DEMOCRATS FURIOUS: President Trump’s decision to appoint retired Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata to a top job at the Pentagon, for which he could not win Senate confirmation, has unleashed a torrent of outrage among Democrats who see it as another case of Trump thumbing his nose at congressional oversight.
“This is a flagrant end run around the confirmation process,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This method of appointment is an insult to our troops, professionals at the Pentagon, the Senate, and the American people. Clearly, President Trump wants people who will swear allegiance to him over the Constitution,” Reed said in a statement. “This is an offensive, destabilizing move, and General Tata should not be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position.”
TATA MUST GO: Reed argues that Tata did not have the votes for confirmation due to past statements in which he called President Barack Obama “a terrorist leader” and disparaged the Muslim religion.
Tata, he said, “was on the verge of potentially being rejected on the merits” and should now be fired. “For the good of our country and the integrity of the Pentagon, I urge lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to condemn this unjust appointment and urge the White House to reconsider it and remove General Tata from this post without delay.”
Among the Democrats joining Reed in calling for Tata’s removal was Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who is said to be under consideration to be Joe Biden’s running mate. She called the end run “a deeply offensive move.”
“I urge the White House to reverse course and remove Tata from this post immediately, said Duckworth in a statement. “It’s clear that Tata has not shown the independence, moral leadership or sound judgement that are critical for this position. This is yet another example of Trump’s politicization of the military — inserting loyalists who would fail to get Senate confirmation into positions that they are not qualified for.”
INHOFE’S LUKEWARM SUPPORT: Armed Services Committee Chairman Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, who informed the president in a late-night phone call Wednesday that “it wouldn’t serve any useful purpose” to proceed with Tata’s confirmation hearing, offered a tepid statement of support for Trump’s defiance of Congress.
“While I have always stressed the need to have Senate-confirmed leadership in top Pentagon positions, I believe it is within the president’s authority to appoint DOD officials when and as appropriate,” Inhofe said, according to the Hill. “These are clearly critical positions within the department where a full bench is needed.”
NOT GOING ANYWHERE: Despite the strident protestations of Democrats, there is no sign Tata will be leaving. Under the new arrangement, designed to get around the confirmation requirement, Tata will serve as acting deputy undersecretary for policy, which James Anderson was confirmed for less than two months ago, on June 8. Anderson will continue to serve as the acting undersecretary of defense for policy, a position that has been vacant since John Rood was forced out for approving military aid to Ukraine that Trump wanted to withhold.
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HAPPENING TODAY: The former Technology for Global Security is relaunching on Tuesday as the new Institute for Security and Technology. “IST will maintain our same organizational values, as we reorganize our efforts for efficiency and effectiveness — and respond to a world shaken by emerging security threats,” the group said in a statement.
The virtual launch event will feature remarks by several people, including former U.S. Central Commander retired Gen. Joseph Votel, who is now president and CEO at Business Executives for National Security.
The livestream of the event begins at 1:30 p.m.
1,000 MORE US TROOPS TO POLAND: When Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced last week his plan to relocate almost 12,000 troops now stationed in Germany, he promised some of those troops would be sent to Poland on a rotational basis once details about how much Warsaw would pay and what facilities it would provide were confirmed.
The Pentagon says the negotiations with Poland have been successfully concluded and that the new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will provide “the required legal framework, infrastructure and equitable burden-sharing essential to deepening our defense cooperation.”
“The EDCA will enable an increased enduring U.S. rotational presence of about 1,000 personnel, to include the forward elements of the U.S. Army’s V Corps headquarters and a Division headquarters, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and the infrastructure to support an armored brigade combat team and combat aviation brigade,” Esper said in a statement. “This is in addition to the 4,500 U.S. personnel already on rotation in Poland.”
“The EDCA reflects the shared vision outlined in the Joint Declarations signed by Presidents Donald J. Trump and Andrzej Duda in 2019,” Esper said. “The EDCA will enhance deterrence against Russia, strengthen NATO, reassure our Allies, and our forward presence in Poland on NATO’s eastern flank will improve our strategic and operational flexibility.”
ESPER PROMISES FULL INVESTIGATION OF DEADLY MARINE ACCIDENT: Secretary Esper issued a statement Monday in which he said every effort will be made to determine the cause of last week’s accident that claimed the lives eight marines and one sailor off the coast of California.
