Links — 30 August 2022 Part 1

Reminiscence of the Future
Sic Transit Gloria Americae.
Andrei Martyanov, former USSR naval officer and expert on Russian military and naval issues

Operation "Thermostat". (Tucker Carlson video)
http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2022/08/operation-thermostat.html

Moon of Alabama
Ukraine - A 'Counteroffensive' That Was Destined To Fail (even official US is hedged)

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/08/ukraine-a-counteroffensive-that-was-destined-to-fail.html

Awful Avalanche
Ukraine War Day #188: Ukrainian Counter-Offensive (balanced view. inconclusive so far)

yalnesis

https://awfulavalanche.wordpress.com/2022/08/30/ukraine-war-day-188-ukrainian-counter-offensive/

Turcopolier
” … as Kyiv ‘breaks through’ Russian defences in Kherson.” (Ukrainian sources)
Col. W. Patrick Lang, US Army (ret.)

https://turcopolier.com/as-kyiv-breaks-through-russian-defences-in-kherson/

Zero Hedge
Pentagon Stockpiles "Uncomfortably Low" Amid Ukraine Transfers, Officials Admit ("What's more is that the shortfall will likely last into the future, given the norm is for new purchases and then manufacturers supplying the weapons to take a process of years." Europe is drained too.)
Tyler Durden
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagon-stockpiles-uncomfortably-low-amid-ukraine-transfers-officials-admit

Ukraine Fatigue? British War Support Wanes Amid Energy Hyperinflation (food and energy more important than sacrificing for Ukraine?)

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-fatigue-british-war-support-wanes-amid-energy-hyperinflation

Tyler Durden

1945

The Real Problem With Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal: It Came 10 Years Too Late (never should have gone in in the first place, especially when Bin Laden had escaped at Tora Bora at the very beginning. Moreover, what Davis says about Afghanistan was true in spades about Vietnam, as I discovered, like him, serving in the theater of operation. It was the beginning of repeated catastrophes, including Ukraine. Why? in the first place, hubris — the arrogance of power. Secondly, faulty assumptions and failure to think things through at the beginning and then inability to change based on feedback.)

Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis (USA ret.), Senior Fellow and Military Expert for Defense Priorities

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/08/the-real-problem-with-bidens-afghanistan-withdrawal-it-came-10-years-too-late/

Sputnik International (Russian state-sponsored media)
Poll: Half of Americans Say Afghanistan War Was a Mistake a Year After Withdrawal ("blunder" would be a better choice of terms.)
https://sputniknews.com/20220830/poll-half-of-americans-say-afghanistan-war-was-a-mistake-a-year-after-withdrawal-1100182639.html

Taiwan Fires Warning Shots as Chinese Drones Approach Kinmen Islands(would this happen without US knowledge and permission?)

https://sputniknews.com/20220830/taiwan-fired-warning-shots-as-pla-drone-approached-kinmen-islands-report-1100180657.html

The Unz Review
A Death in Moscow, by Philip Giraldi (clearly an intel operation due to complexity of esecution across borders. Ukrainian SBU was identified as the proximate cause by Russian FSB, but involvement of others likely, e.g., MI6, CIA, or Mossad.)
Philip Giraldi, former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer, now Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest and founding member of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/a-death-in-moscow/

RT — Question More (Russian state-sponsored media)
Taiwan fires live rounds at Chinese drones 'for first time' (significant escalation.)
https://www.rt.com/news/561820-taiwan-shots-chinese-drone/

Poland warns of EU ‘implosion’ over Ukraine conflict (unity breaking?)
https://www.rt.com/news/561812-poland-eu-implosion-ukraine/

TASS (Russian state media)
Russian financial system needs adaptation in sanctions environment — PM [Mikhail Mishustin]
https://tass.com/economy/1499959

Russian-Chinese freight traffic via Tury Rog-Mishan checkpoint up 51% year-to-date (China replacing Europe as Russian supplier.)

https://tass.com/economy/1499809