William Gallo
@williamgallo.bsky.social
Europe/Mideast Bureau Chief for Stars and Stripes, an independent newspaper by and for the US military www.williamwgallo.com
A look at life in Bahrain, home to the US 5th Fleet, after Iranian attacks that prompted a mass US evacuation.
Returning to Bahrain, where the damage is being repaired faster than the nerves
Back in Bahrain now, many visible signs of the war have disappeared, even if some of the unease it caused has not.
stripes.com
Poll finds broad global opposition to US military bases
Poll finds broad global opposition to US military bases, except in Poland and South Korea
A new poll found limited support for American bases in countries that host large numbers of U.S. forces.
stripes.com
For the sailors and military families who fled Bahrain during the Iran war, there is no mental health playbook. That's partly because PTSD care is largely built around troops going to war -- not war arriving at their homes. A deeply reported piece by @starsandstripes.bsky.social's Shannon Renfroe.
For Bahrain evacuees, there is no mental health playbook
Evacuees described panic, hypervigilance and delayed stress after experiencing wartime attacks without the support systems typical of combat deployments.
stripes.com
In a widely distributed community newsletter, an Army garrison in Germany warned: “DO NOT ENGAGE WITH MEDIA.” Officials later clarified to Stars and Stripes that it wasn’t a blanket ban. But military legal experts warn it could still discourage troops and their families from exercising free speech.
Army garrison says no blanket speech ban after ‘do not engage with media’ message
Members of a U.S. military community in Germany are being reminded to avoid speaking with reporters as military operations continue in the Middle East.
stripes.com
Army garrison says no blanket speech ban after ‘do not engage with media’ message
Army garrison says no blanket speech ban after ‘do not engage with media’ message
Members of a U.S. military community in Germany are being reminded to avoid speaking with reporters as military operations continue in the Middle East.
stripes.com
ANALYSIS | Operation Epic Fury has sunk Iran’s largest naval ships, degraded its air defenses and killed many of its top leaders. It has also laid bare the vulnerabilities of the American presence in the Middle East, experts say. From Stars and Stripes' Lara Korte:
Iran war reveals vulnerabilities of US Middle East bases
The U.S. has decimated Iran’s military, but it could cost billions to repair bases in the Middle East.
stripes.com
"American military and intelligence officials estimate that, after weeks of war, Iran still has about 40 percent of its arsenal of attack drones and upward of 60 percent of its missile launchers — more than enough to hold shipping in the Strait of Hormuz hostage..." www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...
For Iran, Flexing Control Over Waterway Is New Deterrent
nytimes.com
I spoke to Stars & Stripes about the takeaways for US forces in Europe from Iran's long-range Indian Ocean missile launches last Friday www.stripes.com/theaters/eur...
“If you are willing to actually allow and fund to a certain extent a newspaper that you understand will hold you to account at times,” he said, “I think it’s a really wonderful expression of those values in the First Amendment.”
Stars and Stripes defends its independence amid new Pentagon pressures - Editor and Publisher
For generations of service members, Stars and Stripes has been known as the soldiers’ newspaper, funded by the U.S. government but protected by law to report independently on the military it covers. N...
editorandpublisher.com
Very happy to report that I am now the Europe/Mideast bureau chief for Stars and Stripes. I've long been impressed from afar at the work this outlet has done in communicating to the US military community, and two days in I'm more convinced than ever about the importance of that mission.
“I believe they see my writing style as excessively objective and they see it as a problem,” he said. “I say positive things about North Korea sometimes, and when negative, not in a hysterical style.”
North Korea scholar Andrei Lankov detained in Latvia before lecture | NK News
North Korea scholar Andrei Lankov was detained in Latvia and expelled from the country on Tuesday, just before the start of a public lecture in Riga. Lankov, a Russian and Australian national, confirm...
nknews.org
A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange planned to give customers a small cash reward of 2,000 won - $1.37 - but instead gave them 2,000 bitcoins on Friday.
