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MATTIS IN MIDEAST: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis left Washington Saturday for a six-day trip that begins with stops in Oman and Bahrain, where Mattis said his priority is to cement U.S. military relationships with the two Persian Gulf nations. “The Gulf’s cohesion is critical, we believe, to maintaining stability in the region,” Mattis told reporters on the flight over. “As you know, that unity of the [Gulf Cooperation Council] has been strained, to put it mildly,” ON RUSSIA, NOTHING TO FEAR: In his inflight interview, Mattis pooh-poohed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent multimedia display of new hypersonic weapons, nuclear-powered cruise missiles and long-range underwater drones, calling the claims “disappointing, but unsurprising.” After viewing the cartoonish videos, Mattis said he saw nothing to fear. “I get paid to make strategic assessments, and I would just tell you that I saw no change to the Russian military capability,” Mattis told reporters. “Each of these systems that he’s talking about that are still years away, I do not see them changing the military balance.” Mattis pointed out that while Putin has boasted his new generation of weapons are “invincible,” the U.S. already has no defense against Russia’s vast arsenal of old-fashioned ICBMs. “OK, they say they can hit one of our port cities with a robotic torpedo. OK. They can hit one of our port cities right now today,” Mattis said. “We have never said that we have a missile-defense system against Russia.” Mattis said the only arms race is the one that Russia is having with itself. “So what I’m saying is, they have the capability to do right now what he was touting. So it doesn’t change anything, other than how much money do they want to spend on something that does not change at all the strategic balance.” ON KOREA, NOTHING TO ADD: Mattis says he’s planning to stay in his lane and not discuss the diplomatic efforts to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. President Trump’s surprise decision to agree to a meeting with Kim Jong Un, he says, is validation of what he has been saying for months, that diplomacy, not military force is the best way to resolve the crisis. “For those who questioned me about whether it was really diplomatically led, I now rest my case with Exhibit A, so I do not want to talk about Korea at all,” he told reporters. “When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high or goes higher, so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be actually the ones who answer all media questions.” TRUMP’S STUMP SPEECH: In his Saturday night rally on behalf of Pennsylvania congressional candidate Rick Saccone, Trump gave himself rave reviews for his quick decision to accept Kim’s invitation delivered through South Korea emissaries, which he said was a result of his tough line. “We put very, very strong sanctions and lots of other things we have been doing right from the first day I was in office,” Trump said. “It’s very positive. … Let’s see what happens. Look, North Korea is tough. They are testing nuclear weapons. They are doing a lot of things. This should have been handled, by the way, over the last 30 years, not now. That’s what it should have been handled. This should have handled and everybody will say it, too. But that’s OK. Because that’s what we do.” LOOK WHO’S NOT TALKING: While Washington is abuzz at the prospect of a historic meeting between the two leaders, North Korea has been notably silent. And Pyongyang’s propagandists have been following their old script. The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper continues to rail against U.S.-imposed sanctions with bellicose rhetoric, making no mention of any peaceful overture. “By nature, the U.S., out of inveterate repugnancy against the DPRK, goes ill-natured whenever it sees things going well in the DPRK,” says today’s desiaptch according to the state-run Korean Central New Agency. “U.S. sanctions and blockades are very dangerous acts that may bring a war.” CEMENTING THE MEETING: On Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders injected a note of uncertainty when she seemed to be saying that there was an additional precondition for yet-to-be-scheduled talks. “We’re not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea,” Sanders said at her regular White House briefing. “We’re not in the negotiation right now. We’ve accepted the invitation to talk based on them following through with concrete actions on the promises that they’ve made.” Sanders referred to “concrete actions” nine times in the briefing But on ABC yesterday, deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah insisted the meeting has been agreed to and said “there are no additional conditions being stipulated,” other than what was already conceded in the invitation: No nuclear or missile testing, and no public objections to U.S.