science

The Real Importance Of The Latest Russian-Pakistani Naval Drills

Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

Pakistan continues relying on Russia to pragmatically rebalance ties with China…

The Russian and Pakistani Navies conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Arabian Sea last week. This is a standard drill, “during which communication and interaction between them are checked in a military situation or when providing humanitarian assistance”, according to Izvestia. It therefore wasn’t a big deal even though some observers, both within their respective countries and India, might hype it up given those two’s impressive rapprochement over the past decade.

This analysis here from late January explained why Russian-Pakistani defense ties will likely remain limited, namely because of the respect that Russia has for India’s sensitivities and due to Pakistan’s military-technical dependence on China, which disincentivize one another from taking such ties further. Their closer military cooperation in recent years (almost exclusively anti-terrorist and naval drills), however, have been interpreted in the following three ways by observers.

Some believe that Pakistan is pivoting away from the US towards Russia; others that Pakistan is pragmatically rebalancing its ties with China via Russia; while some think that Russia is doing the same with India via Pakistan. The second one is the closest to reality since Pakistan returned to the US’ sphere of influence after spring 2022’s post-modern coup against former Prime Minister Imran Khan while Russia relies on India as a means of preemptively averting disproportionate dependence on China.

It therefore doesn’t compute that Pakistan would pivot away from the US towards Russia, let alone without the US doing anything to obstruct this trend, or that Russia would disrespect India’s sensitivities. Even so, there are some in Russia’s “global media ecosystem” who push the first narrative to craft the optics that Russia “poached” a top US partner, while some in Pakistan’s domestic media ecosystem push the second since it crafts complementary optics of their country “poaching” a top Indian one.

That last narrative is also pushed or implied by some US-friendly Indian commentators so as to misportray Russia as an unreliable partner in order to then justify pivoting towards the US at the expense of India’s strategic ties with Russia on this emotive but nevertheless false pretext. As was written, the only one of the three that’s related to reality is the narrative that Pakistan is pragmatically rebalancing its ties with China via Russia, but with the caveat that this is being done with tacit US approval.

This analysis here from mid-December explained the rationale, namely that private American companies can’t compete with state-run Russian ones for modernizing Pakistan’s resource infrastructure, and obstructing Russia’s associated inroads in Pakistan would only deepen Pakistan’s dependence on China. It therefore follows that the US shouldn’t impede what’ll ultimately be the limited expansion of Russian-Pakistani ties in strategic spheres if it truly wants to see other countries rebalance their ties with China.

Pakistan’s de facto military regime also knows that their country’s closeness with China was one of the implicit pretexts upon which the US pressured it in the past so high-profile engagement with Russia, especially in the context of the nascent Russian-US “New Détente”, might help alleviate some of that….

The Golden Dome: We Have The Tools To Build It Right Now

Authored by Tory Bruno via RealClearWire,

Recently during President Trump’s State of the Union, he declared: “As commander in chief, my focus is on building the most powerful military of the future. As a first step, I’m asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art Golden Dome missile defense shield to protect our homeland, all made in the USA.”

Also referred to as an “Iron Dome,” a Golden Dome is a pretty awesome rebranding of the current Israeli missile defense system and a new initiative to protect the US from missile and hypersonic attack. President Trump is right—we absolutely want one, and it is finally possible.

Ballistic missiles are the weapons of choice for our adversaries to strike the U.S. homeland from far away. Our most sophisticated adversaries are also developing the dreaded maneuvering hypersonic weapon which is capable of defeating today’s missile defenses.

A ballistic missile would arrive in minutes, be hard to see, and come in blisteringly fast. That’s because they are launched with rockets, the fasted delivery systems on earth, making this threat really tough to counter. Enter the missile defense interceptor.

If you want to stop a rocket, you use another rocket. An interceptor flies out at high velocity into the path of the incoming warhead, destroying it in midair. Its radar detects an incoming warhead and alerts your Battle Management System that aims and fires. All this only takes a few minutes. It’s like shooting clay pigeons. The interceptor is wicked fast, but so is the warhead, so we aim at a point in front of the target, so they arrive at that spot together.

The marquis example is THAAD, which I developed a few years ago. It utilizes a powerful radar and an interceptor that flies at twice the speed of a rifle bullet. The radar can also be tipped off by a SBIRS satellite, allowing it to focus and pick up the warhead earlier. THAAD is ideal for short range to medium range threats, but it can also handle ICBMs within a smaller area. It can operate above the atmosphere or closer in, where decoys will be stripped away. It’s a great underlay for systems designed to defend large swaths of the country from ICBMs and works well with its own underlay of systems like Patriot that defend against cruise missiles. Layering is vital.

Israel’s Iron Dome system is quite good, but there’s one big challenge when we look at the United States: geography. Israel is only 85 miles wide vs. America’s 2,600 miles. But don’t worry, it turns out that we already have the most capable missile defense technology in the world. We just need more of them… Plus one extra for the dreaded hypersonic.

The United States requires a three-layered defense: 

An ICBM killer that takes a first shot and efficiently covers the entire country, 

a sea-based system off our coasts, and 

a regional defender providing an underlay for population centers.

