FBI investigation confirms Iran has attempted to disrupt both presidential campaigns in the U.S.

In times past, this kind of aggressive activity would have been considered a declaration of war!

"The FBI and other United States Intelligence agencies confirmed on Monday that Iran was behind the hacking of former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign. ...

The bureau said the Middle Eastern country has attempted to disrupt both presidential campaigns.

“We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns," the FBI said in a statement reported by The Hill. ..."

FBI investigation confirms Iran was behind Trump campaign hack | Just The News "The bureau said the Middle Eastern country has attempted to disrupt both presidential campaigns."

What are the parallels between China's 19th-Century Opium Crisis and the current fentanyl crisis in the United States?

Recommendable!

The article below refers to the two Opium Wars between 1839 and 1860. Back then China blamed Western powers for destroying their society.

How much is the Communist Party of China responsible e.g. for the current  fentanyl epidemic in the US?

Is this part of unconventional warfare against open societies?

They say history does not repeat, but it rhymes!

"Deaths involving synthetic opioids—primarily fentanyl—have risen sharply in recent years. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were nearly 74,000 such deaths in 2022. Although these losses are staggering, America's opioid crisis is not without historical precedent, say RAND experts. At the beginning of the 19th century, widespread addiction to opium in China destroyed millions of lives and ravaged the country. Breaking down China's history of being blighted by drugs reveals insights that may help the United States “fight the human and societal damage that fentanyl inflicts on Americans today.” ..."

"... China's history of being blighted by drugs can provide the United States with insights into ways to fight the human and societal damage that fentanyl inflicts on Americans today. ...

A key feature of China's opium epidemic is that it was state-sponsored. In the early 19th century, British merchants wanted to sell Indian-grown opium in China, while Chinese officials attempted to crack down on this illegal trade. Rather than aiming to constrain the opium trade, however, the British government not only encouraged but advanced it. ...

The Chinese Communist Party prides itself on having largely eliminated the scourge of opium consumption since it seized power in 1949. The communists have not, however, stopped the production and distribution of fentanyl precursors that are used to make fentanyl in Mexico for export to the United States. ...

While Britain, not America, was primarily responsible for inflicting drugs on China, the United States was also not blameless. Not only did it play a role in the Second Opium War and subsequent encroachments on Chinese territory, but there were also U.S. merchants involved in the opium trade, who operated in China under unequal treaties imposed by the U.S. government. ...

There is no explicit proof that the Chinese Communist Party is deliberately conducting or permitting the export of fentanyl or fentanyl precursors through malign neglect, though a recent report (PDF) highlights the Chinese government's tolerance of select organized crime networks. ...

There is no explicit proof that the Chinese Communist Party is deliberately conducting or permitting the export of fentanyl or fentanyl precursors through malign neglect, though a recent report (PDF) highlights the Chinese government's tolerance of select organized crime networks.

It is clear, however, that a totalitarian government—one that has been ruthless in punishing drug dealers, other criminals, and dissidents inside China—has not been as successful in countering drug flows from its shores. ..."

Policy Currents Newsletter: August 13, 2024 | RAND

Countering Fentanyl with Diplomacy

How many convicted criminals and mentally ill illegal immigrants entered the U.S. during the term of the 46th President

This is a very contentious issue! What about other Western countries?

Is this part of an unconventional warfare against open societies?

Did indeed countries like China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Mexico and others (partially) empty their prisons, mental institutions etc. and relieved their government expenses at the expense of the U.S.?

So far the evidence for that seems to be rather slim or am I mistaken?

China’s high stakes and deepfakes in the Philippines

Bad news! A bully at work!

"A covert social media campaign operated by the Chinese government appears to be spreading a deepfake video seeking to undermine support for Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, according to new research conducted by ASPI. China is conducting the campaign amid a high-stakes standoff with the Philippines over claims in the South China Sea.

Hours before Marcos gave a state-of-the-nation Address on 22 July 2024, a video of him appearing to take illicit drugs was circulated by supporters of the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte. The video was a deepfake and soon debunked by Philippine authorities, but it was shared quickly across social media and fuelled anti-Marcos sentiment among hardline Duterte supporters.

ASPI has identified a network of coordinated inauthentic accounts across X and YouTube amplifying the video. We [ASPI] assess the accounts as very likely linked to the Chinese government. ..."

China’s high stakes and deepfakes in the Philippines

Sabotage and poison: How Ukrainians resist Russian occupation | Defence in Depth

Very recommendable! There are not many reports about Ukrainian partisan activity against Russian occupation!

Wagner Group: How Russian Mercenaries Help Putin in Ukraine

Recommendable! What an estimated 15,000 Russian prisoners were recruited!

Wagner Group sent a sledge hammer with a bloody handle to the European Parliament as a threat.

Mexican cartels teaming with Chinese organized crime to ramp up meth and fentanyl production

Signs of asymmetric or unconventional warfare? The Communist Party of China is fueling drug addiction in the United States. The more Americans are addicted the weaker the country! This is serious and very concerning stuff!

I wish there was more information widely provided on the extent of this activity.

 

"A new report released Monday from the Mexican Defense Department indicates that Mexican drug cartels are turning to bigger labs to produce larger quantities of synthetic drugs like meth and fentanyl, and that organized crime elements in China are central to their operations ...

Mexican Defense Secretary General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González claims that the rise in the demand for synthetic drugs comes from many cartels' decision to shift from naturally grown drugs like opium and marijuana, the popularities of which are on the decline due to crop seizures and eradication.

Sandoval González said that seizures of fentanyl had seen a dramatic increase of 525%, according to Mexican government statistics compared to years prior. Law enforcement seized 1,232 pounds (559 kilograms) of fentanyl in 2016-2018 and 7,710 pounds (3,497 kilograms) in 2019-2021."

Mexican cartels teaming with Chinese organized crime to ramp up meth and fentanyl production - TheBlaze

Russia: An International Hub for Private Armies

Very recommendable! Putin the Terrible used mercenaries to invade and annex Crimea in 2014.