Beltway Insider: Biden, Ukraine Crisis, ISIS, COVID Omicron/Vaccine Totals, Queen Elizabeth, Olympics

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 06 February 2022 16:06; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden announced this week the United States had passed 900,000 deaths due to COVID-19 virus, and the subsequent variants, more than any other nation and urged all Americans to rally against the virus through vaccination efforts.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending February 6, 2022 decreased by 0.1% to 41.7% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.4% to 52.8% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Biden/Build Back, Ukraine/Russia, ISIS, COVID/Vaccine Totals, Breyer Retires, Olympics

COVID's Somber Milestone

The coronavirus, virtually unheard of two years ago, has now become part of the vernacular of everyday life. The virus polarizes people groups who have transformed this deadly virus into a party mandate, a platform issue, which one side can accuse the other of infringing on American's right to live free or die, as if the coronavirus were the second amendment and granting the populist the right to bear arms or now, the right to be infected with a deadly disease and to infect others also.

The initial numbers of expected deaths, two years ago, if no precautions were enacted stood at 200million Americans. If our elected leaders chose not to navigate this crisis with the limited knowledge they had, 99% of Americans would be dead.

It is now possible, because we have been given the tools through the continued efforts of members of both political parties, to stop the spread. Follow the mandates as if you or your loved ones could be next. Vaccinate, mask-up.

Ukraine Crisis

With the world watching the unfolding Ukraine crisis, President Biden has remained vigilant and determined to present in clear terms to Russian Foreign Minter Sergey Lavrov, through Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, that the United States is committed to the territorial sovereignty of the Ukraine and reaching a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.

As the border crisis appears to be stalled, Biden maintained communication with French President Emanual Macron regarding the ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts in response to Russia's continued military build-up on Ukraine's borders.

The Ukraine Border crisis has forced the United States and European allies to build a comprehensive economic sanction package in addition to potentially deploying troops to pushback all attempts by Russian President Vladimir Putin from further aggression.

"The size and the scope of economic measures on the table that we're talking about, as it relates to Russian aggression or the potential of invasion, are unprecedented; would pose massive consequences for the Kremlin; and the inputs to — and I think it's important for people to understand that the inputs to the major foundational technologies of the world still come from the West," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

With the sanctions so clearly spelled out, Putin would need to solidify geopolitical partnerships, to ensure his nation and interests are able to withstand a potential mass casualty conflict with Ukraine. Should Putin illicit guarantees from China's President Xi Jinping to enable him to navigate the global sanctions, he would be in a stronger position to face a global showdown.

Can Kyiv Fall

With more than 70,000 Russian Troops amassed at strategic locations forming a large "C" shape with the tip reaching as far west as the Belarus-Poland border, and troops situation along the C-curve into Russia along the Ukraine border, and finally a cluster of troops near Odessa on the Ukraine western front.

"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told lawmakers that Kyiv could fall within 72 hours if a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine takes place, multiple congressional sources tell Fox News. Milley told lawmakers during closed-door briefings on Feb. 2 and 3 that a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine could result in the fall of Kyiv within 72-hours, and could come at a cost of 15,000 Ukrainian troop deaths and 4,000 Russian troop deaths," Foxnews.com reports.

NATO forces, who will be in the region over the next month for submarine exercises in the Mediterranean, will be supplemented by 8500 U.S. Troops on standby to assist Ukraine in its defense. NATO forces are on rapid deployment notice, and with a 40,000-strong force of soldiers, sailors and airmen permanently ready to mobilize in a crisis, the battle for Ukraine, will be met by full on assault.

World News: Putin and Failure in Moscow

Russia Accuses U.S. of Scaremongering

Top Russian Military/Diplomats have also taken to the airwaves and press to refute the United States scaremongering tactics insisting that a diplomatic solution is more possible than war.

"Over the weekend, senior Russian officials dismissed new U.S. intelligence reports that Russia could take over Kyiv in days as alarmist and as unlikely as an attack by Washington on London. "Madness and scaremongering continues. What if we would say that US could seize London in a week and cause 300K civilian deaths?" Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, tweeted Sunday," reported The Washington Post.

The potential for invasion, even to the untrained appears to be imminent, and if not, then Putin clearly wants to send a message of dominance.

With Russian Troops positioned so close to Poland, the potential of further European conflicts remains very real across the continent. The possibility that Putin is aiming for "respect" through dominance and using the Ukraine crisis to strong arm the G7 into reversing his suspension and positioning himself for greater control of the region, which includes an active part in the determination process of NATO in whom the seeks to form an alliance.

As United States, and global military analyst continues to expose the military buildup and the Russian political machine continue to downplay the escalation, it is clear that the window for diplomatic intervention may be closing.

