In Geopolitics Today - Thursday, February 3rd

US Special Forces Conduct Night-time Raid in Syria, Cooperation Between US Military and SpaceX to Intensify in 2022, India Maintains Neutral Stance on Ukraine at the UN

US Special Forces Conduct Night-time Raid in Syria

The US military has conducted an operation in the dead of night that killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who the Pentagon says was the leader of the Islamic State (IS). The Pentagon put out a statement saying that the operation carried out in Northwest Syria was intended to eliminate or capture al-Qurayshi, and have proclaimed that the operation was a complete success despite the loss of a military helicopter.

In addition to killing Al-Qurayshi, 13 other people were reportedly killed during the operation, including four women and six children. US special forces units aboard helicopters fired on houses and other structures as a fierce firefight broke out in the Syrian town Atimah, where multiple explosions were heard throughout the battle as aircraft circled over the area. Unconfirmed footage appears to show glimpses of the firefight which took place in Atimah, and images have emerged which show the downed US military helicopter on the ground. While US President Joe Biden has stated that the “counterterrorism operation” was successful, the death of innocent civilians, the loss of a military helicopter, and the failure to capture al-Quarayshi indicate that, on the whole, the operation may not have been as successful as US officials are suggesting.

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Cooperation Between US Military and SpaceX to Intensify in 2022

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has launched its first spy satellite of the year in close collaboration with the aerospace manufacturer and communications corporation SpaceX. The NRO declined to provide any specific information on the payload’s mission or capability, but the launch marks the first of many such launches to be carried out in 2022 as the United States continues to leverage the technological advancements made by SpaceX in order to further bolster Washington’s immense capabilities in satellite surveillance and communications.

The NRO is part of the wider United States Intelligence Community, and the agency falls under the purview of the United States Department of Defense which designs, launches, and operates reconnaissance satellites. US intelligence utilizes its surveillance satellites to monitor Earth with optical and radar imagery, eavesdrop on the communications of adversaries, and track global naval movements. The classified payload was sent into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California by SpaceX, accomplishing a successful launch and booster landing on what is the second of three Falcon 9 rocket missions planned for SpaceX this week. The NRO is looking to facilitate a further six launches this year with the help of SpaceX, through which the NRO plans to deploy a dozen more classified US surveillance assets into space.

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India Maintains Neutral Stance on Ukraine at the UN

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) met publicly this week at the request of the United States in order to discuss Russia’s military build-up near its border with Ukraine. But while the US has in recent years intensified ties with India with an eye on containing China’s rapid rise, these efforts have not led to a drastic realignment of India’s long-held neutrality in international affairs. The statements released by all fifteen members present at the UNSC discussion saw India make prudent and measured remarks which did not echo the sentiments of the US and its allies.

Before the UNSC meeting, Russia called for a procedural vote in order to determine whether the meeting should even go ahead. In the vote, Russia and China voted against the meeting, India, Gabon and Kenya abstained, while all other 10 Council members voted in favour. As such, the meeting on the ongoing crisis of the Ukraine border went ahead, with each participant putting forward a statement. India’s issued statement called for an immediate “de-escalation” of tensions that would take into account the security interest of all countries, and that India seeks long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond. India’s statement starkly different from those made by the US and its allies, and illustrated the differing interests between the US and India. While US policymakers are hoping to align India with US interests in the pacific, their interpretations on the crisis in Ukraine demonstrate the limits of the of their growing partnership amidst an evolving international system.

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