//The Wire//1830Z January 20, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: CONFLICTS IN GAZA AND RED SEA CONTINUE. US BORDER CRISIS REMAINS TENSE//

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-International Events-

Europe: Tensions between the U.K. and Russia increase as Russia plans to halt a 1956 agreement allowing British fishing companies to operate within the Barents Sea. This comes as NATO plans to launch the largest military exercises conducted in Europe in decades, with approximately 90,000 soldiers participating in exercises over the next few months. These exercises are scheduled to begin next week.

Middle East: Conflict in Gaza remains kinetic as before. Independent media coverage falters as censorship quietly increases on social media. Targeting of US military bases in Iraq and Syria increases following high tensions in the region.

Red Sea/HOA: Targeting of western-based shipping remains constant as the US Navy continues to intercept many missiles targeting shipping. Houthi forces in Yemen have announced that Russian and Chinese shipping will not be targeted, and ships from these nations are granted freedom of passage through the Red Sea.

-HomeFront-

TX: State Troopers have begun arresting illegals that cross the border on trespassing charges. This is a substantial change in policy as previously most illegal immigrants entering the US were processed by CBP and released into the US. This move comes as tensions escalate between state and federal forces, following Texas’ seizure of the Eagle Pass border crossing a few weeks ago. AC: As a reminder, the Biden regime issued Texas the ultimatum of withdrawing from the area and allowing CBP agents access to the border so as to facilitate illegal immigration more efficiently. This ultimatum expired yesterday, and while Texas did allow CBP agents access to the adjacent boat launch, Texas is still maintaining control of Eagle Pass.

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Analyst Comments: As the 2024 election season creeps closer, a palpable increase in information warfare and narrative shaping has been observed across multiple domains. On social media, a slow-speed crackdown on alternative media personalities has been noted on Twitter/X as many conservative influencers report a radical change in analytics on the platform. This appears to largely be centered around journalists’ coverage of the events in Gaza; the censorship of which has taken the textbook approach of waiting until the news stories die down, then censoring personalities once the media spotlight has shifted to another topic. Similarly, many celebrities, pundits, and even political heads of state have observably changed political views and behavioral patterns with little explanation as to the urgency and speed of their narrative shift. Likewise, MSM reporting has taken an observably hostile tone, with one MSNBC “legal expert” floating the idea of Biden launching a preemptive kinetic strike on Mar-a-Lago. The content of rhetoric observed at the WEF has also recently become more openly hostile as powerful non-state actors attempt to counter resistance to their strategic plans. This perceivable increase in hostile rhetoric is almost certainly linked with the upcoming election season. However, as information warfare takes center stage, the discernment of truth will be much more difficult moving into 2024.

Analyst: S2A

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