The Wire - February 6, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z February 6, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: USAID DISCLOSURE SCANDAL CONTINUES. MINOR AIRCRAFT COLLISION AT SEA-TAC.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Greece: Earthquakes continue as before, and increase in magnitude. Most of the earthquake clusters remain centered to the northeast of the volcanic island of Santorini. A state of emergency has been declared as the island has experienced around 7,700 earthquakes over the past week. Philippines: Overnight a US government-affiliated aircraft crashed in Maguindanao del Sur, resulting in the deaths of four American crew members. One active duty soldier, and three US military contractors were killed in the crash. AC: Details have been hard to come by as this aircraft was an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) asset. Anytime a spy plane crashes, the details regarding the circumstances of the crash will usually not be disclosed. The aircraft itself was a heavily-modified Beechcraft King Air 350 registered as N349CA. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - The White House has walked back President Trumps claims on his plan for Gaza, with the White House stating that the United States will not be sending boots on ground to achieve his goals. The White House also stated that the American taxpayer will not be funding this venture. Yesterday afternoon SECDEF Hegseth reaffirmed American support to Israel, and stated that "all options" are being considered with regards to American involvement in the Middle East. Also in Washington, scandal continues to develop regarding the audit of USAID, and the various entities that this agency was sending tax dollars to. Washington: A minor aircraft collision was reported in Seattle, as a Japan Airlines aircraft collided with a Delta aircraft while taxiing. Japan Airlines Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Flight 1921 last night, resulting in minor damage to both aircraft. AC: No injuries were reported and this appears to be a fairly common aviation mishap. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Although no formal evacuation orders have been issued in Santorini, many Greeks have departed the island voluntarily. Local media reports that roughly 12,000 people have already left the island, even though most of the earthquakes have been comparatively small. Nevertheless, local concern is beginning to mount, leading to many locals making preparations just in case. Analyst: S2A1 Research: