War
- Thread starter captainmorgan
- Start date
printer
Well-Known Member
I would laugh if it was really a mockup that does not work but was made to get the Russians looking under their pillows.
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
i would too, time will tell if it real or not
love the design overall, and it's carrying package, both troops and torpedoes, if it is real, that makes the whole black sea it's play ground and the bridge...
printer
Well-Known Member
It looks more like a movie spacecraft, not sure how it would fare on the high seas.
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
it does...........
i went ahead a did a little digging into some possibilities..
i found these....not sure if it's connected at all....it's possible...
Northrop completes Manta Ray underwater drone prototype
An image — darkened along the edges and sporting a sparse backdrop — shows its glider-like body and a rounded nose. Little can be seen of the tail.
www.defensenews.com
Samwiseman420
Well-Known Member
I was waiting for porn to happen with that music
printer
Well-Known Member
The Manta Ray looks more stable with the turned up 'fins'.it does...........
i went ahead a did a little digging into some possibilities..
i found these....not sure if it's connected at all....it's possible...
Northrop completes Manta Ray underwater drone prototype
An image — darkened along the edges and sporting a sparse backdrop — shows its glider-like body and a rounded nose. Little can be seen of the tail.
printer
Well-Known Member
Four Republican US House Committee Chairs Support Plan to Pass Aid Bills This Week
The Republican leaders of four U.S. House of Representatives national security committees and one subcommittee issued a statement on Tuesday supporting Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to pass bills providing security assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this week.
"Speaker Johnson has produced a plan that will boost U.S. national security interests in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific," the leaders of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, Appropriations and Defense Appropriations panels said in a statement.
"We don’t have time to spare when it comes to our national security. We need to pass this aid package this week," they said.
The Republican leaders of four U.S. House of Representatives national security committees and one subcommittee issued a statement on Tuesday supporting Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to pass bills providing security assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this week.
"Speaker Johnson has produced a plan that will boost U.S. national security interests in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific," the leaders of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, Appropriations and Defense Appropriations panels said in a statement.
"We don’t have time to spare when it comes to our national security. We need to pass this aid package this week," they said.
printer
Well-Known Member
Johnson takes plunge on Ukraine aid in face of ouster threat
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is taking the plunge on a massive package of foreign aid that’s cleaved his conference and threatened his gavel, brushing off his detractors in a go-for-broke effort to help beleaguered allies overseas.
Johnson has won early Democratic support for his multipronged strategy to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, accompanied by a grab-all package of Republican national security priorities designed to appease wary conservatives within the House GOP. He’s vowing that all four components will get separate votes before the week is out. But the plan drew an immediate backlash from hard-liners in his conference, including spending hawks who don’t want to pile billions more onto the national debt; isolationists who want to focus Washington’s resources on domestic problems; and a wide spectrum of rank-and-file Republicans who have demanded that the legislation include tougher security at the southern U.S. border — a notable exclusion from the Speaker’s policy blueprint.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a frequent critic of the Speaker, has already introduced a motion to remove him from power — a resolution that’s hanging over the coming Ukraine votes, lying in wait for Greene to force it to the floor. And that threat became more menacing Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican with a libertarian streak, announced he’d support Johnson’s removal if Greene’s resolution is activated. “Mike Johnson’s going for the Triple Crown here against our base,” Massie said. “He’s voted for an omnibus that spends more than [Nancy] Pelosi. He’s put his finger on the scales to pass [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] without warrants. And now he’s about to do Ukraine without protecting the American border. “Those are like three strikes.”
The heightened threat has called attention to the precarious grip Johnson has on the House GOP, where the various ideological factions have been warring throughout the 118th Congress. Rebellious conservatives have already toppled one Speaker for defying their demands, and a hairline majority gives GOP leaders little room for error.
Still, Johnson got a big boost last week when he appeared alongside former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s residential resort, where the presumptive presidential nominee hailed the embattled Speaker for “doing a very good job.” And Johnson himself has dismissed the ouster effort, calling it “absurd” and “not helpful.” “I am not concerned about this. I am going to do my job, and I think that’s what the American people expect of us,” he said. For all the rumblings, he may have little to fear — at least in the near-term.
Massie has emphasized that he has no plans to force a motion-to-vacate resolution to the floor himself. And Greene, who had previously suggested that floor action on Ukraine would prompt her to force that vote, seemed to soften her tone this week. While publicly denouncing Johnson for breaking his promises, particularly on the border, Greene also emphasized that she’s treading carefully as she considers whether to force her ouster resolution to the floor — a decision that’s been complicated by Trump’s glowing review of the Speaker. “We’re discussing it. We’ll see what happens. But I think a motion to vacate is extremely serious, so I’m trying to be very responsible with it,” Greene said.
The hesitancy has given Johnson some breathing room as he seeks to usher the foreign aid bills through the House this week. And he’s getting early help from Democrats, who appear ready to embrace the four-vote strategy — as long as the policy provisions don’t stray too far from the Senate’s $95 billion aid package, which combined aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other global hot spots. “If it’s just simply chopping them all up, I think it’ll all pass — as long as they don’t put any poison pills in it,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “If it gets us unstuck, it’s a good thing,” echoed Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
The GOP reaction to the foreign aid plan has been multifaceted — and more complicated. On one hand, conservatives are praising Johnson’s decision to hold an amendment process and separate the priorities into four bills, which will give them a chance to support the proposals they like and oppose those they don’t. But in the same breath, those hard-liners have lambasted the exclusion of border security and the inclusion of a provision that will combine the four measures into one package before being sent to the Senate — a pair of negatives that are poised to outweigh the positives. Stoking the conservative frustrations, Johnson is also not allowing any amendments related to the border.
“I’m fine with putting individual subjects as a matter of course on the floor. But when it’s all sort of predetermined and it’s gonna leave border off, then you’ve given up the entire point of the fight. Which, I reminded the Speaker — and this is public information — like, multiple times over the last six months where he said border first before Ukraine,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters Tuesday. “He’s not gonna allow border security to be part of the package,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the Freedom Caucus. “That’s a big, big problem.”
Despite the growing frustration, no other Republicans have emerged from the woodwork to join Greene and Massie on the motion-to-vacate push, though several are keeping their cards close to their chests. Asked about the ouster effort, Roy told reporters he’s “not gonna talk about that.” And Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a former Freedom Caucus chair, did not rule it out, saying “we’re not anywhere close to that” when pressed on the gambit.
A large number of Republicans, meanwhile, have come out swinging against the ouster effort. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, called the push “a total waste of time and absolute ridiculous concept,” and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) predicted the gambit would fail.
Massie, for his part, said he thinks the effort to boot Johnson will garner more support than McCarthy’s ouster, which had eight Republicans and all Democrats on board. “If it were called today … he would lose the vote, and I think he would lose more than Kevin McCarthy lost,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday.
“It’s not just like the right flank of the conference that is upset with him — we’ve devolved into ‘Lord of the Flies,’” he added. “There’s no order. Like, the rules are going down. Like, there’s no repercussions for disorder. “I don’t think his life experiences have equipped him for this job.”
thehill.com
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is taking the plunge on a massive package of foreign aid that’s cleaved his conference and threatened his gavel, brushing off his detractors in a go-for-broke effort to help beleaguered allies overseas.
Johnson has won early Democratic support for his multipronged strategy to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, accompanied by a grab-all package of Republican national security priorities designed to appease wary conservatives within the House GOP. He’s vowing that all four components will get separate votes before the week is out. But the plan drew an immediate backlash from hard-liners in his conference, including spending hawks who don’t want to pile billions more onto the national debt; isolationists who want to focus Washington’s resources on domestic problems; and a wide spectrum of rank-and-file Republicans who have demanded that the legislation include tougher security at the southern U.S. border — a notable exclusion from the Speaker’s policy blueprint.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a frequent critic of the Speaker, has already introduced a motion to remove him from power — a resolution that’s hanging over the coming Ukraine votes, lying in wait for Greene to force it to the floor. And that threat became more menacing Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican with a libertarian streak, announced he’d support Johnson’s removal if Greene’s resolution is activated. “Mike Johnson’s going for the Triple Crown here against our base,” Massie said. “He’s voted for an omnibus that spends more than [Nancy] Pelosi. He’s put his finger on the scales to pass [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] without warrants. And now he’s about to do Ukraine without protecting the American border. “Those are like three strikes.”
The heightened threat has called attention to the precarious grip Johnson has on the House GOP, where the various ideological factions have been warring throughout the 118th Congress. Rebellious conservatives have already toppled one Speaker for defying their demands, and a hairline majority gives GOP leaders little room for error.
Still, Johnson got a big boost last week when he appeared alongside former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s residential resort, where the presumptive presidential nominee hailed the embattled Speaker for “doing a very good job.” And Johnson himself has dismissed the ouster effort, calling it “absurd” and “not helpful.” “I am not concerned about this. I am going to do my job, and I think that’s what the American people expect of us,” he said. For all the rumblings, he may have little to fear — at least in the near-term.
Massie has emphasized that he has no plans to force a motion-to-vacate resolution to the floor himself. And Greene, who had previously suggested that floor action on Ukraine would prompt her to force that vote, seemed to soften her tone this week. While publicly denouncing Johnson for breaking his promises, particularly on the border, Greene also emphasized that she’s treading carefully as she considers whether to force her ouster resolution to the floor — a decision that’s been complicated by Trump’s glowing review of the Speaker. “We’re discussing it. We’ll see what happens. But I think a motion to vacate is extremely serious, so I’m trying to be very responsible with it,” Greene said.
The hesitancy has given Johnson some breathing room as he seeks to usher the foreign aid bills through the House this week. And he’s getting early help from Democrats, who appear ready to embrace the four-vote strategy — as long as the policy provisions don’t stray too far from the Senate’s $95 billion aid package, which combined aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other global hot spots. “If it’s just simply chopping them all up, I think it’ll all pass — as long as they don’t put any poison pills in it,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “If it gets us unstuck, it’s a good thing,” echoed Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
The GOP reaction to the foreign aid plan has been multifaceted — and more complicated. On one hand, conservatives are praising Johnson’s decision to hold an amendment process and separate the priorities into four bills, which will give them a chance to support the proposals they like and oppose those they don’t. But in the same breath, those hard-liners have lambasted the exclusion of border security and the inclusion of a provision that will combine the four measures into one package before being sent to the Senate — a pair of negatives that are poised to outweigh the positives. Stoking the conservative frustrations, Johnson is also not allowing any amendments related to the border.
“I’m fine with putting individual subjects as a matter of course on the floor. But when it’s all sort of predetermined and it’s gonna leave border off, then you’ve given up the entire point of the fight. Which, I reminded the Speaker — and this is public information — like, multiple times over the last six months where he said border first before Ukraine,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters Tuesday. “He’s not gonna allow border security to be part of the package,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the Freedom Caucus. “That’s a big, big problem.”
Despite the growing frustration, no other Republicans have emerged from the woodwork to join Greene and Massie on the motion-to-vacate push, though several are keeping their cards close to their chests. Asked about the ouster effort, Roy told reporters he’s “not gonna talk about that.” And Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a former Freedom Caucus chair, did not rule it out, saying “we’re not anywhere close to that” when pressed on the gambit.
A large number of Republicans, meanwhile, have come out swinging against the ouster effort. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, called the push “a total waste of time and absolute ridiculous concept,” and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) predicted the gambit would fail.
Massie, for his part, said he thinks the effort to boot Johnson will garner more support than McCarthy’s ouster, which had eight Republicans and all Democrats on board. “If it were called today … he would lose the vote, and I think he would lose more than Kevin McCarthy lost,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday.
“It’s not just like the right flank of the conference that is upset with him — we’ve devolved into ‘Lord of the Flies,’” he added. “There’s no order. Like, the rules are going down. Like, there’s no repercussions for disorder. “I don’t think his life experiences have equipped him for this job.”
Johnson takes plunge on Ukraine aid in face of ouster threat
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is taking the plunge on a massive package of foreign aid that’s cleaved his conference and threatened his gavel, brushing off his detractors in a go-for-broke effort to…
thehill.com
BarnBuster
Virtually Unknown Member
hanimmal
Well-Known Member
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/georgias-parliament-presses-forward-with-foreign-agent-bill-despite-protests-2024-04-16/
TBILISI, April 16 (Reuters) - Riot police in Georgia waded into demonstrators and cleared them from around part of the ex-Soviet state's parliament on Tuesday as lawmakers debated a bill on "foreign agents" that the opposition denounces as authoritarian.
The bill would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as being agents of foreign influence. It is likely to pass in a parliament controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies.
Opponents say the legislation will damage Georgia's bid to join the European Union.
As many as 10,000 protesters massed outside parliament, a larger gathering than the previous day, to denounce the bill, approved by a parliamentary committee on Monday.
Officers, some carrying shotguns, ordered protesters to disperse and deployed what appeared to be a crowd-control substance like pepper spray while clashing with demonstrators.
Protesters fled the area and within minutes the rear of the building was cleared of demonstrators, though many remained through the evening on other approaches to the parliament.
Those forced out by police regrouped with other protesters massed on Rustaveli Avenue, a city artery.
Georgia's Interior Ministry said one police officer was injured in the fracas. Eleven protesters were detained.
Critics have compared the bill to Russian legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent - a potent charge in the South Caucasus country, where Russia is unpopular for its support of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia defeated Georgia in a short war in 2008.
Nika Melia, a prominent opposition politician, said the government was "in cahoots" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the issue was about Georgia's very independence.
"What I can say definitely is that Georgians and the Georgian will cannot be defeated," he told Reuters. "No chance. Georgians will prevail over the Russian interest."
WESTERN CRITICISM
Western countries say the bill is unhelpful in Georgia's EU membership bid.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that although it had not yet been approved, Washington was "deeply concerned about that law" and "supports everyone's right ... to freedom of expression and freedom of speech."
Charles Michel, head of the EU's European Council, said it "will bring Georgia further away from the EU and not closer".
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, a frequent critic of Georgian Dream, wrote on X that drive to pass the bill was a provocation and a Russian strategy of destabilisation.
Protesters shouted slogans against the "Russian law" on Tuesday afternoon as police sealed entrances to the Soviet-built complex.
During the debate on the bill, Archil Talakvadze, a senior MP representing Georgian Dream, said: "This law defends democracy in our country from any foreign interference."
In response, Tina Bokuchava, parliamentary leader of the United National Movement opposition party said: "Recall this law, once and for all! There is no place in Georgia for a Russian law. Europe is the choice of the Georgian people."
The bill must pass three readings in parliament, and will then likely face a fourth vote to override a presidential veto.
Georgia's government, which has faced accusations of authoritarianism and pro-Russian leanings, says the law is needed to promote transparency and combat "pseudo-liberal values" imposed by foreigners.
Georgian Dream unexpectedly reintroduced the bill this month, more than a year after abandoning an earlier attempt to pass the law amid protests.
Protesters told Reuters that they saw Georgia's future membership of the EU, which is overwhelmingly popular in the country of 3.7 million, as being on the line.
"I hope that we will show the power of free people," said Giorgi Bekurashvili, 26. "That we will not give up, and that it will make them decide to take back this unacceptable legislation."
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
Damn they approved it......
Georgia is about the erupt....then again....we'll see
Georgia is about the erupt....then again....we'll see
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
Looks like Russia is gonna get some fresh meat....this from Azerbaijan, who actually to them to get out........
i know this whole area is a powder keg as it were, but it is nice seeing Armenia and Azerbaijan talking at least, these 2 have been going at they're throats for years, if they can bury the hatchet and try peace it will be very welcomed site....
i know this whole area is a powder keg as it were, but it is nice seeing Armenia and Azerbaijan talking at least, these 2 have been going at they're throats for years, if they can bury the hatchet and try peace it will be very welcomed site....
Sativied
Well-Known Member
'nother one on the topic:
Georgia footballers protest against Tbilisi’s ‘foreign influence’ bill
Captain of national men’s team among those posting apparently coordinated social media messages
www.theguardian.com
Don't care for soccer, and might as well be in east Asia from my perspective, like adding Argentina to US, but when I see things like:
"They wrote: “Georgia’s path is to Europe. The European way unites us!! Forward to Europe!! Peace to Georgia.”"
"“People understand the economic benefits and freedoms that membership of the European Union would bring to a country like Georgia, and they resent those aspirations being sabotaged. Seeing police in balaclavas take violent action against well-meaning protesters has dark echoes of Georgia’s Soviet past. This is driving a wedge between Tbilisi and Brussels.”"
and
“Fuck Russia.”
If we're handing out EU memberships, include at least Georgia. Guess I'm privileged to bitch about what an abomination EU has become. Could be worse, could have Florida in the union
In the end it's probably worth it. Even if it eventually means the end of the EU, by that time there'll be a few basic rights spread and in place that people won't be willing to give up. Either way, good for Georgia. Maybe another revolution there will do the trick.The path towards EU was initiated by Mikheil Saakashvili after the Rose revolution in 2003, he had a Dutch wife, and for that simple fact we always sort of rooted for them. He was anti-corruption, pro democracy and made a lot of good reforms, it was impressive and exciting. Suddenly this normal country pops up on the other side of Turkey. Figured see, she talked some sense into those
printer
Well-Known Member
x.com
x.com
Senate to stay in session to pass House’s Ukraine, Israel package
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Senate colleagues Friday they should be prepared to stay in session through the weekend to finish work on a long-stalled package to fund the war in Ukraine, Israel and other emergency security needs.
Schumer pointed out that senators may have to stick around the Capitol to also finish work on legislation to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s warrantless surveillance program, which expires at 11:59 p.m. Friday.
“For the information of my colleagues, members should plan to be here over the weekend if necessary to work on both FISA and the supplemental,” he announced.
The Democratic leader then said the House is expected to pass the emergency foreign aid package, which has been broken into four separate bills, on Saturday.
“The House is scheduled to take up the supplemental tomorrow,” he said. “It would at last deliver critical aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific and humanitarian assistance. We will see how things go int eh lower chamber over the next day or so, and I hope the House gets this legislation passed without further delay.”
House advances Ukraine, Israel aid as Dems help Speaker Johnson, GOP
Schumer made his comments after the House voted overwhelmingly, 316-94, to advance a rule to begin floor debate on four bills that would provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, along with humanitarian assistance to Gaza and other war zones.
House Democrats stepped in to help Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to pass the rule and offset the opposition of 55 conservative Republicans who voted no.
Given the strong bipartisan vote to pass the rule governing debate on the foreign aid bills, Senate leaders expect the legislation to pass on Saturday.
Schumer has predicted for months that the $95 billion emergency foreign aid package the Senate passed in February would get a large bipartisan vote if it came up on the House floor.
The Democratic leader announced his goal is to pass the reauthorization of FISA’s expiring Section 702 authority by the midnight deadline but said he has yet to reach a deal with colleagues such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on considering amendments to the bill.
“We’re still trying to see if there’s a path to get through this quickly. The work is not done so we’re going to keep at it. We want to get FISA done as soon as we can because it’s very important for our national security,” Schumer said.
He noted that getting a deal to speed up the debate on the FISA bill needs the consent of all 100 senators.
“As everyone knows, any one member can halt progress in this chamber so both side need to fully cooperate if we want to get FISA done,” he said.
Senate to stay in session to pass House’s Ukraine, Israel package
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Senate colleagues Friday they should be prepared to stay in session through the weekend to finish work on a long-stalled package to fund the war…
thehill.com