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OF ROCKS AND RIFLES: Of all the controversial things President Trump said yesterday in his largely extemporaneous remarks on immigration from the White House, his order to the U.S. military to be ready to consider any rock-throwing members of the caravan who show up at the border in the coming weeks as rifle-shooters has drawn the most flak from those who have worn the uniform. “I told them consider it a rifle when they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police. I say consider it a rifle,” Trump said. “We’re not going to put up with that.” “Anybody throwing stones, rocks … we will consider that a firearm because there’s not much difference,” he added. NOT IN THIS MAN’S ARMY: The highest ranking criticism came on Twitter from former Joint Chiefs Chairman retired Gen. Martin Dempsey. “Our men and women in uniform are better trained, better equipped, and better led so they meet any threat with confidence. A wasteful deployment of over-stretched Soldiers and Marines would be made much worse if they use force disproportional to the threat they face. They won’t,” he tweeted. Over on CNN, former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a Republican who served in the Obama administration, said he was appalled by Trump’s cavalier threat to migrants. “My reaction in listening to that, coming from the commander in chief of our forces, president of the United States, is one of disgust. That’s a wanton incitement of unnecessary violence. It’s a distraction. It’s a distortion,” said Hagel, who served an enlisted infantryman in Vietnam. “It is a rank political purpose to use our military like this, and to say those kinds of things is really astounding,” he said. “Not in my lifetime have I ever heard those kinds of words from a president of the United States.” By the time retired Lt. Col. Ralph Peters weighed in, he had worked up a healthy head of outrage. “I want to take the president of the United States seriously, but he manages to be an embarrassing fool, an insidious menace. He’s the antithesis of the America that I and my military comrades meant to defend, if necessary, with our lives. He’s an un-American American president,” vented Peters, who quit as a Fox news analyst in March after accusing the network of propagandizing for the Trump administration. As for treating rocks like bullets, “Our active duty troops aren’t going to do that. Commanders aren’t going to order them to do that,” Peters said. “The president, who in my mind is a draft dodger, the president of the United States is a draft dodger, playing with our troops. This idea of sending 15,000 troops to the southern border right now, it’s for an election ploy.” Earlier in the day, before Trump’s incendiary comments about rocks and rifles, retired Rear Adm. John Kirby said the fact is the troops who will be supporting civilian Customs and Border Protection personnel won’t be interacting directly with migrants. “Trump is not being honest with the American people about what these troops are going to be doing,” said Kirby on CNN, where he is now a paid contributor. “When he talks about them, he creates this word picture for people that these troops are going to be hurling back invaders at the border, side-by-side with the border patrol. That’s just not the case. In fact, many of them will never even get close to the border. They’re supply people, medical support. They’re going to be building tents and temporary housing facilities. They’re going to be freeing up the border patrol to do their job a little more. They’re not allowed to get into law enforcement issues.” SO WHAT ARE THE RULES? Last night the Pentagon stressed that the active-duty troops, who are barred by law from domestic law enforcement, won’t be on the front lines. “I would also emphasize that our forces are in support of DHS/CBP, who are performing law enforcement activities,” said spokesman Lt. Col. Jamie Davis in an emailed statement. As for Trump’s exhortation to treat rocks as hostile fire, Davis said, “We will not discuss hypothetical situations or specific measures within our rules on the use of force, but our forces are trained professionals who always have the inherent right of self-defense.” The Washington Post has obtained internal Pentagon planning documents that describe the rules of engagement this way: “Troops will deploy with a mixture of lethal and nonlethal weapons and are authorized to use deadly force in defense of ‘all persons, foreign or domestic, who are faced with imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, and where lesser means have failed or cannot be reasonably employed.’” NUMBERS UPDATE: The number of troops that will be sent to the border has now grown to 7,000. Military Times has a handy rundown of which units are going from where. And the Washington Post is reporting that DHS has asked the Pentagon to provide up to 8,000 family detention beds at two sites, citing an administration official. Trump has said any migrants who legally apply for asylum at the border will be held until their cases have been adjudicated. Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) 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 add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense. |
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HAPPENING TODAY — PUTTING SYRIA WAR ON PAUSE: U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in eastern Syria said they had to halt their offensive to respond to attacks from Turkey, which fired artillery rounds into Syria targeting members of the YPG militia, who are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces trying to finish off ISIS. “The Syrian Democratic Forces have temporarily suspended offensive actions against ISIS in response to cross border attacks by Turkey against SDF positions in Northern Syria. We anticipate this will be a temporary suspension,” said a statement issued by U.S. Central Command, which is trying to keep the two sides apart while maintaining an alliance with both. “The SDF have been an essential coalition partner in the defeat of ISIS in Syria. We are equally committed to the security of Turkey and urge all parties to show restraint to de-escalate the current situation and ensure maximum pressure continues against ISIS,” the statement said. “Unity of focus on the defeat of ISIS is imperative.” MANAGING MANBIJ: Also yesterday, the U.S. announced that it had finally begun long-awaited joint patrols with Turkey in the potential flashpoint of Manbij, a town where Turkey initially demanded that all YPG elements had to leave. “The combined joint patrols allow Coalition and Turkish military forces to complement the local security structure for security and stability in Manbij,” CENTCOM said. “Maintaining security and stability in Manbij is imperative to sustaining momentum during the ongoing defeat-ISIS operations in eastern Syria and for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons.” KEEPING TURKEY: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should resist any temptation to weaken ties with NATO in pursuit of closer relations with Russia and Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday. “It’s been a challenging relationship during the Trump administration’s first year and a half, to be sure,” Pompeo told radio show host Tony Katz. “It would be unfortunate for NATO; it’d be unfortunate for the United States, and I think even more unfortunate for the people of Turkey if that were to become the case. “We are hopeful that Turkey and President Erdogan will come to understand the U.S. is a better partner than Iran, and the direction that President Erdogan ought to go is to support deeper relationships with the United States and with Europe and with NATO.” HOUSE DEMS OPPOSE BORDER FORCE: As Trump was making his immigration speech, more than 100 House Democrats were telling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis not to send additional military personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, along with a handful of ranking members from related House committees and 104 rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers, sent the secretary a letter to say they do not approve of the operation and asked what it will cost the government. “The use of military personnel, however, will not help us meet this challenge and only exacerbates the potential to unnecessarily escalate the situation. This effort is nothing short of a militarization of the southern border to score political points and stoke misleading fears among Americans regarding immigrants,” the group wrote. REED: ‘THIS IS NOT A MILITARY PROBLEM’: The president’s border deployment also drew fire from Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Your decision to rush thousands of our troops to the border at this time seems politically motivated and fails to implement reasonable and appropriate steps to address the true nature of the problem. This is not a military problem; it does not warrant a military solution,” Reed wrote in a letter to Trump. THERE REALLY ARE BAD PEOPLE: Last night, the Department of Homeland Security issued a fact check of its own, claiming that people from at least 20 countries make up the two caravan groups, not just citizens of Guatemala and Honduras. In a post on its website called “Myth vs. Fact: Caravan,” DHS also says more than 270 people in the caravans are either known gang members or have criminal backgrounds. DHS did not cite its sources for the information and a department spokesperson said that information is law enforcement sensitive. NAUERT UP FOR U.N. AMBASSADOR? In the question-and-answer session that followed yesterday’s immigration speech, Trump confirmed that State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert is on the shortlist to replace Nikki Haley as ambassador to the U.N. “She’s under serious consideration, she’s excellent and she’s been with us for a long time. She’s been a supporter for a long time, and she’s really excellent,” Trump said. “We’ll probably make a decision next week. We have lot of people that want the job and they’re a lot of really great people. But we’ll be talking about that next week.” ANOTHER POOR AFGHAN REPORT CARD: As we were going to press yesterday, the Pentagon’s Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction was releasing yet another report documenting the lack of progress in Afghanistan under the NATO-led Operation Resolute Support. “Unclassified data show the [Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces] made minimal or no progress in pressuring the Taliban over the quarter. RS-provided data showed that the ANDSF failed to gain greater control or influence over districts, population, and territory this quarter.” Among the key findings of the October quarterly report:
