Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Wednesday, 08 December 2021. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- India’s Defense chief dies in helicopter crash
- Biden mandates struck down in nationwide ruling
- EPA warns of biofuels impact on food supply
- Canada’s Huawei deal threatens U.S. intelligence sharing
- Congress funds Pacific Defense Initiative, eyes China.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
INDIA DEFENSE CHIEF DIES IN HELICOPTER CRASH: India’s Defense Chief General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 other people were killed after a military helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has said. Rawat was India’s first defense chief after the position was established in 2019. He was seen as being close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Analyst Comment: It is too early to tell how the death of Rawat will impact India’s defense posture along its disputed border with China or its counterinsurgency battle in Kashmir. Rawat recently oversaw the fielding of the 30,000-man strong, U.S. supplied, Mountain Strike Force now deployed along the Line of Actual Control on the border with China. India is a key partner with the U.S. in the QUAD Indo-Pacific security alliance.- M.M.)
MANDATE: Federal Judge Stan Baker from Georgia’s southern district blocked the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate for federal contractors nationwide. The ruling said the federal government cannot “act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends.” The national injunction is due to the Associated Builders and Contractors construction association’s presence across the country, creating “extreme economic burdens.” Judge Baker said, “Simply put, EO [Executive Order] 14042’s directives and resulting impact radiate too far beyond the purposes of the Procurement Act and the authority it grants to the President.” (AC: The administration’s executive mandates are unlikely to be upheld in the three separate federal lawsuits and subsequent injunctions. The judge’s direct indictment of the President’s authority strikes another blow to the perceived legitimacy and exercised authority. Without specific legislative changes from Congress, the administration continues to overstep its constitutional authority. – D.M.)
BIOFUEL & FOOD: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is beginning to raise concerns over biofuel production levels. Soybean oil is a primary input during biofuels production. The EPA is concerned that prioritizing biofuel production “could lead to diversion of feedstocks from food and other current uses.” The EPA says biofuel production will have “adverse impacts on ecosystems and wildlife habitat,” consequences to water quality and supply, and will likely contribute to “increased prices for agricultural commodities and food prices.” (AC: Inflation, transportation costs, and labor shortages have contributed significantly to price pressures on food experienced by consumers throughout 2021. Unlike these contributors, biofuel production’s adverse effects on the food supply can be reversed via solutions such as tax incentives or an increase in government subsidies. – T.W.)
HUAWEI: Beijing’s ambassador has warned that Canada risks driving away Chinese investors and companies if it bans Huawei Technologies from its 5G internet infrastructure, saying he hoped Canada had learned its lesson from the outcome of the “Meng Wanzhou incident.” Meng Wanzhou was the Huawei Chief Financial Officer arrested and held by Canadian police on behalf of the U.S. DOJ for financial fraud in circumventing U.S. sanctions on Iran. The move resulted in two Canadian citizens being jailed on spurious espionage charges. The issue was resolved when Wanzhou was released following the U.S. DOJ recommendations for deferral. (AC: China is bullying Canada once again. This time in order to put Huawei in a competitive position for Canada’s 5G telecom contracts. Canada is expected to make a decision on 5G during the current session of parliament. The U.S. is pressuring member countries of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to reject Chinese-made 5G infrastructure due to security concerns. – M.M.)
NDAA: The House passed the defense spending bill and the Senate expects to follow suit next week. Notable additions include $7.1 billion for a Pacific Defense Initiative, $4 billion for the European Defense Initiative, and removing female Selective Service registration from the final version. Overall spending increased by $25 billion above the President’s original request. (AC: The quick increases in funding for Pacific and European operations indicate that legislators are taking the growing regional threats seriously. $300 million in new weapons aid to Ukraine may upset the Russians, but was welcomed publicly by Ukrainian politicians. Serious doubts remain about the U.S. ability to fight a two-front war, but the defense funding priorities indicate that it may be just a matter of time. – D.M.)
HAZARDS/WX:
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