Latest news with #1stCavalryDivision
Express Tribune
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iraq arrests analyst who claimed radar system supported Israel
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, approach for landing at Camp Taji in Baghdad. (File photo: Reuters) Listen to article A political commentator was arrested by Iraqi authorities on Wednesday over a post alleging that a military radar system struck by a drone had been used to help Israel in its war against Iran. After a court issued a warrant, the defence ministry said that Iraqi forces arrested Abbas al-Ardawi for sharing content online that included "incitement intended to insult and defame the security institution". In a post on X, which was later deleted but has circulated on social media as a screenshot, Ardawi told his more than 90,000 followers that "a French radar in the Taji base served the Israeli aggression" and was eliminated. Early Tuesday, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Taji, north of Baghdad and in southern Iraq, officials have said. The Taji base hosted US troops several years ago and was a frequent target of rocket attacks. Read: Iran's parliament passes bill to halt cooperation with IAEA There has been no claim of responsibility for the latest drone attacks, which also struck radar systems at the Imam Ali airbase in Dhi Qar province. A source close to Iran-backed groups in Iraq told AFP that the armed factions have nothing to do with the attacks. Ardawi is seen as a supporter of Iran-aligned armed groups who had launched attack US forces in the region in the past, and of the pro-Tehran Coordination Framework, a powerful political coalition that holds a parliamentary majority. The Iraqi defence ministry said that Ardawi's arrest was made on the instructions of the prime minister, who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, "not to show leniency towards anyone who endangers the security and stability of the country". It added that while "the freedom of expression is a guaranteed right... it is restricted based on national security and the country's top interests." Iran-backed groups have criticised US deployment in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition, saying the American forces allowed Israel to use Iraq's airspace. The US-led coalition also includes French troops, who have been training Iraqi forces. There is no known French deployment at the Taji base. The Iran-Israel war had forced Baghdad to close its airspace, before reopening on Tuesday shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
Egypt Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
The US Army once ruled Pyongyang and 5 other things you might not know about the Korean War
CNN — Seventy-five years ago this week, more than 135,000 North Korean troops invaded South Korea, starting a war that cost millions of lives and left scars that linger to this day. Yet, the Korean War has been forever overshadowed by World War II, a much larger conflict that ended less than five years earlier. Even the US Army refers to Korea as 'the Forgotten War' – despite more than 36,000 American lives lost. Sixteen nations, including the United States, sent combat troops in aid of South Korea under the United Nations Command. Chinese troops intervened on the North Korean side. War broke out on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces stormed across the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea. An armistice signed on July 27, 1953, stopped the conflict, but the war never officially ended because there was no peace treaty. While the twists and turns of today's US-North Korea relationship have put a spotlight on the Korean War's legacy, it is still a widely overlooked conflict. Here are six things you might not know about the Korean War: The US Army once controlled one of the world's most secretive cities It's almost impossible for Americans to travel to North Korea or its capital city Pyongyang. US passport holders are not allowed to go there without special permission from the US State Department. But for eight weeks in 1950, Pyongyang was under control of the US Army. Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division in Pyongyang in 1950 Everett/Shutterstock On October 19 of that year, the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division along with a division of South Korean soldiers captured the North Korean capital, according to US Army histories. The US forces quickly made themselves at home, according to the histories. By October 22, the US Eighth Army had set up its advance headquarters in what was the headquarters building for North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. US Marines take cover behind a barricade as street fighting rages in Pyongyang. On the wall in the background are images of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.A picture from the time shows an American intelligence officer sitting at Kim's desk with a portrait of Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin hanging on the wall behind him. But the US military's occupation of Pyongyang was short-lived. When Chinese troops entered the war in late November 1950, they quickly pushed south and vanquished US forces from Pyongyang by December 5. The US dropped more bombs on North Korea than on the entire region during WWII Most images of the Korean War are of ground battles fought in places like the Chosin Reservoir and Incheon. But much of the destruction wreaked on North Korea by the US military was done in a relentless bombing campaign. During the three years of the Korean War, US aircraft dropped 635,000 tons of bombs – both high explosive and incendiary – on North Korea. That's more than the 500,000 tons of bombs the US dropped in the Pacific in the entirety of the Second World War, according to figures cited by historian Charles Armstrong in the Asia-Pacific Journal. US Air Force B-29 Superfortresses dropping bombs during the Korean War. Keystone/Journalists, international observers and American prisoners of war who were in North Korea during the war reported nearly every substantial building had been destroyed. By November 1950, North Korea was advising its citizens to dig holes for housing and shelter. North Korea didn't keep official casualty figures from the bombings, but information obtained from Russian archives by the Wilson Center's Cold War International History Project put the number at more than 280,000. Gen. Curtis LeMay, the father of US strategic bombing and the architect of fire raids that destroyed swathes of Japanese cities in World War II, said this of the American bombing of North Korea: 'We went over there and fought the war and eventually burned down every town in North Korea anyway, some way or another.' An American soldier walks around the rubble of Hamhung, Korea, circa 1950. stringer/afp/getty images Armstrong said that bombing of North Korea has effects that linger to this day. 'The DPRK (Democratic Republic of Korea) government never forgot the lesson of North Korea's vulnerability to American air attack, and for half a century after the Armistice continued to strengthen antiaircraft defenses, build underground installations, and eventually develop nuclear weapons to ensure that North Korea would not find itself in such a position again,' Armstrong wrote. North Korea convinced the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin to let the war happen When World War II ended, control of the Korean Peninsula – occupied by defeated Japanese troops – was divided between the Soviet Union in the north and the United States in the south. Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, wanted to unite the two Koreas under communist rule and sought permission of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to do so by force, according to records from the Wilson Center. A portrait of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is prepared for a parade in Pyongyang in July Kim's first request to invade in March 1949, Stalin was wary and did not want to be pulled into a conflict with the United States, which still had occupation troops in South Korea. But when those troops were pulled in the summer of 1949, Stalin's opposition softened, and by April 1950 the Soviet leader was ready to hear Kim out again when the North Korean leader visited Moscow. Stalin told Kim that the USSR would back the invasion, but only if Kim got communist China to approve too. Emboldened by communist China's victory over Nationalist forces in 1949 – in a civil war in which Washington did not intervene – Chinese leader Mao Zedong agreed and offered to be a backup force for North Korean troops in the eventuality the US intervened. With that, Kim had the green light to invade. The Korean War saved Taiwan from a potential communist takeover In 1949, communist China was amassing forces along its coast to invade Taiwan, the island to which Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist forces had fled after losing to Mao and the communists in the Chinese Civil War. But the outbreak of the Korean War put a big roadblock in the way of communist China's plans – the US Navy. Fearful of the fighting in Korea spreading across East Asia, President Harry Truman dispatched US warships to the waters between China and Taiwan. The US State Department tells how close Taiwan, now a self-governed democaracy that Beijing still claims as part of China, came to a potential communist takeover. 'In late 1949 and early 1950, American officials were prepared to let PRC (People's Republic of China) forces cross the Strait and defeat Chiang, but after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the United States sent its Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Strait to prevent the Korean conflict from spreading south,' reads a passage from the department's Office of the Historian. 'The appearance of the Seventh Fleet angered the Chinese communists, who transferred their troops poised for an invasion of Taiwan to the Korean front,' it reads. By October 19, 1950, 12 divisions of communist Chinese troops, more than a quarter-million men, were in North Korea, according to a Brookings Institution account. Those Chinese troops would inflict horrific losses on the US and South Korean troops they faced, eventually driving them out of North Korea completely. But China also suffered massive losses; more than 180,000 of its troops were killed. The first jet-vs-jet dogfight F-80 Shooting Star Korean War-era fighter at National Musuem of the US Air Force US Air Force Jet fighters entered military service in World War II with the introduction of the German Messerschmidt 262. But the jet fighters didn't go head-to-head in a 'Top Gun'-style dogfight until the Korean War. Records seem to agree that first dogfight occurred over Sinuiju in North Korea, near the Yalu River, and its border with China on November 8, 1950. The Americans, flying F-80 Shooting Star jets, were confronted by MiG-15s, Soviet-made jets that were probably being piloted by Soviet pilots from bases in China. According to a report from the historian of the US Air Force's 51st Fighter Wing, eight to 12 MiGs came after an American flight of four F-80s that day. In a 60-second encounter with one of those MIGs, Air Force 1st Lt. Russell Brown hit a MiG-15 with fire from his jet's cannon and saw it explode in flames, becoming the first jet fighter pilot to score a kill in a dogfight, the report says. But others dispute that account, with a report from the US Naval Institute (USNI) saying that Soviet records show no MiGs were lost that day. What is certain is that the next day, November 9, 1950, US Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Amen, flying an F9F fighter off the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea, shot down a MiG-15 during airstrikes against bridges on the Yalu River. Soviet records confirm the MiG-15 loss that day, according to the USNI report. Four F-80 jet fighters flying at 30,000 feet on their flight from a Japanese base to their mission against the North Korean cCommunist army columns, Korea, July 13, in the war, the US introduced the F-86 jet to the Korean conflict. That plane won fame in battles against the MiG-15 in what was know as 'MiG Alley,' the area along the Korea-China border, where the Soviet pilots flew out of bases on the Chinese side. The National Museum of the US Air Force in Ohio explains MiG Alley this way: 'Large formations of MiGs would lie in wait on the Manchurian side of the border. When UN aircraft entered MiG Alley, these MiGs would swoop down from high altitude to attack. If the MiGs ran into trouble, they would try to escape back over the border into communist China. (To prevent a wider war, UN pilots were ordered not to attack targets in Manchuria.) Even with this advantage, communist pilots still could not compete against the better-trained Sabre pilots of the US Air Force, who scored a kill ratio of about 8:1 against the MiGs.' The United States never declared war Though millions of lives were lost during the fighting on the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1953, they were technically casualties of what was called a 'police action.' Under the US Constitution, only the US Congress can declare war on another nation. But it has not done so since World War II. When North Korea invaded the South in 1950, US President Harry Truman sent the US military to intervene as part of a combined effort approved by the United Nations Security Council. 'Fifteen other nations also sent troops under the UN command. Truman did not seek a formal declaration of war from Congress; officially, America's presence in Korea amounted to no more than a 'police action,'' reads a passage from the US National Archives. 1952: US soldiers dig in to a hill in Korea during the Korean war Hulton Archive/And those police actions have become the norm for US military intervention ever since. The Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, all have seen US troops enter combat under congressional authorizations for the use of military force (AUMF), according to the US House of Representatives website. Though the AUMF had been around since the beginning of the republic, 'after World War II … AUMFs became much broader, often granting Presidents sweeping authority to engage America's military around the world,' the US House website says. 'The war was the first large overseas US conflict without a declaration of war, setting a precedent for the unilateral presidential power exercised today,' Emory University law professor Mary Dudziak wrote in a 2019 opinion column for the Washington Post. 'The Korean War has helped to enable this century's forever wars,' Dudziak wrote.
Fox News
18-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
‘Eyes in the sky': Army drone expert explains US strategy on innovation as global conflict looms
As the war between Israel and Iran intensifies, one Army drone expert is warning that the U.S. must stay ready, and fast. Staff Sgt. Garrett Butts is helping lead the charge by building smarter, cheaper unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in-house for the battlefield. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Butts described how his team is creating drone technology from scratch, often using parts it took nearly a year to legally obtain. "We're a transformation and contact unit," said Butts, who serves with the 1st Cavalry Division. "We've been charged with innovating our own SUAS (small unmanned aircraft systems) platforms in-house to cut procurement costs and timelines." His team is building 3D-printed drones and testing low-cost, first-person view aircraft to help soldiers on the ground see ahead and strike more accurately. These systems are meant to keep up with modern war, which is changing faster than the military's normal supply process. One of the biggest challenges has been simply getting the parts. Butts said his team had to spend nine months figuring out how to legally purchase drone components because of strict procurement rules. "There are a lot of laws and policies that govern procurement of SUAS systems," Butts said. "It took us the better part of nine months to crack the code of what is legal and how we can procure UAS systems legally."DEADLY DRONE WARS ARE ALREADY HERE AND THE US IS HORRIBLY UNPREPARED His team trains soldiers to fight against drone threats, so they needed special permission just to buy parts that mimic what enemies might use. Butts said drones give U.S. troops a major advantage as infantry units can use them to look over obstacles. "Put a camera up, look at the objective or look over an obstacle… to ensure their safety," he said. "Those are the biggest winning factors of our SUAS systems." However, it is not just about seeing. Drones can also be armed to deliver targeted strikes. "You can arm some of these systems and basically create a cost-effective precision-guided munition," he said. "At a fraction of the cost." Butts's team is involved in "Pegasus Charge," a new Army effort to test future tactics and technology for heavy combat units. "We are going to innovate, experiment, test and develop different tactics, techniques and procedures," Butts explained. His team is trying out in-house ideas and will look to privatized industry for more advanced options once funding is available. After training for nine months in Poland and Germany, Butts and his team returned with new strategies for using drones in real-world situations. He believes the Army must work closely with industry to get the best tools quickly. Butts also sees artificial intelligence playing a big role. Right now, drone operators need advanced navigation training, which takes time and is hard to maintain. "If we're able to integrate AI solutions that could mitigate for that training or replace that training, that would be a huge step in the right direction," he said. Butts said working on cutting-edge technology has been a meaningful experience. "Being at the forefront of it is pretty incredible," he said. "Watching how the technology is evolving in front of your eyes… it really sparks ingenuity." He did not plan on staying in the Army, but a chance offer to become a drone operator changed his path. "It's shown me what I'm truly capable of," he HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Now, as the Army celebrates its 250th birthday and the world watches rising conflict, Butts said he sees real momentum. "Our military is innovating," he said. "And it's truly incredible to watch."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Military Birthday Parade Was a Gross Failure
WASHINGTON — On Saturday, President Donald Trump held a hideously expensive military parade in Washington, D.C., on his birthday. Trump and his top officials stood on a stage at the National Mall behind two tanks, before two large digital American flags. Military bands and troops, some on horses, some in vehicles, some in tanks, others in Howitzers, marched in the streets. So did a few robot dogs. An army parachute team jumped down. Helicopters flew over. Drones flew by. There were many, many tanks. The spectacle was billed as honoring the U.S. Army's 250th birthday — and planners put in admirable effort to sell this fiction, with processions designed to honor key times in American military history. In reality, the event was just one part of the Trump administration's vast, billion-dollar government effort to make the leader feel good about himself. The weekend's pageantry, which some administration officials referred to as 'Donald Trump's birthday parade' behind closed doors, fulfilled the president's longtime desire for a grand military parade. Starting at the Pentagon in Virginia, the troops in the parade — who honored the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War — had to walk for about two-and-a-half miles. Trump sat next to his wife Melania and the former Fox News host, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. At points, Trump stood alone in front onstage, saluting troops marching as the 1st Cavalry Division marched by. At another point, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was pictured yawning on C-SPAN. The military officials shown on C-SPAN spoke with reverence about the Global War on Terror. Late in the event, Trump stood at a podium onstage and swore in 250 new or reenlisting troops. 