US Strikes in Syria and Iraq and Sinn Fein First Minister
First, we are rolling out our remodeled website over the next few days. I invite you to give it a look and make any comments you think are helpful. I want to thank all the members of our staff who have worked so long and hard on the site, especially Matt Sherrard, our terrific webmaster, and Olivia Franse, our Chief Intelligence Moderator. Matt worked on the technology side of the street, and Olivia worked on the content and the site’s new look.
As I prepare this distribution list to send off, I want to call your attention to two WaPo articles from today's paper. First, the latest on the US strikes in Syria and Iraq in response to the killing of US servicemen in Jordan by Iranian proxy militias: "U.S. strikes in Syria and Iraq kill dozens of militants."
The second article covers a truly historic event that you may have missed in naming Michelle O’Neill as the first minister of Northern Ireland: "Northern Ireland gets its first Sinn Féin first minister in historic shift." For those of you who have followed "the Troubles" over the decades since the late 1960s, you know what a remarkable event this is. Our company has taught a module on "The Troubles" and the counterterrorism tradecraft innovations and lessons learned in that conflict for years and I can attest to the unique nature of a Catholic first minister of Northern Ireland.
Lastly, for those of you who are interested, there is an excellent 2023 crime series called “Blue Lights” on Amazon Prime about the challenges of policing faced by the Police Services of Northern Ireland. The PSNI replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the exclusive Protestant police force of Northern Ireland, following the negotiated “Good Friday Accords” that ended most of the violence of the “Troubles” in 1998.
US Naval Update Map: Feb 1, 2024
Iran-US Tensions Will Remain High, Despite Both Sides' Desire to Avoid a War
How Will the Gaza War Impact Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon's Economies?
Terrorist Target of Cultural-Heritage Sites-Soufan Group Report