A WILD TALE OF STOLEN VALOR: An actor who recently appeared in an episode of AMC’s “Better Call Saul” admitted Monday that after he cut off his arm in a psychotic episode, he posed as a wounded veteran in an attempt to get more acting roles. Todd Latourette told local Albuquerque station KOB 4 that he sawed off and cauterized his right arm 17 years ago when he was off his medication for bipolar disorder. “I severed my hand with a Skil saw,” he said. The report said after Latourette began spreading a lie about being wounded in combat overseas, he started to get roles in the film industry. However, he claims he felt guilty to the point where he had to come clean. “I was dishonorable,” he said in the interview. “I’m killing my career by doing this. If anyone thinks this was for personal edification, that’s not the case. I’m ousting myself from the New Mexico Film Industry. And gladly so, just to say what I’ve said.” THE RUNDOWN New York Times: American Military Apologizes for Booklet With Racially Offensive Language Reuters: U.S. Marine families battle mice, mold and powerful private landlords Washington Post: Mattis is walking the Trump tightrope. It’s agonizing to watch. Bloomberg: Mattis Moves to Protect Defense Supply Chain From Rivals’ Theft USA Today: Bolton embraces Brazil’s hard-right president as ‘like-minded’ leader, blasts others in region as ‘troika of tyranny’ Foreign Policy: Three Senior Pentagon Officials Leave in Quick Succession AFP: Video: US tanks take part in NATO exercise in Norway Breaking Defense: Inhofe Wants 355 Ship Navy, But Headwinds Remain Defense News: Bolton: National debt ‘threat to society’ forcing DoD spending to ‘flatten out’ Defense One: Why Haven’t Terrorists Hit the US with a Devastating Cyber Attack? USNI News: CNO: U.S. Still Committed to Littoral Combat Ship Deployments in Southeast Asia |
CalendarFRIDAY | NOV. 2 7:30 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. Health Affairs Breakfast featuring John Tenaglia, Deputy Assistant Director of the Defense Health Agency. ndia.org 8 a.m. 300 First St. SE. Space Training and Exercises Discussion with Brig. Gen. DeAnna Burt, Director of Operations and Communications at Headquarters Air Force Space Command. mitchellaerospacepower.org 8 a.m. 1777 F St. NW. A Conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. cfr.org 9 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Assessing the Readiness of the U.S. military. brookings.edu 11 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Course Change or Full Speed Ahead? Post-Midterm U.S Foreign Policy’s Impact on Indo-Pacific. stimson.org MONDAY | NOV. 5 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Artificial Intelligence and National Security: The Importance of the AI Ecosystem. csis.org 12:15 p.m. 740 15th St. NW. Afghanistan: What’s Next After Parliamentary Elections. newamerica.org 3 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Book Launch: The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World with Author Robert Kagan. csis.org TUESDAY | NOV. 6 6:30 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Institute of Land Warfare Breakfast with Lt. Gen. Aundre Piggee, Army Deputy Chief of Staff. ausa.org 9 a.m. 529 14th St. NW. Elections Under Threat? A Global Comparative Analysis of Cybersecurity of Elections. press.org 10 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Iran: Renewed Sanctions and U.S. Policy. heritage.org 11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Stronger Together – Building the Transatlantic Partnership of the Future. heritage.org 5:30 p.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Institute of Land Warfare Hosts Douglas Mastriano, Author of Thunder in the Argonne. ausa.org WEDNESDAY | NOV. 7 6:45 a.m. 1250 South Hayes St. Special Topic Breakfast with Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations. navyleague.org Noon. 1030 15th St. NW. How Iran Will Cope with U.S. Sanctions. atlanticcouncil.org Noon. Howard University. Army Senior Leader Development Conference with Rep. Anthony Brown, Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey, Chief of Army Reserve, and others. 12:30 p.m. 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Impact of War and Sanctions on the Russian Economy. sais-jhu.edu THURSDAY | NOV. 8 9:15 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Back to the (Army’s) future: A conversation with Army Secretary Mark Esper. aei.org FRIDAY | NOV. 9 9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. A Question of Time: Enhancing Taiwan’s Conventional Deterrence Posture. stimson.org Noon. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Future of Navy Expeditionary Warfare with Maj. Gen. David Coffman, Director of Expeditionary Warfare for the U.S. Navy. hudson.org Noon. House Visitor Center 201. Capitol Hill Forum on the Future of Federal Information Technology. lexingtoninstitute.org 6:30 p.m. 529 14th St. NW. NPC Headliners Book Event: Bill Lord Looks Back “50 Years After Vietnam.” press.org |
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