in 2019, with an estimated $6.1 billion in Chinese exports and $1.9 billion in imports.

China is a major trading partner of Cuba’s and Chinese businesses are involved in the Cuba’s telecommunications, tourism, mining, and energy sectors.

Cuba is highly dependent on China and ongoing economic challenges resulted in the reconstructing of an estimated $4 billion in debt to China in 2011 and another restructuring in 2015. For more reading click here.

The U.S. Must Join China’s Belt and Road In Developing The Caribbean ...

The U.S. Must Join China’s Belt and Road In Developing The Caribbean ...

The $200M Smuggling Bust at the Long Beach Port

FoxLA:

 

LA Ports smuggling bust: Feds arrest 8 suspected of smuggling $200M in Chinese goods

Federal authorities have arrested eight individuals in connection with a large-scale smuggling operation that allegedly brought counterfeit and illegal goods from China into the United States through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The operation, involving logistics companies, warehouse owners, and corrupt truck drivers, is believed to have smuggled at least $200 million worth of goods. An additional defendant, believed to be the lead orchestrator, remains at large and is thought to be in China. The defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy, smuggling, and breaking customs seals.

9 charged in 15-count indictment

What We Know: Federal law enforcement has charged nine defendants in a 15-count indictment with conspiracy, smuggling, and breaking customs seals. The defendants allegedly collaborated with partners in China to manipulate shipping containers flagged for inspection, using logistics companies to facilitate the smuggling of counterfeit goods into the U.S. Investigators have seized over $130 million in contraband, and the organization is believed to have smuggled at least $200 million worth of goods through this scheme. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the busiest container ports in the Western Hemisphere, were the focal points of the operation.

How the crime ring operated

According to Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally, the scheme involved logistics companies, warehouse owners, and corrupt truck drivers working together to defy U.S. customs laws. The defendants and their partners in China filled shipping containers with contraband, including counterfeit goods and illegal chemicals. They circumvented the security system by learning the unique serial numbers of security seals and creating duplicate fake seals. These counterfeit seals were sent from China to the U.S. When shipments arrived at the port, instead of going to secondary inspection sites, corrupt truck drivers took the containers to offsite warehouses. There, the seals were cut, contraband removed, and new counterfeit seals applied before presenting the containers to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for inspection. Truck drivers were paid significantly above normal rates to transport the containers illegally.

Timeline: The indictment details a conspiracy that operated from at least August 2023 to June 2024. The scheme involved filling shipping containers in China with contraband, counterfeit goods, and illegal chemicals. These containers were sealed with unique security seals, whose numbers the conspirators obtained in advance to create duplicate fake seals. Upon arrival in the U.S., the containers were diverted to offsite warehouses instead of secondary inspection sites, where the contraband was removed, and new counterfeit seals were applied before presenting the containers for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection. Seven defendants were arrested on Friday, with an eighth taken into custody on Saturday. The arraignment for the seven arrested took place on Friday, where they pleaded not guilty, and a trial date was set for March 18. The eighth defendant is expected to be arraigned soon.

The Backstory: The smuggling operation involved executives from logistics companies, warehouse owners, and corrupt truck drivers who coordinated the shipment of contraband from China to the U.S. through the Port of Los Angeles. The defendants allegedly circumvented customs inspections by breaking security seals on containers, removing contraband, and replacing the seals with counterfeit ones to evade detection.

Read more here.

 

The Taliban Parades with $85B of American Military Gear

On the third anniversary of the disgusting withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban took the day to celebrate and host a parade at the former U.S. military base, Bagram. Not only does it remain humiliating but the parade includes helicopters including Blackhawks.

On and by the way….who was invited to attend? Yes…Chinese and Iranian officials.

There are likely no words from the veterans, the lost souls and the survivors that would express the emotions they feel. Remember this travesty as you are told that Kamala Harris was the last person in the room with Biden when this decision was delivered.

The Taliban are marking their third annual “victory” parade on August 14th, commemorating the day in 2021 when U.S. troops withdrew, leaving behind a significant amount of military equipment. pic.twitter.com/TPRJ4Jp8Zo

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 14, 2024

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pic.twitter.com/QT7xrjSloH

— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) August 14, 2024

While the Associated Press barely mentioned the parade, at least Voice of America had to following:

The Islamist Taliban marked the third anniversary Wednesday of recapturing power in Afghanistan with a public holiday and a televised military parade at the former U.S.-run Bagram airbase, among other symbolic events.

The so-called “victory day” celebrations occurred amid ongoing global criticism of the Taliban government, known as the Islamic Emirate, for allegedly creating “the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis” and making impoverished Afghanistan the only country where girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly during a military parade to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2024.
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly during a military parade to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2024.

