Should U.S. Department of Defense rebrand?

U.S. president Trump wants to rebrand the Department of Defense as the "Department of War," its name before 1947. Ron Paul sees potential risks to the rebrand, but also some potential benefits if it's done right. 

Department of War? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul: 

Sep 2, 2025 - "Last week President Trump took steps to re-name the Department of Defense the 'Department of War.' The President explained his rationale for the name change: 'It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. We want defense, but we want offense too … As Department of War we won everything…and I think we…have to go back to that.'

"At first it sounds like a terrible idea. A 'Department of War' may well make war more likely – the 'stronger sound' may embolden the US government to take us into even more wars. There would no longer be any need for the pretext that we take the nation to war to defend this country and its interests – and only as a last resort. As Clinton Administration official Madeleine Albright famously asked of Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell when she was pushing for US war in the Balkans, 'What’s the point of having this superb military that you’re always talking about if we can’t use it?'

"So yes, that is a real danger. But at the same time, the US has been at war nearly constantly since the end of World War II, so it’s not like the 'Defense Department' has been in any way a defensive department. With that in mind, returning the Department of Defense to the Department of War, which is how it started, may not be such a bad idea after all – as long as we can be honest about the rest of the terms around our warmaking.

"If we return to a 'War Department,' then we should also return to the Constitutional requirement that any military activity engaged in by that department short of defending against an imminent attack on the US requires a Congressional declaration of war. That was the practice followed when it was called the War Department and we should return to it.

"Dropping the notion that we have a 'Defense Department' would free us from the charade that our massive military spending budget was anything but a war budget. No more 'defense appropriations' bills in Congress. Let’s call them 'war appropriations' bills. Let the American people understand what so much of their hard-earned money is being taken to support. It’s not 'defense.' It’s 'war.' And none of it has benefitted the American people.

"Trump misunderstands one very important thing in his stated desire to return to a 'War Department,' however. A tougher sounding name did not win the wars. Before the name change, which happened after the infamous National Security Act of 1947 that created the CIA and the permanent national security state, we won wars because for the most part we followed the Constitution and had a Congressional declaration of war. That way the war had a beginning and end and a clear set of goals. Since World War II the United States has not declared war even though it has been in a continuous state of war. It is no coincidence that none of these 'wars' have been won. From 1950 Korea to 2025 Yemen and everything in between.

"So go ahead and change it back to the 'Department of War.' But let’s also stop pretending that maintaining the global US military empire is 'defense.” It’s not."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/department-of-war/

Rand Paul opposes using military for deportations

Senator Rand Paul is strongly opposed to using the U.S. military to enforce deportation measures.

Sen. Paul to Newsmax: Military Should Not Be Used for Deportations | Newsmax | Jim Thomas:

November 19, 2024 - "Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has voiced strong opposition to using the U.S. military to enforce deportation measures, emphasizing that immigration enforcement should remain the responsibility of domestic law enforcement agencies on Newsmax Tuesday. Paul, a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, criticized the idea of deploying the military to enforce immigration policies, calling it a 'terrible image' for the United States.

"In an interview on Rob Schmitt Tonight, Paul addressed reports that President-elect Donald Trump or his spokesman suggested declaring an emergency to involve the military in deportation efforts.... 'I'm not in favor of sending the Army in uniforms into our cities to collect people, Paul said. 'That's not what we use our military for; we never have. And it's actually been illegal for over 100 years to bring the Army into our cities.'

"Paul underscored that the military's purpose is distinct from domestic law enforcement. 'Our Army and our military are trained to shoot the enemy. They're not trained to get a warrant to do what they're doing,' he said, adding that 'the police have a difficult job, but the people removing people from our country need to be a police enforcement domestic agency, not the military'....

"The senator advocated for prioritizing the deportation of undocumented individuals who have committed violent crimes. Citing statistics, Paul noted that the U.S. is harboring approximately 15,000 individuals who have committed murder and 13,000 who have committed violent sexual crimes.... 

"Paul further criticized the broader use of presidential emergencies, describing them as undermining congressional authority and checks and balances. 'They smack of martial rule. They smack of no congressional approval,' he warned.

"While supporting strong immigration enforcement, Paul urged caution in implementing extreme measures. 'The American people will be behind him 100% if he goes immediately after the people that have committed crimes,' he said, advocating ... focusing first on individuals who pose clear risks to public safety. 

He also expressed reservations about targeting long-term undocumented residents who have integrated into American society. 'The housekeeper who's been here 30 years — I don't see the military putting her in handcuffs and marching her down the street to an encampment,' Paul said. Instead, he proposed expanding work permits for certain individuals while denying them voting rights.

"Paul concluded by advising conservatives to temper their support for drastic actions involving the military. 'We, as conservatives who are supportive of Trump, need to caution him about sending the army into our cities,' he said. 'It's a terrible image to send the world, and it's a terrible image for us as citizens.'"

Read more: https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/rand-paul-deportation-donald-trump/2024/11/19/id/1188730/

Rand Paul explains where Trump should 'think twice' on deportation operation | Rob Schmitt Tonight | Newsmax | November 19, 2024:

Net Zero threatens national security, warns former UK security minister

Net Zero is a National Security Threat and Must Be Abandoned, Former Security Minister Warns | The Daily Sceptic | Will Jones: 

March 1, 2024 - "Decarbonising the steel and electricity industry in pursuit of Net Zero represents a real and present danger to national security and must be abandoned, a former Security Minister has warned. Writing in a foreword to a new paper from campaign group Net Zero Watch, Sir Gerald Howarth, Minister for International Security Strategy under David Cameron, said:

Our adversaries are watching us like hawks, so let us leave them in no doubt: we are rearming and rebuilding, and Net Zero is firmly on hold.

"Professor Gwythian Prins, a defence expert and one of the paper’s authors, agrees that with the recent deterioration of the world’s security situation, “luxury beliefs” such as Net Zero must be jettisoned as a matter of urgency:

This is the moment when the music stops. The Port Talbot closure harshly exposes the costs of luxury ‘green’ beliefs. We cannot be dependent on imports for the full range of necessary steels to rebuild our arsenals – the Navy first and foremost – and, most ridiculously, we cannot depend for them on our global antagonists. Furthermore, our armed forces are wholly dependent on oil to keep them in the field, and our electricity grid will collapse without gas. Any attempt to abandon them will leave us entirely at the mercy of hostile powers.

"The paper also includes a contribution from Gautam Kalghatgi, a Professor of Combustion and Energy Engineering, who ridicules plans to decarbonise the armed forces through use of batteries and biofuels....

"Andrew Montford, Director of Net Zero Watch said: 'The ... contributors make it clear that Net Zero is leaving us at the mercy of hostile powers. A Net Zero army and a Net Zero economy could both be brought to their knees in a matter of days. In these dangerous times, our politicians must re-order their priorities.'"

Read more: https://dailysceptic.org/2024/03/01/net-zero-is-a-national-security-threat-and-must-be-abandoned-former-security-minister-warns/

Read "The Music Stops: Net Zero and national security": 
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/656f411497ae14084ad8d03a/t/65e18dad4b06fa0c5606a719/1709280690938/Prins-Music-Stops.pdf

Trudeau gov't mandates tampons in men's rooms

Canada's Trudeau gov't has mandated that free menstrual products be provided in the men's rooms of all federally-regulated buildings.

