FOCUS ON EXTREMISM: In his first day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Merrick Garland said his first priority would be to make sure the perpetrators of last month’s attack on the Capitol are brought to justice.
“If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy — the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” Garland said in his opening statement.
Under questioning, Garland pledged his effort to target domestic extremism would not be limited to far-right groups. “Do you promise to defend the Portland courthouse against anarchists, the federal court building in Portland?” asked Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
“Any attack on a federal building or damage to a federal building violates federal statutes, and those who do it will be prosecuted,” Garland replied. “From whichever direction, inside, outside, right, left; doesn’t matter. Any attack on our institutions of democracy and of our ability to go forward with our daily lives in safety has to be stopped. And that we need all, it’s a government-wide, but also a Justice Department-wide obligation.”
MORE DANGEROUS THAN 1995: Garland led the Justice Department’s prosecution of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, an attack on a federal building that killed 168 people, including 19 children, and wounded hundreds of others. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were convicted in what was the deadliest act of homegrown domestic terrorism in modern American history.
“We are facing a more dangerous period than we faced in Oklahoma City,” Garland said in response to a question about the proliferation of weapons and the ability of social media to galvanize groups with conspiratorial beliefs. “I intend to make sure that we look more broadly, to look at where this is coming from, what other groups there might be that could raise the same problem in the future, and that we protect the American people.”
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: As Garland’s confirmation hearing goes into its second day, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Rules and Administration Committee will be grilling key players responsible for protecting the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6. at 10 a.m.
The witnesses include Robert Contee, acting chief of police, Metropolitan Police Department; Steven Sund, former chief, U.S. Capitol Police; Michael Stenger, former Senate sergeant-at-arms and doorkeeper; and Paul Irving, former House sergeant-at-arms. Sund, Stenger, and Irving all were forced to resign in the days immediately following the attack.
“On my mind will be what happened with the National Guard, why was there a delay in that deployment. How about intelligence sharing? What went wrong there, who knew what, what should have happened faster, and then, of course, the whole structure,” said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, chairwoman of the Rules Committee, on CNN. “Right now, the police chief of the Capitol Police reports to this police board. Should things be done differently so that decisions can be made in a better way to focus on security? There is a lot that we have to unpack.”
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Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet virtually with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the first bilateral “face-to-face” consultation since Biden took office a month ago. The two leaders are expected to make a statement after the hour and a half session at approximately 5:45 p.m.
HAPPENING TOMORROW: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be making his first domestic trip, departing tomorrow for the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado and then to California, where he will inspect a team of active-duty troops supporting FEMA “mega-vaccination sites” in Los Angeles.
From there, he’ll join Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday in San Diego on Thursday to welcome home the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, heading back to port from a marathon 10-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and the Pacific.
Aircraft carrier strike groups used to routinely deploy for six months at a time, but the shortage of carriers and the need to deter Iran has resulted in extended tours at sea that stresses both the ships and the crew.
“The Secretary’s certainly mindful of the demand that’s placing on the service itself and, of course, on the sailors, and that’s one of the reasons why he wanted to go out to see Nimitz, as she gets ready to come home, to thank the sailors that extraordinary service and sacrifice,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby yesterday.
Kirby said Austin has been in discussions with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley about “the resiliency of the force” and how limited resources can be managed better. “There’s always tension between what’s needed out there and what’s available, and he’s mindful of that, having been combatant commander himself,” he said. “He’s been on both sides of that equation, and I think he’s uniquely qualified and situated to try to get the balance better going forward.”
EXTREMISM IN THE RANKS ‘NOT DEBATABLE’: Kirby also responded to criticism from former Pentagon chief of staff Kash Patel, who in an interview on Fox News over the weekend insisted that the purported problem with extremism “doesn’t exist.”
“White supremacy is not rampant throughout the Department of Defense. That is outrageous and offensive to our men and women in uniform,” Patel told Fox’s Maria Bartiromo in remarks reported here yesterday.
Kirby pointed to an October 2020 Pentagon report to Congress, which the Trump administration kept under wraps, that details the military’s efforts to keep extremists out of the military. A copy of the report was obtained by CQ Roll Call, which says it paints a stark picture of white supremacist inroads in the U.S. military.
“Clearly, it found that extremism is an issue in the United States military. So, I find that a very interesting comment to make when they themselves studied this and came to the conclusion that, you know, it is an issue,” Kirby told a Pentagon briefing. “I don’t think it’s debatable that it is or it isn’t an issue. What we don’t know is the extent of it, and what we don’t know is exactly how best to go about eradicating that and the behavior that it inspires. That’s the problem.”
MESSAGE FROM THE TOP: The Pentagon is preparing training materials to be used by commanders when they conduct a one-day stand-down for the troops to reinforce their oath to support the Constitution and protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic.
As part of that training, they’ll be required to watch a short video message from the defense secretary. “We need your help,” Austin says in the video.“I’m talking, of course, about extremism and extremist ideology — views and conduct that run counter to everything that we believe in and which can actually tear at the fabric of who we are as an institution,” he said.
“Let me say from the outset that there is not a single doubt in my mind that you take seriously your oath to the Constitution,” he said.
FORMER DIA DIRECTOR LANDS AT CNAS: Retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has joined the Center for a New American Security as an adjunct senior fellow.
“General Ashley’s extraordinary wealth of experience and leadership at the highest levels of U.S. national security, intelligence and military service will be of immense benefit to our team and research in the areas of intelligence and defense,” said Carrie Cordero, CNAS senior fellow, in a statement.
INDUSTRY WATCH: The days when each new batch of Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighters comes with a lower sticker price are coming to an end, says Greg Ulmer, the company’s executive vice president for aeronautics.
Air Force Magazine reports Ulmer told defense writers last week that after years of lot-over-lot price reductions, it will be hard to drive them much lower in the next negotiation. Instead, the goal will be to keep the price “neutral.”
In 2019 the per-copy pricetag for the F-35A model used by the Air Force fell below $80 million for the first time, comparable to the cost of a new F-15 or F-16.
HUNTINGTON INGALLS GETS $3B CARRIER REFUELING CONTRACT: The Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding $3 billion to refuel the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, according to USNI News.
“Stennis is next in line for this mid-life availability, which includes tearing the flight deck off, gutting the ship of most of its computer and combat systems, overhauling tanks and other spaces, and then rebuilding the ship back up for the second half of its 50-year service life — in addition to refueling the carrier’s two nuclear reactors,” the report said.
The work is expected to be completed by August 2025.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: ‘We need your help’: Lloyd Austin calls on troops to help fight extremism in ranks
Washington Examiner: Central Europe pleads for Biden to halt Russia-Germany gas pipeline
Washington Examiner: State Department: US won’t ‘lash out’ against Iran over rocket attacks in Iraq
Bloomberg: Pentagon Spending May Escape Deep Budget Cuts, Key Senator Says
Defense News: Pentagon Budget Must Prioritize Navy, Air Force And Cyber, Lawmakers Say
Military Times: Pentagon Not Yet Placing Blame For Three Rocket Attacks On Iraq Bases Housing U.S. Troops
Newsweek: U.S., Japan Begin Joint Military Drills after China Enters Japanese Waters
Yonhap: U.S. Will Build On ‘Quad’ To Deal With China – State Dept.
Stars and Stripes: Navy Vaccinates Thousands Aboard Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson In One Day
Seapower Magazine: With Crew Vaccinations Increasing, Newest Navy COVID-19 Guidance Looks to Ease Liberty Restraints
Air Force Magazine: People Tried to Breach Air National Guard Bases at Least 13 Times This Year
AP: Marine Veteran the Latest Charged in Capitol Breach
Tampa Bay Times: Ex-Army And Navy Reservist Charged In Capitol Insurrection Ordered To Remain In Jail Without Bail
Bloomberg: Extremism in Military a Top Concern for Key Defense Lawmaker
Navy Times: Navy Says ‘Liking’ Or Sharing Extremists’ Posts On Social Media Can Get You In Trouble
Military.com: Navy Will Make All Sailors Reaffirm Oath to the Constitution in Extremism Stand-Down
Washington Post: Iran Deal With U.N. Nuclear Agency May Offer Diplomatic Breathing Room
Military.com: One Shot, One Kill: Marines Begin Fielding New Precision Rifle Optic
USNI News: French Start Next-Generation Ballistic Nuclear Missile Submarine Program
Air Force Magazine: USAF Identifies Pilot Killed in T-38 Crash
19fortyfive.com: XB-70A Valkyrie: Supersonic Bomber Turned Passenger Jet?
