//The Wire Weekly Rollup//March 31 – April 6, 2024//

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-International Events-

Syria: Sunday night, Israeli forces struck a building immediately adjacent to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. The Iranian Embassy proper was damaged in the strike, and further investigation of the strike location indicates the building was an annex of the official Embassy and located within the confines of the Embassy compound (and thus within the area of Iranian diplomatic protection). Three Iranian generals were killed in the strike, along with a few staff officers.

Taiwan: Several earthquakes struck the island Monday night, causing widespread damage. The most substantial earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.2, the largest recorded earthquake to strike the nation since 1999. So far, the official death toll is 13 fatalities, though this number may rise as many still-missing persons become accounted for.

Belgium: During the NATO summit in Brussels, U.S. SECSTATE Blinken stated definitively that Ukraine will join NATO. AC: A timeline for this event was not given, nor were any details provided as to how this will happen as this seems to be a technical impossibility (for many reasons) at present.

-HomeFront-

Tennessee: An arson incident occurred at the Global Vision Bible Church in Wilson County at around 6:00 am Easter Sunday. A metal trailer filled with Holy Bibles was set on fire outside the front entrance of the church. Local authorities confirm the incident was intentional and no arrests have been made, despite security footage capturing the license plate of the vehicle that dropped off the trailer.

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Analyst Comments: Regarding the Iranian Embassy strike, confusion continues as to mere centimeters of ground regarding the exact survey points of a compound in Damascus. However, as with nearly all Israeli airstrikes, what is absolutely clear is that the strike was conducted within the bounds of what is normally considered in the kinetic targeting community to be a CAT 1 No-Strike Entity (NSE). Additionally, the Collateral Damage Estimation (CDE) analysis of the potential Civilian Casualties (CIVCAS) caused by the chosen munitions without question confirm that, had it been carried out under U.S. regulations set forth in U.S. military law (and in Joint Publication 3-60), this strike would have been illegal. In any case, the diplomatic implications are quite severe, regardless of a few centimeters difference of diplomatic soil. If Israel had struck these generals as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the Embassy compound, the diplomatic impact would be virtually the same; worsening relations among two nations who already suffer from intense rivalry and vastly competing interests.

Analyst: S2A1

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