Drones spotted over US military bases in Germany and UK

Don't panic: AI generated

Security worries about drones aren't just a U.S. thing anymore; now they've been seen flying over U.S. military bases in the UK and Germany over the last month, according to various news sources.

Last month, a bunch of drones appeared several times over three U.S. Air Force bases in Great Britain — RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. This caused British troops and local police to spring into action, as reported by the Daily Mail on Friday. Defense sources called it a "coordinated" operation. 

Fortunately for the drones, British cops don't generally carry guns.

The U.S. Air Force confirmed in a news release on November 26 that drones were spotted over these bases since November 20. They also mentioned spotting drones at another base, RAF Fairford, which houses four U.S. B-52 bombers for Bomber Task Force 25-1. Other aircraft like F-35 and F-15 fighters, KC-135 tankers, and RC-135 surveillance planes are stationed at the other bases.

"To date, installation leaders have determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets," the release stated. "The Air Force is taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the aforementioned installations and their residents. The number of systems has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations."

The Air Force didn't specify if they took any action against the drones but noted, "we retain the right to protect our installations." But did they?

In Germany, Der Spiegel, a news magazine, reported on Friday that drones were seen over the Ramstein Air Base, which is a major U.S. military hub in Europe, on the evenings of December 3 and December 4.

"At the beginning of December, there were several sightings of small, unmanned aircraft systems in the area and above Ramstein Air Base," a base spokeswoman told Der Spiegel. "They had no impact on the residents of the base or on the facilities and military equipment there." She also mentioned that the U.S. military is cooperating with German officials on this.

Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence colonel, said that the drone sightings in Great Britain had "all the hallmarks" of an operation by Russia's secretive GRU spy agency.

"It's a distinct possibility if not a certain probability this is all down to Russian intelligence," he said. "They and the GRU are just a bunch of petulant little boys. They're trying to suggest they have the ability to disrupt and influence through a level of nuisance action.

"I would say we will see another flurry of activity in the next few months for sure. Whether drones or something else, I suspect something else."

Der Spiegel also mentioned that drones had been seen over facilities of the German arms company Rheinmetall and the chemical giant BASF recently, though where they came from isn't known.

There's no proof to link the drone sightings in Great Britain and Germany to the regular drone sightings happening at night in New Jersey and nearby areas, which have sparked concerns about safety and security.

Heaven forfend anyone takes the initiative and shoot the suckers out of the sky.

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Hundreds of U.S. military to deploy to the border

Hundreds of U.S. military troops are getting "saddled up" to make their way to the southern border to assist Homeland Security and the National Guard deal with the so-called caravan of illegal migrants who plan to illegally invade the United States.

A government official said about 800 soldiers will be transported to the area and will offer "logistical support," providing tents and vehicles among other things.

Details of the move have not been finalized but Defense Secretary James Mattis may sign the deployment orders as early as today, Thursday.

As of now, there are 2,100 National Guard troops assisting Homeland Security along the southern border.

President Trump tweeted on Thursday, "I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!"

As of today, the caravan is still in southern Mexico, over 1,000 miles from the closest entry point into the U.S. The caravan is estimated to contain about 7,000 illegal aliens and many of those who are walking are too pooped to pop and are exhausted, suffering from dehydration and heat stroke. This is sad, but it is their decision and it happens to be an illegal decision.

The majority of the walkers interviewed say they're looking for a better life north of the border and are fleeing poverty and violence in Honduras, yet some of those in the crowd are carrying Honduran flags and burning American flags.

If we want a country, we need to have borders, and people who come here illegally are perpetrating a criminal act. What evidence do we have that this would be their only criminal act?


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Assad disses Trump over ISIS

Chinless President of Syria Bashar Assad (his friends call him "Bash Her Asshat") spoke out against President Trump saying thus far he's failed to show "anything concrete" toward his pledge to annihilate ISIS. The Syrian dictator also called U.S. forces inside his country "invaders."

"We haven't seen anything concrete yet regarding this rhetoric," he said in an interview published Saturday. "We have hopes that this administration . . . is going to implement what we have heard."

President Trump has only been in office about 50 days--can't anyone give him a break?

Part of the reason he won (besides the fact that he ran against one of the most disgusting, arrogant, deceitful and hated people on the planet) is his vow to defeat the Islamic State. When he took office January 20th he ordered his top military leaders to provide a plan within a month designed to defeat the terror group.

Assad belittled U.S.-backed military efforts saying they amounted to "only a few raids" [but that was under a weak, socialist U.S. president, however] however, "in theory" he remains optimistic about cooperating with the Trump administration along with the Syrian regime, he said in an interview with Chinese TV station Phoenix. The interview was posted on Syria's state-run 'fake news' agency SANA.

Republicans and others were critical of Obama when he refused to acknowledge "radical Islamic terrorism" and failed to follow through on his 2012 statement that Assad would cross a "red line" if he used chemical weapons on civilians after evidence of a chemical attack was apparent.

So while Obama had our military sit on their collective hands, ISIS grew like a giant butt-tumor in northern Syria and other remote regions in that country. 

The U.S. is now preparing to deploy about 400 additional troops to Syria along with the 500 already in the country. The intention is a multi-national effort to defeat the jihadists in their Raqqa stronghold.

Assad said, in that lisp he's known for, that Raqqa was "a priority" but "any foreign troops coming to Syria without our invitation or consultation or permission, they are invaders whether they are Americans, Turkish, or any other one. And we don't think this is going to help."


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B-52 flyover angers China

China is accusing the U.S. of deliberately raising tensions over the disputed territory China claimed as its own in the South China Sea. This comes after an American B-52 flew close to the Cuareron Reef in the Spratly Islands.

China demanded that Washington (read "Obama") take immediate measures to prevent such incidents from recurring, as it will damage relations between the two nations military and possibly result in China refusing to export cheap and flimsy lead-based goods to the U.S.

Instead of the president telling China that we are within our rights to fly in that area as it does not belong to China, the Pentagon said to the Wall Street Journal they are investigating the flight path of the bomber. They believe that the B-52 may have been blown off course.

In October of this year, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles inside the disputed zone around the Subi Reef, and Chinese officials gave warning to the ship.

The Navy officials said that the path the destroyer took was necessary to make it clear to China that their man-made islands are not considered to be sovereign territory with territorial water rights surrounding it.

The Pentagon said the recent B-52 flights were unplanned. "For this mission, there was no intention of flying to within 12 nautical miles," said Cmdr. Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman.

But the China Defense Ministry said the flight and other U.S. military operations in the area of the artificial islands are "serious military provocations" that could cause militarization in the region. They have been trying to impose a 12-nautical mile limit around the islands, but international law says that such limits cannot be imposed around islands built on previously submerged reefs.

So to really make them angry at us, we approved a $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan this week and China had a hissy-fit.

This may mean that there will be no cheap lead-based toys to poison the kids with this Christmas.


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