Hawaii Prepares for Possible North Korea Missile Launch

The worry and threat from North Korea launching a missile is being taken very seriously for the state of Hawaii. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Hawaii will test its nuclear sirens. Starting on this Friday, December 1, the state will start a month testing of a nuclear warning siren system. The siren system aimed at alerting residents to an impending nuclear missile strike (cnn.com). At 11:45 a.m. on the first business day of every month there will be an alert signal that will blare from speakers for a total of 50 seconds, and following that there will be a 10-second pause and then a wailing “attack warning” signal for 50 seconds (cnn.com). Hawaii is so very close to North Korea that in the event of an actual attack, the state would literally only have about a 20-minute heads up before the missile would hit the islands. But in actuality the population would only have about 15 minutes because it would take about five minutes for Pacific Command to characterize a launch and where the missile would be going towards. According to Vern Miyagi, the administrator for Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency, “It is not much time at all. But it is enough time to give yourself a chance to survive” (cnn.com). This immediately made me wonder if something like this could happen for the Los Angeles area as well. Los Angeles has also had talks of a possible attack (as discussed in class). I often think about this dilemma and wonder what would we do in that situation and if there was really any way that the majority of the population could protect themselves. 

CNN explains that North Korea has been developing their nuclear capabilities much fast than expected. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said, “We cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea declaring the completion of their nuclear program next year” (cnn.com). For Hawaii, in case of a nuclear strike, the residents are instructed to go inside and remain sheltered for 14 days or until they are told it is safe to leave. While in shelter, residents should listen to local AM-FM radio stations for official information (cnn.com). Unfortunately, the emergency management agency estimates 18,000 Hawaiians would be killed during an initial nuclear missile attack. 

This is really just shocking and frustrating to know that this is a real possibility for the United States to have to worry about. It is really astounding that this kind of terror is a true possibility and from the articles I have been paying attention to, there is not much that we can do about it. I hope and pray that if there were to be a nuclear strike that we would be able to shoot it down, even though there is not a 100% chance of shooting it down. Hopefully the United States is able to prevent such a atrocity from happen to its people. And more importantly, hopefully North Korea and Kim Jong Un and his regime take into consideration that such an attack would put their country and their people into great danger.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/us/hawaii-nuclear-warning-trnd/index.html

United States and Russia Have an Unsafe Encounter

Anything having to do with the United States and Russia always catches my attention. When I came across on multiple news sources the story of an ‘unsafe interaction’ between the two countries planes, I immediately wanted to know more. ABC news, along with many other news outlets, explain just what happened this weekend between the U.S. Navy plane and the Russian fighter jet. Navy plane P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane had quite an unsafe interaction with a Russian SU-30 fighter jet this Saturday that used its afterburners as it flew in front of the U.S. Navy plane over the Black Sea, according to a U.S. official. This was the first unsafe encounter for a U.S. Military aircraft in months. The Russian plane was a Russian SU-30 “Flanker” fighter. 

So, what actually classifies as an ‘unsafe’ encounter? The U.S. military uses various criteria aside from distance to determine whether an encounter with a foreign military vessel or aircraft should be classified as unsafe. ABC news says, “For example, the speed of an aircraft and rate of closure can factor more than a close distance in an air encounter” (abcnews). Back in May, the Russian fighter came within 20 feet of a P-8 aircraft and was deemed as “safe and professional.” This was the case because at the time, a U.S. official said that because both aircrafts visually identified each other and the Russian aircraft approached the American plane in a professional manner (abcnews.com). However, the Pentagon has deemed the Russian aircraft’s most recent encounter as an unsafe interaction because it came as close as 50 feet to the Navy aircraft.

CNN provides further detail that the intercept of the Russian fighter lasted about 24 minutes. Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, told CNN that, “The U.S aircraft was operating in international airspace and did nothing to provoke this Russian behavior,” (cnn.com). The Russian’s jet’s crossed in front of the U.S. plane from right to left while engaging its afterburners and therefore forcing the P-8 to enter its jet wash. This is the action that caused the US plane to experience “a 15-degree roll and violent turbulence,” according to Baldanza. 

