Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 16
May 22, 2023
Extended edition: Episode 5-22-23
Hello, my friends!
Thank you for being a supporter of The View from the Front.
Here’s the Monday update for paid subscribers (with a partial preview for free subscribers). This includes a brief round-up of news and some daily motivation.
If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.
My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.
I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to add value and repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)
I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.
If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:
But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters.
REMINDER: If you missed Thursday’s podcast, make sure you listen to that here: 5/18/2023. It’s FREE to do so!
I’m sending today’s update out free to everyone; even the free subscribers. A reminder: if you sign up as a paid subscriber, you’ll get these every Monday!
The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Turkey election news:Erdogan wins endorsement for Turkish election runoff from third-place candidate Ogan
The third-placed contender in the Turkish presidential elections formally endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for the second-round runoff vote to be held on May 28.
The nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, 55, has emerged as a potential kingmaker after neither Erdogan nor his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, secured the majority needed for a first-round victory on May 14.
…
Ogan, a former academic who was backed by a far-right anti-migrant party, won 5.17% in the May 14 vote and could hold the key to victory in the runoff now that he’s out of the race.
I mentioned this in the last podcast. Check out this image below:
Russia and Ukraine news:F-16s to Ukraine are now definitely one closer step forward.
U.S. will help train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets
The Biden administration will approve European allies providing American made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The U.S. will also support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots. Ukraine has been asking for those jets since early in the war with Russia, but until now, the U.S. has refused
In a press gaggle, a reporter told Biden: that the Russians are saying giving Ukraine F-16's is a “colossal risk."
Biden replied: “It is. For them.”
Russia TV celebrates as it reports the capture of Bakhmut, comparing it to Berlin in 1945
Russian TV went into a full frenzy of celebration as it reported Moscow’s capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. There were comparisons to the Red Army liberating Berlin in 1945, congratulations relayed from President Vladimir Putin and announcers emphasizing the victory by using the city’s nearly century-old Soviet name of Artyomovsk.
“The myth that Artyomovsk is an unassailable fortress has been crushed,” an anchor said Sunday night on Channel One, Russia’s most popular state broadcaster. “Those are historic events.”
A report from the smoldering city in eastern Ukraine followed, showing Russian fighters yelling “Victory!” and placing two flags -- the Russian tricolor and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner -- atop a tall, partly destroyed building.
Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russian forces weren’t occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow’s insistence that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen.
Responding to a reporter’s question about the status of the city at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, Zelenskyy said: “Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today.”
“We are not throwing people (away) to die,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian through an interpreter. “People are the treasure. I clearly understand what is happening in Bakhmut. I cannot share with you the technical details of what is happening with our warriors.”
…
Oleksandr Syrskyi, a spokesman for the military’s eastern command, said Ukrainian forces control the outskirts of the city, and “defense forces continue offensive actions on the flanks near Bakhmut.”
Russia alleges border incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs; Kyiv claims they are disgruntled Russians
Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian military saboteurs launched an attack across the border Monday, wounding eight people in a small town. Kyiv officials denied any link with the group and blamed the fighting on a revolt by disgruntled Russians against the Kremlin.
Neither version of events could be independently verified in an area that has witnessed sporadic spillover from the almost 15-month war in Ukraine.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said that a Ukrainian Armed Forces saboteur group entered the town of Graivoron, about five kilometers (three miles) from the border. The town also came under Ukrainian artillery fire, he said.
Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said eight people were wounded and most residents had left the area, but the situation remained “tense.”
Biden Administration announces new $375 million aid packageIt includes additional ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, artillery rounds, anti-armor capabilities, and critical enablers valued at up to $375 million that Ukraine is using on the battlefield to push back against Russia's unprovoked war of aggression.
The capabilities in this package include:
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Laser-guided rocket system munitions;
• Demolition munitions;
• Armored bridging systems;
• Armored medical treatment vehicles;
• Trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment;
• Logistics support equipment;
• Thermal imagery systems;
• Spare parts and other field equipment.
An Iranian nuclear facility is so deep underground that US airstrikes likely couldn’t reach it
Motivation and Wisdom:
Near a peak of the Zagros Mountains in central Iran, workers are building a nuclear facility so deep in the earth that it is likely beyond the range of a last-ditch U.S. weapon designed to destroy such sites, according to experts and satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press.
The photos and videos from Planet Labs PBC show Iran has been digging tunnels in the mountain near the Natanz nuclear site, which has come under repeated sabotage attacks amid Tehran’s standoff with the West over its atomic program.
With Iran now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the West’s efforts to halt Tehran from potentially developing an atomic bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains stalled.
Completion of such a facility “would be a nightmare scenario that risks igniting a new escalatory spiral,” warned Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given how close Iran is to a bomb, it has very little room to ratchet up its program without tripping U.S. and Israeli red lines. So at this point, any further escalation increases the risk of conflict.”
Inspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Love doesn't make the world go round, Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.2:15 AM ∙ May 16, 2022415Likes98Retweets
Motivational Quotes @spreadcheer1If you can't makeup your mind despite constant internal debate, allow your heart to lead you. It knows the way. It knows what you want yet you resist. If something can't be resolved by logic let your intuition hold your hand & guide you. It'll never take you to wrong destination.10:30 PM ∙ May 13, 2022123Likes29Retweets
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
May 18, 2023
Podcast Episode 5-18-23
Hey guys!
Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.
But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:
Timestamp: 1:32. Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia.
Timestamp: 11:30. The lure of isolationism, and why it’s wrong.
Timestamp: 17:01. Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling.
Timestamp: 20:50. Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms.
Timestamp: 25:05. A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate.
Timestamp: 25:45. Why is Erdogan still popular?
Timestamp: 29:23. Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut.
Timestamp: 32:45. Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion.
Timestamp: 34:41. Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says.
Timestamp: 37:14. Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know.
Timestamp: 38:54. Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles.
Timestamp: 40:08. A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive.
Timestamp: 41:35. Opinion | I’ve never seen the Kremlin so rattled.
Timestamp: 45:46. Russian attack damages Patriot system and Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security.
Timestamp: 49:10. China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges.
Timestamp: 50:38. Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble.
Timestamp 52:05. Attack on U.S. convoy in Nigeria.
Timestamp: 53:30. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part.
Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!
The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.
Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.
Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
Source notes:
U.S. news:Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia
Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling.
Former President Donald Trump would not say Wednesday night who he thinks should prevail in Russia’s war against Ukraine, instead telling New Hampshire GOP primary voters that he wants “everybody to stop dying.”
“I want everybody to stop dying. They’re dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying,” Trump said at CNN’s town hall moderated by “CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins. “And I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”
Turkey election news:
The three-nation trip had been meant as a triumphant global leadership showcase, and instead threatened to become a truncated reminder of how partisan disagreements have undercut U.S. standing on the global stage.
“I’ve cut my trip short in order to be here for the final negotiations and sign the deal with the majority leader,” Biden said in remarks before departing the White House. “I’ve made clear America is not a deadbeat nation, we pay our bills.”
Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms
Conservative Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a runoff with his main rival in two weeks that will decide who leads a country struggling with sky-high inflation and hosting Syrian refugees as it plays a key role in the Middle East and in NATO expansion.
Election officials said Monday that the May 28 second round will allow Turks to decide if their nation remains under the increasingly authoritarian president’s firm grip for a third decade, or if it can embark on the more democratic course that Kemal Kilicdaroglu has claimed he can deliver.
…
Erdogan faced electoral headwinds due to a cost-of-living crisis and criticism over the government’s response to a devastating February earthquake. But with his alliance retaining its hold on the parliament, Erdogan is now in a good position to win in the second round.
A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate
Why is Erdogan still popular?