The ceremony at Bagram, around 40 kilometers north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, featured a 21-gun salute and speeches from top Taliban leaders, with thousands of people in the male-only audience, including foreign diplomats.

The then-insurgent Taliban swept back to power on August 15, 2021, as the U.S.-led international forces withdrew from the country after their involvement in the Afghan war for almost 20 years.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, inspects the honor guards during a military parade, in Bagram Air Base, Aug. 14, 2024.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs, inspects the honor guards during a military parade, in Bagram Air Base, Aug. 14, 2024.

The Taliban’s prime minister, Hassan Akhund, stated in a message read by his chief of staff, “Allah granted the Mujahid nation of Afghanistan a decisive victory on this date over an international arrogant and occupying force.” Akhund, largely considered a figurehead, was absent from Wednesday’s event.

Akhund’s message said that the Taliban government “has the responsibility to maintain Islamic rule, protect property, people’s lives, and the honor of our nation.”

De facto Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani addressing the Bagram ceremony just outside Kabul Aug 14, 2024, to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Taliban takeover.
De facto Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani addressing the Bagram ceremony just outside Kabul Aug 14, 2024, to mark the 3rd anniversary of the Taliban takeover.

The de facto Taliban government, not formally recognized by any country, cited the national solar calendar for marking the anniversary of “Afghanistan’s victory and freedom” from the U.S.-led “occupation” a day early.

Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, wanted by the United States for terrorism with a $10 million bounty for his arrest, also addressed the Bagram event, urging global cooperation and engagement with the Taliban administration.

“My message to the international community is that there is no need for dismay over the fact that you took our independence, and we reclaimed it successfully,” Haqqani said, without naming any country.

“We do not want to hold anyone accountable. We have created favorable circumstances and have good intentions for them to cooperate with us in rebuilding Afghanistan, similar to how they helped during the occupation,” he said.

Haqqani ran his network of militants, staging high-profile suicide bombings and other deadly attacks in support of Taliban insurgents on American and NATO forces during their presence in the war-torn South Asian nation.

The Bagram parade was also an opportunity for the Taliban to showcase the military hardware, including tanks, helicopters, and Humvees, left behind by U.S. and NATO forces.

Taliban Military Vehicles are seen during a military parade to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base, Aug. 14, 2024.
Taliban Military Vehicles are seen during a military parade to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base, Aug. 14, 2024.

Taliban leaders boasted about their conquest and subsequent achievements, such as establishing “peace and security” and an Islamic system in line with their harsh interpretation of Islam, but none of them responded to allegations of human rights abuses, particularly their sweeping curbs on women’s rights. They did not discuss hardships facing millions of Afghans.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have ranked Afghanistan as one of the world’s “largest and most complex” humanitarian crises. They estimated that 23.7 million Afghans, more than half women and children, need humanitarian relief.

An Afghan man sells Taliban flags along a street on the eve of the third anniversary of Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, in Kabul on Aug. 13, 2024.

SEE ALSO:

Aid groups: Afghanistan at risk of becoming ‘forgotten crisis’

A group of 29 U.N. experts Wednesday jointly called for “stronger and more effective” international action to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan.

“We stress that there should be no move to normalize the de facto authorities unless and until there are demonstrated, measurable, and independently verified improvements against human rights benchmarks, particularly for women and girls,” the Geneva-based experts said in a statement.

In a separate joint statement this week, international non-governmental organizations warned of a growing aid funding gap.

Speaking ahead of the three-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover, a top U.N. official on Tuesday urged the world to support Afghan women’s fight for freedom.

FILE - A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023.

SEE ALSO:

UN expert condemns Taliban ‘crimes’ against Afghan women, girls

“Three years’ worth of countless decrees, directives, and statements targeting women and girls – stripping them of their fundamental rights, eviscerating their autonomy,” Alison Davidian, the U.N. Women’s country representative in Afghanistan, said while sharing details of the latest survey.

She referred to religious edicts the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has issued over the past three years to govern the crisis-hit country, most of them leading to restrictions on the freedom of Afghan women and girls. Akhundzada rarely leaves the southern city of Kandahar, regarded as the country’s de facto capital.

“To date, no woman in Afghanistan is in a leadership position anywhere that has influence politically at the national or provincial level. When Afghan women are engaged in the Taliban’s structures, their roles are largely about monitoring the compliance of other women with their discriminatory decrees,” Davidian told reporters in New York.

“We must continue to invest in women. Nothing undermines the Taliban’s vision for society more than empowering the very part of the population they seek to oppress,” she stressed.

Human Rights Watch reiterated its call for the global community to press the Taliban to remove curbs on women.

“The third anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover is a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s human rights crisis, but it should also be a call for action,” said Fereshta Abbasi, the U.S.-based watchdog’s Afghanistan researcher.

Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban spokesperson, talks with reporters in Doha, Qatar, June 30, 2024.

SEE ALSO:

Taliban call on West to build deeper ties, ignore curbs on women

The Taliban have dismissed criticism of their government as interference in internal matters of Afghanistan, saying their policies are aligned with local culture and Islam.

Terrorism-related international sanctions on many top Taliban leaders, isolation of their administration, and continued suspension of foreign development aid have made it difficult for Kabul to address deepening economic troubles.

The World Bank reported in April that the aftermath of the Taliban takeover had seen a stark decline in international aid, leaving Afghanistan without any internal growth engines and leading to “a staggering 26 percent contraction in real GDP.”

 

The War has Begun in the S. China Sea, but it is a Quiet One

So quiet…no one domestically is reporting it….Electronic warfare/jamming and cyber are cheap tools of destruction…and then there is space. So, has the Commander in Chief…if there is one…approved real Rules of Engagement….anywhere?

(below is word for word)

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Over the vast expanse of the South China Sea, a war without gunfire quietly unfolded, its unique impact capturing the world’s attention. On June 30th, a brief yet meaningful tweet from the official Weibo account of China’s Southern Theater Command—“Thick smoke deep in the blue sea, good night”—sparked a massive online reaction, leaving netizens speculating about the secrets behind it.

Recently, there have been widespread rumors online of an intense electronic warfare between China and the United States in the South China Sea, ending with the US deciding to withdraw.

Reports indicate that the skies over northern Philippines recently fell into an unprecedented silence, with all electronic signals cut off. Satellite phones, GPS navigation, television signals—everything reliant on electronic communication seemed to lose its vitality overnight. The twelve-hour “blackout” shocked local residents and global public opinion. This was a direct result of an intense electronic warfare over the South China Sea.

The story begins with a minor conflict between the Philippines and China. Following a fierce confrontation at Ren’ai Reef, the Philippines felt aggrieved by China’s legitimate actions, and the US, as its backer, seized the opportunity. A joint military exercise involving 29 countries was held in the South China Sea, ostensibly to showcase “unity” and “strength,” but with hidden motives—the US military intended to use this opportunity to lay newly developed anti-submarine devices on the seabed, spying on the movements of China’s strategic nuclear submarines and further restricting China’s strategic space.

However, China’s response was swift and decisive. When the US military’s P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft quietly dropped high-tech monitoring equipment in the South China Sea, it was promptly detected by the PLA. The Chinese Coast Guard quickly launched a recovery operation. The US military panicked, as losing this equipment would mean wasted effort, and the advanced technology could not fall into PLA hands. This sparked a sensitive reaction, leading to a battle over these critical pieces of equipment.

The US hastily deployed a joint fleet to intercept the Chinese Coast Guard vessels. With the addition of the Shandong carrier strike group, a standoff formed between Chinese and US fleets in the South China Sea. Seeing the unfavorable situation, the US immediately dispatched electronic warfare aircraft to assist the joint fleet in launching severe interference against the Chinese fleet. In response, China rapidly deployed its Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft and 815A electronic reconnaissance ship.

In this battlefield without smoke, electronic warfare took center stage. The US deployed Growler electronic warfare aircraft and RC-135 electronic reconnaissance aircraft in an all-out effort to paralyze the command systems of the Chinese fleet with strong electronic interference. However, the Chinese forces did not retreat; the Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft and 815A electronic reconnaissance ship quickly countered, engaging in fierce electronic offensive and defensive operations over the South China Sea.

The intense electronic warfare near the northern Philippines far exceeded external expectations. Ultimately, the US fleet faced an unprecedented crisis—screens full of static and a total loss of GPS signals. In modern naval warfare, losing communication and navigation capabilities is akin to losing sight and hearing. Confronted with such a scenario, the US had to choose to retreat to avoid greater losses.

The entire electronic warfare lasted a full twelve hours, plunging northern Philippines into complete communication paralysis and sparking widespread global attention and discussion. According to Taichung News, the mysterious battle gained an official tone, with retired generals critiquing the US military’s outdated electronic warfare equipment, asserting it is a full generation behind China’s.

Biden Ignoring Hybrid Warfare by China Against the U.S.

Active Measures and Three Warfares

Irregular warfare is not new. During the Cold War, Russian services like the KGB waged aggressive irregular campaigns against the United States around the globe. Oleg Kalugin, the former head of foreign counterintelligence for the KGB, described aktivnyye meropriyatiya and similar operations as the “heart and soul of Soviet intelligence” that were used to “weaken the United States” and to “drive wedges in the Western community alliance of all sorts.”1

As the Biden administration takes office, U.S. adversaries are utilizing irregular strategies and tactics. Perhaps the quintessential example is Russia. Under President Vladimir Putin, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and other officials, Russia employs a mix of offensive cyber operations, espionage, covert action, and information and disinformation campaigns to weaken the United States and expand Moscow’s influence. Russia has meddled in U.S. elections and waged a disinformation campaign inside the United States, attempting to inflame social, racial, and political tensions through such issues as Black Lives Matter, Covid-19, the Me Too movement, gun control, white supremacy, abortion, and immigration. Russia has placed malware, such as Triton and BlackEnergy, in U.S. critical infrastructure—threatening power plants, electricity grids, communications networks, and financial systems in the U.S. homeland. Russian agencies have also leveraged shadowy organizations to help conduct information operations and cyberattacks, including the Internet Research Agency (IRA); Kaspersky Lab; networks and online personas with creative names like “Cozy Bear,” “Fancy Bear,” and “Guccifer 2.0”; and private military companies like the Wagner Group.

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Additional reading here. 

China’s perspective of national power is broad and includes several elements which the U.S. government considers either irrelevant or in the realm of private industry and non-governmental organizations. China uses soft power and competes in issues the United States often does not even recognize as a part of a wider conflict. Rand’s Andrew Scobell explains, “China’s current perspective on its relationship with the United States is centered on competition that encompasses a wide range of issues embodied in China’s concept of comprehensive national power.”3 Along with the obvious issues of defense and diplomacy, China’s authoritarian government considers technology, cultural, and internal stability issues essential to national power. China sees a future where “war becomes increasingly civilianized,” relying on non-military means to neutralize threats and gain advantages over competitors.4 The U.S. may not recognize some of these issues are part of the competition, but the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses all these means to build advantage.

Chinese manipulation and theft of valuable U.S. science and technology (S&T) is a recognized danger. Chinese intelligence services acquire U.S. and other nations’ scientific research and technology through methods that include: hacking, sending Chinese students and researchers to study and work at western institutions of higher education, and purchasing U.S. companies. William Holsten explains, “There is a massive, coordinated assault taking place on American technology, perhaps the largest, fastest transfer of intellectual property in human history, and much of it is taking place on U.S. soil.”5 In 2017, China passed a legislative framework directing all Chinese to contribute to state security.6 The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assessed, “It is likely that citizens can be compelled to assist PRC state actors in interference efforts if and when those efforts fall under the broader definition of ‘national intelligence work’ and ‘national intelligence efforts’ as noted in the Law.”7 This assessment in combination with the approximately 350,000 Chinese students attending U.S.’ universities, gives China an incredible capacity to use espionage to procure developing technology.8 A second aspect of the theft of science and technology is the acquisition of U.S. businesses and their subcontracted suppliers by PRC-backed private companies. One example is the acquisition of A123, a U.S. company that develops and supplies lithium-ion batteries.9 A123, after receiving approximately $1 billion from private investors and $100 million in federal government backing, as well as technical advice from General Motors, Motorola, and QualComm, went bankrupt and was subsequently purchased by the Chinese Wanxiang Group Corp for $257 million.10 This acquisition gave China the company’s technological research and manufacturing facilities at an incredibly discounted rate.

Within the U.S. government, multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, Federal Trade Commission, work on different aspects of this problem. They observe, detect, and respond individually to the Chinese intellectual property theft. A coordinated U.S. government effort would be more capable of detecting the Chinese malign behavior, creating comprehensive deterrence, and formulating a powerful response. Source

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As a 2020 Department of Defense publication explained, irregular warfare “favors indirect and asymmetric approaches” by countries “in order to erode an adversary’s power, influence, and will.” It includes numerous tools of statecraft that governments can use to shift the balance of power in their favor: information operations (including psychological operations and propaganda), cyber operations, support to state and nonstate partners, covert action, espionage, and economic coercion.

Many of these tools, such as information and cyber operations, can be used for irregular and conventional campaigns. They are simply a means. In irregular warfare, however, a country designs and uses these tools to undermine its adversaries as part of balance-of-power competition without engaging in set-piece battles. Other government officials and scholars have used different terms—such as political warfare, hybrid warfare, gray zone activity, asymmetric conflict, and the indirect approach—to capture some or all of these activities.

In particular, irregular warfare is distinct from conventional warfare, which has sometimes been referred to as “traditional” or “regular” warfare. Conventional warfare involves the use of direct land, naval, air, and other military capabilities to defeat an adversary’s armed forces on a battlefield; control territory, populations, and forces; or annihilate an enemy’s war-making capacity. Irregular warfare is also different from nuclear warfare, which involves the use—or threat—of nuclear weapons against adversaries. Finally, irregular warfare is distinct from routine foreign policy, which can include diplomatic, humanitarian, intelligence, and other activities that have little or nothing to do with competition against adversaries.