Japan assisting Ukraine

Russia on April 8 summoned Akira Muto, Japan's ambassador to Moscow, to protest a recent deal between a Japanese company and a Ukrainian drone producer, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Tokyo-based firm Terra Drone in late March became the first Japanese company to invest in Ukraine's defense sector, announcing a partnership with the Ukranian manufacturer Amazing Drones. The investment marks a significant policy shift for Japan.

[...]

In the protest note to Muto, the Kremlin said that Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian territory "provide grounds to regard (Terra Drone's investment) as overtly hostile." The ambassador was also told that relations between Russia and Japan "have reached an all-time low."

[...]

While Japanese companies have long eyed Ukraine's drone sector from afar, the government strongly discouraged investors from even visiting Ukraine. But amid the global rise in drone warfare — and security threats from neighboring Russia, China, and North Korea — Japan has increased defense spending, with its largest-ever budget in 2026 coming in at 9.04 trillion yen ($58 billion).

[...]

Although Japan's post-World War II constitution restricts the provision of lethal military aid to foreign countries, Tokyo remains one of Ukraine's top supporters, with around $15 billion worth of total aid (mostly financial and humanitarian) sent and another $3.5 billion committed.

[...]

Japan has also joined international allies in imposing sanctions against Russia due to its ongoing war in Ukraine.

  

Hegseth lied????

 

They'll be court-martialed next.

FUBAR

 

One week ago:

Changing excuses continue...

Strait of Hormuz blocked, half a dozen refueling aircraft destroyed, at least 7 soldiers dead and about 150 wounded, and the drone and missile detection system in Baghdad destroyed.  Iran is kicking our ass.

But, MAGA thinks we're winning bigly.

No one could have foreseen.  Am I right, Condi?

Before the U.S. went to war, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Caine said in several briefings that U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Trump acknowledged the risk, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign-policy decision of his two presidencies. He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.

[...]

Behind Trump’s rationale for war was a deep confidence in the capabilities of the U.S. military to deliver a swift, decisive victory, according to administration officials and others familiar with the matter. The president’s trust in Caine was buoyed by the successful U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites last year and the January raid that captured Venezuela’s autocratic leader, Nicolás Maduro.

  WSJ

Trump is high on his own supply.

Before the president approved the operation, he and his advisers discussed options to force the reopening of the strait and use the U.S. Navy to escort tankers through the waterway.

[...]

“The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for decades, and it has been part of the Trump administration’s planning well before Operation Epic Fury was ever launched,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The U.S. operation to wipe out Iran’s military capability “is quite literally intended to deprive them of their ability to close the Strait,” Leavitt said.

How'd that turn out?

U.S. military officials said the conflict would likely last a few more weeks, at least.

"At least."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s decision to block the strait was a sign of “sheer desperation,” adding “we have been dealing with it, and don’t need to worry about it.”

Sure, Jan.

Typically, war preparations include weeks or months of classified deliberations, written planning documents, the airing of dissenting views from diplomats and intelligence officials, and National Security Council meetings with cabinet members to make the most informed decision.

Only a small group was looped into the preparations for Iran—including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth.

A brilliant crew.

The White House and the Pentagon have launched an aggressive messaging campaign built around U.S. invincibility, mirroring Trump’s own conviction that American military superiority can overcome and outlast Iran’s retaliation. U.S. government accounts have posted stylized videos of strikes, some interspersed with movie or videogame footage.

The U.S. is “winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy,” Hegseth said, an effort to reassure Americans that the conflict remains firmly under control.

[...]

Some Trump allies who have grown skeptical of the operation have coordinated behind the scenes to schedule appearances on Fox News and other TV networks watched by the president to sound a note of caution and warn against a deeper U.S. commitment.

They have to go on Fox News in order to reach the president.

The president’s advisers say the military operation has unfolded as they hoped it would. The military has launched strikes on roughly 6,000 Iranian targets, heavily damaging Iran’s navy and weapons arsenals, which has weakened the regime’s ability to project power throughout the Middle East and harm Americans in the region.

Yes, we see.

Iran’s new hard-line Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—who was appointed to replace his father—has vowed to keep ships from the Strait of Hormuz. The regime remains firmly in control and is unlikely to fall soon, according to U.S. and Israeli intelligence.

[...]

