Author: M Barbu

What Really Happened in Chile

The CIA, the Coup Against Allende, and the Rise of Pinochet

On September 9, 1973, I was eating lunch at Da Carla, an Italian restaurant in Santiago, Chile, when a colleague joined my table and whispered in my ear: “Call home immediately; it’s urgent.” At the time, I was serving as a clandestine CIA officer. Chile was my first overseas assignment, and for an eager young spymaster, it was a plum job. Rumors of a military coup against the socialist Chilean president, Salvador Allende, had been swirling for months. There had already been one attempt. Allende’s opponents were taking to the streets. Labor strikes and economic disarray made basic necessities difficult to find. Occasionally, bombs rocked the capital. The whole country seemed exhausted and tense. In other words, it was exactly the kind of place that every newly minted CIA operative wants to be.

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

From the earliest days of my Presidency, I have argued that our world is at an inflection point.

How we respond to the tremendous challenges and the unprecedented opportunities we face today will determine the direction of our world and impact the security and prosperity of the American people for generations to come. The 2022 National Security Strategy outlines how my Administration will seize this decisive decade to advance America’s vital interests, position the United States to outmaneuver our geopolitical competitors, tackle shared challenges, and set our world firmly on a path toward a brighter and more hopeful tomorrow.

The ISI’s Toxic Legacy: Will Pakistan Ever Be Able To Break Free? – Analysis

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s main intelligence agency, established in 1947. Initially a small military unit, it has grown into a powerful organization, often seen as more influential than the country’s government. Over the years, the military’s control over politics has allowed the ISI to operate almost like a separate state. Today, the ISI not only gathers intelligence, but also plays a key role in shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy.

‘I know we will win – and how’: Ukraine’s top general on turning the tables against Russia

Exclusive: Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi weighs Ukraine’s recent setbacks, counter strikes and the changing face of Europe’s biggest war since 1945

Sitting on a stack of ammunition crates at a secret military base, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi was tight-lipped about when Ukraine will receive a long-awaited delivery of F-16 fighter jets. The Dutch and other allies have said they will arrive soon. This week? Or maybe August? “I know. But I can’t tell you about it, unfortunately,” he said, with an apologetic grin, as gulls squawked nearby.

‘This is a one-way ticket’ Inside the Russian military unit that’s lost so many soldiers it’s known as the ‘Bermuda Triangle’

The insignia of the 1st Slavyansk Brigade

Around 120,000 Russian soldiers have died fighting in Ukraine since Moscow began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Analysts estimate that Russia loses 200–250 troops every day, and casualties have increased significantly in recent months. After capturing the city of Avdiivka in February, Russian forces launched a massive offensive all along the front line and opened a new front in the Kharkiv region. The independent journalism cooperative Bereg set out to investigate the cost of this offensive for one brigade known for its particularly high death tolls and the cruelty with which its commanders, who hail from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic,” treat their Russian recruits. Journalist Lilia Yapparova also learned about how senior officers extort these soldiers, capturing large sums of money (including the very benefits offered as incitements to serve) in exchange for safer assignments and access to promised compensation. The following English-language translation has been abridged for length and clarity.

Five Takeaways From Hungary & Slovakia’s Russian Oil Dispute With Ukraine

This incident shows the lengths to which Ukraine and the EU are going to keep those two in line after they united to form an anti-war bloc in the heart of Europe.

Ukraine’s decision last month to stop the transit of Russian oil from Lukoil across its territory has hit Hungary and Slovakia, who have EU sanctions waivers to continue purchasing this resource, very hard. They’ve accordingly requested that the European Commission mediate between them and Kiev on the basis that the latter’s actions violate its 2014 Association Agreement with the bloc. The exact outcome of this dispute remains uncertain, but the following five takeaways encapsulate its essence: