Beirut’s Port Explosion: Analysis and Strategic Implications
Introduction Purpose: To analyze open source information about (1) the strategic context and (2) chain of events leading to the massive ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut’s port on August 4th, 2020, killing some 200 people, injuring over 6,500, and displacing 250,000.¹ Pre-and-Post Explosion Context Lebanon Generally: Modern Lebanon with its…
Tesla Ups Bitcoin Game with China
Setup: In Q1 February, Tesla bought 1.5 billion USD in Bitcoin, sold 10% of that for a profit, announced Tesla would accept Bitcoin for cars, then announced on May 12th on Twitter that Tesla will suspend its acceptance of Bitcoin for the negative environmental impact of its mining operations. This,…
Russia’s Ties to Blasts in Czech Republic, Ukraine and Recommendations
Recent History is Instructive: Massive explosions in two democracies in the past seven years suggest Russian sabotage, state terror, and military operations against sovereign neighboring and nearby states, including: (1) the Czech Republic at an ammunition depot outside Prague on Oct. 16, 2014; (2) and multiple explosions at Ukrainian ammunition…
Putin’s impulsion trends in leadership error
Vladimir Putin’s military build-up on the Ukraine border and partial pull-back today, combined with visible anger in his red-line rhetoric threatening harsh punishment for those who disrespect Russia’s security interests showed signs of impulsiveness in one inexperienced at commanding military forces. It was interesting that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu…
Capitol Hill Pipe Bomb Analysis
Introduction As authorities charge suspects in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and insurrection, the pipe bomber suspect recorded the night before remains a menacing question mark. This source-linked analysis begins with observations, questions, and analysis of the actions of the suspected pipe bomber captured on select FBI-released video segments from…
A Way of Thinking About China
Foreign Relations Thinking: Issue Set-Up We’ve heard the ineffective “or” questions: Is China an adversary, competitor, partner, or opponent to the United States? Is China a near-peer, or peer power? Which is the greater threat, China, Russia, or global terrorism? The honest answer is, “Yes, all of the above, with a…
Privacy-as-Security
Privacy and national security are in a form of quantum entanglement over the internet. Stratpass Corp defined the issue five years ago in terms of “Privacy-as-Security,” and centering on the need for greater legal power instituted in the individual right to consent, not consent, or withdraw consent to a number…
Writing on the Kremlin Wall: Putin’s government arrests 4,500 Russians and Counting
With 4,500 arrests and counting during Navalny freedom protests, Putin’s authoritarianism is showing its deterministic premise that individuals’ free will should not clash with the will of the state, no matter the letter and spirit of the laws. Alexei Navalny was poisoned, recovered in Germany, and was swiftly arrested and…
Snapshot of Early Indicator of Strategic Military Program in the Arctic
After the text below, see three images, Top, Middle and Bottom, the top image showing a likely early indicator of Russian strategic military intent in the Arctic. *To see the images up close with clarity, right click and view images in new window.* As the U.S. was closing bases and…
Lai Xiaomin and China’s Anti-Democracy Narrative to the United States
With the execution of Lai Xiaomin of China Huarong Asset Management Co., China executed a subtle sword block and strike in the art of information war against the United States. Beijing’s leadership-level propaganda piggy-backs on decades’ long Russian intelligence narratives and memes marinating military, law enforcement, far right, and angry…