Americans have been caught in danger, as well. The State Department didn’t urge U.S. citizens to depart countries in the region or evacuate some embassies until after the war began. By then, commercial airspace was already closed, leaving tens of thousands of Americans stranded in the Middle East and U.S. diplomats at some embassies in harm’s way.

[...]

In the U.S., volatility in gas prices and the oil market have led to the largest-ever oil release from global strategic reserves, sparking anger from oil companies seeking fewer price fluctuations.

[...]

Trump told reporters this week the war would end “very soon.” Just a handful of targets are left, he said. On Friday, Trump said he would end the war when he feels it “in his bones.”

Provide your own punch line.

UPDATE 12:06 pm: 

Oh, I don't know, Kevin.  How about this...

It will.  And most all of the harm will be felt by the middle and lower classes.  

Sure, Jan.

UPDATE 12:47 pm:

Besides ignorance and greed, no one in Trump 2.0 has an ounce of self-respect.

Ten days - "Special security"

Ten days is a very long time for a major airport to be closed.  WTF is going on?

UPDATE 08:36 am:

WTF?  Was it a typo meant to read 10 hours?  Was somebody being blackmailed or extorted by Trump and they caved?

From the AP:

I still think blackmail or extortion makes more sense.

UPDATE 09:03 am:  From an El Paso City Council Representative...

The FAA is said to have been worried about DOD (DOW?) counter-drone testing.  A high energy laser that could be used against drones was to be tested at a military base (Fort Bliss) near the airport.  I'm vaguely recalling an incident where some government agency was testing some weaponry near a parade??? So, yeah, I can see why the FAA would be concerned about high energy lasers being tested in the airspace over an airport.  JFC.  Pete Hegseth at his best.

UPDATE 09:19 am: Speaking of lack of communication...

LOL.  Bullshit.  These people are great with the off-the-cuff bullshit.

About to get even worse

 

Low tech, low cost, highly effective

 

UPDATE 06:46 pm:

Ukraine executed a brilliant attack inside Russia that was over a year in the planning, destroying a big chunk of the bombers used to launch cruise missiles at civilian population centers in Ukraine. Financial Times: “Ukraine's security service estimated that its attack caused more than $7 billion in damage, claiming 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers were hit.”

[...]

“Ukraine has long struggled to target the Russian bombers used to launch mass missile targets against Ukrainian cities, as Moscow has kept them out of range of weapons Kyiv has developed itself as well as those supplied by its Western allies. The use of FPV drones in such a way would mark just the latest stage in the ever-evolving and still relatively fledgling world on drone warfare. The attack was also likely highly cost effective — FPV drones can be bought for a just a few hundred dollars each but the cost of 41 heavy bombers runs into the billions.”

[...]

Zelensky: “Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved. The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organisation, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation. What’s most interesting, and this can now be stated publicly, is that the “office” of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions.”

“Not for a single second did we want this war. We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war – even under conditions where the entire world is calling for an end to the killing. Pressure is truly needed, pressure on Russia that should bring it back to reality. Pressure through sanctions. Pressure from our forces. Pressure through diplomacy. All of it must work together.”

Two bridges were also reportedly blown up in the middle of the night inside Russia which caused two trains and several heavy trucks to crash. Russia called both of the incidents “terrorist attacks.”

  Meidas Touch

Terrorist attacks. What do they call Russia's attacks on Ukraine?

The Russian delegation arrived tonight in Turkey to resume peace negotiations with Ukraine tomorrow.

I wouldn't trust them even if they agree to something.

Multiple media outlets reported that Ukraine did not notify the US about the attack. Given the fact that this extremely high risk operation required the element of surprise with operatives behind enemy lines, there is simply no way that Ukraine can trust the people in the Trump admin to keep something like that a secret from Russia given the fact that this govt at the highest levels is populated by Putin apologists, appeasers, and outright fans.

It's embarrassing

Marge Greene says she is prepared to shoot down the mystery drones herself if the government doesn’t do something: “I’m going to tell you right now that if they try to tell us all to stay inside, stay home, shelter in place ‘FOR OUR SAFETY’ from the drones, there is no way in hell I will comply with that absolute bullshit. Not doing it. No way. I’ll shoot the drones down myself along with every other red blooded freedom loving American.”

[...]