Trudeau Government puts tampons in men’s bathrooms | The Counter Signal | Mike Campbell: 

December 13, 2023 - "The Trudeau Liberals have placed tampons in men’s bathrooms in all federally regulated buildings. Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri showcased the latest development in a video she posted on social media.... Ferreri focused on how out of touch the issue is based on the cost of living crisis, as opposed to the painfully obvious fact that men don’t need period products.

"'So for people who have an average income of $70,000, they are going to have access to period products — shouldn’t that be going to people who can’t afford them?' She added, 'I might just take some of these myself and walk them down to the Ottawa food bank where they can be best used — not here'.... 

"[T]he Trudeau Government made a regulatory proposal in 2022 that said a 'lack of access to menstrual products in men’s toilet room has raised concerns regarding washroom equity.' The proposal stipulated that employers must provide menstrual products in each toilet room. One product dispenser is needed for each washroom, 'regardless of gender,' across all work sites under the control of large business employers in the federal jurisdiction.... 

"[T]he government estimated the total cost of the regulations would be $116.6 million from 2024 to 2033. That includes estimates for how much it would cost employers to purchase the products and provide and install containers for their disposal.

As an aside, ... a petition calling for a no confidence vote in the Trudeau government has reached over 287,000 signatures, surpassing the most signed e-petition in parliamentary history."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/trudeau-government-puts-tampons-in-mens-bathrooms/

Tampons in Federal Mens Washrooms | Canadian Freedom, Right? | December 13, 2023: 

Canadian Air Force members rip down tampon dispenser in men’s bathroom | The Counter Signal: 

January 10, 2024 -"A picture has surfaced on social media showing a ripped down tampon dispenser in a Canadian Air Force men’s bathroom. Social media account Veterans 4 Freedom (@Vets4FreeCanada) posted a picture showing the development....

"'Sent to us from [Canadian Forces Base] Trenton.  This is a picture of a men’s washroom, think maybe the Troops are tired of being humiliated by the woke nonsense?' the account posted, attaching a picture that showed a number of holes in the wall where the dispenser used to stand. 

"The incident comes ... after the Trudeau Liberals mandated that tampons be placed in men’s bathrooms in all federally regulated buildings, a move that earned international headlines and mockery. The federal Liberals 2022 budget for Canadian Armed Forces had funding for such, given that they included $100.5 million for 'gender identity' culture change and training in the Canadian Armed Forces."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/canadian-air-force-members-rip-down-tampon-dispenser-in-mens-bathroom/

Prayer ban story is misinformation, says Blair

Defence Minister Bill Blair is calling the story of a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) directive allegedly banning public prayer by its chaplains Conservative-spread misinformation, while the Epoch Times (which broke the story) now reports that chaplains are leaving the CAF in response to it. 

Minister Blair Says Tories Spreading ‘Misinformation’ on New Military Chaplain Directive on Prayer | Epoch Times | Noé Chartier:

October 20, 2023 - "Defence Minister Bill Blair says the Conservative Party is spreading “misinformation” by saying military chaplains are no longer allowed to say prayers during public functions. 'Let’s be very clear: [Canadian Forces] chaplains are not – and will not be – banned from prayer on Remembrance Day, nor at any other time,” Mr. Blair wrote on X on Oct. 19. 'When the Conservatives spread misinformation about our military, we’ll always call it out.'

"The minister was reacting to an Oct. 18 social media post by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre saying the government is banning military chaplains from praying at Remembrance Day ceremonies. 'Our veterans don’t have a prayer under Trudeau,' Mr. Poilievre said.

"The Epoch Times previously reported exclusively on the new directive ... from the Office of the Chaplain General in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The previous directive, in place since 2013 and titled 'Public Prayer at Military Ceremonies,' gave guidelines on how chaplains should conduct prayers, while giving further instructions for inclusion. 'The chaplain shall preface the prayer with remarks that invite those who, for whatever reason, are not disposed to pray, to use that time for silent personal reflection or contemplation as others pray,' it reads.

"The new directive, titled 'Chaplains’ Spiritual Reflection in Public Settings,' doesn’t say that chaplains are allowed to lead prayers, but only 'reflections'. 'While the dimension of prayer may occupy a significant place for some of our members, we do not all pray in the same way; for some, prayer does not play a role in their lives,' says the Oct. 11 directive signed by the Chaplain General, Brigadier-General Guy Belisle. 'Public reflections must be done in an appropriate manner to engage all those gathered.' It adds that chaplains need to adopt a 'sensitive and inclusive' approach when addressing CAF members in public'....

"The new directive quotes from a 2015 Supreme Court opinion, which ruled that a city council in Quebec shouldn’t recite a Christian prayer before meetings in order to protect the religious neutrality of the state. The court 'set a strict standard for religious neutrality by the state, which the [Royal Canadian Chaplain Service] has a legal obligation to abide by,' says the directive. 'This requirement is aligned with the principle of inclusion that is paramount within the CAF.'"
Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/blair-says-tories-spreading-misinformation-on-new-military-chaplain-directive-on-prayer-5513779

Leaked Email Says Chaplains Leaving Military After New Religious Prayer Prohibitions | Epoch Times | Noé Chartier:

October 20, 2023 - "Some military chaplains are leaving the Canadian Armed Forces following a new directive on public prayer, says an internal email sent by a military officer obtained by The Epoch Times. The directive forbids the use of words such as 'God' and 'Heavenly Father,' which active-duty chaplains say in effect means prayers are forbidden. 

"The Oct. 19 email was sent by a mid-level officer in personnel management with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to wing commanders and other RCAF 'enior leaders across the country following the rollout of the new directive on Oct. 11. In the email, the officer said she had been “informed that the CA is noticing the release of some Chaplains based on this directive.' 'CA' is likely an acronym for 'Canadian Army.' 'If anyone has noticed a similar trend, please share your findings as it may be worth a discussion,” wrote the officer on Oct. 19.... 

"Three serving chaplains have told The Epoch Times that to their understanding, the restrictions in the new policy in effect mean that prayers are banned during official ceremonies such [as] Remembrance Day and mess dinners. The chaplains spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals."
Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/leaked-email-says-chaplains-leaving-military-after-new-religious-prayer-prohibitions-5514285

Canadian military kills Remembrance Day prayers

As part of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative, the Canadian military has instructed its chaplains to eliminate prayers and references to God in this year's Remembrance Day commemorations. 

Remembrance Day 2017 in Ottawa. Photo by Benoit Rochon. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. 

No More Prayers on Remembrance Day, Military Tells Chaplain Service | Epoch Times | Noé Chartier:

October 16, 2023 - "Canadians about to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country could come across different proceedings than they’re used to, as the military has told its chaplain service that religious prayers in official public functions are now forbidden. 'While the dimension of prayer may occupy a significant place for some of our members, we do not all pray in the same way; for some, prayer does not play a role in their lives,' says the Oct. 11 directive obtained by The Epoch Times. 'Therefore, it is essential for chaplains to adopt a sensitive and inclusive approach when publicly addressing military members,' says the directive signed by Chaplain General Brigadier General Guy Belisle.

"In practice, this means that a chaplain, or padre as they’re commonly known in the ranks, cannot recite from the Bible or allude to God while participating in ceremonies and public functions. Instead, the 'spiritual reflection' must be “inclusive in nature, and respectful of the religious and spiritual diversity of Canada.' The move is part of the larger cultural change process in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) implemented by the Liberal government, which aims to put principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the core of the organization.

"For public reflections, the directive tells chaplains they must 'carefully choose words that are inclusive' and that they should use a language 'mindful of the Gender Based Analysis (GBA+).' This in effect tells chaplains to refrain from referring to a 'Heavenly Father'.... [T]he directives also will remove the traditional scarves chaplains wear, which bear the crests of their respective religions.... 'Chaplains must consider the potential that some items or symbols may cause discomfort or traumatic feelings when choosing the dress they wear during public occasions,' says the directive. The Faith Tradition crests will be replaced by the crest of the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (RCChS).

"The decision comes after the Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination released a report in January 2022 that was critical of religion in general. A section on the CAF chaplaincy said that 'religion can be a source of suffering and generational trauma,' especially for LGBT individuals and indigenous people. 'Some chaplains represent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace,' it added....

"Brig. Gen. Belisle says the RCChS conducted an in-depth analysis of a Supreme Court decision from 2015. The directive cites Mouvement laïque québécois v. Saguenay (City), which pertains to a self-proclaimed atheist complaining about the Saguenay city council reciting a prayer before meetings. 'The evolution of Canadian society has given rise to a concept of neutrality according to which the state must not interfere in religion and beliefs,' wrote the Supreme Court. 'The state must instead remain neutral in this regard, which means that it must neither favour nor hinder any particular belief, and the same holds true for non-belief.' 

"Brig. Gen. Belisle’s directive says the policy will be enforced through education in vocational school and by taking disciplinary action against chaplains who do not comply with the directive. This includes withdrawal from the CAF chaplaincy.

"Department of National Defence spokesperson Derek Abma says the directive does not apply to other non-official settings. 'In a chapel, chaplains may always offer prayer consistent with their own spiritual and faith traditions,' he told The Epoch Times in a statement.... Mr. Abma did not deny that religious prayers are now forbidden on events such as Remembrance Day....

"An active military chaplain who requested anonymity to avoid reprisals told The Epoch Times that the new policy is a violation of a covenant Canadians have with the war dead. He says he thinks Canadians would not want to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony in which our dead are not honoured in prayer.... 'We have a covenant with the dead,' he said. 'Most of those who fought in the Great Wars did so for God and country, and deserve to be honoured in that way. This new policy is first and foremost a violation of that covenant.'"

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/no-more-prayers-on-remembrance-day-military-tells-chaplain-service-5511240

Canadian forces ex-members file lawsuits against Covid-vax mandate

Two groups of discharged and vaccine-injured former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members have filed lawsuits against the CAT for its 2021 Covid-vaccine mandate. 

No life like it... Coercion, bullying, vaccine injury | Western Standard | Linda Slobodian 

September 30, 2023 - "A class action lawsuit by 130 former and serving military members paints a grim picture of treatment endured during the Canadian Armed Forces mandatory COVID-19 vaccine crackdown. The lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages per plaintiff, was filed in Court of King’s Bench Wednesday by Catherine Christensen with Valour Law in St. Albert. The allegations must be proven in court.

"This follows a $500 million lawsuit Christensen launched in June involving 330 CAF members who suffered vaccine injuries and/or were forced out [see video - gd].

"According to the recent statement of claim members who 'served honourably' but objected to taking an experimental drug were harassed, isolated, punished; and faced threats of jail, being blacklisted to never work again, or having pensions forfeited. They were mocked by peers, bullied by superiors. Many suffer injuries from the vaccines declared mandatory in October 2021.... The lawsuit details egregious violations to established law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms....

"The lawsuit is filed against Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre, Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen, Lt.-Gen. Jocelyn Paul, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny, former defence minister Anita Anand, former deputy defence minister Jody Thomas, Surgeon General Maj.-Gen. JGM Bilodeau, Chaplain General Brigadier-Gen. JLG Belisle, Judge Advocate General Rear-Admiral Genevieve Bernatchez, and His Majesty the King in Right of Canada.

"Careers of some who received medals and commendations were destroyed.... Some claim they were pushed to the edge of desperation. Some struggle with suicidal thoughts.... Some succumbed to suicidal urges. Then there’s the humiliation.... Adverse effects, punishments — battles fought alone they should never have had to fight....

"The lawsuit’s statement of facts claims the CAF 'operates with a focus on political agendas and taking direction from political leaders that is detrimental to operational readiness and effectiveness.' 'In this case, the CAF shirked its own purpose and rushed an untested product onto its members, mislabeled this experimental gene therapy a "vaccine" knowingly made false statements of safety and efficacy, and facilitated its mandate with no option to refuse except for mandatory permanent removal from service.'

"It alleges Eyre 'claimed unlimited powers without legislative approval, and even claimed these powers prevent and preclude judicial review.' Some commanding officers were “relentless and brutal in carrying out the measures” that in some cases “were criminal in nature.” That includes forcing members to spend extended periods of time in extreme weather conditions with no shelter and forcibly confining them to cramped spaces 'with no respite for meals or personal hygiene needs.'

"It notes 'not one' CAF member died from COVID-19 'yet there are members with seriously life changing vaccine injuries and deaths from the administration of the biologics.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/slobodian-no-life-like-it-coercion-bullying-vaccine-injury/article_67239572-5e65-11ee-bd00-a3545c359e35.html

Hundreds of CAF members launch $500M vaccine mandate lawsuit | True North | June 27, 2023:

Canadian forces' Covid-vax mandate violated Charter rights, grievance board rules

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Covid-vaccine mandate was an unjustified infringement of Charter rights, the CAF grievance board has ruled, while hundreds of active and former members of the CAF have joined a lawsuit against it. 

“Arbitrary” CAF vaccine mandate violated Charter rights of member: grievance ruling | True North | Cosmin Dzsurdzsa:

July 5, 2023 - "A recent ruling by the Canadian Armed Forces Grievance Board (CAFGB) found that the Canadian Armed Force’s (CAF) mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy violated the Charter rights of a member who was released for refusing to get vaccinated. The CAFGB is in charge of reviewing official grievances launched by CAF members. 

"In its ruling, the CAFGB stated that the CAF’s vaccination policy infringed on the member’s right to liberty and security of the person under Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The watchdog also found that the policy, which came in place at the height of the pandemic via an order by General Wayne Eyre, was arbitrary, overly broad and disproportionate.

“'The Committee concluded that the policy infringed on the rights protected under Section 7 of the Charter and that the limitations of these rights were not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice' ...  declared the ruling.... 

The Committee concluded that the CAF had not met its obligation to ensure minimal impairment in the implementation of its vaccination policy. The Committee concluded that the limitations were not justified under Section 1 of the Charter....  

"As exclusively reported by True North in Nov. 2021, unvaccinated CAF members were subject to an 'unsuitable for further service' release, which would leave a permanent stain on the members’ service record. 

"As a remedial measure, the CAFGB ordered the CAF to fully reinstate the member to their former position and give them compensation for 'unjust release.”  'Additionally, the Committee found that the administrative actions against the grievor, namely the RM and release, should not have occurred as the grievor was exercising a protected Charter right. The Committee also found that the administrative actions were unreasonable due to serious breaches of procedural fairness,' wrote the CAFGB. 

