Event 169

{
  "category": "Uncategorized",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "The event is a direct interview with a named researcher published on a major Latvian public media outlet. Evidence is provided via direct quotes and summary. The publication date and context are unambiguous.",
  "country": "Latvia",
  "defense_prep": {
    "links": [
      "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/07.03.2024-researcher-latvia-is-too-secretive-about-defense.a545768/"
    ],
    "title": "Border?? Latvia society discussions about defense.  More openness. And: \"NATO Article 3   every country must be able to defend its own territory first, and only then do the others come. \""
  },
  "description": "A researcher at the Latvian National Defense Academy argues that Latvia maintains an exaggerated level of secrecy around national security, which contributes to public insecurity and hinders public understanding of defense capabilities. The lack of transparency surrounding Latvia's defense systems, purchases, and military exercises is criticized as unnecessary and counter-productive.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-03-07T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Interview with Valdis Kuzmins, researcher at the National Defense Academy, criticizing excessive secrecy in Latvian defense.",
    "Direct quotes from Kuzmins and other defense experts highlighting Latvia's advanced, but under-communicated, military assets and public information policy."
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "The feeling of insecurity in society, when it comes to military threats, is caused by the fact that there is an exaggerated position of secrecy in the field of national security, said Valdis Kuzmins, a researcher at the National Defense Academy, in an interview with Latvian Radio on March 7.",
    "Those radars that we have bought (are) world class and they have been installed for years.",
    "Latvian Armed Forces have the most effective anti-tank protection system in the world.",
    "Latvia currently has no direct military threat, and therefore residents should be more careful about this type of information and not to cause panic."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "Interview with Valdis Kuzmins, researcher at the National Defense Academy, criticizing excessive secrecy in Latvian defense.",
            "Direct quotes from Kuzmins and other defense experts highlighting Latvia's advanced, but under-communicated, military assets and public information policy."
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "headline": "Researcher: Latvia is 'too secretive' about defense",
  "location_text": "Latvia",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_169_1763918367_c12ce965.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Important civilian resilience and defense discussions in Latvia.",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/07.03.2024-researcher-latvia-is-too-secretive-about-defense.a545768/"
  ],
  "summary_short": "A security researcher warns that excessive secrecy in Latvian defense creates public distrust and impedes open discussion of national security.",
  "url": "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/07.03.2024-researcher-latvia-is-too-secretive-about-defense.a545768/"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "",
  "Attack Type": "",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "LV",
  "Date": "7-Mar-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "Border?? Latvia society discussions about defense.  More openness. And: \"NATO Article 3   every country must be able to defend its own territory first, and only then do the others come. \"",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/07.03.2024-researcher-latvia-is-too-secretive-about-defense.a545768/",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Important civilian resilience and defense discussions in Latvia.",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}