S2 Underground

//The Wire Weekly Rollup//April 14-20, 2024//

-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Australia: Following the Bondi Junction Mall stabbing attack last week, another (probably unrelated) attack was carried out at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a prominent and internationally famous clergyman, was stabbed by an assailant during services Monday evening. The Bishop survived the attack, possibly due to the assailants weapon failing to open. However, the Bishop and several others were hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the attack. The incident is allegedly being investigated as a terror attack, and the assailant (a minor) remains hospitalized following injuries he sustained during the attack.

Following the incident, a large crowd immediately formed to demonstrate outrage of the attack. Several thousand people have demonstrated against the protections granted to the attacker by police. Several raids have been conducted around Sydney to arrest and charge people who demonstrated outside the Church after the incident. Overwhelming censorship and police activities have resulted in the victims of the attack being victimized again by authorities who seek to crack down on those who dare to express outrage over the recent attacks. In response to the informational crackdowns, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated: “police will be the source of truth”.

Middle East: Tensions escalated this week following the Iranian counterattacks on Israel last Saturday. This week, Israel responded in kind by carrying out several drone attacks on military facilities throughout Iran, the most substantial of which appears to be a drone attack on Isfahan Air Base. As with Iran’s initial counterattack, Israel’s retaliation appears to have caused little damage.

-HomeFront-

USA: On Monday, coordinated demonstrations to impact transportation were observed to be conducted by various well-funded groups affiliated with various pro-Palestine movements and various climate agendas. The Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges were targeted by demonstrators, along with several airports and other transportation venues. Most demonstrations were disrupted after some time, though many delays and logistical problems were caused by protesters.

Pennsylvania: A fire broke out at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant Monday 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.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: As information warfare remains at the forefront of all activities in the Middle East, it may be premature to assume that diplomacy will result in a cooling of tensions. Following Iran’s ineffective strike on Israel, and Israel’s ineffective strike on Iran, it’s easy to forget what led to this latest escalation in the first place. Israeli efforts to directly target the Iranian diplomatic post in Syria was without question intended to spark a widening of the conflict. The military value of striking an embassy compound was negligible on Israel’s part as the military leadership killed in the strike were not particularly valuable targets in the grand scheme of the conflict. Additionally, Israel only changed positions after being deliberately and openly told by the White House that the United States is concerned that Israel is trying to drag the US into the conflict openly. The sheer frankness of this admission is honestly surprising at this stage in American politics; normally these kinds of sentiments are expressed behind the closed doors of strategic ambiguity. Only after the U.S. openly stated it will not back up an Israeli counter-counterattack in Iran does Israel launch an attack so ineffective that Israel no longer wants

//The Wire//1730Z April 20, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: AUSTRALIA CRACKS DOWN ON DISSENT SPEECH REGARDING STABBING ATTACKS. FIRE INCIDENTS CONTINUE IN CANADA.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Canada: A fire broke out in the control tower of the old Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador. Evacuations were ordered as the fire approached nearby storage facilities housing explosive materials. The cause of the fire has not been publicly released.

Australia: Following the stabbing attacks in Sydney, several crackdowns have been reported, including raiding the homes of those who demonstrated outside the Christ the Good Shepherd Church where Bishop Mar Mari was stabbed a few days ago. Additionally, authorities have been instrumental in censorship and the control of information regarding recent events, with NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb deliberately stating “police will be the source of truth”.

-HomeFront-

Washington D.C. – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has been altered significantly, removing almost all of the former protections for women under this law. This highly controversial move means that there will be no separation of any kind between men and women within the context of the educational system, including restroom and locker room use, sporting events, scholarships, etc. This move also mandates the use of pronouns on a federal level, treating a pronoun violation with the same legal severity as harassment allegations. AC: Once the general public has time to read through the 1,500+ pages of changes, the true realization of how significant this action is may become apparent. Of note, this radical change of existing code does not apply to just universities, this applies to all K-12 educational institutions as well as Headstart programs that receive federal funding. Women who don’t approve of men being in their locker rooms can now be criminally charged with harassment in every single public educational institution in the United States. Additionally, based on recent court cases, even private schools may be subject to Title IX regulations in the event that a school receives a tax benefit, though more legal precedence is needed.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: As expected in most western societies, citizens now have to consider the follow-on effects of traumatic incidents. Citizens have to expect both deliberate attacks by terror groups, and the subsequent targeting by authorities that cracks down on the victims of such crimes who are outraged by terrorism, instead of the perpetrators. Somehow, even in 2024, this is a controversial idea, but true nonetheless, and an unfortunate planning factor for populations post-incident. Being aware of the potential for horrific incidents is important enough, but equally important is being aware of the atmospherics post-incident, and the potential for authorities to take advantage of the crisis to make good on long-standing desires to implement more strict policies.