Sixteen personnel were aboard an amphibious assault vehicle last Thursday when it began taking on water while conducting shore-to-ship waterborne operations training in the vicinity of San Clemente Island. The AAV, which looks like a floating tank, sank, and eight bodies have not yet been recovered.
“I want to assure our service members and their families that we are committed to gathering all the facts, understanding exactly how this incident occurred, and preventing similar tragedies in the future,” Esper said. “A grateful nation and the Department of Defense grieves the tragic loss,” he said. “Their service, commitment and courage will always be remembered by the nation they served.”
US MISSILE TEST: The U.S. launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile this morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, in a routine test to show that America’s arsenal of more than 400 ground-based nuclear weapons remains ready if needed.
“The test demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable, and effective to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies,” said a statement by the Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. “Test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions.”
The ICBM’s three reentry vehicles traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. You can see the launch here.
“The Minuteman III is 50 years old, and continued test launches are essential in ensuring its reliability until the 2030s when the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent is fully in place,” said Col. Omar Colbert, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander. “This visible message of national security serves to assure our allies and dissuade potential aggressors.”
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Hundreds of inmates still on the run after deadly ISIS bombing and jailbreak in Afghanistan
Washington Examiner: Trump says Chinese-owned TikTok will be banned by Sept. 15 without a US buyer
Wall Street Journal: Microsoft’s Talks to Buy TikTok’s U.S. Operations Raise Ire in China
The Mainichi: China To Conduct Major Military Drill To Seize Taiwan-Held Islands
Reuters: North Korea Has ‘Probably’ Developed Nuclear Devices To Fit Ballistic Missiles, U.N. Report Says
Reuters: Serbian Purchase Of Missile Defence System Shows Ties Deepening With China
The Hill: Trump authorizes reduced funding for National Guard coronavirus response through 2020
Military.com: Congress Likely To Override Trump Veto On Changing Army Base Names, Key Lawmaker Says
Task & Purpose: Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicle Involved In Deadly Mishap Was Set To Be Replaced A Decade Ago
New York Times: Turkish Aggression Is NATO’s ‘Elephant in the Room’
UPI.com: U.S. Navy, Air Force Hold Unannounced Exercise In Black Sea
Philstar.com: Duterte Bans Philippines From Joining Naval Exercises In South China Sea
Forbes: Iran Accidentally Sinks Fake Aircraft Carrier In Wrong Place
Washington Post: Defense contractor with billions in sales got millions in pandemic loans intended for small businesses
Military.com: Marines Want New Shoulder-Fired Rockets With Smaller Blast Signature Than M9 Pistol
AP: Record temperatures, pending deals inflame Iraq’s power woes
Washington Post: A defense contractor died after a bar fight with Marines, and some see a crime. Others see an accident and overzealous prosecution.
Stars and Stripes: USS Theodore Roosevelt’s Leadership Changes Hands For The Second Time In Four Months
Calendar
TUESDAY | AUGUST 4
8:15 a.m. — Space and Missile Defense Symposium with Adm. Charles Richard, commander U.S. Strategic Command; and Vice Adm Jon Hill, director, Missile Defense Agency. https://smdsymposium.org
9 a.m. — Center for a New American Security “Virtual Fireside Chat,” with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, moderated by Susanna Blume, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Defense Program. https://cnas.zoom.us/webinar/register
9 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of John Whitley to be DOD director of cost assessment and program evaluation; Shon Manasco to be undersecretary of the Air Force; Michele Pearce, to be Army general counsel; and Liam Hardy to be a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m. — Association of the U.S. Army’s Thought Leaders webinar with L. Scott Lingamfelter, author of Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War. Advance registration is recommended. https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/ar-Series-L-Scott-Lingamfelter
10:15 a.m. — National Defense Industrial Association conference via webcast: “Vfuze: Next-Generation Fuzing for Next-Generation Weapons Systems,” with Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Stiles, commander of the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron. https://www.ndia.org/-/media/sites/ndia/meetings-and-events
10 a.m. — Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, interviewed by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent, the New York Times, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments virtual discussion on a report titled “Uncovering China’s Influence in Europe: How Friendship Groups Coopt European Elites,” with Toshi Yoshihara, CSBA senior fellow; and Jack Bianchi, CSBA research fellow. https://csbaonline.org/about/events/report-release
11:15 a.m. — Christian Brose, author of The Kill Chain interviewed by David Ignatius, columnist and associate editor, the Washington Post, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
12 p.m. — John Bolton, former national security adviser interviewed by Carol Lee, NBC correspondent at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
1 p.m. — Kelly Craft, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. interviewed at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
2:30 p.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing on the findings and recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, with Sen. Angus King, co-chair, Cyberspace Solarium Commission; Rep. Michael Gallagher, co-chair, Cyberspace Solarium Commission; and retired Brig. Gen. John Inglis, Commissioner, Cyberspace Solarium Commission. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
5:30 p.m. — Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia interviewed by Margaret Brennan, Anchor, CBS’s Face the Nation, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 5
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “The New China Rules,” with Michael Auslin, research fellow in contemporary Asia at the Hoover Institution and author of “Asia’s New Geopolitics”; Jude Blanchette, chair in China studies at CSIS; and Seth Center, director of the CSIS History and Strategy Project. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event-new-china-rules
10:30 a.m. — United States Institute of Peace webinar: “Pakistan’s National Security Outlook,” with Moeed Yusuf, Pakistani special assistant to the prime minister on national security and strategic policy planning; former State Department Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson, senior adviser at USIP; and Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of USIP. https://www.usip.org/events/pakistan
11 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace webinar: “Why Did the United States Invade Iraq?” with Robert Draper, contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and author of To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq; and former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. https://carnegieendowment.org
12 p.m. — Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, interviewed by Nick Schifrin, foreign affairs and defense correspondent, PBS NewsHour, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
12:30 p.m. — Wendy Sherman, former undersecretary of state for political affairs, interviewed by David Sanger, national security correspondent and senior writer, the New York Times, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
1:30 p.m. — Mark Esper, secretary of defense, interviewed by David McCormick, CEO, Bridgewater Associates, at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
2 p.m. — Hoover Institution webcast: “From Huawei to Hong Kong: How the U.S. and China are Clashing Around the World,” with Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and Michael Auslin, Asia scholar at the Hoover Institution. https://www.hoover.org/events
THURSDAY | AUGUST 6
9 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of Jason Abend to be DOD inspector general; Bradley Hansell to be deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security; Lucas Polakowski to be assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs; and Louis Bremer to be assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
9:30 a.m. — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein retires and is replaced by incoming Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. The ceremony can be viewed at www.af.mil/live.
9:30 a.m. — Mark Warner, ranking member, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence interviewed by David Sanger, national security correspondent and senior writer, the New York Times at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the United States Naval Institute webcast: “The Movement Toward Greater Integration in Naval Warfare,” with Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities Vice Adm. James Kilby; Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Center; and retired Vice Adm. Peter Daly, CEO of USNI. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event
10 a.m. — Middle East Institute webinar: “After Qassem Soleimani: The Islamic Republic’s Strategy for the Arab World,” with Tarek Osman, senior political counselor for the Arab World at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Ariane Tabatabai, Middle East fellow in the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy; Morad Vaisibiame, journalist and editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda; and Alex Vatanka, director of the MEI Frontier Europe Initiative and Iran Program. https://www.mei.edu/events/after-qassem-soleimani
4:15 p.m. — Michele Flournoy, former U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, interviewed by Courtney Kube, NBC News Pentagon correspondent at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
5 p.m. — Mike Brown, director, Defense Innovation Unit; and Kathleen Hicks, director, International Security Program, CSIS interviewed by Anja Manuel, director, the Aspen Strategy Group at the Aspen Security Forum. https://www.aspensecurity2020.com/attend
5 p.m. — George Mason University National Security Institute “NatSec Nightcap,” a conversation with John Demers, assistant attorney general of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice, and Jamil Jaffer, NSI’s founder and executive director. https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/natsec-nightcap-august-6-2020/
6 p.m. — East-West Center in Washington webinar: “Japan’s Missile Defense Debates: A Multipolar World, Collective Defense, and Leadership Transition,” with Yoichiro Sato, professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University; James Schoff, senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Asia Program; and Satu Limaye, director of the East-West Center. https://www.eastwestcenter.org/events
MONDAY | AUGUST 10
10 a.m. — Association of the U.S. Army’s Thought Leaders webinar with Chris Brose, author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare. Register at: https://info.ausa.org.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s hard to see how General Tata can do an effective job given the serious questions raised by both parties during a closed Executive Session of the Armed Services Committee last week. … Until the issues raised by Senators of both parties can be resolved, General Tata should not be serving in a position in the Defense Department.”
Sen. Jack Reed, ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee
