The United States achieved two important goals in the counterterrorism operation to eliminate al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, carrying out a mission without troops in Kabul and using a type of missile that avoided civilian casualties.
For a year, US officials have said that addressing terrorist threats in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of their troops would be difficult, though not impossible.
The US achieved that goal over the weekend by killing al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri after being hit by a CIA drone.
In the past, these types of airstrikes have unintentionally killed innocent civilians, but for the Kabul operation, the United States carefully chose a type of Hellfire missile that minimized the chance that an attack would cause additional casualties, according to the Associated Press. (AP).
Without public confirmation by US authorities of the use of the Hellfire variant, experts and sources familiar with counterterrorism operations explained that the likely variant was top secret Hellfire R9Xknown by various nicknames such as “bomb knife” or “flying ginsu”.
For Clone Kitchen, a former intelligence analyst, the likely use of the R9X suggests that the US intended to kill al-Zawahiri with “limited chance of death and accompanying destruction and for other relevant political reasons.”
Originally developed as an anti-tank missile in the 1980s, the Hellfire has been used by the military and intelligence agencies for the past two decades to hit targets in Iraq, Afghanistan or Yemen, among other places.
High-precision guided missiles can be mounted on helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles and are widely used in combat operations around the world.
More than 100,000 Hellfire missiles have been sold to the US and other countries, according to Ryan Brobst, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank.
“This projectile can do enough damage to destroy most targets, such as vehicles and buildings, but does not do enough damage to destroy city blocks or cause significant damage to civilians,” Brobst said.
The US military has regularly used Hellfire missiles to destroy key targets, including high-ranking al-Qaeda leader in Syria last year and al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011.
For last weekend’s attack, the Americans had several options, such as using a traditional Hellfire, a bomb dropped from a manned aircraft, or a more risky attack using ground troops.
SEALs, the elite force of the US Navy, for example, went to Pakistan in helicopters to shoot down Osama bin Laden in a 2011 offensive.
In this case, the CIA chose to strike with a drone, and while the U.S. intelligence agency does not usually confirm its counterterrorism missions or add details, Joe Biden’s government sources explained that two Hellfire rockets were fired at the balcony of the house where al-Zawahiri lived.in Kabul.
Pictures taken inside the building showed damage to the balcony, but the rest of the house wasafter the attack.
Unlike other Hellfire models, the R9X does not carry an explosive charge. Instead, it has a number six rotating blades that appear on their final approach to the target, Kitchen explained.
“One of its uses is to open vehicles and other obstacles to reach a target without the use of an explosive warhead,” Clone Kitchen added.
The prevention of collateral damage was presented as the main goal of the US authorities.
Less than a year ago, an American drone using a conventional Hellfire missile hit a car in the Kabul area and killed 10 nearby civilians, including seven children.
On Monday, a government official said the U.S. was investigating the construction of the house where al-Zawahiri stayed to ensure the operation could be carried out without compromising the structural integrity of the building, as well as minimizing the risk of killing civilians, including members of his family. which was in other parts of the house.
Finland’s prime minister is back in the spotlight this week, again for reasons other than her leadership style. In a video posted on social media, Sanna Marin dances and sings with a group of friends. As a result, opposition party leaders are demanding that the 36-year-old government official undergo a drug test, and argue that such an attitude is not appropriate for a government official.
Sanna Marin was quick to respond to a stream of videos of her appearing with friends, including some Finnish celebrities, at a house party. Prime Minister the youngest in the world denies using any banned substances, ensuring that he only consumed alcohol and celebrated “unrestrainedly”.
Speaking to reporters this Thursday in Kuopio, Finland, where the party is organizing a summer conference, Marin assured that he knew about the filming, but admitted he was annoyed that the video was released without his knowledge. “I danced and sang and had parties, absolutely cool stuff. I have never been in a situation where I have seen or heard of others [usarem drogas]”, stated.
Prime Minister of Finland @MarinSanna hit the headlines after a video from her party was leaked today.
She has previously been criticized for attending too many music festivals and spending too much on parties instead of ruling.
Opposition leader Riikka Purra urged the prime minister to voluntarily undergo a drug test, accusing Sanna Marin of a “shadow of a doubt”. Other parties also did not shy away from criticizing both the head of government and the media for taking up time talking about parties instead of discussing more important issues – with entry of Russian citizens into this country.
But Sanna Marin continues to publicly defend herself: “I have a family life, I have a professional life, and I have free time that I spend with friends. Almost the same as many people my age.” In addition, he made it clear that he would not change his behavior. “I’m going to be exactly the same person I’ve been until now, and I hope that’s accepted,” he concluded.
The Prime Minister makes no secret of his love of parties and continues to make headlines. Recently, a photo of her at a music festival circulated on Twitter, where they commented on the governor’s outfit. In December 2021, Marin publicly apologized for visiting a bar in Helsinki after coming into contact with another minister who tested positive for Covid-19.
On social media, comments are divided between surprise and messages of support for Sanna Marin. “When I saw the video of Sanna Marin, I thought fakes are getting really good. It couldn’t be true. No sane prime minister would put himself in the position of being caught on video if it came out,” wrote one user. “If dancing is what keeps Sanna Marin entertained, then she should be free to do it, even if the most conservative people have trouble doing it.” protectsin opposition, another netizen.
When I first saw Sanna Marin’s video, I thought, “These deep fakes are getting really good. It can not be true. No sane prime minister would allow himself to be filmed like this if it leaked.” But it’s real. Voi, etta.
New Zealand police said the remains of two children were found in suitcases bought at an auction in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.
Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Waaelua said that the bodies of the victims, aged between five and ten years, were probably hidden for several years in two suitcases of the same size.
“The nature of the discovery makes the investigation challenging, especially given the time that has elapsed between death and discovery,” Waaelua said.
The family found the bags after purchasing a trailer full of items sold in bulk from a warehouse, with an official stating that the family in question was unrelated to the death but “understandably distraught at the find.”
Police, who also called Interpol, are searching the trailer for other household items and personal items to identify the victims.
The warehouse and property where the bags were found were thoroughly inspected by a forensic team.
“We are doing our best to identify the victims” in order to bring to justice the perpetrator or perpetrators of the deaths of these children, Waaelua said.
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Svalbard is an icy archipelago with a population of less than 3,000 and it is essential to carry weapons when leaving the cities due to the risk of polar bear attacks. It is the northernmost permanently inhabited region on the entire globe. And this is also Achilles’ heel of NATO in the Arcticwhat did you once call it Professor of Security Studies.
Formally, Svalbard is under the sovereignty of Norway, but thanks to a century-old treaty, many other countries have the right to exploit its natural resources. In particular, Russia, which has been mining in the region for years, often employs Ukrainian workers, mostly from the Donbass. In the abandoned city of Pyramidyou can still find a bust of Lenin and slogan which says: “Communism is our goal.”
▲ Entrance to the abandoned city of Pyramiden, where Soviet mines worked for decades.
Generic Image Group via Getty
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