War

The State Department issued an alert on Monday to US citizens traveling to Europe about a “heightened risk of terrorist attacks,” particularly over the holiday season. “Have an emergency plan of action ready,” the US urged according to NBC.

"Credible information indicates the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL the U.S. gov't acronym for ISIS or Da'esh), al-Qaeda, and their affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks in Europe, with a focus on the upcoming holiday season and associated events," the travel advisory read.

Submitted by Nan Li via Strategic-Culture.org,

After months of negotiation, the United States and South Korea announced on July 8 their decision to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. During a press briefing, China’s Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said that Beijing is “firmly opposed to the proposed THAAD deployment… and will take necessary measures to maintain national strategic security as well as regional equilibrium”.

Why Is China Opposed to THAAD Deployment?

Submitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

The re-miliarization of Japan has been on my radar and caused me much concern in recent years. I’ve covered the topic on several occasions, with the most recent example published over the summer in the post, Japanese Government Shifts Further Toward Authoritarianism and Militarism. Here are the first few paragraphs:

Shortly after Russia admitted that it was moving nuclear-capable rockets to the exclave of Kaliningrad in explicit retaliation for NATO encroachment on its borders, something it had not done until today, another old hotzone has flared up again when moments ago the Russian military reported that Ukranian security operatives have abducted two Russian servicemen in Crimea, and are attempting to press criminal charges against them, the Russian military is reporting.

Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, mace, and water cannon against demonstrators protesting the North Dakota Access pipeline. Activists at the scene say that police had used water jets in sub-freezing temperatures and fired rubber bullets reportedly targeting demonstrators’ heads and legs. More than 167 demonstrators have been injured, according to a medic on site, as cited by Indigenous Rising Media. Seven people have been hospitalized for severe head injuries and hypothermia. Three of those injured were reportedly elders of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.