Analyst: S2A1

//END REPORT//

//The Wire//2100Z April 19, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: ISRAELI COUNTERATTACK IN IRAN LARGELY INEFFECTIVE.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: Overnight several targets were struck in Iran following weeks of heightened tensions throughout the region. The main thrust of the attack appears to have taken the form of a drone attack on Isfahan Air Base, which appears to have not resulted in much damage.

-HomeFront-

New York: A man self-immolated outside the courthouse where Donald Trump’s latest trial was taking place in Manhattan. The name of the man has not been confirmed by authorities, however a manifesto that went live during the incident indicates the man was Max Azzarello. His condition is unknown. AC: As this incident is still developing the reasons for this extreme action are not immediately clear.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: Following the revelation of the ineffectiveness of the attacks in Iran, Israeli-linked media accounts have spun the incident as not being officially sanctioned by the Israeli government…face-saving actions are only diplomatically valuable when the strike itself is effective. Consequently, it’s possible that the attack was so ineffective that Israel no longer wants credit for it.

As the conflict in the Middle East remains a delicate balance of face-saving actions and international pressure, it is likely that both Iran’s counterattack, and Israel’s response to the counterattack were intended to appear to their citizenry as effective, without actually causing much damage. Iran’s strike occurred with many hours warning, and Israel’s response was similar to recent strikes carried out in Iran over the past couple of years.

However, some details of the Israeli attack do not add up, such as Iranian statements that the attack took place using small quadcopters. If true, Iranian forces have much larger problems ahead, as these platforms only have a range of a few miles, meaning Mossad operatives would have to be extremely close to their targets inside Iran. In the past, larger drones were used (such as in the attack in Kermanshah a couple of years ago) and allegedly launched from semi-autonomous regions of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, the close geographic proximity of these locations allowing for the use of smaller drones to conduct the attack. Isfahan Air Base is vastly outside the range of any small drone system, so the seemingly minor details of this attack being carried out by small quadcopters is either factually inaccurate or the attack was launched from within Iranian territory. As a result, the possibility must be considered that more attacks and/or sabotage activities may be conducted in Iran over the next few days/weeks.

Analyst: S2A1

//END REPORT//

//The Wire//2100Z April 18, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: 911 CALL CENTER OUTAGE REPORTED OVERNIGHT. EXPLOSION AT BAE SYSTEMS FACILITY IN MONMOUTHSHIRE.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

United Kingdom: An explosion was reported at the BAE Systems munitions factory in Monmouthshire. The explosion occurred at a remote part of the facility where munitions were being manipulated by remote control. No injuries were reported, and blast containment procedures were reported to have functioned as designed.

-HomeFront-

USA: Last night a cascading failure of 911 call center services impacted many states around the country. Services have mostly been restored as of this report. No official word on the cause of the outage, however unconfirmed rumor suggests that a fiber optic cable being cut may have been the cause for the incident.

In Congress, the U.S. Senate votes to dismiss the impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas without trial.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: While entirely possible, it is hard to imagine that a single cable being cut could impact 911 call centers in a wide range of states, among seemingly unrelated systems. However, even without knowing specifics most public infrastructure (especially telecoms) is just that vulnerable on an everyday basis. Despite the obvious vulnerabilities that have been created, many public service telecoms networks have transitioned to cellular systems, or otherwise more centralized systems which, while vastly more efficient, often times do not allow for the hardened and robust nature of more traditional networks.

Analyst: S2A1

//END REPORT//

Hey everyone, as I am compiling all of your questions for the upcoming Q&A video, one really stood out to me as requiring a bit more time and deliberate thought to explain. That question lies with how important radio is, and how one should prioritize investing in a hobby that is quite difficult to get started in. Obviously no one can point to one single answer on this, but hopefully outlining some of the things that make me invest more in radio will be helpful in figuring out what everyone's own needs are.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/wj40dJMxDgA

00:00 - Introduction 

04:33 - Geographic Terrain 

06:46 - Human Terrain 

10:05 - Community and Society 

17:30 - Your Role 

19:35 - Leadership 

27:12 - Closing Thoughts

//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.

-----END TEARLINE-----

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.

-----END TEARLINE-----

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.

-----END TEARLINE-----

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//