The Wire - August 21, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z August 21, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: WARS CONTINUE IN MIDDLE EAST AND EUROPE. PLAGUE CASE IDENTIFIED IN CALIFORNIA.//

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-International Events-

Middle East: Overnight Israeli forces began their advance on Gaza City once again, as roughly 60,000 more reservists have been placed on mobilization notice to carry out the expansion into Gaza. Territory seizure operations in West Bank have continued as well, which has resulted in increasingly more widespread protests over the past few weeks.

-HomeFront-

California: Local authorities have announced the discovery of one case of plague in El Dorado County. The individual is believed to have contracted the disease after being bitten by a flea while camping near Lake Tahoe.

Analyst Comment: No information has been released regarding the type of plague the individual contracted, but they are recovering at home. Plague cases occasionally pop up in the area, with the last instance occurring in 2020 under similar circumstances in the same area.

Washington D.C. - This afternoon the White House announced that roughly 55 million visa holders in the United States will be reviewed for potential violations of immigration policy.

Analyst Comment: This innocuous comment, which was made in response to a question originally posed by the Associated Press, has been interesting as it indirectly confirms that there are 55 million visa holders in the United States in the first place. Since the US population is officially around 340 million people, 55 million legal visitors is a staggering number and indicates that the true number of illegal immigrants is vastly higher than previously theorized.

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Analyst Comments: In Europe, the war in Ukraine continues as before, with Russia increasing attacks on various fronts over the past few days. Russia is very likely attempting to capture as much ground as possible to put themselves into a better position at the negotiating table, so these attacks will probably continue until some sort of truce is agreed upon. NATO knows this, and depending on how substantial these attacks become, could seek to increase arms shipments to Ukraine (as was done the last time Russia launched a major offensive). 

Yesterday, a Russian drone crashed and exploded in a cornfield in Poland, roughly 60 miles from the Ukrainian border, and 400 miles from Russia. This isn't the first time such cross-border fires has happened...this is the third time this year that similar drone/missile debris has been found, which serves as a reminder that though peace talks have been positive so far, the larger scale of the war must not be forgotten. Until signatures are put on paper and the fat lady sings, this war is still being waged with full effect.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
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