CARTER ON BENDED KNEE: Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford head to the hill this morning, and Carter says he will be “pleading” for Congress to get its act together and give the Pentagon the funding worked out in a bipartisan budget deal. With the new fiscal year to begin in just over a week, Carter is frustrated that the Pentagon will find itself hamstrung by another stopgap continuing resolution. “I’m pleading with Congress,” Carter told U.S. troops yesterday in a worldwide interactive broadcast. “We need a budget. We can’t have this up, down, herky-jerky, not certain whether we’re going to get a budget.” The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing begins at 9:30 a.m.
MOSUL LIBERATION COMING: There are more signs that the Iraqi government will order the offensive to retake the Islamic State’s stronghold of Mosul in mid-October, and ISIS fighters there seem to be increasingly aware their days are numbered. The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that the U.S. military wants up to 500 more troops to assist Iraqi and coalition forces in preparing for the battle of Mosul. The Washington Post, citing reports from inside the city, says, “In recent months, the Islamic State has carried out more arrests and executions … in a sign of desperation as it faces the prospect of losing Mosul.” And in what may be another sign of desperation, a crude rocket hit near the Qayyarah Air Base, 25 miles south of Mosul, where some 200 U.S. troops are working feverishly to prepare a staging ground for the coming offensive. A fragment from the rocket tested positive in an initial field test for mustard agent, a chemical weapon, but a second test came back negative. More testing is being done today to determine if ISIS is now using chemical weapons against coalition forces. The U.S. says no one was exposed, and operations at the base were unaffected.
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PROPAGANDA WAR: In the face of repeated and insistent denials from Russia that it bombed a U.N. humanitarian aid convoy near Aleppo Monday, the Pentagon got more specific yesterday in making its case that Russia is flat-out lying. On the record, a Pentagon spokesman denied any U.S aircraft, manned or unmanned, were anywhere near the area where the convoy was hit. At the same time privately, Pentagon officials said the U.S. knows for a fact that the trucks were bombed from the air, and that one minute before the attack, a Russian Su-24 was directly overhead. You connect the dots.
But despite a furious verbal response from a visibly angry Secretary of State John Kerry, he’s not ready to give up on the cease-fire deal he negotiated with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two are due to meet again today in New York. Kerry agains called on Russia and Syria to stop flying aircraft in Syria so that humanitarian aid can reach people in need. “We must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,” Kerry said. “And if that happens, there’s a chance of giving credibility back to this process,” he said.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reports this morning that the Obama administration is considering directly arming Syrian Kurds fighting ISIS, calling the proposal “a major policy shift that could speed up the offensive against the terrorist group but also sharply escalate tensions between Turkey and the United States.”
BATTLE IN THE STREETS: Local law enforcement testified before the House Homeland Security Committee and asked lawmakers to stop painting people in ethnic or religious groups with a broad brush as all criminals or terrorists, because doing so can increase the chances of someone being radicalized. “We know that individuals that feel marginalized or feel like they’re not welcome end up being much more susceptible to radicalization, whether it’s from a street gang or an Islamist overseas using social media,” said Austin Police Chief Art Acevado.
Democrats used the hearing on preventing violence in the U.S. to talk gun control. “You can’t with any credibility hold a hearing with the topic ‘stopping the next attack, how to keep our cities from becoming battlegrounds,’ without fundamentally addressing what most people on this panel agree with and that is very commonsensical gun safety measures,” Rep. Brian Higgins said.
Rep. Jeff Duncan slammed Democrats for hijacking the hearing to talk about gun control. You can see his full remarks here.
WEAPONS TO SAUDI ARABIA: The Senate defeated a measure aimed at blocking a major weapons sale to Saudi Arabia, Joel Gehrke writes. Sens. Rand Paul and Chris Murphy offered a resolution disapproving the sale, but opponents made a motion to table it, and the motion passed easily, 71-27. “We can’t ask our Middle East allies to fight harder and do more and not provide them with the weaponry to do it,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday. “I think Saudi Arabia is a valuable partner in the war on terror. If you want to lose Saudi Arabia as an ally, be careful what you wish for.”
JAMES COMEY, CALL YOUR OFFICE: FBI Director James Comey will testify before the House Judiciary Committee next week following reports that the agency was tipped off about the weekend terrorist attacks in New York and New Jersey, Susan Ferrechio writes.
“From San Bernardino to Orlando to the most recent terrorist attacks in New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota, the United States has experienced a rise in radical Islamic terrorism and we must ensure that the FBI has the resources needed for its counterterrorism efforts in order to thwart these heinous plots and protect Americans from harm,” Chairman Bob Goodlatte said in a statement announcing the hearing. He said the oversight hearing will also give lawmakers another chance to ask Comey why he decided not to launch a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and her mishandling of classified information.
SO HOW RICH ARE THEY?: More than 40 Democrats joined Republicans in passing legislation Wednesday aimed at revealing the wealth of Iranian leaders, despite President Obama’s promise to veto the bill due to fears that it would undermine his nuclear deal with the regime, writes Joel Gehrke.
Lawmakers in the House passed the bill 282-143, and 42 of the “yes” votes came from Democrats. Still, if the bill were to make it to Obama’s desk and he vetoed it, a two-thirds majority would be needed to override that veto, and today’s House vote fell short of that margin.
STILL READY: On the last day of the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber conference, Dunford had a message for enemies and allies: Don’t take recent comments about readiness shortfalls as a sign that the United States could no longer fight and win. “It’s not about ‘we’re broke,’ it’s not about ‘we don’t have a competitive advantage.’ It’s about the standards that we’ve set for ourselves, which are incredibly high,” he said.
