Tag Archive for: pentagon

Pentagon dismisses Donbas offensive as ‘anemic, tepid, uneven, and risk averse,’ as Russia prepares to annex the region

/in


‘ANEMIC, TEPID, UNEVEN, RISK AVERSE’: The Pentagon is describing Russia’s halting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas provinces as making “minimal progress at best,” with “minor gains” east of the northern cities of Izyum and Popasna, only to give ground back in the face of fierce Ukrainian counterattacks.

“What we saw there in Popasna is not unlike what we’ve seen in other hamlets in the Donbas. They’ll move in and then declare victory, and then withdraw their troops, only to let the Ukrainians take it back,” a senior defense official told reporters yesterday. “So, very, very cautious, very tepid, very uneven work by them on the ground, and in some cases, quite frankly, the best word to describe it would be ‘anemic.’”

In the past few days, Ukrainian forces succeeded in pushing Russian troops farther away from the northern city of Kharkiv, once Ukraine’s second largest. “They have managed to push the Russians out about 40 kilometers to the east of Kharkiv,” the official said, which is beyond the range of many artillery systems. “They’re pushing them back, so back into areas of the northern Donbas region, but away from Kharkiv, so an incredible effort there.”

“They’re still suffering from poor command-and-control, low morale in many units, less-than-ideal logistics,” the official said. “They still have not solved all their logistics problems, and quite frankly, there’s a casualty aversion, a risk and casualty aversion that we continue to see by the Russians now, not just in the air, but on the ground.”

RUSSIAN MILITARY’S ‘CASUALTY AVERSION’ LEADING TO ‘ANEMIC’ GAINS, PENTAGON SAYS

RUSSIA TO ANNEX TERRITORY AS FIGHTING STILL RAGES: Desperate to declare success before next Monday’s World War II Victory Day celebration in Moscow, Russia is planning to declare domain over all the Donbas, based on what the U.S. says would be sham elections.

“We believe that the Kremlin may try to hold sham referenda to try to add a veneer of democratic or electoral legitimacy, and this is straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook,” said Michael Carpenter, U.S. ambassador to the…

Source…

Pentagon links Iran intelligence to ‘MuddyWater’ hacking group

/in


The Pentagon’s cybersecurity arm on Wednesday said it has tied a hacking group known as MuddyWater to Iranian intelligence.

In doing so, US Cyber Command also identified several open-source software tools being used by the hacking group and disclosed them in an effort to thwart further attacks. MuddyWater allegedly used the tools to gain access to global computer networks.

A US Cyber Command spokeswoman said disclosure of the hacking group provides a “holistic picture of how Iranian hackers might be collecting information through the use of malware. The cyber agency described MuddyWater as operating under the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The Iranian intelligence agency identifies political opponents through domestic surveillance and “surveils anti-regime activists abroad through its network of agents placed in Iran’s embassies, according to US Cyber Command, citing research from the Congressional Research Service.

Iran’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to a request seeking comment.

“Iran fields multiple teams that conduct cyber espionage, cyberattack and information operations, said Sarah Jones, the principal analyst for threat intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant Inc.

She said Iran’s security services that support these attackers, including its intelligence ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, “are using them to get a leg up on Iran’s adversaries and competitors all over the world.

Read more:

Israel says it broke up Iranian spy ring, arrested five Israelis

Apparent Iran-linked hackers breach Israeli internet firm

Source…

Advising both Chinese state companies and the Pentagon, McKinsey & Co. comes under scrutiny

/in


In a 2020 federal court filing related to McKinsey’s advisory role in a bankruptcy case, the firm cited its connection to COSCO. That same year, the shipping company said in a press release that it had received advice from McKinsey.

As part of China’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” COSCO has been pouring Chinese government money into ports around the world and other logistics hubs. COSCO in recent years has bought a majority stake in the Greek port of Piraeus, invested in a new container terminal in the United Arab Emirates, and purchased a major stake in the Peruvian port of Chancay.

COSCO is among a core of state-owned enterprises that are part of the country’s defense industrial base and are given special status by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, according to regional analysts. The company has provided logistical support to the Chinese navy’s escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and experts say it serves as the maritime logistical arm for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Meanwhile, McKinsey advised the U.S. Navy on plans to modernize its network of naval shipyards.

McKinsey, which set up business in China in the 1990s, says on its website it employs more than 1,000 people at six offices across the country and has carried out more than 1,500 “engagements” with Chinese clients in the past five years.

According to McKinsey, the firm’s work in China is carried out through a separate legal entity and most of its consulting does not involve state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

“The vast majority of that work is for the private sector, including with U.S. and other multinational companies. Our limited work with SOEs focuses on the same core commercial and operational topics on which we serve other major corporations,” Grace, the company spokesperson, said.

The company declined to discuss its work with specific Chinese clients, including those that appear on U.S. government blacklists.

Grace said McKinsey follows an extensive internal policy to evaluate potential clients and does not serve political parties anywhere in the world or defense, intelligence, justice or policing institutions in countries with low rankings on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy…

Source…

Pentagon details China info war on U.S.

/in


NEWS AND ANALYSIS:

China is engaged in influence operations targeting U.S. society aimed at building support for the communist nation’s policies and strategies, according to the Pentagon‘s latest annual report on the Chinese military.

“The PRC conducts influence operations, which target cultural institutions, media organizations, business, academic, and policy communities in the United States, other countries, and international institutions, to achieve outcomes favorable to its strategic objectives,” the report said.

Little academic research has been done in the United States to track the influence operations, which have been successful in shaping Americans’ understanding of China. Many media organizations and think tanks often reflect Chinese government propaganda and messages, such as the theme that China poses no threat to the U.S.

Beijing uses its funding and access to travel in China as means of influencing American institutions to avoid criticizing threatening activities such as human rights violations and China‘s spread of nuclear arms and equipment around the world.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “seeks to condition domestic,…

Source…