NOT-SO-SAFE HOUSE: With the Americans gone and a friendly Taliban in charge, 71-year-old al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri felt comfortable enough to move back into the tony Sherpur area of downtown Kabul, into a “safe house” owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani.
U.S. intelligence located him in April, and on Sunday, two Hellfire missiles fired from a CIA drone struck al Zawahiri as he stepped out onto the balcony of the mansion, killing the man who — as deputy of Osama bin Laden and later his successor — was instrumental in conducting deadly attacks against U.S. citizens, including the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and the 2001 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
On Twitter, former President Barack Obama said the elimination of public enemy No. 1 was a tribute to the counterterrorism professionals who were able to take al Zawahiri out without a single civilian casualty, and a vindication of President Joe Biden’s claim when he pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan a year ago that the fight against terrorists would continue with “over-the-horizon capabilities.”
“Tonight’s news is also proof that it’s possible to root out terrorism without being at war in Afghanistan,” Obama tweeted. “And I hope it provides a small measure of peace to the 9/11 families and everyone else who has suffered at the hands of al-Qaeda.”
BIDEN CONFIRMS DEATH OF AL QAEDA CHIEF AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI IN US STRIKE
BIDEN ‘LIED’ TO AMERICANS: While cheering the demise of the al Qaeda leader, Republicans in Congress are rejecting the idea that the successful counterterrorism operation was a validation of Biden’s 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
“The world is better off without al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and I commend the brave men and women who helped bring about his demise,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. “The fact that he was killed in Afghanistan, however, reflects the total failure of the Biden administration’s policy towards that country.”
“Biden administration officials have insisted that al-Qaeda’s residual presence in Afghanistan was insignificant and that al-Qaeda lacks the capability to attack the homeland anytime soon. But we now know that its top leader was living in Kabul,” Inhofe said. “Since President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, our visibility into Afghanistan remains low, while the Taliban’s willingness to harbor senior terrorists remains robust.”
“When U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan last year, President Biden claimed al Qaeda was gone from Afghanistan. This strike tells us otherwise,” said Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. “The United States has brought justice to al-Zawahiri and the world is safer for it. The president must now turn his attention to the rising threats within Afghanistan.”
“The American people were lied to by President Biden,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Al Qaeda is not ‘gone’ from Afghanistan as Biden falsely claimed a year ago. And worse, the head of al Qaeda, who was one of the masterminds behind 9/11, was given safe harbor in the capital city of Kabul — just as al Qaeda was given safe harbor there before 9/11.”
“Our chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan opened the door for al-Qaeda to operate freely inside the country to conduct external operations against the United States and our allies again,” McCaul said in a statement.
UNDERMINING TALIBAN NARRATIVE, US KILLS AL QAEDA LEADER AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI IN KABUL
SO MUCH FOR THE DOHA AGREEMENT: Under the Feb. 29, 2020, Doha Agreement, negotiated by the Trump administration, the Taliban provided assurances that they would not “host” “international terrorist groups or individuals, including al-Qaeda” and pledged to prevent any use of Afghan soil to “recruit, train, or raise funds” to conduct or support terrorist activities.
“By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qaeda in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement. “They also betrayed the Afghan people and their own stated desire for recognition from and normalization with the international community.”
TALIBAN LEADERS KNEW AL ZAWAHIRI WAS IN AFGHANISTAN, BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS
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BIDEN SPEECH EXCERPTS: In his address to the nation from the balcony of the White House last night, Biden praised “the superb patriots who served the United States intelligence community and counterterrorism communities,” and said he approved the precision drone strike last week when he was told that “conditions were optimal.” Here are some excerpts:
“At my direction, the United States successfully concluded an air strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed the emir of al Qaeda, Ayman al Zawahiri.”
“After relentlessly seeking al Zawahiri for years under President Bush, Obama, and Trump, our intelligence community located Zawahiri earlier this year. He had moved to the downtown capital to reunite with members of his immediate family. After carefully considering clear and convincing evidence of his location, I authorized a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield once and for all.”
“This mission was carefully planned, rigorously minimizing the risk of harm to other civilians … And the mission was a success. None of his family members were hurt, and there are no civilian casualties.”
“I made a promise to the American people that we continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. We’ve done just that … we make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”
“Now, justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear this vicious undetermined killer.”
“And to those around the world who continue to seek to harm the United States, hear me now — we will always remain vigilant, and we will act, and we will always do what is necessary to ensure the safety and security of Americans at home and around the globe.”
WHO WAS AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI, HEAD OF AL QAEDA?
HAPPENING TODAY: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and five of her fellow House Democrats are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today, the second stop on an Asia tour that will take her to South Korea, Japan, and — by local media accounts — to Taiwan tonight.
The United Daily News, Liberty Times, and China Times — Taiwan’s three largest national newspapers — all reported that Pelosi’s delegation will arrive in Taipei within hours (Taiwan is 12 hours ahead of Washington, so it’s already Tuesday night there).
