ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

If there’s one thing everyone in today’s Washington can agree on, it’s that whenever an official or someone being paid by the government says something truly outrageous or dangerous, there should be consequences, if only a fleeting moment of media fury. With one notable exception: Arguing that the US should be quietly working to promote the violent disintegration and carving up of the largest country on Earth. Because so much of the discussion around US-Russian affairs is marked by hysteria and hyperbole, you are forgiven for assuming this is an exaggeration. Unfortunately it isn’t. Published in the Hill under the dispassionate title  “Managing Russia’s dissolution,”  author Janusz Bugajski makes the case that the West should not only seek to contain “Moscow’s imperial ambitions” but to actively seek the dismemberment of Russia as a whole. Engagement, criticism and limited sanctions have simply reinforced Kremlin perceptions that the West is weak and predictable. To curtail Mos

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE Written by  Finian Cunningham ; Originally appeared on  strategic-culture.org With unseemly haste, US news media leapt on the killing of four American military personnel in Syria as a way to undermine President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw troops from that country. The deadly attack in the northern city of Manbij, on the west bank of the Euphrates River, was reported to have been carried out by a suicide bomber. The Islamic State (ISIS) terror group reportedly claimed responsibility, but the group routinely makes such claims which often turn out to be false. The American military personnel were said to be on a routine patrol of Manbij where US forces have been backing Kurdish militants in a purported campaign against ISIS and other terror groups. An explosion at a restaurant resulted in two US troops and two Pentagon civilian officials being killed, along with more than a dozen other victims. Three other US military persons were among those injured.

A newly released Pentagon unclassified intelligence report authored by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) comes to some shocking and alarming conclusions concerning China’s rapid advances in advanced military technology in answer to the question:  “What are Beijing’s strategic intentions?” The report finds that as a result of  “acquiring technology by any means available”   —  especially in the areas of naval and missile systems, including intermediate range missiles and hypersonic weapons, capable of allowing missiles to travel at many times the speed of sound  —  China’s defense tech is not only at the cutting edge but  “In some areas, it already leads the world.” The “by any means available” charge leveled at Beijing is a reference to what American political leaders and businesses have slammed as unfair Chinese domestic laws forcing foreign partners to divulge secrets as the cost of doing business in China, with its massive population and ever expanding markets. The 140-

Written by  The Saker ; Originally appeared at  The Unz Review According to RT , citing a  Levada Center  poll, Over 50 percent of Russians are disappointed in the government of Dmitry Medvedev, which, they believe, is unable to curb growing prices and provide jobs for people, a new poll has revealed.  Some 23 percent said they were absolutely sure that the government must resign, with another 30 percent telling Levada-Center that they were also leaning toward this opinion.  This means that a total of 53 percent would like the country to have a new cabinet. Trust in the government has crumbled since September, when only 23 percent advocated its resignation. Meanwhile, the proportion of people who believed the government should stay in charge was 40 percent, with 14 percent expressing full confidence in the cabinet, and 26 percent saying that resignation wouldn’t be the best idea. Source: http://www.levada.ru/en/ Jan 15th 2019 (details here: https://www.levada.ru/en/ratings/)

Written by  Oleg Granovsky ; Originally appeared on  oleggranovsky.livejournal.com ; Translated by  J.Hawk  exclusively for  SouthFront Anti-Radiation Missiles (ARMs) are guided air-to-ground (in some cases ground-ground) missiles with a passive radar-homing guidance system. They are used to defeat enemy radars, including air defense, counter-battery, or surveillance, and they can be used to strike ships equipped with radars. This article covers such weapons used by the Israeli Air Force. Click to see the full-size image The War of Attrition was ended by a ceasefire between Israel and Egypt at midnight of August 7/8, 1970. The ceasefire which was to last 3 months actually survived until the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Right after the ceasefire entered into force, Egypt moved its SAMs to the Suez Canal zone, which was a major violation of its terms. Israel wanted to react immediately, but the US exerted diplomatic pressure to prevent it. Among other things, the US promised to incre