🇨🇳 First photos of China's invasion barges

The front barge (self propelled) is the smallest type, some are twice this size

🔗 Xavier Vavasseur

🇺🇸💥🇵🇦 — The United States is considering increasing its military presence in Panama to reclaim the Canal, reports Reuters.

🇶🇦🇸🇾🇯🇴 Qatar is set to supply Syria with gas via Jordan to improve the nation's meager power supply, according to exclusive sources.


📝 Reuters
🗺 @PoliticsGR

🇺🇸🇵🇦 Trump White House has asked U.S. military to develop options for the Panama Canal, officials say

WASHINGTON — The White House has directed the U.S. military to draw up options to increase the American troop presence in Panama to achieve President Donald Trump’s goal of “reclaiming” the Panama Canal, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the planning.

In his joint address to Congress last week, Trump said that "to further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal.” Since then, administration officials have not said what "reclaiming" means.

U.S. Southern Command is developing potential plans from partnering more closely with Panamanian security forces to the less likely option of U.S. troops’ seizing the Panama Canal by force, the officials said. Whether military force is used, the officials added, depends on how much Panamanian security forces agree to partner with the United States.

The Trump administration’s goal is to increase the U.S. military presence in Panama to diminish China’s influence there, particularly access to the canal, the officials said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-white-house-asked-us-military-develop-options-panama-canal-offic-rcna195994

📈 The numerical increase of 8.3 million foreign-born in the last four years is larger than in any four-year period in American history.

https://cis.org/Report/ForeignBorn-Number-and-Share-US-Population-AllTime-Highs-January-2025

🔗 CIS

🇨🇳 Sal Mercogliano on X:

Lots of discussion about China jack-up "invasion barges."

These would not be used in the amphibious assault, that is why China have their version of US LHDs, LSDs & LPDs.

These come in behind to offload their modified ferries that all have decks that are strengthened to handle the heaviest Chinese armored vehicles.

This rig can be set up in less than a day. Marry the ferries to them and you are offloading them as fast as you can drive off. We had the same set up with the Afloat Prepositioning Ships bringing watercraft and lighters (but we are phasing out this capability).

The other issues is to discern these ships in a mass of China and commercial vessels that will be in the area.

Some have been comparing these to WWII Mulberries. This not entirely accurate as Mulberries were configured for one time use and slow to deploy. These are mobile and can be redeployed.

The last thing to remember is that these are intermediate logistic assets. They are to be used between the assault phase and the seizure of a port. These will allow the massive offload of vehicles to flood any area.

We should not lightly dismiss them. They are logistic multipliers. Especially compares to our last over the shore operation.

🔗 Sal Mercogliano

🇲🇽 The Jalisco Cartel Extermination Camp

The horrors described take the Mexican tragedy to a new level of Hell

The ranch was alleged to be run by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one if its over-zealous local warlords as a “training and extermination camp,” and people briefly went into Google Maps and labeled it as such. It adds credence to the U.S. State Department action in February to designate the Jalisco mob as a terrorist organization.

Mexico has been scarred by mass graves and massacres since at least 2010, and I make a list of the worst atrocities here. Yet there are indications this could take the tragedy of Mexico’s conflict to a new level of Hell.

https://www.crashoutmedia.com/p/the-jalisco-cartel-extermination

🇪🇹 Ethiopia: the Tigray region is on the brink of a civil war as the tensions between the TPLF and the interim administration continues to escalate.

Today TPLF members seized control of the mayor's office and a radio station in the capital #Mekelle.

https://addisstandard.com/tplf-faction-seizes-control-of-mekelle-fm-104-4-mayors-office-amid-rising-tensions-in-tigray

🇺🇸 Glenn Greenwald on X:

"Elbridge Colby's confirmation held up due to insufficient prioritization of Israel.

Tulsi Gabbard's choice for deputy DNI out due to insufficient Israel support.

Trump's (Jewish) hostage envoy is out for talking to Hamas and saying Israel and the US have different interests."

🔗 Glenn Greenwald

📈💸 Gold Prices Trade Above $3,000/oz for the First Time

The chaotic situation in the physical gold market remains with precious metal imports exploding. And while gold lease rates have normalized somewhat. The flow in COMEX vaults continues. Every single day for the past 3 months physical gold has been delivered to COMEX vaults bringing the total to a record 40.15MM oz or 1,250 metric tons.

Finally, we note that Gold's recent strength has almost entirely erased bitcoin's outperformance since the election. Barbarous relic vs digital gold - who will win?

https://www.zerohedge.com/precious-metals/gold-soars-record-high-tariff-tensions-rise

🇺🇸🔶 Orania will be sending a delegation to the United States

📎 Orania