Phelim Kine

Allies fear Iran war will leave them without US weapons they bought European and Asian countries worry the Pentagon is burning through munitions so fast that it won’t have enough to send the weapons they have purchased.

“It shouldn’t be a secret to anyone that the munitions that have been and will be fired are the ones that everybody needs to acquire in large numbers,” said one northern European official. @politico.com Jack Detsch @jsaks.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

PRC is teaching its drones to mimic aircraft signals. Such spoofing will help hide an attack.

The PLA has stopped flying aircraft close to Taiwan - I can't figure out why and that worries me I never expected to be worried by the lack of Chinese military coercion.

Drew Thompson: The PLA has stopped flying aircraft close to Taiwan - I can't figure out why and that worries me

chinadrew.substack.com/p/the-pla-ha...

NOEM TAKING QUESTIONS - DOES NOT APPEAR TO KNOW SHE WAS FIRED

A Company Plans 4,000 Orbiting 'Sky Mirrors' to Shine Sunlight on Earth After Dark, Worrying Astronomers A startup wants to light up the night sky using giant mirrors in space. The idea could extend daylight for solar farms and nighttime operations.

There's been so much going on that I missed this story. WTF are we doing? @banditelli.org

Inside the Trump administration’s scramble to support its own war One State Department official said too few people were read in on war plans.

How long will this war last? A clue in our story: "U.S. Central Command ... is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Fla., to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September." www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Iran struck an oil tanker flying the US flag off the coast of Kuwait, which caught fire, according to the central headquarters of the Islamic Republic's army

GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER PISTORIUS: AIR DEFENCES AND AIR DEFENCE MISSILES ARE RARE, WE MUST NOT LOSE FOCUS OF UKRAINE OVER THE WAR IN MIDDLE EAST

DPP's analysis of the KMT's defense budget proposal: "excludes future procurement, co-production, and any defense-industrial investment. @MoNDefense warns their cuts would set back Taiwan's most urgent defense needs. "

mailchi.mp/aca945d08c5c...

Israel hacked Iranian traffic cameras to spy on Khamenei: Report Israel reportedly hacked nearly all of Tehran’s traffic cameras to spy on Ali Khamenei. Israeli spies spent years surveilling the ayatollah’s bodyguards by accessing the Iranian capital’s traffic came...

It turns out that when you put your entire nation under surveillance, you might not be the only one watching.

ground.news/article/61dd...

The other simmering conflict on Iran’s border A border spat between Pakistan and Afghanistan may add to the chaos unfurled by the U.S- Israeli joint assault on Iran.

"Malgoverned spaces where threats like that are festering will find a way to assert themselves onto the agenda. And when they do, it will be painful" @politico.com NatSec Daily www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Capitol Hill is losing patience with Taipei Amid a funding scramble and debates over DHS, Capitol Hill has also been wading into Taiwan’s internal politics this week.

Taiwan's opposition KMT ignores Capitol Hill calls to pass President Lai Ching-te's $40 billion special defense budget by proposing an $11 billion counter-budget. focustaiwan.tw/politics/202... Beijing will be well-pleased. The Trump administration... less so. www.politico.com/newsletters/...

JUST IN: A federal judge has barred Gov DeSantis from designating CAIR as a terrorist organization and punish those who associate with the group.

“Once again, Florida chooses political posturing over the First Amendment,” Judge Walker writes.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Is the US in decline? After Iran strikes, maybe not, Chinese analysts say The popular idea in China that American strength is waning may need a rethink, observers say.

The US is very obviously in decline. Probably tongue in cheek, or deliberate misinformation, these analysts' thoughts.
www.scmp.com/news/china/m...

Israel's UN Envoy: Give us a few more days, and it will be much harder for Iran to disrupt vessels coming through Strait of Hormuz.

Imagine a world in which the State Department held a public press briefing so we can figure out what the heck is going on with our embassies and citizens overseas... but they don't do those anymore.

Opinion | Now is the time for China to show it’s serious about opening up The ‘two sessions’ is Beijing’s chance to demonstrate reliability as nations reassess their ties with China and the US in an increasingly fragmented global order.

The Groundhog Day narrative of Chinese engagement advocates. Beijing is always just around the corner from — it's soooo close, just be patient! — finally prying open its economy and markets to unimpeded foreign access. A ritualistic triumph of hope over experience. www.scmp.com/opinion/chin...

A controversial Karen warlord’s quiet stop in Taipei - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Taipei's strange diplomatic bedfellows 2026 edition: "The low-key visit of Myanmar faction leader Nerdah Bomya — accused of war crimes and proclaiming a breakaway “republic” — raises delicate questions for Taiwan’s diplomacy and regional ties" via David Frazier www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...

Taiwan opposition force open to passing special defense budget if U.S. OKs new arms package The chair of the Taiwan People’s Party has ruled out writing a “blank check” for the government by passing the $40 billion in funding without a commitment from Washington.

Taiwan opposition's latest defense budget obstruction move: We'll pass that long-stalled $40 billion defense budget...but only if the U.S. approves another big arms sale *before *the Trump-Xi summit www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03...

Kafka understood that an even greater indignity than being turned into a giant insect was still being required to go to work afterward.

"You may feel that it was cruel as there were women and children … But if we showed them mercy by killing the adults and leaving the children, when the children grow up, they would hate our country. Therefore, it had to be done.”

From Jonathan Karl: Pres Trump told me tonight the US had identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the initial attack. "The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates," Trump told me. "It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead."

😬

Taiwan in Time: Refugees shot on sight - Taipei Times Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

Han Cheung on the Leiyu Massacre of Vietnamese boat people in 1987
www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar...
#Taiwan

This is the PRC that has a mock-up of Taiwan's presidential palace constructed to practice decapitation attacks.

Reza Pahlavi makes his pitch to lead Iran His pitch to the White House? MIGA: Make Iran Great Again. And there’s money to be made with Pahlavi as a partner.

Reza Pahlavi is arguing that he's best positioned to take over Iran in the aftermath of war.

His pitch to the White House? MIGA: Make Iran Great Again — and there’s money to be made with Pahlavi as a partner.

China 'strongly condemns’ killing of Khamenei It described the attack as "a grave violation."

www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Lin Family killing archives declassified, but key evidence destroyed: Lai - Focus Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Saturday that all archives concerning the unresolved 1980 Lin family massacre have been declassified for public review, though evidence regarding the perpetrators rem...

1980 Lin Family killing 林宅血案 archives declassified but key evidence destroyed, President Lai says – Focus Taiwan

Taiwan and the Politics of ‘Murder of the Century’ A new film attempts to rewrite one of the most infamous murders of Taiwan’s martial era in a way that aligns with China’s interests.

Excellent piece
thediplomat.com/2026/02/taiw...

this is what they said it would be like under socialism

Statement on the comments from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Anthropic's response to the Secretary of War and advice for customers

Anthropic: "First, we do not believe that today’s frontier AI models are reliable enough to be used in fully autonomous weapons. Second, we believe that mass domestic surveillance of Americans constitutes a violation of fundamental rights." www.anthropic.com/news/stateme...