Good morning. Here’s your Situational Awareness for Tuesday, 06 September 2022.
NEW UK PM PROMISES HARDLINE ON CHINA: Soon-to-be British Prime Minister Liz Truss is widely expected to follow through on promises of a harder line against China. Last week, Truss pledged, if elected, she will classify China as a “threat” to the United Kingdom and update its deterrence strategy against China. – M.S.
ENERGY CRISIS TRIGGERS CIVIL UNREST IN CZECH REPUBLIC: Civil unrest broke out in the Czech Republic over the weekend following Russia’s announcement of the closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Fomented by far-right groups and the Czech communist party, an estimated 70,000 protesters took to the streets in Prague in opposition to the European Union and NATO alliance. Protest leaders have called on the Czech government to break solidarity with the EU and NATO to reduce the energy crisis and skyrocketing inflation by lifting sanctions on Russia and declaring military neutrality. – R.P.
U.S. UNABLE TO DELIVER ON NUCLEAR SUB DEAL: Despite a recently signed deal to provide nuclear submarines to Australia, some U.S. officials say U.S. and U.K. shipyards do not have the industrial capacity to deliver the boats to Canberra in less than a decade. During a seminar at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, U.S. Navy Admiral Scott Pappano said any attempt to supply Australia with nuclear submarines would overly burden and draw crucial resources away from production efforts to fill U.S. Navy requirements. – M.M.
TAIWAN WINS APPROVAL FOR $1.1 BILLION U.S. ARMS DEAL: The U.S. approved a $1.1 billion arms deal to Taiwan that includes anti-ship and air-to-air missiles as well as contractor and logistical support for early warning surveillance radar systems. The deal comes as China continues provocative incursions into Taiwanese territory and across the median line in the Taiwan Straits. A U.S. State Department Spokesperson said the proposed sale was a routine sale to help Taiwan modernize its armed forces and present a credible defensive capability. – M.M.
CHILE REJECTS LEFTIST CONSTITUTION: On Sunday, Chileans voted 62% against a proposed constitution designed to be “highly inclusive” and “lift up the lower class.” President Gabriel Boric of the Social Convergence party responded by saying that the government “must listen to the voice of the people.” – J.V.
In today’s Early Warning, Mike reports that the federal legitimacy crisis will accelerate domestic low intensity conflict, and the team provides their analysis of today’s geostrategic briefings. Get the latest from the Forward Observer intel team by becoming a subscriber at https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe.