S2 Underground

//The Wire//2200Z September 20, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MAJOR FIRE BREAKS OUT IN OHIO. POTENTIAL FOR WAR IN LEBANON CONTINUES TO MOUNT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: This morning Israeli bombing continued in Lebanon, to include the targeting of at least one major residential structure in Beirut. Hezbollah rocket attacks have continued in kind, though more randomly and sporadically. AC: No indications of an Israeli ground offensive occurring yet, though forces continue to stage in the region. -HomeFront- Ohio: A major fire is underway at a scrapyard facility in Columbus. The Columbus Auto Shredding facility on Alum Park Drive caught fire early this morning. Local air quality advisories are in effect due to the HAZMAT concerns from the fire. No word yet on what started the fire. Washington D.C. – In response to the growing concern regarding the lack of substantial increases of security postures in the current threat environment, the US Secret Service director has highlighted the current stance of the USSS. Acting Director Ronald Rowe stated that “We have to be able to have the personnel, the assets, and be able to spread those out for an indefinite period of time in the event that another situation, a geopolitical conflict, or some other tension, requires us to do so”. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Statements by Director Rowe have raised eyebrows considering this is the second time this week his comparatively odd statements on the topic have left citizens wondering what he is insinuating. Many concerns lie with the nature of the “geopolitical conflict” Director Rowe has referred to twice now, and what kind of geopolitical conflict could possibly have anything to do with the US Secret Service. Any event whatsoever that would require the USSS to spread their forces thin would likely be an event of gargantuan significance. As there’s nothing to go on but implications and insinuations, this is merely a continuation of indications and warnings of the current threat environment, as tensions continue to mount this election season. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z September 19, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: ISRAEL SHIFTS FORCES TO NORTHERN FRONT. INCIDENT CAUSES INJURIES AT TRUMP EVENT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: This afternoon, following the second wave of Israeli IED attacks throughout Lebanon, Israeli forces announced the creation of a northern front campaign, and a shifting of resources to the northern border with Lebanon. Local Israeli media has claimed that the ground invasion of Lebanon has begun, however it is not clear as to if this indicates a total ground invasion of Lebanon, or a more limited border incursion. AC: Israeli media is often exuberant in their descriptions of military activities, so even if Israeli media is claiming an invasion is occurring, the scale of such remains uncertain. Either way, this confirms with as much certainty as we’re going to get that the targeting efforts of the past two days are part of a larger campaign that is yet to come. More immediately, Israeli aerial targeting of dozens of locations around Lebanon is already occurring and has been fairly regular throughout the day (alongside Hezbollah’s rocket attacks). Whatever Israel has planned as part of a larger operation will likely take place very soon as it’s clear that a defacto state of war already exists between Israel and Lebanon. -HomeFront- Arizona: Reports have begun to mount concerning a possible incident at Trump’s rally in Tucson last week. Local media reports the hospitalization of several people (some reports claim as many as 20 people have been hospitalized), all due to vision problems and eye irritation that began to manifest shortly after Trump’s rally. Some victims have reported temporary blindness. The victims of this incident were all congregated together on stage, seated in the area to Trump’s right. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Though the information sources regarding the Tucson incident are few, considering the current extremely high-risk threat environment a little leeway must be granted; Speculation is all that is available to the public to assess future threats in this specific case. Local media reports suggest this may have been due to exposure to some sort of chemical weapon. This is supported by the treatment efforts undertaken by local medical facilities, which treated the victims for varying types of exposure to hazardous chemicals. However, considering the environmental sensors that should be in use by the USSS, this incident probably did not involve the use of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA). However, these symptoms are in line with other deliberate targeting efforts. High-power infrared lasers, invisible to the unaided human eye, can cause immediate blindness and burning sensations similar to what the victims reported. This could easily be medically diagnosed with an eye examination, which will be important to consider as more information becomes public regarding this incident. More broadly, this incident aligns with historic reports of Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) use, with the symptoms experienced by the victims aligning somewhat with those of Havana Syndrome. However, this possibility would be nearly impossible to prove, and is purely speculative at this time. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//1800Z September 18, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT OCCURS AT TRUMP RALLY IN LONG ISLAND. UKRAINE STRIKES MAJOR RUSSIAN ARMS DEPOT. ANOTHER WAVE OF EXPLODING DEVICES STRIKES LEBANON.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: As expected, another wave of device explosions has struck Lebanon. This morning, hundreds of handheld radios reportedly exploded throughout Beirut, in a probable continuation of yesterday’s targeting efforts by Israel. So far, handheld VHF/UHF radios have been targeted, along with sporadic reports of other consumer-grade electronics such as televisions, laptops, cellphones, etc. Russia: Overnight, Ukrainian forces conducted a substantial strike on an ammunition storage facility in Toropets, Russia. The resulting explosion was so substantial it was detected as an earthquake by local seismic sensors. -HomeFront- New York: This morning, reports circulated involving explosives being found the vicinity of President Trump’s rally in Long Island. A suspicious vehicle reportedly breached the security perimeter, prompting closer investigation that revealed the possible explosives. However, after the initial notice of this incident, the Nassau County Police Commissioner stated that the reports were false, and that the incident involved mistaking a training incident for a real-world incident. AC: Details of this incident remain highly suspect, and contradict statements made by police. The driver of the vehicle initially fled from the scene on foot, taking cover in a wooded area adjacent to the site of the initial incident. It’s also not entirely clear as to if the personnel involved in the alleged training scare were actually law enforcement entities, nor is It clear as to how a training scenario could be undertaken in such proximity to a real-world event such as this. Training exercises are usually not conducted in any situation where a fake IED threat could be confused with a real threat; smaller training opportunities at real world events can happen (especially with the use of K9s), however a VBIED training scenario being conducted in the vicinity of such a high-profile event, is highly suspect. One detail that lends to the suspicious nature of this incident is that authorities have confirmed that the individual with the K9 that initially reported the explosives, has been detained. Consequently, though entirely and completely speculative at this time, this event could have indeed been a real incident. Again, this is completely speculative, however the details of this event as presented to the public are highly suspicious and not in keeping with standard law enforcement practices involving training with explosive devices. Considering the lack of trust and confidence in the varying agencies assigned to protect Trump, the possibility (however speculative it may be) that there is more to this story than a simple training mistake, would be wise to consider. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: After a second wave of Israeli clandestine targeting in Lebanon, it’s extraordinarily likely that more Israeli IED attacks will continue, as previously stated. The continuance of this targeting vector also strengthens the assessment that Israel is preparing for future combat operations in Lebanon. This operation generally fits within the realm of “shaping fires”, and is doctrinally aligned with softening up an adversary before more substantial targeting takes place. The precedent of this continuing operation cannot be overstated. No Positive Identification (PID) criteria, Hostile Intent/Hostile Act, or Rules of Engagement criteria have been provided by Israel lending any sort of legitimacy to these latest targeting efforts in an entirely separate sovereign nation. As a reminder, Lebanon is not Palestine. It is not clear how Israeli targeting efforts such as these are in accordance with Article III of the Amended Protocol II of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which Israel is a legal signatory and participant of. Article III, Article VII, Section 2 states “It is prohibited to use booby-traps or other devices in the form of apparently harmless portable objects which are designed and constructed to contain explosive material”. As per Israel’s understanding comments on this exact section of the treaty, no dissension was made allowing for the legal use of these munitions in this arrangement. It is also not clear as to if the United States provided Israel with the munitions used in these attacks. Additionally, the distribution of explosive-packed consumer grade electronics across international borders, to target personnel who are allegedly “terrorists”, only using Israel’s word that this is the case, providing ZERO justification for any kind of RoE adherence whatsoever, is probably not a slippery slope that many may want to go down. Separately, but equally pertinently, the fact that anytime Israel breaks their own laws, the caveat of “but Hamas/Hezbollah are also bad” must be added to any discussion of Israel’s behavior, is also analytically fatiguing and without question an information operation in and of itself. The level of subversion, gaslighting, and manipulation that has occurred to skew the entire conflict in such a way that these caveats much be added to any serious discussion of this event to maintain “neutrality”, has far surpassed the point of sheer psychosis. Israel has successfully linked their own behavior inversely to that of their adversaries, so that justification for Israeli actions is tacitly implied no matter what. The concept of “neutrality” itself is very subtly skewed in favor of Israel in most circumstances, so any analytical method is automatically assuming a baseline that very subtly favors Israel. This is most palpable among independent journalists whose lives are at extreme risk for even mentioning these subtleties. Though pointing this out is almost entirely a lost cause at this point, for posterity’s sake, this conflict is not a zero-sum game; pointing out Israel’s violation of western norms of warfare is not an endorsement of their adversaries. However, this nuanced concept is entirely lost on most of the western world, which will without question be detrimental in the long run, especially if a new era of horrific tactics is going to become acceptable to use at scale by nationstate-level entities. Insurgents and malign actors using brutal unconventional warfare tactics intended to maim and disfigure, usually among a civilian populace, is horrific enough. A nationstate using these tactics at an unprecedented industrial scale, and very likely with just as much concern for CIVCAS and with equally little oversight, is entirely different altogether. If Israel has decided that this kind of targeting is acceptable to conduct under these conditions, quite literally nothing would prevent Israel from conducting similar operations within any nation to target those who they allege are supporters of their adversaries. Considering that the American taxpayer probably paid for these exploding pagers and radios at some point, the magnitude of these events is worthy of closer examination. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2000Z September 17, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CLANDESTINE ISRAELI OPERATION RESULTS IN WIDESPREAD INJURIES IN LEBANON.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: This morning Israeli forces enacted a covert sabotage plan that has apparently been in the works for some time. This morning, thousands of communications devices exploded throughout Lebanon at exactly the same time. So far, initial reporting from Lebanon indicates roughly 2,800 Lebanese citizens have been injured and/or killed as a result of the coordinated targeting effort (though this number is probably overinflated). The number of Hezbollah militants wounded in this operation is not known, with official statements by Hezbollah being inconclusive so far. AC: Details are hard to verify, however this probably a modernized version of Project ELDEST SON (and/or the subsequent spin-off versions of this operation that surely came after the Vietnam era). Though largely speculation at present, this was likely a plan many weeks in the making. Israel probably concealed explosives inside pagers with the intention of covertly distributing these communications devices among Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. Then, once the devices made their way through Hezbollah’s networks and allegedly into the hands of Hezbollah operatives (over a period of time), the explosives in the pagers could be detonated remotely all at the same exact moment. Of note, initial media speculation has centered around Israel “hacking” ordinary electronic devices in some way, resulting in the batteries overheating and exploding. This is almost certainly NOT the case; considering the remains of the devices found and posted on social media (along with the historical context) it’s overwhelmingly likely that the devices in question were tampered with and packed with a small amount of military-grade explosives. So far, most of the pagers that have been noted to explode are models that only contain user-replaceable alkaline AA or AAA batteries anyway, which are not explosive. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The recent Israeli operations in Lebanon have very strongly indicated the existence and/or continuation of some of the most clandestine military operations in world history. In years past, insurgents in the GWOT era from Iraq to Afghanistan eventually got wise to the vulnerabilities posed by their cellphones. Now, thanks to Israel, the cat is out of the bag and insurgents around the world know that they not only have to worry about their electronic devices being tracked, but them remotely exploding as well. However, this is not entirely an unknown tactic, similar efforts have been noted to be in use by both sides during the Ukrainian War…discarded AK-47 magazines booby-trapped with explosives that are set to detonate when the magazine is inserted into a weapon and the first round fired, have been discovered on the eastern front. Some of which allegedly allowed for the remote detonation of the device, not simply being triggered by the carelessness of the person who picked it up. Though in Ukraine, both sides using the same weapons systems is likely a complicating factor for this method. This tradecraft is not without extreme risk; gambling on an explosively-rigged device making it into the hands of an insurgent is risky. After all, a device may end up in the hands of an innocent civilian, as may have happened in at least some cases this morning in Lebanon. However, as Israel does not abide by most western doctrine when it comes to the concept of Civilian Casualties (CIVCAS) within the realm of kinetic targeting, this was likely not a factor considered during the planning phases of this clandestine operation. As there is only enough void space inside these specific consumer grade electronics for a small charge, this method usually is not effective in killing the target, but rather maiming them. This is supported by the casualty figures released so far by Hezbollah, out of the 2,800 casualties, only 8 have been fatalities, and only 200 are in critical condition. The overwhelming majority of the casualties were injured, lending credence to the theory that this wasn’t so much a decapitation strike attempt, as an attempt to use unconventional warfare tactics to maim as many people and/or Hezbollah fighters as possible, and tying up local medical resources. Of note, most of the devices that were detonated appear to be old-model pagers. It’s not clear as to if these devices were actually in use by Hezbollah; the only sources claiming such are those originating from Israel. More generally though, this is one of the main problems with clandestine tactics such as this…positive identification (PID) of the intended target. Of course, Israel is extremely unlikely to share the intelligence that indicated these devices being used by Hezbollah, however this is an extremely important distinction that must be addressed considering that in Lebanon, pagers such as the models targeted are mostly in use by medical professionals in the course of their work. So the question remains: Did Israel intentionally target Hezbollah militants, or did they tamper with a random pallet of pagers, and hoped to get one or two militants just by happenstance? The other side of the fence has provided some fidelity; Hezbollah officials have stated that many of their operatives were indeed injured by the operation, lending credence to Israeli intelligence. However, with almost 3,000 casualties and counting, right now it’s impossible to determine if this was a legitimate targeted operation, or mass and indiscriminate targeting that just so happened to maim a few dozen/hundred Hezbollah militants. The United Nations response to this will be very telling, as their employees also use these types of pagers at the varying medical missions they have set up around the world. On the other hand, if Israel can prove that their explosive devices only made it into the hands of militants, yet a lot of medical professionals were wounded, someone has some explaining to do. Either way, this incident leaves many questions all around. Of note, the American University of Beirut Medical Center released a statement this morning, confirming that they replaced their own medical paging system a few months ago, and fully switched over to the new system two weeks ago. So far, this institution is the only facility where their employees haven’t been targeted with exploding pagers. The facility has categorically denied any link to this event, calling the coincidental timing of their new system largely centering around “baseless accusations”. All things considered however, and as this targeting method is inherently a comparatively low-CDE targeting effort (when applied correctly, and with oversight), the biggest risk is the world discovering this tradecraft. Thousands of pagers all exploding on the wearer’s belt at exactly the same time, with the official Israeli response being “no comment” pretty much gives up the secret for even the layperson. Within a few hours of the blasts, Hezbollah representatives got wise to what was going on, and issued orders for all militants to discard their communications devices. The forensic analysis of the debris from the thousands of blasts is without question going to be examined for traces of explosives, and the sheer number of devices that did explode indicates that there probably are many devices that did not explode or otherwise malfunctioned, thus leaving even more forensic evidence for analysis if they are discovered. Additionally, it’s highly likely that not every single device that was deployed, was detonated. Some may have been set on a timer, or otherwise intended to detonate at a later time to provide maximum shock and awe during the recovery efforts. The reliance on such clandestine and grisly tradecraft in a situation that reveals and compromises the program itself signals the desperation of using this tactic. In warfare, it’s generally ill-advised for a secret tradecraft tactic to end up on the front-page news, as it reduces the possibility of that trick ever being used again successfully. More significantly, relying on a targeting tactic that gives up the advantage of secrecy could be an indication of impending Israeli operations in Lebanon, though this is nowhere near a certainty at this time. The follow-on effects of this operation could be psychological in nature, and indented to make every insurgent eye their phone/radio with suspicion. However, considering the cost-benefit analysis of this theory, what’s far more likely is that this is a prelude to more substantial targeting efforts by Israel throughout Lebanon. This is most strongly evidenced by the sheer scale of this operation. What this may look like is anyone’s guess at the present time; Hezbollah will without question launch some sort of response, however this new (or at least new to them) tactic will probably cause confusion among Hezbollah leadership for a few more days. The military value of Hezbollah either having no communications due to devices exploding, or militants fearing that might happen, is invaluable. Thus supporting the theory that this is a prelude to a larger operation; the confusion and lack of comms among Hezbollah and Lebanese officials would be too good of an opportunity to let slip by as far as Israel is concerned. More broadly, this latest escalation of the war is likely to cause concern internationally, as the precedent has now been set in the public sphere for this kind of operation to be carried out. In the political arena, this probably will cause problems arising from the use of unconventional warfare tactics at scale, by a nation that is simultaneously linking their entire combat operation to combating those using very similar unconventional warfare tactics. In short, if Israel is very boldly using the same tactics they themselves call “terrorism”, this might result in complications in the international arena. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2330Z September 16, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: DETAILS OF SECOND TRUMP SHOOTING REMAIN SUSPICIOUS. GAS PIPELINE EXPLODES IN TEXAS.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Florida: The suspect who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump yesterday afternoon has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, an activist heavily involved in the Ukrainian War as an advocate for western volunteers. All of the suspect’s social media accounts have been purged from existence, likely in response to federal censorship requests. Texas: This afternoon a natural gas pipeline exploded in La Porte, following a motor vehicle accident (MVA) that resulted in a valve being struck, causing a substantial fire. Local evacuations were reported due to the intensity of the fire, however no injuries have been reported by local media. AC: The circumstances leading up to the initial MVA are unclear; local authorities have not stated whether or not this was indeed an accident, or the result of a malign actor. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As one might expect, the details regarding the second Trump assassination attempt remain largely unconfirmed. However, considering the importance and significance of current events, some analytical leeway is to be expected. As such, the details that have been released (or mostly discovered on social media) are even more suspicious than the first attempt. However, as the suspect is still alive for the time being, the chances for follow-on information remain more likely than the previous attempt: The suspect having a very large online presence, many contacts within government agencies (due to his highly-suspect work to recruit volunteers for Ukraine), and his highly-documented activist work all give a much more complex picture than the previous effort to target Trump. If the suspect remains alive, more information is likely to become available to the public in due time, however this potential remains uncertain. Regarding the USSS response, even fewer details have been released. Considering the suspect does not appear to have successfully used his weapon, many might believe the Secret Service’s actions to be a success. However, one must remember that close protection details are usually the last line of defense for a protectee. Considering the “zero-fail” nature of the USSS, if any malign actor is even able to get within rifle range of the protectee in the first place, this would be a failure of the highest order. Even moreso if the potential shooter remained alive to egress from the area. It is not clear how the suspect knew that Trump would be playing golf at that time and place, nor is it known how the suspect would be able to occupy a position that allowed for a comparatively high chance of success. How (or if) the suspect knew that Trump was only one or two holes away is also not clear, with this detail alone causing questions of whether or not the suspect had prior knowledge of Trump’s movement. However, if the suspect had laid an ambush site and waited for Trump to make his way around the course, this could have been the reason for why the suspect was able to get well within rifle range of Trump. Many may liken this to be another cascading series of failures among the USSS, when the more specific details of the engagement are factored in. The suspect was able to know where Trump was with shocking accuracy, had time to conceal himself in the foliage along a high-traffic roadway that is hard to approach without being spotted, and construct a fighting position that included at least two homemade bulletproof panels for protection. One major unknown detail pertains to how long the suspect remained in his hide site at the perimeter fence before being spotted and engaged. The construction of a hasty fighting position clearly indicates the suspect had vastly more time on his hands than he needed to be operationally effective…if Trump had played a little faster or slower the outcome might have been different. The USSS has claimed that the would-be shooter never had line-of-sight to Trump, which may be technically true, however if the suspect was waiting for Trump to make his way around the course, this factual statement easily loses value because Trump could have been within the shooter’s line-of-sight at a later time (which never arrived due to the engagement). Having already been scrutinized from their grossly negligent and suspicious responses during the Butler shooting, if the USSS is indeed attempting to protect Trump, one might imagine a higher profile protection posture being adopted. Especially when Trump is located at sites that he is well-known to frequent routinely, conducting activities that involve him obviously not wearing body armor, and his close protection detail remaining physically farther from him than at other sites…all on terrain that offers exceptional advantages for a would-be sniper. Additionally, initial media reports indicate that the only reason the suspect was caught relatively quickly was due to a bystander witnessing the suspect flee from the site, taking a picture of his license plate in the process. Automated License Plate Readers on I-95 were used to identify the suspect, after he had successfully gotten away. Had this bystander not been as situationally aware, or as vigilant, a nationwide manhunt could have very well been underway right now. In short, the vulnerabilities displayed by the USSS during the second shooting strongly indicate that clearly not enough has been done to mitigate the deficiencies identified following the first shooting. Some efforts have been undertaken to plus-up Trump’s security, but a second incident being too close for comfort leaves many questions. The USSS also failing in nearly the same ways as the first shooting incident also cannot be dismissed. Considering all of the above factors, the likelihood of a second shooter being as capable as he was, even though the second attack was far less successful than the first, is concerning to the point of being extremely suspicious. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2230Z September 15, 2024// //PRIORITY// //BLUF: GUNMAN ENGAGES TRUMP IN APPARENT SECOND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, TRUMP NOT INJURED IN THE ATTACK, GUNMAN APPREHENDED ALIVE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Florida: This afternoon a gunman attempted to assassinate Donald Trump as he was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach. An unidentified gunman approached the security perimeter of the golf course with an AK-47, and attempted to engage Trump through the perimeter fence. Details of further events remain unconfirmed, however initial reporting indicates a small arms engagement occurred between the suspect and US Secret Service personnel. It is unclear as to if the suspect fired his weapon during the engagement, but follow-on information suggests USSS personnel were able to engage the suspect with suppressing fire before he was able to engage Trump. This engagement caused the suspect to break contact and egress from the area. A few minutes later, the suspect was apprehended via a traffic stop on I-95, after having successfully egressed from the ambush site. The suspect’s rifle and other gear were recovered in the foliage at the perimeter fence vantage point where the shooting took place. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As this incident is currently developing, few details remained confirmed. Additional information remains hard to verify due to deliberate propaganda efforts conducted by mainstream media to downplay this second assassination attempt. Initially, most legacy media sources tried to spin the story as being a shooting between two unrelated parties, that simply took place outside Trump’s establishment. This is NOT the case; this was a deliberate, calculated, and planned attempt on Trump’s life, as evidenced by the details released so far by authorities. The gunshots that were heard originated from the US Secret Service, and were intended to neutralized the suspect. It is not known if the suspect was wounded in the attack, however he did manage to successfully evade capture for several miles as he egressed northbound on I-95. Trump himself posted a statement on social media shortly after the attack, indicating that he was safe. Admin Note: No major indications and warnings of impending strategic activities have been noted over the past few hours. HFGCS and BearNet traffic nominal. Strategic aviation assets operating as normal. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

00:00 - Northeast Region 08:44 - Southeast Region 20:08 - Midwestern Region 25:34 - Western Region 28:50 - Ukraine and the West 43:54 - GhostNet Reports The text version of the Wire can be found on Twitter: https://twitter.com/s2_underground And on our Wire Telegram page here: https://t.me/S2undergroundWire If you would like to support us, we're on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=30479515 And if you don't like Patreon, we're also on Playeur! https://playeur.com/c/S2Underground Disclaimer: No company sponsored this video. In fact, we have ZERO sponsors. We are funded 100% by you, the viewer. All of our funding comes from direct support from platforms like Patreon, or from ad revenue on YouTube. Please note that even though it hurts our income, we still offer ad-free watching via alternative platforms like Odysee, Gab, and (for now) Rumble. Odysee: https://odysee.com/@S2Underground:7 Gab: https://gab.com/S2underground Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/theunderground BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/P2NMGFdt3gf3/ Just a few reminders for everyone who's just become aware of us, in order to keep these briefings from being several hours long, I can't cover everything. I'm probably covering 1% of the world events when we conduct these briefings, so please remember that if I left it out, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's unimportant. Also, remember that I do these briefings quite often, so I might have covered an issue previously that you might not see if you are only watching our most recent videos. I'm also doing this in my spare time, so again I fully admit that these briefings aren't even close to being perfect; I'm going for a healthy blend of speed and quality. If I were to wait and only post a brief when it's "perfect" I would never post anything at all. So expect some minor errors here and there. If there is a major error or correction that needs to be made, I will post it here in the description, and verbally address it in the next briefing. Also, thanks for reading this far. It is always surprising the number of people that don't actually read the description box to find more information. This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney. Our Reading List! https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/133747963-s2-actual The War Kitchen Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmtpjXT22tAWGIlg_xDDPA

IPB Video: https://youtu.be/oIJDMbwziOI Intel Cycle: https://youtu.be/J_fjLoa5rBo Battle Tracking: https://youtu.be/CBHJWfrGKdE 00:00 - Introduction 01:12 - Scale and Perspective 01:55 - The Emergency 03:54 - Terrain 06:42 - Personnel 08:01 - Contingent Situation 08:58 - Security 10:35 - Idle Hands 13:21 - The Question 14:33 - Lead Analyst 20:53 - CUOPS 24:38 - Production Manager 37:45 - FUOPS/Plans 47:22 - Survivability 52:16 - Final Considerations If you would like to support us, we're on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=30479515 And if you don't like Patreon, we're also on Playeur! https://playeur.com/c/S2Underground Disclaimer: No company sponsored this video. In fact, we have ZERO sponsors. We are funded 100% by you, the viewer. All of our funding comes from direct support from platforms like Patreon, or from ad revenue on YouTube. Please note that even though it hurts our income, we still offer ad-free watching via alternative platforms like Odysee, Gab, and (for now) Rumble: Odysee: https://odysee.com/@S2Underground:7 Gab: https://gab.com/S2underground Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/theunderground BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/P2NMGFdt3gf3/ Our Reading List! https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/133747963-s2-actual The War Kitchen Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmtpjXT22tAWGIlg_xDDPA DISCLAIMER: This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney. Our Reading List! https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/133747963-s2-actual The War Kitchen Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYmtpjXT22tAWGIlg_xDDPA Join us on GhostNet! Download the PDF here: https://github.com/s2underground/GhostNet

//The Wire//2200Z September 13, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TEPID ATMOSPHERICS REMAIN THROUGHOUT EUROPE AS U.S. EYES NEXT ESCALATION OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE. // -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Poland: This afternoon a diplomatic incident has mounted following remarks by Polish politicians following the conclusion of a brief state visit by US SECSTATE Blinken. Poland has hosted varying talks related to the Ukrainian War, with Polish leadership expressing support for allowing Ukraine to use increasingly more long-range munitions in attacks on Russia. Russia: President Putin has weighed in on the possibility of the United States allowing the use of long-range precision munitions by Ukraine to strike Russia. Specifically, Putin has directly stated that allowing Ukraine to use munitions that could only function by using NATO support systems (such as being guided by NATO military satellites that Ukraine does not have access to) would be considered to be an attack by NATO itself. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Comments made by one or two Polish Members of the European Parliament hardly constitute the voice of an entire nation. However, this does indicate the level of dissension that is being expressed within some of the Western powers that are more heavily involved in the war. Some nations such as Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom are approaching a crossroads regarding the next phase of the war. So far, the leadership of all western powers has indicated a preference for dragging out the war for as long as possible, and actively seeking to prevent peace talks (as has been a constant trend over the past year). This has been obvious to most for some time, however if elected officials are beginning to oppose the war more strongly (perhaps spurred on by the war in the Middle East), this could cause more serious internal tensions throughout many European nations. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2300Z September 12, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: HURRICANE FRANCINE MAKES LANDFALL. RESIGNATION OF NYPD COMMISSIONER REPORTEDLY PENDING. MAN SELF-IMMOLATES IN THE VICINITY OF ISRAELI CONSULATE IN BOSTON.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Louisiana: Hurricane Francine made landfall last night as a Category 2 hurricane, before rapidly losing strength and becoming a tropical depression. As of this report over 340,000 customers remain without power due to localized flooding and storm damage. New York: Local media reports that NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban is set to announce his resignation soon, amid the continuation of the federal corruption investigation. Massachusetts: A man self-immolated in Boston last night in the vicinity of Park Plaza and Columbus Avenue. No details have been provided by authorities regarding the man’s condition, however he does appear to have survived the incident at the present moment, albeit with extremely severe burns. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The incident in Boston has received very little mainstream media attention, and therefore very few details remain certain. However, it’s possible that this situation has been influenced by deliberate misinformation efforts by mainstream media. Local media claims that the man set himself on fire outside the Four Seasons hotel. This is technically correct. However, across the street from the hotel is a small Israeli diplomatic station, the Boston Consulate for Israel. Considering this proximity, and the very high income nature of the area (in which these graphic incidents are rare) it’s very likely that this was yet another horrific act of protest against Israel. The Saunders Building (across the street from where the incident occurred) has been the site of other protests against Israel as well, having been identified as the location for the diplomatic station many months ago by demonstrators. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2230Z September 11, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: US SENDS ANOTHER AID PACKAGE TO UKRAINE. INDIA/CHINA BORDER DISPUTE CONTINUES. // -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Southern Asia: Border tensions between India and China have begun to slightly escalate again as China has increased their presence in the highly-contested Arunachal Pradesh region. Monday afternoon, a local news outlet published photos indicating the presence of a previous Chinese encampment in the region, along with local HUMINT that suggests other PLA encampments becoming more common throughout the region over the past few months. AC: Details are hard to confirm, but the reason this may increase tensions is due to the location itself. Allegedly, graffiti and PLA ration pack wrappers were found almost 40 miles across the border, deep inside the contested region. India and China have been squabbling over this region for many years, along with other border disputes that go back decades. However, if PLA troops are patrolling this deep over the border, these increasing border incursions could be yet another point for worsening relations between nations that are already very adversarial. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. – This afternoon the State Department announced another aid package for Ukraine, totaling $717 million. This comes as SECSTATE Blinken states that Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran for use in Ukraine. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Considering the continuing trend of escalations within the Ukrainian War, the next very likely step would be for the United States to allow for even fewer restrictions on the use of American-made weapons by Ukraine. Both sides have increasingly begun slipping their gloves off slowly as the two years of stagnation have given way to increased efforts by both sides to return to a war of motion or in some way change the dynamic of how the war has gone so far. If Ukraine begins to lash out at Moscow even more deliberately than they have already, Russia will respond in kind. Likewise, as Russian gains are made on the Eastern Front, and Ukraine’s foray into Kursk remains relatively stagnant, Ukraine will without question take advantage of all of the technology the United States gives them. For both Zelensky and Putin winning at all costs is the goal. Which, considering the imbalance between the two nations, is undoubtedly resulting in more devastation for one party than the other. Escalating a war to include more civilian targets, more long-range attacks on civilian centers, more attacks on oil fields, or generally moving towards a state of Total War, is very unwise to encourage when these last-ditch efforts are not only unlikely to result in any meaningful change, but also decreasing the chances for a favorable peace deal at a later time. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z September 10, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: UKRAINE CONTINUES LONG-RANGE ATTACKS ON RUSSIA. U.K. PARLIAMENT VOTES AGAINST MEASURE TO STOP THE AXING OF WINTER FUEL PAYMENT. SEARCH FOR INTERSTATE GUNMAN IN KENTUCKY CONTINUES.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Russia: Ukraine conducted another significant drone attack on Moscow, resulting in the death of one woman. Russia claims to have downed 144 drones in varying regions of Russia overnight. AC: This continues the increase in long-range attacks by Ukraine, as their options have become limited by their own advance in Kursk. Over the past few months and weeks, the attacks carried out by Ukraine on obviously civilian structures (such as residential apartment buildings), have also become more common. United Kingdom: This afternoon, a snap vote in the House of Commons resulted in a majority of MPs voting to cut this year’s Winter Fuel Payment for most of the country, as part of budgetary constraints. As of this vote, the cuts to this program will go ahead. -HomeFront- Kentucky: The search for interstate shooting suspect Joseph Couch continues in the vicinity of Exit 49 of I-75. Schools remain closed and local authorities continue to urge locals to remain vigilant. At least three of the victims remain in critical condition as a result of the attack. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As the search area for Joseph Couch is located in extremely rugged and remote terrain, significant challenges remain in locating him. Additionally, some details released by authorities indicate that he had initially planned to conduct the attack, then take his own life. If he did follow through on the final part of his plan, locating his body will be very difficult and might not happen anytime soon. Aerial assets are not particularly helpful in locating a single person through extremely thick overhead canopy, and in rugged terrain require being almost directly over the target. Thermal imaging is helpful to a degree, but also not as helpful as one might imagine in thick vegetation, or in situations where the target is no longer producing a heat signature. Local media is highlighting Couch’s prior military service as a means of insinuating that he is a Rambo-like figure. However, considering the likely domestic incident that led up to this attack, it’s not likely that Couch has made preparations for evading capture in the long term. In the United Kingdom, though a foreign concept for Americans, the Winter Fuel Payment is a well-known governmental benefit relied upon by British pensioners (retirees) as a means of helping elderly citizens with winter heating costs. As energy costs in the U.K. are known to be a major concern for low-income elderly citizens, this benefit is a big deal throughout the British Isles and has become even more critical due to the extreme costs of energy that have fallen upon the European continent due to the Ukrainian War. As such, any effort to restrict this benefit is usually the end of one’s political career due to this benefit being a critical part of British culture; historically, this is simply not a benefit to trifle with politically, as far as citizens are concerned. However, over the past few months of PM Starmer’s government, this benefit has been on the chopping block almost in its entirety, with only a handful of people remaining eligible for the benefit as of this year. This afternoon, Conservative MPs attempted to call a vote to halt the axing of this program, a vote which failed 348 to 228. As this vote was not even close, plans to cut this benefit for most people probably will go ahead. Labour MPs are probably riding on the recent pay raise given to the state pension program to help lessen the blow, however these complexities are unlikely to matter much to the average taxpayer. More broadly, this is yet another major milestone in Britain’s rough political landscape, and is likely to result in even more anti-government sentiment. Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment would have been a groundbreaking scandal in its own right, but considering the context of anti-government sentiment throughout Britain, this adds more fuel to the fire. Throughout the history of governance itself, when a government is facing domestic troubles and a very dissatisfied population, cutting social programs is usually the last thing that’s recommended; It’s generally ill advised to target the long-standing social benefits of vulnerable populations when the populace at large is already holding torches and pitchforks. As if the average indigenous Briton could not be more furious at their own government, Parliament going after pensioners is likely to make the situation worse all around regardless of political ideology or affiliation. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z September 9, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MANHUNT UNDERWAY IN KENTUCKY FOLLOWING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AMBUSH. TDA MEMBERS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN COLORADO FREED ON BAIL.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Kentucky: A manhunt is underway following a shooting that took place on I-75 in Laurel County. Saturday evening a man lying in ambush conducted a small arms attack on random vehicles passing by on the interstate in the vicinity of Exit 49. 5x people were wounded in the attack, and most local schools have canceled classes as the manhunt continues. Authorities have identified the suspect as Joseph Couch, and recovered a weapon and vehicle shortly after the shootings were reported. AC: Text messages sent to a female contact by the shooter before the incident indicate that, while the shooter did plan the attack to some degree, this may have been a mental health/domestic incident rather than a more calculated terror attack. Nevertheless, local authorities have stated the suspect is armed and dangerous, and hiding out in the vicinity of the ambush site in extremely rugged terrain. Colorado: Two of the four mid-level TdA “shot callers” that were arrested last week, have been freed on bail. Both of the Perez brothers posted $1,000 bail and are no longer in custody, despite still being in the Untied States illegally, and both originally being arrested for attempted murder. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As the catch-and-release of extremely High Value Individuals (HVIs) affiliated with organized crime becomes more common, it’s likely that local TdA (and other gangs) will become emboldened, as has happened for years in most major American cities. This also signals to the American taxpayer that the justice system is not only not serious about the TdA issues in Colorado, but also not interested in even pretending to care. Arresting a few shot callers and declaring victory over crime would have been expected even just a few years ago, but the local judicial system (along with federal law enforcement) letting these men go free on such low bail (while facing capital charges, and both obviously being extreme flight risks) is very telling. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

Sorry about the delay on this one, for some reason the upload took extra long today. Either way, lots of stuff as usual, but in the grand scheme of things just a lot of minor irritants this week or stuff that will become more of a concern later on. Hope to have some more info on Monday regarding a lot of the topics I didn't cover this weekend; there are a few news stories that I'd like to dig deeper into next week. 00:00 - Northeast Region 03:19 - Southeast Region 16:43 - Western Region 21:30 - Red Sea/HOA Region 26:46 - Mediterranean/Southern Europe 33:04 - GhostNet Reports

//The Wire//2300Z September 6, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: AMERICAN KILLED BY IDF SNIPER IN WEST BANK. TDA MEMBERS ARRESTED IN COLORADO.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Diplomatic tensions have arisen as a result of Israeli forces killing an American citizen in the West Bank via sniper fire. The White House has voiced concern regarding the attack, which has focused attention on the use of lethal force against unarmed protesters, as well as the reasoning behind Israeli operations in the West Bank at large. -HomeFront- Colorado: Several arrests have been made of Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the Aurora/Denver area. The Perez brothers, and the Pacheco-Chirinos brothers have been arrested following an increased spotlight on TdA activity in the area. USA: This morning the Social Security Administration experienced a nationwide IT outage, with all field offices being closed for in-person services due to impacts to computer systems. The nature of the outage has not been disclosed, however most SSA online services appear to be offline for the time being. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: All four of the TdA members that were arrested in Colorado are mid-level leadership for TdA, and were deliberately released into the United States by ICE after entering the U.S. illegally at the southern border. The removal of key leadership in Aurora can impact TdA operations in the short term, however it’s not clear as to how seriously this will change the situation in the long term. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2300Z September 5, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TENSIONS CONTINUE TO ESCALATE IN SOMALIA. NYPD COMMISSIONER RAIDED BY FBI. SWEDISH FOREIGN MINISTER RESIGNS.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- France: The fire that destroyed a large historic cathedral in Saint-Omer has been confirmed to be arson, with the assailant being arrested shortly after the fire broke out. Yesterday authorities identified the arsonist as Joël Vigoureux, an infamous far-left, anti-Christian arsonist with an extensive criminal record. He has been convicted 25 times, with 8 convictions specifically for setting fire to Christian churches. Sweden: Foreign Minister Tobias Billström unexpectedly announced his resignation yesterday. AC: Billström had been a key figure in Sweden becoming a NATO member, which was finalized back in March after many months of consternation and hold-ups from other NATO members. Red Sea/HOA: Limited reporting on social media indicates the deteriorating relations between Ethiopia and Egypt, via their respective proxies Somaliland and Somalia. Continuing the trend of escalating tensions in the region, Ethiopia has reportedly begun the staging of troops and equipment at the border of Somalia. AC: This is likely in response to Egypt announcing large-scale military exercises within Somalia. Egypt has deployed thousands of soldiers to take part in training exercises in Somalia, further strengthening ties with Mogadishu, in addition to diplomatically insulting Ethiopia, who also has thousands of soldiers deployed in a peacekeeping role in Somalia. -HomeFront- New York: This morning, eco-activists and pro-Palestine activists protested outside the headquarters of Citibank in NYC. Most demonstrators were arrested after blocking the main entrance to the facility. In Queens, the residence of the NYPD Commissioner was raided by the FBI this afternoon. Commissioner Caban’s other residence in Hamilton Heights was also raided at the same time. AC: The reason for the raids has not been publicly disclosed, however it’s probably linked to the FBI targeting of various New York officials under the larger umbrella of anti-corruption and/or campaign finance violations. Some sources claim that the raid on the Commissioner is not linked to NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ corruption probe, however very few details remain public regarding these latest raids. Ohio: This afternoon a large fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing plant in Akron. A fire was reported at the SMB International chemical factory on Rosemary Blvd, which produces and packages chemicals such as propane and methanol. District Fire Chief Sierjie Lash instituted a half-mile evacuation zone this afternoon, as this facility is completely surrounded by densely-packed residential neighborhoods, Section 8 housing, and the city airport. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Both Egypt and Ethiopia are probably conducting mirroring military exercises as a posturing gesture. However the potential for this to deteriorate into a legitimate war is very high, considering the vitriol displayed by all parties for the past couple of years. If the situation comes to a head and Ethiopia is planning some sort of ground offensive within Somalia, this could be challenging for many reasons. Firstly, Ethiopia has already had a significant military presence within the failed-state of Somalia for some time. Egypt also is also likely to feel the strain of being spread too thin, along with the obvious conflict on their own border with Gaza. Egypt seeking out a conflict thousands of miles from home, when Israeli forces have permanently occupied the Philidelphi Corridor, is very telling as to where Egyptian priorities lie. For Ethiopia, the next major milestone to watch out for would be for Ethiopia to recognize Somaliland as an independent state. If this happens, it’s likely to serve as a catalyst for a substantial conflict, which is likely to spark yet another more organized regional war. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z September 4, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: STABBING ATTACK OCCURS IN GERMANY. MANY HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS RESIGN IN UKRAINE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Germany: This morning a stabbing attack occurred in Bonn, resulting in the wounding of two people. Authorities shot and killed the attacker during the incident. Middle East: Conflict continues in the West Bank as Israeli operations meet resistance in some cities. Israeli operations have slowly increased over the past few weeks as Israeli forces greatly expand clearance operations throughout the West Bank. Ukraine: The war remains intense as Russian and Ukrainian forces conduct long-range missile and drone attacks deep behind each other’s lines. Of note, several high-ranking Ukrainian governmental officials have resigned. So far, the resignations include the Foreign Minister, Justice Minister, Strategic Industries Minister, Environmental Protection Minister, a Deputy Prime Minister, a Vice Prime Minister, and the Head of the State Property Fund. Other high-level officials have been outright dismissed, such as the Deputy Head of the Office of the President. Most of the President’s Cabinet has also changed over, with members transitioning to other roles. -HomeFront- Oregon: Paul Harrell, the legendary firearms expert and weapons education advocate, passed away last night. Paul had been diagnosed with cancer last year, and despite the illness being caught early, Paul’s time as a bedrock of knowledge was tragically cut short. His brother Roy and his manager Brad plan to continue Paul’s work, and ensure his legacy is remembered by all for years to come. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In war, several high-ranking officials resigning all on the same day, at the height of a major military campaign, is not typically a good sign. Ukrainian sources have claimed that these resignations and firings are simply a “restructuring”, however much uncertainty abounds due to the sheer number of vacant positions and personnel shifts that have occurred within such a short period of time. This “restructuring” also highlights the fact that Zelensky himself is technically unelected at this point as his own term of office ended in May, with him only remaining in power due to his own declaration of martial law and thus the cessation of elections. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z September 3, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CONFLICT CONTINUES TO ESCALATE IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE. USS WASP SCHEDULED TO DEPART TURKEY ASAP. CONCERNS GROW REGARDING TDA MILITANTS SPREADING INFLUENCE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Russia: Conflict continues to escalate as both Russia and Ukraine ramp up efforts to return to a war of motion once again. Russia has claimed to have downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace over the past few days, as Ukraine continues to attempt long-range attacks against targets deep inside Russia, to include Moscow. Russia has responded in kind with cruise missile strikes on many targets deep inside Ukraine. Russia continues to push westward in the Donetsk region, as front lines that haven’t moved in months suddenly become more dynamic. The Ukrainian advance into Kursk continues, but has largely slowed as Russian forces have focused on containment instead of a brute-force, large-scale counterattack. AC: Ukraine (led by their American advisors) undoubtedly launched the Kursk offensive with the goal of pulling Russian troops from other fronts, and tying them down defending their own homeland. It’s possible that Russia is focusing on turning the tables and doing the exact same thing to Ukraine…Ukrainian forces are now bogged down in Kursk, and can’t reinforce the collapsing lines on the eastern front. Only time will tell how effective either party will be, as both sides are making large strategic gambles in their responses to the events in Kursk. Turkey: US 6th Fleet confirmed yesterday’s incident involving several US Marines in Izmir. Local Turkish authorities also claim that the assailants have been arrested, though no independent verification of this is possible. The situation regarding the USS Wasp herself remains tenuous as thousands of protesters continue to protest outside the pier where the Wasp remains berthed. The Wasp has canceled all liberty for sailors and the embarked Marines, and is intending to get underway and depart Turkey as soon as possible. -HomeFront- Illinois: Overnight in Chicago, police radio traffic was intercepted by scanner watchers indicating a possible apartment takeover by Venezuelans. The apartment complex noted in the call is a Section 8 housing project on South King Drive. AC: Details are very sketchy regarding this incident. It must be stressed that the police radio traffic was a standard message from dispatch noting what a 911 caller stated in their complaint, so this information is not originating from LE sources. However, reports of large crowds of armed males are not entirely uncommon to the area, which is host to exceptionally high levels of crime. No further radio traffic from dispatch indicated the veracity of the original report, or if officers even responded to the call. However if a genuine incident was developing, other means of internal LE communications could have been used to prevent the interception of radio traffic. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As the situation regarding TdA in Colorado continues, many areas around the country are on edge regarding the potential for TdA (or even more notorious groups) to conduct similar takeover operations in their areas, and beginning to set up strongholds in smaller cities around the United States. Like it or not, Colorado officials, and authorities in Denver and Aurora have given criminal syndicates not just the keys to the castle, but the recipes for success around the country as well. Now, even low-level criminals around the country know that they can probably be successful in their own areas, at least in locations where the rule of law is only selectively applied to citizens, with local authorities leaving migrant populations largely to their own devices. The power vacuums that have been created in the past 6 months alone are likely to result in even haphazardly-organized gangs having even more success than they themselves ever imagined. Gangs like TdA have the overwhelming advantage of violence of action, which has allowed them to seize the initiative in many areas. Right now, TdA is dominant throughout Aurora and Denver, and has established operations largely in an adversary free environment for the time being. However, this status quo is unlikely to be long-lasting; if a powerful adversarial gang were to challenge TdA’s authority, exceptionally graphic violence and utter brutality will very likely be the result. In the long term, this unique situation could possibly escalate to the point where more kinetic actions are taking place, but local authorities will continue to treat the situation as strictly a law enforcement issue, much like has been done in major cities for the past few decades. In other words, local authorities are looking at this issue through the lens of law enforcement, when TdA itself is looking at this through a more military-centric lens. This is already causing a mis-alignment of priorities; any junior infantryman can see the warfare doctrine that criminal groups are now using, straight out of basic warfare publications. The situation has already gotten out of hand, but is nowhere near as bad as it could be if key TdA leadership find themselves operating in a contested environment. If low-level gangs with not that much power internationally have been able to gain a strong foothold and tactically occupy and hold Key Terrain within any American city, and do so without being challenged, this perhaps warrants a change in perspective or at minimum a re-assessment of how the issue began in the first place (and the NGOs that directly caused this issue, working in conjunction with federal immigration officials). Even with the understanding that LE institutions are bound by their own regulations, and have been established for the purpose of enforcing laws in a civil society, perhaps there is some benefit to be had from a change in perspective with regards to some of the more serious, foreign-based threats that are becoming more common. Even now, tough questions are now being asked by the citizenry caught in this mess, namely: What can the average person do when foreign criminal gangs militarily occupy terrain within their neighborhood, and local LE are deliberately ignoring the issue out of fear and/or the lack of capabilities to do anything meaningful? Taking things a step further, if the situation develops to the point that a more military response is called for, in a post-COVID era (where trust in military institutions is wavering at best) how can a citizenry be reassured that a military response to this crisis would actually be in their best interests? Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2000Z September 2, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: UNITED STATES HIJACKS VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT. POSSIBLE US SERVICE MEMBERS ATTACKED IN TURKEY. HISTORIC FRENCH CHURCH BURNS IN SAINT OMER.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Turkey: This morning, Turkish government officials allegedly leaked Turkey’s bid to join BRICS. AC: Very few details have leaked, however it’s likely that Turkey has secretly been in talks to join BRICS for many months, since the new additions of the UAE, Saudia Arabia, Iran, and others earlier this spring. This morning, local Turkish media (and users on social media) published videos of what have been claimed to be US service members from the USS WASP ARG being assaulted/abused in the streets of Izmir during a routine port call. AC: The USS Wasp did arrive in Izmir yesterday, as confirmed by social media posts by U.S. Fleet Forces Command. However, it’s not clear as to if the people being assaulted in the viral videos that have circulated social media are indeed US service members. No statements by defense officials have emerged to confirm or deny this incident as of this report. Middle East: US CENTCOM released a press statement over the weekend highlighting the wounding of 7 US service members during an operation in western Iraq. The report claims that 15 ISIS militants were killed during the operation, which was conducted in coordination with local Iraqi support. Israel: Protests voicing opposition to Netanyahu ignited again last night. Domestic demonstrations against the Israeli government have been regular over the past few months, but after the discovery of 6 dead hostages in Gaza a few days ago, demonstrations have become more widespread. France: Early this morning another major church fire broke out in Pas-de-Calais. The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer suffered a catastrophic fire, resulting in the collapse of the Steeple. The cause of the fire is not known. AC: This continues the trend of historic church fires throughout France, as this church was originally completed in 1859 and renovated in 2018. Dominican Republic: The United States hijacked the personal aircraft of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This was conducted via a covert operation in the Dominican Republic, as American operatives allegedly acting via the DoJ, DHS, and DoS stole the plane as it was parked on the ground. Far East: Tensions between the Philippines and China again came to a head near the Sabina Shoal over the weekend, as another collision occurred between PLAN and Philippine Coast Guard vessels. AC: This is the third deliberate collision reported over the past few months, with Chinese and Filipino vessels routinely increasing harassment operations against each other, which now include routine and deliberate collisions between vessels. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Very few details remain confirmed concerning the possible incident involving US service members in Turkey, however this situation bears very familiar hallmarks of previous incidents. The attack was carried out by the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB), a well-known revolutionary organization (comprised largely of a conglomeration of Socialists and Turkish Nationalists). Of note, this attack is not the first carried out by this group; nearly-identical attacks were carried out on US service members in 2011, 2013, and 2014. TGB is particularly fond of more-kinetic actions that take the form of restraining US service members and placing a bag over their head, echoing the historical tones of the organization’s Socialist origins. In any case, restraining, beating, and mock-executing US service members is a pastime of this organization that more broadly is often an indicator of Turkish sentiment throughout the region. Regarding the theft of Maduro’s aircraft, questions remain both regarding the legality of seizing another nation’s diplomatic assets from within the sovereignty of another nation (i.e. the Dominican Republic), as well as the almost-certain retaliatory actions by Venezuela. At minimum, this operation has been the epitome of a tactical success, but strategic failure, and has created extreme vulnerabilities within every sector from infrastructure to organized crime…all for almost zero gain to the United States. Though it may seem excessive to lay such criticism on the US State Department (and other agencies) for carrying out this operation, the very real dangers that this foolhardy stunt are likely to bring about are no laughing matter. Stealing a foreign Head of State’s aircraft is unheard of in the international community, especially if a state of war has not been declared. This is largely due to the generally recognized practices of diplomacy, and the diplomatic protections that are granted to the logistical equipment and staff that ensure international diplomatic efforts. The United States has a formalized diplomatic mission to Venezuela, and therefore is bound by a plethora of international (and domestic) agreements to remain civil in the international arena. As such, the United States committing Grand Theft Auto is unlikely to be considered to be in keeping with the highest traditions of the diplomatic services. Adding salt to the wound is the very important detail of why the aircraft was in the Dominican Republic….peace talks. Maduro had traveled to the D.R. to participate in talks with his political opposition, following the questionable election that recently took place in Venezuela. It’s not immediately clear as to if the aircraft was actively being used to transport Maduro or his staff at the time of the theft, or if it was staged at the location on a more long-term basis (due to the Dominican Republic being a frequent intermediary location for Venezuelan negotiations). In any case, this move is almost completely negligible in terms of assets seized, but absolutely effective in neutralizing any hope of reconciliation between Venezuela and the United States. If Maduro wants to play ball and retaliate, he has the means, motive, and opportunity to cause catastrophic and crippling damage via a variety of means, but especially the readily-accessible and vulnerable petroleum infrastructure for the both the North and South American continents. As this incident applies to the basic doctrine of warfare, it’s exceptionally ill-advised to steal an adversary’s $13 million aircraft to score minor political points when hundreds of billions of dollars worth of your own petroleum infrastructure (along with some of the largest oil deposits on the entire planet) are located within the Orinoco Belt immediately adjacent to (and within) the territorial waters of that same adversary. Other factors that highlight the gross imbecility of this foolhardy operation are the thousands of American citizens located within Venezuela right now. Very little effort would be required of the Venezuelan government to turn these US Persons into hostages. Slightly more realistically, if an evacuation of American citizens is necessary, even the Taliban would be more likely to work with the US government to secure an evacuation than Maduro at this point. From Maduro’s perspective, right now would be an excellent time to parade a few American citizens in front of the cameras as “spies”, or otherwise cause untold problems for the United States…all with the knowledge of the upcoming US election. Even the US State Department’s own travel advisory for Venezuela states that “The Department has determined there is a high risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Venezuela. Security forces have detained U.S. citizens for up to five years. The U.S. government is not generally notified of the detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or granted access to U.S. citizen prisoners there”. Furthermore, as Venezuelan gangs pour into the United States, Maduro seeks to gain immense benefit from taking advantage of this incident. Gangs such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) oppose Maduro, and have carried out violent attacks against governmental forces within Venezuela. If Maduro is able to bury-the-hatchet (or at least make a deal) with this gang (or others), he’ll have even more access to the many Venezuelan criminal syndicates which have already obtained a significant military foothold within the United States. Even more broadly than tensions with Venezuela, if the US has set the precedent of stealing diplomatically-protected assets around the world, the situation with other nations hostile to the United States could become more serious as well. Now that the US has set the precedent, every single American diplomatic station is at risk of being targeted, even in nations which are friendly to the US. Though the risks to US Persons overseas may be slow to build, State Department personnel giving themselves awards or challenge coins for this operation is unlikely to mean much if the Diplomatic Security Service, USMC FAST teams, JTF or other agencies are called into action six months from now to defend a random diplomatic station’s assets overseas…all because of the actions of the State Department itself. Consequently, even if the State Department thinks that relations with Venezuela can’t get much worse, this political stunt has (at minimum) set a precedent to directly endanger the safety and security of Americans abroad, and very seriously impacted the nature of American diplomatic efforts around the globe. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

Hey everyone, anther week gone by, another week of pretty strange happenings. Not too much to sink our teeth into this time, but still a lot of interesting events nonetheless. Now's definitely the time for learning, and undoubtedly lots of malign actors are doing the same these days. It's hard to figure out how much to balance these things, but having a more measured approach is probably more helpful, even in the face of really serious events happening. 00:00 - Northeast Region 05:10 - Western Region 12:25 - United Kingdom 14:49 - Middle East 16:36 - Red Sea/HOA Region 20:20 -GhostNet Reports

//The Wire//2230Z August 30, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: BRONX EXPLOSION CAUSES DAMAGE TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. STABBING ATTACKS CONTINUE IN U.K. ALONG WITH CRACKDOWNS ON SPEECH.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- United Kingdom: Last night a 13-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in Birmingham. Around the country arrests of dissenting citizens continue. Another round of raids and arrests has been launched to target those who have expressed dissenting opinion online, or participated in demonstrations against government. The situation has been exacerbated by the arrest of an 11-year-old child, who allegedly made offensive remarks online. Arrests continue nonetheless, as British authorities prioritize the targeting of speech crimes throughout the nation. Germany: A mass stabbing attack took place on a bus in Siegen this afternoon, injuring five people. Of those wounded, three remain in serious condition. AC: Of note, the assailant in this case appears to have been female who may have been under the influence of drugs/alcohol. Brazil: Twitter/X has been banned nationwide following months of controversy regarding Elon Musk resisting the mandates imposed on the platform. AC: At the head of this debate has been Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has personally attempted to force Twitter/X to ban his political opposition under the banner of fighting “disinformation”. -HomeFront- New York: This afternoon an unidentified military-aged male emplaced a possible Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the entrance of a residential building in the 2400 block of Hughes Avenue in the Bronx. A few minutes after the individual departed from the location, the device exploded, causing damage to the building. No injuries have been reported as a result of the blast. The person-of-interest who deposited the possible IED at the location remains at large, being last seen on a red scooter heading southbound on Arthur Avenue. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Not many details have been released regarding the Bronx IED incident. So far, nothing indicates whether or not this incident was a deliberate terror attack or more indicative of local crime. IED attacks in the U.S. are quite rare, and successful detonations even more uncommon. As such, if this incident did involve the use of a deliberately constructed IED, this is nonetheless concerning, even if it was used in a more traditionally criminal role. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z August 29, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: STABBING ATTACKS CONTINUE IN ENGLAND. VENEZUELAN GANG EXPANDS INFLUENCE IN COLORADO.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- United Kingdom: Stabbing attacks continue as before. A disabled man was fatally stabbed in the Clapton area of London yesterday. Another unidentified individual was also located in the vicinity with stab wounds. U.K. authorities have also released crime data on the crimes that occurred at the Notting Hill Carnival event over the weekend. At least 5 stabbings and one acid attack were reported at this event. -HomeFront- Colorado: Concerns are increasing in Aurora regarding the expansion of Tren de Aragua (TdA) operations that have been slowly becoming more significant over the past few months. Over the past few days TdA militants at the Fitzsimons Apartments in Aurora have expanded efforts to control Key Terrain in the vicinity of the apartment complex, with many of the residents who still remain alleging that TdA has in effect “taken over” the entire apartment block. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As a reminder, this issue involving TdA in Colorado is not new by any means, however the actions by gang members to expand operations over the past couple of weeks have given locals increased cause for concern. This situation originated last year when the owners/developers of the complex allowed the tenement building to fall into disarray, prompting the city to attempt to shut the complex down due to health and safety violations. Last year, TdA militants filled the power vacuum that was created, occupying most of the vacant apartments at the complex. A few months ago, a DHS memo was issued to LE sources warning that TdA militants had been given permission to expand operations and target LE if necessary. Moving forward to today, TdA maintains a significant presence at this location. Right now, local LE are claiming that reports of TdA militants are rare, despite the plethora of local reports of armed gang members openly patrolling the area, and even federal involvement via counterterrorism agencies. Though this situation is concerning for locals, more broadly this highlights an unpleasant reality of cartel operations expanding into the US, in coordination with the millions of unvetted populations of military-aged males entering into the US: Once a small criminal element gains a foothold in an area expansion can happen very quickly, turning a small problem into a very large problem in short order. More strategically, this is a case-study that serves as a model for assessing similar situations in most major US cities (but especially smaller cities and towns) where similar power-vacuums are being created; similar efforts by other groups are extremely likely over the next few years in any area where large numbers of foreign migrants/militants are being resettled to. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2300Z August 28, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: HOUTHIS ALLEGEDLY ALLOW THE RECOVERY OF THE SOUNION SUPERTANKER IN RED SEA. EGYPT STRENGTHENS TIES WITH SOMALIA.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Red Sea/HOA: The Houthi government has indicated that they will allow the towing/salvage of the supertanker Sounion, which was targeted by Houthi forces last week. The crew abandoned ship after the attack, and the vessel has been adrift for almost a week. Yesterday, a passing merchant vessel spotted the Sounion, which has not sunk and is still on fire. AC: As a reminder of the magnitude of this incident, the Sounion is carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil, or roughly three times the amount spilled during the infamous Exxon Valdez incident in 1989. So far, no significant oil leaks have been reported by the EU ships shadowing the stricken vessel. Northern Africa: Egypt has begun the delivery of weapons to Somalia, reigniting tensions in the region. Ethiopia (who has a history of conflict and centuries of negative relations with Somalia) has voiced outrage at the military trade pact, claiming that this increased partnership is intended to destabilize the region, and negatively impact their increasing ties with Somaliland (a diplomatically ambiguous region in western Somalia). -HomeFront- USA: Yesterday nationwide impacts to cellular communications were reported among AT&T users. AT&T confirmed the sporadic outages and attributed the incident to an issue at a switching center. This systems failure resulted in random outages of many services that rely on AT&T infrastructure, to include 911 call centers in some states. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As the US election cycle continues, malign actors both foreign and domestic have the means, motive, and opportunities to target telecoms infrastructure in any way possible. The recent AT&T outages have been extremely serious, impacting FirstNet services and other critical infrastructure…all without the involvement of any nefarious entity. As such, it’s extremely likely that perfectly innocent mistakes or routine service interruptions would be compounded by nefarious intent. In short, a communications outage may begin as an accident, but might not remain as such due to the efforts of malign actors who seek to capitalize on the situation. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2300Z August 27, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: KURSK OFFENSIVE CONTINUES, RUSSIA MAKES GAINS IN THE EAST.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- United Kingdom: The crackdown on dissent continues as the arrest of peaceful protesters remains constant. AC: Details regarding demonstrations and protests have slowed, likely due to government suppression, censorship, or by most people choosing to protect themselves by not posting online. As such, most of the information confirming the presence of protests are arrest reports or other official press statements. Russia: As conflict in Kursk remains fluid, Russia has made gains on the eastern front. Russian troops have made limited advances in the Donetsk region, with notable advances to expand the salient northwest of Donetsk into Marynivka. -HomeFront- Georgia: Two workers were killed conducting routine maintenance at the Delta TechOps facility in Atlanta. The incident occurred when a large aircraft tire exploded, killing two workers and seriously injuring a third. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As always, there are two sides to every coin, which is most poignantly demonstrated in Kursk. Russia has almost certainly slowed the Ukrainian advance somewhat, or at minimum greatly reduced the risk to the city of Kursk for the time being. However, it’s not likely that Ukraine ever really intended for their advance to capture (or even challenge) Kursk from the very onset of this operation. For the past week, the situation in Kursk has remained extremely fluid and open to interpretation; very few details indicate how the situation is going, with neither side convincingly holding any terrain unquestionably. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//

//The Wire//2200Z August 26, 2024// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: ISRAEL CONDUCTS AIRSTRIKES IN LEBANON. TELEGRAM FOUNDER ARRESTED IN FRANCE. HOUTHIS CONTINUE TO HONE TARGETING TACTICS.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: Yesterday at approximately 0500B Israeli forces conducted substantial airstrikes within southern Lebanon, reportedly targeting pre-staged Hezbollah rockets. Immediately in retaliation to these strikes, Hezbollah counterattacked by firing hundreds of rockets that Israeli forces did not successfully target. Due to this latest escalation, most commercial aviation has been sporadically halted throughout the region, and Israel has declared a state of emergency for the next 48 hours. France: Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested by French authorities over the weekend. The arrest was made in conjunction with alleged violations of the European Union mandates within the Digital Services Act (DSA). AC: This arrest was made under many of the same conditions and allegations that other social media platform owners have faced, who do not abide by the EU’s censorship mandates. Durov is being prosecuted under the same blanket of threats that the EU has issued to Elon Musk and other social media giants. Consequently, the founder of Rumble, Chris Pavlovski, immediately departed Europe for his own safety, due to the precedent that has now been set. Red Sea/HOA: Houthi targeting continues as before, with some change in tactics. Details of the targeting of the M/V Sounion have come to light, namely that the targeting was possibly not carried out by a cruise missile or unmanned vessel, but by explosive charges being affixed to the side of the vessel by Houthi militants in small craft. This theory is supported by the vessel reporting being shadowed for some time by militants in small craft. AC: Though the use of improvised Limpet mines to target vessels is not a new concept, (if true) this does mark a change in Houthi tactics, which over the past few months have become more broad and technically skilled. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. – The Pentagon is moving forward with the latest round of fleet reduction efforts, and is reportedly planning to mothball 17 more vessels. This fleet reduction is allegedly due to the dwindling numbers of Merchant Mariners that are able to help crew and maintain various classes of support vessel. Most of the vessels marked for placement into “extended maintenance” are Fast Transport ships, and a few replenishment vessels. AC: Of note, two expeditionary seabase vessels (the USS Lewis Puller and the USS Herschel “Woody” Williams) are on the chopping block, which signals the desperation of the fleet. The Puller is a brand-new vessel (being commissioned only in 2017) and has seen only seven years of service before being mothballed. The “Woody” Williams is even newer, only being commissioned in 2020, and having seen only four years of service. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: At this juncture, it would be safe to conclude that the Middle East peace talks have not been successful. The strikes in Lebanon are probably the largest operation carried out by Israel in Lebanon in decades, with well over 45 different sites/towns reportedly being struck in some way. Right now, it is not clear as to if some sort of Israeli ground operation is planned (though this potential appears to be unlikely for the time being). Consequently, the potential for ground forces to become involved (to some degree) cannot be dismissed in the future as Israeli operations expand. What’s less clear at the moment is which party is to blame for this latest serious escalation. If Israeli intelligence did indeed intercept the locations of dozens of pre-staged rocket sites, the question remains regarding how Hezbollah was able to launch hundreds of rockets within just a few minutes of the first Israeli strikes. So far, all of these details could point to any number of plausible theories. On the one hand, the retaliatory rocket launches could confirm that Israeli intelligence was accurate, and that the Israeli strikes may have been valid by western standards. On the other hand, since so few actual rocket sites seem to have been successfully targeted, and Hezbollah was able to launch hundreds of rockets after the first Israeli barrage, this could also indicate that Israel didn’t actually try to target valid military equipment/installations. The truth is probably a blend of these two extremes; Israel probably wanted to kick the hornet’s nest at first to draw out rocket launch locations. Hezbollah likewise without question had (and still have) hundreds of rockets already in launch tubes pointed at Israel. Whether or not Hezbollah was planning to launch them first, we’ll never know (due to Israel’s allegedly “pre-emptive” strikes). In any case, these details are unlikely to matter much as the escalations continue. Analyst: S2A1 //END REPORT//