Today’s News 14 February 2021 (Sunday)

A. NAVY NEWS/COVID NEWS/PHOTOS

Title Writer Newspaper Page

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B. NATIONAL HEADLINES

Title Writer Newspaper Page

1 ADB: Fewer PH families caring for elderly women

B De Vera PDI A1

2 Metro mayors to appeal order reopening cinemas

R Villanueva P Star 1

C. NATIONAL SECURITY

Title Writer Newspaper Page

3 Lacson to US gov’t: not all Filipinos are extortionists

M Gascon PDI A10

4 Lacson: Phl is not a nation of extortionists M Gullano D Tribune A6

5 Rody admits being on ‘tightrope,’ avoiding conflict with China

E Regalado P Star 1

6 DFA won’t protest China’s coast guard law R Antonio M Bulletin 2

7 Duterte tells US: ‘Pay’ if you want VFA A Geducos M Bulletin 2

8 Duterte walks on ‘tightrope’ with US, China M Times A1

9 Duterte sa US: Magbayad kung gusto ng VFA

M Escudero Ngayon 2

D. INDO-PACIFIC

Title Writer Newspaper Page

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E. AFP RELATED

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10 Be safe on Valentine’s Day, Go urges public P Star 5

11 Public urged: Stay safe on Valentine’s Day J Ismael M Times A2

12 Duterte lauds AFP Modernization Program C Valente M Times A2

13 100 Subanen families to receive NHA houses

A Madale M Times A7

F. CPP-NPA-NDF-LCM

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G. MNLF/MILF/BIFF/ASG

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14 Army captures BIFF sanctuary PNA M Bulletin 3

H. EDITORIAL-OPINION-COMMENTARY-SPECIAL FEATURE

Title Writer Newspaper Page

15 China vs. Taiwan E Cruz P Star 7

16 Duterte to US: If you want VFA, pay for it F Pascual Jr. P Star 6

17 MDT 70 years after: What does it mean today?

Amb. Romualdez P Star 6

18 Military plunder and plea bargain R Garcellano PDI A9

19 Deal cards squarely D Tribune A4

I. ONLINE NEWS

Title Link

NATIONAL NEWS

20 Duterte hopes for better PH-China ties in Year of the Ox

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/duterte-hopes-for-better-ph-china-ties-in-year-of-the-ox/

21 NCR mayors buck cinema, arcade reopening

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346948/ncr-mayors-buck-cinema-arcade-

reopening.html

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Public urged to strictly comply with health protocols as gov’t allows to reopen cinemas, other attractions in GCQ areas

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/public-urged-to-strictly-comply-with-health-protocols-as-govt-

allows-to-reopen-cinemas-other-attractions-in-gcq-areas/

23 Comelec sets 2022 poll schedule

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346945/comelec-sets-2022-poll-

schedule.html

24 PH distances from UN reso on Myanmar https://manilastandard.net/news/top-

stories/346944/ph-distances-from-un-reso-on-myanmar.html

NAVY NEWS

25 DFA won’t protest China’s coast guard law

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/dfa-wont-protest-chinas-coast-guard-law/

AFP RELATED

26 Duterte admits being on ‘tightrope,’ avoiding conflict with China

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/14/2077548/duterte-admits-being-tightrope-avoiding-

conflict-china

27 Mukhang pera’: Not all Filipinos are extortionists, US told, after Duterte solicits fee for VFA

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/13/2077472/mukhang-pera-not-all-filipinos-are-

extortionists-us-told-after-duterte-solicits-fee-vfa

28 Duterte lauds AFP Modernization Program

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/14/news/national/duterte-lauds-afp-modernization-

program/840789/

29 Philippine Air Force receives air assets

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/02/13/21/philippin

e-air-force-receives-air-assets

30 Sipalay barangays declare CPP-NPA-NDF persona non grata –military

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/775829/sipalay-barangays-declare-cpp-npa-ndf-

persona-non-grata-military/story/

31 Former NPA commander nabbed in Agusan Norte

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/13/former-npa-commander-nabbed-in-agusan-norte/

INDO-PACIFIC NEWS

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Senate acquits Donald Trump in impeachment trial

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/former-us-president-trump-acquitted-by-the-

us-senate-in-his-impeachment-trial-101613250209127.html

33 Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, hunts protest backers

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics/myanmar-army-suspends-laws-limiting-forces-hunts-protest-backers-idUSKBN2AD05A

34 Thai activists cover monument to protest royal defamation law

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-activists-cover-monument-to-protest-

royal-defamation-law-idUSKBN2AD0GC

35 Thailand's pro-democracy protesters clash with police

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4127089

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Strong quake hits off Japan coast, injuring dozens and triggering blackouts

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-quake/strong-quake-hits-off-japan-coast-injuring-

dozens-and-triggering-blackouts-idUSKBN2AD0EC

37 Tokyo protests Seoul's reported Takeshima defense plan

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/13/national/politics-diplomacy/south-korea-japan-

takeshima/

38 US and Indian troops start joint exercise as Biden looks to boost Quad

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3121665/us-and-indian-troops-start-joint-exercise-

joe-biden-seeks-build

39 U.S. says North Korea an urgent priority for the United States

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa/u-s-says-north-korea-an-urgent-priority-for-

the-united-states-idUSKBN2AC2EK

40 German state pulls plug on China’s CGTN after Britain revokes licence

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3121642/german-state-pulls-plug-chinas-cgtn-

channel-after-britain

41 19 current and former US officers open up about the disastrous response to the Capitol insurrection

https://www.businessinsider.com/officers-open-up-about-disastrous-response-to-the-capitol-

insurrection-2021-2

DEFENSE NEWS

42 The U.S. Army’s New A4 Bradley Vari4ant Could Be a Killer

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/02/13/the_us_armys_new_a4_bradley_variant_could

_be_a_killer_660236.html

43 The US Navy’s postgraduate school is taking a stab at metal 3D printing

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/02/13/the-us-navys-postgraduate-school-is-taking-a-stab-

at-metal-3d-printing/

44 Chinese destroyer joins drills in Pakistan https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/14/chines

e-destroyer-joins-drills-in-pakistan/

45 High-Speed Ferries for Surface and Amphibious Warfare

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/high-speed-ferries-surface-and-

amphibious-warfare

COVID NEWS

46 Government readies indemnity fund

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346949/government-readies-indemnity-

fund.html

47 DOH: PhilHealth to cover those who experience COVID-19 vaccine side effects

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/13/21/doh-philhealth-to-cover-those-who-experience-covid-

19-vaccine-side-effects

48 Experts warn COVID-19 may last indefinitely

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346946/experts-warn-covid-19-may-last-

indefinitely.html

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China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases, team member says

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-china/china-refused-to-provide-who-team-with-raw-data-on-early-covid-cases-

team-member-says-idUSKBN2AD090

50 White House cites 'deep concerns' about WHO COVID report, demands early data from China

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/white-house-cites-deep-concerns-

about-who-covid-report-demands-early-data-from-china-idUSKBN2AD0FX

51 WHO backs away from outright rejection of Covid lab-leak theory

https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/02/665424/who-backs-away-outright-rejection-covid-lab-

leak-theory

52 Coronavirus: all origin theories still on the table, WHO chief says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3121636/coronavirus-all-origin-theories-still-table-

who-chief-says

53 No end to pandemic without equal vaccine access, experts say

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/13/world/coronavirus-vaccines-equal-access/

54 Rise of variants sparks push for all-in-one Covid vaccines

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/rise-of-variants-sparks-push-for-all-in-one-covid-

vaccines-101613204110651.html

55 In Covid-19 Diplomacy, India Emerges as a Vaccine Superpower

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-are-becoming-important-diplomatic-currency-

11613152854

56 Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

57 Doctors are speaking out to dispel the 'groundless' myth that the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility in women or men

https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-vaccine-does-not-affect-fertility-doctors-reassure-

public-2021-2

J. OPINION/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

Title Link

58 Duterte to US: If you want VFA, pay for it

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/02/14/2077514/duterte-us-if-you-want-vfa-pay-it

59 Deal cards squarely

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/14/deal-cards-squarely/

60 China vs. Taiwan

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/02/14/2077511/china-vs-taiwan

61 CCP Governance Comes to the South China Sea

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/02/13/ccp_governance_comes_to_the_south_china_s

ea_660237.html

62 MDT 70 years after: What does it mean today?

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/02/14/2077512/mdt-70-years-after-what-does-it-mean-today

63 The Other Side of the COIN https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/other-side-coin

64 Myanmar coup: What will the military do now?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56053007

65 Myanmar coup: What led to the military seizing power?

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-56037084

66 Deceive the Enemy with Emerging Technologies

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/deceive-enemy-emerging-technologies

67 Weed Out Violent Extremism

https://www.ausa.org/news/weed-out-violent-extremism

68 How To Understand The Rage Economy

https://theintercept.com/2021/02/13/news-rage-economy-postjournalism-andrey-mir/

69 Last Battleship Battle And Other Navy Lasts That Should Not Be Forgotten

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/02/last-battleship-battle-and-other-navy-lasts-that-should-

not-be-forgotten/

70 What One Word Teaches Us About The Uncertainty Of American Empire

https://warontherocks.com/2021/02/what-one-word-teaches-us-about-the-uncertainty-of-

american-empire/

71 Violent Non-State Actors In The Maritime Space: Implications For The Philippines

https://www.stableseas.org/maritime-terrorism/violent-non-state-actors-maritime-space-

philippines

Duterte hopes for better PH-China ties in Year of the Ox

Published February 13, 2021, 12:32 PM

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos

President Duterte wished for the Philippines and China to have even stronger relations this year as the world greeted the Year of the Ox.

(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)

In a video message posted by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on its Twitter account Saturday morning, Duterte wished that both countries will enjoy better ties this year.

“I would like to greet President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people a Happy Lunar New Year celebration,” he said.

“May this new year find us all working together to further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between our governments and people,” he added.

The President also wished that the Year of the Ox will be rewarding for everyone, noting their hard work, especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID -19) pandemic.

In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar wished that 2021 will be the year that everyone recovers from the effects of the health crisis.

“The year 2020 has been a challenging year in many ways for everyone around the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we have all strived to endure these challenges together,” he said.

“May 2021 be the year for our collective recovery from the virus and the effects it has had on our lives, as we continue to undertake measures to ensure our commitment in this regard,” he added.

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However, he reminded the public to be mindful of the health protocols as they celebrate the Year of the Ox.

“As we celebrate this occasion, let’s be reminded of the health protocols and minimum health standards to minimize the transmission of the virus,” Andanar said.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/duterte-hopes-for-better-ph-china-ties-in-year-of-the-ox/

20A

NCR mayors buck cinema, arcade reopening posted February 14, 2021 at 01:20 am by Willie Casas

Metro Manila mayors will appeal to the government to reconsider its directive to allow the

reopening of cinemas and video arcades in areas under general community quarantine on Feb.

15, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said in a radio interview on Saturday.

“We have reservations. We will likely appeal to the Inter-Agency Task Force on the reopening of

cinemas,” said Olivarez, who is also the chairman of the Metro Manila Council.

He said he already spoke with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur

Abalos to manifest the objection of the Metro Manila mayors given that cinemas are enclosed,

air-conditioned spaces where moviegoers will gather for more than an hour.

“We are also apprehensive over the reopening video game arcades because these are

enclosed spaces plus we are not yet allowing minors to go outdoors,” Olivarez said.

The government only allows persons between the ages of 18 to 65 in Metro Manila, which

remains under General Community Quarantine, to leave their homes.

Make policies based on data

The OCTA Research group on Saturday urged government to adopt policies based on data as

quaratine restrictions have been eased.

Dr. Butch Ong of the OCTA Research group said the government must observe trends in

infection spread, particularly in Metro Manila, which the group considers as the virus epicenter.

“With the balance of more health care workers and the entry of new variants which are more

transmissible, we neer to be more vigilant... We still consider the National Capital Region as the

epicenter so we need to make policies and base these on data and evidence and our previous

experience with COVID last year,” Ong said.

More UK variant cases recorded

The Department of Health late Friday said 19 new infections of the more contagious UK variant

of the novel coronavirus have been recorded, bringing the total number of cases of the mutated

strain in the country to 44.

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Three of the patients were from Davao Region — a 10-year-old boy, a 54-year-old female, and

a 33-year-old male.

Two were detected in Calabarzon while eight infected patients were returning overseas

Filipinos.

The DOH said it is still verifying if the remaining six patients are local cases or returning

overseas Filipinos as well.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346948/ncr-mayors-buck-cinema-arcade-reopening.html

21A

Public urged to strictly comply with health protocols as gov’t allows to reopen cinemas, other attractions in GCQ areas

Published February 13, 2021, 5:25 PM

by Analou De Vera

The Department of Health (DOH) reminded the public to continue complying with the

health protocols amid the decision of the government to reopen cinemas and other

attractions in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).

(UNSPLASH / MANILA BULLETIN)

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that practicing health protocols will

protect the public from being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Ang safeguard natin dito is compliance to minimum health protocols (Our safeguard here

is compliance with minimum health protocols),” she said during a televised public press briefing on Saturday, Feb. 13.

On Friday, Feb. 12, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the country’s Interagency Task Force (IATF) for COVID-19 has allowed the reopening of cinemas in

areas under GCQ. Driving schools, video and interactive game arcades, libraries, archives,

museums, cultural centers, will also be allowed to reopen.

“It was a collegial decision among our officials. It is because of the balance between health

and the economy,” said Vergeire.

Alam po natin ngayon na gusto natin kahit papaano makapagbukas ang ibang sektor para

makaagapay ang ating ekonomiya (We know that we want to somehow open up other

sectors to keep our economy afloat),” said Vergeire.

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The DOH reported 1,960 more coronavirus infections on Saturday, Feb. 13, raising the

nationwide tally to 547,255.

Of the total, 34,967 or 6.4 percent are active cases, the DOH’s noted in its latest report. It said that 86.3 percent have mild symptoms, 8.7 percent are asymptomatic, 2.3 percent are in

critical condition, 2.2 percent have severe symptoms, while 0.64 percent are in moderate

condition.

The death toll count also jumped to 11,507 with 12 more fatalities, while the number of

survivors increased to 500,781 with 133 more patients who recovered.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/public-urged-to-strictly-comply-with-health-protocols-as-govt-allows-

to-reopen-cinemas-other-attractions-in-gcq-areas/

22A

Comelec sets 2022 poll schedule posted February 14, 2021 at 01:00 am by Manila Standard

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set the one-week filing of Certificates of

Candidacy (COC) for all elective positions for the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections

from October 1 to 8 this year.

Under Comelec Resolution 10695 made public on Saturday, the poll body also set the

campaign period for candidates in national positions (President, Vice-President, Senator, and

party-list groups) from Feb. 8, 2022 to May 7, 2022.

For candidates in local elective positions (members of House of Representatives and regional,

provincial, city, and municipal officials), campaigning begins only on March 25, 2022 but also

ends on May 7, 2022.

However, campaigning is prohibited during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on April 14 and

15 next year, respectively.

The election period begins on Jan. 9, 2022 and ends on June 8, 2022, during which the gun ban

is in effect. This means bearing, carrying, or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons is

prohibited unless authorized in writing by the Comelec.

Also prohibited are: the use of security or bodyguards by candidates unless authorized in writing

by the Comelec; organization or maintenance of reaction forces, strike forces, or similar forces;

alteration of the territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct; transfer or movement

of officers and employees in the civil service; and suspension of elective local officials.

Under the overseas absentee voting system. overseas voters may cast their votes in Philippine

embassies, consulates, and other posts for one month, from April 10 to May 9 next year.

Campaigning abroad, however, is prohibited during this period.

On the other hand, local absentee voters have three days to vote on April 27 to 29, 2022.

The last day for filing an application to be a local absentee voter is on March 7, 2022.

A liquor ban will be in effect from May 8 to 9 next year, where selling, furnishing, offering,

buying, serving, or taking intoxicating liquor is prohibited.

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Campaigning is prohibited on the eve of Election Day and Election Day itself.

Also banned are the acts of giving or accepting free transportation, food or drinks, or things of

value; and soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against a candidate or any

political party in the polling place or within 30 meters of the area.

Also not allowed are the opening of booths or stalls for the sale of merchandise or refreshments

within a 30-meter radius from the polling place; and the holding of fairs, cockfights, boxing,

horse races, or similar sports.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346945/comelec-sets-2022-poll-schedule.html

23A

PH distances from UN reso on Myanmar posted February 14, 2021 at 12:50 am by Manila Standard

The Philippines has set itself apart from a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution

demanding the release of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, detained since the

military takeover on February 1.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines took the same position as China, Russia,

Venezuela and Bolivia “in dissociating itself” from the resolution despite joining a consensus to adopt the resolution without a vote.

In its statement to the UNHRC, the Philippines, a fellow member of Myanmar in the 10-nation

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said it supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity

of Myanmar, but stressed that “foreign solutions whether in regional or multilateral contexts, including through this Council” should never be imposed.

The 47-member Council based in Geneva adopted unanimously without a vote the resolution

brought by the United Kingdom and European Union, which called for the release of Suu Kyi

and other detained officials and to allow a UN monitoring team to visit Myanmar.

Myanmar’s military takeover sparked pro-democracy protests across the landlocked since last

week, defying government ban on mass gatherings.

“The Philippines has been supportive of Myanmar’s progress towards a fuller democracy, cognizant of the Army’s role in preserving its territorial integrity and national security, as well as

the unifying role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the history of the country and Army her father

founded,” the Philippine statement said.

“The Lady is a deeply and widely admired icon of democracy among the Filipino people who

identify with her and her people, given similar struggles against tyranny in the not distant past;

struggles that culminated in the complete restoration of democracy by unprecedented and

entirely domestic efforts that inspired similarly successful efforts in the rest of the Cold War

world.”

It added, the full realization of Myanmar’s democratic process can only be achieved thru “complete restoration of the status quo ante.”

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“Myanmar made important strides towards democratization in the past decade with the political

presence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, constitutional constraints on her key political role

notwithstanding. This was clear in Myanmar’s engagement in the Universal Periodic Review last month,” the Philippine statement said.

“The Philippines will settle for nothing less than, and nothing else but the complete restoration of the status quo in which Myanmar had made so much progress.”

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346944/ph-distances-from-un-reso-on-myanmar.html

24A

DFA won’t protest China’s coast guard law

Published February 13, 2021, 10:36 AM

by Raymund Antonio

The Philippines will not raise the issue of China’s controversial new Coast Guard law before The Hague or any international tribunal, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said, adding that the arbitral award in 2016 leaves “no room for interpretation” on the maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)(MANILA BULLETIN)

In a position paper, the DFA said that the awarding to the Philippines of the arbitral ruling in 2016 “is already established under international law, and has been recognized by numerous states.”

That ruling was based on the case filed by former President Benigno Aquino III’s administration against China for its encroachment in the islands and waters of the West Philippine Sea.

“There is no room for interpretation as there is no issue on the maritime rights and jurisdictions on the West Philippine Sea that demands the resort to an international court to resolve,” the DFA said.

The department was reacting to the interview of Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang XiLian with CNN’s Pinky Webb. The envoy said that China’s Coast Guard “will not take strong measures against any fishermen—before or after the formulation of the law.”

“Sometimes, unnecessary interpretation or reading of such domestic activities of China is not necessary,” he added.

Beijing’s new coast guard law, which took effect on February 1, allows it to fire at foreign vessels in reefs and islands in the West Philippine Sea where China has contested claims with the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

China, however, claims this is not the purpose of the sweeping new law.

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The DFA insisted that the international law—the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), specifically—“is clear about the extent of maritime rights and jurisdictions of coastal states” in the region.

“Any threat or use of force and attempt at exercising law enforcement that are not in accordance with international law is objectionable, illegal, and negates efforts to ensure peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea.”

