Inside the Ring
Army deploys long-range missiles to China’s doorstep
The Army recently dispatched a new long-range missile system to the Philippines for the first time since the U.S. in 2019 exited the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned such deployments.
Intelligence agencies report on Chinese corruption in highest echelons of its government
U.S. intelligence agencies are working on a report expected to reveal extensive corruption and hidden wealth held by Chinese Communist Party leaders, including President Xi Jinping, who also holds the post of party general secretary. The report is required in law by a section of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Biden in December.
New probe ties Russia to Havana syndrome attacks
U.S. intelligence agencies are increasingly under fire for downplaying what a recent media investigation asserted was Russia's covert use of a new type of beam weapon that inflicted brain injuries on scores of American diplomats and intelligence officials, a condition that has come to be known as the "Havana syndrome."
Water cannon attack on Philippines navy boat raises odds of U.S.-China clash
Tensions between the Philippines, a key U.S. ally, and China are reaching new levels following the latest use of water cannons by two Chinese coast guard ships against a Philippine navy boat that resulted in injuries to several sailors.
China’s Xi has ultimate power for nuclear attack, study concludes
Chinese leader Xi Jinping holds ultimate authority for launching a nuclear attack, and recently formed regional military commands are probably not in the chain of command for deciding on such strikes.
U.S. efforts to engage China labeled biggest strategic failure
The United States' "greatest strategic failure" took place after the end of the Cold War in the promotion of China, a policy of engagement that has now produced a new existential danger to the nation, according to a new book by two top China experts in the U.S.
Documents reveal Canadian virologists’ work with PLA
Declassified Canadian government documents reveal that two China-born researchers at a high-security virus laboratory in Winnipeg worked secretly with China's People's Liberation Army and provided deadly virus samples to China.
China grows domestic bio weapons tech industry
China is advancing its domestic, dual-use biological research with applications for the People's Liberation Army germ warfare programs, according to an open-source intelligence report.
Military supply lines in Pacific on ‘razor’s edge,’ admiral warns
Growing dangers of a war with China highlight the urgent need to improve the military's ability to supply troops in the Pacific with weapons and other support, the admiral in charge of the Pacific Fleet says.
DIA report details Iranian weaponry sent to Yemen rebels
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the shock troops for the theocratic regime in Tehran, have supplied missiles and one-way attack drones to the Houthis in Yemen who are carrying out strikes on global shipping in the Red Sea and other targets in the Middle East, the Defense Intelligence Agency revealed in a report made public this month.
Congress sounds alarm on sealift shortfalls for potential Pacific clash
Amid growing tensions with China, the U.S. military lacks adequate sealift capabilities to support a war in the Indo-Pacific, according to the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
CIA doubles spending to meet China threat
CIA Director William J. Burns has revealed in a major new journal article that his agency has retooled its analysis and operations and doubled its budget to focus on the rising threat from China.
Report reveals new details of China’s biological weapons programs
China's military is engaged in secret biological weapons development that is a key element of Beijing's asymmetric warfare strategy, according to a new report by the CCP Biothreats Initiative, a think tank.
Former NSA counterspy says Jeffrey Epstein was part of Israeli network
Former National Security Agency counterspy John Schindler says he has connected the intelligence dots regarding the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and linked him to an Israeli influence operation.
Xi advocates world communism in speech marking Mao’s birth
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced recently that the ruling Communist Party's ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics can serve as a global alternative to the West's U.S.-led capitalist system.
Chinese brain warfare includes sleep weapons, thought control
China's military is developing advanced psychological warfare and brain-influencing weapons as part of a new warfighting strategy, according to a think tank report on People's Liberation Army cognitive warfare.
‘Misinformation’ service NewsGuard targeted in defense bill
The 2024 defense authorization bill now in its final stages on Capitol Hill contains a provision that would restrict the Pentagon from spending money on an advertising agency that relies on the self-described "counter-misinformation" group NewsGuard, a blow to the left-leaning organization that critics say unfairly targets conservative media.
Pentagon says Chinese claims to disputed South China Sea shoal are ‘illegal’
The Hawaii-based Indo-Pacific Command has published a legal report on a hotly disputed shoal in the South China Sea arguing that all Chinese claims to own the submerged reef are illegal.
General: U.S. to deploy land-based Tomahawks in Asia
The commander of Army forces in the Indo-Pacific region recently announced that the Army will soon deploy long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles on ground launchers in the region.
Xi claims ignorance of Taiwan attack plans
Those with experience dealing with Chinese Communist Party officials say the best way to know the truth about China is after the party denies it. That may be the case regarding the discussion on Taiwan between President Biden and President Xi Jinping in California last week.