Real Clear Investigations: 50 Years After Eisenhower’s Warning, Distinct Signs of a ‘Digital-Intelligence Complex.'”
Bloomberg: Opinion: NATO Allies Must Pay More For Europe’s Security
Calendar
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 23
9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on National Security,” with Eric Schmidt, co-founder, Schmidt Futures; Brad Smith, president, Microsoft Corporation; and retired Air Force Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, president and CEO, National Defense Industrial Association. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing: “Examining the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol,” with Robert Contee, acting chief of police, Metropolitan Police Department; Steven Sund, former chief, U.S. Capitol Police; Michael Stenger, former sergeant at arms and doorkeeper, U.S. Senate; and Paul Irving, former sergeant at arms, U.S. House of Representatives. https://www.hsgac.senate.gov
10 a.m. — Nuclear Threat Initiative webinar: “Nuclear in the New Decade,” with International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Mariano Grossi. https://zoom.us/webinar/register
11 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems hearing: “Innovation Opportunities and Vision for the Science and Technology Enterprise,” with Christine Fox, former acting deputy secretary of defense, assistant director for policy and analysis, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Victoria Coleman, former DARPA director, senior adviser to the director, CITRIS, UC Berkeley; and Klon Kitchen, resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
1 p.m. — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute virtual event: “Building a 21st-Century Foreign Policy,” with Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., chair of House Republican Conference; and Roger Zakheim, director, Reagan Institute. https://www.reaganfoundation.org/programs
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing: “Near-Peer Advancements in Space and Nuclear Weapons,” with retired Gen. Robert Kehler, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University; Madelyn Creedon, nonresident fellow, The Brookings Institute; Todd Harrison, director, Aerospace Security Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Tim Morrison, senior fellow, The Hudson Institute. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
3 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast “Missile Defense and Defeat: A Conversation with the Vice Chairman,” with Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Tom Karako, senior fellow, International Security Program and Director, Missile Defense Project, CSIS. https://www.csis.org/events/missile-defense
4 p.m. — President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris participate in their first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Biden and Tredeau make statements afterward at 5:45 p.m.
7 p.m. — Stimson Center and Sejong Institute Zoom webinar: “US and ROK Approaches to North Korea: Challenges and Opportunities,” with Jungsup Kim, senior research fellow, Sejong Institute; Jihwan Hwang, professor, University of Seoul; Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Jenny Town, fellow, Stimson Center and deputy director, 38 North; and moderated by Joel S. Wit, senior fellow, Stimson Center and Director, 38 North.https://www.stimson.org/event
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 24
8:25 a.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conference call discussion with Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webinar on a new report, “Debating U.S.-Turkey Security Cooperation in Times of Global and Regional Shifts,” with Saban Kardas, associate professor at TOBB Economics and Technology University; and Ceylan Canbilek, senior program officer at GMFUS https://www.gmfus.org/events
10 a.m. 301 Russell — Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on the nomination of William Burns to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/
10 a.m. — Air Force Association 2021 Virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown. https://www.afa.org/events/calendar
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar “Is ‘Freeze for Freeze’ A Viable Pathway to Re-engage with Iran?” with Henry Rome, senior analyst at the Eurasia Group; Hannah Kaviani, journalist at Radio Farda; Eric Brewer, deputy director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; and Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program. https://www.csis.org/events/freeze-freeze
10 a.m. — Association of Old Crows virtual discussion with Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare in the Office of the Director of Naval Intelligence. https://www.crows.org/genera
11 a.m. — Business Executives for National Security virtual forum; “Sharpening DOD’s Competitive Edge: Tail-to-Tooth At 20,” with former Defense Secretaries Ash Carter, Mark Esper, and Leon Panetta. https://www.bens.org/pages/events
1 p.m. — Institute for Corean-American Studies’ Liberty Foundation virtual symposium: “The Korean Peninsula Issues and U.S. National Security,” with Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/icas-spring-symposium
