Hoplite Group

#Iran / #Sanctions - U.S. will collapse Iran’s economy by shutting down its oil industry, U.S. Department of the Treasury secretary says - from CNBC: - The Trump administration aims to slash Iran’s oil exports to a trickle, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said - The goal of President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is to tank Iran’s economy, Bessent said. - “If I were an Iranian, I would get all my money out of the rial now,” he said. President Donald Trump’s sanctions against Iran are designed to shut down the country’s oil industry and “collapse its already buckling economy,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday. The U.S. is deploying sanctions against Iran aggressively for “immediate maximum impact,” Bessent told the Economic Club of New York. Trump’s goal is to slash Iran’s oil exports of 1.5 million barrels per day to a trickle, the Treasury secretary said. “We are going to shut down Iran’s oil sector and drone manufacturing capabilities,” Bessent said. The administration also intends to cut off Tehran’s access to the international financial system, he said. Prices for U.S. crude oil and the global benchmark Brent turned positive after Bessent’s comments. West Texas Intermediate rose 5 cents to close at $66.37 per barrel by while Brent gained 16 cents to settle at $69.46. “Making Iran broke again will mark the beginning of our updated sanctions policy,” the Treasury secretary, a former global investment manager, said. “If I were an Iranian, I would get all my money out of the rial now,” he said, referring to Iran’s currency. CNBC has reached out to Iran’s UN Mission for comment. Trump reimposed his pressure campaign on Iran through a presidential memorandum on Feb. 4. Two days later, the Treasury Department started imposing sanctions on an international network shipping Iranian oil to China. Oil prices fell to multiyear lows on Wednesday as Trump’s tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China raised fears among investors that economic growth will slow and crude demand will falter. OPEC+ also confirmed this week that it will gradually bring 2.2 million barrels per day back to the market starting in April. The oil market right now sees a drop in Iranian supply as the only bullish catalyst for prices, JPMorgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva told clients in a Thursday note. Trump, after launching his maximum pressure campaign, has said he wants to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. The president said he hoped maximum pressure is “not going to have to be used in any great measure at all.” “I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,” Trump said in a social media post on Feb. 5. In 2018, the president withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal negotiated by former President Barack Obama. https://lnkd.in/g7xt_SxW

#Colombia / #Crime / #Kidnapping - A trio of Colombians who pleaded guilty in Miami federal court to drugging and kidnapping two U.S. Army soldiers at a sports bar in Bogotá five years ago face long prison sentences. On Wednesday, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, 47, was sentenced to more than 27 years by a federal judge after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. Also on Wednesday, Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge and awaits sentencing. Last May, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos — whose nickname is “Harry Potter” — was sentenced to more than 48 years by U.S. District Judge Michael Moore after he pleaded guilty to a six-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person and related offenses. Moore gave Arango, 37, a harsher sentence than the 30 years federal prosecutors sought in a sentencing memo, in which they said that one of the U.S. soldiers has suffered “multiple mental health illnesses..." Arango was extradited to the United States in May 2023. The two co-conspirators — his partner, Uribe, and their getaway driver, Silva — were extradited last year. According to a factual proffer reflecting the prosecution’s case, the two unnamed U.S. soldiers were hanging out at the Colombian Pub, a sports bar in the upscale Zona T area, at about 11 p.m. on March 5, 2020... At the bar, the couple found their targets — the U.S. soldiers, who were on temporary duty in Bogotá. According to Colombian National Police, video surveillance showed Arango and Uribe approaching the two soldiers several times at the bar. “At some point, [Arango] approached the victims in the pub and, without their knowledge, incapacitated, intoxicated, and otherwise rendered the victims defenseless by putting drugs in their drinks,” according to the proffer filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez. In a statement to law enforcement, Arango “explained that he used drugs in a paste or liquid form to put into his victims’ drinks.” Toxicology screenings found that the two soldiers had benzodiazepines in their system. “The victims recounted buying a couple of beers, listening to music, and dancing by themselves,” according to an FBI affidavit. One of the victims “remembered seeing two women taking ‘selfies,’ and that he offered to take photos for them. He recalled asking if he could place his beer on their table to take the photos. Neither victim could remember what happened after that encounter.” Around 2:30 a.m. March 6, the soldiers and the couple left Colombian Pub together. The drugged soldiers stumbled and had difficulty keeping their balance, according to the proffer. There, according to prosecutors, the trio took the soldiers’ wallets, debit and credit cards, and cellphones. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/eFhwW2Ys

#Ukraine #Update - #France provides military intelligence to Ukraine as US steps back - from Voice of America: French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday that France is sharing intelligence with Ukraine, a move that followed the United States saying it was cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. The move comes as European Union leaders gathered Thursday in Brussels, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for a summit to discuss boosting defense spending and bolstering pledges of support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion. French President Emmanuel Macron said ahead of the talks that EU members would "take decisive steps forward," while he expressed concerns about shifts in U.S. support for Ukraine under new President Donald Trump. "The future of Europe does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow," Macron said. Trump earlier in the week ordered the U.S. to suspend military aid to Kyiv’s fighters after his contentious meeting last week with Zelenskyy at the White House. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Wednesday that the United States had also, for the moment, ended sharing its intelligence with Kyiv, although it could be short-lived after Zelenskyy said the exchanges with Trump in the Oval Office had been "regrettable" and that Ukraine was ready for peace talks with Russia. "I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause [that prompted Ukraine's president to respond], I think will go away," Ratcliffe told the Fox Business Network. "I think we'll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that's there, but to put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward," he said. Since the start of the war in 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with significant intelligence, including critical information its military needs for targeting Russian forces. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. "had taken a step back" and that the administration was "reviewing all aspects" of its intelligence relationship with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Waltz told CBS News that the U.S. is moving quickly to start peace negotiations to end the war and sign a mineral rights deal with Kyiv. "I think we're going to see movement in very short order," Waltz said. He said Trump officials will meet with Ukrainian officials as they conduct shuttle diplomacy with Russia. "I have literally just been on the phone with my counterpart, the Ukrainian national security adviser, talking about times, locations, delegations," Waltz said. Reaching a peace deal could prove difficult. Ukraine has long demanded a restoration of its internationally recognized 2014 borders before Moscow unilaterally seized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Overall, Russia now holds about a fifth of Ukrainian territory... https://lnkd.in/ezZyqVfn

#Afghanistan / #AlQaida - UK-based media reports that a senior #Taliban official praised Osama bin Laden, reaffirmed the group’s stance against the U.S., despite Doha Agreement commitments to sever ties with Al-Qaeda From Afghanistan International افغانستان اینترنشنال : "Saeed Ahmad Shaheedkhil, the Deputy Military Minister of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, praised Osama bin Laden, the former leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks on the United States, during a meeting in Kabul, stating that he takes pride in him. Referring to the fall of the Taliban’s first regime due to their refusal to hand over bin Laden to the U.S., the Taliban official emphasized that the group will continue to stand against oppressors and tyrants. Shaheedkhil stated that once again, if an oppressor and tyrant rises and commits acts of oppression, I will fight against them until my last breath. After the 11 September attacks, Washington demanded that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden, who was recognized as the main perpetrator of the attacks. However, the Taliban rejected this request. Consequently, the United States invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban regime. Taliban officials have consistently asserted that they do not regret this decision. They have stated that Islamic principles and Afghan culture required them not to hand bin Laden over to the U.S. The Deputy Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice also warned that if anyone stands against the Taliban again, the group will confront them once more. The Taliban have always maintained close ties with Al-Qaeda. Reports from international organizations indicate that the group continues to uphold its deep connections with Al-Qaeda. The terrorist network has revived its bases in certain provinces of Afghanistan. The killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda leader, in a U.S. airstrike in the heart of Kabul serves as evidence of the Taliban’s ongoing relationship with the terrorist network. This comes as the Taliban had pledged in the Doha Agreement to sever ties with Al-Qaeda and prevent Afghanistan’s soil from being used for terrorist activities. The support of a Taliban official for the former Al-Qaeda leader comes just one day after former U.S. President Donald Trump stated in a joint congressional session that one of the main perpetrators of the attack on American soldiers at Kabul airport had been captured. He also expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its cooperation in the fight against terrorism." Link: https://lnkd.in/ez3k9HxR

#Iran / #Tehran / #Explosion - Explosion at Tehran military site kills 1 and injures 10 firefighters - from The Associated Press:  An explosion in a container at a military site east of Tehran killed one military personnel and injured 10 firefighters, Iranian media reported Thursday. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency said fire initially broke out within the container, followed by an explosion as firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames. Four firefighters were taken to the hospital and six others received treatment at the site due to slight injuries, according to other news outlets. The report did not elaborate on the cause of the fire and explosion. Jalal Maleki, a spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department, told the news agency that the fire occurred at about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and involved a 50-square-meter (538-square-feet) container. The area east of Tehran is home to the headquarters of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and other military sites, situated near densely populated residential areas... Story continues, developing story: https://lnkd.in/eWGrJSuZ

#Syria / #Russia - Syria gets new cash shipment from Russia in sign of warming ties - from Reuters News Agency: Syria received a new shipment of its local currency printed in Russia on Wednesday and more shipments were expected in the future, a Syrian government official said, in a new sign of improving ties between Moscow and Syria's new rulers. The cash arrived via plane at Damascus airport on Wednesday and was taken by a convoy of several trucks to the central bank, according to a separate source familiar with the matter. Syria began paying Russia to print its currency under a multi-million dollar contract during the 13-year-old Syrian civil war, after Damascus' previous contract with a subsidiary of the Austrian central bank was terminated due to European sanctions. It is unclear if the arrangement is now continuing under the same terms. One source familiar with the contract said it was. Russia backed Syrian autocrat Bashar al-Assad during the war, swaying the conflict with its bombardment of rebels including the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that ousted Assad in a lightning offensive last year. But Russia quickly moved to maintain its ties with Damascus in the weeks after Assad fled to Moscow, with an eye on keeping its two key bases in the country's coastal region. A senior Russian diplomat visited Damascus in January and Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 12. Two days later, Syria received its first shipment of local currency from Russia. The cash shipments are critical: Syria's war-ravaged economy has slid further in the past months amid a shortage of currency that Syrian officials have attributed in part to delays in the Russian cash shipments, as well as to hoarding of Syrian pounds. A senior former Syrian official said Russian cash shipments in the hundreds of billions of Syrian pounds (tens of millions of U.S. dollars) used to arrive in Damascus each month. Reuters could not determine exactly how much had arrived on Wednesday, the second such shipment since Assad was ousted on Dec. 8. The cash crunch has left Syrian depositors struggling to use their savings and has piled pressure on local businesses who are already being squeezed by new competition from cheap imports as the protectionist economy is opened up by the new rulers. Adding to the economic malaise, a planned 400% public-sector salary increase has not materialized, neither has the Qatari finance underpinning that increase, sources told Reuters, due to ambiguity over U.S. sanctions and U.S. President Donald Trump's Syria policy. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/eyDVP9gx

#BurkinaFaso, #Mali, #Niger: #Sahel accounted for 51% of global terrorism deaths in 2024 - The Africa Report Terrorism in the Sahel has increased significantly, with deaths rising nearly tenfold since 2019...confirming the region’s reputation as the epicentre of terrorism. The Sahel is the region most affected by terrorism, accounting for over half of all deaths from terrorism in 2024, & 19% of attacks globally, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 which offers a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last decade. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) examines the evolving landscape of terrorism, the socioeconomic and geopolitical factors shaping its trajectory, the strategies employed by terrorist groups, radicalization, & the impact of emerging technologies. Launched on Wednesday, the 2025 edition showed that conflict deaths in the Sahel reached their highest level since the inception of the GTI, surpassing 25,000 for the first time in 2024, of which 4,794 were terrorism-related deaths. Five of 10 countries most impacted by terrorism are also in the Sahel. Although Burkina Faso remains the most affected country, both deaths and attacks declined, falling by 21% & 57% respectively...the country is still responsible for a fifth of all terrorism deaths globally, according to the report. In 2024, Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths globally, rising by 94% to a total of 930. “You’ve got polarisation between different groups within the Sahel countries, compounded by state security abuses,” says Steve Killelea, founder and chairman of IEP... “You’ve got pastoralist conflicts between different groups and also between the farmers and pastoralists that have been overlaid with the transnational interests, and then you’ve also got the jihadists coming in as well,” he tells The Africa Report. The Sahel region continues to suffer from the effects of increased political instability, amplified geopolitical tensions, and the use of hard counterterrorism measures to deter and destroy the threat from Salafi-jihadi groups, according to the report. While sub-Saharan Africa recorded a 5% decline in terrorism deaths in 2024 to 909 from the prior year, the Sahel has seen the steepest increases in terrorism deaths globally, w/ nearly 20,000 deaths since 2019 & 3,885 deaths in 2024, it added. Burkina Faso, Mali & Niger have been under military rule following military coups. Though each coup had its own characteristics and specific triggers, their causes in structural terms were very similar, says Alex Thurston...3 causes in particular: “mounting anger over insecurity and corruption; high confidence in the military on the part of ordinary citizens; & growing disenchantment w/France”. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/e_mm34-C

#Mali / #Mining - Mali suspends artisanal gold mining permits for foreign companies after series of accidents - from The Associated Press: Mali said on Wednesday it was suspending licenses for foreign artisanal gold mining companies after a series of fatal accidents in the West African country, one of Africa’s top three gold producers. Gen. Assimi Goita, president of Mali’s transitional government, ordered “the suspension of artisanal mining permits granted to foreigners,” according to a statement issued following a Council of Ministers meeting which was read out on the national television station ORTM. The move comes in response to accidents at mining sites that have claimed the lives of dozens of people, most recently in January in the Koulikoro region, in the south of the country, and in February in the Kayes region, in the southwest. Artisanal gold mining is estimated to produce around 30 tons of gold a year and represents 6% of Mali’s annual gold production. The Council of Ministers’ statement said measures would be taken to facilitate the recovery of equipment used in gold panning and its addition to the national patrimony. This is a major change, as previously mining companies could recover their equipment after paying a fine to the country’s authorities. “These measures are designed to further strengthen the state authorities and protect our fellow citizens. These measures give us the power to seize materials (mining equipment), which will be confiscated and placed in the domain of national heritage,” Gen. Daoud Ali Mohammedine, the minister of security and civil protection, said on ORTM. In recent years, there have been concerns that profits from unregulated mining in northern Mali could benefit extremists active in that part of the country. “Gold is by far Mali’s most important export, comprising more than 80% of total exports in 2021,” according to the International Trade Administration, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. More than 2 million people, or more than 10% of Mali’s population, depend on the mining sector for income, according to the U.S. Mali is one of the top three gold producing countries in Africa. Several major gold producing companies operate in this West African country, including Barrick Gold, B2Gold, Resolute Mining and Allied Gold. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/egMiUwwK

#Opportunity / #Job / #Logistics - Logistics Program of Instruction (POI) / Trainer Subject Matter Expert (SME)    Location: Remote support (CONUS) and OCONUS travel to partner nations in SOUTHCOM Level of Effort: (Part Time)  Non travel months: Approximately 30 hours/month.  Travel engagements: Approximately 80 hours/month during engagement months. Post-Engagement: Support as needed. Availability: Immediate opening   Overview: The Hoplite Group is seeking a Logistics POI / Trainer SME to support the development and delivery of curriculum for mid-level officers who are responsible for leading and supporting logistics and equipment readiness in partner nations in SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Requirements: Ideal candidates will possess knowledge on the core functions of logistics and have experience developing curriculum and instructional materials for classroom environments.    - O-4/O-5/O-6 level officer with background in U.S. military organizational leadership, operational logistics, resourcing strategy, and multi-cultural environments. - Experience planning and executing the core functions of logistics at the operational and tactical levels, including deployment and distribution, supply, maintenance, logistics services, operational contract support, engineering, and joint health services. - Extensive experience coordinating with Allies and Partners. Spanish fluency required. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eNuY6Tqx

#Philippines / #Mining / #Tourism / #NatureReserve - Resource-rich Philippine province Palawan unanimously voted in favour of a 50-year ban on new mining permits, a decision its supporters said cannot be overridden by Manila. From FRANCE 24: Palawan province, a UNESCO "biosphere reserve" known for its diverse flora and fauna, has become a hotbed for mining as the national government seeks to widen its market share for minerals like nickel, a key component of electric vehicle batteries. But locals have increasingly pushed back against new mine proposals, with environmental groups and activists pointing to effects ranging from deforestation and flooding to the displacement of Indigenous peoples. There are currently 11 mines operated in Palawan, but scores of applications are pending. Environmental lawyer Grizelda Anda, who worked in support of Wednesday's vote, said Manila would not be able to legally overrule the local government's decision, which now awaits the governor's signature. "The (Philippine Mining Act of 1995) provides that you have to get the endorsement of the LGU (local government unit)," she said. The new permit ban also imposes a 25-year pause on applications to renew or expand mining licenses. Existing mines can continue "as long as they do not increase their production" or move into new areas, Anda added. "This is a really big win not just for the people but for the environment, especially Palawan, which is our last frontier here in the Philippines," said Jonila Castro, a spokesperson for the Manila-based Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment. "We hope that many other provinces will have the same moratorium." Palawan resident Jade Cabasag, 23, whose church advocated for the ban, told AFP she was one of about 100,000 people who had signed a petition in favour of it. "We are more than just a sector that values our faith, but we also value our environment," she said, adding she was proud she could help in her "own little way". But the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines criticised the vote, saying in a statement on Thursday that the environmental concerns were overblown given laws it said provided "stringent" safeguards. The decision would also limit "the country's ability to plan and strategise about its mineral wealth at a time when the global demand for critical minerals is rising", it said. "The Philippine government has a responsibility to the people to develop its mineral resources responsibly for the good of the many. Palawan cannot and should not limit the national government's ability to do so." But mid-term elections in May, when 10 of the Palawan board's 11 members are up for re-election, could see the new ban undone if there is a dramatic shift in the body's makeup. https://lnkd.in/eZw4yYuT