Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. 

Strikes in Syria

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted six strikes in Syria:

-- Near Near Tanf, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Manbij, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, four ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL command and control node.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL storage facility, an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Hit, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Kisik, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mosul, a strike struck an ISIL vehicle bomb-making facility.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL vehicle bombs and two ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and two ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL supply caches, two ISIL tunnel entrances and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Qayyarah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Declares F-35A Lightning II ‘Combat Ready’

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va., Aug. 3, 2016 — The F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft was declared “combat ready” yesterday by Air Force Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter offered his congratulations to the Air Force. 

“This is a significant milestone for an aircraft that will allow the U.S. to maintain the advantage of air superiority for years to come,” Carter said in a statement. “I know that even after being declared combat ready, there is more work to do with this critical program, but the Air Force, Air Combat Command and the men and women of Hill Air Force Base should be proud of this major step forward for the F-35A.”

Carlisle lauded the aircraft’s performance, noting that the aircraft had met all key criteria for reaching initial operational capability: airmen trained, manned and equipped to conduct basic close air support, interdiction and limited suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses in a contested environment with an operational squadron of 12-24 aircraft; the ability to deploy and conduct operational missions using program of record weapons and missions systems; and having all necessary logistics and operational elements in place.

“I am proud to announce this powerful new weapons system has achieved initial combat capability,” Carlisle said. “The F-35A will be the most dominant aircraft in our inventory because it can go where our legacy aircraft cannot and provide the capabilities our commanders need on the modern battlefield.”

Fifth-Generation Aircraft

The F-35A is the latest addition to ACC’s fleet of deployable and fifth-generation aircraft, said officials, adding that the aircraft provides air superiority, interdiction, suppression of enemy air defenses and close-air support as well as great command and control functions through fused sensors, and it will provide pilots with unprecedented situational awareness of the battlespace that will be more extensive than any single-seat platform in existence.

“Bringing the F-35A to initial combat readiness is a testament to our phenomenal airmen and the outstanding support of the Joint Program Office and our enterprise partners,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said. “This important milestone for our fighter force ensures the United States, along with our allies and international partners, remains prepared to deter, deny, and defeat the full spectrum of growing threats around the globe.”

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein said the aircraft’s dynamic new capability will benefit the joint warfighter.

"The combat-ready F-35A is the latest fifth-generation fighter aircraft in the Air Force's inventory and provides our nation air dominance in any environment. The F-35A brings an unprecedented combination of lethality, survivability, and adaptability to joint and combined operations, and is ready to deploy and strike well-defended targets anywhere on Earth," Goldfein said. "Today's declaration of IOC is an important milestone on the road to achieving full warfighting capability for the F-35A.”

Successful June Deployment

The 34th Fighter Squadron of the 388th Fighter Wing, based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the service’s first operational F-35A squadron, having met all the established criteria for initial operational capability including a successful June deployment to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and a series of eight-aircraft sorties held in mid-July. Members of the 34th FS will fly and maintain the F-35A alongside Air Force Reservists from Hill’s 419th Fighter Wing.

"Our airmen have worked tirelessly to make sure our aircraft are combat ready: meeting challenges head-on and completing all the required milestones," said Air Force Col. David Lyons, the 388th Fighter Wing’s commander. "We're very proud that the Air Force has declared us combat ready and we're prepared to take this aircraft wherever it's needed in support of our national defense."

Those sentiments were echoed by Air Force Col. David Smith, the 419th Fighter Wing’s commander.

“It's an honor to fly and maintain the F-35 with our active-duty counterparts here at Hill,” Smith said. “Our units were the first to fly combat-ready F-16s nearly 40 years ago, and we're very proud to have made history once again in bringing the Air Force's newest fighter jet to IOC.”

Statement by Secretary Carter on Air Force F-35A Achieving IOC

I want to congratulate the U.S. Air Force on today's announcement that the F-35A has achieved initial operational capability. This is a significant milestone for an aircraft that will allow the U.S. to maintain the advantage of air superiority for years to come. I know that even after being declared combat ready, there is more work to do with this critical program, but the Air Force, Air Combat Command and the men and women of Hill Air Force Base should be proud of this major step forward for the F-35A.

Centcom Officials Announce More Counterterrorism Strikes in Yemen

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2016 — The U.S. military conducted two additional counterterrorism strikes in July against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula near central Yemen, U.S. Central Commandofficials announced today. 

“A July 8 strike killed one al-Qaida operative and a July 16 strike killed six al-Qaida operatives and injured one,” Defense Press Operations Director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told Pentagon reporters this morning.

Strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula put consistent pressure on the terrorist network and prevent the enemy from plotting and executing attacks against Americans, the U.S. homeland and U.S. allies, Centcom officials said in a statement announcing the strikes.

“[Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] remains a significant threat to the region and the United States,” Davis said.

“It is using the unrest in Yemen to provide a haven from which to plan future attacks against the U.S. and its interests. We will continue to degrade, disrupt and defeat al-Qaida and its remnants around the world, as in Yemen. We remain committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe haven regardless of its location.” 

Davis noted the strikes on Yemen are U.S.-only airstrikes and are not directly in support of the other coalition operations occurring there. 

Centcom officials said the airstrikes conducted in Yemen continue to diminish AQAP’s presence in the region.

FBI Employee Pleads Guilty to Acting in the United States as an Agent of the Chinese

Defendant Collected and Caused Sensitive FBI Information to be Provided to the Chinese Government

Kun Shan Chun, a native of the People’s Republic of China and a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with acting in the United States as an agent of China without providing prior notice to the Attorney General. 

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York and Assistant Director in Charge Diego P. Rodriguez of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.

Chun, aka Joey Chun, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV of the Southern District of New York.  He was an employee of the FBI until his arrest on March 16, 2016.

“Kun Shan Chun violated our nation’s trust by exploiting his official U.S. Government position to provide restricted and sensitive FBI information to the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Holding accountable those who work as illegal foreign agents to the detriment of the United States is among the highest priorities of the National Security Division.”

“Americans who act as unauthorized foreign agents commit a federal offense that betrays our nation and threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara.  “And when the perpetrator is an FBI employee, like Kun Shan Chun, the threat is all the more serious and the betrayal all the more duplicitous.  Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, the FBI succeeded in identifying and rooting out this criminal misconduct from within its own ranks.”

“No one is above the law, to include employees of the FBI,” said Assistant Director in Charge Rodriguez.  “We understand as an agency we are trusted by the public to protect our nation’s most sensitive information, and we have to do everything in our power to uphold that trust.”  

According to the complaint, the information and statements made during today’s court proceeding:

In approximately 1997, Chun began working at the FBI’s New York Field Office as an electronics technician assigned to the Computerized Central Monitoring Facility of the FBI’s Technical Branch.  In approximately 1998, and in connection with his employment, the FBI granted Chun a Top Secret security clearance and his duties included accessing sensitive, and in some instances classified, information.  In connection with a progressive recruitment process, Chun received and responded to taskings from Chinese nationals and at least one Chinese government official (Chinese Official-1), some, if not all, of whom were aware that Chun worked at the FBI.  On multiple occasions prior to his arrest in March 2016, at the direction of Chinese government officials, Chun collected sensitive FBI information and caused it to be transmitted to Chinese Official-1 and others, while at the same time engaging in a prolonged and concerted effort to conceal from the FBI his illicit relationships with these individuals.

Beginning in 2006, Chun and some of his relatives maintained relationships with Chinese nationals purporting to be affiliated with a company in China named Zhuhai Kolion Technology Company Ltd. (Kolion).  Chun maintained an indirect financial interest in Kolion, including through a previous investment by one of his parents.  In connection with these relationships, Chinese nationals asked Chun to perform research and consulting tasks in the United States, purportedly for the benefit of Kolion, in exchange for financial benefits, including partial compensation for international trips.     

Between 2006 and 2010, Chun’s communications and other evidence reflect inquiries from purported employees of Kolion to Chun while he was in the United States, as well as efforts by the defendant to collect, among other things, information regarding solid-state hard drives.

In approximately 2011, during a trip to Italy and France partially paid for by the Chinese nationals, Chun was introduced to Chinese Official-1, who indicated that he worked for the Chinese government and that he knew Chun worked for the FBI.  During subsequent private meetings conducted abroad between the two, Chinese Official-1 asked questions regarding sensitive, non-public FBI information.  During those meetings, Chun disclosed, among other things, the identity and potential travel patterns of an FBI Special Agent.

