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Colombia Says No to US Military Intervention in Venezuela

On Sunday Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos told United States VP Mike Pence that he and other Latin American countries will not abide by President Donald Trump’s threat to use military action in Venezuela.

Pence, speaking at a joint news conference with Santos in Cartagena, didn’t rule out using military force, but kept his comments vague, not mentioning using force at all. Instead, he told Santos that the US would much prefer what he called a “peaceable” solution for Venezuela.

He said there are many options available to pressure the Maduro regime in Venezuela, including increasing economic and diplomatic pressure. Pence assured Santos that the U.S. will not stand by as Venezuela “crumbles” and slides into a dictatorship.
He said a failed state in Venezuela endangers the entire continent. Pence said Trump sent him to Latin America to marshal and consolidate regional support for the need to help the Venezuelan people.
Santos said no Latin America country would accept any form of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and that it should never even be considered. Recalling more than a century of U.S. military action throughout Latin America, Santos said no Latin leader wants “that phantom” to reappear.

Santos said an illegal constituent assembly is killing democratic institutions in Venezuela, but while they supported US measures to pressure the government of Venezuela, they welcome peaceful solutions.

Trump imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan government and said that the US military was on the table as the situation there was a “dangerous mess”.

Pence is on a week-long tour of four Latin American countries. After his visit to Colombia which included talks with Santos on the peace accord with FARC and cocaine trafficking, the VP will make stops in Chile, Argentina, and Panama.

To read the entire article from Voice of America click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Venezuela’s Maduro Calls for a Meeting with President Trump

In a strange turn of events, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that he wants a meeting with President Donald Trump. The Socialist leader, with his country starving due to poor government policies and a bottoming out oil market is facing more and more pressure as he cracks down on opposition leaders, has reached out to the man he called a crass imperial magnate and blasts for U.S. sanctions against officials in his socialist administration.

Maduro spoke at length to the 545 members of a new, all-powerful constitutional assembly, which has given him basically a rubber stamp to operate as he pleases. However, Maduro instructed Venezuela’s foreign minister to approach the United States about arranging a meeting or phone call with Trump.

“Mr. Donald Trump, here is my hand,” the socialist president said, adding that he wants as strong a relationship with the U.S. as he has with Russia.
The remarks came shortly after Maduro forcefully warned the U.S. president that Venezuela “will never give in.”
The Trump administration has called Maduro a “dictator” and issued sanctions against him and more than two dozen other former and current officials, accusing Maduro’s government of violating human rights and undermining the country’s democracy amid an escalating political and financial crisis.
On Thursday, Credit Suisse bank banned the trading and use of Venezuelan bonds.

With the country on the brink of collapse economically and rumblings from the military that could revolt against him, Maduro is trying to salvage his hold on the country. The quickest way to do that is to get Trump to ease the sanctions and ask the United States for economic and humanitarian assistance. But with his government being accused by many with violating his own people’s human rights, the chances of that happening are pretty low at this point.

To read the entire article from Time click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

The US Expels Two Cuban Diplomats After Embassy ‘Incidents’ in Havana

In a bizarre set of events, the U.S. State Department has expelled two Cuban diplomats after several Americans earlier this year at the U.S. Embassy in Havana experienced strange medical symptoms that resulted in hearing loss and were either recalled to the U.S. or allowed to come home.

According to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, the US embassy employees issues first became of these so called ‘incidents’ in 2016 but did not divulge any details at the briefing.

“We don’t have any definitive information about the source or the cause,” she said. “It took time to figure out what this was and we are still looking into it.”
However, The Washington Post reports that U.S. officials believe Cuba used “a covert sonic weapon that left the victims with severe hearing loss.”
The Post writes:
“In the fall of 2016, a series of U.S. diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing, according to officials with knowledge of the investigation into the case. Several of the diplomats were recent arrivals at the embassy, which reopened in 2015 as part of former President Barack Obama’s reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Some of the diplomats’ symptoms were so severe that they were forced to cancel their tours early and return to the United States, officials said. After months of investigation, U.S. officials concluded that the diplomats had been attacked with an advanced sonic weapon that operated outside the range of audible sound and had been deployed either inside or outside their residences.”

The Cuban government strongly denied any wrongdoing and said in a statement that they would never allow their soil to be used to for actions against diplomats and that it is willing to cooperate with the U.S. to clarify the incidents. They then called the US reaction of expelling the diplomats as ‘baseless.’ However, a Canadian diplomat in Havana has also suffered unexplained hearing loss.

To read the entire article from National Public Radio click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

French Police Arrest Suspected Driver of a Car that Slammed into 6 Soldiers

French police have arrested the suspected driver who injured six soldiers by ramming a vehicle into them as they left their barracks on Wednesday. The suspect was wounded in a brief gunfight with police in a Paris suburb and then was taken into custody after a brief standoff with authorities.

As the police were hunting for the vehicle, they spotted the suspect driving a BMW on a highway north of Paris. As they attempted to take him into custody, the arrest turned violent and shots were fired. French police believe that the suspect involved in the attack had a terror motive.

The condition of the suspect, who was not immediately identified, is unknown. Three of the six soldiers received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The soldiers were part of the 35th infantry regiment in the suburb of Saint-Mande and were leaving their barracks just after 8 a.m. when the attack occurred. France’s Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters the driver targeted the soldiers in a calculated car attack.
“We know it was a deliberate act,” Collomb said. Defense Minister Florence Parly called it a reminder that extra security measures imposed in recent years are “more necessary than ever.”
Nadia LeProhon, a witness, told The Associated Press she heard a loud crash outside her building and rushed outside to see two soldiers on the ground. Other soldiers ran after the speeding car, shouting “After him! Follow that car!”

The French soldiers were part of Opération Sentinelle, an anti-terrorism operation that was created after the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris. The mission’s aim is to protect civilians in the capital. This marks the sixth time in the past three years that members of the unit have been targeted by terrorists.

To read the entire article from Fox News, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Filipino Army Kills Nine Terrorists as Fighting Continues in Marawi

The fighting continues to rage in the embattled Philippines city of Marawi as government military forces have killed nine fighters from groups that have joined the Islamic State. The Filipino army continued to push their offensive against these armed groups who are holed up in the once bustling college town on the island of Mindanao.

On Thursday morning, military spokeswoman Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay said in a statement that fighters linked from the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf engaged the Filipino military forces. The army then retaliated with airstrikes and artillery fire.

“Those enemies who died in the offensives include men of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon who are digging for a tunnel under a mosque trying to escape the battle zone or reach the lake,” Petinglay said.
Hapilon, who is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and has a $5m bounty, is suspected to have led the siege in Marawi which is now in its 12th week.
At least 122 soldiers have also been killed while 45 civilians have died in the fighting.
The remaining fighters, including several foreigners, have at least 100 civilian hostages. Four were recently rescued.

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law on the entire island of Mindanao since the fighting began in May when the Maute Group attacked Marawi. The military had hoped that the fighting would be over in just weeks. However, progress has been slowed due to Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups taking hostages and using them as human shields.

To read the entire article from Al Jazeera, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikimedia

Trump’s Advisors Taking Longer Than Expected With Afghanistan Plan

The Trump administration’s plan for Afghanistan as well as their policy toward Pakistan is taking “longer than originally announced and intended,” said Laurel Miller, the former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Miller said to the media that, “there are no easy answers, there are no easy solutions. After 16 years, a lot of different approaches have been tried or at least considered,” this week in an interview with Voice of America (VOA). She added that President Trump and his security team may be finding that they need more time to establish a new way forward, she said.

News reports yesterday were stating that Trump was extremely disappointed in both the lack of a plan and the conduct of the General John Nicolson the commander in charge of the troops in Afghanistan and was actively considering having him replaced.

Miller, a Rand corporation foreign policy expert, served as the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, or SRAP, for nine months, until June 23 of this year.
The idea of replacing military troops and government employees with a team of private contractors wouldn’t be practical, Miller said. For one thing, she said, it’s unlikely that the Kabul government would accept the idea.
Additionally, there are legal issues regarding what contractors can and can’t do for the U.S. government, while hiring companies to do the government’s work often isn’t cost effective. But her key concern is that bringing in contractors wouldn’t necessarily bring new success.

Simply reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan would only be effective if done gradually Miller said. The coalition will have to support the stability of the of the Afghan government, the economy will have to be fixed. Simply withdrawing the troops now and leaving the Afghans to weather the storm alone will simply result in chaos. And it sends an all-too-familiar message in the region that the US will not see issues through, which will weaken the US image for other countries and potential allies.

To read the entire article from The Voice of America, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

China Pushes Four-Point Peace Plan for Israel – Palestine to UN

China’s UN ambassador Liu Jieyi has urged the international community to support President Xi Jinping’s new four-point proposal to establish a fully independent Palestinian state and to end the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Jieyi said that Xi’s proposal is based on four proposals and that China’s diplomatic efforts will focus on a negotiated solution at a news conference on Monday. China’s attempt to increase their influence in the Middle East with the proposal and the meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing last month goes against some of their earlier overtures where they were trying to avoid being dragged into the quagmire of war there.

Xi outlined the plan and not surprisingly the Chinese are courting the Palestinians who are the foe of the US’ biggest ally in the region Israel. As the Chinese are seeking to counter the US at every turn.

The four points are:
— Advancing the two-state solution based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a new Palestinian state;
— Upholding “the concept of common, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security,” immediately ending Israeli settlement building, taking immediate measures to prevent violence against civilians, and calling for an early resumption of peace talks;
— Coordinating international efforts to put forward “peace-promoting measures that entail joint participation at an early date”;
— Promoting peace through development and cooperation between the Palestinians and Israel.

Curiously absent from Xi’s proposal is the very sticking point that exists in every peace proposal between the two countries… Israel’s right to exist. Until the Palestinians and the rest of the neighbors who support them are willing to call for Israel’s right to exist as a nation, the hope for any lasting peace accord is slim.

While Abbas will say all of the right things for Xi, what will Tehran say to Israel’s right to exist? Don’t expect that to be forthcoming.

To read the entire article from The South China Post, click here:

Photo courtesy UN

How Will the Venezuelan Military Respond to the Constitutional Vote?

With many touting the recent vote for a Constitutional Assembly as rigged, Venezuelan soldiers are increasingly stuck in the middle between the regime of President Nicolas Maduro and the people. With government protests and rioting a constant threat, the military is growing weary of the backlash against their role in quelling these anti-government protests.

Now there are questions as to see if it will remain loyal to President Maduro. Maduro has already been purging the military of those he deems disloyal and there are those who wonder if the military will once again rebel and remove Maduro from power.

Nearly five months of demonstrations failed to stop Maduro carrying out a weekend vote for a Constitutional Assembly that opponents say will cement his dictatorship in the OPEC nation.
The opposition is now looking towards the military to see if it will turn against the government and pressure Maduro to enact its demands, which include presidential elections.
More than 120 people have been killed in the protests, drawing international condemnation of the security forces’ heavy-handed tactics.
In an unofficial referendum last month, the opposition asked Venezuelans whether the military should defend the current constitution and the National Assembly – which is expected to be dissolved by the Constitutional Assembly – in an apparent attempt to exert public pressure on the armed forces.
There are signs of fatigue and division among troops who face constant street confrontations that frequently include volleys of rocks, Molotov cocktails and even human excrement. Soldiers chafe under the negative public opinion of the security forces caused by the crackdown.
“If we do not defend the regime, we are traitors and our careers are ruined. If we defend the government, we become enemies of the people,” said a 40-year-old army sergeant major in the border city of San Cristobal with 18 years of service under his belt, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisal.
Protests appear poised to intensify after 10 people were killed in the weekend vote for the new legislative superbody expected to give the ruling Socialist Party sweeping powers.
Like many others in the once prosperous South American country, members of the security forces struggle to eat properly because they earn just a few dollars a month, which is barely enough for a week’s food.
Splits within the armed forces have been made evident since protests began with the detention of 123 members, including high-ranking officers, on charges ranging from treason and rebellion to theft and desertion.
“In the past, a soldier was respected but now, after this period of degeneration, a soldier gets the contempt of the whole population,” said a 33-year-old Air Force major, also asking his name not be revealed for fear of reprisal.
At least publicly, military leaders such as Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino remain firmly behind Maduro, appearing alongside him at near-daily political events and military parades.
The military has played a key role in government since former socialist leader Hugo Chavez – himself a former military officer – swept to power in 1999 promising to bring greater equality to the economy of the oil rich nation.

Venezuela was once South America’s most prosperous nation but failed policies of the Socialist government have thrust the nation into despair. And with people starving and many fleeing their borders, something has got to give.

To read the entire article from Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Do Your Job, That Is the Only Thing That Matters in Special Operations

The following is an opinion of the writer and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of SOFREP or any other employee of it.

Usually, when someone writes that, you can assume that they are going to say something that is inflammatory. Well, this isn’t going to be one of those pieces… I guess it depends on your point of view.

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past several days, all that you’ve read is about the declaration by President Trump that transgender persons will not be allowed to serve in the military in any capacity. That, of course, set off a firestorm on social media as people of every viewpoint came out to voice their opinion either for or against it.

And like all social media posts in the past few years, it quickly turned into shouting matches, with neither side trying to engage in any kind of meaningful conversation, but just insults shouted over one another. Count me out. And when I see one of those posts? Click…moving on.

But there is no escaping it, even today (Thursday), at a pro football training camp, the conversation somehow turned from the NFL into who is right, wrong or completely ill-informed on the subject of transgenders. Friends and family have asked my opinion on it which until now I’ve stayed away from.

I have always cherished my personal freedom that I enjoy as a citizen of this country. I believe in them, practice them and protect them. As long as your beliefs aren’t endangering myself, my family or the USA, I may not agree with you but respect your right to have a different opinion. I don’t preach my beliefs to others and don’t wish yours preached to or at me. That’s respect.

So for me, and this is just me speaking, I could care less if transgenders want to serve in the military with a single caveat, which I’ll get to later. The only thing I’m interested in, can you do your job? Are you going to be a trustworthy teammate, someone myself and the rest of the team can trust with their life? Can you heft a rucksack and carry it all day, all night and all day again? Can you pick up a hurt teammate with all of his gear and safely carry him out of harm’s way?

If the answers to all of those questions are yes, then sign up for Selection, go thru the course and meet the same standards as the rest of the Regiment. If you pass and are found capable, then I’ll give you a tip of the Beret, hoist a drink with you and welcome you to the regiment. If you can’t, for whatever reason, then sorry, that is what the course is designed for. That’s what the “Special” in Special Operations is for.

I don’t care if the man or woman next to me used to be another gender…could actually care less. If they want to serve and can, just like anyone else is my only concern, just like their “traditional” gender troops.

But…(I know what you’re thinking, here’s where the idiot shows his bias), here is my caveat. I am in full support for transgenders serving, but only after they’ve completed any and all therapy, surgery, post-surgical therapy. If you want to serve, come to us ready to serve not in three-to-four years after all of this process is done, at the government’s expense.

And by expense, I just don’t mean in terms of dollars for therapy and surgery. Time is a very valuable asset in today’s military. Time will have to be spent in not only speaking with and helping troops who identify themselves as transgenders, but with the other troops as well. The time that could be and SHOULD be spent in preparing for war. Separate facilities will have to be set up, more additional troops will have to be assigned to handle the administrative tasks to care for these troops.

Secretary of Defense Mattis has recently stated the military has to cease with “senseless” training and get back to strictly warfighting preparation. I couldn’t agree more.

The entire process from the time that a member of the military identifies him or herself as a transgender until the therapy, surgery and follow-on care is complete is measured in years not months. And as soon as a military member makes it known that they are transgender, that person is non-deployable. So yes, it does affect the readiness of the force. By the time all of that process is done a soldier would almost be done with their enlistment. What is the incentive for remaining?

The military isn’t a social experiment or a huge free clinic for the confused men and women of America. The military’s purpose, its sole reason for being is to protect the citizens of this country and to crush our enemies on the fields of battle. We’re currently engaged in one of the longest wars in our nation’s history. And there is no end in sight. In fact, there are other hot spots brewing all over the globe. We have more wars on-going or brewing at any time since World War II.

The military is very discriminatory on who it lets in the service. Those with physical and emotional disabilities aren’t allowed in. And from everything that is being published, even by those in favor of this state, that the suicide rate for transgenders is very high. Then why not have all of those issues taken care of before even enlisting?

We need every service member able to answer the call, having more and more troops non-deployable requires two to three times that number to also remain behind for support and administrative tasks.

Right now the point is moot. The Joint Chiefs have spoken and said that they’re not going to change the country’s transgender policy…at least for now. But the bottom line is this: If they can do the job and are ready to do the job (and not before) then let them. But let’s all remember that the military has a job to do and the mission comes first.

Photo Courtesy: DOD

The American Dream Comes True For a NC Guard Soldier

Traveling to the United States many years ago from her native Romania, Gizela Lupescu never dreamed at the time of becoming an American citizen. But all of that changed and many years later, not only is she now an American but serves as a Specialist in the North Carolina National Guard and as an independent contractor working for the Special Forces School at Camp Mackall.

She’s living proof that the American Dream can still exist for some people who are perseverant and never give up hope. She recently acted as an interpreter for the Guard troops who are visiting her native Romania on a multi-nation training exercise.

A native of Romania, Lupescu found the dream in North Carolina after a 16-year wait to become a U.S. citizen.
Now, she serves as a soldier in the North Carolina National Guard and an independent contractor on Fort Bragg training special operations forces.
In recent weeks, her worlds collided when she deployed to her native land as part of a group of North Carolina National Guard troops serving in support of a training exercise there.
Speaking from Romania, Lupescu said her story is a happy one.
“I am on the cusp, if not already found it,” she said of her American dream. “My story is a successful story.”
Lupescu, who lives in Raeford, is a combat medic with the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, part of the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
In Romania, she’s assigned to the 5th Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment – one of 200 local soldiers who deployed to Europe to participate in a 22-nation training exercise called Saber Guardian 17.
The soldiers — who operate the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HiMARS – are working with international allies while building readiness for a potential defense of Europe from Russian aggression. They are expected to return to North Carolina later this month.
Saber Guardian 17 is led by U.S. Army Europe and is taking place in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, officials said. It will involve more than 25,000 service members from various allies, including the United States, and is the largest Black Sea Region military exercise planned this year.
In Romania, Lupescu is a liaison and part-time translator between Romanian and American troops. While most Romanians speak some English, she said, she’s there to make sure nothing is lost in translation.
It’s a role that has taken some Romanian troops by surprise, especially when she talks in her native tongue.
“They pause and look me up and down,” Lupescu said.
Ultimately, the soldiers are proud to see one of their own in an American uniform, she said. They ask about life in America and her service in the Army. Lupescu tells them the truth.
“I’ve had nothing but good experiences,” she said.
Lupescu came to America in 2000 at age 21. It wasn’t her original plan to become an American, but she fell in love with the country, she said.
It took her a dozen years to become a permanent resident. And several more years to earn her citizenship.
Lupescu said she knew it was a long process, but didn’t expect it to take so long.
“It can take four years,” she said. “It can take eight years.”
For Lupescu, it took 16.
She doesn’t know why it took so long, and she said she had her doubts along the way. But she never considered giving up, even when she felt she had no control of her life.
Born in Bucharest and the daughter of two teachers, Lupescu said she grew up with a love of America fueled largely by Hollywood.
“I was always fascinated with the American culture,” she said. “Everything American.”
When the opportunity came to travel to the United States, Lupescu jumped at the chance.
In June 2000, she arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to serve as a counselor for a Girl Scout camp. There, Lupescu said, she fell in love with the country and applied for naturalization.
In Romania, Lupescu was trained on the violin and piano. She had gone to college for dentistry and could speak French, English and Spanish. But in America, as she waited for her citizenship, she had to settle for whatever jobs she could find.
“No job would be beneath me,” she said. “One does what one has to.”
Lupescu worked in construction, as a waitress and as a secretary. She cleaned houses, washed dishes and, for a time, even drove a delivery truck.
“I’ve even been one of those annoying telemarketers,” she said.

We normally only hear about the other side of immigration, the illegal immigrants. But for the others, the ones who go about becoming Americans the right way, this is a familiar but still great story.

To read the entire article from The Fayetteville Observer, click here:

Photo courtesy US Army