PA State Senator and former Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for Governor Doug Mastriano got fooled by a fake post that showed a picture of a TIE-Fighter from Star Wars which claimed it was one of the drones that crashed and washed up on the beach. He was pretty freaked out. Maybe he never saw the movies.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “What is our government hiding about these drones? SHOOT THEM DOWN!”

  Meidas Touch

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Just getting worse

Military action in Syria

The main air defense system at a military base housing U.S. troops and personnel in Northeast Syria was not fully working Thursday when a drone attack killed one American contractor at the facility, multiple outlets reported Friday.

  The Hill

Biden's going to take the heat for that.

The U.S. military launched retaliatory attacks roughly 13 hours after a drone “of Iranian origin” crashed into the base near Hasakah, killing the contractor and injuring five U.S. service members and another contractor, Ryder said.

Two Air Force F-15E fighter jets struck two facilities in eastern Syria affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with initial assessments that the facilities were destroyed.

Asked how the drone was able to crash into the base even with the radar working, Ryder shifted blame to Iranian-backed militias in the area.

“This is a dangerous part of the world. The work that we do is inherently dangerous, that’s why you have the military in these types of places conducting these types of operations,” Ryder said.

[...]

He also would not say if there was an effort to shoot down the drone, only noting that “we take a variety of measures to safeguard our people.”

That's not going to fly.

Iranian-backed fighters on Friday responded to the U.S. strikes with retaliatory rockets aimed at the Green Village base, located in the Al-Omar gas field of northeastern Syria.

Washington has not taken further strikes off the table, with CENTCOM head Gen. Michael Kurilla saying the U.S. military will “always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing.”

[...]

Appearing on CNN Friday morning, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby skirted questions on whether the United States considered the recent attacks an “act of war.”

“We don’t seek a war with Iran. We’re not looking for an armed conflict with that country or another war in the region,” Kirby said. “We do seek to protect our mission in Syria, which is about defeating ISIS, and we do seek to make sure we can protect our people and our facilities against these Iran-backed groups.”

You have to create ISIS before you can fight ISIS>

A year into the Syrian rebellion, the US and its allies weren’t only supporting and arming an opposition they knew to be dominated by extreme sectarian groups; they were prepared to countenance the creation of some sort of “Islamic state” – despite the “grave danger” to Iraq’s unity – as a Sunni buffer to weaken Syria.

That doesn’t mean the US created Isis, of course, though some of its Gulf allies certainly played a role in it – as the US vice-president, Joe Biden, acknowledged last year. But there was no al-Qaida in Iraq until the US and Britain invaded. And the US has certainly exploited the existence of Isis against other forces in the region as part of a wider drive to maintain western control.

[...]

[The] US and western habit of playing with jihadi groups, which then come back to bite them, goes back at least to the 1980s war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, which fostered the original al-Qaida under CIA tutelage.

[...]

What’s clear is that Isis and its monstrosities won’t be defeated by the same powers that brought it to Iraq and Syria in the first place, or whose open and covert war-making has fostered it in the years since. Endless western military interventions in the Middle East have brought only destruction and division.

  Guardian

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Unfortunate event

A Russian fighter has collided with a US Reaper drone, forcing it down into the Black Sea, in what US forces called an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept.

A US European Command statement said the collision happened just after 7am on Tuesday morning, when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets flew up to the MQ-9 Reaper drone over international waters west of Crimea. The statement said the Russian pilots sought to disrupt the US aircraft before the collision.

“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the US statement said.

  Guardian

Environmentally unsound and unprofessional (para)war. Whoever heard of such a thing.

“In all likelihood the Reaper was conducting surveillance for Ukraine. Under the laws of armed conflict Russia may disrupt such assistance,” [Mary Ellen O’Connell, a Notre Dame Law School professor and expert on international law] said.

[...]

“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” Gen James Hecker, the US air force commander for Europe and Africa, said. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”

[...]

One of the Russian fighters then struck the drone’s propeller, “causing US forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters”.

[...]

The downing of the $32m drone triggered a race to recover the wreckage, as it contains some of the most advanced US technology and would be an intelligence windfall for Russia if it got to the aircraft first.

“To my knowledge, at this point in time, the Russians have not recovered that aircraft,” Gen Ryder said on Tuesday afternoon.

Who has?

The European Command statement warned: “These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.”

Or perhaps intended.

“In this case, the SU-27 pilot is said to have hit the propeller, damaging the MQ-9 –probably a pass, intended to compel it to change course – that came too close.”