-South Korea military exercises expected to begin late this month or early April. “Any chance this blows up, doesn’t happen?” asked ABC’s Jonathan Karl. “There’s the possibility. If it does, it’s the North Koreans’ fault, they have not lived up to the promises that they made,” Shah said. WHERE IN THE WORLD? As for the venue for the historic meeting, “It’s going to be [at] a time and place to be decided,” Shah said, but probably not Pyongyang. “I don’t think that that’s highly likely but again, I’m not going to rule anything out.” On Fox News Sunday, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said, “It seems to me … a lot less important about where they meet than the substance of the discussion. And I think that’s different, too. President Trump isn’t doing this for theater. He’s going to solve a problem.” Good Monday 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 — McMASTER BRIEFS U.N.: National security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is reportedly scheduled to brief the United Nations Security Council on the latest developments regarding North Korea, but as of this morning the meeting is not on the public schedule. HAPPENING TOMORROW: Trump goes to California, a state he loves to bash. He’s scheduled to speak to troops, inspect eight prototypes for his border wall in San Diego, and attend a $250,000-a-plate fundraiser in Beverly Hills. California Gov. Jerry Brown has accused Trump of “going to war” with his state, but Sanders downplayed the prospect of conflict. “The president’s going to look at prototypes along the border, and also meet with and speak to the members of our armed services,” Sanders said Friday. “He’ll be speaking with members from all five branches of the military, and I don’t think that could be anything but a positive thing.” HAPPENING ALL WEEK: Get ready. It is another week loaded with hearings on Capitol Hill as authorizers and appropriators begin their work on the fiscal 2019 budget. Tuesday: The Senate Armed Services Committee tackles the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as well as the U.S. train-and-assist operations across Africa, which led to the ambush deaths of four soldiers in Niger in October. Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, head of U.S. Africa Command, will both testify. Waldhauser just completed an investigation into the Niger deaths. Wednesday: Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, will sit before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee to talk about their 2019 budget request. The committee will write the legislation that funds the service and the rest of the Defense Department in the coming weeks and months. Thursday: The morning starts with Adm. Harry Harris, the head of U.S. Pacific Command, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Questions on China’s growing military influence in the region and the North Korea nuclear threat will surely be aimed at the outgoing PACOM commander, who has been tapped to be ambassador to Australia. Army Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the Army chief of staff, will also be testifying to the House Appropriations defense subcommittee about their 2019 budget request. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces questions about his budget and the redesign of the department at a Senate Foreign Relations hearing. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the head of U.S. European Command, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee after discussing Russia’s military threat to the continent before the Senate last week. After a confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone will testify to the Senate Intelligence Committee about his nomination to be the director of the National Security Agency. SKEPTICISM ON KIM MEETING: As Trump moves forward with a planned face-to-face meeting with Kim, skepticism was the watch word among lawmakers who sit on Congress’ foreign affairs and armed services committees. “Kim Jong Un’s desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work,” said Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time.” North Korea signed a 1994 framework agreement with the Clinton administration aimed at heading off its nuclear program. But the regime was later found to be cheating on the deal and it was canceled by the George W. Bush administration. Sen. Bob Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations chairman, said “skepticism and caution are critical” as the Trump administration moves forward with any dialogue. “We must remain deeply skeptical of North Korea’s intentions,” Sen. Tom Cotton said. Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said “caution and skepticism” are always warranted when dealing with North Korea. “Time will tell if North Korea matches its words with actions,” Reed said. “And we, along with our partners, must hold them accountable and ensure they comply with their international obligations to dismantle their nuclear weapons program.” MORE THREATS, NO EVIDENCE: Mattis again issued a veiled threat to Syria’s Bashar Assad about the use of chemical weapons, including chlorine gas. “There’s an awful lot of reports about chlorine gas use or about symptoms that could be resulting from chlorine gas,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him over the weekend. “I don’t have evidence right now of it. I just want to reiterate: it would be very unwise for them to use weaponized gas. And I think President Trump made that very clear early in his administration.” ANOTHER NUDE PHOTO SCANDAL: Hundreds of explicit photos of female U.S. service members are circulating online filed in a Dropbox folder titled “Hoes Hoin,” according to a report. The folder contains 267 photos, some of which show women topless while others are fully nude, Vice News reported Friday. Many of the women in the photos are reportedly easily identifiable with their faces, dog tags or uniforms visible. According to outlet, the Dropbox first surfaced two weeks ago when it was shared in an all-male Facebook group called “Blame Marines United (Non-Butthurt Edition).” The group is one of the many