The Wire - September 2, 2024

//The Wire//2000Z September 2, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: UNITED STATES HIJACKS VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT. POSSIBLE US SERVICE MEMBERS ATTACKED IN TURKEY. HISTORIC FRENCH CHURCH BURNS IN SAINT OMER.//

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-International Events-

Turkey: This morning, Turkish government officials allegedly leaked Turkey’s bid to join BRICS. AC: Very few details have leaked, however it’s likely that Turkey has secretly been in talks to join BRICS for many months, since the new additions of the UAE, Saudia Arabia, Iran, and others earlier this spring.

This morning, local Turkish media (and users on social media) published videos of what have been claimed to be US service members from the USS WASP ARG being assaulted/abused in the streets of Izmir during a routine port call. AC: The USS Wasp did arrive in Izmir yesterday, as confirmed by social media posts by U.S. Fleet Forces Command. However, it’s not clear as to if the people being assaulted in the viral videos that have circulated social media are indeed US service members. No statements by defense officials have emerged to confirm or deny this incident as of this report.

Middle East: US CENTCOM released a press statement over the weekend highlighting the wounding of 7 US service members during an operation in western Iraq. The report claims that 15 ISIS militants were killed during the operation, which was conducted in coordination with local Iraqi support.

Israel: Protests voicing opposition to Netanyahu ignited again last night. Domestic demonstrations against the Israeli government have been regular over the past few months, but after the discovery of 6 dead hostages in Gaza a few days ago, demonstrations have become more widespread.

France: Early this morning another major church fire broke out in Pas-de-Calais. The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer suffered a catastrophic fire, resulting in the collapse of the Steeple. The cause of the fire is not known. AC: This continues the trend of historic church fires throughout France, as this church was originally completed in 1859 and renovated in 2018.

Dominican Republic: The United States hijacked the personal aircraft of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This was conducted via a covert operation in the Dominican Republic, as American operatives allegedly acting via the DoJ, DHS, and DoS stole the plane as it was parked on the ground.

Far East: Tensions between the Philippines and China again came to a head near the Sabina Shoal over the weekend, as another collision occurred between PLAN and Philippine Coast Guard vessels. AC: This is the third deliberate collision reported over the past few months, with Chinese and Filipino vessels routinely increasing harassment operations against each other, which now include routine and deliberate collisions between vessels.

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Analyst Comments: Very few details remain confirmed concerning the possible incident involving US service members in Turkey, however this situation bears very familiar hallmarks of previous incidents. The attack was carried out by the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB), a well-known revolutionary organization (comprised largely of a conglomeration of Socialists and Turkish Nationalists). Of note, this attack is not the first carried out by this group; nearly-identical attacks were carried out on US service members in 2011, 2013, and 2014. TGB is particularly fond of more-kinetic actions that take the form of restraining US service members and placing a bag over their head, echoing the historical tones of the organization’s Socialist origins. In any case, restraining, beating, and mock-executing US service members is a pastime of this organization that more broadly is often an indicator of Turkish sentiment throughout the region.

Regarding the theft of Maduro’s aircraft, questions remain both regarding the legality of seizing another