Prologue Journal – Page 39938 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

U.S. Acknowledges Afghanistan Evacuation Should Have Started Sooner

New York Times President Biden’s decision to end a 20-year war in August 2021 led to the swift collapse of the Afghan government and military. His administration has placed heavy blame on his predecessor. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/us/politics/evacuations-afghanistan-war-biden.html

Indian Textbooks Purged of Material Modi’s Party Finds Objectionable

New York Times The changes removed or shrank references to material that the governing party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi finds inconvenient to its Hindu-first vision. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/world/asia/india-textbooks-changes.html

Chinese, French space teams get gamma-ray burst hunter ready for December lift-off

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Featuring two advanced telescopes from each country, SVOM is the most powerful space hunter of its kind after Nasa’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3216221/chinese-french-space-team-gets-gamma-ray-burst-hunter-ready-december-lift?utm_source=rss_feed

Your Friday Briefing: U.S. Admits Flaws in Afghanistan Withdrawal

New York Times Plus China and France call for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and India scrubs its textbooks. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/briefing/afghanistan-evacuation-china-peace-ukraine-russia.html

Prigozhin, Russia’s Wagner Leader, Says Ukraine Continues to Fight in Bakhmut

New York Times Yevgeny Prigozhin, who leads the mercenary group, also said that Russia would need better organization and more ammunition to push beyond the besieged city. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/world/asia/russia-prigozhin-wagner-ukraine-bakhmut.html

Department of Defense Celebrates Advancements in Microelectronics Packaging Capabilities

Defense.gov The U.S. Department of Defense today celebrated a milestone achievement for the State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging Program with the delivery of the first SHIP prototype devices. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3355049/department-of-defense-celebrates-advancements-in-microelectronics-packaging-cap/

IDF soldier injured in West Bank shooting as riots erupt across Israel

Jerusalem Post Among the cities where riots broke out were Jerusalem, Umm el-Fahm and Sakhnin. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-738639

Leaders Say TikTok Is Potential Cybersecurity Risk to U.S.

Defense.gov The Chinese social media company TikTok is a potential threat to the United States, John F. Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy and principal cyber advisor to the secretary of defense, said during testimony on Capitol Hill. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3354874/leaders-say-tiktok-is-potential-cybersecurity-risk-to-us/

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Defense Department’s Afghanistan After Action Review

Defense.gov Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a statement on the Defense Department’s Afghanistan after action review. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3354951/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-the-defense-departments/

Are Iran, Hezbollah risking direct confrontation with Israel? – analysis

Jerusalem Post While neither may be directly responsible for the rocket attacks, Hezbollah controls southern Lebanon and attacks from there are linked to the wider threat in the North. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-738631