In approximately 2012, the FBI conducted a routine investigation relating to Chun’s Top Secret security clearance.  In an effort to conceal his relationships with Chinese Official-1 and the other Chinese nationals purporting to be affiliated with Kolion, Chun made a series of false statements on a standardized FBI form related to the investigation.  Between 2000 and March 16, 2016, Chun was required by FBI policy to disclose anticipated and actual contact with foreign nationals during his international travel, but he lied on numerous pre- and post-trip FBI debriefing forms by omitting his contacts with Chinese Official-1, other Chinese nationals and Kolion.

On multiple occasions, Chinese Official-1 asked Chun for information regarding the FBI’s internal structure.  In approximately March 2013, Chun downloaded an FBI organizational chart from his FBI computer in Manhattan.  Chun later admitted to the FBI that, after editing the chart to remove the names of FBI personnel, he saved the document on a piece of digital media and caused it to be transported to Chinese Official-1 in China. 

Chinese Official-1 also asked Chun for information regarding technology used by the FBI.  In approximately January 2015, Chun took photos of documents displayed in a restricted area of the FBI’s New York Field Office, which summarized sensitive details regarding multiple surveillance technologies used by the FBI.  Chun sent the photographs to his personal cell phone and later admitted to the FBI that he caused the photographs to be transported to Chinese Official-1 in China.

In approximately February 2015, the FBI caused an undercover employee (UCE) to be introduced to Chun.  The UCE purported to be a U.S. citizen who was born in China and working as a consultant to several firms, including an independent contractor for the Department of Defense, among other entities.

During a recorded meeting in March 2015, Chun told the UCE about his relationship with Kolion and Chinese nationals and later explained to the UCE that Kolion had “government backing,” and that approximately five years prior a relative met a “section chief” whom Chun believed was associated with the Chinese government. 

In another recorded meeting in June 2015, Chun told the UCE that he had informed his Chinese associates that the UCE was a consultant who might be in a position to assist them.  Chun said that he wished to act as a “sub-consultant” to the UCE and wanted the UCE to “pay” him “a little bit.”   In July 2015, after coordinating travel to meet Chun’s Chinese associates, Chun met with the UCE in Hungary twice.  During one of the meetings, Chun stated that he knew “firsthand” that the Chinese government was actively recruiting individuals who could provide assistance and that the Chinese government was willing to provide immigration benefits and other compensation in exchange for such assistance.  The UCE told Chun that he had access to sensitive information from the U.S. government.  Chun responded that his Chinese associates would be interested in that type of information and that Chun expected a “cut” of any payment that the UCE received for providing information to the Chinese government.

The count of acting in the United States as an agent of China without providing notice to the Attorney General carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

The FBI’s Counterintelligence Division investigated the case.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and Andrea L. Surratt of the Southern District of New York’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, with assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Thea D. R. Kendler and David C. Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.  

Suge Knight is a political prisoner?

He is not getting proper medical attention.

His own doctors are not allowed to treat him.

He is not getting visitation from most of his family (some family member visitation has been restored).

He has not been allowed visitation from an investigator to help him prepare his defense.

His attorneys have been denied information about witnesses scheduled to testify in his case.

Sheriff's sent a snitch to be in the proximity of Suge so the snitch could testify (and lie) about Suge at his trial. 

The murder book (official document compiled by police) was shown to snitch but denied to attorneys.

This adds up to Political Prisoner... in America.

Where are the charges for Cle “Bone” Sloan?

By Michael Douglas Carlin

To say the Suge Knight cases have been bungled by the Sheriff’s doesn’t really paint the picture.

They had a responsibility to pursue the shooters in the 1Oak Nightclub shooting. They had 37 video cameras, an off-duty Sheriff whose name has been released as Henry Boyd that allegedly let the shooters in the club and drove them to the airport the next day. But cops don’t investigate cops. They had every opportunity to solve that crime and they were not just derelict in their duty – they were overeager to get Suge Knight instead of the shooters that shot him and the other two victims that night. Allowing shooters to get away with such a public crime sends the signal we all hear that none of our safety matters to the Sheriff's more than protecting one of their own.

At Tam’s they further revealed their agenda. The video shows a gun being picked up off of Cle Bone’s body. Nobody will admit to having guns there because they don’t want to go to prison but Cle “Bone” Sloan commits four felonies before Suge Knight runs over Terry Carter. Assault, battery, attempted car jacking, and attempted kidnapping are all crimes where Suge Knight was the victim and they all occurred before Suge drove over Cle “Bone” Sloan and Terry Carter. By law the commission of a felony that leads to a death in the course of that felony is by definition murder. Cle “Bone” Sloan should have been charged with murder. Instead Suge Knight was charged and Cle was given a deal so that Sheriff’s could finally send Suge Knight to the nethermost parts of the prison system where he can never reveal what he knows about the former Corrupt Compton Police that became Los Angeles County Sheriff’s.

They approached these two cases with an agenda instead of serving the public interests. It shouldn’t matter that Suge Knight has the reputation as a thug in gangster rap that was largely due to music industry hype – hype that isn’t provable in a court of law. Every case should only be brought on merits that stand on their own. Russell Poole knew that this case would crumble under its own weight and he was offering Sheriff’s the opportunity to solve the Tupac and Biggie cases instead.

But we know that cops don’t go after cops. This is probably why the 1Oak case isn’t solved. The lead suspect in both the Biggie and Tupac murders (a former cop) has said he has immunity granted to him by the CIA for putting drugs out on the streets of Compton for the Agency. He has claimed that if he is ever charged he will bring down the entire government of the United States. Can it really be possible that he knows so much? I doubt our CIA would ever be protecting him. The CIA keeps America free. They would never engage petty murderers and drug dealers to kill and deal dope to kids in their name. But one hour after Russell Poole died in a meeting with Sheriff’s that suspect knew all of the intimate details of the meeting and he gloated about Russell’s death and he disparaged Suge Knight. That suspect must be pretty well connected and protected to have all of the salient details an hour after Russell died and not because he is connected as he claims to the Central Intelligence Agency.

But who is really pulling the strings at the Sheriff’s as they aggressively deny Suge Knight a fair trial?

© 2016 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

Apple Has a Great Chinese Opportunity

By Michael Douglas Carlin

Wanda has emerged as the preeminent company building out a chain of movie theaters in China and acquiring AMC that operates a chain of movie theaters. They built their strategy on the old adage it is about butts in seats. Their success in leveraging their Chinese strategy into a brisk American strategy led them to acquire Legendary – a reliable producer of content. But Legendary isn't capable of producing all of the content required by the AMC/Wanda Pipeline. They still need outside relationships. But other Chinese companies are also rising to fill the gaps.

Independent producers and major studios constantly attract new investment into untested films to fuel the spirit of the entertainment industry in China and America. Franchise films with track records rarely need outside investment. There are lots of players in the world of film finance including government incentives, presales, equity investors and others. Chinese money has become one of the jewels in film finance. For every real investor there are hundreds of pretenders.

I have been sitting on the fringe of a Chinese deal in Hollywood for the past 2 ½ years. There have been contracts signed by multiple investors but the money never seems to move. I also sat with a former CEO of a major agency who arrogantly said to me that he had China wired. When it was time for his announced deal to actually fund there was a blow-up, the funds evaporated, and so did most of his agency. But Chinese deals are too lucrative to ignore so they still get pursued at great cost. What if there was a way to take the movement of funds as an issue off of the table?

Apple may be uniquely situated to facilitate investment funds moving out of China. Apple’s iTunes figures to play a key role in the future of digital platforms. Apple has a continued need for product to fuel this digital platform and they could acquire this product by facilitating investment funds flowing out of China. You see, Apple operates a brisk consumer business in China and they are sitting on lots of RMB at any given moment. That consumer business also is a customer base of screens that can view films - eyeballs on screens. Apple also operates a manufacturing operation in China and they ship billions of dollars every year to fund the production of their phones, tablets, computers, and devices.

Apple and Hollywood already enjoy a close relationship. There are many Apple ties into Pixar that was formerly an Apple affiliate. Apple already gets content from many studios and independent producers for their platform. Apple already has the relationship with the Chinese Government. They sit in a unique position to help facilitate investments flowing into Hollywood to develop and produce Hollywood content. But Apple also sits in a unique position to help China build out their movie industry. They have the strategic positioning and relationships to make this happen. The smart production company negotiating with investors in China would begin reaching out to Apple to forge an alliance. The right relationship with Apple takes the movement of money off of the table on announced deals that face delays and eventually fail to fund. As the business model shifts from butts in seats to eyeballs on screens Apple figures to play a key role. The only question is: Will Wanda get to Apple first?

UPDATE: A few days after this article appeared Apple was banned by the Chinese Government. Their movie and iBook apps have been removed from all of their devices in China. That means a tremendous opportunity for the company in China that gets Chinese Government approval to stream movies and partners with Apple. It will be interesting to watch the developing landscape of Chinese movies.

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