Foreign Affairs chief Teodoro Locsin Jr. has already butted heads with Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque who suggested that the Philippines bring China’s new Coast Guard law before a United Nations tribunal.

Locsin, however, reminded Roque to stay out of foreign policies.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/13/dfa-wont-protest-chinas-coast-guard-law/

25A

Duterte admits being on ‘tightrope,’ avoiding conflict with China Edith Regalado (The Philippine Star ) - February 14, 2021 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — His dealings with the United States and China are a balancing act meant to keep the Philippines from getting embroiled in a conflict between two global powers, President Duterte said on Friday.

In remarks after inspecting newly delivered aircraft to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Duterte maintained that he would keep the country neutral amid simmering tensions between the US and China.

“I am walking on a tightrope, actually. I cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because, well, we are avoiding any confrontation – a confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time,” he said.

With regard to the Americans, the President said, “we asked so much of them because they have taken so much from us.”

He explained that the exigency of the moment requires US presence but emphasized such presence – through the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) – should come at a price.

“Well, they have to pay. It’s a shared responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free. Because after all, when the war breaks out, we all pay,” he said.

“You, we are nearest to the garrison there where there are a lot of arsenals of the Chinese armed forces,” he said before flying back to Davao City from Clark, formerly a US Air Force base.

Duterte said the American government must keep its promises, especially with regards to agreements aimed at boosting the country’s defense capabilities.

At the same time, Duterte congratulated the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for successfully procuring additional air assets that will play an important role in safeguarding the country.

“Recently, I have approved the proposal to acquire more combat utility [helicopters for] the AFP.

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With our recent gains against various terror groups, I am confident that our efforts under the AFP Modernization Program are already paying off,” he said.

Duterte told the troops that he wants to add five or six more helicopters to the PAF’s fleet of air assets before he steps down. The PAF has 32 helicopters ready for procurement under its modernization program.

The President said he is pleased with the military’s efforts to eliminate terrorist groups in Northern Luzon. This led to genuine peace and sustainable progress in the area and fostered greater camaraderie among government security forces operating in the region, he said.

Prior to his speech, Duterte also led the conferment of the Order of Lapu-Lapu, with the rank of Kamagi, on officers and enlisted personnel who fought Islamic militants in Sulu in November last year.

“Your gallantry, bravery and courage are truly exemplary,” he told the awardees. “I hope that your fellow soldiers will look up to you as their source of inspiration and strength, especially when it is their turn to face the battlefield.”

The first one of the two C-130H aircraft granted by the US government through the Security Cooperation Assistance, and several units of brand new Black Hawk choppers bought by the Philippines from Poland under a $241.5-million government-to-government contract, were on display Friday at the Clark hangar.

Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary Arthur Tabaquero, Sen. Bong Go, AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, PAF Commanding General Allen Paredes and Pampanga local officials also attended the event. – With Christina Mendez

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/14/2077548/duterte-admits-being-tightrope-avoiding-

conflict-china

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‘Mukhang pera’: Not all Filipinos are extortionists, US told, after Duterte solicits fee for VFA

Bella Perez-Rubio (Philstar.com) - February 13, 2021 - 11:43am

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday expressed embarrassment at recent comments made by President Rodrigo Duterte who told the US that it must pay to keep its Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines.

"Just to clarify, please be informed that we are not a nation of extortionists; at lalong hindi kami ‘mukhang pera’ (and we are definitely not greedy)," Lacson said on Twitter in a note

"Well....not all of us," he tacked on in Filipino, signing off "shamefully" as "Juan."

Dear Sam, This is refers to the statement, “You want the VFA? You have to pay”. Just to clarify, please be informed that we are not a nation of extortionists; at lalong hindi kami ‘mukhang pera’. Err... hindi lahat. Shamefully, Juan

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) February 13, 2021

The country expressed its intent to terminate the VFA in February 2020, after the cancellation of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa's US visa earned Duterte's ire, but has suspended the abrogation twice, also at Duterte's instruction.

In a rambling speech delivered Friday night to troops at Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Duterte repeated a threat he's made since the beginning of his term, saying: "I would like to put on notice if there’s an American agent here, that from now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? Well, they have to pay."

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"Because after all, when the war breaks out, we all pay. You, kami (us), we are nearest to the garrison there where there are a lot of arsenals of the Chinese armed forces."

'Walking on a tightrope' The Philippines is currently wrapped up in a maritime dispute with China which officially considers as part of its territory the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, despite an arbitral ruling which junks its claims.

Beijing also recently passed a law allowing its coast guard to shoot at foreign vessels. In response, the Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest and Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said earlier this week said the navy would be increasing its visibility in the West Philippine Sea to protect Filipino fishermen. Duterte told members of the military that he was "walking on a tightrope" and "cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China" because the military cannot afford any confrontation with the regional superpower.

Referring to the US, he also said: "We asked so much of them because they have taken so much from us."

READ: Palace: China's vaccine donation to military has no bearing on West Philippine Sea issue US should pay in weapons, Locsin says Responding to Duterte's remarks on Friday night, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teoforo Locsin Jr. said the US should pay for the VFA's continuation with new choppers and missiles.

"In short, we need lots more of those Blackhawks and precision-guided missiles," he said on Twitter. "Can’t get any clearer than that."

"The last Cabinet meeting was mostly about Army choppers. And how I will tailor diplomacy to what the Army needs."

As part of the plan to decommission all of the Philippine Air Force's Huey lift helicopters, which are frequently involved in fatal crashes, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles last week announced that Duterte approved the acquisition of 15 more Black Hawk helicopters. According to Nograles, the Department of National Defense requested 76 new helicopters but the number was trimmed down to 15 owing to the challenges presented by the pandemic.

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"Time to talk Turkey which is offering great weapons on terrific terms," Locsin added, seeming to take a swipe at the terms offered by the US.

"A Mutual Defense Treaty assumes both parties can contribute to a war in the mutual defense," he also said, referring to the treaty established in 1951 which the VFA is meant to support.

The US and the Philippines on Thursday began talks on the status of the VFA but the Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to offer any update, revealing only that the working-level meeting would tackle "bilateral defense and security cooperation, as part of regular and continuing engagement with [the] US on strengthening our alliance."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/13/2077472/mukhang-pera-not-all-filipinos-are-

extortionists-us-told-after-duterte-solicits-fee-vfa

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Duterte lauds AFP Modernization Program

ByCatherine S. Valente, TMT

February 14, 2021

President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed confidence that the government’s Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program is “already paying off,” citing the military’s recent gains against various terrorist groups.

AIR ASSETS President Rodrigo Duterte and his aides inspect one of the air assets that were delivered for the Philippine Air Force at the Haribon Hangar in the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga province on Feb. 12, 2021. MALACAÑANG PHOTO In his speech during the inspection of newly delivered air assets in Clark, Pampanga on Friday, Duterte said he recently approved the proposal to acquire more combat utility vehicles for the AFP to allow soldiers to fulfill their role in protecting the nation. “Recently, I have approved the proposal to acquire more combat utility [helicopters for] the AFP. With our recent gains against various terror groups, I am confident that our efforts under the AFP Modernization Program are already paying off,” Duterte said. During his visit to Pampanga, Duterte also led the inspection of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) newly delivered air assets displayed at the Haribon Hangar that include one C-130H, six S70i Blackhawk Utility Helicopters, six A-29B Super Tucanos, six Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and four Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial. The new helicopters were delivered in the country after Duterte ordered the decommissioning of all the PAF’s UH-1H “Huey” combat utility aircraft helicopters following the January 16 crash of one Huey in Bukidnon. Duterte congratulated the Department of National Defense and the AFP for procuring the new air assets, stressing it would boost the country’s military capabilities. “Our efforts to strengthen our military have been vital in ensuring that we are able to fulfill our sworn and shared duty of protecting our sovereignty and safeguarding the welfare of the Filipino people,” Duterte said.

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The President said he felt nervous every time an old military helicopter flew because it could falter, adding that constant repair and reboring takes toll on the helicopter itself. “When I see wounded soldiers, it grieves me deeply to realize that we can improve on this in terms of fighting capability and airworthiness. This only shows that our air assets really need to be replaced,” Duterte said. The President also expressed hope that such an act would inspire the military more as it protects Filipinos against threats, including terrorism. “Again, in gratitude, I assure you that this administration will remain steadfast in doing our best to ensure … the welfare of the families of those who have gone ahead,” Duterte said. “Together, let us remain partners in protecting the life and liberty of all Filipinos and sovereignty of all nations,” he added. Before delivering his speech, Duterte also witnessed the conferment of the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kamagi to select PAF, Philippine Army and Philippine Navy personnel. The Kamagi Medal is a recognition of active participation and contribution to a campaign or advocacy of the President.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/14/news/national/duterte-lauds-afp-modernization-

program/840789/

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Philippine Air Force receives air assets

Richard Madelo, Presidential Photo

Posted at Feb 13 2021 12:42 PM

Helicopters including one carrying President Rodrigo Duterte are seen behind newly delivered air assets of the Philippine Air Force at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base, Pampanga on Friday, February 12, 2021. The air assets include one C-130H cargo plane, six S70i Blackhawk utility helicopters, six A-29B Super Tucanos, six Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and 4 Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/02/13/21/philippine-air-force-receives-air-assets

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Sipalay barangays declare CPP-NPA-NDF persona non grata –military

During an activity facilitated by the Philippine Army, the 17 barangays of Negros

Occidental's Sipalay City passed a resolution declaring the Communist Party of the

Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front persona non grata in their

areas.

According to a Saturday military statement, 145 barangay captains, barangay

councilors, and SK chairmen participated in the activity.

Also during the activity, Army commanders reminded barangay officials of their duties

and responsibilities to ensure the realization and operationalization of the barangay task

force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

“Declaring the CPP-NPA-NDF as Persona-Non-Grata to the public is a bold move in

eradicating and totally preventing CTG influence in the city," said 15th Infantry Battalion

commander Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Cariño.

"It lifted our resolve and ensured everyone's commitment in fighting and ending the local

communist armed conflict.”

Likewise, 302nd Brigade commander Colonel Leo Peña acknowledged the collaborative

peace initiatives of all the barangay chiefs of Sipalay under the leadership of City Mayor

Maria Gina M. Lizares – who was also the chairperson of the Sipalay City Task Force-

ELCAC. — DVM, GMA News

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/775829/sipalay-barangays-declare-cpp-npa-

ndf-persona-non-grata-military/story/

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Former NPA commander nabbed in Agusan Norte \

Published 9 hours ago On February 13, 2021 11:36 PM By John Roson

A former commander of the New People’s Army wanted for a deadly attack more than four years ago was arrested during an operation in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte on Saturday, police said.

Arrested was Ricky Bago alias “Nova,” who served as commander of Guerrilla Front 16A in 2018, said Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, Caraga regional police director.

Police have yet to validate Bago’y current status in the rebel movement.

Members of the Kitcharao Police, backed by the provincial police and PNP Special Action Force, arrested Bago in Brgy. Poblacion around 12:30 p.m.

They implemented arrest warrants for homicide and two counts of attempted homicide, Caramat said.

All cases stemmed from Bago’s alleged participation in the NPA attack on government soldiers at the barangay hall of San Roque, Kitcharao, in November 2016. One soldier was killed in the incident, police said.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/13/former-npa-commander-nabbed-in-agusan-norte/

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Trump acquitted: Senate votes 57-43 at impeachment trial

• A two-thirds majority of the 100 senators was needed at Trump's impeachment trial for conviction, but it fell short in a 57-43 vote.

AFP, Washington

UPDATED ON FEB 14, 2021 03:22 AM IST

The Senate on Saturday acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the horrific attack on the US

Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that exposed the fragility of America's

democratic traditions and left a divided nation to come to terms with the violence sparked

by his defeated presidency.

Barely a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot that stunned the world, the Senate convened

for a rare weekend session to deliver its verdict, voting while armed National Guard troops

continued to stand their posts outside the iconic building.

The quick trial, the nation’s first of a former president, showed how perilously close the invaders had come to destroying the nation's deep tradition of a peaceful transfer of

presidential power after Trump had refused to concede the election. Rallying outside the

White House, he unleashed a mob of supporters to “fight like hell” for him at the Capitol

just as Congress was certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. As hundreds stormed the building, some in tactical gear engaging in bloody combat with police, lawmakers fled for

their lives. Five people died.

The verdict, on a vote of 57-43, is all but certain to influence not only the former president's

political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Seven

Republicans joined all Democrats to convict, but it was far from the two-third threshold

required.

Also Read | Trump, after acquittal, says movement 'has only just begun'

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The outcome after the uprising leaves unresolved the nation’s wrenching divisions over

Trump's brand of politics that led to the most violent domestic attack on one of America's

three branches of government.

“Senators, we are in a dialogue with history, a conversation with our past, with a hope for our future,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.., one of the House prosecutors in closing

arguments.

“What we do here, what is being asked of each of us here in this moment will be

remembered."

Trump, unrepentant, welcomed the his second impeachment acquittal and said his

movement “has only just begun.” He slammed the trial as “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country.” Though he was acquitted, it was easily the largest number of senators to ever vote to find

a president of their own party guilty of an impeachment charge.

Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy

of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah,

Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Even after voting to acquit, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell condemned the

former president as ‘practically and morally responsible’ for the insurrection. Trump could not be convicted because he was out of office, McConnell contended.

The trial had been momentarily thrown into confusion when senators suddenly wanted to

consider potential witnesses, an hours-long standoff Saturday that stalled the momentum

toward a vote. Prolonged proceedings would be politically risky, particularly for Biden's

new presidency and his emerging legislative agenda. Coming amid the searing Covid-19

crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress.

Biden has hardly weighed in on the proceedings and was spending the weekend with

family at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland.

The nearly weeklong trial has delivered a grim and graphic narrative of the riot and its

consequences in ways that senators, most of whom fled for their own safety that day,

acknowledge they are still coming to grips with.

House prosecutors have argued that Trump’s was the "inciter in chief" stoking a months-

long campaign, and orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims they called

the “big lie” that unleashed the mob. Five people died, including a rioter who was shot

and a police officer.

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Trump’s lawyers countered that Trump’s words were not intended to incite the violence

and that impeachment is nothing but a “witch hunt” designed to prevent him from serving in office again.

The senators, announcing their votes from their desks, were not only jurors but also

witnesses. Only by watching the graphic videos — rioters calling out menacingly for

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over

the January certification tally — did senators say they began to understand just how

perilously close the country came to chaos.

Many senators kept their votes closely held until the final moments on Saturday,

particularly the Republicans representing states where the former president remains

popular. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully

responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response.

“Just look at what Republicans have been forced to defend,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Look at what Republicans have chosen to forgive.” In closing arguments, lead prosecutor Michael van der Veen fell back on the procedural

argument that Republican senators have embraced in their own reasoning of the case

what he said is a “phony impeachment show trial.” “Mr. Trump is innocent of the charges against him,” said Michael van der Veen. “The act of incitement never happened.” The House impeached trump on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection one week

after the riot, the most bipartisan vote of a presidential impeachment.

The delay Saturday came as senators wanted to hear evidence about Trump's actions

during the riot.

Fresh stories overnight focused onRep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who

said in a statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader

Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters.

Fifty-five senators voted for to consider witnesses, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa

Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah. Once they did,

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina changed his vote to join them on the 55-45 vote.

But facing a prolonged trial with defense poised to call many more witnesses, the situation

was resolved when Herrera Beutler’s statement on the call was read aloud into the record

for senators to consider as evidence. As part of the deal, Democrats dropped their

planned deposition and Republicans abandoned their threat to call their own witnesses.

Impeachment trials are rare, senators meeting as the court of impeachment over a

president only four times in the nation's history, for Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and now

twice for Trump, the only one to be twice impeached.

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Unlike last year’s impeachment trial of Trump in the Ukraine affair, a complicated charge

of corruption and obstruction over his attempts to have the foreign ally dig up dirt on then-

campaign rival Biden, this one brought an emotional punch displayed in graphic videos

of the siege that laid bare the unexpected vulnerability of the democratic system.

At the same time, this year's trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors pleading

with senators that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly

he has no bounds. Left unchecked, he will further test the norms of civic behavior, even

now that he is out of office still commanding loyal supporters.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/former-us-president-trump-acquitted-by-the-us-senate-in-his-impeachment-trial-101613250209127.html

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Myanmar army suspends laws limiting forces, hunts protest backers By Reuters Staff 5 M I N R E A D

(Reuters) - Myanmar’s junta on Saturday suspended laws constraining security forces from detaining suspects or searching private property without court approval and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests against this month’s coup.

A series of announcements came on the eighth day of country-wide demonstrations against the Feb. 1 takeover and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which halted an unsteady transition to democracy that began in 2011.

The announcements bore echoes of the near half-century of military rule before reforms began, when the Southeast Asian country was one of the world’s most repressive and isolated states.

An order signed by military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing suspended three sections of laws “protecting the privacy and security of the citizens”, which had been introduced during the gradual liberalisation.

Those sections include the requirement for a court order to detain prisoners beyond 24 hours and constraints on security forces’ ability to enter private property to search it or make arrests. The suspensions also free up spying on communications.

The statement gave no specific end date.

The coup has prompted the biggest street protests in more than a decade and has been denounced by Western countries, with the United States announcing some sanctions on the ruling generals and other countries also considering measures.

As anti-coup protests sprang up again in the biggest city Yangon, the capital Naypyitaw and elsewhere on Saturday, the army said arrest warrants had been issued for seven high profile critics of military rule over their comments on social media.

People should inform the police if they spot any of those named and will be punished if they shelter them, the army’s True News information team said in a statement.

It said cases had been filed under a law which provides up to two years jail for comments that could cause alarm or “threaten tranquillity”.

On the wanted list is Min Ko Naing, 58, who was imprisoned for most of the time between 1988 and 2012, and who has been prominent in encouraging protests and a civil disobedience movement followed by a swathe of government workers.

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Reuters was not immediately able to reach him for comment.

COUP OPPONENTS

Others with warrants against them included “Jimmy” Kyaw Min Yu, also a veteran of the 1988 student uprising, and singer “Lin Lin” Htwe Lin Ko.

“I am so proud to have a warrant issued along with Min Ko Naing. Catch me if you can,” said Ei Pencilo, to her more than 1.6 million followers on Facebook.

Like several others named, she worked with Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide in a November election the army alleged to be tainted with fraud - an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission.

Protests in support of Suu Kyi and the election sprang up across Myanmar again on Saturday in spite of a junta call for people to avoid mass gatherings due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Slideshow ( 5 images )

The junta also appealed to civil servants who have been following the civil disobedience campaign to return to work, with a threat of possible disciplinary action against those who do not.

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday more than 350 people have been arrested in Myanmar since the coup.

Journalist Shwe Yee Win, who had reported on opposition to the coup in the western town of Pathein, was taken away by police and soldiers on Thursday and has not been heard from since, her TimeAyeyar news website and her mother said.

“I am really worried,” said Thein Thein, now looking after her daughter’s one-year-old child.

Slideshow ( 5 images )

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners voiced concern about a wave of overnight arrests.

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“Family members are left with no knowledge of the charges, location, or condition of their loved ones. These are not isolated incidents, and nighttime raids are targeting dissenting voices,” it said in a statement.

Suu Kyi, for decades the standard bearer of the fight for democracy in Myanmar, faces charges of illegally importing and using six walkie-talkie radios.

NLD press officer Kyi Toe said on Facebook that she was healthy under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw.

The coup and detentions have prompted anger from Western countries and the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling on Myanmar to release detainees and refrain from using violence against protesters.

The United States this week began imposing sanctions on the ruling generals and some businesses linked to them.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics/myanmar-army-suspends-laws-limiting-forces-hunts-protest-backers-idUSKBN2AD05A

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Thai activists cover monument to protest royal defamation law By Reuters Staff 3 M I N R E A D

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Youth activists protesting against laws forbidding insult to Thailand’s powerful king briefly clashed with police on Saturday after draping Bangkok’s Democracy Monument in red cloth.