that came about when “Marines United,” a group that contained thousands of nude photos of service members, was shut down in 2017. TRUMP’S TONED-DOWN PARADE: Trump’s military parade is expected to include period uniforms and airplanes, but no tanks so the roads in Washington, D.C., are not damaged, according to a memo released by the Pentagon late Friday. The memo, outlining “initial planning and execution” guidance, said that the military-themed Veterans Day parade should include “wheeled vehicles only,” no tanks. The memo notes that “consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure.” “This parade will focus on the contributions of our Veterans throughout the history of the U.S. Military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” the guidance states. “The Joint Staff will serve as the Office of Primary Responsibility for planning this parade while NORTHCOM will lead the execution.” The plan is for the parade to be integrated into the the annual local D.C. Veterans Day Parade, and begin at the White House and end at the Capitol. Units would include veterans from previous wars by formations wearing period uniforms, as well as Medal of Honor Association and other veterans service organizations. Additionally, the parade will feature a “heavy air component” at the end of the parade, utilizing “older aircraft as available.” SAILOR PARDONED: Trump issued the second pardon of his presidency Friday to former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier, who learned the news while driving a garbage truck, the only job he could find with a felony conviction. Saucier was sentenced to a year in prison during the 2016 campaign for taking pictures of highly sensitive areas inside a nuclear submarine, including its reactor compartment. Trump invoked his case repeatedly on the campaign trail, saying he was “ruined” for doing “nothing” compared to Hillary Clinton. Still, Trump allowed Saucier to serve his full prison sentence. He was released in September and returned to the Vermont home he shares with his wife Sadie and their 2-year-old daughter. Saucier, now 31, was 22 years old when he took the cellphone photos in 2009. He pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized retention of national defense information and his attorneys argued unsuccessfully for what they called the “Clinton deal,” meaning little if any punishment. THE RUNDOWN New York Times: China’s Xi Wins Constitutional Backing for New Strongman Era Washington Post: Pentagon kicks off a winner-take-all among tech companies for multibillion-dollar cloud-computing contract Air Force Times: How much longer will US and partner forces ‘own the night’ in combat? Military Times: Military Times’ Sailor of the Year’s wife reveals she fears deportation Politico: Pompeo: America ‘safe’ from Russia AP: Amid little scrutiny, US military ramps up in Afghanistan Daily Beast: Advice For Trump on North Korea, From A Veteran of Nuclear Diplomacy AFP: Russia test-fires ‘ideal’ hypersonic missile AP: Putin’s Russia: From basket case to resurgent superpower Navy Times: Seamanship remains at the core of Naval Academy training Reuters: Syrian army splinters rebel enclave in Ghouta onslaught DoD Buzz: WATCH: Marines’ New King Stallion Lifts 36,000 Pounds in Test Army Times: Army missile defense soldiers revive ‘Roving Sands’ exercise, return to maneuver roots The Hill: Trump tariffs create uncertainty for Pentagon |
CalendarMONDAY | MARCH 12 1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Discussion with the Secretaries of the U.S. Military Departments including Army Secretary Mark Esper, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. csis.org TUESDAY | MARCH 13 7 a.m. 6715 Commerce St. 2018 Human Systems Conference. ndia.org 9 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Thinking the unthinkable: War on the Korean Peninsula. brookings.edu 9:30 a.m. Hart 216. United States Central Command and United States Africa Command with Gen. Joseph Votel, Commander of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, Commander of U.S. Africa Command. armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. 1001 16th St. NW. Policy discussion on the shifting security dynamics in East Asia and its relation to the U.S. force posture in Japan with Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga and William Perry, former defense secretary. 12 noon. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Consolidating and Losing Gains in Syria. hudson.org 2:30 p.m. Russell 222. Cyber Posture of the Services with Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, Commanding General of U.S. Army Cyber Command; Maj. Gen. Loretta Reynolds, Commander of Marine Forces Cyberspace Command; Maj. Gen. Christopher Weggeman, Commander, Air Forces Cyber; and Vice Adm. Michael Gilday, Commander of U.S. Navy Fleet Cyber Command. armed-services.senate.gov WEDNESDAY | MARCH 14 7 a.m. 6715 Commerce St. 2018 Human Systems Conference. ndia.org 730 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 2018 Federal Innovation Summit with Neil Mazuranic, Chief of the Mobility Capabilities Branch, DoD Mobility Portfolio Management Office at the Defense Information Systems Agency. fedscoop.com 8 a.m. 800 17th St. NW. Manufacturing Division Meeting. ndia.org 8 a.m. 2401 M St. NW. Defense Writers Group breakfast with IARPA Director Jason Matheny. 8 a.m. 1501 Lee Hwy. Mitchell Hour: Current Acquisition Challenges and Opportunities with a Discussion with Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, Commander of Air Force Materiel Command. mitchellaerospacepower.org 9 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Present and future dangers on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s reelection with Rep. Seth Moulton. aei.org 9 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Future of BRAC: A Conversation with Rep. Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee. cato.org 10 a.m. House 140. Subcommittee Hearing on Fiscal Year 2019 Air Force Budget with Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff. appropriations.house.gov 10 a.m. Dirksen 419. Subcommittee Hearing Somalia’s Current Security and Stability Status. foreign.senate.gov 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Hearing on Space Warfighting Readiness: Policies, Authorities, and Capabilities. armedservices.house.gov 10 a.m. Rayburn 2172. Hearing on Modernizing Export Controls: Protecting Cutting-Edge Technology and U.S. National Security. foreignaffairs.house.gov 10 a.m. FY19 Budget Hearing for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation with R. D. James, Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers. appropriations.house.gov 2 p.m. Rayburn 2212. Subcommittee Hearing on Department of the Air Force FY 2019 Budget Request for Sea Power and Projection Forces with Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force; Lt. Gen. Mark Nowland, Deputy Chief of Staff; and Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, Deputy Chief of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Subcommittee Hearing on Department of Energy Atomic Energy Defense Activities and Programs with Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Undersecretary For Nuclear Security, Department Of Energy, and Adm. James Caldwell, Deputy Administrator For Naval Reactors, National Nuclear Security Administration. armed-services.senate.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing: A Review and Assessment of the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for Department of Defense Science and Technology with Michael Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense; Rear Adm. David Hahn, Chief of Naval Research; and Steve Walker, Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. armedservices.house.gov 5:30 p.m. 1124 9th St. NW. Cocktails & Conversations: Why the Future of the Military is Miles Up. defenseone.com THURSDAY | MARCH 15 8 a.m. 800 17th St. NW. Manufacturing Division Meeting. ndia.org 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Hearing on United States Pacific Command with Adm. Harry Harris. armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. House 140. Subcommittee Hearing on Fiscal Year 2019 Army Budget with Army Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the Army. appropriations.house.gov 10 a.m. Dirksen 419. Full Committee Hearing Review of the FY 2019 State Department Budget Request and Redesign Plans with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. foreign.senate.gov 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Hearing on Security Challenges in Europe and Posture for Inter-state Competition with Russia with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander of U.S. European Command. armedservices.house.gov 10 a.m. Hart 216. Open Hearing: Nomination of Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone to be the Director of the National Security Agency. intelligence.senate.gov 12:15 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Countering Authoritarianism and Advancing U.S. Interests in Latin America with Sen. Marco Rubio. heritage.org 1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. The My Lai Massacre: History, Lessons, and Legacy. A panel discussion with historians and military law experts. csis.org 2 p.m. Rayburn 2212. Subcommittee Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request on Air Force Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Programs with Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Anthony Ierardi, Director of Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for National Security Space Programs with Kenneth Rapuano, Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Gen. John Raymond, Commander of Air Force Space Command. armedservices.house.gov 4 p.m. 740 15th St. NW. Book discussion of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria” with author Rania Abouzeid. newamerica.org FRIDAY | MARCH 16 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Strengthening Alliances and Partnerships through Defense Cooperation with Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper, Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. csis.org 11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy: Why Strategic Superiority Matters. heritage.org 11:15 a.m. 1700 Army Navy Dr. March Women in DoD Luncheon with Vice Adm. Nancy Norton, Director of Defense Information Systems Agency. dcevents.afceachapters.org 1:30 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The National Security Implications of Withdrawing from NAFTA. heritage.org 1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Responding to Russia: Deterring Russian Cyber and Grey Zone Activities. csis.org MONDAY | MARCH 19 1 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Japan’s Balancing Between Nuclear Disarmament and Deterrence. stimson.org 4 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. 2018 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar: Next Steps on North Korea. csis.org
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