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Julian E. Barnes
For Julian E. Barnes's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
An American F-15 jet takes off from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam earlier this year. The U.S. is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 30, 2023
U.S. hunts Chinese malware amid military disruption fears
The U.S. believes the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow military deployments or resupply operations.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 28, 2023
Russian general knew about mercenary chief’s rebellion plans, U.S. officials say
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, may have believed he had support in Russia’s military.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 18, 2023
Russia, learning from costly mistakes, shifts battlefield tactics
Moscow’s forces remain uneven. But while bracing for a counteroffensive, they have improved discipline, coordination and air support, foreshadowing a changing war.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 27, 2023
Russian public appears to be souring on war, analysis shows
U.S. officials say that although Russian public opinion has been difficult to accurately track, they believe cracks in support have begun to show in recent months.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 22, 2023
U.S. airman shared sensitive intelligence more widely and for longer than previously known
A Discord user matching the profile of Jack Teixeira distributed intelligence to a larger chat group, days after the beginning of the Ukraine war.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 9, 2023
Leaked documents reveal depth of U.S. spy efforts and Russia’s military struggles
The information, exposed on social media sites, also shows that U.S. intelligence services are eavesdropping on important allies.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 8, 2023
New batch of classified U.S. documents appear on social media sites
The scale of the leak — analysts say more than 100 documents may have been obtained — along with the sensitivity of the documents themselves, could be hugely damaging, U.S. officials said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 8, 2023
Intelligence suggests pro-Ukrainian group sabotaged pipelines, U.S. officials say
There is no evidence that the perpetrators of the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines were acting at the direction of any Ukrainian government officials.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 27, 2023
Lab leak most likely caused pandemic, U.S. Energy Department says
Some officials briefed on the intelligence said that it was relatively weak and that the conclusion was made with 'low confidence,” suggesting its level of certainty was not high.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 16, 2023
How a fog of questions over a spy balloon and UFOs fed a diplomatic crisis
U.S. officials now suspect that the balloon was sent to spy on bases in Guam and Hawaii, and that other downed objects were not surveillance machines.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 4, 2023
Fears of Russian nuclear weapons use have diminished, but could re-emerge
Nearly a year into the war in Ukraine, U.S. policymakers and intelligence analysts have more confidence that they understand at least some of President Vladimir Putin’s red lines.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 29, 2023
To fix its problems in Ukraine, Russia turns to the architect of the war
Moscow still does not have the troops, ammunition or equipment that military officials say it needs to mass the big offensive promised by the country’s senior military leader.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 23, 2022
Zelenskyy’s weapons wish list goes mostly unfulfilled on trip to Washington
The leader's speech mixed appreciation for the aid provided by the United States with growing demands for weaponry, knowing that he will not get all of what he wants
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 12, 2022
Winter will be a major factor in the Ukraine war, U.S. officials say
Although Moscow is likely to continue to attack Ukrainian troops, bases and infrastructure, the coming winter is expected to bring a slowdown in military advances on both sides.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2022
Rattle West? Force negotiations? Assessing threats made by Putin.
The prospect of even a small nuclear device going off is so terrible that officials in the United States and elsewhere are concerned.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 2, 2022
Russian military leaders discussed use of nuclear weapons, U.S. officials say
American officials said they had seen no evidence that the Russians were moving nuclear weapons into place or taking other tactical measures to prepare for a strike, however.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 2, 2022
In Washington, Putin’s nuclear threats stir growing alarm
For the first time since the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, top government leaders in Moscow are making explicit nuclear threats and officials in Washington are gaming out scenarios.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 24, 2022
As Russian losses mount in Ukraine, Putin gets more involved in war strategy
Focused on victory at all costs, Putin has become a more public face of the war as the Russian military appears increasingly in turmoil.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 18, 2022
Ukraine wants the U.S. to send powerful new weapons. Biden is not so sure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says one weapon — a missile system with a range of 305 kilometers — is critical to launching a wider counteroffensive, perhaps early next year.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2022
As India joins China in distancing from Russia, Putin warns of escalation
After Indian leader Narendra Modi said that now is not the time for war, an increasingly isolated Vladimir Putin has threatened “more serious” actions in Ukraine.

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