S Korean crypto firm accidentally pays out $40bn in bitcoin
The company quickly realised its mistake and managed to recover virtually all the missing tokens from customers.
bbc.com
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to use her dominance of Japan’s parliament after her huge election win to attempt to amend the country’s constitution for the first time in almost 80 years.
Sanae Takaichi targets changes to Japan’s constitution after landslide election win
Prime minister says she feels ‘heavy responsibility’ to strengthen country
giftarticle.ft.com
POLL: Danish perceptions of the relationship with the United States have taken a stark downturn in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland. Read more: www.stripes.com/theaters/eur... #Flashes
"While it has existed since 2009, the EU’s Article 42.7 mutual defense clause was rarely seen as necessary because NATO’s Article 5 served a similar purpose. But Europe's governments have started to doubt whether the U.S. really would come to Europe's rescue."
Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence
The EU aims to reduce reliance on America in areas such as technology, energy, payments and defense. That will take some time.
politico.eu
“We will never have true strategic independence, absent our own nuclear deterrent...let’s keep our options open."
Canada should ‘keep our options open’ on acquiring nuclear weapons, former defence chief says
Retired general Wayne Eyre told an Ottawa crowd that developing a nuclear deterrent is not an immediate concern, but should be an option
theglobeandmail.com
FROM OUR OMBUDSMAN: Given the overall press restrictions and the moves to take over editorial control of Stars and Stripes, the future of a reputable newspaper that dates to the Civil War is in danger. Here's what's happening, why & what you can do about it. Gift article🔗: bit.ly/4k7MF6F #Flashes
"The idea that China is ready to seize Greenland at any moment is absurd, and Trump’s claims that Chinese destroyers and submarines are circling the island are blatantly false."
No, China Isn’t Going to Take Over Greenland
Trump’s absurd justification for potential U.S. action is blatantly false.
foreignpolicy.com
Trump's threats to take Greenland "should be the final wake-up call for the UK, Europe and Canada never to allow themselves to slide into such a position of profound weakness again."
Trump is likely gambling he could get away with Greenland grab as NATO needs US more than he needs it
The US president knows no European nation would seriously try to stop him by force - because they would lose.
news.sky.com
"I think we should possess nuclear weapons...in the end, we can only rely on ourselves."
Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, prime minister's office source says
A source within Japan's prime minister's office said Thursday that the country needs nuclear weapons, remarks that deviate from the country's long-standing non-nuclear principles and could trigger bac...
english.kyodonews.net
"This vanishing of North Korea from 2017 to 2025 alone should caution the reader to take this text, whether you see things you like or dislike, with a gigantic grain of salt."
My Warm Take on the National Security Strategy
From the erasure of North Korea to the defense of Taiwan
johndelury.substack.com
Denmark’s military intelligence service has for the first time classified the US as a security risk, a striking shift in how one of Washington’s closest European allies assesses the transatlantic relationship.
Danish intelligence classifies Trump’s America as a security risk
Denmark sounds the alarm about the U.S.’s increasingly antagonistic posture toward Europe.
politico.eu
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported? NOEM: We haven't deported veterans MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
Instead of the word “denuclearization,” the paper emphasized “resolving the Korean peninsula issue through political means.
China omits 'denuclearization' from newly-released defense white paper
China has omitted the phrase “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” from a defense white paper for the first time in 19 years, signaling a possible shift in its position as it competes with the Un...
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
Japan frustrated at Trump administration’s silence over row with China – FT: ‘Some people said the lack of US support was ironic given that Elbridge Colby, the under-secretary of defence for policy, had pushed Japan to make clear what role it would play if the US and China went to war over Taiwan.’
Japan frustrated at Trump administration’s silence over row with China
Tokyo asks US to be more vocal in its support after Beijing reacted furiously to prime minister’s comments about Taiwan
ft.com