China has been threatening unspecified military retaliation ever since news of Pelosi’s intent to visit Taiwan was reported by the Financial Times. Over the weekend, China conducted a live fire exercise, and it “appears to be positioning itself to potentially take further steps in the coming days,” according to the White House.
“Potential steps from China could include military provocations such as firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan; operations that break historical norms such as large-scale air entry into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone … air or naval activities that cross the median line, and military exercises that can be highly publicized,” said John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications.
At the U.N. yesterday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Beijing to cool the rhetoric. “This is very much precedent in the sense that previous speakers visited Taiwan. Many members of Congress go to Taiwan, including this year,” Blinken told reporters at a press availability.
“And so if the speaker does decide to visit, and China tries to create some kind of crisis or otherwise escalate tensions, that would be entirely on Beijing. We are looking for them, in the event she decides to visit, to act responsibly and not to engage in any escalation going forward.”
“Put simply, there is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit, consistent with long-standing U.S. policy, into some sort of crisis or conflict, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,” said Kirby. “We expect to see Beijing continue to use inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation in the coming days. The United States, by contrast, will act with transparency.”
“We will not take the bait or engage in saber-rattling. At the same time, we will not be intimidated,” he said.
TAIWAN CANCELS LEAVE OF SOME SOLDIERS ‘TO IMMEDIATELY PREPARE FOR WAR’
MORE AMMO TO UKRAINE: As Ukraine continues to burn through artillery shells and long-range rockets in its effort to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces, the U.S. has announced another shipment of military supplies. The $550 million package, the 17th since the war began, is mostly designed to ensure front-line Ukrainian fighters have a steady flow of ammunition.
The package includes 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition and more GMLRS rockets for the Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.
The announcement came after an unconfirmed claim by the Russian Defense Ministry that Russian forces hit a Ukrainian ammunition depot last week, destroying over 100 HIMARS rockets and killing 120 Ukrainian troops.
“On July 24, a strike by Russia’s Aerospace Forces on an ammunition depot near the settlement of Lyubimovka, Dnepropetrovsk region, destroyed more than a hundred missiles for the U.S.-made HIMARS Multiple launch rocket system,” the ministry said, according to the Russian controlled TV network RT.
“To meet its evolving battlefield requirements, the United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $550 MILLION MILITARY AID PACKAGE TO UKRAINE
HAWLEY’S WITH PUTIN ON THIS ONE: The addition of Finland and Sweden to the NATO alliance is hugely popular among the 30 member nations, with the possible exception of Turkey, and is widely seen as an in-your-face rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who listed among his goals in invading Ukraine as preventing the further eastward expansion of NATO.
While two-thirds of the alliance have already ratified the articles of accession, the U.S. Senate has not, and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) says he’ll be among the no votes, writing in the National Interest that committing to defend two additional countries against Russian aggression will sap resources needed to fight the greater threat, “Chinese imperialism.”
“The American people should know the truth: the United States is not ready to resist it. Expanding American security commitments in Europe now would only make that problem worse — and America, less safe,” Hawley argues. “The U.S. is currently not prepared to fend off Chinese military aggression in the Pacific. Our forces are not postured as they should be. And we do not have the arms and equipment there we need.”
Most analysts see the addition of the two formerly neutral Nordic countries to NATO as strengthening the alliances and guaranteeing that Putin won’t be tempted to do in Finland — which shares an 830-mile border with Russia — what he did in Ukraine.
“Finland and Sweden will bring two relatively small but advanced militaries into NATO, adding significant military capabilities and augmenting the alliance’s ability to deter additional Russian aggression,” argue a quartet of analysts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “And contrary to suggestions by opponents of NATO enlargement, the addition of the two countries would strengthen transatlantic security and decrease the probability of Russian aggression against the alliance.”
RUSSIA ‘REALLOCATING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ITS FORCES’ TO THE SOUTH IN UKRAINE
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Biden confirms death of al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri in US strike
Washington Examiner: Taliban leaders knew al Zawahiri was in Afghanistan, Biden administration says
Washington Examiner: Undermining Taliban narrative, US kills al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul
Washington Examiner: Who was Ayman al Zawahiri, head of al Qaeda?