Until Sunday, Sinan Ogan was a fringe, ultranationalist Turkish politician virtually unknown outside Turkey. But for the next two weeks, he may become the most important figure in Turkish politics, potentially deciding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fate.
…
Ogan, the third candidate, received 5.17%, enough to swing the runoff vote in favor of either of the candidates. With that, he found himself as the kingmaker in the most important elections in modern Turkey’s history.
By many measures, things aren’t great in Turkey right now.
Inflation is at 44% (down from 85% in October), and analysts say it’s likely higher than official numbers suggest. Meanwhile, the lira, Turkey’s currency, is tanking, having fallen 76% during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest term in office (since 2018).
That’s to say nothing of the 1.5 million people left homeless by February’s devastating earthquake, which killed 50,000 in the country’s south and exposed the depths of Ankara’s cronyism and corruption. The list goes on.
But Gabrielle Debinski writes in GZero
Offered cheap housing loans.
Implemented a debt-relief program for millions
Passed a law allowing more than 2 million Turks to retire immediately.
Raised the minimum wage for the private sector by 94% year-on-year in Jan. 2023.
Managed to appeal to Islamic conservatives, while also not imposing harsh Islamic laws on non-religious Turks.
Russia and Ukraine news:Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut, Russia says
Russian and Ukrainian forces are engaged in heavy fighting in Bakhmut, the eastern city where Ukrainian soldiers have held out against a months-long assault by the Russian army, officials of both countries said Thursday. But accounts differed on whether it’s the start of Kyiv’s much-anticipated spring counteroffensive.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner, a key element of the Russian assault on Bakhmut, said the Ukrainian operation was “in full swing” and its forces were attacking his flanks.
“Unfortunately, in some places they are successful,” Prigozhin said in an audio message posted to Telegram. “All the units that have received the necessary training, weapons, equipment, tanks, everything else — they are already fully engaged.”
Later Thursday, he said the attack was “shaping up according to the worst of the predicted scenarios.”
More confirmation and details.
Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion
Germany announced on Saturday that it would supply Ukraine with an aid package worth nearly $3 billion to strengthen the country’s defense, marking Berlin’s largest pledge in military aid since the start of the war.
The German Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the package may include a variety of military hardware, including armoured personnel carriers, 30 Leopard tanks, reconnaissance drones and ammunition.
“With this valuable contribution of urgently needed military material, we are once again showing that Germany is serious about its support,” Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is in Germany for the first time since Russia invaded
It is his first visit to Berlin since the start of the war and comes a day after the German government announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition.
Zelenskyy thanked Scholz for Germany's political, financial and military support, saying the country is now second only behind the United States in providing aid to Ukraine — and joked that he is working to make it the biggest donor.
Scholz made clear that Kyiv can expect German aid to keep flowing.
"We will support you for as long as necessary," he said, adding that it is up to Russia to end the war by withdrawing its troops.
Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says
In late January, with his mercenary forces dying by the thousands in a fight for the ruined city of Bakhmut, Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin made Ukraine an extraordinary offer.
Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the course of the war, according to previously unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord.
Prigozhin has publicly feuded with Russian military commanders, who he furiously claims have failed to equip and resupply his forces, which have provided vital support to Moscow’s war effort. But he is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who might well regard Prigozhin’s offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal.
But the head of the Russian paramilitary group speculated the story could have been planted by his enemies, according to an audio message posted to his Telegram channel on Monday.
“I can say with confidence, if we’re being serious, that I have not been in Africa at least since the beginning of the conflict, but in fact a few months before the start of the SMO (Special Military Operation),” Prigozhin said, referring to Moscow’s euphemism for the war in Ukraine.
“Therefore, I simply could not meet with anyone there physically.”
In his message, Prigozhin asked rhetorically, “Who is behind this? I think that either some journalists decided to hype, or comrades from Rublyovka have now decided to make up a beautiful, planted story.” Rublyovka is the name of an affluent neighborhood in Moscow along the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye highway, which is known for its luxurious residential estates and mansions for the Russian elite.
Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know
Russia’s air force may have just suffered one of its worst days since the Ukraine war began. Unconfirmed reports say that four of its aircraft were shot down within Russian territory, in what would mark a significant coup for Ukraine.
There are conflicting accounts about how many planes and helicopters may have been brought down inside the Russian region of Bryansk, but one Russian media outlet says that at least two combat aircraft – an Su-34 and an Su-35 – and two Mi-8 helicopters crashed.
…
Social media videos geolocated by CNN show at least one helicopter crashing near the town of Klintsy in Bryansk, which is 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles
An explosion rocked the occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk early on Monday morning, the latest in a barrage of strikes in recent days that show Kyiv using new, longer-range weapons to hit deep inside Russian-held territory.
Luhansk, controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014, sits 60 miles east of the front line and has been out of reach of most Ukrainian weapons, making it a place of relative calm. Since Friday, however, it has come under regular attack.
The Russian Defense Ministry has linked the explosions in Luhansk to Storm Shadow cruise missiles, recently supplied to Ukraine by Britain, which have a range of 155 miles, as well as infrared targeting and stealth capability.
A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive
Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe: “I actually expect, however, that they will be quite successful. They've been training hard. The West has provided a lot of very good equipment, but also the Ukrainians have worked hard to build up several armored brigades that will be used to penetrate these long, linear Russian defenses.
Opinion | I’ve never seen the Kremlin so rattled
Russian attack damages Patriot system
A mysterious drone attack on the Kremlin. A car bombing that wounded a key advocate of the invasion of Ukraine. Four military aircraft shot down in a single day — inside Russia’s borders.
If the Ukrainians and their allies wanted to rattle the Russian leadership, it’s working.
Never, in more than two decades of covering Vladimir Putin’s regime, have I seen it in such an obvious state of chaos and disarray. These days, Kremlin-watchers don’t have to read tea leaves or decode cryptic utterances from the leadership to spot the signs of intrigue — it’s all out in the open, thanks to Putin confidant Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security China news:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again called on allies to provide more air defense assets following a barrage of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv. Ukraine’s military shot down 18 missiles during the attacks on the capital, Zelensky said, but more support is needed to protect the entire country. “We need additional air defense systems and missiles,” he said. “We also need modern fighter jets.”
The Patriot air defense system damaged by Russian fire in the vicinity of Kyiv suffered an indirect hit but is still mission capable, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday, though the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges
Middle East news: Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble
China sentenced a 78-year-old United States citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges, in a case that could exacerbate the deterioration in ties between Beijing and Washington over recent years.
Details of the charges against John Shing-Wan Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been publicly released.
Leung was detained April 15, 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou, according to a statement posted by the city’s intermediate court on its social media site. His detention came after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Africa news:
But Iran’s conservative government now sees that it’s much easier to use tried-and-true methods to beat back demonstrators than to force all women and girls to wear the hijab in public. After all, many are simply ignoring the rules.
So, authorities have authored a new law and are using new tactics. Women who flout the state’s dress code can be kept out of school and denied services. Businesses that welcome them can be fined or shut down. Last month, cameras were installed in many city streets to boost enforcement. The next ugly confrontation ending in violence and public fury is all but inevitable.
Motivation and Wisdom:Let’s end this edition with plenty of motivation and wisdom.
Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.
Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.
But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.
You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.
Do it now.
And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.
You’re meant to do this.
And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.
With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.
Reini Lackner @ReiniLacknerPrioritize frequency over magnitude. 
4:42 PM ∙ May 5, 202228Likes1RetweetReini Lackner @ReiniLacknerPain and failure are part of growth. 
4:42 PM ∙ May 5, 202227Likes3RetweetsReini Lackner @ReiniLackner10 visualized beliefs to overcome Self-Doubt and be more confident. 
4:42 PM ∙ May 5, 2022345Likes79Retweets
Life Quotes @RTLifeQuotesBalance your thoughts with action. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done. – Bruce Lee6:01 AM ∙ May 5, 2022699Likes178Retweets
Inspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Don't miss out on something that could be great, just because it could also be difficult.3:10 AM ∙ May 9, 20221,256Likes297Retweets
Motivational Quotes @motivation_qotNobody cares about your story until you win, so win.4:15 AM ∙ May 13, 202298Likes27Retweets#ThursdayThoughts ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Thu May 12 12:00:11 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FSjlwK...
Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” -- Oprah Winfrey #ThursdayThoughts 
12:00 PM ∙ May 12, 2022155Likes58Retweets
Motivational Quotes @therandomvibezStay patient. The best things happen unexpectedly.4:30 AM ∙ May 12, 2022475Likes116RetweetsThat’s it for this edition.
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
May 15, 2023
Extended edition: Episode 5-15-23
Hello, my friends!
Thank you for being a support of The View from the Front.
Here’s the Monday update for paid subscribers (with a partial preview for free subscribers). This includes a brief round-up of news and some daily motivation.
If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.
My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.
I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to add value and repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)
I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.
If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:
But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters.
REMINDER: If you missed Thursday’s podcast, make sure you listen to that here: Podcast Episode 5-11-23. It’s FREE to do so!
In this edition, we cover:
Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms
A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate
Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut, Russia says
Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion
Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says
Wagner boss denies Washington Post report he offered Russian intelligence to Kyiv in exchange for territory
Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know
A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive
Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles
China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges
And at the end of this edition, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
Turkey election news:Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms
Conservative Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a runoff with his main rival in two weeks that will decide who leads a country struggling with sky-high inflation and hosting Syrian refugees as it plays a key role in the Middle East and in NATO expansion.
Election officials said Monday that the May 28 second round will allow Turks to decide if their nation remains under the increasingly authoritarian president’s firm grip for a third decade, or if it can embark on the more democratic course that Kemal Kilicdaroglu has claimed he can deliver.
…
Erdogan faced electoral headwinds due to a cost-of-living crisis and criticism over the government’s response to a devastating February earthquake. But with his alliance retaining its hold on the parliament, Erdogan is now in a good position to win in the second round.
A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate
Russia and Ukraine news:
Until Sunday, Sinan Ogan was a fringe, ultranationalist Turkish politician virtually unknown outside Turkey. But for the next two weeks, he may become the most important figure in Turkish politics, potentially deciding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fate.
…
Ogan, the third candidate, received 5.17%, enough to swing the runoff vote in favor of either of the candidates. With that, he found himself as the kingmaker in the most important elections in modern Turkey’s history.
Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut, Russia says
Russian and Ukrainian forces are engaged in heavy fighting in Bakhmut, the eastern city where Ukrainian soldiers have held out against a months-long assault by the Russian army, officials of both countries said Thursday. But accounts differed on whether it’s the start of Kyiv’s much-anticipated spring counteroffensive.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner, a key element of the Russian assault on Bakhmut, said the Ukrainian operation was “in full swing” and its forces were attacking his flanks.
“Unfortunately, in some places they are successful,” Prigozhin said in an audio message posted to Telegram. “All the units that have received the necessary training, weapons, equipment, tanks, everything else — they are already fully engaged.”
Later Thursday, he said the attack was “shaping up according to the worst of the predicted scenarios.”
May 11, 2023
Podcast Episode 5-11-23
Hey guys!
Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.
But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:
Timestamp: 1:42. Britain prepares to send long-range missiles to Ukraine. Or have they already? Also, what are these missiles? What can they do? And what is their range?
Timestamp: 7:31. Britain wasn’t the only country announcing new weapons deliveries. The U.S. provided a $1.2 Billion package for air defense and artillery support.
Timestamp: 8:19. Also, Ukrainian President Zelensky said his country needs still more time before launching its counter-offensive.
Timestamp: 10:11. Senior Ukrainian officials fear counterattack may not live up to hype.
Timestamp: 13:33. Russians running already? Appears so, in at least two major instances.
Timestamp: 19:58. Russia launches 'biggest' kamikaze drone attack to date.
Timestamp: 21:50. As an update to last week’s story, the following has already happened, but I still felt the need to report it. The head of Wanger, Yevgeny Prigozhin, apparently got the ammunition he needed and said the assault on Bakhmut would continue. But that was before Ukraine pushed back more Russian troops and Prigozhin ended up screaming about it, as documented above.
Timestamp: 23:28. Russia held its big annual parade and celebration, celebrating the end of World War II, and wow, was that a dud.
Timestamp: 27:49. Ukraine says its newly fielded U.S. Patriot system downed a Russian hypersonic missile.
Timestamp: 30:20. The United States and China held a series of high-level meetings this weekend. I’ll share both the good and bad news from that.
Timestamp: 35:11. Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalize
Timestamp: 37:04. I cover five news briefs that you need to keep your eyes on for the coming days.
Timestamp: 40:11. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part.
Timestamp: 48:49. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.
Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!
The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.
Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.
Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
Source notes:
Russia and Ukraine news:Britain prepares to send long-range missiles to Ukraine
Britain, which has prided itself on being ahead of its Western allies in introducing new weapons systems to Ukraine, now appears poised to send Kyiv the long-range missiles the Biden administration has long denied it.
The missiles would have a range of up to nearly 200 miles … and Ukraine guarantees that they would not be used in attacks on the Russian territory.
Most likely, the news involves the missiles known as Storm Shadow missiles, which are cruise missiles that can be mounted on Ukraine’s Soviet-made jets. As a reminder, the much-vaunted HIMARS (or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) has a range of about 50 miles.
Additionally, the Storm Shadow missiles have a warhead of 990 pounds compared to the HIMARS warhead weight of 200 pounds (in most cases).
But does Ukraine already have them?
The United Kingdom has supplied Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles, giving Ukrainian forces a new long-range strike capability in advance of a highly anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces, multiple senior Western officials told CNN.
“The UK has previously said that it will supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, this will now include a number of Storm Shadow missiles. The British Government has been clear that this is only in response to Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilian national infrastructure and is a proportionate response,” a Western official told CNN.
U.S. Provides Ukraine $1.2 Billion for Air Defense, Artillery
Fact sheet for everything provided to date.
Zelensky says Ukraine needs more time for counter-offensive
Speaking at his headquarters in Kyiv, President Zelensky described combat brigades, some of which were trained by NATO countries, as being "ready" but said the army still needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in batches".
"With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," he said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, like the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."
Senior Ukrainian officials fear counterattack may not live up to hype
Russians running already?
The Ukrainian military has spent nearly 15 months exceeding the world’s expectations. Now, senior leaders are trying to lower those hopes, fearing that the outcome of an imminent counteroffensive aimed at turning the tide of the war with Russia may not live up to the hype.
“The expectation from our counteroffensive campaign is overestimated in the world,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview this past week. “Most people are … waiting for something huge,” he added, which he fears may lead to “emotional disappointment.”
The planned counterattack — made possible by donated Western weapons and training — could mark the most consequential phase of the war, as Ukraine seeks to snatch back significant territory and prove it is worthy of continued support.
Offensive military operations typically require overwhelming advantage, and with Russian forces dug into heavily fortified defenses all across the 900-mile-long front, it is hard to gauge how far Ukraine will get.
It also appears Russia is evacuating some towns as the approaching Ukrainian offensive nears. (It’s almost like Russia knows it’s about to get hammered.)
While we’re on the topic of Russian troops running…
Polohy is one of over a dozen frontline settlements that occupying forces announced Friday would be emptied of civilians. A Russian occupation official, Yuri Balitsky, said “we cannot risk the safety of people and will provide funds for organized travel, lump sum payments, accommodation and meals.” He added children would undergo rehabilitation and rest in children’s camps,” echoing the language of previous incidents that Ukraine has dubbed forced deportation and on which the International Criminal Court based a war crimes indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian officials have said the evacuations are being used to provide cover for the departure of Russian troops, and claimed civilians are being sent to the coastal town of Berdyansk, and Russian soldiers to the heavily destroyed city of Mariupol.
It is as yet unclear what impact these evacuations – which on Sunday Russian occupation officials said amounted to 1,600 people – will have on Moscow’s ability to hold frontline towns. But it is a sign of possible weakness, and in during past Ukrainian offensives, Russian positions have collapsed very suddenly, even as their spokespeople were articulating their avowed defense. At the best, these mass departures are recognition by Russian forces that the fight ahead of them will likely be intense.
Wagner boss fumes that Russian brigade ‘fled’ from Bakhmut area
Russia launches 'biggest' kamikaze drone attack to date
From the story:
The Ukrainian military said the latest Russian raids - which lasted for more than four hours and were launched shortly after midnight - saw Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones swarm across the country.
Kyiv's Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said nearly 60 drones had been launched by Russia, describing it as the "biggest" such attack so far.
He added that all 36 drones had been destroyed over Kyiv, but five people had been injured by falling debris from downed drones.
The following below already happened and already failed since the last podcast, but I did feel the need to mention it.
Moving from the capitol of Kyiv to the eastern front in the Donbas region, the head of Wanger, Yevgeny Prigozhin, apparently got the ammunition he needed. (Or perhaps it was all a ploy.)
Regardless, he’s now saying they will continue their assault on Bakhmut – the strategically unimportant city where Russians have squandered thousands of lives trying to take.
Russia is trying to take the city before its big annual parade and celebration, celebrating the end of World War II.
Speaking of parades and celebrations…
Putin's 'one-tank' military parade was an embarrassment for Russia, analysts say
Russia's 'Victory Day' Parade Featured Just 1 Tank and No Paratroopers
Ukraine says its newly fielded U.S. Patriot system downed a Russian hypersonic missile
From the story:
China news:
Ukraine said Saturday that a U.S.-supplied Patriot battery was used to intercept an incoming Russian hypersonic missile over the capital, Kyiv, in what is believed to be the first downing of the sophisticated Russian weapon and Ukraine's first use of the U.S. defense system.
In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the Patriot destroyed the Kinzhal, a type of missile that can travel up to ten times the speed of sound to evade air defenses.
Oleshchuk said the Russian missile was shot down during a night-time attack on Kyiv earlier this week. "Yes, we shot down the 'unique' Kinzhal," he wrote, adding that it had been launched from a Russian MiG-31K aircraft.
The United States and China held a series of high-level meetings this weekend.
I looked on the Department of State website, but couldn’t find any press releases or releases of any official remarks. Just this from Twitter, so I think this silence pretty much speaks volumes:
On the other hand, China seems intent on pinning all blame on the United States, according to this AP article.
China tells US to ‘reflect deeply’ over downturn in ties
China’s foreign minister told the U.S. ambassador on Monday that Washington is responsible for the downturn in relations between the two countries and must “reflect deeply” before ties can return to a healthy track, an official said.
Qin Gang’s comments follow a suspension of serious dialogue on a range of issues between the world’s largest economies, increasingly at odds over tariffs, attempts by Washington to deprive China of cutting-edge technology, and China’s claims to self-governing Taiwan and large parts of the South and East China Seas.
China’s Foreign Ministry quoted Qin as telling Ambassador Nicolas Burns that a “series of erroneous words and deeds by the U.S.” since a meeting in November between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping “have undermined the hard-won positive momentum of Sino-U.S. relations.”
From the story:
Middle East news: Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalize
The meeting may pave the way for more senior-level exchanges after high-level contacts between Beijing and Washington were frozen following the discovery of a suspected surveillance balloon floating over the United States in February.
The balloon, which Beijing claimed was for scientific purposes, caused Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing that was seen as a key step in arresting a worsening rivalry between the two countries. Beijing and Washington have been at odds over Taiwan, U.S. curbs on Chinese technology and Beijing’s partnership with Moscow throughout the war in Ukraine.
From the story:
World news briefs:
The Arab League readmitted Syria on Sunday after more than a decade of suspension, consolidating a regional push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad in a move criticised by Washington.
The decision said Syria could resume its participation in Arab League meetings immediately, while calling for a resolution of the crisis resulting from Syria's civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighbouring countries and drug smuggling across the region.
While Arab states including the United Arab Emirates have pressed to end Assad's isolation, some have been opposed to full normalisation without a political solution to the Syrian conflict, seeking conditions for Syria's return.
Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant faces possible staffing crunch
Sudan peace talks make progress, mediation source says: Reuters
Hundreds of rockets fired at Israel amid deadly IDF airstrikes in Gaza
Pakistan on edge as ex-PM Imran Khan charged with corruption
Tributes pour in for an AFP journalist killed in Ukraine
Motivation and Wisdom:Let’s end this edition with plenty of motivation and wisdom.
Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.
Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.
But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.
You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.
Do it now.
And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.
You’re meant to do this.
And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.
With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.
[image error]N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7
9:46 PM ∙ Apr 28, 20225Likes2Retweets
Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"You attract what you are, not what you want. If you want great, be great."4:00 AM ∙ Apr 28, 20222,930Likes574Retweets#Peaceful","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Wed Apr 27 16:00:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":66,"like_count":204,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosThe less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.#Peaceful4:00 PM ∙ Apr 27, 2022204Likes66Retweets#WordsOfWisdom","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Wed Apr 27 14:00:18 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":56,"like_count":146,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosIf your thoughts are turning negative. STOP! Take a deep breath. Think of something or someone you love that brings you joy. Hold that thought. Smile. Move on. Enjoy the rest of the day with a positive mindset.#WordsOfWisdom2:00 PM ∙ Apr 27, 2022146Likes56Retweets
Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_Don't rush the process, Trust it. Great things take time.10:10 PM ∙ Apr 20, 20224,661Likes995Retweets
#Motivation","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Fri Apr 29 13:00:09 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":24,"like_count":37,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosThoughts generate more thoughts, on their own. When we spend time thinking about negative things, our mind generates more and more negative thoughts. When we spend time thinking about positive things, our mind generates more and more positive thoughts.#Motivation1:00 PM ∙ Apr 29, 202237Likes24RetweetsSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Your values are what you do when no one is looking."7:20 AM ∙ Apr 24, 20222,668Likes474Retweets[image error]N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong.11:13 AM ∙ Apr 20, 202230Likes6Retweets
#Motivation","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun May 01 13:00:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":91,"like_count":189,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosIf you are looking for true success, don’t worry about social status. Don’t waste your precious time and energy trying to impress others. Live below your means. That combined with hard work & persistence is what will take you to the top.#Motivation1:00 PM ∙ May 1, 2022189Likes91Retweets
Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellSaw a great quote on Instagram. "Stop calling it your dream and start calling it your plan."👊💪🤠9:08 PM ∙ May 2, 2022
Mike Jason @mikejason733 rules of thumb:1) ain't nothin' easy2) never take your first 'no' for an answer3) everything is built on a personal relationship 
Matthew Kobach @mkobachWhat’s something a boss told you that has stuck with you your entire career?4:55 PM ∙ Apr 29, 202230Likes2RetweetsInspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Opportunities don't happen, you create them.6:19 PM ∙ May 1, 2022538Likes108Retweets
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
May 8, 2023
Extended edition: Episode 5-8-23
Hello, my friends!
Thank you for being a support of The View from the Front.
Here’s the Monday update for paid subscribers (with a partial preview for free subscribers). This includes a brief round-up of news and some daily motivation.
If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.
My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.
I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to add value and repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)
I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.
If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:
But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters.
REMINDER: If you missed Thursday’s podcast, make sure you listen to that here: Podcast Episode 5-4-23. It’s FREE to do so!
In this edition, we cover:
Russia launches 'biggest' kamikaze drone attack.
The Wagner group is back to trying to seize Bakhmut after it apparently got the ammunition it needed.
It appears Russia is evacuating some towns as the approaching Ukrainian offensive nears.
Ukraine says its newly fielded U.S. Patriot system downed a Russian hypersonic missile.
The United States and China held a series of high-level meetings this weekend. I’m not sure they went well. (Details below.)
Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalize.
And at the end of this edition, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
May 4, 2023
Podcast Episode 5-4-23
Hey guys!
Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.
But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:
Timestamp: 7:36. We begin with U.S. news. Two U.S. Air Force commanders were suspended in the Air National Guard unit of the accused intelligence leaker.
Timestamp: 9:15. Also on the topic of U.S. news, there have been two additional evacuations in Sudan, bringing the total number of removed Americans to more than 1,000. I go into those evacuation efforts, which include buses and armed drones.
Timestamp: 15:30. Moving to the war in Ukraine, Russia has launched two major missile attacks against Ukraine, but Ukraine landed the much-heavier, much more costly strategic attack when it hit Crimea this weekend.
Timestamp: 21:00. Moving from the competing missile and drone strikes, could it be that Russia is even less prepared than we even thought of Ukraine’s upcoming spring offensive? It looks that way. I’ll cover the two reasons why.
Timestamp: 25:31. Finally, Russia had been hoping that the Republicans in the House would no longer provide a quote “blank check” to support Ukraine, but Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave some shocking comments that show that might not be the case.
Timestamp: 27:22. Besides these stories, there are three more Ukraine stories that absolutely have to be heard. First, the recently-donated MiG jets from Poland and Slovakia will not give Ukraine air superiority against Russia, experts say. We’ll also cover some very intriguing air statistics that have come out regarding the air war over Ukraine.
Timestamp: 36:59. Second, Ukrainian President Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks. I’ll explain some of the impacts of that. Also, it’s come out that Ukraine is not sharing its offensive details with the United States, Europe, or really, for that matter, anyone.
Timestamp: 40:36. Third, Ukraine denies Russian claim Kyiv sent drones to hit Kremlin.
Timestamp: 44:33. In Middle East news, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has seized a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. This is the second such seizure in under a week.
Timestamp: 55:06. Also in the Middle East, Russian warplanes are ‘trying to dogfight’ US jets over Syria, General says.
Timestamp: 1:01:50. Finally in Middle East news, Syrian refugees are fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations.
Timestamp: 1:03:55. In tech news, has Ukraine created mobile drones that carry land mines and attack tanks from their vulnerable underside? It sure appears so, according to brand-new released video.
Timestamp: 1:09:10. And at the end of this edition, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
Timestamp: 1:12.58. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.
Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!
The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.
Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.
Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
Source notes:
U.S. news:The fallout over the leaks continues.
I discuss beginning at Timestamp: 7:36.
From the story:
Sudan news:
The Department of Air Force has temporarily removed these individuals' access to classified systems and information.
The case has been called the most serious U.S. security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos, and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010.
Also on the topic of U.S. news, there have been two additional evacuations in Sudan, bringing the total number of removed Americans to more than 1,000. I go into those evacuation efforts, which include buses and armed drones.
Begin at Timestamp: 9:15.
I covered last week the evacuation of more than 100 embassy personnel by U.S. Special Forces in Sudan.
I also stated strongly that 16,000 Americans hadn’t been abandoned and that additional efforts would be made to guide and lead Americans out of the country.
That prediction has already been borne out.
On Saturday, The Washington Post reported that 300 U.S. citizens had been evacuated from the capital, Khartoum, under the protection of armed drones.
From the story:
“This builds on the work the U.S. government has done this week to facilitate the departure of our diplomats by military assisted departure, and hundreds of other American citizens by land convoys, flights on partner air craft, and sea,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also approved a request for assistance from the State Department “to support the safe departure of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members via overland,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Saturday.
The Pentagon “deployed U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes,” she said in a statement. “Our focus has been and remains to help as many U.S. citizens depart as safely as possible.”
Since that first convoy arrived safely, an additional convoy made it out on Sunday.
That puts the number of safely-evacuated Americans at more than 1,000, according to an updated NPR story today.
There is also some reporting that some U.S. Naval forces have been positioned to prepare for additional military-led evacuations.
Russia and Ukraine news:Moving to the war in Ukraine, Russia has launched two major missile attacks against Ukraine, but Ukraine landed the much-heavier, much more costly strategic attack when it hit Crimea this weekend.
I cover this at Timestamp: 15:30.
Things have been especially brutal for civilians in Ukraine since Thursday.
It began on Friday, when the Russians — unable to win against Ukraine's military — again attacked innocent civilians.
Russia fired 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early Friday, "in a terrifying nighttime attack."
More than 20 people were killed when two missiles slammed into an apartment.
And I’m not sure how to say this nicely, but if two missiles hit the same apartment building, then it's NOT AN ACCIDENT.
I guess Russia has given up on attacking electric substations and is resorting to sheer terror again.
The war crimes continue...
But Ukraine began a part of its spring offensive on Saturday when it attacked parts of Russian-occupied Crimea. A drone attack destroyed more than 10 massive fuel tanks housing some 40,000 tons of oil intended for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Ukrainian officials say.
The Russians were infuriated at the attack and launched a counter strike that probably wasn’t as satisfying at Putin would have wished.
From The Washington Post story:
Russia targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with a wave of missiles overnight, Ukrainian officials said. The assault on the capital lasted several hours, but no casualties were reported, according to local authorities. Ukraine’s armed forces said that 15 of the 18 missiles launched by Russia were destroyed.
In fact, The Associated Press reported the attack damaged buildings and wounded at least 34 people in the eastern city of Pavlohrad, but failed to hit the capital city of Kyiv.
Russia better buckle its seat belt because as I discussed in the last podcast, the spring offensive is coming. And it’s going to be catastrophic to Russia, in my opinion. If you missed the two big reasons why I think this is so, make sure you check out that podcast. I have timestamps in it so you can jump to whatever section you want.
But seeing this updated total of vehicles sent even further causes me to be optimistic: According to NATO: Ukrainain allies have sent 1,550 combat vehicles and 230 tanks to the country.
From the story:
NATO allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion and war, the military alliance’s chief said Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.
Along with more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine’s allies have sent “vast amounts of ammunition” and also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.
Timestamp: 21:00. Moving from the competing missile and drone strikes, could it be that Russia is even less prepared than we even thought of Ukraine’s upcoming spring offensive? It looks that way. I’ll cover the two reasons why.
CNN laid out two brutal pieces of news for Russia as the offensives begin.
It’s the last 72 hours that have perhaps most betrayed Russia’s lacking readiness.
First, the apparent firing of the deputy defense minister in charge of logistics, Mikhail Mizintsev. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not spelled out his dismissal, merely issuing a decree that Aleksey Kuzmenkov now has his job.
The “Butcher of Mariupol,” as Mizintsev is known, surely had enough failings over Russia’s disastrous war to merit his firing. But removing key ministers in the moments before its army faces Ukraine’s counter-assault, Moscow sends a message of disarray.
And then there’s Yevgeny Prigozhin’s new round of criticism. The Wagner mercenary warlord chose Sunday to give another long interview in which he laid bare the sheer extent of the issues his mercenaries face.
According to the Wagner head, his fighters are so low on ammunition that they may have to withdraw from Bakhmut – the strategically unimportant city they have squandered thousands of lives trying to take.
Timestamp: 25:31. Finally, Russia had been hoping that the Republicans in the House would no longer provide a quote “blank check” to support Ukraine, but Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave some shocking comments that show that might not be the case.
Timestamp: 27:22. Besides these stories, there are three more Ukraine stories that absolutely have to be heard. First, the recently-donated MiG jets from Poland and Slovakia will not give Ukraine air superiority against Russia, experts say. We’ll also cover some very intriguing air statistics that have come out regarding the air war over Ukraine.
Donated MiG jets will not give Ukraine air superiority against Russia, experts say
From the story:
When Poland and Slovakia announced their plans to donate up to 30 MiG fighter jets to Ukraine, it was hailed as a breakthrough in getting Kyiv ever more sophisticated weaponry and as a sign that Eastern European nations were prepared to be bolder than the United States or NATO allies in Western Europe.
For the Ukrainian pilots who fly it, the Soviet-designed MiG-29 is an “old friend” — a fighter that lacks the flash and capabilities of newer jets but nonetheless has played a critical role. “It’s ridiculously fast,” said Moonfish, a Ukrainian pilot who has flown close to 60 sorties, all in the MiG-29, and spoke on the condition that only his call sign be used for security reasons. One time, Moonfish said, he needed to “escape from Russian missiles.” “The MiG,” he said, “carried my a-- out of danger.”
But as Ukrainian forces prepare to launch a new offensive to oust Russian forces from occupied territory in the east and south, the old friend may not be enough.
I cover quite a few additional details from that Washington Post story, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear those. Jump to Timestamp: 27:22.
Timestamp: 36:59. Second, Ukrainian President Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks. I’ll explain some of the impacts of that. Also, it’s come out that Ukraine is not sharing its offensive details with the United States, Europe, or really, for that matter, anyone.
That article is also from The Washington Post: Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks.
I explain some of the impacts of that story, beginning at Timestamp: 36:59. Also, it’s come out that Ukraine is not sharing its offensive details with the United States, Europe, or really, for that matter, anyone.
Ukraine withholding counteroffensive details from allies
Kyiv is holding close the details of its spring counteroffensive in an attempt to prevent the leak of sensitive information that could compromise its positions on the battlefield, according to two European officials who are in touch with military leaders in Ukraine.
The officials said their Ukrainian counterparts have cited the alleged leak of the classified documents from Massachusetts Air Guardsman JACK TEIXEIRA as one of the reasons Kyiv is holding back from sharing counteroffensive information, including its timing, where and how many troops they plan to move into position for the operation.
…
A Ukrainian lawmaker, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations, said that top officials in Kyiv also had withheld details about the counteroffensive from other politicians inside the capital.
“There are only a few people in the country that know the plan,” the lawmaker said.
Timestamp: 40:36. Third, Ukraine denies Russian claim Kyiv sent drones to hit Kremlin.
Ukraine denies Russian claim Kyiv sent drones to hit Kremlin
Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin early Wednesday, calling it an unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin and promising retaliation for what it termed a “terrorist” act. The Ukrainian president denied it, saying: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow.”
Putin wasn’t in the Kremlin at the time and was at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
There was no independent verification of the purported attack, which Russia authorities said occurred overnight but presented no evidence to support it. Questions also arose as to why it took the Kremlin hours to report the incident and why videos of it also surfaced later in the day.
The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Middle East news:Timestamp: 44:33. In Middle East news, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has seized a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. This is the second such seizure in under a week.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seizes tanker in Strait of Hormuz.
From the story:
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the second such capture by Tehran in under a week amid heightened tensions over its nuclear program.
The taking of the oil tanker Niovi renewed concerns about Iran threatening maritime traffic in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all crude passes. It also comes amid the disappearance of a crude oil tanker in southeast Asia believed to be carrying Iranian crude oil amid reports it may have been seized by the United States.
The U.S. Navy published surveillance footage shot by an aerial drone of about dozen Guard vessels swarming the tanker on Wednesday morning. The drone had been on a routine patrol in the area and saw the seizure, though the Navy did not receive a distress call from the Niovi itself, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins said.
There has been a long history of the U.S. Navy and Iran’s much-weaker navy clashing in this area.
Timestamp: 55:06. Also in the Middle East, Russian warplanes are ‘trying to dogfight’ US jets over Syria, General says.
Russian Warplanes Are ‘Trying to Dogfight’ US Jets Over Syria, General Says
I discuss this Defense One article and its implications — or lack thereof — beginning at timestamp: 55:06.
I also cite this fight during that monologue: Battle of Khasham.
Timestamp: 1:01:50. Finally in Middle East news, Syrian refugees are fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations.
Syrian refugees fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations:
Lebanese officials are cracking down on Syrian refugees against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis and political stalemate, an escalation that has caused a panic among Syrians in the country.
In recent weeks, the army has raided refugee camps and set up checkpoints to review the documentation of non-Lebanese citizens, arresting and in many cases deporting Syrians found not to have legal residency, according to refugees and humanitarian organizations.
…
Lebanon hosts some 805,000 registered Syrian refugees, whose official status in theory protects them — although those who fail to keep their residency papers up to date can face deportation. The actual number of Syrians living in Lebanon after fleeing their country’s 12-year-old civil war is believed to be much higher as Lebanon’s government ordered the United Nations to halt new registrations in 2015.
Government officials have given varying estimates of the number of Syrians in the country, ranging from 1.5 million to more than 2 million. Lebanon is believed to have a population of around 5 million to 5.5 million citizens, but no census has been held for nearly a century.
I talk about this at Timestamp: 1:01:50.
Tech news:Timestamp: 1:03:55. In tech news, has Ukraine created mobile drones that carry land mines and attack tanks from their vulnerable underside? It sure appears so, according to brand-new released video.
(Unfortunately, you’ll have to go to Twitter to see the successful test attack against an armed target; I couldn’t find the video anywhere else, but it’s worth watching it. Can you imagine trying to stop this thing racing toward you?!)
Motivation and Wisdom:Timestamp: 1:09:10. And at the end of this edition, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.
Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.
But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.
You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.
Do it now.
And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.
You’re meant to do this.
And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.
With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.
Life Quotes @RTLifeQuotesTo guarantee success, act as if it were impossible to fail. – Dorothea Brande2:01 AM ∙ Apr 26, 202240Likes11Retweets
#Motivational","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Mon Apr 25 14:00:14 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":62,"like_count":124,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosChange your language to “what if it does work out.” Believe in possibilities. Think of the best case scenario. Retraining your mind will lift you out of the overthinking, stress, and worry of negative thoughts. Change starts with your mindset. Shift it. Switch it.#Motivational2:00 PM ∙ Apr 25, 2022124Likes62RetweetsSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"You become what you believe."10:10 PM ∙ Apr 24, 20222,647Likes503RetweetsInspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Focus more on the people who inspire you rather than annoy you. You’ll get much further in life.2:11 PM ∙ Apr 25, 20225,189Likes1,353RetweetsMotivational Quotes @motivation_qotMindset matters a lot. You better improve it.10:09 AM ∙ Apr 25, 202267Likes18Retweets
Fearless Motivation @fearlessmotivatShips don't sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water that gets inside them... 
10:00 PM ∙ Apr 24, 2022146Likes45Retweets
That’s it for this edition. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast. Timestamp: 1:12.58.
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
May 1, 2023
Extended edition: Episode 5-1-23
Hello, my friends!
Thank you for being a support of The View from the Front.
Here’s the Monday update for paid subscribers (with a partial preview for free subscribers). This includes a brief round-up of news and some daily motivation.
If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.
My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.
I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to add value and repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)
I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.
If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:
But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters.
In this edition, we cover:
Two U.S. Air Force commanders were suspended in the Air National Guard unit of the accused intelligence leaker.
There have been two additional evacuations in Sudan, bringing the total number of removed Americans to more than 1,000. I go into those evacuation efforts, which include buses and armed drones.
Russia has launched two major missile attacks against Ukraine, but Ukraine landed the much-heavier, much more costly strategic attack when it hit Crimea this weekend.
Could it be that Russia is even less prepared than we even thought of Ukraine’s upcoming spring offensive? It looks that way. I’ll cover the two reasons why.
In tech news, has Ukraine created mobile drones that carry land mines and attack tanks from their vulnerable underside? It sure appears so, according to brand-new released video.
And plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
April 27, 2023
Podcast Episode 4-27-23
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:Timestamp: 5:05. Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan. Timestamp: 10:17. Did President Biden “abandon” 16,000 Americans in Sudan? The accusations have already begun… Timestamp: 19:30. Update on the current situation in Sudan. Timestamp: 21:42. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is upbeat after talk with China’s Xi Jinping. Timestamp: 24:38. Russia can fund war in Ukraine for another year despite sanctions, leaked document says. Timestamp: 27:43. A recently-released campaign assessment provided some juicy tidbits about the upcoming potential Ukrainian offensive. Timestamp: 34:21. Ukraine’s Azov brigade races to rebuild ahead of fateful fight. Timestamp: 39:25. Russia’s influence has actually expanded in Africa, with its Wagner Group, spreading across the continent as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals.Timestamp: 44:440 Finally, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom.Timestamp: 50:51. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news! T
The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.
Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a daily edition that comes out each weekday and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.
Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
Source notes:
U.S. news:Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan
From the story in the AP:
U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported.
With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation.
Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes have killed more than 400 people.
The Department of Defense provided quite a bit of detail about the operation:
U.S. forces evacuated just under 100 American staff of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan yesterday, U.S. government officials said.
President Joe Biden gave the order to evacuate the embassy from the embattled country. A small number of allied diplomats were also evacuated, State Department officials said in a telephonic news conference.
The Defense Department had deployed troops and capabilities to Djibouti just in case there was an order to evacuate the embassy in Khartoum, said Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Staff's director of operations. "[Yesterday], the U.S. military evacuated those personnel in support of the State Department closing operations at the Embassy in Khartoum," Sims said. "[Yesterday] at 9 a.m. Eastern, a contingent of U.S. forces lifted off from Djibouti and landed in Ethiopia. The aircraft — including three MH-47 Chinooks refueled in Ethiopia before flying approximately three hours to Khartoum.
"The evacuation was conducted in one movement via rotary wing," Sims continued. "The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum. As we speak, the evacuees are safe and secure."
Sims said there were just over 100 special operations personnel conducting the operation. The U.S. Marine Embassy guards were also evacuated.
"I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan," Biden said in a written release. "I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety."
Biden also thanked the governments of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia who aided the U.S. evacuation operation.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said the evacuation was under command of U.S. Africa Command and conducted in close coordination with the U.S. State Department. "I'm proud of our extraordinary service members who executed and supported this operation with outstanding precision and professionalism," he said.
Two other important points from the Dept of Defense.
First, the Marines protecting the embassy have probably had an extremely challenging week, if you want to read into this statement some.
Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, praised the Marines who protected and defended the embassy during the past week. "Our Marines who protect many of our embassies overseas do not often get the credit they deserve," he said. "Their courage under duress represents America as its best again in this instance."
Also, this seems relevant: more Americans remain.
There are still American citizens in Sudan. "In the coming days, we will continue to work with the State Department to help American citizens who may want to leave Sudan," Maier said. "One of those ways is to potentially make the overland routes out of Sudan potentially more viable. So, DOD is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats."
Most news outlets are stating that 16,000 American citizens — many of them dual nationals, who do not work for the government — remain in Sudan.
Many other countries are trying to evacuate its citizens, including France, Germany, Egypt, China, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and other countries.
The situation remains tenuous as fighting continues in Sudan.
The Washington Post reported that U.S. officials remain anxious.
“I am concerned about the safety and security of U.S. nationals who’ve been serving in humanitarian missions or in other ways across the country,” Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) said Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”
“There are quite a few U.S.-Sudanese dual nationals in the country, and the U.N. and the U.S. and a number of other countries will do their best to help return to civilian rule to end the fighting to support a stabilization in Sudan.”
The Post also went into further detail on what led to the government collapse in Sudan.
The scramble to evacuate foreign nationals and diplomatic staff followed Sudan’s collapse into civil conflict, after political tensions between rival generals erupted into violence on April 15. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — widely referred to by his nickname, Hemedti — heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group whose origins trace back to the Janjaweed militias that terrorized Darfur. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the commander of Sudan’s armed forces and the country’s de facto head of state.
Together, the two men seized power in Sudan in 2021, toppling a civilian-led government. In December, under intense diplomatic pressure, they agreed to a draft deal aimed at returning the country to civilian rule. But they clashed over power-sharing and a timeline to integrate Hemedti’s forces into the military; Hemedti wanted a longer timeline to maintain his power base. The final deal was due in April, but instead the two generals went to war.
Now, already, this entire situation has become political.
But here’s the thing. Situations like this can spiral very quickly. And the United States helped arrange a temporary cease-fire. Even more complicating, often the U.S. citizens refuse to leave until it’s almost too late. (Humans always expect it won’t be as bad as it often gets.)
Could the State Department and our military have done more? Sure they could’ve. (And they may still do so.)
But here’s a list of warnings and updates about Sudan from the State Department website. Read it before you go assigning blame. (Just click the link and see how long it is…)
These things are never simple, so don’t listen to the bloviating opinion news host or your loud-mouthed friend.
As an update to the original reporting, there’s a ceasefire in place and hundreds of Sudanese are amassing at the borders of Sudan.
From the story:
Russia and Ukraine news:Taking advantage of relative calm, many residents in Khartoum and the neighboring city of Omdurman emerged from their homes to seek food and water, lining up at bakeries or grocery stores, after days of being trapped inside by the fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary group. Some inspected shops or homes that had been destroyed or looted.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy upbeat after talk with China’s Xi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a “long and meaningful” phone call Wednesday, their first known contact since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, and Beijing appointed an envoy to pursue a “political settlement.”
The hour-long call came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a mediator and a month after Xi visited Moscow. The call also coincided with indications that Ukraine is readying its forces for a spring counteroffensive.
Russia can fund war in Ukraine for another year despite sanctions, leaked document says
U.S. intelligence holds that Russia will be able to fund the war in Ukraine for at least another year, even under the heavy and increasing weight of unprecedented sanctions, according to leaked U.S. military documents.
The previously unreported documents provide a rare glimpse into Washington’s understanding of the effectiveness of its own economic measures, and of the tenor of the response they have met in Russia, where U.S. intelligence finds that senior officials, agencies and the staff of oligarchs are fretting over the painful disruptions — and adapting to them.
While some of Russia’s economic elites might not agree with the country’s course in Ukraine, and sanctions have hurt their businesses, they are unlikely to withdraw support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an assessment that appears to date from early March.
It looks like the Ukrainian spring offensive is still days or weeks away, but I wanted to talk about that a bit.
The Institute for the Study of War released a campaign assessment on Sunday that had some juicy tidbits about the upcoming potential Ukrainian offensive.
The short of it is two important facts:
First, the offensive could be twice as large as the one that took so much land around Kharkiv (in Eastern Ukraine) back in September 2022. (As a reminder, that offensive recaptured 7,500 miles of territory for Ukraine.)
Second, the Russians have deployed most of their front-line troops to the line and appear to have almost no reserves to deal with break throughs. That is HORRIBLY bad if you’re on the Russian side.
