Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Tuesday, 09 November 2021. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- ‘Curb this invasion’: Border wall built by shipping containers
- Senators try and block $450K payments in Defense bill
- Eastern Europe tensions escalate rapidly, migrants in crossfire
- Tacoma port raises fees, new storage already full
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
BORDER: Renae Eze, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s spokeswoman, told sources that he “directed state agencies… to begin placing large storage containers end to end at low-level water crossings to physically block any illegal immigrants from entry.” The containers are expected to help “curb this invasion” according to Texas Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Abbot says there are still 733 miles of Texas border that need a physical barrier. Despite the additional $750 million budget allocated to a border wall in Texas, there are no plans for when construction workers will be contracted or the wall will be completed. (AC: The number of arrests at the Southern border has reached almost 2 million in the past year, surpassing records set previously over 20 years ago. Over 60% of these apprehensions resulted in expulsion, and over 25% of those released have attempted crossing the border at least a second time. Officials estimate that up to 1,000 illegal immigrants, on average, have successfully escaped capture every day this year. -T.W.)
DEFENSE: Republican Senators are holding up the 2022 Defense spending bill over concerns of payments to illegal migrant families. Sen. McConnell said, “Giving out potentially billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to people who broke federal law to enter the country is outrageous and an insult to the American people.” The Democrat chairman of the Armed Services Committee has yet to comment on the potential $ 2.25 billion in payments to illegal immigrant children alone. (AC: Delays in the defense bill will ultimately impact program delivery and procurement costs as the government is assessed penalties for contract delays. Strategically, lawmakers can use this “stop payment” amendment to bring parity in non-defense spending contained in the bill. Controversial measures like requiring women to register for the draft remain in place. Changes to the draft and other provisions indicate Congress and the Pentagon are continuing to prepare for a high-end conflict within the next 5-10 years. – D.M.)
EUROPE: Border clashes between Middle Eastern migrants and Polish border guards continue. The Polish defense minister and prime minister visited the border region to encourage troops to maintain their positions. Belarus is calling the Polish deployment of 12,000 soldiers and vehicles a “military move” while NATO’s Secretary General Stoltenberg says they will support Poland against the “hybrid war.” (AC: The Union State agreements between Russia and Belarus indicate cooperation in this situation. There are likely dual-passport holding, special operations-types traveling from Russia to assist with the border crossings and infiltration efforts similar to Ukraine’s 2014 invasion. A milquetoast response by NATO or the U.S. will embolden future Russian operations and serve as a signal to China that the West has “given up.”- D.M.)
Belarusian soldiers block migrants from escaping the Polish border. Credit: Polish MOD
SHIPPING: The Port of Tacoma is following Los Angeles’ lead by issuing fines to logistics companies that cannot unload cargo. Long-term dwell fees of $310 per container will be added on top of daily compounding charges. The port owners constructed three new container staging yards, which are already over capacity. Referencing the increased costs, one logistics SVP said, “Carriers are not going to absorb them.” Customers will feel the added fees through increased costs and delays. LA’s Gene Seroka called the new fee structures a last resort, while critics accuse logistics companies and port operators of profiteering during a crisis. (AC: The degraded logistics environment is unlikely to recover soon as capacity and labor shortages continue while consumer spending remains elevated. Increased holiday shopping and ordering will likely extend product backlogs for a number of months. Consider finding local alternatives to shopping online in order to avoid weeks of potential delays. – D.M.)
The Port of Tacoma is facing growing container backlogs. Source: Port of Tacoma
HAZARDS WARNING
HURRICANE SEASON: Nothing significant to report.
WX:
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