1 p.m. — Space Foundation “Space Symposium 365” virtual discussion: “The Navy’s Contribution to Space,” with Cmdr. Gregory Arnold, senior space adviser at the Navy’s Space Operations Pacific Fleet; Capt. Andy Berner, commanding officer of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command’s Space Field Activity; Capt. Andrew Dittmer, Navy liaison to The Space Force’s Space Education and Training Center; Capt. Stephen Melvin, space cadre lead at the Navy Reserve; and retired Capt. Bradd Olsen, Navy liaison at the U.S. Space Command and director of the Satellite Communication Integrated Operations Division of the Combined Space Operations Center. https://spacesymposium365.org
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group webinar: “Modernizing the Air Force with Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI),” with Col. Charles Destefani, Air Force Chief Data Office chief architect and Air Force Material Command liaison. https://www.govexec.com/feature
4 p.m. — Institute of World Politics webinar: “The Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance and the Threat,” with retired Army Gen. John Tilelli, former commander of the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea. https://www.iwp.edu/events/webinar
6:30 p.m. — Sejong Society of Washington, D.C. virtual discussion: “Nuclear North Korea and The Biden Presidency,” with former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Robert Gallucci, professor at Georgetown University; Markus Garlauskus, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Injoo Park, president of the Sejong Society. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nuclear-north-korea
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 25
5 a.m. — International Institute for Strategic Studies virtual launch of “The Military Balance 2021,” with John Chipman, director general and chief executive of IISS. https://www.iiss.org/events/2021/02/the-military-balance-2021-launch
9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of Defense Support to the COVID-19 Response,” with Stacy Cummings, performing the duties of under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Robert Salesses, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security; and Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer, Federal COVID-19 Response for Vaccine and Therapeutics. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. — Air Force Association 2021 Virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium with Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, U.S. Space Force. https://www.afa.org/events/calendar
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 26
9 a.m. — House Oversight and Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Weathering the Storm: The Role of Private Tech in the SolarWinds Breach and Ongoing Campaign,” with Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president and CEO, SolarWinds Corporation; Kevin Thompson, former CEO, SolarWinds Corporation; Kevin Mandia, CEO, FireEye, Inc.; and Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer, Microsoft Corporation. https://oversight.house.gov/legislation/hearings
9 a.m. — Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy virtual conference: “The Middle East and the New Administration,” with former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. https://www.brookings.edu/events
10 a.m. — Air Force Association 2021 Virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium with John Roth, acting Air Force secretary, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior leaders. https://www.afa.org/events/calendar
11 a.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center Middle East Program virtual book discussion on The Unraveling of Syria and America’s Race to Destroy the Most Dangerous Arsenal in the World, with author Joby Warrick, national security correspondent for the Washington Post; former State Department Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS James Jeffrey, chair of the WWC Middle East Program; and Robert Litwak, director of international security studies at WWC. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/red-line-unraveling-syria
12 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar, “Lessons Learned from a Cyberattack: A Conversation with SolarWinds (Part II),” with former National Security Agency General Counsel Glenn Gerstell, senior adviser at CSIS; and Suzanne Spaulding, senior adviser at the CSIS Homeland Security, International Security Program. https://www.csis.org/events/lessons-learned-cyberattack
1 p.m. — Atlantic Council webinar: “Women’s Gains in Afghanistan: Healthcare’s Essential Role in Stabilizing Afghanistan,” with Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of the U.S. Naval War College and former provincial reconstruction team commander; former Afghan Deputy Minister of Health for Policy and Planning Diwa Samad, special aide to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani; Mariam Bayat, director of the Bayat Foundation; and Susan Yoshihara, founder and president of the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
2 p.m. — Washington Post live discussion: “A Conversation with Robert M. Gates,” former defense secretary and CIA director, moderated by David Ignatius, Washington Post, columnist covering foreign affairs. https://robertgates.splashthat.com/
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I think this was the most heinous attack on the democratic processes that I’ve ever seen, and one that I never expected to see in my lifetime.”
Merrick Garland, President Biden’s nominee to be U.S. attorney general, testifying about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
