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Classic Pearls of Idiocy
My H0pinion
Wikipedia wrote:
On 2 November 2011, Bout was convicted by a jury in a Manhattan federal court of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and officials, delivery of anti-aircraft missiles, and providing aid to a terrorist organization, and was sentenced to the minimum 25 years' imprisonment because the crime was due to the sting operation. From June 2012 until December 2022, Bout was held at the United States Penitentiary, Marion, before being released in a prisoner exchange with US Basketball star Brittney Griner, who was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow Airport for possessing cannabis oil.
Tarzana Joe wrote:It’s Classified
Put aside inflation
Back burner global warming
The way we handle secrets
Is what really needs reforming
The Intelligence Community
Judging from appearances
Loses lots of documents
To folks who don’t have clearances
You can call me biased
Or label me a “homer”
But “Intelligence” Community
May be a misnomer
For I’m telling you Intelligence
Is what they have a lack of
When documents they’re tracking
They can’t seem to keep track of
They’re visiting the archives
For withdrawals, not deposits
Taking out our secrets
To keep them in their closets
The latest little scandal
Will never come to trial
As sources in the White House
Issued this denial
When old Joe Biden heard the news
He had the shock of shocks
He never should have asked to borrow
Sandy Berger’s socks
Which of these is worse, my friends
I put the case to you
Having secret papers
Or not knowing that you do?
This existential crisis
Needs a quick solution
Before those folks in Washington
Misplace the Constitution
Bob Kuczewski wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Joe Biden has already planned to step down during his presidency to make Harris the first woman president.
Taiwan raises alert as China deploys 90 ships in likely exercises
By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard
December 9, 20247:22 PM UTCUpdated ago
Summary• China masses ships in region, Taiwan security source says
• China has been expected to launch more drills
• China has held two rounds of war games around Taiwan this year
• China announces some airspace restrictions
TAIPEI, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan raised its alert level on Monday, saying China had reserved airspace and deployed naval and coast guard vessels in what a security source called the first military drills across a broad swathe of the region's waters.
A senior Taiwan security official said China had nearly 90 navy and coast guard ships near Taiwan, the southern Japanese islands and the East and South China Seas, of which around two-thirds were naval.
Beijing's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, had been expected to launch another round of exercises in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's trip to the Pacific, which included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam, security sources had told Reuters.
Beijing set up seven "temporary reserved areas" of airspace until Wednesday to the east of its eastern Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement.
Such zones are allocated for a particular user during a set period, though other flights can pass through with permission, under international rules.
A Notice to Air Mission issued by China listed coordinates for the seven areas, two of which face Taiwan off China's Fujian province but are closer to the Chinese coast.
The rest are concentrated along the Zhejiang coastline and off Shanghai, into the East China Sea.
However, China did not immediately announce any specific weapons test or military zones. In August 2022, it fired missiles into waters around Taiwan during war games to protest a visit to Taipei by then-U.S. house speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The U.S. State Department said it was closely monitoring the Chinese military activity near Taiwan.
"We continue to call on the PRC (People's Republic of China) to act with restraint and avoid actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region. A routine transit by President Lai should not be used as a pretext for military pressure," a department spokesperson said.
The Taiwan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China's deployment was larger than the previous two major drills around Taiwan this year.
"For the first time they are targeting the entire island chain," the source said, referring to an area that runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing the seas around China's coast.
"They are meant to achieve total military intimidation by positioning to control the inner part of the island chain."
Taiwan's military said it had activated "combat readiness exercises" at strategic locations.
"Any unilateral and irrational, provocative actions could seriously damage peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and that will not be welcomed by the international community," Taiwan's defence ministry said.
TAIWAN ACCUSES CHINA OF 'GREY ZONE HARASSMENT'
Wang Ting-yu of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, who heads parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee, said China might be planning manoeuvres - or sounding a false alarm to put pressure on Taiwan.
"Please be a civilized neighbouring country. Don't be a troublemaker all the time," he said.
Taiwan's coast guard said seven Chinese coast guard ships have been carrying out "grey-zone harassment" all day, and that Taiwan had the right to respond if China tried to intrude into its waters.
Taipei says China has been using "grey-zone" tactics short of actual combat, including daily air force and navy missions, to harass Taiwanese forces.
Beijing detests Lai as a "separatist" and has rebuffed his repeated calls for talks. Taipei rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
China's sabre rattling around Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea has raised fears of conflict.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told U.S. sailors in Japan that China was the only country with the intent and increasingly the capability to change the rules-based international order.
"And so we want to see this region, this area remain open to freedom of navigation and the ability to fly the skies and international airways whenever we want to," he said.
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