Daily on Defense — Sept. 20, 2016 — Obama at the U.N.

At a rally in Florida, Trump blamed the weekend bombings on what he called “our extremely open immigration system, which fails to properly vet and screen the individuals and families coming into our country,” adding “We want to make sure we are only admitting people into our country who love our country.” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a picture of a bowl of the candy Skittles with the message: “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.” Wrigley, parent company of the Skittles brand, issued a statement saying it doesn’t feel the analogy is appropriate, “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people.”

Also, Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in the bombings, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who came to this country when he was 7.

CAN THIS DEAL BE SAVED? An airstrike on an aid convoy in Syria destroyed more than half of the 31 trucks and killed 12 people near Aleppo yesterday, threatening to deliver a literal death blow to a cease-fire deal that was already on the brink of total failure. The U.N. has suspended the delivery of humanitarian aid to 78,000 long-suffering Syrians, while the U.S. says it wasn’t bombing in the area, leaving only Syrian or Russian planes as likely responsible for the attack. The State Department has expressed outrage and says it will “reassess” the prospect of future cooperation with Moscow. The strike comes after a seven-day period in which none of the terms of the deal negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry with the Russians has been met, and prospects for salvaging the cease-fire are dim. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s military has already declared the cease-fire over. In New York for the U.N. meeting, Kerry said, “The Russians need to control Assad, who evidently is indiscriminately bombing, including of humanitarian convoys.” Still, Kerry expressed hope. Meanwhile, Pentagon planners continue to go through the motions of getting ready for possible future joint U.S.-Russian airstrikes in Syria, a mission that may never happen.

Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Jacqueline Klimas (@jacqklimas) and Senior Editor David Brown (@dave_brown24). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll be sure to add you to our list.

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AFTERMATH of NY/NJ: As information continued to roll in about this weekend’s violence across the United States, Republicans said the attacks proved that Obama needed to be a leader and take a more aggressive approach to stamping out the Islamic State. Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said Obama should form a coalition and accelerate the war effort, something he said senior administration officials have said could take two months if carried out the right way.

“We’ve been sitting here for two years, we have not defeated ISIS and here, again, we’re sitting here on a Monday morning and we’ve seen pipe bombs and pressure cooker bombers and a stabbing in St. Cloud. Aren’t you getting sick of it?” Johnson said.

Sen. Joni Ernst, a veteran herself, used the attacks as an opportunity to call on Congress to debate a new Islamic State-specific authorization for the use of military force. We expect this effort, like many others, to fall on deaf ears with lawmakers who have declined to vote on the war for more than two years.

CAMPAIGN BACK-AND-FORTH: The accusations and counter-accusations among the candidates and their surrogates was fierce yesterday. Trump said “stupid” leaders were to blame for the attacks. “I knew this was going to happen,” he said. “Thousands of people are pouring into our country, we have no idea what we are doing. Our leaders are, I don’t even say weak, I say stupid.” Hillary Clinton said she was the best candidate to fight terrorism. Then Trump’s campaign put out a statement saying the Obama administration had allowed ISIS to “materialize.” Clinton said Trump was providing “aid and comfort” to the enemy with his divisive rhetoric. Trump’s campaign said a Clinton presidency would bring more attacks on the homeland. Then Trump said Clinton and Obama have “emboldened” terrorists. Trump running mate Mike Pence said Clinton and Obama don’t realize “we’re at war.” And on and on.

CARTER’S BLEAK KOREA ASSESSMENT: Defense Secretary Ash Carter doesn’t see any diplomatic solution to the threat of North Korea’s ever-expanding nuclear capabilities. “Unfortunately, the diplomatic picture is bleak at the moment,” he said at the Hoover Institution yesterday. “And we continue to be open to an improvement in that and try to get Russia and China and others interested down that road but it’s hard to project that that’s where it’s going.” Carter said the U.S. strategy has to rely on not showing any weakness that could cause North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to miscalculate. “Therefore for me, as far into the future as I can see, we need to stand strong in deterrence.” The latest from Pyongyang is that the North says it’s tested a new rocket engine, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Carter’s pessimistic assessment comes as he prepares to tour America’s nuclear forces next week, with stops planned at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, home of the B-52s and Minuteman missiles, and Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before heading Honolulu to host the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense meeting.

NEW STRATCOM COMMANDER: Air Force Gen. John Hyten, nominated to succeed Adm. Cecil Haney as commander of U.S. Strategic Command, gets his confirmation hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. You can bet Hyten will endorse rebuilding all three legs of America’s nuclear triad of bombers, missiles and submarines, even with its estimated price tag of $1 trillion over 30 years.

NDAA UPDATE: As the Big Four try to make progress reconciling the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, one think tank has said it supports the House plan for the overseas contingency operations account, which would boost the base budget by taking $18 billion from the war chest. The National Center for Policy Analysis sent a letter on Monday to the negotiators advocating for the House version of OCO, as well as strong language to prohibit transferring Gitmo detainees to the U.S.

NOT PLEASED WITH THE SAUDIS: A pair of senators wants the U.S. alliance with Riyadh to be more conditional than it is, Joel Gehrke writes. “I would absolutely argue that we should be sending messages to the Saudis that our support for them is conditional,” Sen. Chris Murphy said Monday at the Center for the National Interest. “I do think it’s time to question whether this alliance is as clear and as solid as many of us may have been told that it was.”

For Murphy, that starts with canceling the sale of military weapons to the Saudis. The weapons are being used to fight against the Houthis, a group in Yemen that overthrew the government and now has the backing of Iran, Saudi Arabia’s chief rival in the region.

OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH CNN: Obama will participate in a CNN town hall-style interview on the military, veterans and national security issues Sept. 28, two days after Clinton and Trump face off in their first debate. CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper will sit down with the president for a meeting titled, “America’s military and the commander in chief,” which will air live at 9 p.m.

MEET THE RAIDER: The B-21 long range strike-bomber has a new name. It was officially dubbed “Raider” at the first day of the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference by retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, the last surviving airman of the Doolittle Raiders, famous for their surprise attack against Japan during World War II on April 18, 1942, which the Air Force says “forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, and boosted morale among Americans and U.S. allies abroad.”

Gen. Robin Rand, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, said he likes the name and expects it to stick. But there’s a whole list of Air Force programs where that hasn’t been the case, like the Spirit, Eagle and Thunderbolt II. See more here.

MORE NAVY SHIP NAMES: Navy Secretary Ray Mabus says he’s naming two more  of the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers in honor of U.S. civil and human rights figures. The USNS Lucy Stone and USNS Sojourner Truth are part of the John Lewis-class of ships. In case you slept through this in history class, Lucy Stone was a 19th century abolitionist, suffragist, and a vocal advocate for women’s rights, and Sojourner Truth was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. In Boston yesterday, Mabus said “It is important to recognize and honor those who have strived to fulfill the promise laid out in our Constitution: ‘to form a more perfect union,’ those who fought, in a different way, for the ideals we cherish as a nation: justice, equality and freedom.”

RALLY IN OBAMA’S BACKYARD: Families of those killed in the 9/11 attacks will host a rally at the White House on Tuesday afternoon urging the president to sign the bill that allows them to sue Saudi Arabia for damages incurred by the terrorist attack. Obama has said he will veto the bill, despite unanimously passing the House and Senate. The families will then speak on Capitol Hill joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, according to a press release.

THE FUTURE IS HERE: Booz Allen is out this morning with a new report on how to actually get laser beams into the hands of troops now. Some of the hurdles directed energy will have to overcome include getting buy-in from Congress to invest enough to transition lasers from prototypes to programs of record and creating rules of engagement for directed energy to govern how they are used in conflicts. “Think of DE capabilities as weapons systems – not science experiments. DE weapons are here, and the time is now to put money and education behind the concept in order to create real change for our military,” according to a press release on the report.

CIGARS FOR THE TROOPS: Lawmakers are seeking to reverse the Obama administration’s ban on sending cigars to American service members stationed overseas, questioning the logic behind a regulation that appears to be aimed at “protecting them from themselves.” “All the free cigars that manufacturers send to troops overseas, they can’t do that anymore, because it’s a health hazard,” Florida Rep. Bill Posey noted in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “So we have our young men and women in uniform, in war, where they can be killed or maimed, but it’s too dangerous for them to enjoy the simple pleasures of a premium cigar.”

CORRECTION: Yesterday, we cited “Inspire” as the magazine put out by the Islamic State. That would be “Dabiq.” Inspire is put out by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

THE RUNDOWN

Defense News: Exclusive: Air Force Mulls Flight Demo for Possible Light Attack Aircraft Buy

Defense One: Sikorsky’s New Ace in the Hole: Lockheed’s Skunk Works

USNI News: Austal USA Awarded $249M for Two Expeditionary Fast Transports; Launches Latest Hull

UPI: State Dept. approves possible radar sale to Egypt

Federal News Radio: Army layoffs slowed in first half of 2016

Military Times: Critics say Trump’s economic plan could cripple VA programs

Breaking Defense: Red Atlantic: Russia Could Choke Air, Sea Lanes To Europe

Military Times: Britain also took part in airstrike that hit Syrian troops

CNN: US builds working theory on cause of Syrian airstrike

Military.com: Afghan Official: US Airstrikes Kill 8 Policemen in South

Reuters: Air strikes hit aid convoy as Syria says ceasefire over

Associated Press: Obama, Iraqi leader vow rapid offensive to retake Mosul

Defense One: After Mosul Falls, How Much Rebuilding Help Should the U.S. Give?

Military Times: Pentagon to cover sex-reassignment surgery for transgender active-duty troops

Wall Street Journal: U.S., China Move Against Firm Suspected of Aiding North Korean Nuclear Program

Calendar

TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 20

9:30 a.m. Hart 216. The Senate Armed Services Committee considers the nomination of Gen. John Hyten to be the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. armed-services.senate.gov

10:30 a.m. National Harbor, Md. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein speaks at the second day of the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. afa.org

4 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, speaks about winning the war against Islamic terrorism, including stopping lone wolf attacks at home. aei.org

WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 21

8:30 a.m. National Harbor, Md. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford kicks off the third day of the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. afa.org

9:30 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. A panel of experts discusses the future of the Army. atlanticcouncil.org

10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Former officials and experts testify on the state of the fight against Islamic terrorism 15 years after 9/11. armedservices.house.gov

10 a.m. Cannon 311. The House Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on preventing terrorist attacks in the U.S. homeland.house.gov

12 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. A panel of academic experts talk about a smarter strategy for countering violent extremists like the Islamic State. atlanticcouncil.org

2 p.m. Rayburn 2212. Analysts testify about U.S. seapower and projection forces in the South China Sea. armedservices.house.gov

6 p.m. Livestream. Vice President Joe Biden speaks about the future of U.S. foreign policy. cfr.org

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 currently 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