CONSIDER CLIMATE CHANGE: Obama issued a new policy directive Wednesday to consider the effects of climate change in developing national security policy and planning across all major security agencies and the military, John Siciliano writes. “Today, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Climate Change and National Security, establishing a policy that the impacts of climate change must be considered in the development of national security-related doctrine, policies, and plans,” the White House said. “To achieve this, 20 federal agencies and offices with climate science, intelligence analysis, and national security policy development missions and responsibilities will collaborate to ensure the best information on climate impacts is available to strengthen our national security.”
AUSSIE P.M. TO PENTAGON: This afternoon Carter welcomes Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to the Pentagon. It’s the second meeting between the two. Australia has been one of America’s most reliable allies in the war on ISIS.
WHEN COMPROMISE WAS NOT A DIRTY WORD: At a Pentagon ceremony Wednesday, Carter honored two old political adversaries and lifelong friends. Democrat Carl Levin and Republican John Warner traded the chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee over the years, depending on which party controlled the chamber. The two recalled a much different time in Washington politics, not that long ago, when the two parties found ways to come together, especially on the issue of defense and national security. Warner, who now walks with a cane, but still has a strong and steady voice, talked about a time when the ethos was “Country first, Politics second, Period.” The former senator was presented with the Defense Department’s Distinguished Public Service Medal, it highest civilian honor. Levin had received the award previously. You can watch the two old friends tell stories about each other here.
AWKWARD: The most cringe-worthy moment at Carter’s “Ask the Secretary” live troop talk with U.S. service members around the world yesterday came when a staff sergeant in Baghdad congratulated Carter on the “birthday” of his job, noting the Office of Secretary of Defense was created in September 1947. The soldier said, “Bear with me a little bit, and think back to maybe the first secretary of defense. That was 1947. I’m going to say he didn’t have a Twitter account.” To which Carter replied, “He didn’t. And actually, I hate to say this, but he had other issues as well, and actually committed suicide. So the job didn’t get off to a great start.”
The moderator, a young tech sergeant, seemed slightly taken aback. “Well, that’s not good,” she said. Though not mentioned by name, the first secretary of defense was James V. Forrestal, who died in 1949 from a fall from a window at Bethesda Naval Hospital where he was being treated for depression. After injecting the somber note into the conversation, Carter attempted to pivot to a more upbeat theme. “I don’t — I’m not sure anybody ever knows why,” Carter said of Forrestal’s suicide, “But things have gone well after that.”
THE RUNDOWN
New York Times: U.S. Allows Boeing and Airbus to Sell Planes to Iran
Reuters: Abandoning discretion, Iranians proclaim their role in Syrian war
USNI News: Coast Guard Ready for Possible Offshore Patrol Cutter Protest
Marine Corps Times: Aircraft shortage forces Recon Marines to jump from civilian planes
Marine Corps Times: Top Marine aviator: ‘Ways to go’ before enough aircraft are flyable
USNI News: BAE Systems Completes First Production ACV, Will Display It At Modern Day Marine
Air Force Times: RPAs need improvements to stay alive on future battlefields, experts say
UPI: Lockheed Martin demos Legion sensor pod on F-15
UPI: Sweden to buy 24 extra Archer howitzers
Military Times: This poll of the U.S. military has Gary Johnson tied with Donald Trump in the race for president
Military Times: Retired top officers back Clinton’s experience, slam Trump
New York Times: Flagged Two Times in 2014, Ahmad Rahami Passed Scrutiny
War on the Rocks: China’s artificial islands are bigger (and a bigger deal) than you think
Breaking Defense: Air Force Leading Way To 3rd Offset: Bob Work
Washington Post: West Point women have a new, bloody requirement as the Army completes gender integration
Calendar
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 22
9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. Cannon 311. The House Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on identifying and defeating the threat from Islamic radical terrorists. homeland.house.gov
11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Steve Russell, two veterans serving in Congress, speak about the unique perspectives veterans can bring to the legislative process. heritage.org
12:30 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, speaks at a luncheon hosted by the Stimson Center. stimson.org
2 p.m. Rayburn 2172. Think tank analysts testify about diplomacy in the South China Sea following the decision this year by an international tribunal. foreignaffairs.house.gov
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 23
9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Industry representatives from Boeing, Bell Helicopter and Rockwell Collins speak at an event about the Pentagon’s future vertical lift program. csis.org
12 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council hosts an event analyzing Iran’s conventional missile program. atlanticcouncil.org
4:30 p.m. Livestream. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks about U.S.-Iran relations and nuclear security. cfr.org
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26
10 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Stimson hosts a public symposium on the global security challenges for the U.S.-Japan alliance and partnership. stimson.org
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 27
10 a.m. Dirksen 342. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testifies about threats to the homeland 15 years after 9/11. hsgac.senate.gov
2 p.m. Rayburn 2200. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade marks up a bill requiring a report on whether the IRGC is a terrorist group. foreignaffairs.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 28
2:30 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council hosts an event on countering violent extremism in Bangladesh. atlanticcouncil.org
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 29
9:30 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Former NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks about America’s role in the world. atlanticcouncil.org
2:15 p.m. Dirksen 419. Antony Blinken, the deputy secretary of state, testifies on the regional impacts of the crisis in Syria. foreign.senate.gov
3:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Analysts will talk about redefining the U.S. agenda for nuclear disarmament. csis.org
