January 23, 2020 | Get The SITREP​

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The SITREP

Stay sharp, stay informed. A weekly intel roundup for frontline leaders.

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♠ Welcome to The SITREP. Within the reconnaissance community you'll often hear the saying "Compromise is Failure", meaning that if your unit's position has been discovered, you've already lost. We like to add that for leaders: "Ignorance is Failure." Dig in to this week's edition and reduce your ignorance with coverage of heightened tensions between the US and Iran, the pursuit of justice in the case of a slain Green Beret, what you can expect if you campaign against Vladimir Putin, and more. Enjoy! ♠

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♠ Closed Skies Over Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this week formal withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, a move expected ever since President Donald Trump stated that the US would be doing the same last May.

• What is Open Skies exactly? It's a 30 year-old international treaty which allows free overflight for the reconnaissance planes of NATO countries over Russia-aligned states, and vice-versa.
• The US doesn't need the treaty much itself due it's network of satellites (which are exempt from the agreement). However, NATO partners in Europe use the overflights to monitor Russian military expansion and historically have shared that intel with the US (not anymore).
• It is uncertain at this point whether incoming President Joe Biden will stand firm with the US withdrawal or attempt to negotiate a renewal.
• To be fair, Russia hasn't exactly honored the treaty, often denying overflight for specific locations. Not suspicious at all.

Uncertainty around Open Skies could indicate a ramp-up in tension between the US and Russia at an uneasy time for the two superpowers. New Cold War? Anybody's guess. ♠

♠ Pressure's On in the Gulf of Oman

Speaking of rising tensions, the diplomatic footing between the United States and the government of Iran became even more uncertain this week, as the Iranian Guard launched a series of exercises including ground, air, and missile assets.

• The ground exercises occurred along the Coast of Oman and included units from the Iranian Guard's airborne and commando forces as well as mechanized and armored assets.
• Ground maneuvers came hot on the heels of missile exercises earlier this week, which saw Iran launch rockets and explosive drones at land targets, as well at least two anti-ship ballistic missiles which detonated on simulated "hostile enemy ships" (they could have just said American) 1800km into the Gulf.
• These exercises are likely in retaliation to continued US pressure and the withdrawal of the US from the multi-national nuclear deal piloted by President Obama. It is unclear at this time whether incoming President Biden will attempt to renegotiate the deal.

Oh, and Iran also seized a South Korean tanker two weeks ago for "pollution" in the Gulf. Definitely not related to the fact that South Korean banks are currently holding funds (over $9B) which have been frozen due to the recent sanctions. Completely unrelated. ♠

♠ Hope for Closure in Death of Green Beret

US Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph agreed to plead guilty this week to involuntary manslaughter following a drawn-out case in the death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar in June 2017 while the men were supporting a counterterrorism mission in Bamako, Mali.

• Staff Sgt Melgar was killed in an incident where he was bound with tape by DeDolph, another SEAL, and two US Marines. DeDolph placed Melgar in a chokehold, allegedly in order to make him pass out. Melgar became unresponsive and died.
• Under court-martial, DeDolph and the others claimed that they were attempting to "prank" Melgar in retribution for perceived disrespect and a prior incident in which Melgar abandoned them while driving within Bamako.
• ​Other sources alleged that the men planned to film Melgar while being assaulted in an embarrassing way by a Malian local after causing Melgar to pass out.

This incident came at a time when the SEALs were under increased scrutiny by senior government officials as well as the media for alleged misconduct. 2019 saw a SEAL platoon kicked out of Iraq for violating a no-alcohol order as well as a contentious trial that drew the attention of President Trump when SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher was found not guilty after accusations of murdering an unarmed ISIS member. Justifiable criticisms or media witch-hunt? You decide. ♠

♠ Campaigning Against Putin Hazardous for Health

Standard news out of the Russian federation. In the latest development in the saga of Alexei Navalny, the anti-Putin activist was detained upon return to Russia this week and taken into police custody for "failure to appear" in court for proceedings related to an embezzlement case from 2014. Navalny claims the case was a political attack.

• Navalny is an outspoken critic of Putin's regime who campaigns both online and in local elections in Russia against corruption and abuses of power by the Kremlin.
• Navalny made international news in August when he nearly died from poisoning while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow. Investigation revealed that the poison used in the attack was Novichok, a deadly nerve agent developed by the Soviets during the Cold War.
• In probably the most insane part of the entire story, Navalny actually called the Federal Security Service (FSB) pretending to be a senior Russian official, and the FSB agent who answered the phone admitted to participating in the poisoning and even explained how they did it.

And finally, Navalny just released a report (from detention) detailing a palace on the Black Sea he claims that Putin build with illegal bribe money... for over $1 Billion USD. In perhaps the least surprising revelation, Putin and the Kremlin have denied any wrongdoing and have claimed that US intelligence is backing Navalny and his supporters. One thing is certain, Navalny will have some great stories... if he survives long enough to tell them. ♠

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♠ Weapon of the Week: FN FAL

This week's weapon is none other than the always-classic Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Automatic Rifle) created by Fabrique Nationale (FN) and commonly known as the FAL. This sturdy and dependable rifle saw usage in over 90 countries throughout the Cold War and was so popular with NATO allies that it became known as "The Right Arm of the Free World." Not bad for a battle rifle first designed in 1956. More on Wikipedia. ♠

• Range: 800m Max Effective (variant dependent)
• Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO (most common)
• Action: Short-stroke gas piston, tilting breechblock
• Fire Rate: 650–700 rounds/min
• Used By: 90+ NATO countries including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Israel, Rhodesia, and South Africa.

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♠ Weekly Read: Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng

Written by a man who was raised during China's Cultural Revolution, Son of The Revolution is the gripping non-fiction story of the life of Liang Heng; who saw his country transformed in front of him in a matter of days. Heng watched as his friends and family were swept up in the fury and fervor of the revolution as Mao reshaped China forever. A grim reminder of the strength of ideology and the forces of culture and community. This book is an essential read for anyone who seeks to understand modern China as well as human nature under authoritarian control. ♠

Get it on Amazon: Son of The Revolution (referral link).

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♠ Saved Rounds

• ​The Military... Should I Stay In? - Compelling thoughts from a 10 year SOF Veteran.
• ​Merchant of Doubt - A DEA sting took down an international arms dealer, but was he actually a CIA asset?
• ​What's In a Name? - The future of irregular warfare in the age of great power competition.
• ​Patrol Base Abbate - Honor the fallen by taking care of the living.
• ​Media Bias Fact Check - Know your news sources and fight disinformation. Keep this one bookmarked.

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♠ Closing Quote

“One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.”

― Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos

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♠ We Need Your Feedback!

The SITREP is a project dedicated to informing and educating leaders in the military, government, and private sector with approachable foreign policy and military news. In order to improve our offering, we need to hear from you, SITREP readers. What did you like about this edition? What do you think we should add? Do you prefer longer, in-depth topics (like today), or more topics with shorter summaries (like SITREP 001)? Let us know by replying to this email (team@thesitrep.co) or by hitting us up on Instagram @the__sitrep.

Stay Sharp,

-SITREP Staff

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