The 10/13/21 dispatch.
a.image2.image-link.image2-485-1456 { padding-bottom: 33.31043956043956%; padding-bottom: min(33.31043956043956%, 485px); width: 100%; height: 0; } a.image2.image-link.image2-485-1456 img { max-width: 1456px; max-height: 485px; } Hope everyone had a great weekend! And as I’m sure you guessed, I’m putting out the “Tuesday” newsletter a day late because I was lucky enough to have Monday off. And I was mostly busy on Monday, with the wife and I attending a Braves game (or driving three hours — one way — just to make it). But we had a blast and helped cheer them on as they beat the Brewers. (They clinched the series last night; sorry Midwest readers.)
So, I thought I’d start this week’s edition with the following tweet.
#USSCole ","username":"stephenmengland","name":"Stephen England","date":"Tue Oct 12 21:27:58 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FBh2ge...
Stephen England @stephenmenglandTwenty-one years ago today, in the harbor of Aden. . .seventeen Americans gave their lives.#USSCole 
October 12th 2021
4 LikesAnd I’m sharing this because it helps define why I love researching and discussing foreign policy. Because the attack listed above happened on October 12, 2000 — nearly a year before 9/11.
Similarly, a couple of years before that (on August 7, 1998), al-Qaeda bombed the US embassies in East Africa, killing 224 people, 12 of whom were Americans.
You get where I’m going with this. Had enough people in America been paying attention, we might have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
a.image2.image-link.image2-600-800 { padding-bottom: 75%; padding-bottom: min(75%, 600px); width: 100%; height: 0; } a.image2.image-link.image2-600-800 img { max-width: 800px; max-height: 600px; } Three thousand Americans might still be alive had we paid attention to the small clues.
And that’s what I try to do — in part — with the newsletter. Help you find the small clues that are often not on the nightly news or front pages of our newspapers. Those small nuggets that might tell you what will happen in the future.
With that in mind, let’s get to the latest happenings.
In China news, there’s a couple of things that have happened.
First, the Army wants in on the potential action, so to speak.
@caitlinmkenney buff.ly/3oQXfEm ","username":"DefenseOne","name":"Defense One","date":"Wed Oct 13 00:15:04 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FBic6P...
Defense One @DefenseOneGeneral Makes Case For Army’s Role In The Indo-Pacific | @caitlinmkenney buff.ly/3oQXfEm 
October 13th 2021
2 Retweets9 LikesSecondly, there was this warning.
@DavidMSacks1 in @ForeignAffairs. ","username":"CFR_org","name":"Council on Foreign Relations","date":"Tue Oct 12 19:09:57 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":6,"like_count":7,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://on.cfr.org/3mHpOBo",&quo... to Prevent an Accidental War Over Taiwan","description":"Beijing and Taipei are one blunder away from open conflict.","domain":"on.cfr.org"},"video_url":null}">
Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_orgChina is getting more aggressive, but "the risk of a crisis stems less from the possibility of an immediate Chinese invasion than from an accident or a miscalculation that turns deadly," argue Bonny Lin and @DavidMSacks1 in @ForeignAffairs. 
How to Prevent an Accidental War Over TaiwanBeijing and Taipei are one blunder away from open conflict.on.cfr.orgOctober 12th 2021
6 Retweets7 LikesTo help potentially resolve any short-term issues, President Biden has a planned meeting coming up on the matter.
MSNBC @MSNBCPresident Biden to meet with Chinese President Xi amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and China. 
Biden to meet with Xi Jinping amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and ChinaGZERO Media President Ian Bremmer discusses President Biden’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the escalating tensions between China and Taiwan.on.msnbc.comOctober 12th 2021
29 Retweets104 LikesMoving along, there was a huge story about military secrets that broke last week. And this was not a good thing, if true. (See below.)
NPR @NPRThe couple allegedly attempted to sell military secrets about submarines to a foreign entity. Some sensitive data was found hidden in a peanut butter sandwich, authorities said. 
A former Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have been arrested on espionage chargesThe Department of Justice says Jonathan Toebbe and his wife, Diana Toebbe, allegedly sought to sell sensitive military secrets about submarines to a foreign entity.n.prOctober 11th 2021
164 Retweets495 LikesIn Afghanistan matters, the amount of waste is constantly being detailed and cataloged, better and better.
@npwcnn ","username":"MasoudPopalzai","name":"Masoud Popalzai","date":"Sun Oct 10 20:24:29 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":0,"like_count":2,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/07/asia/u... of billions were spent by the US in Afghanistan. Here are 10 of the starkest examples of ‘waste, fraud and abuse’","description":"A tractor eradicates opium poppies in Nangarhar province in January 2007.","domain":"cnn.com"},"video_url":null}">
Masoud Popalzai @MasoudPopalzaiHalf a billion dollars of aircraft that flew for about a year. A huge $85 million hotel that never opened, and sits in disrepair. Camouflage uniforms for the Afghan army whose fancy pattern would cost an extra $28 million…. @npwcnn 
Hundreds of billions were spent by the US in Afghanistan. Here are 10 of the starkest examples of ‘waste, fraud and abuse’A tractor eradicates opium poppies in Nangarhar province in January 2007.cnn.comOctober 10th 2021
2 LikesAlso, the U.S. continues to try to decipher what — if any — role our two countries will play in the future. (This is all still pretty rocky for the moment.)
CNN @CNNA US delegation will travel to meet with "senior Taliban representatives from Kabul" in Doha, Qatar, this weekend, a State Department official said — the first such meeting since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August. 
US delegation meets with Taliban representatives in DohaCNN’s Clarissa Ward reports on the different everyday small acts of defiance some women are taking in Kabul as the Taliban continues to push women out of civic life.cnn.itOctober 9th 2021
49 Retweets148 LikesFinally, let’s end with a few light notes.
First, how about this for a cool historic photo and memory? (This was about a decade before World War II kicked off officially.)
#tanks #History ","username":"Tank_Archives","name":"Tank Archives","date":"Sat Oct 09 20:37:21 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FBSOHO...
Tank Archives @Tank_ArchivesSoviet tanks of the early 1930s: BT-2 tanks armed with 37 mm guns and 7.62 mm machine guns in the turret and T-26 tanks with two turrets that each carried a 7.62 mm machine gun. Both were based on foreign vehicles, although seriously modified for Soviet needs. #tanks #History 
October 9th 2021
20 Retweets189 LikesSecond, a reminder to be humble. Can anyone disagree with this?
#Quotes ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sat Oct 09 20:00:06 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FBSFw7...
Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosBe grateful for those individuals who have helped you on the pathway to your goals.#Quotes 
October 9th 2021
104 Retweets284 LikesAnd finally, I’m sharing this tweet just because.
🩸🗡Kristi🪓YamagucciMane🔪🩸 @wapplehouseAm I high right now what is happening September 26th 2021
146,554 Retweets737,122 LikesThat’s it for this post. Stay safe and be kind. As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it.
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Every Tuesday and Friday, I write about conflicts and military matters that are happening throughout the world. Such as what’s happening in Afghanistan or Iraq. How we’re aligning ourselves to counter China’s growing influence. Updates on new military technology that we’re fielding.
As long-time readers know, I do all of this from a moderate perspective that focuses on unity in our country. I also don’t believe in clickbait, over-the-top headlines, or other tactics created to increase fear or panic, all in the hope of adding to web traffic. You will always get the sober, mature view, with a slight bit of my optimism peering through.
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I write really fast-paced military and mystery thrillers. No, I mean blistering fast. With great suspense & twists. I’ve had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and all of my books average 4+ stars on Amazon. You can find all ten books here: amazon.com.
