//The Wire//2330Z January 18, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: PAKISTAN RETALIATES IN RESPONSE TO IRANIAN STRIKES. ATTACKS ON RED SEA SHIPPING INCREASE IN FREQUENCY.//

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-International Events-

Middle East: In response to Iranian missile strikes, Pakistan strikes targets in Iran. Last night, ISIS forces in Iraq successfully downed an American MQ-9 Reaper near Baghdad. AC: This is likely a power-projection move that may coincide with recent politics in the region. A few days ago, the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel the United States from their nation. Obviously, the U.S. will continue ignoring Iraqi demands to leave (as this debate has come up several times over the 20-year occupation of Iraq). However, this political move (along with the war in Gaza) will likely result in local insurgent groups being incentivized to carry out more substantial attacks than routine harassment engagements.

Red Sea/HOA: Coalition forces continue to strike targets in Yemen. The vessel struck by a Yemeni drone yesterday has been identified as the M/V GENCO PICARDY, an American owned bulk cargo carrier. Today, two separate incidents were reported in the Gulf of Aden. This morning, another American-owned commercial vessel reported observing 4 drones in the western Gulf of Aden, one of which attempted to attack the vessel (unsuccessfully). Separately, a different unidentified vessel was attacked in the eastern Gulf of Aden in a similar fashion (also unsuccessfully).

-HomeFront-

USA: A Congressional subcommittee has revealed more details of domestic spying. In a letter to a department of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Rep. Jim Jordan outlines the investigative processes used by the Department of the Treasury (without any warrants or oversight) to spy on Americans. In the letter, USDT is alleged to flag certain financial transactions (via MCC codes) as being indicative of terrorism. Such extremism indicators are very broad, including purchasing firearms, renting cars, sporting goods, etc. In addition to flagging purchases by certain vendors, USDT analysis also includes specific keyword searches of specific transactions, to include words like MAGA and TRUMP. The letter also alleges that the purchase of religious texts is enough for the USDT to flag a taxpayer as potentially being a terrorist threat.

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Analyst Comments: The reports indicating domestic American financial surveillance are not new issues; many scandals have broken out regarding illegal surveillance of taxpayers’ purchases over the years.

In the Red Sea, the intensification of targeting will likely continue as US airstrikes prove less than effective in preventing attacks on commercial shipping.

Analyst: S2A

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