Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Wednesday, 12 October 2022.
IMF: “BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES”: Citing unanticipatedly broad and persistent inflationary pressures, the International Monetary fund has cut its global growth projections for 2023, saying,” The worst is yet to come.” IMF chief economist Pierre-Oliver Gourinchas said 2023 would see a “broad-base” slowdown with the contractions of a third of the top economies, with the U.S., China, and Euro-zone economies expected to “stall.” Goruinchas added that now was the time for people to “batten down the hatches” and prepare for difficulties as “2023 will feel like a recession.”
WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING HAITI REQUEST FOR U.S. TROOPS: White House officials confirmed they’re reviewing a request from Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry to send U.S. or UN troops to help quell unrest. Henry has requested “specialized armed forces” to take back control of its capital, Port-au-Prince, from criminal gangs. “We are working to determine how we can hold accountable those responsible for the violence and increase our support to help address Haiti’s fuel shortage and security constraints,” according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
NATO HOLDS NUCLEAR DRILLS: NATO officials announced the alliance would proceed with its annual nuclear exercises despite increasing threats from Russia. At a press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said canceling the exercises would send a “very wrong signal” to Moscow. Stoltenberg characterized the drills as necessary, saying NATO military strength was the best way to deter Russian escalations.
U.K. DESIGNATES CHINA A “THREAT TO BRITAIN”: China, formerly considered a systemic competitor by the U.K., was designated a “threat” in its new rewrite of national defense and foreign policy. Only Russia, which is designated the “most acute threat,” is ranked higher on the new national defense and foreign policy strategy. The hasty new strategy rewrite came after the U.K. Department of Education expressed public support for China and its Confucius Institutes – often identified as a covert intelligence operation and part of China’s “elite capture” program. Iain Duncan Smith, who is campaigning to be chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said, “It is time we stopped messing around and recognized that China poses a threat to the way we live our lives, and it is time now to treat them in the same way we treat Russia.”
In today’s Early Warning, Mike looks at recent mainstream media coverage and predictions of a “civil war” or domestic conflict, plus the team covers the latest disruptive domestic and foreign policy moves from the White House. Get access to the team’s full report here: https://forwardobserver.com/susbcribe