"We're in the window where something could happen. That is, a military escalation and invasion of Ukraine could happen at any time," Sullivan said on NBC News's "Meet the Press," adding: "We believe that the Russians have put in place the capabilities to mount a significant military operation into Ukraine, and we have been working hard to prepare a response," The Washington Post reported.

Russian Propaganda

Russian propaganda, disinformation campaigns, interference in elections, hacking, dark web intrusions and other cyber attacks have become a part of the Russian covert playbook. The have also been known to infiltrate the chosen target's borders and engage their own troops with potentially deadly attacks, in order to attack under the guise of retaliation.

False-flag operations and confusion which results in retaliation after troops have been fired upon, are integral to Putin's strategy.

"Our objective is to deny Russia the opportunity to use these lies to justify an invasion of Ukraine and to convey clearly these are actions we're seeing that are straight out of their playbook. We've seen them run false-flag operations in the past and use confusion to launch military action many times in history," said Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary.

With all of Europe poised for a bloody battle, the possibility remains that Putin may simply decide to extend his borders, once again, and "annex" portions of Ukraine and squeeze the Ukrainian nation slowly, like a boa constrictor.

ISIS Leader Killed

One week after the Islamic State release a video to the world highlighting the return to the atrocities and terror which began during the Obama Presidency, the Biden Administration announced the death of Hajji Abdullah, the global leader of ISIS.

Abdullah, believing the United States or any group seeking his demise, surrounded himself with members of his family, women and children, expecting to create a human shield. As the U.S. special forces closed in on him, he detonated a bomb, killing himself and the others.

"Our team is still compiling their report, but we do know that as our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice, he — with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up — not just with a vest, but to blow up that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed, taking several members of his family with him just as his predecessor did," President Biden said.

His cowardice act is in line with the sections of the Islamic state, killing defenseless women and children and terrorizing the people.

Vaccine Totals

Bloomberg.com has built a vaccine tracker which can be seen here. "In the U.S., 542 million doses have been given so far. An average 218,844 doses per day were administered over the last week," Bloomberg.com reported.

Coronavirus Totals

After a brief season of declining infection rates, the Omicron variant has shocked the world sending major urban and metropolitan areas into a tailspin with sharp spikes in confirmed infection rates. The importance of maintaining personal protective practices is imperative to controlling the spread.

Unless 85% of the global population is vaccinated and regularly receiving booster shots the global population will never fully control the pandemic it will always control the population.

For the one-week period ending February 06, 2022 coronavirus cases globally increased by 20,624,657 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 393,206,594 people with a total worldwide death toll of 5,733,293 deaths, and a 7-day death rate increase of 75,677. (Data from The New York Times).

COVID US Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the seven-day period ending February 06, 2022, the total confirmed cases rose to 76,358,490 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 2,146,719 with a 7-day average of 306,674 cases per day. The coronavirus has claimed 901,009 total deaths, adding 18,045 more deaths over the 7-day period. (Data from The New York Times).

Pentagon's Diary Gets Personal

Protecting for gain of function knowledge only aides those who initiated the constitutional violations. It does nothing to combat the homegrown terrorism or the narcissist above the law belief. The Best Obtainable Version of the Truth.

World News: The Weight of Putin’s Promise

Queen Elizabeth II Looks to the Future

Queen Elizabeth II announced this week ahead of the 70^th anniversary marking her ascension to the throne, and her Platinum Jubilee celebration, that she whishes when the "she wants Camilla to be known as "queen consort" when Charles becomes king," reported The Washington Post.

In her statement the 95-year-old monarch stated she had no plans to go anywhere soon. She furthered stated, "that my life will always be devoted to your service."

A tumultuous year, her husband, Prince Philip, the longest reigning Consort, died last year, and she has been forced to strip her son, Prince Andrew of his royal patronages has he continued to fight allegations of sexual assault.

In the press release dated, February 5, 2022, the Queen looked ahead to celebrating the year of her Platinum Jubilee. She presents her hope for the future by expressing "my thanks to you all for your support. I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me. And when in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me."

World News: Moscow-Ukraine Tensions Rise

Olympics Not Business as Usual

The XXIV (24^th) Winter Olympic Games, which began February 4, 2022, and will run through February 20, 2022, have debuted to the lowest ratings in history. It is expected that when the more popular competitions, become televised the audiences will return.

With the United States allowing its Athletes to compete but not sending a political delegation the presence of Russian President Putin and Chinese President Jinping only contribute to the belief that the two are working to navigate the continuing border crisis.

"US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the Beijing Winter Olympics are not "business as usual" amid concerns over China's persecution and torture of the Uyghurs and other human rights issues and said that the US will standby American athletes who want to express their freedom of speech at the Olympics. Thomas-Greenfield also told CNN that strengthening ties between Russia and China are a warning to democracies around the world," CNN reported.

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.