Global threats pile up while U.S. is locked in on election
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Lost in the U.S. election drama: The next commander-in-chief will inherit new, alarming and worsening global threats.
- North Korean troops arrived near the Russia-Ukraine border, a major Chinese hack rattled U.S. intelligence agencies, Israel expanded its war in Lebanon and Canada accused India's second-most powerful man of ordering an assassination.
Why it matters: Major wars are raging on multiple continents, with adversaries moving closer together and key allies seemingly going rogue.
Driving the news: The Pentagon says 10,000 North Korean troops are now in Russia and some have moved into the Kursk region, where Ukraine has mounted a cross-border incursion.
- The two nuclear-armed U.S. adversaries could be fighting together against Ukrainian troops within "the next several weeks," according to the Pentagon.
- South Korea's defense minister warned during a visit to Washington yesterday that there's a "high probability" North Korea will ask Russia to share advanced nuclear and missile technology in exchange for its troops.
The big picture: National security officials and experts from both parties have grown alarmed at the tightening of the anti-U.S. "axis" involving China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
- It's far from a formal alliance, and the four countries aren't always aligned. But the deployment of Iranian drones and now North Korean troops to Russia paints a vivid picture of expanding collaboration within that bloc.
Zoom in: President Biden's top foreign policy challenge in recent weeks has arguably been reining in an ally rather than contending with adversaries.
- The Biden administration is warning that new laws Israel passed this week to limit coordination with the UN will exacerbate Gaza's already horrific humanitarian crisis.
- Israel also expanded the scope of its operations in Lebanon this week. Meanwhile, the State Department denounced a "horrifying" Israeli airstrike that killed at least 93 Palestinians in Gaza.
- The U.S. is hoping to land ceasefires in both conflicts, but the wars are highly likely to continue well beyond the election.
Two other key U.S. partners are also involved in an escalating international incident.
- The Canadian government on Tuesday claimed Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's powerful right-hand man — authorized efforts to intimidate or kill Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
Then there's the frightening fact that Chinese "Salt Typhoon" hackers reportedly used their access to U.S. telecom networks to target former President Trump, Sen. JD Vance and associates of Vice President Kamala Harris — an operation that has raised major alarm bells for U.S. intelligence.
- "It is much more serious and much worse than even what you all presume at this point. It is one of the most serious breaches in my time on the Intelligence Committee," a top Democrat in Congress told reporters on Wednesday.
What we're watching: Ongoing crises that will hit the next president's desk include the continued throttling of international shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the effective takeover of Haiti by criminal gangs, and a potential new exodus of migrants from Venezuela.
The bottom line: There's only one story most Americans will care about this week. But there's a whole lot for whoever wins to worry about.
