Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Wednesday, 06 October 2021. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- New policies deconstruct Border Patrol
- Arkansas’ Gov. questions National Guard border role
- Trump loyalist wants “shock troops” to take over DC
- Strategic Competition replaces Great Power in Biden’s Pentagon
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
BORDER PATROL: Under Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Department of Homeland Security is set to implement new immigration and border security guidelines starting at the end of November. As the border experiences a 25-year high in illegal border crossings, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will not be able to make arrests solely on the fact that someone has illegally entered the United States. A new policy will also discourage the deportation of farmworkers and the elderly in the United States illegally. These new policies come as potentially tens of thousands of Haitian migrants caravan to the U.S. border. – M.S.
NATIONAL GUARD: On Monday, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson traveled to the Texas-Mexico border as he announced a possible end to the Arkansas National Guard’s border mission unless Texas Governor Abbott requests additional support. The Arkansas National Guard sent 40 vehicle mechanics to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety during the recent border surges. Initial media reports of the governor’s trip highlighted his nighttime patrol with border officials to understand the extent of the issue. (AC: The border remains overrun according to officials on the ground, media coverage, and footage of recent mass illegal immigrant formations crossing the border. The Biden administration’s refusal to address the crisis spurred five states to send National Guard and law enforcement support to Texas. Border overruns remain a favored technique of gray zone operators to inundate security forces. – D.M.)
BANNON: Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Trump, recently called for “shock troops” to “deconstruct” the federal government when a Republican takes office. Bannon recently said Republicans need “pre-trained teams ready to jump into federal agencies” to address key staffing shortages during the Trump administration. Far Left pundits are accusing Bannon of seditious activity and calling for an expanded investigation into his activities surrounding 6 Jan. (AC: The Capitol Hill investigation already subpoenaed records from Bannon and other former Trump associates, but they lack the ability to bring charges. Any referral made to the Justice Department would be pursued vigorously as Bannon is considered a “high value” political target. Media outlets and activists will continue to cite the former adviser’s comments as necessitating further targeting of the political right. – D.M.)
COMPETITION: The Biden administration is eschewing the Trump-era “great power competition” approach to China for “strategic competition.” The Department of Defense believes the renaming will more closely align rhetoric with policies under President Biden. “By opening the door to cooperation with China, the Biden administration is signaling weakness and that we’re not going to be serious about holding them accountable anymore,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). (AC: The administration’s uneven approach toward China is a strategic mistake as the communist nation seeks to overtake the U.S. The Europeans are abandoning a similar “strategic competition” framework as many nations are learning there is no even playing field with China. This change is likely to be viewed as a strategic weakness by China, emboldening their actions worldwide. – D.M.)
HAZARDS WARNING
HURRICANE SEASON: Nothing significant to report
In today’s Early Warning, Dustin covers China’s long-term play to overtake the United States. Upgrade your Situational Awareness to Early Warning here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe