The Wire - May 21, 2024

//The Wire//1700Z May 21, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: ICC CONSIDERS ARREST WARRANTS FOR ISRAELI AND HAMAS OFFICIALS. DETAILS OF IRANIAN HELO CRASH REMAIN CONTRADICTORY.//

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-International Events-

Iran: Details continue to become contradictory following the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. New Iranian press statements have indicated that at least two other helicopters were involved in the incident to some degree…the collection of VIPs were not traveling in one lone helicopter as initially claimed by Iranian media (and some western sources). However, it is not clear as to if these helicopters were flying as an assembled flight, or if there was some separation of time between each of the aircraft’s transit south through the valley to Tabriz.

The Hague: The lead prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) has recommended the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanhayu and Defense Minister Gallant, as well as Hamas commander in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. The ICC will now hear evidence to determine if arrest warrants shall be issued.

Singapore: One passenger was killed, and many others injured during an extreme turbulence event on a routine flight between London and Singapore. Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 experienced substantial turbulence as the long-haul flight neared the coast of Thailand. Following the extreme turbulence, the aircraft made an emergency landing in Thailand. AC: As the turbulence occurred unexpectedly, little warning was given to passengers, causing at least 30 passengers to suffer varying injuries to include a few cases of severe blunt force trauma. This incident did result in one fatality, but it is not clear as to if this occurred as a direct result of trauma due to the kinetic turbulence, or due to an underlying medical issue. The deceased passenger has not yet been identified by the airline.

New Caledonia: Australia and New Zealand have reportedly begun repatriation flights for their citizens located on the former French Colony. Violence continues as France deploys increasing numbers of forces to the region to maintain order.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Overnight, Congolese forces allegedly halted a coup attempt, arresting possibly two Americans who allegedly planned to support and coordinate the efforts of a local guerrilla group. AC: So far, it’s too soon to tell if this is a legitimate coup attempt, or something else entirely. Two people are unlikely to overthrow anyone singlehandedly, but this would also not be the first time that a spy got caught engaging in espionage. Nor would it be out of the question for the local warlords of the DRC to grab a westerner and fabricate a story to consolidate power. As there are far too many variables and far too few reliable information sources in the region, the truth of this incident is unlikely to come forth for the time being.

-HomeFront-

South Carolina: The South Carolina Port Authority has announced that yesterday’s software issue has been resolved, and all terminals are resuming operations. No further details have been provided as to the specific cause of this outage.

Washington D.C. – H.R. 8445 has been introduced in Congress. This bill would amend U.S. Title 38 and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to expand eligibility of all military servicemember benefits to any American citizen serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. Per the text of the bill as provided by the bill’s sponsor, “the service of a citizen of the United States in the Israeli Defense Forces shall be treated in the same manner as service in the uniformed services.”. AC: This appears to be the first and only time (at least in U.S. history) whereby a nation is considering granting military servicemember benefits to those in the military service of a foreign nation. As such, it’s not certain how this situation will