According to CNN, “It has been several months since the last reported unsafe interaction between US and Russian aircraft. The most recent reported incident occurred in June, when a Russian Su-27 fighter flew within five feet of a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Prior to that incident there had been several similar encounters in the Black Sea, an area where Russia, the US and NATO operate in close proximity, particularly since Russia boosted its military presence in the region following its annexation of Crimea in 2014 (cnn.com). 

It seems to be somewhat of a somewhat frequently common problem that the US Navy is having to take precautions for and pay close attention to an unsafe interaction or encounter. 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/us-navy-plane-unsafe-encounter-russian-fighter-black/story?id=51419819&cid=clicksource_76_4_article%20roll_articleroll_hed

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/27/politics/russia-us-unsafe-intercept/index.html 

Trump and Putin discuss a plan for ISIS in Syria

During President Trump’s visit to Asia, he has spent a good amount of time discussing and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two, according to CNN, "informally met on the sidelines of a regional economic summit in Vietnams Saturday and agreed to an extensive statement on the conflict in Syria" (CNN.com). The two leaders have made a commitment to defeat ISIS in the country and have met to discuss a further plan of action towards this matter in Syria. The two President’s have many areas of agreement towards this subject due to the fact that these two have spoke casually three times at the ocean-side summit in Da Gang on Friday and Saturday (CNN.com). It is really important for us to have a strong and stable relationship with Russia and this trip has really solidified that relationship. According to President Trump, he believe that this agreement between the U.S. and Russia is going to be very effective and have a great impact on the situation. President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, “the agreement is going to save tremendous number of lives” (CNN.com). Aside from this agreement, Trump stated that he and Putin have a good relationship even though they don’t know each other that well. The two gave a joint statement saying, “agreed to maintain open military channels of communication between the two countries on Syria and said their forces efforts would continue until the final defeat of ISIS is achieved” (CNN.com). Another interesting part of this article was the fact that the two President’s agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria and that there is ultimately is only a political solution to the conflict. In fact, the article continues to say that several Pentagon officials said the defeat of ISIS and reduction of the terror group’s caliphate was going well and that the de-escalation zones implemented in gradual phases had resulted in a significant reduction in the violence and helped save many lives (CNN.com). 

I found this article to be very relatable to what we have recently discussed in our International Relations class with the United State’s Relationship with Russia over the years. Even though there is still a huge amount of election drama, the two leader’s seem to really have a genuine relationship for the best of both countries. President Trump and President Putin are two very powerful people and it seems that they really might have a strong plan in mind to take down ISIS in Syria. 

Fox News tells us a little more insight onto what this U.S.-Russia agreement entails and that it focused on three elements, “deconfliction between the U.S. and Russian militaries, reducing violence in the civil war and reinvigorating U.N.-led peace talks.” The Fox article also tells us that officials were not authorized to discuss the deliberations and requisition anonymity. It would be amazing to see this newly developed plan to take action and make a huge difference for the people of Syria.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/11/politics/us-russia-syria-isis-trump-putin/index.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/11/trump-putin-reportedly-agree-to-take-on-isis-in-syria.html

Trump, Putin to meet and discuss North Korea

I have been keeping up with President Trump’s visit to Asia and next on his agenda is to meet with Putin to discuss and focus on North Korea. According to CNN, “President Donald Trump will seek to enlist his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week on a mission to confront na increasingly truculent North Korea during their second face-to-face meeting.” This article struck my attention due to the documentary we watched in class about Vladimir Putin and of course all that had been in the news with President Trump’s relationship with Russia.  

In my previous blog post I wrote about how time is running low on our decision and security with North Korea. Many White House members were skeptical or even against President Trump’s visit to Asia. So this article entitled, “Trump, Putin to meet and discuss North Korea”, has not only caught my attention but explained further some of Trump’s plans while in Asia. The “Russia issue” may be given more attention and pushed up in the media again due to Trump’s visit with Putin, but it is certainly essential for these two leaders to talk face-to-face. The issue with North Korea is so problematic for our country and I hope that people and the media can see how this meeting is very crucial and not make more continued assumptions. Putin will be one of the leaders that Trump hopes to pull toward a more aggressive posture against Pyongyang during his 13 days in Asia (cnn.com). President Trump said, “We want Putin’s help on North Korea, and we will be meeting with a lot of different leaders” (cnn.com). Trump will meet with Putin in the Vietnamese seaside city of Da Nag. After he meets with Putin here, he will head to Seoul and Beijing and discuss trade and security. 

