And this decision today is really - you got to take a couple of steps back and look at it in the context of the combined arms training that we're doing with Ukrainian battalions right now outside the country. They believe - and we believe they're right to believe - that in the spring and the summer months, that they are going to face Russia coming back in an offensive way and that they want to be able to conduct offensive operations of their own. And they want to do it in a combined arms fashion, which means you need to maneuver in open terrain and on vast parts of ground. And that means you need armored capabilities like the Bradleys and the Strykers we've sent. And that, of course, includes tanks. So this decision was really the culmination of weeks of diplomatic conversations about how do we help Ukraine in the fight that we expect them to be in when the winter fades and spring and summer months come.
But the difference is Ukraine is at war. And they are in the midst of an invasion by a hostile neighboring power, and they are losing civilians and troops every day. So we need to make sure that we tailor the delivery of Ukraines in a way - I'm sorry, Abrams, pardon me - that we deliver the - that we tailor the delivery of Abrams tanks in a way that the Ukrainians can absorb it effectively. So that's why we're going to start with this battalion. That's why it's going to take many months for them to get there.
We gave them the equivalent of one Ukrainian battalion, so that it wasn't...
...Some symbolic gesture. It was actually - have operational impact.
But likely no Abrams tank for Ukraine since ... the armor for them is still classified and engines are turbines, so hard to maintain and fix. Would be surprised if the US does it.
The Russian MoD’s public announcement of this restructuring framed the change as necessary to both improve Russian command and control and to intensify Russian operations in Ukraine. The official MoD readout of the appointment states that these changes were made in association "with the expansion of the scale of tasks solved in [the special military operation’s] implementation, the need to organize closer interaction between the services and branches of the Armed Forces, as well as improving the quality of all types of support and the effectiveness of command and control."[4] Putin’s decision to have the Russian MoD publicly announce the changes and their intent, unlike several previous changes to the Russian command structure that were not officially announced, indicate the Kremlin intends Gerasimov’s appointment as a major shift—both in actual conduct of the war, as well as the framing of the Russian MoD’s role. Gerasimov’s appointment and the overall command restructure are likely in part intended to signal, both internationally and domestically within Russia, the Kremlin’s dedication to the traditional power structures of the Russian MoD and Putin’s willingness to fight a long war in Ukraine.
5 things to know for Jan. 11: Storms, Ukraine, US military, Airline complaints, Eggs
Ukrainian troops are set to begin training on the Patriot missile system in the US as soon as next week, according to the Pentagon. The training program will take place at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where the US conducts its own training on operating and maintaining the advanced air defense system. The US has already trained Ukrainian troops in Europe, but analysts say the decision to conduct Patriot training on American soil could increase tensions with Moscow further as Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has constantly warned Western nations against further involvement in the war. About 90 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers are expected to arrive in Oklahoma for the training, the Pentagon said.
The US military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for troops has been officially rescinded, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a memo Tuesday night. The requirement to remove the mandate was viewed as a win for conservative lawmakers who had argued that it was hindering the military’s recruitment efforts, although Pentagon officials maintained there was no evidence to support the claim. This comes after President Joe Biden recently signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, requiring its dismissal. Separately, the US military announced Tuesday that it intercepted a shipment of more than 2,000 Iranian assault rifles destined for Yemen. The move will likely add to the existing tensions between the US and Iran, which have increased in recent months due to the crackdowns on civil unrest throughout the country.
After Southwest Airlines experienced a meltdown that scuttled holiday travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers, federal officials now say they’re acting on “thousands” of complaints from Southwest customers – including complaints that the airline is not making good on its pledge to issue refunds. The Department of Transportation “has sent every complaint directly to Southwest” and is now demanding the airline “provide substantive responses” to each within 60 days. Southwest Airlines told CNN it is processing “tens of thousands” of requests each day and is complying with the department’s regulations. According to a financial filing from Southwest, the meltdown cost the airline between $725 million and $825 million in lost revenue, additional crew costs, and passenger refunds.
Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic official to be convicted of child sex abuse before the ruling was overturned in 2020, has died, according to his secretary. He was 81. Pell’s death was confirmed Tuesday after he was admitted to a Rome hospital for hip replacement surgery. While the operation was successful, Pell subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest.
TODAY’S NUMBER
5 months
That’s how long Allen Weisselberg, the long-time chief financial officer for former President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to serve in jail for his role in a decade-long tax fraud scheme. Weisselberg’s sentencing on Tuesday caps one long-running investigation – but it comes as the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate the Trump Organization over the accuracy of the companies’ financial statements.
When the president's actions (or inactions) provide "Aid and Comfort" to enemies or levy war against the United States, then Congress has the power to impeach and remove (convict) the president for treason.
A simple majority of the House is necessary to approve articles of impeachment. If the Senate, by vote of a two-thirds majority, convicts the official on any article of impeachment, the result is removal from office and, at the Senate's discretion, disqualification from holding future office.
Only three presidents—Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and Donald Trump (twice, in 2019 and 2021)—have been impeached. Neither Johnson nor Clinton were convicted, and Trump’s first impeachment resulted in an acquittal by the Senate. One president, Richard Nixon, resigned his office in 1974 when it became clear that he would be impeached by the House and likely convicted by the Senate. Nixon was pardoned for his alleged misconduct by his successor, Gerald Ford.
Has me thinking... did the,vehicles actually make it to the Ukraine or were they just strategically positioned around the US? 🤔
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK7FFOLRVto
Ukraine: military situation Jan 11, 2023
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JANUARY 11, 2023
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-11-2023
5 things to know for Jan. 11: Storms, Ukraine, US military, Airline complaints, Eggs
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/us/five-things-january-11-trnd/index.html
That's a lot of seemingly unrelated, yet related things going on at the same time.
Only three presidents—Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and Donald Trump (twice, in 2019 and 2021)—have been impeached. Neither Johnson nor Clinton were convicted, and Trump’s first impeachment resulted in an acquittal by the Senate. One president, Richard Nixon, resigned his office in 1974 when it became clear that he would be impeached by the House and likely convicted by the Senate. Nixon was pardoned for his alleged misconduct by his successor, Gerald Ford.