[...]

The European Command statement said that the incident was part of a “pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with US and allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea”.

[...]

[S]tate department spokesman, Ned Price, said the US had summoned the Russian ambassador to “convey our strong objections”.

[...]

Russia’s defence ministry denied there was any collision and suggested the drone was brought down through pilot mishandling.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE :  Pentagon released video from the drone.

Any attempt is welcome

The Pentagon on Thursday announced sweeping changes aimed at reducing risks to civilians in U.S. military operations by fostering a culture in which those in the field view preventing such harm as a core part of their missions.

A 36-page action plan directs broad changes at every level of military planning, doctrine, training and policy in not only counterterrorism drone strikes but also in any future major conflict.

[...]

The directive contains 11 major objectives aimed at helping commanders and operators better understand the presence of noncombatants before any operations begin. It requires them to consider potential consequences for civilians in any airstrike, raid or other combat action.

It includes steps like embedding officials with the specific duty of mitigating civilian harm through the major commands and policy components of the Pentagon; imposing a new system to reduce the risks of confirmation bias and of misidentifying targets; and creating a 30-person center to handle departmentwide analysis, learning and training regarding civilian protection.

  NYT

Both political parties in America are bad, but never believe they are the same, or even equally bad.

And, as further proof...

Some members of the [2020] loser’s party have concluded that a sixty-seven-per-cent turnout was too high. They apparently calculate that, if fewer people had voted, Donald Trump might have carried their states. Last year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, [Republican] legislatures in nineteen states passed thirty-four laws imposing voting restrictions.

[...]

In Florida, it is now illegal to offer water to someone standing in line to vote. Georgia is allowing counties to eliminate voting on Sundays. In 2020, Texas limited the number of ballot-drop-off locations to one per county, insuring that Loving County, the home of fifty-seven people, has the same number of drop-off locations as Harris County, which includes Houston and has 4.7 million people.

Virtually all of these “reforms” will likely make it harder for some people to vote, and thus will depress turnout—which is the not so subtle intention. This is a problem, but it is not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is that, as the law stands, even when the system is working the way it’s designed to work and everyone who is eligible to vote does vote, the government we get does not reflect the popular will. Michael Kinsley’s law of scandal applies. The scandal isn’t what’s illegal. The scandal is what’s legal.

  New Yorker

Continue reading. It's an interesting article giving examples of how votes are manipulated in ways we don't normally think of, such as:

Partisan redistricting often favors rural areas. Obviously, the Senate and the Electoral College do this, too. One thumb on that scale is what is called prison gerrymandering. There are more than a million incarcerated convicts in the land of the free. Except in Maine, Vermont, and D.C., none can vote. But in many states, for purposes of congressional apportionment, they are counted as residents of the district in which they are imprisoned.

Seabrook says that seventy per cent of prisons built since 1970 are in rural areas, and that a disproportionate number of the people confined in them come from cities. Counting those prisoners in apportionment enhances the electoral power of rural voters.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Where we're headed

Axon, the company best known for developing the Taser, said Monday it was halting plans to develop a Taser-equipped drone after a majority of its ethics board resigned over the controversial project.

Axon's founder and CEO Rick Smith said the company's announcement last week — which drew a rebuke from its artificial intelligence ethics board — was intended to "initiate a conversation on this as a potential solution." Smith said the ensuing discussion "provided us with a deeper appreciation of the complex and important considerations" around the issue.

As a result, "we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward," he said. The development was first reported by Reuters.

  NPR

I can tell you what "the best path forward" will be. It will be to go ahead with the project before some other company beats them to it.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Why can we send drones but not planes?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Pentagon comes clean on Afghan drone strike

[O]n Friday, officials said an internal review revealed that no Islamic State members had been killed in the attack, only civilians.

"The strike was a tragic mistake," Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told a Pentagon news conference.

"I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike," McKenzie added. "Moreover, we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K, or a direct threat to U.S. forces."

[...]

At the time, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said officials believed the attack in Nangahar Province had killed the target and that there were no known civilian casualties.

  NPR

They could only report no known civilian casualties if they hadn't yet done even the simplest investigation.

The strike was hailed as a success that had blocked "multiple suicide bombers" from further attacks on the airport as people desperately sought to leave the country.

[...]

In a press conference Sept. 1, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley called it a "righteous strike" that correctly followed procedures.

Destroying any credibility he had for his resistance to Trump.

As many as six U.S. Reaper drones had tracked a white Toyota Corolla for eight hours and deemed it an imminent threat, McKenzie explained.

In all, he said, U.S. forces had collected more than 60 pieces of intelligence indicating another attack was imminent.

Sixty pieces of bad itelligence, as it happens.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Update on Afghan drone strike

Stand by intel leading to a strike on 10 civilians?  The target was a man delivering water to his home. His kids were collateral damage when they came out to help him.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

FURTHER UPDATE

Afghan withdrawal fiasco - drone strike coverup

Independent investigations by The New York Times and The Washington Post are calling into question the U.S. military claims that its Aug. 29 drone strike in Kabul destroyed a car operated by an ISIS-K sympathizer, which allegedly contained explosives destined for the Kabul airport.

The U.S. Central Command initial statement described the strike as a "self-defense" operation that eliminated an "imminent ISIS-K threat" to the airport. "Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material."

[...]

But the Times and Post investigations were unable to find evidence of any explosives in the car, which they say was driven by 43-year-old Zemari Ahmadi, an engineer working for the U.S. aid group Nutrition and Education International, which aims to eliminate malnutrition in Afghanistan. Family members told the Times that Ahmadi had applied for refugee resettlement in the United States.

[...]

Military officials had said the driver seemed to have loaded explosives into the car that day, but security camera footage obtained by the Times shows the alleged explosives were likely containers used to carry water home to his family. "I filled the containers myself, and helped him load them into the trunk," a guard told the Times.

[...]

Ahmadi's relatives told the Times that 10 members of their family were killed, including seven children.

[...]

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Bill Urban declined to comment on the allegations, citing an ongoing investigation.

The Centcom group that gathered the intelligence is reviewing all the information it had, although it's uncertain when or if any results will be made public. [...]

The Times and Post analyses also called into question military assertions of "secondary explosions" in the courtyard. Times reporters could find no evidence of a second explosion at the scene. Experts pointed to the lack of collapsed walls or destroyed vegetation. "It seriously questions the credibility of the intelligence or technology utilized to determine this was a legitimate target," security consultant Chris Cobb-Smith told the Times.

"My theory is: The [Hellfire] explosives themselves ruptured the gas tank, released the vapor, and because of the fire that happened a short time afterward, it detonated and caused something that may have been explosion-like," said Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Steven Kwon, president of California-based Nutrition and Education International, told the Post that the white sedan belonged to the organization. After Ahmadi met at the NEI compound to discuss an emergency food aid program for displaced people, he spent the rest of the day running errands, Kwon said.

Kwon denied that NEI has any association with ISIS-K. "We're trying to help people," he told the Post. "Why would we have explosives to kill people?"

  NPR

My guess is that it won't.

Treat

There are some really awesome pictures in this photo essay of drone photography.

Here are just a few:

He campaigned on putting a stop to endless wars

On the other hand, I'd be willing to wager that he has no earthly idea how many air and drone strikes have been conducted under his watch.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Jeremy Scahill, as always

What I was most appreciative of in this podcast was a discussion of what America's drone policy has become.  Secretive and terrible.

UPDATE:

In case you missed it (I did), here's the cartoon discussed by Jeremy and his guest Eli Valley.

Poor Meghan, she's so abused.

You don't need to know

President Donald Trump revoked a requirement that U.S. intelligence officials publicly report the number of civilians killed in drone strikes and other attacks on terrorist targets outside of war zones.

Trump formally ended the requirement with an executive order on Wednesday, months after signaling such a move. The administration last year ignored a May deadline for an annual accounting of civilian and enemy casualties required under an order signed in 2016 by then-President Barack Obama. The order was part of an accountability effort to minimize civilian deaths from drone strikes.

[...]

A law Congress passed last year requires the Defense Department to provide Congress a report of civilian casualties, though parts of it may be classified. Trump’s action effectively removes casualties from any drone strikes by the CIA or other agencies outside the military from the reporting requirements.

[...]

The White House National Security Council said in a statement that Trump’s order removes “superfluous reporting requirements” that “distract our intelligence professionals from their primary mission.”

  Fortune

Ah, yes, some concern for the intelligence professionals whose reports and advice Trump ignores.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.