Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Wednesday, 23 February 2022. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- DOD warns 50 potential Afghan refugee terrorists in U.S.
- Congress urges Biden to consult before going to war
- U.S. accuses China of failing to meet trade terms
- SecDef approves National Guard troops in D.C.
- Hazards Warning
UPGRADE TO EARLY WARNING AND GET THESE BRIEFINGS:
- Russia-NATO SITREP: THE WEST SANCTIONS RUSSIA, PUTIN’S INTEL CHIEF SLIPS
- Indo-Pacific SITREP: CHINA’S INCREASING BELLIGERENCE WITH PACIFIC NEIGHBORS
- LIC Summary/ INTSUM
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
DOD SAYS 50 POTENTIAL TERRORISTS AMONG AFGHAN REFUGEES: The National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) has identified 50 Afghan refugees in the United States who are known or suspected terrorists. The national security threat emerged due to a lack of information sharing between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) for all biometric and contextual data. The report outlined how these 50 individuals “latent fingerprints have been found on improvised explosive devices and known or suspected terrorists.” The report states that not all the members could be found. The latest update in Sept 2021 showing less than 10% of identified Afghans with derogatory information could be located. (Analyst Comment: Preventable information sharing missteps contribute to the perceived lack of legitimacy of the federal government. Official reports of potential terrorists in the U.S. are concerning considering foreign terror groups abroad reconstituting their strength in Afghanistan. Expect an increased push from government leaders about the overall rising domestic terror threat landscape with the need for increased authorities. Recommend reviewing personal security risks and refine area studies to patch gaps in vulnerabilities – D.F.)
CONGRESS URGES BIDEN TO CONSULT BEFORE WAR: In a bipartisan letter to President Biden, the Congress warned that the administration must seek approval for overseas military action from Congress. The letter says the War Powers Resolution requires Congressional authorization for the use of advisers, trainers, special forces, or other military personnel, including for preemptive strike purposes. (AC: A newer generation of Congressional members reject the military adventurism of past administrations. Bipartisan pockets of lawmakers are emerging, with one camp firmly supporting a new war and the other opposed to renewed conflict after two decades of overseas contingency operations. Some lawmakers fear the U.S. remains unprepared to go to war with a near-peer adversary. – D.M.)
U.S. ACCUSES CHINA OF FAILING TO MEET FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: In its annual report on Chinese compliance with World Trade Organization rules, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative alleges that China is failing to meet its free trade commitments to open its markets to foreign competition. “China has instead retained and expanded its state-led, non-market approach to the economy and trade,’’ said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai. “China’s policies and practices challenge the premise of the WTO’s rules and cause serious harm to workers and businesses around the world,” she added. The report claims that China uses subsidies and regulations to protect its own companies at the expense of foreign competitors; floods world markets with cheap steel, aluminum, and other products; and forces the US and other foreign companies to hand over technology as the price of access to Chinese markets. (AC: China refuses to abide by the WTO rules it agreed to when joining the 164-country Geneva-based agency in 2001. In response to China’s continued flouting of its WTO promises, the U.S. has imposed $360 billion in tariffs. It is unlikely that China will ever keep its WTO promises. Western nations are so economically dependent on China they have little ability to coerce compliance, and China gains no benefit from changing its current policies. – M.M.)
SECDEF APPROVES NATIONAL GUARD IN DC: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the use of 700 National Guard members and 50 “large tactical vehicles” in response to the trucker convoy headed to D.C. The soldiers are tasked with controlling traffic flows without weapons or law-enforcement authority. The first of three known truck groups should arrive from Pennsylvania today with planned stops in metro areas along the way. One organizer said, “We’re going to travel the Beltway at a safe speed. We’re not looking for a battle. Don’t create one.” (AC: The deployment of the Guard troops without weapons indicates this is largely performative. The truckers are aware of the increased scrutiny from law enforcement and are unlikely to provoke encounters. Agitators are likely to be present, but the convoy participants’ use of internal communications and prior coordination could insulate the group from any federal law enforcement intrusion. – D.M.)
HAZARDS/WX:
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