The Committee recommended that the Final Authority cancel the RM and facilitate the grievor’s re-enrolment in the CAF, if the grievor so desired and was eligible. The Committee also recommended that consideration be given to compensation for unjust release.

"This ruling comes amid a lawsuit filed by hundreds of unvaccinated CAF members against the Defence Ministry and the CAF’s command. 

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/07/05/caf-vaxx-mandate-violated-charter/

Read ruling: https://www.canada.ca/en/military-grievances-external-review/services/case-summaries/case-2022-078.html

Hundreds of CAF members launch $500M vaccine mandate lawsuit | True North | Andrew Lawton:

June 27, 2023 - "In a groundbreaking move, 330 active duty and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces have come together to file a lawsuit against the military for its controversial vaccine mandate. Valour Law lawyer Catherine Christensen joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the details of the case".... 

https://tnc.news/2023/06/27/caf-lawsuit-vaxx/

GOP POTUS contenders want to invade Mexico

The top conetnders for the Republican presidential nomination all want to send the U.S. military into Mexico to shut down the drug cartels.

The Republican Primary Consensus for Sending the Military Into Mexico | Reason | Matt Welch:

May 24, 2023 - "When Sen. Tim Scott (R–S.C.) ... announced his 2024 presidential bid on Monday, the speech was predictably full of the upbeat, anecdotal, ain't-America-grand stuff that Scott, like generations of Republicans before him, has made central to his political career. Then things suddenly turned dark. 'When I am president, the drug cartels using Chinese labs and Mexican factories to kill Americans will cease to exist,' Scott vowed. 'I will freeze their assets, I will build the wall, and I will allow the world's greatest military to fight these terrorists'.... 

"Scott's bellicosity was no mere bolt from the blue. As Reason has been documenting for six years now, Republicans, even while otherwise souring on U.S interventionism abroad, have increasingly concluded that the alarming spike in domestic fentanyl overdoses would best be treated by sending the military into Mexico. Donald Trump first floated the idea, while he was president, of designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations — thereby allowing for extraterritorial prosecutions, enhanced investigative powers, and increased penalties for domestic drug-related crimes — in March 2019.... Trump himself in the summer of 2020 twice asked then–Defense Secretary Mark Esper whether 'we could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,' according to Esper's 2022 memoir. Notable MAGA politicians Sen. J.D. Vance (R–Ohio) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.) have both suggested violent interdiction south of the border, as have a bevy of more traditional hawks. There are a handful of escalatory bills bouncing around Congress.

"Open presidential primary contests, filled with hot air as they may be, are nonetheless useful X-rays of a political party's ideological heart.... So ... here are the top six 2024 GOP presidential candidates talking in their own words about using the U.S. military in Mexico to fight fentanyl-dealing drug cartels. Below that are some Reason arguments against merging the war on terror with the war on drugs.

Donald Trump.... 'When I am president, it will be the policy of the United States to take down the cartels, just as we took down ISIS and the ISIS caliphate,' the former president said in January. '[I will] order the Department of Defense to make appropriate use of special forces, cyber warfare, and other overt and covert actions to inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership, infrastructure and operations.'

Ron DeSantis.... 'Would you build the wall and would you use the military to go after Mexican drug cartels?' Florida's governor was asked at a press conference this month, replying, 'Yes, and yes.' He elaborated: 'The border should be shut down.... You do need to construct a wall.... We also have to come to terms with all the amount of fentanyl that's coming into our country.... You ... gotta go in and you gotta really go in with all guns blazing and using all the leverage that you have to be able to do it.'

Mike Pence.... 'The cartels are in operational control of our borders,' the former vice president said at a campaign stop in March.... "National security begins with border security. We need leadership that will secure the southern border of the United States of America as a priority.... Not only do you have this humanitarian crisis coming across, [there's] the impact on our economy, families, and communities, the flow of illegal drugs.... We have to have leadership willing to use American strength."

Nikki Haley.... 'When it comes to the cartels,' the former South Carolina governor said in March, 'you tell the Mexican president, 'Either you do it or we do it.' But we are not going to let all of this lawlessness continue to happen. And we can do that by putting Special Ops in there, by doing cyber, by really being strategic—just like we dealt with ISIS, you do the same thing with the cartels.'

Vivek Ramaswamy.... 'If the U.S. military has one job, it is to protect U.S. soil here in the United States, including the southern border,' Ramaswamy said in a March interview. 'And treating the cartels like terrorists doesn't just mean freezing their assets.... I think it means justified military force to decimate the cartels, Osama bin Laden–style, Soleimani-style.... And I think it's important to do it in…one cycle of aggressive shock and awe. And that solves the fentanyl supply-side problem.'"

Tim Scott .... Asked by NBC News to clarify his use-the-military comments in his announcement speech, Scott said: 'What we should do is whatever it takes to secure our southern border and stop the Mexican cartels from bringing fentanyl across the border.... Should we have more of a military presence on…our southern border? Obviously we should.... Should we say exactly what we're gonna do? Of course not."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/05/24/the-republican-primary-consensus-for-sending-the-military-into-mexico/

US Army Strikes on Mexican Cartels is Worse Than You Think | Task & Purpose | May 23, 2023:

Canadian troops in Latvia having to buy own PPE

"An 'embarrassing' gear shortage has Canadian troops in Latvia buying their own helmets," reports CBC News. "Soldiers also have been purchasing rain gear and equipment belts."

An 'embarrassing' gear shortage has Canadian troops in Latvia buying their own helmets | CBC News - Murray Brewster

June 5, 2023 - "Canadian troops deployed in Latvia, ... [have] been buying their own modern ballistic helmets equipped with built-in hearing protection that doubles as a headset. They've also personally purchased rain gear and vests and belts to carry water and ammunition. And the number of complaints about the ill-fitting body armour issued to female soldiers has been growing.... The battlegroup of roughly 1,500 soldiers, including more than 700 Canadians, lacks modern anti-tank weapons, systems to counter drones and a dedicated short-range air defence system to guard against helicopters and attack jets.

"Those frustrations have only been compounded by the arrival of more allied troops — among them Danish soldiers who are in some cases arriving with Canadian-purchased gear that makes them better equipped than Canadian soldiers. 

"'In general, it was concerning verging on embarrassing to see the differences in issued soldier equipment between us and the Danes," said Lt.-Col. Jesse van Eijk, the Canadian battle group commander in Latvia, in a May 12, 2023 email obtained by CBC News. 'This was only exacerbated by the fact they were carrying more advanced Canadian-made Colt Canada rifles, mounting more advanced Canadian Elcan DR sights, and the fact that most of the systems our soldiers lacked were easily available on the open market and not some sort of closely guarded technology.' For more than three decades, the Danes have been using a variety of Canadian-made weapons, including the C7 assault rifle and the C8 carbine.

"CBC News requested an interview with van Eijk, but he declined through the Department of National Defence. The department said in a written statement that his email was a response to concerns raised during a recent staff visit from the army's directorate of equipment and program management.

"Acquiring better hearing protection for soldiers has been a long-term struggle for the army. Right now, many troops use yellow foam earplugs to protect their hearing from the din of artillery and heavy weapons fire. The absence of appropriate ear protection was flagged to senior commanders in a 2019 capability deficiency report written by the army's infantry school, DND acknowledged.

"In a written statement, DND spokesperson Jessica Lamirande said procurement projects are underway to provide soldiers with more modern tactical helmets, vests, boots, 'converged rain suits, sunhats and hybrid combat shirts.' The department said the clothing is expected to be delivered next year. DND awarded a contract in February for better helmets with ear protection for so-called 'light forces' (special forces and other infantry).... The department also said it's working on buying new handguns for soldiers, new general-purpose machine guns and sniper rifles. The DND statement did not directly address the complaints of soldiers or explain why it has taken more than three years to address concerns about hearing loss — which is accounting for an increasing number of disability claims coming before the Department of Veterans Affairs.... 

"When it comes to acquiring heavier weapons, Lamirande said the department has embarked on 'a rigorous and systematic process' with a request for proposals going out this summer. A new portable anti-tank system likely will be delivered next year, the department said, while the anti-drone and anti-aircraft systems are still in the 'options analysis phase' and contracts for them are not expected to be awarded until next winter at the earliest....

"Dave Perry, a defence procurement expert at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the defence department should understand contractors are facing a deluge of orders since the war in Ukraine erupted in full fury. 'Some of the things that we're looking to buy on an urgent basis for our troops, or pieces of equipment, are things that half the planet is trying to get its hands on right now as fast as possible,' said Perry, whose organization has held conferences that are occasionally sponsored by defence contractors. 'So the longer that Canada delays making these decisions, the harder time it will have and the longer it will take for us to actually get equipment delivered.'"

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-soliders-latvia-equipment-helmets-1.6864290

Canadian Soldiers Forced to Buy Their Own Helmets Abroad | Clyde Do Something | June 6, 2023:

UK military spied on lockdown sceptics

"A shadowy Army unit secretly spied on British citizens who criticised the Government's Covid lockdown policies," reports the Daily Mail.

Army spied on lockdown critics: Sceptics, including our own Peter Hitchens, long suspected they were under surveillance. Now we've obtained official records that prove they were right all along | Daily Mail - Glen Owen:

January 28, 2023 - "Military operatives in the UK's 'information warfare' brigade were part of a sinister operation that targeted politicians and high-profile journalists who raised doubts about the official pandemic response. They compiled dossiers on public figures such as ex-Minister David Davis, who questioned the modelling behind alarming death toll predictions, as well as journalists such as Peter Hitchens and Toby Young. Their dissenting views were then reported back to No 10.

"Documents obtained by the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, and shared exclusively with this newspaper, exposed the work of Government cells such as the Counter Disinformation Unit, based in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Rapid Response Unit in the Cabinet Office. But the most secretive is the MoD's 77th Brigade, which deploys 'non-lethal engagement and legitimate non-military levers as a means to adapt behaviours of adversaries'. According to a whistleblower who worked for the brigade during the lockdowns, ...  British citizens' social media accounts were scrutinised – a sinister activity that the Ministry of Defence, in public, repeatedly denied doing.

"Papers show the outfits were tasked with countering 'disinformation' and 'harmful narratives... from purported experts', with civil servants and artificial intelligence deployed to 'scrape' social media for keywords such as 'ventilators' that would have been of interest. The information was then used to orchestrate Government responses to criticisms of policies such as the stay-at-home order, when police were given power to issue fines and break up gatherings. It also allowed Ministers to push social media platforms to remove posts and promote Government-approved lines....

"Mail on Sunday journalist Mr Hitchens was monitored after sharing an article, based on leaked NHS papers, which claimed data used to publicly justify lockdown was incomplete. An internal Rapid Response Unit email said Mr Hitchens wanted to 'further [an] anti-lockdown agenda and influence the Commons vote'. Writing today, Mr Hitchens ... says: 'The most astonishing thing about the great Covid panic was how many attacks the state managed to make on basic freedoms without anyone much even caring, let alone protesting. Now is the time to demand a full and powerful investigation into the dark material Big Brother Watch has bravely uncovered.'

"The whistleblower from 77 Brigade, which uses both regular and reserve troops, said: 'I developed the impression the Government were more interested in protecting the success of their policies than uncovering any potential foreign interference, and I regret that I was a part of it. Frankly, the work I was doing should never have happened.' The source also suggested that the Government was so focused on monitoring critics it may have missed genuine Chinese-led prolockdown campaigns.

"Silkie Carlo, of Big Brother Watch, said: 'This is an alarming case of mission creep, where public money and military power have been misused to monitor academics, journalists, campaigners and MPs who criticised the Government, particularly during the pandemic.... Contrary to their stated aims, these Government truth units are secretive and harmful to our democracy. The Counter Disinformation Unit should be suspended immediately and subject to a full investigation.'"

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11687675/Army-spied-lockdown-critics-Sceptics-including-Peter-Hitchens-suspected-watched.html

US Congress to repeal military Covid-vax mandate

The US National Defense Authorization Act, expected to be passed by Congress this week, has a provision repealing the military Covid-vaccine mandate.

Congress set to rescind COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops | Toronto Star - Lolita C. Baldor & Kevin Freking, Associated Press:

December 6, 2022 - "The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military would be rescinded under the annual defense bill heading for a vote this week in Congress, ending a directive that helped ensure the vast majority of troops were vaccinated but also raised concerns that it harmed recruitment and retention. Republicans, emboldened by their new House majority next year, pushed the effort, which was confirmed Tuesday night when the bill was unveiled. 

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy personally lobbied President Joe Biden in a meeting last week to roll back the mandate. Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the removal of the vaccination requirement was essential for the defense policy bill to move forward.... White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Biden told McCarthy he would consider lifting the mandate but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recommended it be kept....

"The vaccine provision is one of the more acrimonious differences in the annual defense bill that the House is looking to wrap up this week and send to the Senate.... It’s one of the final bills Congress is expected to approve before adjourning, so lawmakers are eager to attach their top priorities to it. Service members and the Defense Department’s civilian workforce would get a 4.6% pay increase, according to a summary of the bill released Tuesday night.... It also requires the defense secretary to rescind the COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

"Military leaders acknowledge that the vaccine requirement is one of several factors contributing to their recruiting struggles.... This year the Army missed its recruiting goal by about 25%, while the other services scraped by. The reasons, however, are complex. Two years of the pandemic shut off recruiters’ access to schools and events where they find prospects, and online recruiting was only marginally successful. Finding recruits is made more difficult by the ongoing nationwide labor shortage and the fact that only about 23% of young people can meet the military’s fitness, educational and moral requirements — with many disqualified for medical issues, criminal records, tattoos and other things....

"A congressional aide ... not authorized to speak publicly said lawmakers supportive of the vaccine mandate concluded that it had accomplished what it was intended to do by achieving a high rate of vaccination throughout the service branches.... As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the Army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or Marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member....

"More than 8,000 active-duty service members were discharged for failure to obey a lawful order when they refused the vaccine. The Marine Corps, which is much smaller than the Army, Navy and Air Force, vastly outpaces them in the number of troops discharged, with 3,717 as of early this month. The Army – the largest service -- has discharged more than 1,800, while more than 1,600 were forced out by the Navy and 834 by the Air Force. The Air Force numbers include the Space Force.

"Military leaders have argued that troops for decades have been required to get as many as 17 vaccines in order to maintain the health of the force, particularly those deploying overseas. Recruits arriving at the military academies or at basic training get a regimen of shots on their first day — such as measles, mumps and rubella — if they aren’t already vaccinated. And they routinely get flu shots in the fall. 

"Service leaders have said that the number of troops who requested religious or other exemptions to any of those required vaccines — prior to the COVID pandemic — has been negligible. The politicization of the COVID-19 vaccine, however, triggered an onslaught of exemption requests from troops. As many as 16,000 religious exemptions have been or are still pending, and only about 190 have been approved. Small numbers of temporary and permanent medical exemptions have also been granted."

Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2022/12/06/congress-set-to-rescind-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-troops.html

Canadian military to end Covid-vax mandate – but

Canadian military poised to end vaccine mandate | Ottawa Sun - Andrew Duffy:

July 21, 2022 - "Canadian Forces members discharged from service because they disobeyed an order to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will have the opportunity to re-enrol, according to leaked details of the military’s revised vaccination policy. That policy, expected to be unveiled later this summer, will put an end to the military’s vaccine mandate, which was introduced in October 2021.

"Under the updated policy, service members will no longer have to attest to their vaccine status and new recruits will no longer have to be fully vaccinated to enrol in the Canadian Armed Forces. The directive from Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre will bring the military into alignment with the federal government’s updated vaccination policy.

"Last month, the government ended the vaccine requirement for all civil servants and RCMP members. As of June 20, unvaccinated civil servants forced to take leave without pay were allowed to return to work. Ending the vaccine mandate in the Canadian military is not so simple....

courtesy Canada.ca

"According to figures released Thursday by the Department of National Defence, 105 Canadian Armed Forces members were approved for voluntary release based primarily on their opposition to the vaccine mandate. Another 241 CAF members have been released 'non-voluntarily.' Another 434 CAF members are involved in administrative reviews that could lead to being released in the future. Those members who have had their cases go through administrative reviews and face future release dates will be discharged from the military, according to the new draft policy. Similarly, those who have been served with a notice of release — and are still waiting for administrative reviews — will have to abide by the decisions made during those reviews. 

"Other discipline procedures being conducted against unvaccinated service members will be ended, but paperwork connected to those cases will remain on personnel files....

"The updated policy allows those released from the military due to their vaccination status to apply for re-enrolment. Those who received a 5(f) release — it means a member was deemed 'unsuitable for further service' — will require waivers from the chief of the defence staff.

"Edmonton lawyer Catherine Christensen, a military law specialist, called the re-enrolment provision 'smoke and mirrors.... Because the only person who can re-admit someone who has been released under a 5(f) is the chief of the defence staff,' Christensen said, 'and I don’t think someone who has gotten rid of so many people from a very short-handed military is now about to allow these people to come back.'

"Christensen is building a class action lawsuit on behalf of almost 300 former Canadian Forces members released because of their vaccine status. That lawsuit will seek hundreds of millions of dollars in damages based on what Christensen alleges was an abuse of power. 'These people have lost income, promotions and pensions,' she said. 'These people being released are outstanding soldiers. It’s unbelievable the quality of the people the military is losing'.... She estimates the country has forfeited almost $1 billion in training costs because of vaccine-related discharges."

Read more: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/canadian-military-poised-to-end-vaccine-mandate

Biden deploys U.S. combat troops in Somalia

Why Are US troops going to Somalia? | Inkstick - Kate Kizer:

May 25, 2022 - "In March 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US military wanted President Joe Biden to reverse President Donald Trump’s last-minute removal of US military trainers from Somalia right before he begrudgingly left office. Instead, without any public or congressional debate, Biden decided to redeploy US troops to Somalia to fight against al-Shabab, an armed non-state group that has launched attacks against civilians and government forces for decades — and against whom the United States has never officially declared war.

"As has become the trend under this presidency, establishment forces in the administration appear to have once again given the president advice that is both politically and strategically short-sighted — and he’s far from the first. Like in Afghanistan, US policymakers have chosen militarism and perceived realpolitik in Somalia for the last four decades: President Ronald Reagan and Henry Kissinger cozied up to the genocidal Siad Barre regime.... There was the infamous Black Hawk Down disaster during the Clinton administration; undeclared CIA drone strikes for the last two decades; the list goes on and on. Trump quickly ramped up US drone strikes and special forces operations in these areas, including Yemen, Somalia, and Libya....

"All these episodes have one thing in common: US policymakers perceive Somalia as a battlefield rather than a country full of people caught in the cross-fire of armed men vying for power. So there was the hope of a new approach when Biden’s team reportedly halted US drone strikes in so-called 'areas outside of active hostilities' — locations like Yemen, Libya, and Somalia ... as part of his administration’s proclaimed counterterrorism policy review.

"Biden’s decision to send US troops back to Somalia officially dashed any hope that the administration’s counterterrorism review would end or, at minimum, significantly curtail its undeclared, often covert wars in Somalia and beyond. His decision to engage the US military in another nation-building project with zero congressional authorization is eerily similar to what was attempted in Afghanistan. Given that the past decades of US covert action and trying to build a national military have merely led to a strengthening of al-Shabaab (as has been the case in other countries, the US is conducting counterterrorism) rather than its weakening. It begs the question: what was actually 'reviewed' by the administration over the last year?

"Unfortunately, even before Biden decided to return US troops to Somalia, it had been clear for some time that the president was not going to change the course of the United States’ post-9/11 wars. Officials in the National Security Council told me last fall that the chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan cooled any appetite for withdrawing US troops from other war zones. And while the administration never announced an official end to the counterterrorism review, its new counterterrorism czar — then at the Department of Homeland Security — debuted that the future of these wars was essentially no new strategy.

"There’s little to no evidence that this administration has wrestled with the facts that the US government is fundamentally inept at training and professionalizing foreign militaries, the ineffectiveness of (let alone the racism inherent to) concepts like countering violent extremism (CVE), and that providing weak institutions with millions or billions in money for war incentivizes corruption and conflict. So instead, the prescription is more CVE, more rebranded counterinsurgency and drone wars, and more lawlessness to establish the rule of law. The main difference is merely the explicit focus on exporting the duty of carrying out these wars to foreign militaries.

"All of this brings us back to ... the mission’s intention to create and train a professional and capable national Somali security force that can eliminate al-Shabaab and has legitimacy in the eyes of the Somali people. This recycling of past failed strategies once again misses why there is no US military solution in Somalia: a state’s legitimacy does not come from foreign military training, and it certainly won’t come from a security force trained by the very foreign military that continues to kill the very people Somali forces are supposed to protect..... 

"In returning US troops to Somalia, Biden has kept the US stuck in a military-first mindset that focuses on eradicating or undermining the enemy on the battlefield — not addressing the root causes of insecurity and conflict. It is now up to Congress to check his decision — only Congress has the sole constitutional duty to declare war. But the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force application to Somalia is flimsy at best. The president’s deployment certainly meets the 'introduction in hostilities' threshold of Section 8C of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, meaning that the deployment of US troops to an active war zone puts them at imminent risk of war, requiring Congress’ affirmative approval. But with Congress in a militaristic crouch on Ukraine, it’s unclear whether there is political will to invoke its war powers over renewed US war in Somalia."

