S2 Underground S2 Actual

//The Wire//2100Z April 17, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: CANADIAN PIPELINE EXPLOSION CAUSES WILDFIRE.//
 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Canada: A wildfire has spread in Alberta following the explosion of a natural gas pipeline near Edson yesterday morning. Overnight the fire expanded to 10 hectares in size, and is currently being worked by wildland fire crews.
Indonesia: A tsunami warning was issued for Tagulandang following the violent eruption of Mount Ruang, a major volcano located in the eastern Celebes Sea. Thousands of locals have been evacuated as the volcanic eruption continues.
Georgia: Several thousand protesters gathered in Tblisi to protest a recent collection of laws which critics say allows more crackdown on dissident speech.
-HomeFront-
USA: Congressional Republicans have announced several new spending bills, all related to foreign aid. So far, Ukraine’s bill includes $61 billion, Taiwan’s includes $8 billion, and Israel’s includes $26 billion.
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Analyst Comments: The cause of the initial pipeline rupture in Canada has not been publicly released, and is currently under investigation. However, due to the sensitive nature of pipeline security incidents, it is very unlikely that any details will be made public as to whether or not a security incident was to blame for the explosion. However, taking into account the very obvious atmospherics that deliberate infrastructure attacks are to be expected at this time of heightened international conflict, it would be prudent to remain situationally aware as more incidents involving critical infrastructure occur.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//

//The Wire//2130Z April 16, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: FIRE DESTROYS HISTORIC BUILDING IN DENMARK. CONCERN REMAINS IN SYDNEY REGARDING RECENT ATTACKS.//
 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Denmark: The Børsen Stock Exchange building in Copenhagen caught fire this morning. This building complex was being renovated, and at the time parts of the structure were serving as office space for the Chamber of Commerce. No injuries were reported. AC: It is too soon to determine the cause of the fire. This building, originally completed in 1625, was a major local landmark in Copenhagen. However, it is noteworthy that the fire broke out exactly on the 5th anniversary of another infamous fire, the fire which destroyed a large portion of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in 2019.
Australia: The situation in Sydney remains tense following the stabbing attacks of recent days. Australia’s governmental E-Safety Commissioner has ordered Facebook and X to censor the stabbing video of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel from their platforms entirely, citing unrest concerns.
-HomeFront-
USA: Yesterday’s A15 protests largely resolved in similar fashion as before, following the brief disruptions of traffic at various strategic transportation centers. The Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges were targeted for disruption, though both demonstrations were resolved after some time as usual. The disruptions at Chicago O’Hare International Airport were resolved as well.
Pennsylvania: A fire broke out at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant yesterday afternoon. Though this facility is a major military arms and explosives production facility, the fire was minor and brought under control quickly by firefighters. The cause of this fire is unknown, and an investigation is underway.
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Analyst Comments: As is common throughout most governmental systems around the world, every tragedy shall serve as a vehicle by which policy can stand. In Australia, the censoring of content regarding the attempted assassination of a prominent Christian Bishop is not unexpected, but indirectly confirms the boiling point that many societies are reaching. Australian authorities banning the evidence of the attack strongly implies that anyone who sees the content will be outraged, and may take actions of their own. Similar messages are lost by the immediate push to get through the latest batch of knife-control legislation…actions that by now are a massive swing-and-a-miss with regards to the atmospherics and social leanings of those in society who have already been pushed to their absolute limit over the past few years. By choosing to focus on “radical” elements, Australian politicians and authorities are ignoring the “radicalizing” elements/events in the first place, and by cracking down on the former authorities admit the latter does exist.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//
 

//The Wire//2130Z April 15, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: CHRISTIAN BISHOP STABBED IN SYDNEY DURING SERVICES. WORLD AWAITS ISRAELI RESPONSE TO IRANIAN COUNTERATTACK.//
 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Australia: Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel of Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney was stabbed by an assailant during a livestream of Bible Study services Monday evening. During the stabbing attack, four people were also reportedly injured while counterattacking the assailant. The Bishop remains hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition. This attack follows another stabbing attack in Sydney that left 6x dead on Saturday. AC: As Bishop Mar Mari is very well known throughout the area (and is internationally famous as well), civil unrest resulted immediately following the incident. An extremely large crowd of several thousand people gathered outside of the Church following the attack, many of which appeared to have the intent to confront the assailant (who by that time was in the care of police).
Middle East: The situation throughout the region remains volatile following the Iranian drone swarm attacks Saturday evening. AC: Most details of the attack are impossible to verify with any reliability due to the information warfare engaging in by both sides. Iranian forces appear to have targeted remote Israeli military bases, complicating efforts to assess battle damage in a heavily influenced information space.
-HomeFront-
USA: This morning pro-Palestine protesters blocked the entrances to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, causing thousands of passengers to either walk to their terminal or miss their flight. Similar disruptions were also reported on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. AC: As evidenced by the higher-level organization and logistics present at these demonstrations, this is part of a much larger and more coordinated pro-Palestinian movement. Dubbed the “A15 Day of Action”, this is one of the many “days of action” that have become routine around the world among pro-Palestinian populations. Most of the regular demonstrations are carried out in Europe, but more deliberate and organized efforts have been growing throughout the United States over the past few weeks.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Diplomatically, the nature of the Iranian counterattack was likely intended to respond directly, while still allowing fairly effective defensive actions. Regardless, the world awaits further actions as the ball is now in Israel’s court. It is hard to imagine Israel not reacting militarily, despite the one-and-done nature of the Iranian attack (and the losses taken in Gaza). However, a response is expected due to the original strike in Damascus almost certainly intending to elicit this very response from Iran.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//

//The Wire//2100Z April 13, 2024//
//PRIORITY//
//BLUF: IRANIAN COUNTERATTACK ON ISRAEL HAS BEGUN.//
 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Middle East: Iran has begun their retaliatory actions against Israel. Though the situation is highly dynamic at the moment, the attack largely appears to be primarily comprised of long-range drones. The attack also appears to be directed at Israel directly. So far no indications suggest coordinated attacks on U.S. facilities in the region, however there is potential for low-level splinter groups in Iraq and Syria to capitalize on the fog or war to launch their own localized attacks.
Currently, three waves of drone swarms have been observed; two launched from Iran directly, and a third wave originating from Yemen. All three waves will take several hours to reach their targets in Israel.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: As the situation is developing, additional drone waves could be expected. Additionally, the use of ballistic missiles could be on the table as well, the launch of which could be timed so as to coincide with the arrival of the drone swarms.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//

//The Wire Weekly Rollup//April 7-13, 2024//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Middle East: Tensions remain high in anticipation of the Iranian response to the Israeli strike on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. The timing for such retaliatory actions is not known, though Israeli forces have been warning of a potential imminent ballistic missile attack for about a week. American forces throughout the region have also been maneuvered into more strategic positions, probably to attempt the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles when the attack does occur.
As the world awaits the latest escalation of the conflict, Iran seized a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week. The M/V MSC ARIES was seized while attempting to transit the maritime chokepoint, signaling a potential escalation of the conflict with regards to maritime targeting. AC: Though the hijacking of commercial shipping is very commonly conducted by Iranian forces, the ships normally hijacked are oil tankers, which are targeted for financial reasons. The seizure of a container ship is new, and may signal a change in Iranian policy with regards to the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
-HomeFront-
USA: The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to renew Section 702 of FISA. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
New York: The M/V APL QINGDAO lost propulsion while transiting the Kill Van Kull waterway at approximately 08:30 pm Sunday evening. The QINGDAO lost power just north of the Verrazzano Bridge, but tugboats were able to bring the vessel under control before any damage occurred.
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Analyst Comments: Though the actions of American politicians in Congress are not surprising, the public nature of the corruption and obvious bribery/blackmail surrounding the renewal of Section 702 is quite concerning. The lack of any concern whatsoever about the perception of corruption strongly indicates that very little rule of law remains a part of the American political system, with factional allegiance, interest groups, blackmail, and open bribery being the primary means by which policy is conducted, publicly.
For instance, many Congressmen report that AG Garland personally called them to pressure elected officials to vote for the renewal. Likewise, Speaker Johnson himself was against the renewal at first, but immediately became one of its most ardent defenders following one single “intelligence briefing”. The truth of the matter is blatantly clear; federal agencies are strong-arming Congressmen openly and publicly instead of behind closed doors as was customary in the past.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//

//The Wire//1900Z April 13, 2024//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: STABBING ATTACK IN SYDNEY LEAVES 6 DEAD. IRAN SIEZES ISRAELI CARGO SHIP.//
 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Australia: A stabbing attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction Mall in Sydney has left 6x dead, and 8x people wounded. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene by police. AC: Authorities have not revealed the name or background of the assailant, other than that he was known to authorities and reportedly had a history of violent encounters with police. Authorities have also stated that the attack was not terrorism. This is almost certainly a blatant fabrication as the basic details of the attack strongly indicate what would normally be considered to be a terror attack.
Middle East: Iranian forces have seized the Israeli-linked container ship M/V MCS ARIES in the Strait of Hormuz.
-HomeFront-
New York: A riot broke out between police and Palestinian supporters in midtown Manhattan following weeks of increasingly more kinetic demonstrations. AC: In the United States, the wide-ranging nature of pro-Palestinian groups and demonstrations is not easy to discern; the tangled web of political ideologies and allegiances is often contradictory and confusing.
-----END TEARLINE-----
Analyst Comments: Though the hijacking of the M/V MSC ARIES is par for the course, the implications of what this attack may suggest can be more serious than first realized. Iran occasionally (but regularly) hijacks ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, so the targeting of an Israeli ship at a time of increased tensions is not unexpected. However, Iran normally seizes oil tankers, not container ships. As a result, questions remain as to if Iran has decided to implement a Houthi-like blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. If so, serious escalations of the conflict will likely occur. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been a wartime training scenario for decades, considering the impact that this maritime chokepoint has on global economics.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//