‘CLOSE’: Two months into his administration, President Joe Biden has yet to nominate someone to the newly created position of national cyber director but says he’s “close” to making a decision on the key post, which was mandated by Congress last year. Asked by reporters as he boarded Air Force One last night if his decision would come within days, Biden repeated he’s “close.”
Creation of the cyber czar in the White House job was one of the recommendations from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission that was included in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to increase coordination of the nation’s defense against cyberattacks and cyberespionage.
Maine Sen. Angus King, who was co-chairman of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, has expressed concern that the cyber director position has remained vacant months after cyberattacks from Russian and Chinese actors.
“It’s like we are in conflict, and they are not appointing the secretary of defense,” he was quoted as saying by Politico. “I would hate to have another attack occur in the next 30-60 days and still not have anyone in that position.”
HACKS REVEAL ‘GAP’: At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, commander of U.S. Cyber Command Gen. Paul Nakasone cited a gap in America’s cyber defenses that is being exploited by adversaries.
Nakasone is limited by restrictions on domestic espionage on his ability to use the vast resources of the NSA to track and thwart bad actors, who can use U.S-based servers or ISP addresses to evade surveillance.
“It’s not the fact that we can’t connect the dot, we can’t see all of the dots,” Nakasone testified. “My authorities and my responsibilities both as the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and as a director of the National Security Agency are rightly outside of the country.”
SOLARWINDS AND MICROSOFT: “We are in the process of completing reviews of the cyberattack through SolarWinds,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN yesterday, insisting that President Joe Biden will follow through on his vow to make Russia pay a price for last year’s cyberattack.
In that attack, hackers believed to be Russian, using highly sophisticated tactics, installed a backdoor in a software update that left approximately 18,000 enterprises, including many government agencies and companies, vulnerable to exploitation and future attacks.
A second attack on the software running Microsoft Exchange email services was traced to suspected Chinese hackers, affecting hundreds of thousands of servers around the world.
Related: AP sources: SolarWinds hack got emails of top DHS officials
PLUGGING THE GAP: Former CIA Director Robert Gates, who directed the creation of Cyber Command in 2010 when he was secretary of defense secretary, writes in an op-ed this morning that the problem was one he recognized a decade ago.
“By law, primary responsibility for defending against domestic-based attacks belonged to the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, DHS had the authority but little capability,” he writes.
The solution he proposes is not to expand NSA’s ability to conduct cyberdefense domestically, something he argues “is almost certainly not politically feasible,” but rather to revive a proposal that was approved but never implemented under former President Barack Obama.
“I proposed that we agree to appoint a ‘dual hat’ senior DHS officer who would also serve as a deputy NSA director with the authority to task the NSA in real time to defend against cyberattacks of domestic origin,” Gates writes in the Washington Post. “That deputy director would have her or his own legal staff and general counsel, and we would create firewalls and regulations to ensure that DHS tasking would be kept separate from and follow different rules than the foreign intelligence operations of the NSA.”
“SolarWinds and the attack on Microsoft make clear that prompt action is necessary. The approach we devised in 2010 would not require new legislation and could be implemented quickly,” Gates argues. “We are under attack. There might be a more elegant solution to our vulnerability, but a better means of defense is available now.”
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HAPPENING TODAY, ALL-STAR LINEUP: 12:30 p.m. — The Hill virtual “Future of Defense” summit, with Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines; Air Force chief of staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.; Army chief of staff Gen. James McConville; former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former CIA director; former Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy; and Steve Clemons, editor-at-large at the Hill. https://thehill.com/event
AFGHANISTAN COUNTDOWN, DAY 33: As of today, there are 33 days left before U.S. and international troops are scheduled to withdraw fully from Afghanistan under the Feb. 29, 2020, agreement negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration. Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden has not yet made a decision, but she noted Biden has said it would be tough to meet the May 1 deadline for full withdrawal for logistical reasons.
“Obviously, May 1 is coming soon, but I don’t have any timeline on when his decision will be made,” she told reporters.
“What we’re focused on now is looking at the May 1 deadline. But, beyond that, and as we’re doing that, it was also very important to try to accelerate the diplomacy, because, ultimately, everyone recognizes that there’s no military solution to Afghanistan,” Secretary of State Blinken told CNN’s Dana Bash.