'Welcome to the United States Army and have a great life,' Trump said after they recited the Oath of Enlistment. 'Thank you very much. Have a great life.' After two hours, the event reached its logical conclusion: political speeches. J.D. Vance went first. 'June 14 is of course the birthday of the Army,' Vance said. 'It is, of course, the birthday of the president of the United States. And Happy Birthday, Mr. President.' He delivered the laugh line of the night, 'It's also my wedding anniversary,' he said before immediately leaving the stage. Finally, Trump spoke. He praised the army — and armies of years past. 'Our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win,' Trump said, in what seemed like an obvious reference to his own declaration of 'Fight, Fight, Fight,' after a failed assassination attempt grazed his ear in Butler, Pennsylvania, during a campaign event last year. 'We're the hottest country in the world right now,' Trump said. 'Our country will soon be greater and stronger than ever before.' He said America is 'blessed beyond words by this valued legion of army warriors.' He continued, 'No matter the obstacles, our warriors will charge into battle. They will plunge into the crucible of fire, and they will seize the crown of victory, because the United States of America will always have the grace of Almighty God and the iron will of the United States Army. Congratulations to everybody. We love our country. We've never done better. Thank you. God bless you. God bless the army and God bless America.' Trump stood for a moment beside his wife, Melania, before Trump campaign regular Lee Greenwood sang 'God Bless the U.S.A.' (Trump and Greenwood sell a bible together.) 'Happy birthday Mr. President,' Greenwood said at one point. When he was done, attendees started singing happy birthday to Trump near the stage. Even before the speech component, the C-SPAN feed gave off a vibe that alternated between military recruitment video and softcore Trump propaganda. Video played several times of Trump giving speeches. Occasionally, a small banner popped up that said: 'Video courtesy of America 250.' The nonprofit America 250, which is helping organize the ongoing publicly-funded campaign celebrating the country's semiquincentennial, has been taken over by Trump allies and one of his campaign operatives. Corporate America did their part. 'Special thanks to our sponsor Lockheed Martin,' the MC said around 6:30 p.m., shouting out America's biggest defense contractor. The MC later thanked 'our special sponsor Coinbase,' the cryptocurrency exchange. President Trump sure loves crypto — he reported in his financial disclosure Friday that he made $57 million in the final months of 2024 after he and his family launched their own crypto exchange, World Liberty Financial. (That was before he launched his own $TRUMP meme coin.) Around 7 p.m., the big screens onstage that displayed the American flags turned to logos for UFC, the mixed martial arts business. Later, the MC thanked 'special sponsor Palantir,' a contractor hired to help Trump compile data on Americans across federal agencies. Military handed out drinks from sponsor Phorm Energy — a new drink by Anheuser-Busch and UFC CEO Dana White, in the flavor Screamin' Freedom. Rock music was the soundtrack of the parade, including AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck,' during the War on Terror section. There were instrumentals from the Heart song 'Barracuda' and Metallica's 'Enter Sandman.' The military parade was overseen by the American commander-in-chief as he conducts a militarized crackdown on immigrants in Los Angeles, California, driving protests. He sent in National Guard troops and Marines not because their presence is necessary to keep the peace, but as a show of force — and as a test run for operations in other states and cities, should the president feel angry enough to launch them, likely illegally. At 2,000 locations across the country, protesters held a 'No Kings' Day to voice their anger toward the president. About 20,000 people gathered in downtown Los Angeles, undeterred by law enforcement's use of non-lethal weapons on earlier protests and the president's escalation by sending in troops. Law enforcement largely left protesters alone for much of the day, but they deployed tear gas in the Atlanta area and arrested eight people, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. For an event that shut down much of central Washington D.C., closed key roads, and reportedly cost up to $45 million, the promise of a spectacle of America's military might — that just coincidentally happened to fall on Trump's birthday — didn't draw out legions of his fans. Instead the crowd of supporters, servicemembers, curious locals, and military adjacent spectators who braved the oppressive heat and humidity of a post-thunderstorm D.C. managed to just fill out their allotted side of the street over several blocks in front of the White House, with plenty of room to spare. In front of the central stage a crowd befitting a midsize concert gathered in view of Jumbotrons. The lawns surrounding the Washington monument — which have hosted countless inaugurations, protests, concerts, and gatherings, were largely unused overflow space. When the TV broadcast showed the crowd risers along the parade route, they were sparsely filled. The National Park Service issued permits for 250,000 people for the National Mall festival and the military parade. An aerial parade of historic military aircraft flew above the National Mall, traversing a course from Lincoln to