military bases

Multiple Military Bases in DC Area Sent Suspicious Packages

The FBI is investigating the sending of multiple suspicious packages to military bases and CIA HQs in the Washington D.C. area, officials stated on Monday. The FBI had taken custody of the packages that one official stated was more than 10 of these crude devices.

They said packages were sent to the CIA, Fort Belvoir and Fort McNair. A US official said a Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Virginia, also received a suspicious package and that the FBI is leading the investigation.
A law enforcement official told CNN there were more than 10 devices. All were very crude, involving black powder, and would not have caused fatalities had they gone off, the official said.
At least one package, sent to the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, DC, contained explosive material and was ultimately rendered safe. That package arrived at 8:30 a.m. ET and the building was evacuated immediately, according to Army spokesman Michael L. Howard.
“At 12:10 p.m., 52nd Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal from Fort Belvoir, VA, confirmed the package tested positive for black powder and residue,” Howard said in a statement. “The X-ray conducted indicates suspected GPS and an expedient fuse were attached. The package was rendered safe. No injuries are reported.”
Scanning machines at the facilities detected the suspicious materials upon receipt and the packages are being examined at the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, the law enforcement official said.
The National Defense University at Fort McNair was cleared for re-entry after K-9 sweep and personnel returned to the building by 1:15 pm ET.
Another Army spokesman confirmed a suspicious package incident at Fort Belvoir and said that package has been rendered safe.
Another package was sent to the CIA on Monday, according to a US official. Further details about the package intended for the CIA were not provided.

The FBI’s crime lab at Quantico, VA was heading up the investigation.

To read the entire article from CNN, click here:

Photo courtesy: File photo US Army

China in Military Showcases Global Expansion With Military Exercises

China established its first overseas base in Djibouti only a few months ago but the base has been a beehive of activity. Chinese state-run television showed images of armored vehicles firing cannons, and soldiers engaging targets as the Chinese continue to expand their influence around the world.

“The overseas troops will engage in regular military exercises just like troops serving [in China]. But their practice should soon have a different focus, rather than basic shooting training because their mission in Djibouti is to protect China’s interests in Africa, as well as peacekeeping,” Zhou said.
China’s overseas military expansion was the focus of a July Pentagon report, which said that Beijing may soon seek to establish a network of similar facilities around the world.
China first started constructing the Djibouti base in early 2015. Located near one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the move would allow China to contribute to regional peace and stability, and extend its efforts to combat Somali pirates.
According to the Pentagon report, the Djibouti base, “along with regular naval vessel visits to foreign ports, both reflects and amplifies China’s growing influence, extending the reach of its armed forces,” and it may be the first of many such overseas bases.
“China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries,” the report says.
In a landmark speech in 2015, President Xi Xinping said: “We Chinese love peace. No matter how much stronger it may become, China will never seek hegemony or expansion. It will never inflict its past suffering on any other nation.”

The Chinese are looking to push the US in an attempt to have the most influence in different parts of the world as their expansion of power and influence continues. The base in Djibouti is just the first of many new bases the Chinese government will open in the next few years.

To read the entire article from Newsweek click here:

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Iran Wants Military Base in Syria Near Israeli Border

The civil war in Syria has been a bloody affair and if the Iranian government gets its wish, the bloodshed will spread beyond the Syrian borders. With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria, Iran wants a military base in southern Syria along the border with Israel and Jordan.

The move would be to weaken US influence in the region, eventually forcing the United States out and then opening up another avenue which to attack Israel and the Jordanians, one of the US’ closest allies in the region.

“A permanent Iranian military base in Syria, potentially near the border with Israel or Jordan, would increase Iran’s operational capacity to inflict serious damage against two of our closest allies in the region,” Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
That warning points to the strategic significance of the Syrian civil war, beyond the importance of defeating the Islamic State. Trump’s team has authorized an intense barrage of airstrikes on ISIS, while opening the door to cooperation with Russia; a senior State Department official recently attended a peace talks summit between Syrian President Bashar Assad and opposition forces that was led by the Russians. But Russia is propping up Assad in partnership with Iran, which means the defeat of ISIS could inaugurate a new phase of regional rivalry.
Roskam and Deutch have a similar concern. “Iran is actively working to establish a permanent military presence in Syria,” they wrote Tillerson. “The Islamic Republic seeks to solidify its access to the Mediterranean Sea by building a permanent seaport and constructing numerous military installations throughout the country. A permanent Iranian military presence in Syria would greatly harm U.S. interests in the region and decrease the likelihood of reaching a political agreement to end the Syrian civil war.”

Nothing good can come from the Iranians having a permanent military presence in Syria. Attacks against Israel and Jordan would soon follow and the region can ill-afford that bloodshed to escalate.

To read the entire article from the Washington Examiner click here:

Photo courtesy Getty Images