This report assumes, in particular, that Ukraine will be able to conduct a coordinated multi-brigade mechanized offensive operation making full use of the reported nine brigades being prepared for that operation. That task is daunting and larger than any offensive effort Ukraine has hitherto attempted (four Ukrainian brigades were reportedly used in the Kharkiv counter-offensive, for example). It also assumes that Ukraine will have integrated enough tanks and armored personnel carriers of various sorts into its units to support extended mechanized maneuver, that Ukrainian mechanized units will have sufficient ammunition of all sorts including artillery, and that Ukraine will be able to conduct long-range precision strikes with HIMARS and other similar systems integrated with and supporting maneuver operations as it has done before. It further assumes that Ukrainian forces will have the mine-clearing and bridging capabilities needed to move relatively rapidly through prepared defensive positions. ISW sees no reason to question any of these assumptions given the intensity with which Ukraine has reportedly been preparing for this operation and the time it has taken to do so, as well as the equipment reportedly delivered to Ukrainian forces by Western countries.
…
Russian forces in Ukraine are operating in decentralized and largely degraded formations throughout the theater, and the current pattern of deployment suggests that most available units are already online and engaged in either offensive or defensive operations.
Ukraine’s Azov brigade races to rebuild ahead of fateful fight
The Azov brigade, hailed by Ukrainians for its tenacity during Russia’s siege of Mariupol, is scrambling to rebuild from heavy combat losses as it seeks to play a muscular role in Ukraine’s next major assault.
The high-profile unit is hoping to recruit 6,500 new fighters who will provide restored combat heft even as its leaders push for the return of more than 1,000 brigade troops who remain in Russia as prisoners of war.
“We are ready to liberate territory,” Maj. Bohdan “Tavr” Krotevych, who is the brigade’s interim commander and is leading the rebuilding effort after his release from Russian captivity in the fall, said in an interview.
Wagner Group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals
Motivation and Wisdom:
The Wagner Group is moving aggressively to establish a “confederation” of anti-Western states in Africa as the Russian mercenaries foment instability while using their paramilitary and disinformation capabilities to bolster Moscow’s allies, according to leaked secret U.S. intelligence documents.
The rapid expansion of Russia’s influence in Africa has been a source of growing alarm to U.S. intelligence and military officials, prompting a push over the past year to find ways to hit Wagner’s network of bases and business fronts with strikes, sanctions and cyber operations, according to the documents.
U.S. officials depict Wagner’s expanding global footprint as a potential vulnerability. … One document in the trove lists nearly a dozen “kinetic” and other options that could be pursued as part of “coordinated U.S. and allied disruption efforts.” The files propose providing targeting information to help Ukraine forces kill Wagner commanders, and cite other allies’ willingness to take similar lethal measures against Wagner nodes in Africa.
I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.
Your life is only as good as the beliefs you hold about it.
Kindness is free. Sprinkle it everywhere.
Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Focus on the things that you can.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
Your journey will be much lighter and easier if you don't carry your past with you.
Worry less, smile more. Don't regret, just learn and grow.
If you wished to be loved, love.
Don't wait for approval. Not everyone will understand your vision.
That’s it for this edition.
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
April 24, 2023
Extended edition: Episode 4-24-23
Good morning, my friends!
Here’s the Monday update for paid subscribers (with a partial preview for free subscribers). This includes a brief round-up of news and some daily motivation.
If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.
My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.
I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to add value and repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)
I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.
If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:
But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters.
In this edition, we cover:
Lots and lots of reporting on the American evacuation of embassy personnel from Sudan.
A sneak peak into the coming Ukrainian spring offensive.
And plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end.
U.S. news: Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from SudanFrom the story in the AP:
U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported.
With the final embassy employee out of Khartoum, the United States shuttered its diplomatic mission indefinitely. Remaining behind in the East African nation are thousands of private American citizens. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation operation.
Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes has killed more than 400 people.
The Department of Defense provided quite a bit of detail about the operation:
U.S. forces evacuated just under 100 American staff of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan yesterday, U.S. government officials said.
President Joe Biden gave the order to evacuate the embassy from the embattled country. A small number of allied diplomats were also evacuated, State Department officials said in a telephonic news conference.
The Defense Department had deployed troops and capabilities to Djibouti just in case there was an order to evacuate the embassy in Khartoum, said Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Staff's director of operations. "[Yesterday], the U.S. military evacuated those personnel in support of the State Department closing operations at the Embassy in Khartoum," Sims said. "[Yesterday] at 9 a.m. Eastern, a contingent of U.S. forces lifted off from Djibouti and landed in Ethiopia. The aircraft — including three MH-47 Chinooks refueled in Ethiopia before flying approximately three hours to Khartoum.
"The evacuation was conducted in one movement via rotary wing," Sims continued. "The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum. As we speak, the evacuees are safe and secure."
Sims said there were just over 100 special operations personnel conducting the operation. The U.S. Marine Embassy guards were also evacuated.
"I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan," Biden said in a written release. "I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety."
Biden also thanked the governments of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia who aided the U.S. evacuation operation.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said the evacuation was under command of U.S. Africa Command and conducted in close coordination with the U.S. State Department. "I'm proud of our extraordinary service members who executed and supported this operation with outstanding precision and professionalism," he said.
Two other important points from the Dept of Defense.
First, the Marines protecting the embassy have probably had an extremely challenging week, if you want to read into this statement some.
Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, praised the Marines who protected and defended the embassy during the past week. "Our Marines who protect many of our embassies overseas do not often get the credit they deserve," he said. "Their courage under duress represents America as its best again in this instance."
Also, this seems relevant: more Americans remain.
There are still American citizens in Sudan. "In the coming days, we will continue to work with the State Department to help American citizens who may want to leave Sudan," Maier said. "One of those ways is to potentially make the overland routes out of Sudan potentially more viable. So, DOD is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats."
Most news outlets are stating that 16,000 American citizens — many of them dual nationals, who do not work for the government — remain in Sudan.
Many other countries are trying to evacuate its citizens, including France, Germany, Egypt, China, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and other countries.
The situation remains tenuous as fighting continues in Sudan.
The Washington Post reported that U.S. officials remain anxious.
“I am concerned about the safety and security of U.S. nationals who’ve been serving in humanitarian missions or in other ways across the country,” Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) said Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”
“There are quite a few U.S.-Sudanese dual nationals in the country, and the U.N. and the U.S. and a number of other countries will do their best to help return to civilian rule to end the fighting to support a stabilization in Sudan.”
The Post also went into further detail on what led to the government collapse in Sudan.
The scramble to evacuate foreign nationals and diplomatic staff followed Sudan’s collapse into civil conflict, after political tensions between rival generals erupted into violence on April 15. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — widely referred to by his nickname, Hemedti — heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group whose origins trace back to the Janjaweed militias that terrorized Darfur. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the commander of Sudan’s armed forces and the country’s de facto head of state.
Together, the two men seized power in Sudan in 2021, toppling a civilian-led government. In December, under intense diplomatic pressure, they agreed to a draft deal aimed at returning the country to civilian rule. But they clashed over power-sharing and a timeline to integrate Hemedti’s forces into the military; Hemedti wanted a longer timeline to maintain his power base. The final deal was due in April, but instead the two generals went to war.
Now, already, this entire situation has become political.
But here’s the thing. Situations like this can spiral very quickly. And the United Sttates helped arrange a temporary cease fire. Even more complicating, often the U.S. citizens refuse to leave until it’s almost too late. (Humans always expect it won’t be as bad as it often gets.)
Could the State Departement and our military have done more? Sure they couldn’ve. (And they may still do so.)
But here’s a list of warnings and updates about Sudan from the State Department website. Read it before you go assigning blame. (Just click the link and see how long it is…)
These things are never simple, so don’t listen to the bloviating opinion news host or your loud-mouthed friend.
April 20, 2023
Podcast Episode 4-20-23
Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news! T
The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
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Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a daily edition that comes out each weekday and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.
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But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
That’s it for this edition.
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
And with that, I’m out.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
