The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell.

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The 10/19/21 dispatch.

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A newsletter and podcast about defense news and looming hotspots, produced by a prior Marine who's trying to help unite the country. Plus, there will always be some motivation and wisdom in each episode to help push you, because who doesn't need that?!
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The 10/19/21 dispatch.

Stan R. Mitchell
Oct 19, 2021
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The 10/19/21 dispatch.

stanrmitchell.substack.com
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Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!

Probably the biggest news since the last edition was the report regarding China’s hypersonic weapon and the passing of Colin Powell. Given that the Colin Powell passing made such huge headlines yesterday, I’ll only share a couple of small tidbits about him at the end of this edition, since I feel the mainstream media covered that fairly in depth.

So with that introduction out of the way, let’s talk about China’s hypersonic weapon news. Here’s the basic story in two tweets.

Item 1:

Twitter avatar for @Dimi
Demetri Sevastopulo @Dimi
SCOOP – #China has stunned US intelligence and military officials by testing a #nuclear capable #hypersonic missile that traveled through low orbit in space, making a full circle around the globe before speeding towards its target.
on.ft.comSubscribe to read | Financial TimesNews, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication
7:51 PM ∙ Oct 16, 2021
6,268Likes4,327Retweets

Item 2.

China denied it had launched a hypersonic weapon, saying it wasn’t a missile but instead was a space vehicle used in a "routine test." China claims it’s developing technology to lower the cost of future space travel.

Frankly, having perused several things on this, I’m not a hundred percent sure what to make of this. Some defense officials seem to think it's a huge deal. Others counter that current, tested weaponry (such as low-flying cruise missiles and ICBMs) can easily counter the threat.

The U.S. doesn’t seem too concerned publicly. (See below.)

Twitter avatar for @tomselliott
Tom Elliott @tomselliott
Biden @PressSec response to report China’s testing hypersonic nuclear missile that orbits the Earth: "We welcome the competition."
5:41 PM ∙ Oct 18, 2021
1,464Likes588Retweets

To me, the reality is that it’s not like China is going to suddenly try to strike the U.S. with either ICBMs or hyper-sonic weapons. (That would lead to a catastrophic counter-response, and we currently have more nukes aimed in that direction.)

Rather, the real strategic fault line lies with Taiwan, and any possible attack or invasion of that island. (See below for your weekly geography reminder.)

The U.S. remains committed to growing an allied force that will prevent China ever retaking the island. I’ve written on this at length. See three items below:

Stan R. Mitchell: foreign policy and military matters.
The 10/8/21 dispatch.
Hope everyone has had a great week! Since my last post on Tuesday, I’m sad to say that things have gotten even testier with China. News broke that the United States ALREADY has troops in Taiwan, who are operating as advisors. This was previously unknown and certainly top secret information…
Read more
2 years ago · 1 like · Stan R. Mitchell
Stan R. Mitchell: foreign policy and military matters.
The 10/5/21 dispatch.
Hope everyone had a great weekend, and that you’re off to a strong start this week! Biggest news of late in the foreign policy world is China is upping its intimidation of Taiwan. (See stories below…
Read more
2 years ago · 1 like · Stan R. Mitchell
Stan R. Mitchell: foreign policy and military matters.
The 9/24/21 dispatch.
Happy Friday to everyone! In this post, I wanted to share three quick China-related stories, and then share a few other neat things I’ve come across. First, China is still being China, trying to intimidate Taiwan (and probably other neighbors that we don’t know about). Nothing new here. See below…
Read more
2 years ago · Stan R. Mitchell

Moving on, over in Afghanistan, the Taliban is learning some painful lessons about what it’s like to be on defense instead of on offense, as the aggressor. Another bombing recently happened there, as Islamic State ramps up its efforts against the Taliban. (See below.)

Twitter avatar for @Militarydotcom
Military.com @Militarydotcom
Islamic State Claims Mosque Bombing in South Afghanistan
military.comIslamic State Claims Mosque Bombing in South AfghanistanThe attack came a week after a bombing claimed by the local Islamic State affiliate killed 46 people at a Shiite mosque.
9:00 PM ∙ Oct 16, 2021
7Likes5Retweets

In other matters, I came across this news on Twitter and I’ve got to say, Alex is dead on. For as much as we blast the military (and other government agencies) for wasting money, it’s often as not Congress that deserves the blame.