Washington Examiner: Gary Schroen, officer who led CIA’s first incursion into Afghanistan after 9/11, dies
Washington Examiner: WATCH: CBS delivers parting shot at ‘dead or captured’ 9/11 plotters
Washington Examiner: White House insists ‘nothing has changed’ in China policy if Pelosi visits Taiwan
Washington Examiner: White House details possible Chinese aggression if Pelosi visits Taiwan
Washington Examiner: Taiwan cancels leave of some soldiers ‘to immediately prepare for war’
Washington Examiner: Biden administration announces $550 million military aid package to Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Russia ‘reallocating a significant number of its forces’ to the south in Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Japan fears Putin will bring nuclear bombs back to battlefield
Washington Examiner: China seeks to dominate Western nuclear energy industry
Washington Examiner: DOJ beefs up team involved with Trump and Jan. 6 riot investigations
Washington Examiner: ‘New evidence’ of alleged Secret Service cover-up fuels calls for inspector general to step aside
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Biden administration should disclose any Iran links to Masih Alinejad plotter
Wall Street Journal: Moscow is shoring up the southern portion of its front line, Ukraine says, in advance of a Ukrainian counteroffensive
New York Times: First Ship Passes Russia’s Black Sea Blockade Under Grain Deal
AP: World One Step From `Nuclear Annihilation,’ UN Chief Warns
Agence France Presse: Biden Calls On Russia, China To Enter Nuclear Arms Control Talks
Reuters: Putin Says No One Can Win A Nuclear War
USNI News: Carrier USS Ronald Reagan, F-35B Big Deck Operating Near Taiwan as Pelosi Arrives in Singapore; China Renews Threats
South China Morning Post: ‘Lightning Carrier Concept’: Lessons For China In U.S. Navy’s Use Of Amphibious Ships As Small Carriers
USNI News: RIMPAC Testing Will Inform The Fate Of Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle
Breaking Defense: Navy Gives Initial Green Light For First Unmanned Surface Vehicle To Join The Fleet
Japan Times: India Ups The Ante With New Aircraft Carrier Amid Growing Concerns Over China
Bloomberg: US F-35 Jets in Europe Resume Flights After Parts Inspections
Defense News: Senators Seek $2 Billion Space Force Budget Boost for Missile Defense, Responsive Launch
Defense News: White House Aims to Release Overdue Security Strategies Within Weeks
AP: Man who stormed Capitol with gun gets longest prison term
Marine Corps Times: The Marine Corps Wants To Develop Media Literacy Training. It Won’t Be Easy
Military.com: The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Won’t Be Handed Out to Everyone Anymore
Air Force Magazine: SOCOM Picks L3 Harris’ Sky Warden for Armed Overwatch
Air Force Magazine: Russians ‘Running Away’ From Ukraine NCO Corps Is an Example to Partners, Air Force Leaders Say
19fortyfive.com: How the U.S.-China War of 2022 Could Begin over Taiwan
19fortyfive.com: Would China Really Start a War over a Nancy Pelosi Visit to Taiwan?
19fortyfive.com: Will Putin Win or Lose in Ukraine? Let the Battle for Kherson Begin
19fortyfive.com: How Long Can Putin Keep Fighting in Ukraine?
19fortyfive.com: Congress Weakens the U.S. Military with Late Defense Spending Bills
Calendar
TUESDAY | AUGUST 2
8:30 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Operationalizing the Quad,” focusing on “promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” with Tomiko Ichikawa, director general of the Japan Institute of International Affairs; Gordon Flake, CEO of the Perth USAsia Center; Raja Mohan, senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute; and Lisa Curtis, director of the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-report-launch
1 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Modernizing Finance Through Digital Transformation,” focusing on Navy financial, supply chain, acquisition and workforce management processes with Associate Deputy Assistant Navy Secretary for Data and Digital Transformation Paul Landauer; Ty Enmark, principal at KPMG Advisory; and George Jackson, vice president of events at Government Executive https://www.govexec.com/feature/modernizing-finance
WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 3
7:15 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Va. — Association of the U.S. Army discussion with Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. https://www.ausa.org/events/ausa-coffee-series
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Nathaniel Fick to be ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy. http://foreign.senate.gov
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), United States Space Force and U.S. Space Command collaboration, current threats, and space acquisitions,” with National Reconnaissance Office Director Christopher Scolese https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/schriever-spacepower-forum
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual book discussion: “The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People,” with author Walter Russell Mead, fellow at Hudson, and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) https://www.hudson.org/events/2134-the-arc-of-a-covenant
2:30 p.m. S-116, U.S. Capitol — Senate Foreign Relations Committeemarkup of S.4428, the “Taiwan Policy Act of 2022,” with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. http://foreign.senate.gov
THURSDAY | AUGUST 4
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Toward a Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis,” with John Culver, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Ryan Hass, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Bonnie Glaser, director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States’ Asia Program https://www.csis.org/events/towards-4th-taiwan-strait-crisis
11 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual book discussion on “Coalitions of the Weak: Elite Politics in China from Mao’s Stratagem to the Rise of Xi,” with author Victor Shih, associate professor at the University of California San Diego https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/coalitions-of-the-weak
12:30 p.m. — Institute for Policy Studies virtual book discussion on “Whatever Happened to the Peace Dividend, and Can We Get One Back?” with Miriam Pemberton, associate fellow at IPS and author of “Six Stops on the National Security Tour: Rethinking Warfare Economies.” https://ips-dc.org/events/peacedividend/
2 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave., N.E. — Heritage Foundation discussion on “A Matter of Survival: The Future of Taiwan Arms Sales,” with retired Army Gen. John Keane; Lara Crouch, senior professional staff member at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council; Dean Cheng, senior research fellow at the Heritage Asian Studies Center; and Walter Lohman, director of the Heritage Asian Studies Center https://www.heritage.org/asia/event
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out … Now, justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more.”
President Joe Biden announcing the execution of al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri by a drone strike in Kabul.