Washington that — despite clear anticipation of crowds by event organizers — was more empty field and food truck line than crowd. Though rock music blared on TV, the parade itself was eerily quiet. One video posted on X shows tanks squeaking past nearly silent crowds, sounding like a grocery cart in need of grease. In the weeks leading up to his birthday and the parade, Trump told close associates that protesters were going to try to overshadow the military parade, including in the media coverage, in D.C. and elsewhere, and that he was determined not to let that happen, a source with knowledge of the matter and another person briefed on it tell Rolling Stone. Millions of people reportedly participated in 'No Kings' parades Saturday across the the D.C. military parade took place, hundreds of protesters stood outside the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. People had been dancing around, before hundreds of cops circled the four-block square without warning or announcement, leading to a tense stand-off, according to a Rolling Stone reporter on the ground. Flash bangs went off, and police used tear gas and smoke grenades to clear protesters. More from Rolling Stone Trump Raked in $57.3 Million From Crypto Venture, Per White House Financial Disclosures Thousands of 'No Kings' Protests Held Against Trump's 'Militarized Birthday Party' ICE Will Pause Farm, Restaurant Raids After Trump Social Media Post Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Parade live: Trump appears at military display in DC
The parade has moved into its Vietnam War section, led by contemporary troops from the 1st Cavalry Division. The unit fought in 13 named campaigns during the conflict. Several aircraft used in the war, including the Cobra helicopter, fly above. The US army in Vietnam reached its peak strength of 364,200 soldiers in January 1969. By 1973 it had fully withdrawn from the nation after its failure to defeat the Soviet-backed North Vietnamese forces. The war is considered one of the US army's most humiliating military losses. From Katy Balls in Washington Loud cheers for President Trump from the crowd in DC as he takes to the stage on his 79th birthday. Officially, however, this is about the armed forces's 250th birthday and that's why the majority of attendees I have spoken to so far say they are here first and foremost. As the parade gets under way, the crowds are applauding the soldiers — of whom many are dressed in costumes from the First World War to the Civil War to mark the United States's major conflicts. Now the tanks have started to roll in — leading to cries of 'oh my god' from enthusiastic attendees. Light rain has started to fall but so far it is not dampening spirits. The Second World War segment of the parade is now beginning its march down the National Mall. It includes the iconic Ford Jeep, which was used for nearly every military activity, and the M4 Sherman tank, renowned for its reliability on the battlefield. The M4 remained in American service from 1942 to 1957 and continued to serve with US allies into the 1970s. In mobilising for the Second World War, the US army expanded in size from 174,000 in 1939 to nearly 11 million by the war's end. B25 bombers, which served in all theatres of the war, fly above as President Trump gets to his feet to salute a unit of troops passing in front of him. Troops on horseback, representing the Civil War era, are up next. The unit is followed by a white wagon. This segment of the parade is made up of soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division, which was established in 1917 and first served during World War One. The US Army Parachute Team, known as the Golden Knights, have taken to the skies above the parade. Smoke billows out from behind them as they twist and turn against a backdrop of grey clouds. The camera pans to President Trump, who is smiling and clapping. Today's event realises one of the president's long-standing ambitions to stage a military parade. A marching band is leading the procession made up of trombones, trumpets and percussion drums. Behind them are troops from the 3rd Infantry Regiment dressed in period uniforms from the Revolutionary War and armed with muskets used by soldiers in the late 18th century. Most soldiers carried smoothbore muskets, not rifles, during the conflict. The rifle was more accurate, but took longer to load and could not mount a bayonet. Originally established in 1784, the 3rd Infantry Regiment is the army's oldest infantry unit. Its troops went on to serve in several US conflicts, including the Mexican War and World War Two. The parade has begun 30 minutes ahead of schedule due to the threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms. The umbrellas are up as light rain starts to fall. With the national anthem now over, we're moving into the first era-themed 'package' of the parade: the Revolutionary War. The parade is officially under way as members of the US army cross Arlington Memorial Bridge and begin to march down Constitution Avenue, which runs in between the White House and the Washington Monument. The crowd cheers and a band plays while several senior members of the army and the cabinet move into their place on a central viewing platform. President Trump has now arrived. President Trump is en route from the White House to the parade, which will be beginning shortly. He's joined by the first lady Melania Trump. The president, who turns 79 today, is also due to give a speech around 8.30pm. From Katy Balls in Washington DC It's one hour to go until the festivities get under way but the crowd is already gathering here in the mall in Washington DC. While the attendees so far are mostly a mix of military veterans and supporters plus Make America Great Again enthusiasts, some dissenting voices have made it in. Tim Pohle, 60, is here as a peaceful protester — with a placard that reads 'Dystopia — we're not going to have a country anymore'. He says he supports the military but is unhappy with the idea of a military parade: 'I just don't feel it is an American thing to do. It's the kind of thing you would see in Soviet Russia or North Korea.' While Pohle says most attendees have been civil, one man interrupts to shout 'Trump is my king' in our direction. Minnesota authorities say they believe the man suspected of shooting two Democratic state politicians, one of them fatally, is trying to flee the area. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said authorities are looking for 57-year-old Vance Boelter and that he had not yet been caught. Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat that was taken in Minneapolis on Saturday and asked the public to report sightings. Evans said investigators have obtained video as well. Speaking at a press conference, he did not give details on a possible motive. Military parades are a rare sight in the US. Since the end of World War Two, the nation has staged only one major military parade: the National Victory Celebration, held in 1991 after America's successful interventions in the Gulf War. However, military displays are far more common elsewhere. In Britain, Trooping the Colour is held every year to celebrate the birthday of the monarch. It involves gun salutes, cavalry processions and music. Russia's Victory Day parade, which marks the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis, is also held every year. In last month's parade, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled through Red Square, in Moscow, while rocket launchers and flamethrower systems used in Ukraine were also on display. France marks Bastille Day, the national day of France, with a military parade that President Trump described as 'one of the greatest parades I've ever seen'. North Korea holds several military parades each to celebrate various holidays. While today's protests have remained largely peaceful, there have been some reports of confrontations between demonstrators and police. In one heavily Hispanic neighbourhood of northern Atlanta, tear gas was thrown into a crowd of protesters who were headed toward a highway. A chemical irritant has also been sprayed at demonstrators attempting to move past a line of officers with bikes in Charlotte, North Carolina. It appears that the confrontation took place as several hundred people remained in the area after the the city's official rally ended at 1pm. Protesters at President Trump's parade marking 250 years of the American military held placards displaying the numbers '86 47' on Saturday, a symbol of resistance that has been associated with violence. The significance of the numbers was highlighted in May when James Comey, the director of the FBI between 2013 and 2017, was put under investigation after posting an image to Instagram of sea shells on a beach spelling out the four protests on Saturday were organised by 'No Kings', a national movement made up of Americans who oppose the Trump administration. • Read the full story here Authorities in Texas have warned of 'credible threats' made against legislators planning to attend protests in Austin. An alert was sent out by the state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Saturday afternoon — just hours after two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot in their homes. The Texan DPS said it was working with 'all local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our citizens and state property, as well as to protect individuals exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and free speech'. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said: 'I urge everyone to take appropriate precautions and heed the warning of Texas DPS until the threat is no longer active.' Protests have been planned across several cities in Texas, a staunchly Republican state. Protests in Minnesota have been cancelled after a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were assassinated on Saturday in an attack described by officials as politically motivated. Police said they are searching for Vance Boelter, 57, after Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot dead in their homes. Boelter is also suspected of shooting Democratic Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived and have since undergone surgery. It's believed Boelter gained access to the politicians' homes by impersonating a police officer. 'Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today's planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,' State Patrol posted on social media on Saturday morning. President Trump has threatened a strong response to the 'No Kings' protests being held across the US today. Tens of thousands have already taken to the streets of New York, with protests also under way in Washington and Los Angeles, where unrest has rocked the city's Downtown district since last weekend. Demonstrators are out in full force in Springfield, Ohio, Seattle, Nashville and Miami. Earlier this week, Trump warned: 'People that hate our country … they will be met with very heavy force.' Despite the name of the 'No King' protests, which imply Trump is behaving like an aspiring autocrat, the president said earlier this week: 'I don't feel like a king … I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.'