Twitter avatar for @alexplitsas
Alex Plitsas 🇺🇸 @alexplitsas
For all of the folks who complain that the defense budget is bloated👇🏼
Twitter avatar for @rtiron
Roxana Tiron @rtiron
BREAKING: Senate defense appropriations bill is out giving the Pentagon more than $10 billion than requested, $725.8 billion
7:50 PM ∙ Oct 18, 2021
47Likes13Retweets

Now for items that AREN’T in the news, but are still a big deal, let’s return to the old subject of Syria, where the Biden administration is attempting to overcome the reluctance of some nations to repatriate Islamic State fighters from Syria.

From the Washington Post:

Around 11,000 suspected fighters remain imprisoned in makeshift prisons run by Syrian Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. At least 60,000 women and children are confined to camps housing Islamic State families, where officials warn dire conditions and rampant extremism may yield a new generation of militants.

At least 70 people have been killed so far this year inside al-Hol, the sprawling camp that has come to symbolize the deadlock over the fighters and family members, hailing from across Europe, the Middle East and beyond, who now personify the unaddressed aftermath of the five-year battle against the Islamic State.

Many countries, including close U.S. allies in Europe, have been reluctant to bring home their nationals, citing security fears and the burden of monitoring or prosecuting those with extremist links.

“Just because it’s out of sight and out of mind, which it is for the vast majority of Americans, doesn’t mean it’s not a very serious problem,” said Nathan Sales, who oversaw efforts to repatriate those in the facilities as a top counterterrorism official during the Trump administration.

You can read the full story here:

Twitter avatar for @StanRMitchell
Stan R. Mitchell, USMC @StanRMitchell
Biden administration attempts to overcome reluctance of nations to repatriate Islamic State fighters from Syria
washingtonpost.comBiden administration attempts to overcome reluctance of nations to repatriate Islamic State fighters from SyriaMany countries don’t want to take back their nationals who are linked to the Islamic State.
10:11 PM ∙ Oct 16, 2021

Now, back to the Colin Powell news. Here are just a couple of items I really wanted to share.

First, this heart-felt comment from our Secretary of Defense.

Twitter avatar for @nytimes
The New York Times @nytimes
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin credited Colin Powell as "a tremendous personal friend and mentor." "He always made time for me, and I could always go to him for tough issues. I feel as if I have a hole in my heart." nyti.ms/3FX4Ves
3:35 PM ∙ Oct 18, 2021
663Likes116Retweets

And finally, this great clip that I still remember like it was yesterday.

Twitter avatar for @LiberalTed
🌐 'Tariff Free' Ted 🌐 @LiberalTed
I hear #ColinPowell has died. I wanted to share one of the best things I remember him ever saying. #ReaceInPeace
12:05 PM ∙ Oct 18, 2021
18,543Likes5,037Retweets

Okay, this post has been long.

Let’s end with some motivation. I came across this story and was blown away. I hope it touches and inspires you, as well.

Twitter avatar for @CBSEveningNews
CBS Evening News @CBSEveningNews
Mike Mason is a retired top FBI official who is starting a new job, as a school bus driver. He may be the most overqualified bus driver in America, but he tells @SteveHartman that when his community was in need, he knew exactly how to step up.
10:57 PM ∙ Oct 15, 2021
453Likes139Retweets

That’s it for this post. Stay safe and be kind. As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it.

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And if you haven’t already, please sign up for email notifications. (It’s FREE. Unless would like to support what I’m doing by contributing $5 a month; cancel at any time.) 

Every Tuesday and Friday, I write about conflicts and military matters that are happening throughout the world. Such as what’s happening in Afghanistan or Iraq. How we’re aligning ourselves to counter China’s growing influence. Updates on new military technology that we’re fielding.

As long-time readers know, I do all of this from a moderate perspective that focuses on unity in our country. I also don’t believe in clickbait, over-the-top headlines, or other tactics created to increase fear or panic, all in the hope of adding to web traffic. You will always get the sober, mature view, with a slight bit of my optimism peering through. 

Feel free to leave a comment below. I love having conversations on here! You can also simply reply to the email you received and I will receive that communication, as well. I always appreciate each and every email that I receive. 

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I write really fast-paced military and mystery thrillers. No, I mean blistering fast. With great suspense & twists. I’ve had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and all of my books average 4+ stars on Amazon. You can find all ten books here: amazon.com.

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The 10/19/21 dispatch.

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