Read more: https://inkstickmedia.com/why-are-us-troops-going-to-somalia/

Covid19 a 'pandemic of fear' (in Canada, too)

COVID-19 a Pandemic of Fear ‘Manufactured’ by Authorities: Yale Epidemiologist | Epoch Times -Isabel Van Brusen & Jan Jekielek: 

December 6, 2021 - "The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of fear, manufactured by individuals who were in the nominal positions of authority as the virus began to spread across the globe last year, according to Yale epidemiologist Dr. Harvey Risch. In an appearance on Epoch TV’s American Thought Leaders program, Risch, an epidemiology professor at the Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, argued ... what has characterized the ... pandemic has been a 'degree of fear and people’s response to the fear.'

'''Overall, I’d say that we’ve had a pandemic of fear. And fear has affected almost everybody, whereas the infection has affected relatively few,' said Risch. 'By and large, it’s been a very selected pandemic, and predictable. It was very distinguished between young versus old, healthy versus chronic disease people. So we quickly learned who was at risk for the pandemic and who wasn’t. However, the fear was manufactured for everybody. And that’s what’s characterized the whole pandemic is that degree of fear and people’s response to the fear.'

"Risch has authored more than 300 original peer-reviewed publications and was formerly a member of the board of editors for the American Journal of Epidemiology. 

"The epidemiology professor suggested that individuals who held the nominal positions of authority during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 initially spread a much worse picture of the 'dire nature' of the virus than was warranted. That included the message that everybody was at risk, anybody could die from contracting the virus, and everybody needed to stay in their homes to protect themselves.... 'People were quite afraid of that message, as anybody would be … with the government, with authorities, with scientists, scientific people, with medical people in authority in the public health institutions, all saying the same message starting in about February, March of last year'.... 

"Risch said that the types of messages issued by authorities led to widespread heightened anxiety levels. 'All of our anxiety levels were raised, and we all made decisions to curtail, to various degrees, our exposures to other people, some more than others, but I think everybody had levels of anxiety that really affected how they carry out their life at that time,' he said."

Watch the full interview with Yale epidemiologist Dr. Harvey Risch": https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/covid-19-a-pandemic-of-fear-manufactured-by-authorities-yale-epidemiologist_4106244.html

Military leaders saw pandemic as unique opportunity to test propaganda techniques on Canadians, Forces report says | Ottawa Citizen - David Pugliese:

September 27, 2021 - "Canadian military leaders saw the pandemic as a unique opportunity to test out propaganda techniques on an unsuspecting public, a newly released Canadian Forces report concludes. 

"The federal government never asked for the so-called information operations campaign, nor did cabinet authorize the initiative developed during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Canadian Joint Operations Command, then headed by Lt.-Gen. Mike Rouleau. But military commanders believed they didn’t need to get approval from higher authorities to develop and proceed with their plan, retired Maj.-Gen. Daniel Gosselin, who was brought in to investigate the scheme, concluded in his report.

"The propaganda plan was developed and put in place in April 2020.... A copy of the Dec. 2, 2020, Gosselin investigation, as well as other related documents, was obtained by this newspaper using the Access to Information law.

"The plan devised by the Canadian Joint Operations Command, also known as CJOC, relied on propaganda techniques similar to those employed during the Afghanistan war. The campaign called for 'shaping' and 'exploiting' information. CJOC claimed the information operations scheme was needed to head off civil disobedience by Canadians during the coronavirus pandemic and to bolster government messages about the pandemic.

"A separate initiative, not linked to the CJOC plan, but overseen by Canadian Forces intelligence officers, culled information from public social media accounts in Ontario.... Senior military officers claimed that information was needed to ensure the success of Operation Laser, the Canadian Forces mission to help out in long-term care homes hit by COVID-19 and to aid in the distribution of vaccines in some northern communities."

Read more: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/military-leaders-saw-pandemic-as-unique-opportunity-to-test-propaganda-techniques-on-canadians-forces-report-says

Senate votes down military action against Iran

Senate Passes Bill Stopping Further Military Action Against Iran Without Approval – Reason.com- Scott Shackford:

February 13, 2020 - "With the support of eight Republicans, the Senate today passed a bill forbidding President Donald Trump (or really, any president) from taking further military action against Iran without the expressed permission of Congress.

"By a vote of 55-45, the Senate approved a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine (D–Virginia) that states Congress did not authorize military actions against Iran when it passed Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) legislation in 2001 and 2002. That AUMF allowed the president to invade Iraq and also to hunt down al-Qaeda and those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. The resolution orders the president to 'remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military' within 30 days of the resolution passing.

"The bill was pushed forward after Trump authorized the drone-strike assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Though the administration claimed that the strike was necessary to prevent an 'imminent' attack against Americans in the Middle East, there was little to support this claim, and a couple of Republican senators, including Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah), were upset by the unapproved actions. They announced plans to cross the aisle and join Democrats to pass the resolution.

"In the end, the resolution got the support of not just Lee and Paul, but also Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Todd Young (Ind.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), and Bill Cassidy (La.).

"The bill heads now to the House, which passed a similar, but non-binding resolution. If the House signs on to the Senate version (which seems very likely), it will head to Trump's desk.

"Despite saying regularly he'd like to see less military intervention in the Middle East, Trump is signaling that he opposes this bill. Yesterday on Twitter, Trump called on Republicans to vote it down, claiming it would 'show weakness' to restrain his war powers. The bill is likely to face a veto, and if this vote is any indication, the Senate lacks enough Republican votes to overrule him."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/02/13/senate-passes-bill-stopping-further-military-action-against-iran-without-approval/
'via Blog this'

Iraqi parliament votes for US troops to leave

Iraqi Parliament votes for plan to end US troop presence in Iraq after Soleimani killing - CNN - Eric Levenson, Fred Pleitgen, Schams Elwazer & Amir Vera:
January 5, 2020 - "The Iraqi Parliament voted Sunday to obligate Iraq's government 'to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil,' according to the media office of the Iraqi Parliament.

"The vote represents a rebuke of the United States over its targeted airstrike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq early Friday. The attack has sharply escalated tensions with Iran and has pushed Iraq to reconsider the presence of American troops in the region.

"Iraqi officials were preparing a memorandum for the withdrawal of foreign forces Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in a phone conversation.

Muqtada al-Sadr, a leading Shia cleric and the head of Iraq's largest political bloc, Saeroun, called the Iraqi Parliament's vote Sunday a 'weak response'.... He called for Parliament to terminate the security agreement with the United States immediately and to close the "evil American embassy" and all American bases immediately.

"US officials tried to persuade Iraqi leaders to stop the parliamentary vote Sunday, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. Despite US officials claiming it would be harmful for Iraq to follow through on such a move and hold the vote at all, ultimately the argument fell flat.... 'The mood in the country was pushing for it,' one source familiar with the discussions said of the vote. 'This was not something that could have been avoided.'

"The US was 'disappointed' in Iraq's actions Sunday, a US State Department spokeswoman said.... US State Department and National Security Council officials [planned] to meet with Iraqi officials Monday and Tuesday in Washington."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/05/world/soleimani-us-iran-attack/index.html
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Afghanistan Papers show years of official lying

The ‘Afghanistan Papers’ Confirm Critics’ Worst Fears About America’s Longest War – Reason.com - Steven Greenjut, Orange County Register:

December 20, 2019 - "It's been 18 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan in what officials promised to be a decisive mission to uproot a breeding ground for Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. You're totally not shocked to learn that things didn't quite work out as promised, and that the government repeatedly misled the public about its level of success, about the fundamental purpose of the endeavor and just about everything....

"That's how government behaves — not that many readers believed anti-war libertarians as we warned about such things at the time. I'm surprised it took so long for anyone to notice, and that the latest evidence — a meticulously reported project by The Washington Post — has been met with yawns. It's hard to compete for attention with the ongoing impeachment proceedings, but the 'Afghan Papers' should cause heads to roll (or explode)....

"On the Orange County Register editorial board, we issued our warnings about overseas commitments — the costs in lives and treasure and the impossibility of turning impoverished backwaters into modern democracies. We were accused of basically being bad Americans. Yet the Afghan and Iraq conflicts turned out pretty much as we and other critics predicted, as the Post report reveals in maddening detail.

"Most people have long realized that Iraq was a debacle ... that had little to do with the 9/11 attacks, but Afghanistan seemed more defensible given that the Taliban and Islamic fundamentalists clearly had set up shop there. But the Post report suggests that even that reality didn't make the war's focus clear....  The newspaper found 'that as the war dragged on, the goals and mission kept changing and a lack of faith in the U.S. strategy took root' at the highest levels. Officials couldn't even agree on the purpose of the war....

"The arrogance of American officials always amazed me. Our country's large-scale efforts to transform parts of this country — the War on Poverty, the Great Society — failed spectacularly. Yet our leaders thought they could invade a country that most Americans couldn't pinpoint on a map, and which had a history of repelling invaders (think of Russia), and fundamentally transform its society. And they kept spinning Americans and distorting 'statistics to make it appear the United States was winning the war when that was not the case'....

"Some of the Post's stories were eye-opening: how military officials were ordered to spend millions of dollars a day in small regions, even though no one had any idea what to do with it. That's government. It literally dumps money on problems and hopes it will create progress, when all it does is encourage corruption. Even more amazing, our military couldn't distinguish between friends and enemies....

"These days, we're all sure our fellow partisans are brilliant and the other side is evil, but this ought to give everyone pause: President Barack Obama's policy in Afghanistan wasn't appreciably different from George W. Bush's — and neither of them had any particular success. Both made grandiose promises about 'winning' and eradicating terrorists, but neither delivered."

Read more: https://reason.com/2019/12/20/the-afghanistan-papers-confirm-critics-worst-fears-about-americas-longest-war/
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Why there are still US troops in Syria

The story behind Donald Trump’s fake withdrawal from Syria | The SpectatorJohn R. Bradley:

November 2, 2019 - "Last week, American troops and dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles moved to occupy oil fields in Syria. The escalation came just half an hour after Trump had tweeted that all US soldiers had left the country and would be coming home. As so often, the President says one thing, then orders the military to do the other. On Twitter, Trump is ending the endless wars. In the real world, he is perpetuating them.

"Trump’s focus is not really Syria, of course. It is the presidential election next year, and his precious voter base. But he can’t seem to decide if his supporters are peaceniks or bloodthirsty chauvinists. His problem is that they are both and neither. He’s beginning to learn that the relationship between foreign policy and domestic politics is more complicated than perhaps he realised.

"The most important group in Trump’s base are white evangelical Christians. In 2016, evangelicals rallied behind Trump in greater numbers — he took a staggering 82 per cent of their votes — than they had for any candidate since Nixon.... His trouble, however, is that he needs even higher levels of the evangelicals’ support to have any chance of being re-elected. In three crucial mid-western states where there are large evangelical populations, he won by just 70,000 votes. And his poll numbers there are down, so if there is even a 1 per cent drop in the evangelical support he is toast....

"Evangelical leaders condemned his pulling the troops out.... Trump took dozens of phone calls from .... evangelical activists, while Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, evangelical Christians themselves, met with numerous church congregations to try to pacify them. Hours later, Trump made the shock decision to send troops back to Syria.

"Trump’s other great miscalculation in Syria was to underestimate ... the neocons.... With the threat of impeachment hanging over his head, Trump cannot afford to alienate hawks such as Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham ... visited Trump in the White House to show him a map of where the oil fields are in Syria. (For all his boasting about American energy independence, Trump is preoccupied with the idea of seizing Middle Eastern oil.) Within hours of Trump agreeing to seize them, Graham gave his first major public appearance unequivocally denouncing impeachment proceedings....

"The US generals will be over the moon that Graham forced the U-turn in Syria. From the moment he entered the White House, Trump’s inexperience in international affairs meant he had to rely on men in uniform to guide him.... [T]he US annual defence budget is at least $1 trillion (and growing), and there is no group more determined to keep the wars alive (and the money flowing) than the military top brass. The build-up announcements in Syria and in Saudi Arabia in September — which also undermined Trump’s initial promises of de-escalation — following an attack on the kingdom’s oil facilities blamed on Iran came not from the White House but the Pentagon. Last year, the same was true when thousands more troops were sent to Afghanistan, again just days after Trump announced that he was going to withdraw all of those already there. Thus Trump defers to generals and men in uniform.....That he has not completely caved in to the top brass — Trump is the first US president in two decades, we should remember, not to have started a new war — is at least something to his credit.

"At the same time, it is now clear that Trump is not the president that anti-war types hoped he might be. And the reason is that perpetuating wars (while pretending to end them) is the least risky path for him to take electorally.... The reason Trump was put off war with Iran was less to do with a public backlash and more because he was persuaded that it might well mean losing votes. Trump, like most Americans, likes winning and kicking ass. The warmongers now have him exactly where they want him."

Read more: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/11/the-story-behind-donald-trumps-fake-withdrawal-from-syria/
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Endless war continues under Trump, says Amash

Amash on Syria: Trump's not ending anything | TheHill - Zack Budryk:

October 9, 2019 - "Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) blasted President Trump on Thursday, saying he isn't 'ending anything' with his decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria.  Amash, a former Republican who left the party in opposition to Trump earlier this year, said the president isn't really bringing American troops home, and that he has done little to end U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

"'Despite President Trump’s bluster about ending endless war, he’s not ending anything. Our troops aren’t coming home; a small number were moved so Turkey could escalate the war,' he said in a tweet. 'And the president has expanded our role in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and kept us in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

"Turkey launched an offensive on northern Syria on Wednesday, days after Trump said he would remove U.S. troops from the area. Turkey is attacking a Kurdish militia force allied with the United States in the fight against ISIS....

"Amash left the Republican Party and the House Freedom Caucus, which he co-founded, earlier this year after he said special counsel Robert Mueller’s report led him to conclude Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

"Amash has frequently criticized Trump’s moves on Syria from a libertarian perspective, tweeting earlier this week, 'U.S. forces should not even be in Syria without congressional approval. Regardless, Turkey would not take this action without the express consent of the White House. It’s disingenuous for President Trump to suggest it’s all about "ISIS fighters" when the target is Kurdish forces.'

"'Endless war continues,' the Michigan congressman tweeted Monday."

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/465067-amash-on-syria-trumps-not-ending-anything
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