CNN tells readers, “The United States will determine very soon whether to designate North Korea a state sponsor of terror.” So far in President Trump’s trip in Asia he has been focused on North Korea’s neighbors China, South Korea and Japan. The direct talks with Pyongyang have been ruled out for this trip, I honestly think this might be the right decision for fear that President Trump might say something to even further aggravate Kim Jong Un. CNN states that a senior White House official told reporters in Tokyo that North Korea will be a “primary subject” of conversation when President Tump and Putin meet. The article continues to say, “Russia borders North Korea, they are also very concerned with the direction that North Korea is leading the region toward into this crisis and naturally Russia should have a role in that future.” I truly hope that President Trump can help sway that possible future role of Russia to be a positive and helpful one. President Trump certainly has a way with words, and he needs to use them not to stir up more confusion and tension. Hopefully the meetings he has with each leader will only lead to a safer situation for the United States. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/politics/president-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-meeting/index.html

President Trump's Trip To Asia

I have recently been seeing little bits and pieces about President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Asia. I have been quite intrigued by this considering all that has been occurring between the U.S. and Asian countries recently (North Korea). I came upon this article on CNN, “Focused on North Korea, Trump begins high-stakes Asian diplomacy tour.” The title truly expresses what I was questioning this whole time about his trip, “high-stakes”. I certainly am no expert on what is going on with the U.S. and all of Asia, but I do know enough about the North Korea situation to be quite curious about the news of our president traveling to that country. Now according to this CNN article, “Donald Trump’s national security adviser issued a stark warning the day before the President left Washington for a critical swing through Asia: We’re running out of time.” The article continues to explain that the risk of military confrontation with North Korea appears to only grow by the week and that North Korea is quietly but definitely aggressively, working to advance its intercontinental ballistic middle program to reach the United States with nuclear warhead. Reading this is very uncomfortable and the following line did not help, “And while the US, its allies and even its adversaries agree more must be done— and quickly— there is no consensus on how to proceed” (cnn.com). I was very unaware of just how serious this situation was until I read this article! This is very concerning and frightening for me to comprehend. 

As I continued to read I learned more about President Trump’s agenda and reasoning for his visit to Asia. He will be there for thirteen days and meet with key players and get a first-hand view of the North Korean nuclear threat— the United State’s best chance to stave off a crisis that is threatening to the embroil the US in its first major war in Asia since the Vietnam War (cnn.com). The goal of this trip is for our president to return to Washington with a clear message on how the United States is to approach the North Korean crisis. 

Ideally the President will be able to return with a better mindset on the next step of action to take to help our country stay out of this possible future crisis. The article then steps into what our current strategy is for the Unites States. CNN tells us, “It is important the President bring forth a clear message that is not contradicted by his Cabinet members. You've got Tillerson talking diplomacy, you've got the President talking military action and personal insults," said Bill Richardson, the former US energy secretary, ambassador and repeat US envoy to North Korea. "And he has to get a common strategy among our allies. We're divided.”

Experts, along with myself for that matter, hope that Trump will focus on putting forward a united front between the US and its allies in that region. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/04/politics/donald-trump-china-north-korea/index.html

U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen

Fox news released an article that was somewhat hopeful or encouraging entitled, “US airstrikes in Yemen kill 9 ISIS militants.” A military official announced that a round of airstrikes by American drones killed nine ISIS fighters in Yemen. According to the Fox news article, this was the second time in October that the U.S. military bombed ISIS in Yemen. My immediate reaction to reading the headline of this article was that this was a form of retaliation for the terrorists recent attack in Manhattan. However, after reading further I came to realize that our military has been making plans to wipe out these terror groups in Iraq and Syria. The first time was on October 16th, the U.S. military conducted strikes in Yemen that ended up killing 50 militants inside two training camps. The article says, “The U.S. military said so far this month, it has killed over 60 ISIS fighters in Yemen as the battle to wipe out the terrorist group spreads from Iraq to Syria.” (foxnews.com). This is where I have come to understand just how active our military is in the fight against terror in the Middle East. 

Our government is in coordination with the government of Yemen and according to the article, “U.S. forces are supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations in Yemen against ISIS and AQAP to degrade the groups’ ability to coordinate external terror attacks and limit their ability to hold territory seized from the legitimate government,” said Maj. Earl Brown who is a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command. It indeed is hopeful and good to know that our military is very active in helping theses places that are facing ISIS fighters in their country. 

I really learned a massive amount of information from this article in particular. For example, “the U.S. military has conducted over 100 air strikes in Yemen since President Trump took office, more than the last for years combined. President Donald Trump said, “They’ll go to parts of Africa, they’ll go to other places, when they get to those places— we’ll beat them.” Well, for now that seems possible. If the Trump administration has been able to preform this great work so far and more than any in the last four years, than I believe that we can make a great stride in helping other countries face these ISIS fighters. 

However, aside from just these ISIS fighters, there is a much bigger war occurring in Yemen and many White House lawmakers are supporting a bill that would halt the U.S. military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s war against the Houthi rebels in war-ravaged Yemen (foxnews.com). In another article on Fox News entitled, “America’s role in Yemen war must end, US lawmakers demand.” This bill would remove U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities in Yemen within 30 days. However, the article makes it clear that this bill, “would not prevent the Pentagon from going after Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS, which for the first time has established a foothold in Yemen.” According the Rep. Ro Khanna, the bill will hopefully see a vote in the coming weeks. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/politics/us-airstrikes-isis-militants-yemen/index.html

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/10/24/americas-role-in-yemen-war-must-end-us-lawmakers-demand.html

A new face of ISIS extremists

I came across a very intriguing article on CNN titled, “ The Changing Face of ISIS”. According to the article, ISIS defectors have seen a change for extremists for years, along with those who study these attacks closely. The attack on Tuesday with the vehicle  crashing into bikers and leaving 8 dead and several injured has shed a light into an increasingly new evidence that there is something that is different about ISIS extremists. 

That enough right there acaught my attention immediately. This is very interesting to me because I recently have discussed this topic in numerous journalism and broadcast classes I am in. There seems to be a common theme lately with who and how these atrocities are preformed. This article goes in depth in explaining the transformation of these extremists and their actions. CNN says, “Whether it is running people over with a vehicle, shooting them with an assault rifle, or detonating a homemade suicide bomb, there is common theme among many of the perpetrators. They weren’t born in the Middle East, but in the nations of the former Soviet Union.” It is scary for me realize that these attackers are starting to become people who give no forewarning sign of such an act. For example, Tuesdays attacker Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov is 29-years-old and came to the United States in 2010. He had earned a green card and according to the article, “was apparently radicalized somewhere along that American route.” 

Another aspect that caught my attention in the “Changing face of ISIS” article was reading how a common way of self radicalization for members is by self interest in jihadist literature and sermons online. For Saipov’s route, whatever it was, he left a letter pledging allegiance to ISIS behind near the rental truck. 

Saipov was a Uzbek, not an Arab. Which is jus one example of the changing face, literally, of an ISIS extremists. Interestingly, this article tells us that attacks like this have been common lately abroad by actors from the post-Soviet sphere. 

Another example of the changing face of ISIS was back in 2015 during the Paris attacks. The writer of this CNN article interviewed a former ISIS operative who had defected from the terror organization. This former operative shared with the reporter that, “The most admired— and feared— contingent of ISIS recruits were the Chechens. This was a reference to not just the citizens of the semiautonomous region of the Russian Federation, but to those who had grown up in the greater Caucasus or various Central Asian republics that attained their independence upon the collapse of the USSR.” This article also informs us that some of the post-Soviet fighters in ISIS are graduates from their countries’ armies or law enforcement bodies (CNN.com). So, it seems to me that this article is definitely suggesting that now we are seeing a shift in who the committers of these horrible atrocities are not just coming from the Middle East, and a large amount from the post-Soviet region.

In all honesty this is quite frightening. Not only can an attack like the ones that have been occurring like these last couple of months, but also these attacks are being committed by those from different regions of the world that have legally been living in our country for a good amount of time. It is horrible to realize that a lot of these conversations are being done via internet. I pray for the families that have been affected by the recent terror attack in Manhattan, and for all who have been affected by this terror organization in the past few months. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/opinions/changing-face-isis-followers-weiss/index.html