Owlbear Camus posted:

is the state department still pulling an "uhh uhh we don't know what they mean by 'get the gently caress out. leave.' we're trying to get clarification."

dead gay comedy forums posted:

as such, financial metrics that aim to provide a quality outlook have to be adjusted to actually account for that, which require a far more comprehensive analysis that considers supply, current production, capacity, etc. It's not merely about being cheaper, because those prices can be simply nominal for all intents and purposes (especially when there's central planning involved) and they can be way less. Then to gauge all of that into parity with some other economy? Depending on those structural differences, the numbers game can become ridiculous. What truly matters is the why of this type of analysis being done in the first place instead of a material comparison of productive forces.

Vampire Six posted:

_{(Click thumbnail to open video)}
British Defence Minister Grant Shapps is attempting to impress with the French designed Scalp/Storm Shadow missiles, promising to increase production.

What do we actually see:

- 1 old man working with hand tools

- A small facility geared towards very low production numbers.

- This is artisanal production not industrial.

If this is his answer to the problem then he still doesn't understand how real wars are won.

@Slavyangrad

Cerebral Bore posted:

how it really works is that when you first pick a door you have a 1/3 chance of being right and a 2/3 chance of being wrong, and then monty hall has to open a door with a goat behind it

this means that if you picked a door with a goat behind it then monty has no choice but to open the other door with a goat behind it, which means that in the 2/3 of cases where you picked wrong switching doors will guarantee that you get the car

quote:

https://www.reuters.com
Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says
Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali
6 - 7 minutes

Item 3 of 3 Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou/File Photo

[3/3]Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hangar at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

The move by Russia's military, which Reuters was the first to report, puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.

It also raises questions about the fate of U.S. installations in the country following a withdrawal.

"(The situation) is not great but in the short-term manageable," the official said.

Asked about the Reuters report, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin played down any risk to American troops or the chance that Russian troops might get close to U.S. military hardware.

"The Russians are in a separate compound and don't have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment," Austin told a press conference in Honolulu.

"I'm always focused on the safety and protection of our troops ... But right now, I don't see a significant issue here in terms of our force protection."

The Nigerien and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. and its allies have been forced to move troops out of a number of African countries following coups that brought to power groups eager to distance themselves from Western governments. In addition to the impending departure from Niger, U.S. troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the same time, Russia is seeking to strengthen relations with African nations, pitching Moscow as a friendly country with no colonial baggage in the continent.

Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia's closest African allies, with the Wagner Group mercenary force deploying there to fight jihadist insurgents.

Russia has described relations with the United States as "below zero" because of U.S. military and financial aid for Ukraine in its effort to defend against invading Russian forces.

The U.S. official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden's administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.

After the coup, the U.S. military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez. It was not immediately clear what U.S. military equipment remained at Airbase 101.

The United States built Airbase 201 in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018 it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters with armed drones.

Washington is concerned about Islamic militants in the Sahel region, who may be able to expand without the presence of U.S. forces and intelligence capabilities.

Niger's move to ask for the removal of U.S. troops came after a meeting in Niamey in mid-March, when senior U.S. officials raised concerns including the expected arrival of Russia forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in the country, including uranium.

While the U.S. message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear U.S. forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.

"They did not take that well," the official said.

A two-star U.S. general has been sent to Niger to try and arrange a professional and responsible withdrawal.

While no decisions have been taken on the future of U.S. troops in Niger, the official said the plan was for them to return to U.S. Africa Command's home bases, located in Germany.

(This story has been refiled to insert the dropped word 'official' in paragraph 1)

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Writing by Idrees Ali; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Clarence Fernandez

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Phil Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and South Sudan. An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence and the Joe Galloway Award.

National security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have. Has reported from over two dozen countries to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and much of the Middle East, Asia and Europe. From Karachi, Pakistan.

OctaMurk posted:

The veteran said that some Ukrainian soldiers who were trained in the UK told him that when they asked how to get through Russia's vast minefields, they were told to just go around them.

Raskolnikov38 posted:

what on earth is the pixel blob supposed to be

Raskolnikov38 posted:

what on earth is the pixel blob supposed to be

quote:

It also didn't take long for the memes to arrive. One depicted a man under a maple leaf hugging the behind of an enthusiastic moose.

BearsBearsBears posted:

People online are saying it looks like a man (likely a Canadian) jacking off a moose.

rudecyrus posted:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-forces-army-logo-1.7194088

quote:

The rebranding was an in-house exercise, the department said.

"The icon was developed without additional funds or involvement of external companies," said Tétreault. "It was developed by DND's internal graphic design team, and this icon comes at zero expense to the taxpayer."

fits my needs posted:

https://x.com/MilitaryTimes/status/1786112432147980304

BearsBearsBears posted:

It's a bit tangential to this thread but the Canadian army has a a new logo. I'm not sure how much it cost to do this rebranding.

Megamissen posted:

i want to know ffs opinion on the new logo

Megamissen posted:

i want to know ffs opinion on the new logo

DickParasite posted:

BearsBearsBears posted:

Apparently there's a bigger version of the blob pattern. People online are saying it looks like a man (likely a Canadian) jacking off a moose.

BearsBearsBears posted:

Apparently there's a bigger version of the blob pattern. People online are saying it looks like a man (likely a Canadian) jacking off a moose.

Officer Sandvich posted:

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1246636334/pentagon-military-healthcare

After downsizing health care for years, Pentagon says medical readiness was a casualty