Congress plans to question the Pentagon regarding the potential threat posed by Chinese logistics.
NEWS AND ANALYSIS:
A proposed bill at Capitol Hill aims to mandate the Pentagon to provide a report to Congress by the end of this year regarding the potential risks associated with Chinese dominance over worldwide logistics networks. These risks could potentially impact the resupply operations of the U.S. military during a future crisis or conflict with China.
The Senate Armed Services Committee expressed concern in its proposed fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill about the national security risk posed by Chinese regulations on logistics and data networks.
The report on the Senate legislation expresses concern regarding the growing ownership and operations of major logistics and infrastructure hubs worldwide by the People’s Republic of China. This poses a significant threat to the United States’ capability to secure crucial lines of communication and project power, according to the committee.
The Pentagon is studying ways to use commercial technology to mitigate the dangers. As a result, senators want Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to produce a report on the issue for Congress by Dec. 1. The report would include a list of all logistics and infrastructure hubs around the world owned or operated by Chinese interests.
The analysis will also enumerate the measures and initiatives implemented by the Pentagon to tackle the concerns, and evaluate their effectiveness.
The Pentagon must assess commercial capabilities that can help gather information, intervene, and reduce Chinese logistics risks. They need to determine if defense funds and authorities can be utilized for safer logistics initiatives that can help counter threats from the People’s Republic of China.
China has established an extensive system of port infrastructure and logistics firms worldwide, such as China Cosco Shipping Corp. and China Merchants Group Ltd. Additionally, they have developed Logink, a Chinese cargo-data network that gathers data on freight and shipping routes both domestically and internationally.
The congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned last year that China‘s Ministry of Transportation oversees Logink and that the service poses a national security threat because of its access to sensitive cargo and shipping data. Logink uses a combination of public databases and information from more than 450,000 users in China and at dozens of ports worldwide, including those linked to Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
For many years, critics have expressed worries about the security of Chinese commercial port facilities. These concerns were brought to attention when a Chinese port company started operating port facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal.
China is currently enlarging its network of over 95 port facilities globally and aiming to establish a series of overseas military bases. Experts suggest that these efforts are intended to support President Xi Jinping’s goal of achieving global dominance.
The commission report stated that the extensive utilization of Logink could enhance the power and influence of the Chinese government, while also presenting commercial and strategic risks to the United States.
All businesses operating in China must comply with the legal obligation of sharing information with the military and intelligence agencies.
The House-Senate conference is currently reviewing the defense authorization bill, and it is anticipated that the final version will incorporate the provision for Pentagon reporting.
The Pentagon is shaken by charges related to dogfighting.
During the day, Frederick D. Moorefield Jr. held a prominent position as an information officer at the Pentagon, serving under the secretary of defense.
Federal prosecutors allege that when he was not working, he operated a cruel dogfighting operation for two decades, where pit bulls were electrocuted after being abused and deemed unfit to continue fighting.
According to court records, Mr. Moorefield once discarded injured, marked, and deceased dogs in garbage bags that were left on the roadside in Annapolis. These bags also contained mail that was specifically addressed to him.
An FBI agent stated in a court affidavit that they believed the dogs were either killed during the fight or that Moorefield killed each of them afterwards due to their poor performance.
Investigators claim that Mr. Moorefield transformed his residence in Arnold, Maryland, into a gruesome location where he bred, trained, fought, and ultimately killed pit bulls. According to an FBI court affidavit, a communication intercepted from Mr. Moorefield revealed his attempt to organize a dog fight and place a $3,000 bet on his pit bull.
Mr. Moorefield said: “You got anything hot to look at yo. … I got two males and two hoes. … 40 m 40 b 35 m 35 b.”
Mr. Moorefield’s brutal side job was alleged this week by Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron in a federal criminal complaint. It said Mr. Moorefield operated the illegal fight club on encrypted Telegram messaging as “Geehad Kennels.” His partner, Mario Damon Flythe, a barber who like Mr. Moorefield lives in Arnold, went by the handle “Razor Sharp Kennels,” according to the complaint.
In September, Mr. Moorefield was charged while holding the position of deputy chief information officer for command and control and communications. If you click on the Defense Department’s link to his biography, you will be directed to profiles of the Pentagon’s chief information officer directors. However, Mr. Moorefield, who is a long-time official of the department, is no longer mentioned in the list.
The operation was exposed by the statement from the Justice Department, highlighting its inhumane nature.
“On September 6, 2023, authorities carried out search warrants at the homes of Moorefield and Flythe in Maryland. As a result, the federal government took possession of twelve dogs. Additionally, law enforcement discovered veterinary steroids, training schedules, a carpet that seemed to have blood stains, and a dog vest with a patch that said ‘Geehad Kennels’.”
Furthermore, authorities confiscated a device that comprises an electric plug and jumper cables, which the sworn statement claims is similar to equipment employed for euthanizing dogs involved in dogfighting.
The FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court said Mr. Moorefield’s name turned up in 2022 when authorities cracked a large dogfighting operation in Virginia that called itself the “DMV Board.” Messaging app discussions included exchanging ideas on how best to kill losing dogs.
The affidavit gave this gruesome detail: A dog belonging to Mr. Moorefield lost a one-hour, 13-minute fight, at which point it was so torn up it could not move.
On September 28, Mr. Moorefield made an appearance in front of a U.S. magistrate and was subsequently released with supervision.
On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated that due to regulations protecting personnel privacy, she could only acknowledge that Mr. Moorefield is no longer employed at the Defense Department.
Regarding his employment, Ms. Singh simply stated, “The position is currently unoccupied.”
The recent military exercises conducted by China near Taiwan have been characterized as unusual.
Taiwan’s defense minister and military analysts have observed that the recent military activities conducted by the Chinese military near Taiwan were distinct and deviated from previous demonstrations, being described as “abnormal.”
Last month, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters in Taipei that recent Chinese military movements around Taiwan were unusually intense.
Mr. Chiu responded to inquiries regarding the rise in Chinese military operations, stating that our preliminary assessment suggests they are conducting collaborative exercises in September encompassing land, sea, air, and amphibious domains. These activities involve a significant number of warplanes, drones, bombers, and warships.
Taiwanese officials have reported that the recent war games included a unique aspect: the Chinese army utilized civilian ferries for simulated military operations along its east coast.
Six roll-on/roll-off — or “RoRo” — vessels linked to the People’s Liberation Army were spotted conducting drills on Chinese beaches in the Taiwan Strait at Xiamen on the Fujian province coast opposite Taiwan. Such ships would be used in a cross-strait amphibious operation that U.S. military commanders have said could be conducted in the next four years.
Ely Ratner, assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, recently told Congress that the Pentagon is upgrading defenses in the region and spending tens of billions of dollars on new weapons and systems to prepare for a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
“I cannot reword”
Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan’s National Policy Foundation think tank, told Radio Free Asia that China‘s mid-September exercises included 17 warships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, for “large-scale confrontational exercises.”
“He said it is different from previous exercises in past years. It is certainly uncommon.”
This story was contributed to by Rowan Scarborough.
