//The Wire Weekly Rollup//March 17-23, 2024//

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-International Events-

Haiti: The situation remains tenuous as violence continues. Evacuation flights continue to be undertaken (mostly by helicopter) as many nations evacuate their citizens from Port-au-Prince.

Russia: This week an attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow left an estimated 133 dead, and many others wounded. Most of the assailants were captured alive, and enhanced field interrogation techniques have indicated that the motive for the attack may have been financial rather than ideological.

Aside from the terror attack, substantial changes have been observed in Russia on the military front with regards to the conflict in Ukraine. Just a few hours before the Crocus shooting, the Kremlin announced that Russia is shifting to a state of war in Ukraine. AC: Up until this point, Russia has always referred to the conflict in Ukraine as a “Special Military Operation”, stopping short of calling the conflict a “war”.

This policy shift also came after Russia conducted a precision strike on the power generation units of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station, which provides power for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in southeastern Ukraine.

Africa: The ruling military council in Niger has announced the cessation of the military agreement allowing American troops to remain stationed in the country. Following the military coup last year, the majority of US involvement in the region was largely confined to what is publicly known as Base 201. This base is a major hub for U.S. operations conducted against ISIS throughout the region. 

Far East: China continues to make preparations for what is generally recognized as the most likely national objective over the next few years…the reunification of Taiwan. Tensions have been exacerbated following several incidents over the past few weeks. The expansion of American military deployments to Kinmen Island has also worsened relations, along with the typical fishing disputes. However, China also continues to expand influence and control into the more far-flung regions of the Earth. This week, Chinese officials met with Nigerien politicians with the goal of establishing a national railway network throughout Niger. Chinese officials also met with Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas official, marking the first time Chinese representatives have officially met with Hamas since the recent escalation of conflict in Israel.

-HomeFront-

Arkansas: Bryan Malinowski died of his wounds following being shot by ATF agents during a raid on his home this week. Malinowski was the Executive Director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. He has been affiliated with the airport in varying capacities for over 30 years, and was appointed to this position in 2019.

Washington D.C. – Congress passed the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.

Texas: The border crisis continues as increasingly violent illegal immigrants begin demonstrating more combative behavior towards American military forces defending the border. This week, journalists have been prevented from accessing locations near the border by federal Customs and Border Patrol agents, drawing down the potential locations by which footage can be obtained of the thousands of illegals being trafficked into the United States by federal agents daily. AC: As a reminder, deportations have