Protesters threw paint at police and several small bangs were heard during a standoff near a city shrine after the demonstration had moved from Democracy Monument and the main leaders had called for it to disperse.

Activists said the red cloth on the monument represented the blood of fighters for democracy.

Police deputy spokesman Kissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police officers were injured in the clashes and seven or eight people were detained for questioning. He also said at least one firecracker exploded at the scene.

The demonstration was in reaction to this week’s arrests of four leading protest figures under charges of insulting the monarchy in mass anti-government demonstrations last year.

The “lese majeste” law, contained in Article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code, carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison.

Student activists say the law has been abused for decades to crush political opposition to a military-royalist establishment.

“We want Article 112 to be revoked plus the release of four of our leaders and other political prisoners convicted by this law,” said protester Chutima Kaenpetch, 24.

The government led by former military junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha denies any abuse of the law, saying political opposition is allowed but breaking the law by insulting the king will be punished.

Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, but the king is held in special esteem by conservative Thai culture that portrays him as the protector of the Buddhist religion and the nation.

The student movement that emerged last year smashed long-held taboos by openly criticising King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who they say has amassed too much personal power since taking the throne after the death of his father in 2016.

The Royal Palace has declined to directly comment on the protests, but Prayuth and government officials have said that criticism of the king is unlawful and inappropriate.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-activists-cover-monument-to-protest-royal-defamation-law-idUSKBN2AD0GC

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Thailand's pro-democracy protesters clash with police

By Bt CHALIDA EKVITTHAYAVECHNUKUL , Associated Press, Associated Press

2021/02/13 23:47

Pro-democracy protesters position themselves on the sidewalk during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13,2021. The rally in the Thai capit... Red paint thrown by pro-democracy protesters is splattered on the shields of riot police standing guard outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand,... Red paint thrown by pro-democracy protesters is splattered on the road and on the shields of riot police standing guard outside the Grand Palace in Ba... Pro-democracy protesters form a line as they try to march forward during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Feb. 13,2021. The rally in the Thai ca... A pro-democracy protester bangs a metal pan to make noise during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. The rall... Pro-democracy protesters flash the three-finger protest gesture during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Th... A pro-democracy protester flashes the three-finger protest gesture during a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021.... Pro-democracy protesters regroup after a brief scuffle with police as they try to march forward, during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 1... Pro-democracy protesters regroup after a brief scuffle with police as they try to march forward, during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 1...

BANGKOK (AP) — Followers of Thailand’s recently revived student-led pro-democracy movement clashed with police Saturday night as they held a protest seeking the release of four comrades jailed pending trial for defaming the monarchy, an offense known as lese majeste.

The four top movement leaders were remanded into custody Tuesday on the lese majeste charge, which carries a punishment of three to 15 years in prison. They were also charged with sedition.

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The protest movement campaigned last year for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government to step down, the constitution to be amended to make it more democratic and the monarchy to be reformed to make it more accountable.

The demand about the monarchy is the most controversial, because the institution has been widely considered an untouchable, bedrock element of Thai nationalism.

Police deputy spokesperson Krissana Pattanacharoen said more than 20 police were injured and seven or eight protesters detained. There was no information on the number of protesters hurt when they tried to breach heavily defended police lines.

The protest began in the late afternoon at a traditional venue for demonstrations, Bangkok's Democracy Monument, where participants were urged to write their wishes for Thailand’s future on a big red cloth that was wrapped around the structure as those present sang the national anthem.

Members of the crowd of about 1,000 also moved plants that had been placed around the monument, alleging they had been put there last week to deny space for protesting.

Attapol Buapat, one of the protest leaders, said that if their friends were not freed from jail within seven days, protesters from around the country would head to Bangkok to join a big rally next Saturday.

“They should have been allowed bail,” said Attapol, also known as as Kru Yai.

The protesters then tried to march to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine, the capital’s symbolic spiritual center, which is treated as the protector of the country and the monarchy.

At least 100 police in riot gear backed up by two water cannon trucks blocked their path. Attapol won agreement from the police to allow four protest representatives to carry out activities at the shrine. However, he could not control the crowd and the front line of protesters dismantled some barriers set up by police and threw bottles and smoke bombs at them.

After the four protest representatives returned from the shrine, organizers declared an end to the rally and the crowd began to disperse. As they left, however, the sound of small firecracker-like devices continued to be heard for several minutes.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4127089

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Strong quake hits off Japan coast, injuring dozens and triggering blackouts By Issei Kato, Chris Gallagher 3 M I N R E A D

IWAKI, Japan (Reuters) - A strong earthquake hit off the coast of eastern Japan on Saturday, injuring dozens of people and triggering widespread power outages, but there appeared to be no major damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

Slideshow ( 3 images )

The earthquake had a 7.3 magnitude and its epicentre was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of 60 km (36 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It shook buildings for some time after it hit, shortly after 11:00 p.m. (1400 GMT).

Houses and offices in the capital Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres away, also swayed and shook. No tsunami warning had been issued, the meteorological agency said.

At least two dozen people were injured, according to reports from the Kyodo news agency.

A Reuters cameraman on location in Fukushima said his 10th floor hotel room shook for some time. One man at the hotel was taken to hospital after falling and hitting his head on a door, the cameraman said.

Although injured, the man was still able to walk, the cameraman said.

Television footage also showed broken glass from shop fronts.

Some 950,000 households were initially without power, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told a briefing carried on public broadcaster NHK. The blackouts appeared to be concentrated in northeast Japan, including Fukushima and neighbouring prefectures.

There were no irregularities at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, or at the Kahiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, owner Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said.

The utility also said there was no change in the radiation levels around its plants.

Kato said there were no irregularities at the Onagawa nuclear facility.

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The quake hit off of Fukushima just weeks before the 10th anniversary of a quake on March 11, 2011 that devastated northeast Japan and triggered a massive tsunami leading to the world’s worst nuclear crisis in a quarter of a century - one centred at the Daiichi facility.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-quake/strong-quake-hits-off-japan-coast-injuring-dozens-and-triggering-blackouts-idUSKBN2AD0EC

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Tokyo protests Seoul's reported Takeshima defense plan

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi speaks during a news conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Friday. | KYODO • Feb 13, 2021

Japan has protested South Korea’s reported defense plan based on a scenario in which the Self-Defense Forces “invade” the disputed Sea of Japan islands of Takeshima, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Friday.

If the plan, reportedly drawn up by the South Korean military, is real, “it’s completely unacceptable,” Kishi told a news conference.

The islands of Takeshima in Shimane Prefecture, are administered by Seoul and called Dokdo in South Korea.

On Thursday, the government asked a military attache of the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo for explanations at the working level and lodged a strong protest, according to Kishi.

The major South Korean daily Dong-A Ilbo reported Thursday that the country’s military compiled an internal document on its plan to deal with an SDF landing on the islets by deploying Aegis ships, submarines and F-15 fighters, and submitted it to the National Assembly late last year.

If Seoul “holds the view that Japan is trying to increase its military threat over Takeshima, that is completely groundless,” Kishi said.

With North Korea’s nuclear and missile development continuing, Kishi said Japan will “urge the South Korean side to make appropriate responses to prevent Japan-South Korea and Japan-U.S.-South Korea cooperation from being impaired.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/13/national/politics-diplomacy/south-korea-japan-takeshima/

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US and Indian troops start joint exercise as Joe Biden seeks to build up Quad as counterweight to China

• The new administration is trying to strengthen the four-nation partnership, which also involves Japan and Australia

• US military newspaper Stars and Stripes says India is increasingly concerned about Beijing’s growing military strength

Troops taking part in this year’s Yudh Abhyas exercise. Photo: Facebook

The American military has started a delayed joint exercise with India in what analysts said was

Joe Biden

’s first move to use its Quad partners to assert pressure on China.

The two-week-long annual Yudh Abhyas exercise, which was initially slated to run in October but postponed due to Covid-19, resumed on Monday in the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, about 160km (100 miles) west of New Delhi, the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on Friday.

The report said military exchanges between the two armies had been “bolstered by Indian apprehension over China’s growing military might and Beijing’s desire to dominate the region”.

China and India

recently announced that they will disengage their forces

along their disputed border, but analysts believe the US will strengthen its military presence in the region, especially

through the Quad, a framework established by the US, India, Japan and Australia in 2017.

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Tibetan mind games: India’s edge in border dispute with China? 10 Feb 2021

The annual exercise is a bilateral arrangement that started over a decade ago, but its scale has expanded in recent years.

During his introductory telephone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

earlier this week, Biden made it clear the US intended to strengthen the Quad, among other military objectives such as freedom of navigation.

Yogesh Gupta, a former Indian ambassador to Denmark and a specialist in China-India relations, said the Biden administration would maintain pressure on China by getting its allies and partners together.

“Biden has ordered an inter-agency review to work out a comprehensive strategy to win the competition against China … Some elements of the [Donald] Trump years, eg extreme competition between USA and China would continue.”

Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, a military analyst based in New Delhi, said the Yudh Abhyas exercise is vital to enhancing trust between New Delhi and Washington, as the former needs to clear its doubts regarding America’s strategic purposes and mindset under the new administration.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3121665/us-and-indian-troops-start-joint-exercise-joe-biden-seeks-build

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U.S. says North Korea an urgent priority for the United States By David Brunnstrom 3 M I N R E A D

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs are an urgent priority for the United States and Washington remains committed to denuclearization of the country, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

The Biden administration’s lack of direct engagement with North Korea should not be seen as an indication that the challenge posed by its weapons programs was not a priority, department spokesman Ned Price said.

“It in fact very much is,” he told a regular briefing.

North Korea continued to make progress in its nuclear and missile programs in recent years “which makes this an urgent priority for the United States and one that we are committed to addressing together with our allies and partners,” Price said.

“And ... the central premise is that we remain committed to denuclearization of North Korea,” he said.

Price said the lack of direct engagement to date was “a function of us making sure that we have done the diplomatic legwork, that we have been in close contact in touch with our partners and allies,” aiming for a coordinated approach.

The Biden administration, which took office last month, says it is conducting a full review of North Korea policy in consultation with allies, particularly South Korea and Japan, following former President Donald Trump’s unprecedented engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which failed to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

A confidential U.N. report seen by Reuters on Monday said North Korea developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping fund them with some $300 million stolen through cyber hacks.

President Joe Biden’s top Asia official, Kurt Campbell, has said the administration must decide quickly on how to approach North Korea and not repeat an Obama-era delay that led to “provocative” steps by Pyongyang that prevented engagement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who discussed North Korea with his South Korean counterpart on Thursday, has said additional sanctions could be used in coordination with allies to press North Korea to denuclearize.

Biden called Kim a “thug” during his election campaign, and said he would only meet him “on the condition that he would agree that he would be drawing down his nuclear capacity to get there.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa/u-s-says-north-korea-an-urgent-priority-for-the-united-states-idUSKBN2AC2EK

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German state pulls plug on China’s CGTN channel after Britain revokes broadcasting licence

• Chinese channel was distributed in Germany under licensing agreement with British regulator

• Vodafone Germany says it has stopped airing China Global Television Network and trying to clarify its legal status

China’s CGTN English-language service run into licensing trouble in Germany. Photo: Reuters

China Global Television Network has lost permission to air in Germany, just days after the Chinese state channel’s

broadcasting licence was revoked in Britain

.

The media authority of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said CGTN could no longer be broadcast in Germany because it had been distributed under a licence issued by British regulator Ofcom, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Friday. Ofcom revoked that licence last week.

“We are currently informing cable providers that Ofcom has revoked this channel’s United Kingdom licence and that the programme can therefore not be broadcast in Germany any more,” the North Rhine-Westphalia media authority was quoted as saying.

Vodafone Germany also said it had stopped distributing CGTN because it did not have a valid licence and was trying to clarify CGTN’s legal situation with channel representatives and regulators, Reuters reported.

Television broadcasting in Europe is covered by the 1989 transfrontier television convention under the Council of Europe, which still counts Britain among its 47 members. The convention allows networks with one member state’s distribution licence to be broadcast across the region.

Without a distribution licence from another council member, CGTN cannot be aired in the region.

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CGTN did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Saturday.

Britain’s media regulator revoked CGTN’s broadcasting licence after an investigation found the state-owned channel was wrongfully held by a Hong Kong-based company. It denied the network’s application to transfer the licence to another entity that would be ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

This week, China’s National Radio and Television Administration said

BBC World News was not allowed to continue its service

“within Chinese territory” because it failed to meet the country’s broadcasting requirements. It also said BBC reports damaged China’s interests and ethnic unity.

The BBC has published a series of reports that allege Beijing’s policies in the far western region of Xinjiang against Uygurs and other ethnic minorities included detention, indoctrination and forced labour. One report early this month alleged that women detainees in Xinjiang were subjected to sexual abuse and torture.

Beijing says the camps in the region are vocational training centres and its policies are meant as counterterrorism and poverty reduction measures.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3121642/german-state-pulls-plug-chinas-cgtn-channel-after-britain

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19 current and former officers open up about the disastrous response to the Capitol insurrection

Joaquin Sapien and Joshua Kaplan ,

ProPublica

10 hours ago

Police try to hold back rioters trying to storm the Capitol and halt a joint session of the 117th Congress, January 6, 2021.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

• The assault on the Capitol building on January 6 shocked the world, and put many US lawmakers at risk.

• Protests in the District of Columbia are nothing new, but the response to events leading up to the January 6 riots have left many, including Capitol Police, upset.

• Many Capitol Police members told ProPublica how their commanders let them down and exposed them to life-threating risks.

• Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

The Effort to Overturn the Election

The riot squad defending the embattled entrance to the west side of the US Capitol was surrounded by violence. Rioters had clambered up the scaffolding by the stage erected for the inauguration of President Joseph Biden. They hurled everything they could get their hands on at the cops beneath: rebar, plywood, power tools, even cans of food they had frozen for extra damage.

In front of the cops, a mob was mounting a frontal assault. Its members hit officers with fists and baseball bats. They grabbed at weapons slung from the officers' waists. They unleashed a barrage of M-80 firecrackers. Soaked in never-ending streams of bright orange bear spray, the officers choked on plumes of acrid smoke that singed their nostrils and obscured their vision.

One officer in the middle of the scrum, a combat veteran, thought the rioters were so vicious, so relentless, that they seemed fueled by methamphetamine.

41

To his left, he watched a chunk of steel strike a fellow officer above the eye, setting off a geyser of blood. A pepper ball tore through the air over his shoulder and exploded against the jaw of a man in front of him.

The round, filled with chemical irritant, ripped the rioter's face open. His teeth were now visible through a hole in his cheek. Blood poured out, puddling on the pavement surrounding the building. But the man kept coming.

The combat veteran was hit with bear spray eight times. His experience overseas "was nothing like this," he said. "Nothing at all."

Over the last several weeks, ProPublica has interviewed 19 current and former US Capitol Police officers about the assault on the Capitol. Following on the dramatic video of officers defending the building that House lawmakers showed during the first day of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, the interviews provide the most detailed account to date of a most extraordinary battle.

The enemies on January 6 were Americans: Thousands of people from across the country who had descended on the Capitol, intent on stopping Congress from certifying an election they believed was stolen from Trump. They had been urged to attend by Trump himself, with extremist right-wing and militia leaders calling for violence.

Trump supporters face off with police and security forces in front of the US Capitol building, January 6, 2021. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Many of the officers were speaking to reporters for the first time about the day's events, almost all anonymously for fear of retribution. That they spoke at all is an indication of the depth of their frustration over the botched response. ProPublica also obtained confidential intelligence bulletins and previously unreported planning documents.

Combined, the information makes clear how failures of leadership, communication and tactics put the lives of hundreds of officers at risk and allowed rioters to come dangerously close to realizing their threats against members of Congress.

In response to questions for this story, the Capitol Police sent a one-sentence email: "There is a multi-jurisdictional investigation underway and in order to protect that process, we are unfortunately unable to provide any comment at this time."

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The interviews also revealed officers' concerns about disparities in the way the force prepared for Black Lives Matter demonstrations versus the pro-Trump protests on January 6.

Officers said the Capitol Police force usually plans intensively for protests, even if they are deemed unlikely to grow violent. Officers said they spent weeks working 12- or 16-hour days, poised to fight off a riot, after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police — even though intelligence suggested there was not much danger from protesters.

"We had intel that nothing was going to happen — literally nothing," said one former official with direct knowledge of planning for the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. "The response was, 'We don't trust the intel.'"

By contrast, for much of the force, January 6 began like any other day.

"We normally have pretty good information regarding where these people are and how far they are from the Capitol," said Keith McFaden, a former Capitol Police officer and union leader who retired from the force following the riot. "We heard nothing that day."

For the members of the riot squad who formed the first line of defense on the Capitol's lower west terrace on January 6, the lack of information could not have come with higher stakes.

Thrust into the most intense battle of the insurrection, the roughly two dozen officers bought lawmakers crucial time to scramble for safety. For about 100 heart-pounding minutes, they slipped and skidded across a stone surface slick with blood and bear spray, attempting to hold their ground against a rampaging mass of thousands.

To many of them, it felt like no one was in charge of the Capitol's defense. All they could hear on the police radio were desperate cries for help.

At one point, the combat veteran was forced to stumble back from the line, his face so covered in bear spray he could barely see or breathe.

When he came to, a surge spilled over to his south. The crowd pushed over several bike racks. He realized the unfathomable had happened. His squad had lost the line; the mob could now enter the Capitol. There was no choice but to fall back. The officers stumbled over blood and debris until they were pressed against a limestone wall at the rear of the terrace. The mob had them cornered.

The officers, drained from their standoff, found a narrow staircase leading to an entrance of the building. But it could fit only one officer at a time. So they took turns climbing it as the crowd closed in, screaming obscenities and threatening murder.

"You fucking faggots!" one shouted. "You're not even American!"

Waiting to climb the stairs, the combat veteran feared the worst. "This is where they'll find my body," he thought.

https://www.businessinsider.com/officers-open-up-about-disastrous-response-to-the-capitol-

insurrection-2021-2

41B

The U.S. Army’s New A4 Bradley Variant Could Be a Killer

By Kris Osborn

February 13, 2021

excellent stop-gap until the new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle goes into serial production.

Despite being operational now for decades, the U.S. Army’s Bradley Infantry Fighting

vehicle lives to fight another day, as evidenced by the continued arrival of newly-upgraded “A4”

variants of the platform intended to bring new warfighting technologies to combat and help

bridge the time gap until the Army’s new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle infantry carrier

emerges in coming years.

BAE Systems has now delivered its seventy-fifth Bradley A4, a development which speaks to

the continued combat relevance and viability of the war-tested infantry carrier. The newest A4,

according to a BAE statement includes new digitized electronics, new networking systems and

jamming components, among other things.

“Leveraging the lethality functionality from its predecessor, the Bradley A4 consists of full

ballistic fire control hosted on a new central processing unit, aided dual-target tracking,

automatic gun target adjustment, automatic bore sighting and hunter-killer capabilities,” a BAE

Systems document on the Bradley A4 writes.

The new Bradley variant also has added acceleration potential due to having more horsepower

and vehicle maneuverability technologies. It is armed with a Bushmaster 25mm cannon that fires

explosive and armor-piercing rounds as well as the tank-killing TOW missile.

Interestingly, the A4 represents the latest iteration in a longstanding Army-BAE effort to sustain

Bradley functionality and combat effectiveness over a period of many years.

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Previous upgrades have included the addition of reactive armor, new armor configurations and

materials, a commander’s independent thermal viewer for targeting and data sharing and

advanced ammunition able to tailor its explosive or targeting effects.

One conceptual focus for Army weapons developers upgrading the Bradley has, for many years,

been the engineering of newer “multi-function” sensors which not only increase range but also

fuse camera input from 360-degrees around the vehicle to optimize surveillance and targeting.

These newer sensor systems, Army weapons developers have told The National Interest, often

draw upon advanced computer algorithms and automation to augment targeting. Some of these

algorithms include infrared search and track with both active and passive technical mechanisms

with which to track targets

Using multi-pixel focal plane array technology and infrared detection, the sensors in

development are designed for what one senior Army weapons developer called Hostile Fire

Detection, or HFD; computer automation, or algorithms created to help organize and

communicate incoming sensor data, then assists a human combat vehicle operator in locating

targets and significant objects such as approaching enemy drones.

Other advantages to advanced, multi-functional integrated sensing on the Bradley include an

ability to track multiple targets at once such as incoming enemy attacks from drones, armored

vehicles or even artillery fire and anti-tank missiles. More consolidated, multi-functional sensors

able to perform several otherwise separately performed tasks also bring the advantage of

decreasing the hardware footprint on a combat vehicle, thereby increasing mobility and

deployability.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/02/13/the_us_armys_new_a4_bradley_variant_c

ould_be_a_killer_660236.html

42A

The US Navy’s postgraduate school is taking a stab at

metal 3D printing

By: David B. Larter 1 day ago

A sailor aboard the carrier Reagan oversees an F/A-18F Super Hornet engine. The Naval Postgraduate School

hopes one day to be able to manufacture moving engine parts with 3D metal printers. (U.S. Navy photo by

MC3 Timothy Schumaker.)

WASHINGTON – The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., took delivery late last year of a new Xerox 3D metal printerthat the school hopes will advance what’s possible to manufacture at sea, easing the burden on the Navy’s supply chain.

The school was the first to receive Xerox’s ElemX 3D printer, which came about as part of an $8 billion acquisition of Vader Systems in 2019.

The military has been keenly interested in additive manufacturing (3D printing) as a means of reducing the cost of producing parts and giving operators in remote environments - such as a ship at sea - the ability to fix items on the fly rather than having to wait for a part to be delivered. This ability could be particularly important as logistics trains are expected to become target themselves in the event of a war with Russia or China.

goal for the school is to lean on a fleet experience of officers to find creative uses for the capability, said Walter Smith, the research associate professor from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NPS.

One of the promising uses would be parts for engines, Smith said.

“One of the great things that we can use this machine for is parts for turbo machines,” he said. “So that’s compressors and nozzles.

43

“We’re going to start out with stationary parts as part of a turbo machine and then hopefully develop enough trust and capability and understanding of the process that we can start building real rotating parts that are going to operate at speed. So, things that you would really put in an engine.”

The printer uses a spool of aluminum wire that is melted and fabricates the part drop by drop in a tray that’s about one-foot-by-one-foot, which is cheaper and safer than the current powder-based printers that are in wide use today, a Xerox executive told Defense News.

In a press release, retired Marine Col. Todd Lyons of the Naval Post Graduate School alumni association, said liquid metal printing has the potential to fundamentally change the military supply chain.

“By providing the right digital tools and the liquid metal printer, all of a sudden we’ve helped transform not just the supply chain, but how the Department of Defense thinks operationally about supplying war,” he said.

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/02/13/the-us-navys-postgraduate-school-is-taking-a-stab-

at-metal-3d-printing/

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Chinese destroyer joins drills in Pakistan

Published 6 hours ago On February 14, 2021 02:30 AM By TDT @tribunephl

ZHANG HAILONG/GLOBAL TIMES The guided-missile destroyer Qiqihar (Hull 121) attached to the navy under the PLA Northern Theater Command steams forward during a recent maritime training exercise.

BEIJING, China (Global Times) — A Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla led by a Type 052D destroyer on Thursday started participating in a multinational exercise in Pakistan, a unique platform experts said that provides opportunities for Chinese and Russian navies to come together with their counterparts from the US and other Western countries.

Invited by the Pakistan Navy, the PLA Navy 119 Flotilla arrived in waters close to Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday to participate in the multinational exercise AMAN-21, after the flotilla wrapped up its escort mission in the Gulf of Aden, the PLA Daily reported on Friday.

The 119 Flotilla was led by the Type 052D guided missile destroyer Guiyang and consisted of also the Type 054A guided missile frigate Zaozhuang and the Type 903A comprehensive supplement ship Dongpinghu.

It was the 36th escort task force to the Gulf of Aden setting out from Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province on 3 September, 2020, and completed a handover ceremony to the 37th escort task force on 31 January in the Gulf of Aden after completing 38 escort missions on 52 ships around the region, the PLA Navy announced in a statement released on 1 February.

The Global Times learned from the Pakistan Navy on Friday that the AMAN-21 exercise is scheduled in two phases: the harbor phase and the sea phase.

The harbor phase will comprise of the International Maritime Conference, seminars, table talks, cross ships visits, calls on and the International Band Display and Maritime Counter Terrorism Demonstration, while the sea phase includes practical execution of operational plans and activities finalized during the harbor phase.

The AMAN-21 exercise is scheduled in two phases: the harbor phase and the sea phase.

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The exercise has been planned with focused objectives, which include enhancing interoperability with regional and extra-regional navies thereby acting as a bridge between the regions, and the display of united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain, according to the Pakistan Navy.

Naval forces from more than 40 countries, including those from Russia, and the US as well as some other NATO countries will also participate in the exercise, foreign media reported.

This is the eighth time the PLA Navy has participated in the Pakistan Navy-initiated AMAN series multinational exercises, which aim at enhancing professional communication and friendly interactions with other navies, the PLA Daily said.

The drill comes after increased military tensions between China and the US in regions like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and former US president Donald Trump’s play of military cards on China.

It also marks the first known time China and the US have been in the same military exercise since US President Joe Biden assumed office in January, a Chinese military expert who asked to remain anonymous told the Global Times on Friday.

In November 2020, the Chinese and US militaries held a three-day online seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster reduction, and this time the two militaries can get the chance to operate together, get to know each other better and build up mutual trust, when misunderstanding was on the rise over the past few months, the expert said.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/14/chinese-destroyer-joins-drills-in-pakistan/

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High-Speed Ferries for Surface and Amphibious Warfare

By leveraging high-speed ferries, the Navy can more quickly bring missiles to the fleet,

launch clouds of unmanned sensors, and gain significant flexible amphibious lift

capability.

By Commander Rob Brodie, U.S. Navy

February 2021

Australia’s use of the high-speed car ferry HMAS Jervis Bay to quickly transport troops and equipment from Darwin to East Timor in the 1999 independence crisis sparked an interest in these vessels for military use. Jervis Bay’s speed (often making the 900-mile return trip in less than 24 hours) and ability to rapidly embark and debark troops in austere, shallow-draft locations without tugs or infrastructure impressed the U.S. military and led to the lease of Spearhead(TSV-X1), Joint Venture (HSV-1), and Swift (HSV-2).1 So useful were the leased vessels as flexible, low-cost amphibious lift that the Joint High-Speed Vessel (JHSV) program was created to maintain this capability. There currently are ten expeditionary fast transports (EPFs—formerly JHSVs) in the inventory, with three under construction and a fourth under

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/high-speed-ferries-surface-and-

amphibious-warfare

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Government readies indemnity fund

Hospitalization, other compensation for adverse vaccine reactions covered

posted February 14, 2021 at 01:30 am by Joyce Pangco Panares

The government will compensate those who will develop adverse reactions to COVID-

19 vaccines, the Department of Health said yesterday.

Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire made the clarification yesterday in a radio

interview after the delivery of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses was delayed for a week

over the lack of an indemnification law.

“All of the manufacturers want an indemnification agreement. They do not want to be

charged of any case because their products are still under development,” Vergeire said. “It will be the government (who will compensate). If, for example, a person develops a reaction and has to be hospitalized, this will be covered by the government through

PhilHealth,” she added.

The Pfizer deliver due Friday was part of the procurement from COVAX, the globally-

pooled vaccine procurement and distribution effort co-led by the World Health

Organization and the GAVI Alliance.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. has been calling on Congress to pass an

indemnification law, which he said is required by vaccine manufacturers.

Pending the passage of the said law, Galvez said the government has submitted a draft

indemnity clause to the WHO and GAVI Alliance.

“Various concerned units of the government are now discussing how to go about this indemnification. But definitely, government will be supporting and assisting all those

who will have reactions to these vaccines,” Vergeire said.

She said the compensation will cover not just hospitalization.

“There will be other forms of indemnification, not just for hospitalization. We are just working on this and looking at our source of funds,” the Health official added.

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The government targets to inoculate 50 to 70 million individuals within the year, which

account for about 60 percent of the population which is the volume that experts said

needed to inoculated to achieve herd immunity.

Some 50,000 Filipinos are expected to be vaccinated this month.

Galvez said the one-week delay in the mass rollout will not substantially impact on the

government’s vaccination plan. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration said people with heart conditions can still

receive the vaccine.

“Right now, the only ones who are barred from getting the jab are those who have severe allergies to the vaccine contents,” FDA chief Enrique Domingo said. “If you are too frail or too weak, we can hold the vaccine. But for those with stable

diseases, they can still get vaccinated,” he added.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346949/government-readies-indemnity-fund.html

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DOH: PhilHealth to cover those who experience COVID-19 vaccine side effects

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Feb 13 2021 06:05 PM

Pharmacy manager Larren Suh prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, US, Dec. 16, 2020. Craig F. Walker, Pool/Reuters

MANILA—The Department of Health assured that state health insurance firm Philippine Health Insurance Corp. will shoulder medical expenses of patients who experience adverse effects after they receive the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

In a press briefing Saturday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said costs are covered by PhilHealth’s existing case rates, as some people have expressed concern over allergic reactions that could be caused by the vaccines.

"Actually, they are going to use the existing case rates. Itong existing case rates kasi natin kapag, halimbawa, may mga adverse reactions tapos kailangan ma-ospital ng isang tao, papasok iyon doon and they are covered and merong existing funds ang PhilHealth for 2021 for these case rates na ito, so meron po,” Vergeire said in a public press briefing.

(These existing case rates will cover, for example, people who experience adverse reactions and require hospitalization. They are covered and PhilHealth has the existing funds in 2021 for these case rates.)

During a Senate hearing, Health chief Francisco Duque III earlier floated the idea of carrying indemnification expenses of COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

The suggestion was rooted in a discussion in the Senate finance committee, where it was proposed that indemnification funds should be given to those who experience adverse vaccine effects.

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization are expected to arrive this month, and have been set aside for frontliners in COVID-19 referral hospitals, particularly in Metro Manila, which was touted by OCTA Research as the country's virus epicenter.

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Such referral hospitals, which include the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, among others, have been gearing up for the inoculation drive, organizing information campaigns and simulations for employees who will be vaccinated to quell fears over adverse reactions and convince them to participate.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/13/21/doh-philhealth-to-cover-those-who-experience-covid-19-vaccine-side-effects

47A

Experts warn COVID-19 may last indefinitely

posted February 14, 2021 at 01:10 am by AFP

The head of the EU’s disease control agency warned the novel coronavirus could last

indefinitely even as global infections slowed by nearly half in the last month and vaccine

rollouts gathered pace in parts of the world.

In an interview, ECDC chief Andrea Ammon urged European countries in particular not

to drop their guard against a virus that “seems very well adapted to humans” and may require experts to tweak vaccines over time, as is the case with the seasonal flu.

“So we should be prepared that it will remain with us,” according to Ammon, head of the

Stockholm-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

After the latest harsh wave of a pandemic that started in China more than a year ago,

glimmers of hope flickered as an AFP database showed the rate of new Covid-19

infections has slowed by 44.5 percent worldwide over the past month.

More than 107 million people have been infected worldwide and nearly 2.4 million have

died from COVID-19.

But disease experts warned that vaccines won’t end the pandemic unless all countries receive doses in a fast and fair manner.

Writing in an open letter published in the Lancet medical journal, the authors said with

vaccine stockpiling in wealthier countries, “it could be years before the coronavirus is brought under control at a global level.”

The warning came as US vaccine maker Moderna said it was seeking clearance with

regulators around the world to put 50 percent more coronavirus vaccine into each of its

vials as a way to quickly boost current supply levels.

In Britain, a marked drop in infections and accelerating vaccinations have prompted

some within the governing Conservative Party to push for stay-at-home rules to be lifted

in early March.

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Much of the country re-entered lockdown in early January to curb a more transmissible

COVID-19 variant first identified in the UK.

The British government nonetheless voiced caution, a watchword echoed elsewhere,

including Italy, Portugal and Australia.

‘It’s rough’ In Australia, more than six million people in Melbourne and its surrounding area were

under an emergency five-day coronavirus lockdown.

“It’s rough. It’s going to be a rough few days for everyone,” said tennis star Serena Williams, reacting to the lockdown moments after her latest victory at the Australian

Open.

While play will continue under the restrictions, fans will no longer be permitted and

players must restrict themselves to biosecure “bubbles.”

The toll on sports, entertainment and economies continued to be massive.

The Tokyo Olympic Games are due to open in July after multiple delays.

But the game organizers are already battling public misgivings about holding the huge

international event this summer.

Plans to vaccinate all Americans

In the United States -- the world’s hardest-hit country with more than 480,000 deaths --

health authorities on Friday urged schools to reopen safely and as soon as possible,

offering a detailed plan for limiting the spread of COVID-19.

The strategy emphasizes universal masking, hand washing, disinfection and contact

tracing. While recommending vaccination for teachers and staff, it stops short of saying

it is necessary -- a divisive issue among teachers’ unions.

The push comes as the United States is in the midst of an aggressive mass vaccination

campaign, with a goal of inoculating nearly all Americans by the end of July.

48A

Hard-hit Brazil’s drive to vaccinate its population has stumbled this week as a lack of

doses forced authorities to slow or halt immunization in several key areas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada’s COVID-19 vaccines rollout will be back on

track in March with stepped up deliveries of doses to make up for recent delays.

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/346946/experts-warn-covid-19-may-last-

indefinitely.html

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China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases, team member says By Brenda Goh

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team’s investigators said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began. the outbreak in the city of

The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, said Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert who is a member of the team.

Such raw data is known as “line listings”, he said, and would typically be anonymised but contain details such as what questions were asked of individual patients, their responses and how their responses were analysed.

“That’s standard practice for an outbreak investigation,” he told Reuters on Saturday via video call from Sydney, where he is currently undergoing quarantine.

He said that gaining access to the raw data was especially important since only half of the 174 cases had exposure to the Huanan market, the now-shuttered wholesale seafood centre in Wuhan where the virus was initially detected.

“That’s why we’ve persisted to ask for that,” Dwyer said. “Why that doesn’t happen, I couldn’t comment. Whether it’s political or time or it’s difficult ... But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn’t available, I don’t know. One would only speculate.”

While the Chinese authorities provided a lot of material, he said the issue of access to the raw patient data would be mentioned in the team’s final report. “The WHO people certainly felt that they had received much much more data than they had ever received in the previous year. So that in itself is an advance.”

A summary of the team’s findings could be released as early as next week, the WHO said on Friday.

The probe had been plagued by delay, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research.

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The team, which arrived in China in January and spent four weeks looking into the origins of the outbreak, was limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and prevented from contact with community members, due to health restrictions. The first two weeks were spent in hotel quarantine.

China’s refusal to hand over raw data on the early COVID-19 cases was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times on Friday.

FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks descend a stairwell following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China January 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

The WHO did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Beijing has previously defended its transparency in handling the outbreak and its cooperation with the WHO mission.

HARMONIOUS, WITH ARGUMENTS

Dwyer said the work within the WHO team was harmonious but that there were “arguments” at times with their Chinese counterparts over the interpretation and significance of the data, which he described as “natural” in such probes.

“We might be having a talk about cold chain and they might be more firm about what the data shows than what we might have been, but that’s natural. Whether there’s political pressure to have different opinions, I don’t know. There may well be, but it’s hard to know.”

Cold chain refers to the transport and trade of frozen food.

Peter Daszak, a zoologist and another member of the WHO mission, however tweeted on Saturday here that he had a different experience as the lead of the mission's animal and environment working group.

“I found trust & openness w/ my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways,” he said in response to the New York Times piece.

Daszak did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that the coronavirus originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a conduit.

On Tuesday, Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation, told a news conference that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility, but pointed to market vendors selling frozen animal products including farmed wild animals as a potential pathway that warrants further study.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-china/china-refused-to-provide-who-team-with-raw-data-on-early-covid-cases-team-member-says-

idUSKBN2AD090

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White House cites 'deep concerns' about WHO COVID report, demands early data from China By Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Saturday called on China to make available data from the earliest days of the COVID-19 outbreak, saying it has “deep concerns” about the way the findings of the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 report were communicated.

FILE PHOTO: A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) during an executive board meeting on update on the coronavirus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland, February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that it is imperative that the report be independent and free from “alteration by the Chinese government”, echoing concerns raised by the administration of former President Donald Trump, who also moved to quit the WHO over the issue.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy fired back with a strongly-worded statement, saying the United States had damaged multilateral cooperation and the WHO in recent years, and should not be “pointing fingers” at China and other countries that supported the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic.

China welcomed the U.S. decision to reengage with the WHO, but Washington should hold itself to the “highest standards” instead of taking aim at other countries, the spokesperson said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said all hypotheses were still open about the origins of COVID-19, after Washington said it wanted to review data from a WHO-led mission to China, where the virus first emerged.

A WHO-led mission, which spent four weeks in China probing the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak, said this week that it was not looking further into the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely.

The Trump administration had said it suspected the virus may have escaped from a Chinese lab, which Beijing strongly denies.

Sullivan noted that U.S. President Joe Biden had quickly reversed the decision to disengage from the WHO, but said it was imperative to protect the organization’s credibility.

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“Re-engaging the WHO also means holding it to the highest standards,” Sullivan said. “We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them.”

Biden, who is spending his first weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, was due to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday, a White House official said.

China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to the WHO-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, according to one of the team’s investigators, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the outbreak began.

The team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan in December 2019, as well as other cases, but were only provided with a summary, Dominic Dwyer, an Australian infectious diseases expert and member of the WHO team, told Reuters.

“It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government,” Sullivan said.

“To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak,” he said.

The embassy statement did not address the data issue.

The WHO did not respond to queries for comment.

Going forward, all countries, including China, should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies, Sullivan said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/white-house-cites-deep-concerns-about-who-covid-report-demands-early-data-from-china-idUSKBN2AD0FX

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WHO backs away from outright rejection of Covid lab-leak theory

By BLOOMBERG - February 13, 2021 @ 12:09pm

This general view shows the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. - The World Health Organisation hasn’t ruled out any hypotheses about the roots of Covid-19, according to the group’s chief, after a fact-finding mission to China rejected speculation that the coronavirus could have leaked from a lab. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

THE World Health Organisation hasn't ruled out any hypotheses about the roots of Covid-19, according to the group's chief, after a fact-finding mission to China rejected speculation that the coronavirus could have leaked from a lab.

All avenues of research remain open, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing on Friday.

The investigation "has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus," particularly in the early days of the pandemic.

The comments appeared to pull back on the investigating team's remarks earlier this week. The lab-leak theory was "extremely unlikely" and required no further study, according to Peter Ben Embarek, a WHO food-safety scientist. The coronavirus most likely jumped to humans through an animal host or frozen wildlife products, he said, and those possibilities should continue to be probed.

The WHO has faced criticism since the outbreak of the pandemic that it's been too deferential to China. Former US President Donald Trump advanced the theory that the virus might have escaped from a high-security virology lab in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first detected.

The mission followed months of negotiation with China.

Stung by criticism that it initially covered up the extent of the crisis, Chinese state media and officials have promoted the theory that the virus didn't start in China, but was brought in. – BLOOMBERG

https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2021/02/665424/who-backs-away-outright-rejection-covid-lab-leak-theory

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Coronavirus: all origin theories still on the table, WHO chief says

• Lead investigator says it is extremely unlikely the virus leaked from a lab in Wuhan because facility did not have the pathogen

• Team expected to publish summary of trip report next week

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says all theories about the origin of the coronavirus need further analysis. Photo: Reuters

All theories about the origins of the virus that causes Covid-19 are still under investigation, the head of the World Health Organization said on Friday after international researchers wrapped up a near month-long trip to the site of the disease’s first outbreak.“Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded ... I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies,” WHO director general

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.“Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the Covid-19 virus.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3121636/coronavirus-all-origin-theories-still-table-who-chief-says

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No end to pandemic without equal vaccine access, experts say

A medical worker wearing a protective suit listens to the heart of a COVID-19 patient in a neighborhood of Mexico City on Feb. 4. | AFPFeb 13, 2021 PARIS – Developing new COVID-19 vaccines will fail to end the pandemic unless all countries receive doses in a fast and fair manner, disease experts warned Saturday. As several nations consider implementing vaccine passports when international travel resumes, the authors of an open letter published in the Lancet medical journal said vaccine stockpiling in wealthier countries would only prolong the global health emergency.

They warned that “vaccine nationalism” could leave the COVAX initiative aimed at getting vaccines to low- and middle-income countries facing a huge dosage shortfall for several years to come.

“The stark reality is that the world now needs more doses of COVID-19 vaccines than any other vaccine in history in order to immunize enough people to achieve global vaccine immunity,” said lead author Olivier Wouters from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“Unless vaccines are distributed more equitably, it could be years before the coronavirus is brought under control at a global level.”

Despite there being more than two dozen COVID-19 vaccines either in development or approved for use, lower income countries still have enormous logistical challenges to procure immunizations and deliver them to populations.

These include a lack of funds to purchase vaccines, as well as poor infrastructure to transport and store them — especially since the mRNA vaccines on the market currently need to be kept extremely cold throughout their delivery.

And despite unprecedented public and private investment in vaccine development and procurement, COVAX estimates it will need an additional $6.8 billion in 2021 to secure supplies for 92 developing nations.

Based on available sales figures, the authors said that rich nations representing 16% of the global population had already secured 70% of vaccine doses — enough to inoculate every one of their owns citizen several times over.

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“Securing large quantities of vaccines in this way amounts to countries placing widespread vaccination of their own populations ahead of the vaccination of health care workers and high-risk populations in poorer countries,” said co-author Mark Jit from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The letter called on manufacturers to accelerate technology transfer to developing nations to help them produce doses domestically, as well as price controls for what it termed “prohibitively expensive” vaccines currently on the market.

The authors said that vaccines developed by China, India and Russia, once authorized by the World Health Organization, could be a big help to poorer nations as their supply and storage were simpler than the U.S. and European alternatives.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/13/world/coronavirus-vaccines-equal-access/

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Rise of variants sparks push for all-in-one Covid vaccines

Just weeks into the rollout of vaccines to combat Covid-19, researchers are shifting their focus to a new class of potential shots to take on the threat posed by fast-spreading mutations.

Bloomberg

PUBLISHED ON FEB 13, 2021 01:48 PM IST

Just weeks into the rollout of vaccines to combat Covid-19, researchers are shifting their

focus to a new class of potential shots to take on the threat posed by fast-spreading

mutations.Dangerous coronavirus variants identified in Africa, Europe and South

America are carpeting the globe, pushing scientists in the U.K. and elsewhere to target

multiple versions of the pathogen in a single shot and perhaps head off more lethal foes

that may emerge.

A variant that arose in South Africa has already shown itself capable of partially evading

defenses raised by several vaccines. The country paused rolling out a shot from

AstraZeneca Plc because it offered minimal protection against mild to moderate illness

cause by the mutant, called B.1.351. With a spreading virus comes an increased risk of

more alarming mutations.

“We cannot be complacent that we’ve got the vaccines we need and it’s just a matter of

time to ending the pandemic -- it’s not,” said Richard Hatchett, chief executive officer of

the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which has worked to accelerate

development of Covid inoculations. “We’re in a race with the virus and we’ve got to get ahead of it.”

Britain snapped up huge Covid vaccine supplies early and became the first Western

country to approve a shot. Now it’s seeking to catch up with the outbreak and sustain its momentum in the next phase of the crisis, a difficult task as the virus runs rampant.

Blunted Optimism

The government last week announced a pact with CureVac NV to tackle variants,

pairing artificial intelligence to predict future mutations with messenger RNA technology

that can rapidly generate new vaccines.

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After a once-promising partnership with Sichuan Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc. ended

and separate trials with Sanofi ran into delays, London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc is

also working with CureVac on mutant-quelling vaccines.

Meanwhile, countries across the European Union, which has lagged the U.S. and U.K.

in immunizations, have raised questions about the bloc’s strategy on mutants. At a meeting of ambassadors Wednesday, countries including Malta and Germany urged the

European Commission to ensure contracts with manufacturers cover sufficient batches

if booster shots are needed, according to a cable seen by Bloomberg.

The new variants, including the B.1.1.7 lineage that surfaced in southern England, have

blunted the optimism that greeted highly-effective mRNA shots from Pfizer Inc. and

Moderna Inc. late last year. The companies should be able to quickly redesign their

inoculations based on the distinctive spike protein that the coronavirus uses to invade

human cells, according to Michael Kinch, a vaccine specialist at Washington University

in St. Louis. While scientists have the tools to keep pace, further mutations call for

alternative approaches, he said.

“The bad news with these particular variants, and the reason many of us are nervous, isn’t that the vaccines will suddenly not work,” Kinch said, “but that they will slowly

become obsolete.”

Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have said they’re starting work on developing booster shots or other efforts to bolster their vaccines. AstraZeneca and partner Oxford

aim to have a tweaked version tailored to new variants available by fall.

Another strategy involves including a variety of antigens, the molecules in the vaccine

that provoke an immune response, Kinch said. Although the spike protein has proven to

be a good target, other surface proteins in the virus’s envelope and membrane could turn out to be important, too.

‘Almost Job Done’ “Vaccines based on the spike protein are the first out the door,” said Julian Hiscox, a coronavirus specialist and chair of infection and global health at the University of

Liverpool.

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The next round could add the N -- or nucleocapsid -- protein, whose job is to bind viral

RNA, he said. With both S and N proteins, “that’s almost job done,” he said.

Traditional methods that use the virus itself in a weakened or inactivated form and

provide a broader choice of potential targets -- like those used by some Chinese

developers including Sinovac Biotech Ltd. -- could also play a more significant role,

Kinch said.

CEPI, the Oslo-based group that has funded a number of Covid vaccine programs, has

set a goal of developing “strain changes” within 100 days if needed, Hatchett said.

Pfizer’s partner BioNTech SE has said that if their vaccine turns out to be ineffective

against a new strain, they could, in theory, produce an updated shot targeting that

variant within six weeks.

For years, multivalent flu vaccines targeting three or four versions of the pathogen have

provided protection against multiple strains circling the globe. Glaxo and CureVac plan

to rely on mRNA technology to develop a product that addresses multiple variants in

one Covid vaccine. If the work is successful, a vaccine could be ready next year.

That could still have a big impact given how many countries still lack access to

vaccines, said Thomas Breuer, chief medical officer for Glaxo’s vaccines unit. One of the big flu vaccine suppliers, Glaxo is used to altering vaccines quickly, he said.

Following partnerships with the U.K. and Glaxo, CureVac has been approached by

other governments, said Mariola Fotin-Mleczek, its chief technology officer.

“The virus will mutate further, and therefore we need to re-invest now,” she said.

Some scientists, including a team at the University of Cambridge, are exploring

vaccines that could protect against multiple coronaviruses to prepare for future

pandemics. Backed by U.K. funding, the Cambridge group is developing technology that

could be plugged into any platform to fight multiple variants and other coronaviruses,

such as Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. They’re planning to start human trials in the spring.

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Pressure Rises

“We need to bring on the next generation that are going to work against not only these variants, but the next pandemic,” said Jonathan Heeney, the Cambridge professor

leading the study.

Combinations are another avenue drugmakers are pursuing. Oxford is launching a trial

bringing AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines together to determine whether two shots of

different products yield better results. Russia also plans a study mixing the Astra

vaccine with its Sputnik V shot.

As the work progresses, the pressure is rising. New strains could make it more difficult

to achieve a sufficient level of immunity needed to get control of the virus, Hatchett said.

“Every responsible observer is concerned about what we’re seeing. We’re going to get an awful lot of mileage out of the vaccines that we have,” he said. “But we also need to be ready.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/rise-of-variants-sparks-push-for-all-in-one-covid-vaccines-101613204110651.html

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In Covid-19 Diplomacy, India Emerges as a Vaccine Superpower India sends 50,000 doses to the Seychelles, seeking to blunt Chinese inroads in the

Indian Ocean

What China and Russia Could Reap From Covid-19 Vaccine Diplomacy

As wealthier countries buy up supplies of Western drugmakers’ Covid-19 vaccines that are still in development, China and Russia are offering their fast-tracked shots to poorer nations. Here’s what they're hoping to get in return. (Originally published Oct. 14, 2020) Illustration: Ksenia Shaikhutdinova

NEW DELHI—When an Indian Navy aircraft landed in the archipelago nation of

Seychelles last month, the country’s foreign minister and other senior officials lined up on the tarmac to welcome its precious cargo: 50,000 doses of Indian-made

AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

Two weeks earlier, the Indian Ocean island nation—total population, 98,000—received

a separate shipment of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine

manufactured in China, which is seeking to make strategic inroads in a region long seen

by India as part of its sphere of influence.

Covid-19 vaccines are becoming an important form of diplomatic currency around the

world, as nations jockey for soft-power gains. China and Russia are touting their own

vaccines, as are Western drug companies.

Now India, a pharmaceutical giant that manufactured some 60% of global vaccines

before the pandemic, is joining the fray, seeking to strengthen ties and expand its

influence in its neighborhood and beyond.

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Beijing has for years sought to derail Indian efforts to establish a military outpost in

Seychelles that would allow New Delhi to keep tabs on Chinese naval and civilian

vessels in the area. India has worked to blunt Chinese intrusions and helped build a

network of coastal radar stations.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-are-becoming-important-diplomatic-

currency-11613152854

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Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World

Updated: February 14, 2021, 8:23 AM GMT+8

•

U.K. 1,790 61,722 1,178.1 2.5

U.S. 1,465 83,472 999.4 2.8

France 1,197 51,279 N/A 6.0

Brazil 1,134 46,646 N/A N/A

Germany 807 29,097 519.1 8.0

Russia 552 28,268 726.7 8.1

India 119 8,305 156.1 0.5

Japan 55 3,296 55.5 13.1

Mainland China 3 65 N/A 4.3

Sources: OECD for number of hospital beds (2016 for the U.S., 2017 for other countries), government agencies and the COVID Tracking Project via Our World in Data for testing data (various recent dates) (reported in the past 45 days) and the U.S. Census Bureau for population figures (2019).

The world is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 infections, as the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 105 million people and killed more than 2.3 million globally since late January 2020. Efforts many countries took to stamp out the pneumonia-like illness led to entire nations enforcing lockdowns, widespread halts of international travel, mass layoffs and battered financial markets. Recent attempts to revive social life and financial activities have resulted in another surge in cases and hospitalizations, though new drugs and improved care may help more people who get seriously ill survive.

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060120180240300360Days since 100 confirmed cases1001,00010,000100,0001,000,000CasesMainland ChinaSouth KoreaJapanFranceSingaporeSpainU.K.Hong KongU.S.AustraliaBrazilIndiaRussiaTaiwanNew Zealand

Note: JHU CSSE reporting began on Jan. 22, when mainland China had already surpassed 500 cases.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering

108,498,990

Confirmed cases worldwide

2,391,774

Deaths worldwide

Jurisdictions with cases confirmed as of February 14, 2021, 8:23 AM GMT+8

• 1–99

• 100–999

• 1,000–9,999

• 10,000–99,999

• 100,000–999,999

• 1,000,000–9,999,999

• 10 million or more

Where deaths have

occurred Deaths Cases

U.S. 483,926 27,568,100

Brazil 238,532 9,809,754

Mexico 172,557 1,978,954

India 155,550 10,892,746

U.K. 117,128 4,038,884

Where deaths have

occurred Deaths Cases

Italy 93,356 2,710,819

France 80,955 3,467,051

Russia 78,403 4,012,538

Germany 64,831 2,336,905

Spain 64,747 3,056,035

Iran 58,883 1,510,873

Colombia 57,425 2,190,116

Argentina 50,188 2,021,553

South Africa 47,821 1,490,063

Peru 43,255 1,220,748

Show more

Note: Totals for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. include overseas territories and other dependencies. Cases and deaths for cruise ships have been separated in accordance with JHU CSSE data.

The epicenter of the pandemic has continued to shift throughout the year, from China, then Europe, then the U.S., and now to developing countries like Brazil. Cases globally surpassed 10 million in late June, but ever since infections have been multiplying faster. The U.S. and India have the most infections, accounting for more than a third of all cases combined.

Global Cases Added Per Day New cases: 408,487

Jan 21

Feb 12

U.S.

New cases: 99,511

Jan 21

Feb 12

Brazil

51,546

U.K.

15,198

Russia

14,867

India

12,143

Germany

9,197

Iran

7,298

France

665

Mainland China

8

Note: On February 14, Hubei officials changed their diagnostic criteria, resulting in a spike in reported cases.

Countries took drastic measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on their homefront—with varying degrees of success. More than 140 governments placed blanket bans on incoming travelers, closed schools and restricted gatherings and public events, according to data compiled by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Bloomberg reporting.

As countries loosen lockdowns in an effort to reboot their economies, many have seen a resurgence of infections. The number of new daily cases in the U.S. rose to record highs after some states relaxed social distancing requirements. Even places that successfully contained infections earlier in the year, like China and South Korea, have seen cases bubble back up. Theories that warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere would bring relief appear to be unfounded.

Mar 01Feb 1200.5K1.0K1.5K2.0K2.5K3.0K3.5KNew deaths by dayU.S.IndiaU.K.Russia

Note: Shown are the 15 places with the highest totals of confirmed cases, as of February 12. Negative values resulting from governments revising their totals have been excluded from rolling average calculations.

The “worst is yet to come” given a lack of global solidarity, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a briefing in Geneva on June 29.

In May, the WHO emphasized the need for a plan that includes testing for the virus and its antibodies, effective contact tracing and isolation, and community education. Antibody tests on the market that could potentially indicate a person’s immunity have been unreliable so far. Researchers and drugmakers are racing to develop treatments that could hold the key to recovery.

Gilead Sciences Inc.’s antiviral remdesivir is one of the first widely used drugs for Covid-19. It received an emergency use authorization from U.S. regulators in May,

56D

after a trial found it sped recovery by about four days in hospitalized patients. It was also part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s treatment after he tested positive for the coronavirus in early October, along with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s antibody cocktail and the generic drug dexamethasone.

Vaccines are also in development, though the study of one leading candidate from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc is on hold in the U.S. while regulators investigate a potential safety issue.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-cases-world-map/?srnd=coronavirus

56E

Doctors are speaking out to dispel the 'groundless' myth that the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility in women or men

Rachel Hosie

A woman receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Wales, UK. Getty/Matthew Horwood

• Doctors are speaking out to quash rumors that the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility.

• The myth is "wholesale nonsense," according to Prof Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer.

• Medics have come together on social media to reinforce the message. • Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

Doctors are speaking out to reassure the public that receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines will not affect fertility.

After dangerous rumors started swirling on social media that getting vaccinated against the coronavirus could hamper male and female fertility, medics and health experts have confirmed that this is a myth.

Dr Edward Morris, President at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement: "We want to reassure women that there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility. Claims of any effect of COVID-19 vaccination on fertility are speculative and not supported by any data."

He continued: "There is no biologically plausible mechanism by which current vaccines would cause any impact on women's fertility."

As Business Insider's Anna Medaris Miller previously reported, it's thought the rumors began following a now blocked Facebook post which incorrectly suggested that the vaccine teaches the body to attack a protein involved in placental development.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, told ITV News that the rumor is "wholesale nonsense."

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"It's such an emotive subject and it frightens so many people but it's totally and utterly groundless," he said.

Other medical professionals have been posting on social media to reinforce the message.

"None of the coronavirus vaccines affect your fertility. None of them," said British general practitioner Dr Amir Khan.

"I'm having my Covid vaccine today. I'm v excited. And humbled. And no, I'm not concerned about my fertility," wrote television doctor Dr Christian Jessen.

So keen are health professionals to quash the rumors spreading about the COVID-19 vaccine and fertility that the British Fertility Society and Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists published a document addressing many people's concerns.

The document states that people of reproductive age, including those trying to conceive or with future hopes to do so, should receive the vaccine when invited.

"There is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretical reason, that any of the vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men," it said.

Prof Nicola Stonehouse, a virologist at the University of Leeds, told the BBC that while the vaccines do not impact fertility, the same cannot be said for catching the coronavirus.

"You're much more likely to have fertility issues post-COVID than after the vaccine," she said.

https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-vaccine-does-not-affect-fertility-doctors-reassure-public-2021-2

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Duterte to US: If you want VFA, pay for it

POSTSCRIPT - Federico D. Pascual Jr. (The Philippine Star )

February 14, 2021 - 12:00am

President Duterte has gone commercial in justifying his threat to terminate the 21-year-old Phl-US Visiting Forces Agreement. Will the sales pitch work?

Addressing Air Force personnel attending the turnover Friday at the Clark airfield in Pampanga of new air assets, Duterte accused Washington of taking “so much from us” while failing to pay a fair recompense to its long-time friend and ally. He did not give a figure.

He recalled once telling then US president Trump, who many Filipinos assume is his friend, that the Philippines needed US guided “rockets” (missiles?) for which he said the country was willing to pay, “but until now, it’s still in the air.”

“I would like to put on a notice if there is an American agent here,” he said, glancing around, “that from now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? You have to pay. It’s a shared responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free.”

We were waiting for applause from the sparse crowd, but we heard none.

He continued, “After all, when the war breaks out, we all pay. You, kami (us), we are nearest to the garrison where there are a lot of arsenals of the Chinese armed forces.”

He could have skipped mentioning a Chinese garrison and arsenals. That he did so anyway was not surprising, considering the battering he has been getting in media and private conversations for his perceived partiality to China.

We asked media colleague Nonnie Pelayo what “air assets” were turned over to the armed forces. He replied, “What were shown to Duterte were: one former US Marine C-130H, six former Polish Sikorsky S70i Blackhawk Utility Helicopters, six brand-new that the Philippines bought, A-29B ‘Super Tucano’ trainer-ground attack aircraft, six Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and four Hermes 450 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The government bought the Tucanos from Brazil. The C-130 was donated by the US.”

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Duterte himself mentioned after asking somebody off-mike that 32 new Blackhawks are to be delivered over several years to replace old Huey choppers that are so tired that they just fall from the clouds without notice.

Duterte also said: “I’m walking on a tightrope actually, I cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because we are avoiding any confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time.”

He claimed to be a “friend” of both China and the US, although it has been obvious that he broke away from Uncle Sam as soon as he became president and snuggled into the waiting embrace of Beijing after he was promised massive aid, loans and grants.

“But (referring to the US) what I don’t like is iyong para kang bata na they promise you – ganoon iyan e, magpunta iyong mga top brass nila (it’s like that, their top brass come around). This group will promise you, and once they take off, they forget all about it,” he said.

Duterte’s “pay up” spiel calls to mind a demand of then-president Marcos in 1986 that the bases agreement be renegotiated. He accused Washington of reneging on a promised $900 million in US aid over a period of years for the use of military facilities in the Philippines.

One difference is that while Marcos had the bases – including Clark, Subic and John Hay – to lease out, Duterte has none to offer.

What Duterte is peddling is just the VFA, a standard Status of Forces contract laying down the rules governing the reciprocal presence of military personnel of the parties in the territories of the other party.

He may not be aware of it but Duterte is also selling the nation’s soul. His spineless stance that he displays every chance he gets has started to infect his subordinates. Listen to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rationalizing:

“The main reason why we did not want to participate in the exercises in the SCS with the US and the allies is because we didn’t have the equipment to match what they were doing… Firstly, it’s not to antagonize China because China is watching us here and a lot of things could be done to us by the Chinese government if they are antagonized.”

When Trump was told that his friend in Manila was demanding 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so he would not terminate the VFA,

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he said the US could let go of the VFA and save the money. (At $20 per dose, the vaccines Duterte was demanding would cost $400 million.)

The US bases had to be closed after the expiration in 1991 of the bases agreement, followed by the automatic application of the constitutional ban on foreign bases, facilities and military forces unless allowed by a treaty ratified by both the Philippines and the other country.

Until now there is no mutually ratified bases treaty as required by the Constitution. The VFA, which has not been ratified by the US Senate, is a doubtful legal justification for foreign bases even if President Biden would come bearing 200 million doses of vaccines.

The VFA is the core subject of bilateral talks, but depending on Duterte’s frame of mind, the negotiations could dive deeper and wander wider and – in a worst-case turn of events – even lead to the abrogation of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty itself.

The Visiting Forces Agreement cannot be reviewed or revised in isolation. The talks on how to adapt the 21-year-old contract to the realities of the present will impinge on the gamut of bilateral relations – and even the very tenure of Duterte.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/02/14/2077514/duterte-us-if-you-want-vfa-pay-it

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Deal cards squarely

Rody’s successful efforts to win China’s trust merely undid the mistakes of Noynoy and Obama that nearly resulted to a point of no return in the maritime conflict.

Under his watch, President Rodrigo Duterte proved:

• It is possible to engage China in deep friendship while tackling the maritime rift.

• The West Philippine Sea posturing is the result of the struggle between two economic powers, which the country can disengage.

• The United States needs the country more than otherwise, which is the reason for the need to overhaul the various military agreements that are tilted heavily toward American interest.

To give United States President Joe Biden leeway in crafting his policy in the region, Mr. Duterte extended a decision to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the pact signed in 1998 that contained the ground rules on the temporary presence of American troops in the country.

A collateral deal signed during the term of former President Noynoy Aquino called the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) allowed the Americans to use Filipino military bases to host soldiers and military equipment.

As a result of the continued interference of American legislators who are caught up in image-boosting ploys prior to the elections last November, Mr. Duterte threatened to scrap the agreement.

Through the instigation of some American senators allied with detained Senator Leila de Lima, their government canceled the visa of Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa allegedly over the war on drugs deaths.

If there will be a review of the military agreements, EDCA should be the first to be placed under the lens, since it was the product of another Democrat who was willingly bootlicked by Aquino.

During a visit of former US President Barack Obama in April 2014, Aquino presented a signed executive deal, which is the EDCA, that allows American forces to have a rotating presence in the country.

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Obama then had launched an Asian pivot policy that was meant to contain China, and EDCA was a key component of the program since the Americans will have a guaranteed station for their military forces in the region.

Aquino then had shut out China as he refused to hold any discussion with Chinese officials and instead, on US directives, filed a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the disputed maritime regions.

The PCA issued an award that declared invalid the nine-dash line claim, but it was unenforceable since China, insisting on discourse only among nations involved, did not recognize the proceeding.

Noynoy made clear in delivering EDCA that he was with the American pivot policy all the way and even instigated the West Philippine Sea (WPS) standoff to get Obama’s back pat.

He sent a Philippine Navy Hamilton-class cutter that was then recently acquired from the US in the disputed area, which China viewed as a militarization of the dispute.

The standoff and Beijing’s saturation of the area of conflict with civilian ships were apparently in response to the pressure Obama applied to establish America’s Pacific dominance.

China after the assumption of Mr. Duterte encouraged an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the WPS that will govern activities, and ensure peace and stability in the disputed territory to undo the mistakes of Noynoy and Obama.

American analysts consider the Asian pivot of Obama as a blunder and his “greatest foreign policy mistake.”

Obama referred to himself as the first Pacific president, and the pivot was touted by Obama’s defenders as a great success that properly rebalanced America’s foreign policy focus away from costly interventions in the Middle East to Asia, which is viewed as the center of the 21st century economic transformation.

https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/14/deal-cards-squarely/

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China vs. Taiwan

BREAKTHROUGH - Elfren S. Cruz (The Philippine Star

) - February 14, 2021 - 12:00am

In Joe Biden’s first call with Xi Jinping, the White House said that Biden emphasized his “…fundamental concerns with Beijing’s coercive and unfair practices, its crackdown in Hong Kong, reported human rights abuses in Xinjiang and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including towards Taiwan.” Xi was reported to have taken a hardline stand and told Biden, in the same call, that Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan were matters of “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Less than a month after the new American president took office, Taiwan and the United States officials had their first publicly acknowledged meeting in Washington.The Taiwanese ambassador was also invited to the Biden-Harris inauguration, the first Taiwanese invited since 1979.

Last September, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned that after China’s seizure of Hong Kong, Taiwan will be the next target as it looks for a “…scapegoat in facing its internal and external crisis.” Among the external problems of China are “…strained China-US relations, sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea and a military standoff with India.” China is increasingly becoming more aggressive in the South China Sea, including its recent “law” allowing its coast guard to fire on vessels and planes “intruding” in the South China Sea, which are actually disputed territories with several countries including the Philippines.

All these issues mentioned could accidentally lead to a “hot” war. The one issue that is most liable to convert the present cold war with the United States into a “hot” war or a shooting war is the issue of Taiwan.

These tensions over Taiwan date back to 1949 when Mao Zedong led the Communists to partial victory over the Chaing Kai Shek-led Nationalists. Chiang and his forces evacuated to Taiwan and re-established a rival Republic of China. Although China has never relinquished its claim over Taiwan, there has never been a serious attempt to invade Taiwan. However, Xi repeated last year that they will not renounce the use of force to occupy Taiwan.

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It was under Lee Teng-hui, successor to Chiang, that Taiwan slowly became democratic and became an economic powerhouse.

For a while succeeding presidents tried to establish close relations with China. The hope was that the “one nation, two systems” would apply to Taiwan. But the recent abandonment of its commitment to preserving democracy in Hong Kong has convinced many Taiwanese that China could not be trusted and the proposal of one nation under two systems was not a serious alternative.

However, the most serious movement towards independence is the new generation who started the Sunflower Movement that encourages a separate identity. In recent surveys the overwhelming majority, especially the new generation, consider themselves as Taiwanese and not Chinese.

There is also a big difference between the two in terms of political and economic models. China is an authoritarian society; and the Chinese Communist Party wants to export this model of authoritarianism to the rest of the world. Taiwan is a liberal democratic society and its government is democratically elected.

China has an anti-secession law that specifically states that over time, if Taiwan cannot be brought under Chinese rule peacefully, then “unification” must be done through force. The military and naval might of China grows every year, and together with the increasing support for independence in Taiwan has resulted in the growing possibility of armed conflict between the two nations.

Among several scenarios, experts seem to agree on three most possible scenarios. The first scenario is the continuing harassment by China by the constant violation of Taiwan’s air and naval space. Chinese fighter planes have been invading Taiwan air zone and forcing Taiwanese to continuously be on guard and to respond to these hostile activities. There has also been hostile cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns. It seems that China hopes this continuous subversion through disinformation campaigns will eventually result in the crumbling of Taiwanese society and its inhabitants will finally succumb to agreeing to unite with the Mainland.

The second scenario is the invasion of Taiwanese islands located geographically close to Xiamen. This could begin with sabotage and the use of Chinese maritime militias to blockade and engage in covert operations.

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The possibility is that the Taiwanese people would not have the appetite to have an all-out war over such small islands which are actually much nearer to China than Taiwan. When Putin invaded Crimea, there was a lot of denunciations but there was eventual acceptance by other European countries. Experts believe this scenario is the least possible because if China decides to use its military it would go for an all-out invasion of Taiwan.

The third scenario is an invasion of Taiwan by Chinese armed forces. This may seem unthinkable since the result would negatively affect the economies of all countries concerned. However, there are possible conditions which would make invasion possible.

One cause could be internal power struggles or political developments that could weaken the stranglehold of the Chinese Communist Party on Chinese politics and economics. This would make China’s rulers look to an invasion as a way of encouraging a wave of nationalism and militarism among its people. Another could be a miscalculation of America’s resolve to defend Taiwan against an invasion. This could result in spreading the conflict if China decides to retaliate against US Asian bases in Okinawa and Guam.

Hopefully, even with these conflicts, both nations – the US and China – will not panic and use nuclear weapons. The more possible outcome is a protracted war between China and the US-led alliance.

Hopefully the Philippines will be able to stay neutral and not be dragged into war on either side.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/02/14/2077511/china-vs-taiwan

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CCP Governance Comes to the South China Sea

By Zachary Haver

February 13, 2021

Focusing exclusively on China’s use of coercion across

the region obscures the true extent of Beijing’s ambitions. Over the past decade, China has earned itself a reputation as a bully in the South China Sea. Its relentless coast guard patrols, frequent maritime militia operations and regular naval deployments are well documented. Using these capabilities, China harasses foreign fishing boats, disrupts energy exploration attempts and otherwise prevents its Southeast Asian neighbours from operating safely in their own waters. With the recent passage of China’s new coast guard law, which authorises the China Coast Guard (CCG) to use force more freely, this pattern of assertive behaviour shows no signs of stopping. Focusing exclusively on China’s use of coercion, however, obscures the true extent of Beijing’s ambitions. China’s campaign to dominate these contested waters is consequential, but its efforts to expand administrative capacity are equally significant. In recent years, China has invested heavily in building up new party-state institutions that are responsible for administering disputed areas. These institutions allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to directly govern contested parts of the South China Sea as if they were Chinese territory. This administrative build-up began in 2012 with the creation of Sansha City. The Ministry of Civil Affairs announced the State Council’s decision to found Sansha as a prefecture-level city in June 2012 and it was formally established a month later. The city is headquartered on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands and has jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, Scarborough Shoal, Macclesfield Bank and the waters surrounding these features. It claims to govern approximately 2 million square kilometres of sea and land area. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/02/13/ccp_governance_comes_to_the_south_china_

sea_660237.html

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The Other Side of the COIN

By Second Lieutenant Robert C. German, U.S. Marine Corps

February 2021

Proceedings

Vol. 147/2/1,416

The Global War on Terror ushered in a new era of warfare for the United States and the Marine Corps. Gone were the days of Desert Storm, when the United States could simply flex its muscle and use its technological advantages to bring an enemy to its knees. But this muscle turned into the country’s Achilles heel, exposing it to devastating attacks from insurgents, cyber warriors, and the like. These enemies usually cannot be caught on a battlefield, but rather attack from the shadows, costing the country dollars and blood it cannot continue to pay. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to the widespread adoption of counterinsurgency (COIN) tactics by the Army and Marine Corps to mitigate this weakness. The question is: As Marines begin to turn their attention back toward the Pacific, where China’s influence grows stronger daily, will these ideas work in the evolving problems of the region?

The answer lies in COIN, which has the potential, properly implemented, to enhance the United States’ fighting ability in this new environment in several ways. First, the age of unrestricted warfare opens big militaries to small wars, which COIN seeks to solve. Second, the cultural understanding COIN requires can provide unique solutions that are more adaptive to a changing environment. Third, COIN requires collaboration between the military and the government, aimed at the strategic alignment of policy and executive action, which will prove most effective in dealing with the threat China poses to the world.

General David Berger’s Commandant’s Planning Guidance discusses in detail how “in any future conflict, we will face challenges in maneuvering and operating inside threat weapons engagement zones.” General Berger says expeditionary advanced base operations (EABO) will replace the aging Maritime Positioning Force which is, “quickly becoming not as relevant as in the past.” To operate inside the “weapon engagement zone” will require more than offloading supplies and equipment. Surviving and thriving in this dangerous environment will require a knowledge of the surrounding area that only the local population can provide.

The steps taken by Marines practicing COIN in the Middle East and Southwest Asia can be applied in EABO. Understanding the local population and culture and helping them could potentially lead them to assist future operations. In his book The Accidental Guerilla, COIN expert David Kilcullen speaks to this idea in reference to the surge in Iraq in 2007, saying that “by engaging with the local people, building local allies at the grassroots level, we could re-create the leverage we needed to stabilize the environment.” Iraq was saved from the brink of disaster as local populaces provided the necessary support to beat back al-Qaeda.

In the Pacific, this same sort of leverage could be used to sustain troops, escalate their lethality and even equip them.

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This could realistically occur in places around the South China Sea, anywhere China contests control with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and others. If Marines wind up on these islands, the support provided from local communities will be key in giving the forces an advantage in that theater.

Cultural and political immersion can generate considerable results for Marines engaged in COIN. The observe, orient, decide, act (OODA) loop properly applied encourages Marines to avoid simply living inside existing paradigms or mental models. COIN demands a corresponding mind-set: Marines must continually rebuild their perceptions of the environment and local populations. While this adjustment may take some time, it will prove the most enduring option.

However, COIN does not belong to the military alone. If there is no “policy” behind Carl von Clausewitz’s famous remark that “war is the continuation of policy by other means,” no amount of effort will keep the Marine Corps from failure at COIN. This is a common objection of COIN skeptics: The U.S. military was applying strategy without government policy to back it. U.S. Army Colonel Gian Gentile was one of the first to speak against COIN. In his article “A Strategy of Tactics,” he stated that he saw COIN operations as, “a total war without the commensurate total support of will and resources from the American people.” The military arm was missing the political force behind it. Consequently, the military was limited in how successful its operations could realistically be.

The Marine Corps must avoid this dilemma and instead use the COIN model to work closely not only with local populations, but also with the rest of the U.S. government. Together, they should create a clear strategy, as well as use other, more appropriate resources to address the problems Marines meet in the Asia-Pacific region. Resources were not aptly utilized in the Middle East, and the United States struggled to fully and efficiently integrate non-government agencies. In How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything, author Rosa Brooks writes: “At best, the military has a mixed track record when it comes to performing traditionally civilian functions as providing humanitarian assistance, government support, and development aid.”

Much of building alliances in the Asia-Pacific region will revolve around building trust with local populations. Whether through humanitarian aid or civil affairs, the Marine Corps should look to involve aid organizations and the State Department, which should be leading this charge to garner local trust and support. The War on Terror saw a shift, Brooks says, as the Department of Defense began “funding what [the State Department] saw as classic public diplomacy projects.” Taking up such projects without intragovernmental consulting and failing to use the full range of tools the United States has to offer was a significant misstep. While Marines are trained for certain operations and a specific way of thinking, civilians and government professionals have different perspectives and experiences and can often provide solutions that may be overlooked by a strictly military-trained mind. When operating in the Asia-Pacific theater, media, public relations and outreach, and many other fields will be vital. Thinking the Marine Corps is all-knowing in these realms, or that it can act as its own political arm, will only waste energy and resources. The Marine Corps must know its own strengths and weaknesses and accept the tools available to offset the latter to accomplish the mission.

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The Marine Corps must continue to remember every lesson: counterinsurgency, amphibious landing, urban warfare, etc. Many modern political and military strategists desire to lay to rest the wars of old, along with their tactics and models. This may seem easy and straightforward now, in light of the painful lessons on counterinsurgency learned in the past 20 years, but the suffering that could result from unsuccessful operations in the Pacific with a rising China would be much worse. Today’s challenges are more complex than most of those faced in recent memory, and they require careful consideration of every perspective from history to succeed. Applying COIN—correctly—is the only path that will give us an advantage while facing the beast of an enemy that is an accelerating China.

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/other-side-coin

62B

Myanmar coup: What will the military do now?

By Jonathan Head South East Asia correspondent

Published 12 hours ago

The man who stunned the world by bringing Myanmar's democratic

experiment crashing down has made just two public appearances on state

television to explain himself.

Looking nervous in front of the teleprompter, General Min Aung Hlaing made no mention of his coup, the detention of the country's elected leaders, the mass

demonstrations against military rule in all corners of Myanmar and from all walks of

life, the storm of international condemnation and the threat of renewed sanctions. Instead he repeated tired old military slogans about the need for discipline and unity,

and his still unsubstantiated allegations of electoral irregularities in last November's poll. Aside from his evident uneasiness in the unfamiliar role of trying to assuage a

furious public, Min Aung Hlaing betrayed no awareness of the dangerous crisis into

which he has dragged his country by seizing power.

From the point of view of the rest of the world, and the millions of Burmese who turned out in unexpectedly large numbers to vote resoundingly for a second term of

office for Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy last November,

the coup is a brazen power-grab by a military which has failed spectacularly at the ballot box, and by a commander whose career after mandatory retirement in July this

year looked a lot less promising after that result.

media captionMyanmar coup: How did we get here?

But the generals themselves do not see it that way. They spent years shaping the

current constitution to preserve the dominant role of the armed forces after a transition to what they still call a "discipline-flourishing democracy". They always reserved for

themselves the right to step in if the project was heading in a direction they did not

like.

"Every time I met Min Aung Hlaing, he kept insisting the military's job is to protect democracy," one senior diplomat, who lived in Myanmar for several years, told the

BBC. They spoke on condition of remaining anonymous.

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"From their point of view, the armed forces had to step in because there were

irregularities in the country's democracy. That is their justification. They believe they

have acted according to the constitution. I think they believe the rest of the world will understand that. They do not think what they have done was a coup."

The 2008 constitution, drafted during the last period of military rule by an assembly

of hand-picked delegates, created a hybrid democracy, in which the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, retained a guaranteed one quarter of the seats in the lower

and upper houses of parliament, had continued control of the three most powerful

ministries, no matter what government was in power, and controlled much of the provincial administration.

The charter also barred anyone with a non-Burmese spouse or children from the

presidency, excluding Aung San Suu Kyi from the top job.

I remember asking the Minister of Information at the start of the drafting process in

late 2006 what examples Myanmar intended to follow in its path to democracy, and he told me, quite sincerely, that they saw Suharto's authoritarian regime in Indonesia as

the most appropriate model.

So when the generals began their democratic opening at the end of 2010 with the

release of Aung San Suu Kyi, they expected to retain the whip hand. They expected

their proxy party, the USDP, to do well enough in the 2015 election to be able, in combination with the unelected military MPs, to prevent the NLD from forming a

single party government, and were shocked by the scale of their defeat.

Last year they fully expected a better result, after five years of sometimes

disappointing NLD administration, only to see their share of the seats whittled down even further, to less than seven percent. It is quite possible Min Aung Hlaing

genuinely believes his allegations of substantial fraud as the only possible explanation for his party's dismal performance.

Now that the armed forces have seized power, in the name of protecting their version of democracy, what will their next step be?

Dealing with what is turning into a national resistance movement against the coup is their immediate challenge. On everyone's minds in Myanmar is whether they can do

this without killing large numbers of protesters, as they have in the past.

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But the junta needs a path back to political legitimacy. It has given itself a one-year state of emergency to fix the problem of the NLD's persistent popularity at the ballot

box, although that could be extended.

The Thai model? There is an obvious playbook for the Burmese generals to follow, in neighbouring Thailand.

There, the coup-makers in 2014 also grappled with the problem of how to stop a popular party, in this case Pheu Thai, the party led by Thaksin Shinawatra and his

sister Yingluck, which had won every election held since 2001.

Aside from drafting a new constitution with an appointed 250-seat senate as a

counterweight to an elected government, the junta in Thailand carefully redesigned the electoral system, to ensure Pheu Thai would win fewer seats. The junta in

Myanmar is likely to do the same. The NLD's widespread popularity gives it a much

higher proportion of seats than its share of the vote in the existing first-past-the-post system.

The Thai junta also appointed members of the election commission, and greatly

influenced membership of the constitutional court. Both those institutions have played

a crucial role in ensuring the election rules were interpreted in a way that favoured the military's proxy party, and that court verdicts are always unfavourable to parties

opposed to the military's role in politics.

The military in Myanmar has already filed laughably trivial criminal charges against

Aung San Suu Kyi and the elected president, Win Myint, who is also from the NLD. It is likely that the nightly raids on the NLD headquarters and on election commission

offices around the country are in pursuit of documents which could help the military

build a more plausible electoral fraud case against the NLD, with the aim of having it or its top leaders disqualified from a future election.

But in Thailand the country was genuinely divided, with large parts of the population

hostile to Thaksin Shinawatra. The military-aligned PPRP actually won more votes

than any other party, though fewer seats, and with the help of the election commission was able to scrape together a ruling coalition.

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US and others 'lack leverage' In Myanmar the extraordinary levels of public anger against the coup suggest that in

any election which is even close to free and fair the USDP, or whatever party is

backed by the Tatmadaw, may do even worse than last November.

The amount of electoral manipulation and repression required to engineer any election

in the near future which the military party can win risks leaving any government formed after such an exercise with threadbare legitimacy.

The alternative is many more years of military rule, the generals hoping that age and

exclusion from power remove Aung San Suu Kyi, who is 75 years old, and the NLD,

from the scene.

These are very grim prospects for Myanmar after the huge improvements experienced in the past 10 years.

"I know it's hard to believe, but the armed forces really think they are working towards a multi-party democratic system," said the senior diplomat. "They must be

told that if they take these actions, they will not get the understanding of the rest of the

world. They will not get the kind of investment and co-operation that came their way

in the last decade. This must be expressed to the armed forces in a manner that invites no misunderstanding."

Joe Biden's administration in Washington has already announced new sanctions,

targeting, it says, the military and its extensive business interests - but their influence on the Tatmadaw will be limited.

"We don't have a whole lot of leverage," says Derek Mitchell, who was the first US ambassador in Myanmar after the political opening. "The key is our allies. That's a

very difficult path, because some of our allies - Japan, India, Korea - have a lot of investment. They will be worried about growing Chinese influence there. We have to

find a way to work with allies to apply real and consistent pressure, and not accept

this.

"But we don't want to go back to the old-style sanctions. The sanctions need to be

very carefully crafted to go after money, weapons, prestige - all the things the military values. The thing they fear most is the country's overdependence on a large neighbour,

like China. We have to demonstrate that there is a cost, that if you want balance in your relationships, you're not going to get it this way. The military must understand

this."

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Will they? Myanmar's economy has already been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, and foreign investment was knocked back after the ethnic cleansing of Rohingyas by

the Tatmadaw in 2017. Sanctions may have a limited impact, but foreign companies

may pull out anyway to avoid the reputational damage of operating under such an unpopular military regime.

And local businesses warn that attempts by the junta to close down internet access, in

an attempt to block the organisation of protests, could cause serious damage to an

economy in which small companies now make extensive use of Facebook, in particular, to sell their products. Severe economic distress might persuade the generals

to think again.

But having destroyed the power-sharing arrangement which allowed the transition of the past 10 years to happen, it is not clear how they could walk back from the coup,

even if they were willing to. Aung San Suu Kyi, who held out against the generals for 20 years while under house arrest, is hardly likely to make concessions to them now

they have deposed her in this fashion. Releasing her would only inspire even greater

public resistance to the coup. Most likely Min Aung Hlaing will plough on, adding his own dismal chapter to the long tragedy of military misrule in Myanmar.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-56037084

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• Myanmar coup: What led to the military seizing power?

Myanmar coup: What led to the military seizing power?Close

Many around the world were caught by surprise when the military seized power in

Myanmar.

The Southeast Asian country was on the road to democracy having held an election

just a few months ago.

The BBC's Flora Drury explains what events led to the coup, and how the military has

dealt with opposition in the past.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-56037084

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Deceive the Enemy with Emerging Technologies By using technology to deceive and confuse adversaries, the U.S. Navy can gain a competitive

edge.

By Scott Savitz

February 2021

Proceedings

Oceans of ink have been spilled describing two of the great technological trends of this generation and their impact on warfare. The first is the relentless and rapid improvement in information technology (IT), across fields as diverse as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality. One of its key applications in warfare is to enable inputs from distributed, networked sensors to be integrated and analyzed rapidly, generating timely, actionable information in forms that humans and machines can readily interpret.

The second trend is related but distinct: the increasing capabilities of unmanned systems to perform valuable missions. These capabilities are growing not only because of advanced IT enabling more autonomous operations, but also because of improvements in materials science, energy storage, design, and other areas. A third trend, much less remarked on, is the improvement in sensors, which are becoming smaller, cheaper, and more perceptive, with lower power demands and greater durability in various environments.

Join the U.S. Naval Institute to gain access to this article and other articles published in Proceedings since 1874. Members receive this valuable benefit and so much more.

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/february/deceive-enemy-emerging-technologies

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WEED OUT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

Photo by: U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Chad Menegay

Fri, 02/12/2021 - 08:00

Introduction by Gen. Carter Ham, U.S. Army retired

Being a leader in the Army has always been challenging, but this Commentary by

retired Lt. Gen. James Dubik shows the daunting environment facing today’s soldiers. In my nearly 38 years of service, I faced many leadership tests but nothing so complicated

as trying to modernize and prepare the Army for a complex future battlefield while facing

the vexing problems of suicide, sexual assault and extremism in the ranks.

Independently, each is a serious matter. Combined, they create a potential whirlwind of

problems with no easy remedy. Dubik’s essay calls for firm, definitive and public stands

by Army leaders at all levels to restore our values.

* * *

Commentary by Lt. Gen. James Dubik, U.S. Army retired

The size and number of far right and far left extremist groups are increasing. Army

leaders need not question whether the number of such extremists in their ranks is also

rising. The facts confirm it. Retired general officers inciting extremist groups, former and

current officers and enlisted members participating in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S.

Capitol, and the need to “vet” National Guard soldiers securing the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden—all should give every senior Army leader pause. I am sure it

does.

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wrote in a Jan. 19 Defense One article that

“our most serious threats are internal, not external. Politically inspired armed insurgents,

extremists, fascist groups and other active destructive forces are now part of the

American landscape.” Membership in these groups associated with violence—whether

white supremacist, anarchist, sovereign citizens movement, militias, anti-fascist, anti-

government or anti-authority, gangs or some other still-emerging organization—pose a

risk to Army values and to the reliability of the Army’s service to the nation.

Enemy Within

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Members of these groups insidiously infect a unit, and if left to spread like a contagion,

will erode the Army’s credibility in the eyes of the American public and in the eyes of its elected officials. Officers, sergeants or soldiers who are members must be identified

and challenged, for their loyalty to Army values and to their oath is in question.

Association with these kinds of extremist organizations is inconsistent with selfless

service to the nation.

Previous Army leaders have faced vexing societal problems, whether countering racism

in the ranks, sexual harassment and abuse, gender and sexual orientation

discrimination, or gang membership, but this may be the most challenging threat yet—for it involves potentially seditious and treasonous behavior.

Two points are worth remembering. First, the Army is people. So these kinds of

problems are perennial. Matters such as these cannot be permanently eradicated from

the human heart or from human behavior. Second, narrowly focused, short-term fixes

won’t work.

Leadership Commitment

Senior leaders—civilian, officers and NCOs alike; active, Guard and Reserve—must

take a firm, definitive and public stand on this issue. They must act in concert, using all

the command and leadership levers to ensure the priority of Army values, to emphasize

the oath as members of the profession of arms and to secure the commitment of

leaders at every level to those values and to their oaths. Social scientists as well as

those who study violent extremism know that group membership, proximity to

likeminded others and the digital echo chamber are the ingredients to accelerated

radicalization. These conditions are already present in the Army. A clear, firm and

comprehensive approach will affirm the Army’s reliability and reputation.

My expectation is that by the time this essay is published, such a campaign plan will

already be in development or underway. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress

he intends to work to rid “racists and extremists” from the ranks of the U.S. military.

After almost 20 years of dealing with jihadi radical extremists, the Army has learned a

bit about the radicalization and deradicalization process. Unfortunately, it now must

apply some of that learning to itself.

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The plan should not be a witch hunt or a “just throw them out” approach. The Army has a lot invested in soldier and leader training and development. Whatever plan that

emerges, therefore, must include some component of reeducation and deradicalization

and should reflect the best of previous actions to address similar problems, a soup-to-

nuts plan that focuses on a rededication of Army values and the oath to the nation. It

starts with recruitment.

From the Start

Recruiters provide the raw material for future soldiers and leaders. But are recruiters

properly trained and equipped, and do recruiting policies and processes exist to weed

out already radicalized citizens? Figuring out how to do this right will be a difficult

challenge. The pool of potential soldiers is already dwindling. Adding one more filter in

identifying a potential soldier may make an already dwindling pool even more shallow.

Next is basic training, where the initial education in Army values and commitment to

oath begins. The Army will have to modify instruction to emphasize why violent

extremism of any variety runs counter to service in the Army. Drill sergeants and other

cadre will have to keep their watchful eyes and ears open to signs of extremism in the

ranks.

The officer and NCO education program will also have to adapt. Leaders, especially at

the squad through company levels where the soldier-leader relationship is closest, need

to understand what to look for in conversations, in the barracks, on privately owned

vehicles and on soldiers’ bodies. Tattoos say a lot.

The information provided in the schoolhouse will also have to be distributed to leaders

throughout the Army for use in organizational professional development sessions. The

Army has always relied on both institutional and organizational leader development.

That will play an important role in addressing extremism.

More senior leaders—commanders and command sergeants major—also have

important roles to play. First, they set the climate within their organization. How Army

values are lived is an important part of any command climate. They also execute

command inspection programs. Such programs are always adapting; the challenge is

how to incorporate anti-extremism into the existing inspection programs.

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Inspectors general throughout the Army can assist in helping senior commanders provide the right

guidance and conduct follow-on inspections and interviews to identify strengths and weaknesses across

major units and organizations.

Finally, a comprehensive approach to ridding the ranks of or deradicalizing extremists may require new,

or modified, legal or regulatory guidance from the Army’s most senior leaders.

Finding the Right Mix

Such comprehensive action will not be easy. Some of what is needed falls into the category of enforcing

good order and discipline; other actions are best understood as education and training. In the process of

designing and executing its plan, the Army may find new organizations are necessary, such as when it

created offices of equal opportunity, or modifications to current organizations like expanding the scope of

responsibility for inspectors general.

Whatever ends up as the Army’s plan, this much is clear: Participation in domestic violent extremist

groups is as incompatible with military service as is participation in foreign-rooted groups.

Though some claim First Amendment rights, this amendment does not protect criminal activity or anyone

participating in groups that promote violence. No one has the right to be a member of a domestic violent

extremist group—especially anyone serving in uniform.

Addressing this problem will take time; success will not come from merely issuing a directive. It will take

sustained, focused leadership from officers and sergeants at every echelon of command and in every

Army organization. “Not in my squad” should become the motto to the deradicalization effort.

The Army has helped build America before. The Army became a model for racial desegregation, as it was

for incorporating women into the ranks and expanding their opportunities.

Helping America deradicalize is yet another chapter in the Army’s long history of not just reflecting

America but building America. Deradicalizing must be done and it can be done. The Army and the nation

will be better for it.

https://www.ausa.org/news/weed-out-violent-extremism

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE RAGE ECONOMY

In “Postjournalism,” media ecologist Andrey Mir analyzes the way the news

economy shapes our perceptions of reality.

February 13 2021, 7:00 p.m.

THE ATTACK ON the U.S. Capitol on January 6 underlined a disturbing phenomenon that has become undeniable at this point: the fragmentation of the American public into a multitude of angry factions, radicalized in different ways online and holding completely different baseline perceptions of reality. The problem of deliberate misinformation undermining democracy has received lots of attention, but in many ways, the power of fantastic lies to grab people’s allegiance is also a byproduct of a deeper problem: extreme polarization driven by news media monetizing anger in order to survive.

This phenomenon is at the core of what media ecologist and author Andrey Mir in a new book calls “postjournalism.” Mir’s book, titled “Postjournalism and the Death of Newspapers,” is a sweeping look at how the news media evolved and shaped the world over hundreds of years, from newsletters for traders published in medieval Venice, Italy, to modern print newspapers, television, and finally the internet. For pretty much everyone, the news media is the major force that shapes how they perceive the world outside their direct experience. During an era when the main technology for producing and disseminating information changes, the world changes as well. For better or worse, we are living through one of those eras now.

The collective psychological impact of new technologies like social media has been written about in a wave of books over the past few years. Equally significant has been the underlying economic shift that has gradually transformed even traditional media outlets into something wholly different. Journalism traditionally relied on an advertising-based revenue model, and that economy also subtly incentivized a particular lens through which the world was depicted: an upbeat-as-possible,

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unifying worldview that made advertisers happy and promoted the needs of consumerism, even as it often overlooked or suppressed stories that fell outside its parameters.

When advertisers suddenly flocked to social media, the traditional economic model that underpinned the media and allowed even smaller papers to afford luxuries like foreign correspondents suddenly collapsed. Today established news outlets not only struggle to find advertisers after Facebook and Google swallowed up the market, but they must also compete with a seemingly infinite number of other websites, companies, and even individuals committing “acts of journalism” or just putting out entertainment, thus forcing them to battle for a finite slice of an attention economy that they cannot possibly corner.

The loss of the old advertising paradigm simply killed many local news outlets, which have shuttered at an incredible rate over the past decade. The surviving large organizations have sought desperately for a new model to support themselves. A lucky few have been able to rely on the patronage of philanthropists supporting journalism as a pure social good. But many others have been forced to do something not seen since the era of mass-produced penny tabloids: relying primarily on readers to support them through subscription and membership fees. As Mir argues, this change in the economic structure of the news media has quietly transformed what journalism itself is about, turning it from a theoretically neutral means of “manufacturing consent” into a political cause that people are rallied into supporting, usually by inciting them to some form of outrage. This change has most directly impacted print-based media, but television news outlets like Fox News that still draw a majority of their revenue from cable subscriptions also have strong incentive to capitalize on the rage economy. Facebook’s algorithmically generated news feeds meanwhile have the lucrative advantage of always knowing exactly what people want to hear and driving their engagement accordingly, something that is only now bringing the company under regulatory threat for fostering extremism.

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This phenomenon became very stark after the election of former President Donald Trump (an event that would have been impossible in the pre-social media world in which the old media acted as gatekeepers), when his opponents rushed to subscribe to liberal-leaning outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post in the expectation that doing so would help fight his presidency. Trump’s supporters likewise flocked to outlets that supported him in the face of what they viewed as a siege by liberal elites. Some older journalists expressed unease at the idea of explicitly taking a side even in the face of such an inherently polarizing figure, but the economic structure of their industry now made it inevitable. Any time that outlets seemingly veered from the script and upset their readers’ expectations, they were immediately threatened with losing their now-vital economic support. Even Fox News is menaced with having its ratings taken by the even-seedier One America News Network when it fails to deliver the obsequious and outrageous coverage that Trump’s partisan supporters demand.

Just as the advertising model incentivized news outlets to project a business-friendly view of the world, the new model requires readers to stay not just satisfied but also engaged enough that they are willing to maintain economic support. Unfortunately for society as a whole, one of the best ways to monetize engagement on the internet is by generating anger and hatred, usually directed at some other group of people. This rage-driven model is at the heart of what Mir calls postjournalism. In its most extreme forms, in venues where the old professional ethics and standards of journalism have been discarded or never took root, postjournalism will produce mobs whose rage is incomprehensible to those outside their bubbles, like the QAnon conspiracy theorists who sacked the Capitol.

“As postjournalism needs to amplify people’s frustration for profit, it spirals up into the amplification of extremes and, therefore, polarization. The outraged and polarized audience is a side effect of this new business model,” Mir told me in a lengthy email exchange about the book. “Seeking support from the audience in the conditions of fading attention, the news media are forced to amplify and dramatize issues whose coverage is most likely to be paid for.

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If the ad-driven media of the past tended to manufacture consent, the reader-driven media must manufacture anger.”

“There is no evil plot, nor ‘liberal bias’, nor ‘right-wing conspiracy’ behind this,” Mir adds. “Such are simply the environmental settings for a media industry that has lost its ad revenue and news business to the internet.”

THE RECOGNITION THAT something has gone terribly wrong with how people consume information has led to calls for censorship or even appointing a government “reality czar.” Following the Capitol riot, there has been a wave of deplatformings of individuals from social media, extending all the way to the former president himself. But this is at best a short-term solution. Given how new conflicts constantly emerge in society, simply banning all people who believe the wrong things from using the internet is not remotely sustainable.

A return to the old hierarchical world of news media is highly unlikely, and that’s a good thing on balance. But creating a worthwhile new media landscape will require protecting news organizations from the Darwinian economic pressure that forces them to peddle outrage.

Countries such as Canada, Australia, and Norway have been rolling out programs for greater public funding of journalism. But that could be more challenging in the United States, where government-funded outlets are more at risk of political pressure. A plan circulated by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2019 may be closer to the mark: placing a tax on targeted advertising and redistributing money from tech companies back to traditional journalism. A program like that would reduce the incentive for large outlets to lean on polarization as a business model while rescuing many local news outlets from complete oblivion.

For the average person consuming the news in a context where rage has become currency, it might help to simply be aware of that context and consume information without being manipulated.

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The digitalization of human interactions that has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic makes it more urgent than ever to deal with these platforms responsibly.

“When one sees enraged users on social media or journalists very selectively covering news in the mass media, it must be understood that these users and journalists are under the influence of the media,” Mir writes in his book. “Being subdued to the environmental force of media does not release anyone from the personal responsibility for what is done on social media or in the news media, but at least this explains that people are pushed towards more polarization and rage by the environmental settings of this particular media environment.”

The people who ransacked the Capitol are of course responsible for their own actions, and though social media technology may have helped motivate them in this particular way, Trump’s extremism and incitement drew upon deep historical fissures related to race and status. Even so, it might help for all of us to better understand the technological and economic context that gave rise to that bizarre mob, along with many other recent calamities. Mir argues that understanding the deeper influences of this new media environment can have a “therapeutic effect” in a world that otherwise “looks unexplainably insane.”

https://theintercept.com/2021/02/13/news-rage-economy-postjournalism-andrey-mir/

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Last Battleship Battle And Other Navy Lasts That Should Not Be Forgotten

Overhead view of the Royal Navy battleship HMS Vanguard (23) underway.

History records the famous “firsts,” and yet, not all are moments are to be cherished or revered. For every major achievement that brought mankind forward, there are infamous events that highlighted its very worst. This is especially true in military history, where the first use of tanks is celebrated while the first use of poison gas is marked as a dark moment. Then there is the fact that less considered are the famous “lasts” – and yet, in naval history, there are some moments that were crucial for being the final or last, while the end of some ships is also as significant.

Last Battle with Galleys Naval galleys were used for several millennia throughout the Mediterranean Sea and had been used by early naval powers in the region including the Greeks, Illyrians, Phoenicians, and Romans. Even as newer types of vessels were developed, galleys remained the principal warship and were the first to effectively employ the use of heavy cannons as anti-ship weapons. The galley reached its zenith in the 16th century, and within a hundred years was displaced by more modern sailing ships. The Battle of Lepanto, fought between the Holy League, which consisted of a coalition of Catholic states, against the Ottoman Empire in October 1571 was considered the last great battle involving galleys. It involved more than 400 galleys, and was the last major engagement in the Western world to be fought almost entirely between rowing vessels. It also marked the first major loss for the Ottomans in more than 100 years. However, the Ottoman Empire rebuilt its fleet – only to suffer another major defeat at the Battle of Cape Celidonia in July 1616 when the antiqued galleys proved no match for the more modern Spanish galleons. Last Wooden Warship The Royal Navy’s HMS Victoria was launched in 1859 and was the largest wooden battleship ever to enter service but was also the last of her kind. Armed with a total of 121 guns, she was also the largest warship of her time and had a complement of 1,000 officers and sailors – but that was short-lived as HMS Warrior, the first British ironclad battleship, entered service just two years later. The ship was truly one that showed the changing designs – and included both sails as well as an engine fired by eight boilers, which made her the fastest three-decker warship in service.

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While Victoria cost nearly £13 million in today’s money, the warship’s career was short-lived. From completion, she was sent to the reserve fleet. The vessel briefly served as the Flagship of the Mediterranean fleet from November 1864 until early 1867 and was then reassigned to the reserve fleet. The warship was finally sold for scrap in 1893, having never taken part in any conflict. Last Battle Fought with Wooden Ships Two battles lay claim to this infamous last and both involved Austria, which is somewhat notable as it was never considered a significant naval power.

The first was the Battle of Heligoland, which was fought on May 9, 1864, during the Second Schleswig War between Denmark and the allied forces of Austria and Prussia. It marked the last naval battle fought by squadrons of wood ships, as well as the final time Danish warships fought in a major action. It also resulted in a tactical Danish victory, but Denmark was unable to enforce its blockade of the northern German ports. Within months, the war ended in Austria’s and Prussia’s victory. Two years after that engagement, the navies of Austria and Italy were engaged in the Battle of Lisa on June 20, 1866, in what was one of the largest naval battles in the Mediterranean in the latter half of the 19th century. The Italian fleet consisted of 12 ironclads and 19 wooden ships against seven Austrian ironclads and 20 wooden ships. The Italian losses, which included the loss of two ironclads and more than three times the men, were significantly higher. It is also noteworthy for being the first major sea battle between ironclads but was also the last time that wooden ships were used in combat. Last Battleship Battle The final battleship battle in history has long been considered a one-sided slaughter. The Battle of Surigao Strait, which was part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, took place from October 24-25, 1944, and was one of only two battleship-versus-battleship naval battles of the entire campaign in the Pacific during the Second War II. Both were fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Surigao Strait also marked the last time in naval history that one force was able to “cross the T” of its opponent, and the last time that air power did not play a part, except in pursuit. U.S. Navy battleships participating were USS Mississippi (BB-41), 1941. When the battle ended the Japanese battleships Fuso and Yamashiro and the destroyers Michishio, Asagumo and Yamagumo had been sunk! The Last Battleship Built It is fitting that the Royal Navy has the distinction of commissioning the final true battleship – HMS Vanguard. Built during the Second World War, but only commissioned afterward, she was the biggest and fastest of the British battleships and the last to be built.

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The development of a new and more powerful class of battleships began in the late 1930s when the British military believed it would be outnumbered by the combined German and Japanese battleship fleets. Originally designed with 16-inch guns, it was determined it would be too time-consuming to produce the warship and it was modified to use existing 15-inch guns. Construction of the warship stopped and restarted during the war, and as a result of modifications being made to address wartime experience, Vanguard wasn’t completed until after the war ended. She remained in service until 1955 when it was determined during refit to be put in reserve. Sadly, the last warship was sold for scrap in 1960, an inglorious end to the last battleship to be built.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/02/last-battleship-battle-and-other-navy-lasts-that-should-not-be-

forgotten/

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WHAT ONE WORD TEACHES US ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY OF AMERICAN EMPIRE AROOP MUKHARJI

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

COMMENTARY

George B. Cortelyou, a mostly forgotten historical figure, authored one of the most important insider accounts of the final days before the Spanish-American War. His diary is one of the few contemporary descriptions of what was happening in the White House and what was going through President William McKinley’s mind before he requested authorization to use military force on April 11, 1898.

The Spanish-American War directly led to the annexation of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, as well as governance of Cuba. The war was one of the most pivotal moments in U.S. foreign policy history, and its causes remain debated.

Cortelyou’s diary is archival gold. He wrote many diary entries in shorthand. Upon acquisition of the diary, the Library of Congress translated those entries and opened the diary to public research in 1967. One word from a critical diary entry on April 2, 1898 has never been translated — until now. My translation of that single word dispels two longstanding, powerful myths about the war that launched a sprawling overseas American empire.

First, it tells us that days before the request for authorization, war was not a foregone conclusion. Second, McKinley did not crumble under public pressure. To the contrary, the White House perceived the public as supportive of a policy of restraint. But more than anything, the translated word is a humbling reminder that history, much like life, is full of uncertainty. Until the very end, nobody knew what would happen next. Not even McKinley.

McKinley the Cipher

McKinley is a notoriously difficult president to understand. “One of the most enigmatic figures ever to occupy the White House,” historian Ernest May once wrote about him. “A man’s character usually emerges for the historian out of private letters. McKinley wrote none.” Historian Kristin Hoganson goes even further, writing that arguments of McKinley’s motives “ultimately must be based on conjecture.”

In truth, McKinley wrote some letters, but few relative to his predecessors and successors. He never kept a diary, he preferred to conduct much of his diplomacy in person (rather than via letter), and he was the first president to use the telephone to communicate with his executive departments and other policymakers, before anyone thought (or was required) to keep records of the calls. He was also assassinated in 1901, just six months into his second term, so he never wrote a memoir.

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To understand McKinley and the decision-making environment in the White House, especially before the war, the papers of his advisers and confidants have proven to be critical resources. Few closer to the president left more clues than Cortelyou, who served as McKinley’s executive clerk at the time.

Cortelyou and the White House

Cortelyou entered the White House as a stenographer to President Grover Cleveland in 1895 and was soon promoted to executive clerk. He stayed on after McKinley’s election in 1896, despite the changing of the guard. Secretary to the President John Addison Porter was often absent due to illness or seeing to his own political ambitions. Porter’s administrative duties thus fell to Cortelyou in early 1898. Cortelyou spent a lot of time with the president, perhaps more than anyone else.

By the spring of 1898, Cortelyou had modernized the mail and communications system of the White House and was effectively acting as something in between a modern chief of staff, press secretary, and cabinet secretary. Because of this expanded portfolio, especially during the war, McKinley asked Congress to create a new position for Cortelyou, assistant secretary to the president, which Congress did in July 1898. Cortelyou would prove to be such an effective administrator that he would serve in the cabinet of McKinley’s fellow Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, in three separate positions, and even chaired Roosevelt’s 1904 presidential campaign as well as the Republican National Committee. Newspapers and elite Republicans even floated Cortelyou’s name as a potential presidential candidate in 1908.

He was not your typical clerk.

Cortelyou’s Diary and the Missing Word

After Cortelyou’s death in 1940, his son donated Cortelyou’s papers to the Library of Congress in 1942. Twenty-five years later, in 1967, the Library made them available for public research. Among these papers was Cortelyou’s diary.

A small handful of McKinley specialists reference Cortelyou and make use of his papers, but he remains grossly overlooked as a figure and as a source. In many major works on U.S. empire and the Spanish-American War by Eric Foner (volumes 1 and 2), Louis Pérez, Walter LaFeber, and Joseph Smith, for instance, Cortelyou is completely missing from the text. John Offner’s multi-archival 1992 classic mentions Cortelyou on just two pages — Hoganson’s, on just one.

Cortelyou wrote many of his diary notes in shorthand, specifically in the Pitman system (more specifically, in the Munson “dialect” of Pitman). Shorthand is a written system of English that uses abbreviated symbols to represent sounds. It was commonly used by stenographers, journalists, secretaries, and anyone else who wanted to scribble notes quickly.

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Woodrow Wilson was the last U.S. president who knew and took notes in shorthand. Cortelyou did not write shorthand diary notes every day, and, in the four weeks before the war, he mostly sketched brief thoughts on the crisis in Cuba and the emotional toll this was taking on McKinley.

Many entries deserve special mention, but the April 2, 1898 entry is particularly fascinating. First, it is one of a handful of entries after the Naval Board of Inquiry’s report on the USS Maine disaster was sent to Congress on March 28, but before McKinley’s request for the authorization to use force on April 11. The USS Maine tragically sank from a mysterious explosion while anchored in Havana harbor earlier that year on Feb. 15, killing 266 Americans. The USS Maine disaster increased tensions between the United States and Spain and contributed to a sense of uneasiness. But it neither made war inevitable nor precipitated it, as many mistakenly believe. McKinley — and Secretary of the Navy John D. Long — did not want war and never suspected Spain was to blame.

Consider this story: Alfred Mahan, the preeminent American naval strategist of the era, checked in with the Navy Department after the sinking of the USS Maine. He had planned on a seven-month European holiday with his family and asked whether he should cancel those plans in light of the incident. The department said no. Mahan and his family left in late March for Naples. Bizarre timing to send a senior naval adviser away if war was really believed to be on the near horizon.

Cortelyou’s diary entry on Apr. 2, 1898 captures the thinking in the White House in the critical few days after McKinley officially learned from the report that Spain was not responsible for the USS Maine attack but before he ultimately decided on war. After the report’s release, McKinley still faced some pressure from Congress to pursue war. Even though the report absolved Spain, it concluded that the explosion was externally caused, stoking suspicion of foul play. (It has since been established the explosion was internally caused and accidental). Despite growing pressure in Congress, key allies in the House of Representatives and Senate continued to support McKinley’s position of restraint, including Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed.

Still, McKinley felt the situation in Cuba was unsustainable. Spain’s brutal policies to suppress the Cuban independence movement since 1895 had caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Cubans. So much destruction and disorder so close to America’s shores created a sense of insecurity in McKinley’s mind. He knew that the United States had the capacity to do something about it, but he wanted war to be the last resort. McKinley continued to search for peaceful alternatives, but Spain would not agree to an armistice with Cuban rebels. Finally, on April 11, having exhausted all diplomatic avenues, including a mediation attempt by Pope Leo XIII, McKinley requested authorization to use military force. Congress granted it.

In addition to the timing, this diary entry is also important because it offers an assessment of public opinion. One of the longest-running narratives about the Spanish-American War is that sensationalist newspapers like the New York World and New York Journal whipped the public into a frothy war frenzy, and this pushed McKinley to war.

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This explanation for war has been overstated ever since. It is a powerful myth that will not die. David Trask, for instance, in his authoritative work on the Spanish-American War, writes that “the people, acting out powerful irrational impulses, dictated the decision of April, 1898.” Some historians, like W. Joseph Campbell, have offered compelling correctives to this. Yet, it lives on, even among the most talented historians of our era — like Jill Lepore, who repeats a debunked quote attributed to William Randolph Hearst (“You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war”) and broadly emphasizes the yellow press and public opinion in her widely celebrated history of the United States.

In the absence of polling, it is quite difficult to measure what the public actually believed. Analysis of newspapers of the time (beyond the sensationalist “yellow press”) offers some measurement of public opinion, but there were probably just as many newspapers that formally aligned with the president and the Republican Party as those that were Democratic (back then, media companies proudly affiliated with political parties). Finding newspaper articles in favor of war is rather meaningless, given the number that also advocated restraint.

But, for the purposes of understanding the president’s decision, what matters more than what the public believed is what the White House believed the public believed. Cortelyou’s April 2 diary entry delivers the last insider assessment of public opinion before McKinley requested Congressional authorization to use force. That segment of the diary reads:

The “____” is a word that was never translated from shorthand by the Library of Congress, which supplied typewritten transcripts of Cortelyou’s diary entries. Based on my study of Munson’s system of shorthand and consultation with a Pitman translator (a rare gem), I believe that word is “new.” See for yourself:

https://warontherocks.com/2021/02/what-one-word-teaches-us-about-the-uncertainty-of-american-

empire/

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VIOLENT NON-STATE ACTORS IN THE MARITIME SPACE:

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PHILIPPINES 01/07/2021 in Maritime Terrorism by Jay Benson

Satellite imagery from Google Earth.

Violent non-state actors (VNSAs) such as terrorist and insurgent groups are increasingly turning to the seas to facilitate their campaigns of violence. What opportunities do these groups seek to exploit, for what purposes do they take to the sea, and what are the implications for the Philippines' efforts to combat terrorism and insurgency?

THE CHALLENGE OF “SEA BLINDNESS” IN COUNTERINSURGENCY AND COUNTERTERRORISM

In order to understand why VNSAs exploit the maritime space, it's important to understand the challenge of “sea blindness,” or the failure to adequately consider the maritime aspects of terrorism and insurgency. Most people do not think of insurgency and terrorism as maritime security issues, but as events such as the Abu Sayyaf Group’s ferry bombing in 2004, the seaborne terrorist attack on Mumbai, and even the Siege of Marawi show, a failure to take into account the maritime elements of insurgency and terrorism can have tragic consequences.

This sea blindness is caused by a variety of factors. First, high-profile acts of terrorism at sea are relatively rare, which makes the public perception that terrorism is an exclusively land-based phenomenon understandable. The second factor lies in the way that counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations are conceived and executed. They are almost always led by land-based security services, such as armies and special forces, which may not be familiar with countering a VNSA’s maritime operations. This is compounded by issues of resourcing. Around the world, armed forces allocate the large majority of funding to onshore security services, and given their comparatively limited resources and a variety of other pressing national security missions, naval and maritime law enforcement services are often left with insufficient resources to contribute their maritime expertise to counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.

All of this contributes to the challenge of sea blindness in our thinking about organized political violence and provides VNSAs with space to exploit the maritime domain to operate, maneuver, finance, and sustain their campaigns of violence.

A TYPOLOGY OF VNSA MARITIME ACTIVITY

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In order to better understand exactly how and why armed groups exploit the maritime space, Stable Seas has developed a typology of five different activities that groups undertake at sea. These include activities which facilitate both their operational and financial needs.

• Tactical Support: These are activities which support a group’s onshore operations logistically. Activities in this category include the maritime movement of fighters, arms, and supplies, and maritime raids against onshore targets.

• Target: This category includes the actual targeting of civilians, security services, and infrastructure at sea. Bombings of ferries, maritime IED attacks, and targeting of offshore oil platforms are all examples.

• Take: These are activities by which a group seizes resources at sea. Examples include piracy and armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, and oil bunkering.

• Traffic and Trade: This occurs when an armed group, often tapping into existing trafficking and organized crime networks, benefits financially from maritime trade in licit and illicit goods. Examples include maritime elements of human trafficking or trade in drugs, arms, or other goods.

• Tax and Extort: This includes the extraction of resources from extortion of licit economic activity in the maritime space, such as informal levies placed on maritime cargo and protection money coerced out of ports or other marine industries.

In developing this “Five Ts” typology, Stable Seas seeks to offer a framework for better understanding how, and why, violent non-state actors around the globe exploit the maritime space. But what does this conceptual framework look like when it is actually applied to prominent VNSA groups in the Philippines?

THE LANDSCAPE OF VNSA MARITIME ACTIVITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Stables Seas has recently researched how 43 prominent armed groups around the world use the maritime space by looking at each group individually and analyzing the degree to which they carry out activities in each of these five categories. The report includes four groups from the Philippines: the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Maute Group, and the New People’s Army (NPA). Looking at each group’s specific use of the maritime space might lend some more context-specific insights.

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ASG is widely recognized as one of the groups most adept globally at exploiting the maritime space. The group is obviously well known for its kidnap-for-ransom operations, but it also falls into the highest tier in the tactical support category, as it has shown the ability to regularly move fighters and supplies via the maritime space and launch attacks from the sea, as demonstrated through the two interdictions of ASG fighters at sea last November. In addition, the group’s base of operations in the Sulu Archipelago and the prevalence of small-scale and informal maritime trade in the region provide ample opportunity to tap into these informal markets for financial gain through taxation, extortion, and direct participation in maritime trafficking, though open-source evidence of these kinds of activities is difficult to establish. Finally, while it has been less prominent in recent years, ASG has shown the motivation and ability to strike at maritime targets directly, and as the group’s strength deteriorates, there is the risk that it will increasingly turn to this tactic of attacking soft targets in the maritime space.

Other groups in the Philippines have not demonstrated the ability to exploit the maritime space to the same degree as ASG, but have done so more selectively, and, given the opportunity, may seek to replicate ASG’s tactics.

Of the remaining VNSAs, the Maute Group has shown the greatest tendency to rely on the maritime space to support its onshore operations. This is most clearly demonstrated by the group’s well-known movement of fighters through the Sulu and Celebes seas in the lead-up to the Siege of Marawi and its use of the seas as an escape route as fighting ended. However, the group has also used the maritime space for financial gain, as drug seizures associated with the group indicate potential involvement in maritime trafficking. Recent warnings that the group may be reemerging as a security threat indicate a need for continued vigilance against these maritime activities.

In addition, though its maritime activities are less prominent now than they have been in the past, the NPA also has a demonstrated history of exploiting the maritime space through the targeting of maritime law enforcement agencies and the smuggling of arms and supplies. While reliance on these methods appears to have declined more recently, as peace talks appear to lose momentum, there is always the threat that the group could turn back to the sea to facilitate its operations.

Finally, the BIFF has the least amount of documented maritime activity. Here, the focus of our research was on the potential of such activity. The opportunity remains for the group to exploit the same structural vulnerabilities in the maritime domain, and given the apparent existence of some level of connection between the BIFF and ASG, the group may seek to learn from the latter’s prevalent use of the maritime space.

Looking at these groups as a whole, there are some interesting differences and common threads. First, no group has used the maritime kidnap-for-ransom strategy utilized by ASG in the same manner, and, in fact, it is an extremely rare strategy among armed groups the world over. Kidnap-for-ransom operations require significant planning and safe areas in which to hold hostages, sometimes for extended periods of time.

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These are difficult prerequisites for many groups to replicate, and even ASG, as it has come under increasing pressure from the Armed Forces of the Philippines on shore, has dramatically reduced its reliance on kidnapping for ransom since the peak of such activity in 2016. As that pressure mounts, the group may turn to other forms of maritime exploitation.

Second, the common thread between the groups seems to be that the most heavily relied-upon form of maritime activity is tactical support. This likely has several causes. Moving fighters, arms, and supplies has perhaps the lowest barrier to entry of any of these five categories. The geography of the areas where they operate is conducive to and sometimes necessitates maritime movements, and the high volume of maritime trade, passenger movement, and fishing activity may allow for an element of hiding such activity in plain sight.

POTENTIAL AREAS OF POLICY PRIORITIZATION

Given these trends, the question then becomes, what can be done to address these forms of VNSA exploitation of the maritime space?

The first consideration would be the importance of civilians at sea and in coastal communities as a valuable source of information. Media reporting on the recent interdiction of ASG fighters off Jolo indicates that locals, seeing the unfamiliar men, reported their presence to the security services. This highlights the role that fishers, boat operators, and coastal community members, who have an intimate understanding of the “pattern of life” in their local waters, can play as a source of information. But in order to tap into this, they must have a positive relationship with local security services, clear and discreet mechanisms for reporting suspicious activity, and confidence they can be protected from retribution.

The second is small-vessel monitoring. The sheer volume of small-vessel traffic in the Sulu and Celebes seas facilitates VNSA maritime activity. In this regard, the SSEN vessel identification system implemented by the Philippine Coast Guard over the last few years is a major advancement to be built upon.

In addition, the ways in which armed groups use the sea are often influenced by counterinsurgency operations on shore and linked to other forms of maritime crime. Therefore, domestic coordination and information-sharing between navies, maritime law enforcement agencies, fisheries and border enforcement, and service branches conducting onshore counterinsurgency will be critical in ensuring that armed groups cannot exploit gaps and adapt their use of the maritime space to sustain their operations.

And finally, regional military, law enforcement, and border control cooperation will be key. The routes that VNSAs use to transport fighters, arms, and supplies, the maritime targets they may select, and the illicit maritime trafficking they may profit from all transcend national borders. Agreements like the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement are a strong foundation on which to build deeper and more systemic cooperation to address the threat of transnational maritime terrorism.

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By better understanding how VNSAs exploit the maritime space, policy makers, both civilian and military—can craft more comprehensive counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies which overcome sea blindness in our understanding of organized political violence and more effectively bring peace, stability, and prosperity to conflict-impacted regions of the Philippines.

https://www.stableseas.org/maritime-terrorism/violent-non-state-actors-maritime-space-philippines

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