Today, we have Ground-Based Midcourse Defense in Alaska. 

It’s there for North Korean ICBMs. It also…

Scambodia: Insiders Reveals How Major Money Laundering Network Gets Away With It

Every few weeks, fireworks explode across the night sky in Cambodia. These displays, however, are not festive celebrations or cultural ceremonies. Rather, they are the bold salutes of online scammers marking their most lucrative swindles – each colorful burst signaling the a successful operation on an unsuspecting target.

Victims worldwide lose tens of billions of dollars annually to scams involving romance fraud, fake cryptocurrency platforms, and investment hoaxes. Once stolen, the money disappears quickly, funnelled into a complex international money-laundering network designed to swiftly erase any trace of its illegal origins. Authorities across the globe—including the FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security, and Interpol—have tried repeatedly to curb this phenomenon. Telecom companies block suspicious numbers, banks issue urgent warnings, and law enforcement agencies execute raids. Yet the scams continue, resilient as ever, according to some actual journalism by the NY Times.
Some Huione Pay branches advertise money-exchange services, including converting between Tether cryptocurrency and U.S. dollars. (NY Times)

Transactions within this network are predominantly denominated in Tether, which allows scammers to swiftly move money across borders and through a web of intermediaries known as “money mules,” obscuring its illicit origins.

The Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, and coastal city Sihanoukville serve as global hubs for these sophisticated money-laundering operations. In Phnom Penh, a sprawling financial conglomerate called Huione Group presents itself as a reputable enterprise with legitimate commercial activities across Southeast Asia. Huione’s recognizable QR codes are everywhere in Cambodia, facilitating transactions at hotels, supermarkets, and restaurants. Its advertisements line highways, highlighting services ranging from banking to insurance.

Integral to the money laundering operations are individuals called “matchmakers,” trusted intermediaries who connect scammers to money mules. These mules manage the bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets that swiftly funnel the stolen funds. Transactions are strategically divided into amounts below reporting thresholds such as $10,000, and moved quickly, often converted into Tether within hours or days, greatly complicating law enforcement’s ability to trace the money’s path.

The network profits at every step. Huione affiliates earn fees for escrow services and charge for advertisements and transactions conducted on their platforms. Remarkably, this marketplace has even launched its own cryptocurrency, further facilitating illicit financial flows.

Documents reviewed in the investigation detail a highly organized system operated by a Huione affiliate known as Huione International Pay. Based at the conglomerate’s Phnom Penh headquarters, departments within this affiliate meticulously track mule accounts in numerous countries, manage customer relations with scammers, and actively monitor relevant online platforms like Telegram.
Huione International Pay operates out of the conglomerate’s headquarters in Phnom Penh, according to two people familiar with the operation. (NY Times)

The scale of this criminal enterprise is staggering. Analytics firms Elliptic and Chainalysis have traced approximately $26.8 billion in cryptocurrency transactions since 2021 back to the illicit marketplace run by Huione affiliates. One Telegram channel alone, aptly named “Demand and Supply,” had over 400,000 active users exchanging hundreds of daily messages about money-laundering services before being shut down briefly by Telegram after an inquiry….

NYC’s Congestion Toll Might Not Be Going Away After All

All of a sudden, it looks like New York City’s congestion pricing may not be going away after all…

That’s because with just a day left before the Trump administration’s March 21 deadline for New York to scrap its congestion pricing toll, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a 30-day extension on Thursday, according to Yahoo Finance.

Though he reiterated the demand for Gov. Kathy Hochul to end the $9 daily fee for most drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street, Duffy cited ongoing talks as reason for the delay.

Duffy said on X: “The federal government and @POTUS are putting New York on notice. Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable.”

“We will provide New York with a 30-day extension as discussions continue. Know that the billions of dollars the federal government sends to New York are not a blank check. Continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly,” he added.

Rep. Jerry Nadler responded on Thursday: “Let me be clear, these attacks on congestion pricing are an attack on New York’s sovereignty. New York has the right to govern itself, to implement policies that improve the lives of its residents, and to make decisions that benefit our infrastructure and our economy.”

The Yahoo Finance article says that MTA CEO Janno Lieber has said the toll will stay unless a judge says otherwise.

Meant to ease traffic and fund MTA projects, the $9 fee was approved last year and began in January.

In February, Duffy claimed to revoke a key federal approval—granted under his predecessor—sparking Trump to call himself “king” online. The MTA sued, calling Duffy’s move unconstitutional; the Trump administration hasn’t responded in court.

This isn’t the first time the feds have threatened transit funds. In a recent letter, Duffy demanded crime stats—most already public—and warned of “redirecting or withholding funding” if unmet by March 31.

MTA says it’s happy to help find the data.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/24/2025 – 05:45…

The Dissolution Of The US Agency For Global Media Could Lead To A Revival Of American Soft Power

Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

American soft power operations in this new era that’ll likely follow USAID and USAGM’s far-reaching reforms under Trump 2.0 will be more creative, appealing, and effective than all that came before.

Trump’s Executive Order last week eliminating the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the rationale of which was explained here as regards to stopping the state’s funding of ideologically radical propaganda, has been condemned by critics as a deathblow to American soft power. 

That body is responsible for Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, among several other foreign-focused outlets. 

It’s therefore understandable why some are concerned about the consequences.

The reality though is that their operations will probably resume after some time, albeit through what’ll likely be public-private partnerships abroad instead of purely state-run enterprises inside the US, and only with like-minded partners that share Trump 2.0’s populist-nationalist worldview. To elaborate, the $950 million that the USAGM requested for this year could be put to more effective use funding foreign experts, influencers, media, etc. who are from the places whose public the US wants to influence.

That was already happening through USAID, which is also being gutted and transformed as was explained here in early February, so it’ll either return to its original focus on physical development projects or divide information warfare responsibilities with whatever remains of USAGM. In any case, the point is that USAGM’s influence operations and USAID’s more direct meddling ones are expected to be less centralized than before and outsourced to a much greater degree as a result of Trump 2.0’s reforms.

They’ll also be optimized by replacing their ideologically radical agenda with his team’s much more pragmatic one, which resonates with a much wider audience, and relying a lot more on informed figures abroad who have a better sense of the local pulse than DC-based bureaucrats do. The end result is that American soft power will be less visibly connected to the US, more effectively fine-tuned for targeted audiences, and promoted by what can be described as many more “agents of influence” than before.

It’s this final point that captures the essence of Trump’s reforms. As a successful businessman, Trump appreciates the free market, ergo why he envisages liberating the so-called “marketplace of ideas” from what he considers to be USAID and USAGM’s overbearing influence. Instead of keeping that marketplace “unfree” by letting them continue dictating editorial preferences, he wants to reduce their roles mostly to funding and supervising like-minded foreign contractors who’ll then function as “agents of influence”.

The problem though is that their host countries could replicate the US’ FARA like Georgia recently did to identify which broadcasters, influencers, media, etc. are receiving foreign funding and then obligate them to inform their audience of this so that they can keep it in mind when consuming their content. Additional responsibilities could also be mandated to make such arrangements too onerous for many to agree to, such as regular and detailed reporting of their…

Erdogan Jails Top Political Rival As Protests Sweep Across Turkey

Turkey descent into full-blown banana republic status continued on Sunday morning, when the country’s police formally arrested President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, a decision that will trigger even more market turmoil and protests across the country. Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s mayor, was jailed on corruption charges days after being detained by police; he was also officially suspended as mayor of Istanbul, sparking an unprecedented political crisis in Turkey which may urgently require another fake coup by Erdogan as he slowly loses control.

The case – which the “Democratic” western media would be screaming about… if only it didn’t involve the second largest army in NATO – has the potential to keep Imamoglu, who denies the charges, behind bars for years and prevent him from running against Erdogan in the next elections. He is the most prominent person to be ensnared in a recent wave of detentions and investigations against opposition figures.

WATCH moment Turkish police spray angry protesters with pepper spray after boos ring out
Arrested Istanbul mayor wants MORE protests in country https://t.co/wULT2xgJKo pic.twitter.com/94X6d9UST7
— RT (@RT_com) March 23, 2025
Imamoglu’s detention on Wednesday came a day after authorities revoked his university diploma, which Turks need to run for the highest political office. The Istanbul court hearing the allegations on Sunday decided against a formal arrest on separate terror charges, but Imamoglu will remain in jail over the corruption probe.

Protests against the arrest of Istanbul mayor Imamoglu are escalating all over the country
In Bursa, police and protestors are engaging in mutual violence https://t.co/emS5SUGwZj pic.twitter.com/kfKFhnyWEa
— RT (@RT_com) March 23, 2025
Imamoglu was scheduled to be declared his party’s candidate on Sunday for the next presidential vote, scheduled for 2028. The cancellation of his university degree and decision by Turkish authorities to put him behind bars leave his political future unclear.

“We’ll together remove this black stain put on our democracy,” Imamoglu said in a statement shortly after his arrest. “I stand tall, I will never bow.”

He repeated the popular campaign slogan he used in municipal elections: “All will be good.”

His arrest suggests that Turkish authorities won’t be deterred by mass protests that have broken out in cities including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Erdogan and his officials have accused the main opposition party of trying to sow chaos by calling people onto the streets. Of course, the opposition party wouldn’t be trying to sow chaos if its leaders hadnt’ been arrested.

WATCH moment Turkish police spray angry protesters with pepper spray after boos ring out
Arrested Istanbul mayor wants MORE protests in country https://t.co/wULT2xgJKo pic.twitter.com/94X6d9UST7
— RT (@RT_com) March 23, 2025
The 54-year-old mayor’s popularity has risen nationally since 2019, when he defeated Erdogan’s handpicked candidate in local elections. He repeated his success at the ballot box against another Erdogan ally last year, helping the main opposition Republican People’s Party, known as the CHP, inflict an unprecedented defeat on Erdogan’s AK Party.

The arrest will surely trigger a renewed selloff of Turkish assets, which cratered last week and saw the lira plunge to a now record low. The…