“We’ve put some energy into the diplomatic effort in sharing some ideas with the Afghan government, with the Taliban, in bringing them together, including at a conference that will take place in the weeks ahead in Turkey,” Blinken said. “What is ultimately necessary for Afghanistan to have a just and sustainable peace is for the parties to come together and negotiate one.”
KHALILZAD’S ENDLESS MISSION: To that end, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, is back in the region, having left for Turkey and other countries in the region last week, with hopes of encouraging Taliban and Afghan government representatives to accelerate their negotiations.
“He will engage the two sides on their preparatory efforts for talks on a political settlement that produces a permanent ceasefire and a durable and just peace,” the State Department said in a statement. “He will also meet with stakeholders to discuss how the region and international community can facilitate talks between the sides.”
MILLEY JOINS CHIEFS CONDEMNING MYANMAR CRACKDOWN: Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley joined with defense chiefs from a dozen countries in a rare joint statement Saturday condemning Myanmar’s use of lethal force against unarmed, pro-democracy demonstrators.
“As Chiefs of Defense, we condemn the use of lethal force against unarmed people by the Myanmar Armed Forces and associated security services,” the statement said. “A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves. We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.
The statement was endorsed by chiefs of defense from Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and New Zealand.
ANOTHER CHINA PLAN: The Atlantic Council is out with its third installment in a series of policy papers outlining strategies for dealing with China.
The China Plan: A Transatlantic Blueprint for Strategic Competition identifies three major developing trends that the reports suggest “provide both an opportunity and a requirement for transatlantic nations to make a concerted effort to promote and protect their interests in the face of a broad spectrum of assertive Chinese policies.”
“Conducted over the course of a year and drawing on the research and opinions of hundreds of experts, policy makers, and academics in the United States, Europe, and Asia, this study delves into three broad trends and analyzes five major areas in which Chinese actions threaten transatlantic interests,” the executive summary says.
The defining trends are:
- Xi’s China has become more authoritarian, outward-facing, and assertive in promoting China’s interests.
- Bipartisan consensus in the United States provides a strong foundation for policy.
- European leaders have grown more skeptical of China, paving the way for strengthened transatlantic cooperation.
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: DC National Guard leader will be new House sergeant-at-arms
Washington Examiner: Defense Department promises full force will be vaccinated by mid-July despite continued refusals
Washington Examiner: DOD starts 90-day sexual assault review with no active-duty panel members
Washington Examiner: US-Taiwan coast guard partner to blunt potential Chinese invasion
Washington Examiner: Rubio: Biden administration may miss UFO report deadline
Washington Examiner: Pentagon linguist pleads guilty to passing secrets in Iraq to man linked to Hezbollah
Politico: ‘Be aware’: The Pentagon’s target list for extremist infiltrators — right and left
Washington Post: Russia’s Putin pumps up the swagger in swipes at Biden
The Hill: Pentagon: Suez Canal Stoppage May Impact Transit Of Military Vessels
AP: US-backed Syrian forces raid camp of IS families, arrest 9
Air Force Magazine: ‘Remotely Crewed’ Systems Can Save Money, But Specialized Thinking Needed
Washington Times: Budget Crunch Threatens Vaunted F-35: ‘Flawed Concept From The Very Beginning’
McClatchy: U.S. nuclear weapons are aging fast. With few spare parts, how long can they last?
19fortyfive.com: Joe Biden’s North Korea Strategy: Failure Could Mean War
NBC News: China’s Growing Firepower Casts Doubt On Whether U.S. Could Defend Taiwan
19fortyfive.com: America’s Maritime Army: How the U.S. Military Would Fight China?
Financial Times: U.S. Fears China Is Flirting With Seizing Control Of Taiwan
Forbes: Taiwan Tripwire: A New Role For The U.S. Army In Deterring Chinese Aggression
CNN: Blinken Suggests U.S. Won’t Take Punitive Action Against China Over Coronavirus Outbreak
Stars and Stripes: ‘Our Boys, They Fought To Their Last Breath’: Mothers Of Two Marines Killed In Training Accident Seek Lasting Change
New York Times: They Were Guantánamo’s First Detainees. Here’s Where They Are Now.
Washington Post: Opinion: Robert Gates: The United States has a major hole in its cyberdefense. Here’s how to fix it.
Washington Post: Review: American troops fought hard in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley. But why?
Calendar
MONDAY | MARCH 29
9 a.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies webinar: “A ‘Special Relationship’ in Transition: U.S.-China Power Dynamics in the Emerging 21st Century,” with former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; Zhengyu Huang, president of the Committee of 100; and Eliot Cohen, dean of SAIS. https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events
10 a.m. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin participates in a wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Livestream at https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Live-Events/
11 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace webinar on how “Empowered Women Help Create A More Peaceful World,” with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks; Adm. Craig Faller, commander, U.S. Southern Command; Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command; Army Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vares-Lum, mobilization assistant to the commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, director of intelligence, J2, U.S. Africa Command; and Air Force Brig. Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, deputy director for counter threats and international cooperation, Joint Staff, J5. https://www.usip.org/events/empowered-women
12:30 p.m. — The Hill virtual “Future of Defense” summit, with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.; Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former CIA director; former Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy; and Steve Clemons,editor-at-large at The Hill https://thehill.com/event
1 p.m. — Defense One webinar: “Building Tomorrow’s Military,” with Benjamin Leever, technical director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division; Brandon McWilliams, technical lead for metals additive manufacturing at the Army Research Laboratory; and Marcus Weisgerber, global business editor at Defense One. https://www.defenseone.com/feature/building-tomorrows-military
TUESDAY | MARCH 30
10 a.m. — Heritage Foundation webinar: “Confronting Russian Interference in U.S.-Czech Missile Defense Cooperation,” Lt. Col. Otakar Foltyn, security expert in the Czech Ministry of Defense; Michaela Dodge, research scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy; Jakub Janda, executive director of the European Values Center for Security Policy; and Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Center for National Defense. https://www.heritage.org/missile-defense/event
10:30 a.m. — Center for American Progress webinar: “Reinvigorating Diplomacy with North Korea,” with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan Marc Knapper; Frank Aum, senior expert on North Korea at the U.S. Institute of Peace; Jessica Lee, senior research fellow on East Asia at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Yasuyo Sakata, professor of international relations at the Kanda University of International Studies; and Abigail Bard, Asia policy analyst at CAP. https://www.americanprogress.org/events
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar: “The Army in the Indo-Pacific,” with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; and Gen. Paul LaCamera, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. https://www.csis.org/events/army-indo-pacific-conversation
1 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual book discussion on “You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War,”with author Elizabeth Becker; and Susan Hammond, founder and executive director of the War Legacies Project. https://www.stimson.org/event/book-launch
2 p.m. — U.S. Chamber of Commerce webinar” “North Korean Military Hackers Commit Cyberattacks,” focusing on cyberattacks by the Lazarus Group. https://www.uschamber.com/event
4 p.m. — Hudson Institute webinar: “China’s Techno-Authoritarianism, Political Interference, and Influence Operations,” with Samantha Hoffman, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute; Harry Krejsa, cyber policy adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy; Charles Edel, senior fellow at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Center; John Lee, senior fellow at Hudson; and Patrick Cronin, senior fellow at Hudson. https://www.hudson.org/events
4 p.m. — Institute of World Politics webinar: “The Biden Administration Faces Growing North Korean Threat,” with Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. https://www.iwp.edu/events/webinar
WEDNESDAY I MARCH 31
9:50 a.m. — Institute for Defense and Government Advancement virtual Counter Summit: “Update on DOD Counter Small UAS Strategy,” with Nicole Thomas, division chief for strategy and policy in the Army Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Office. https://www.idga.org/events
12:30 p.m. — Hampton Roads World Affairs Council Virtual Symposium virtual panel discussion: “Stronger Together: Perspectives on Strengthening the Alliance,” with the current and three former commanders of Allied Command Transformation, including French Air Force Gen. Andre Lanata; Retired French Air Force Gen. Denis Mercier, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, and retired Adm. Ed Giambastiani, ACT’s first commander. https://zoom.us/webinar/register
1 p.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and Signal Magazine virtual discussion: “The Warfighter Advantage: Shaping Cloud Apps through Operational Monitoring,” with Paul Puckett, director of the Army Enterprise Cloud Management Office; Steve Mazzuca, defense and intel director at Dynatrace; and Kimberly Underwood, senior editor at Signal Magazine. https://www.workcast.com/register
2 p.m. — Defense One webinar: “The Future of Army Modernization,” with Maj. Gen. John Epperly, deputy commanding general of the Army National Guard – U.S. Army Futures Command; and Andrew Hunter, senior fellow of the International Security Program and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group. https://www.defenseone.com/feature/the-future-of-army-modernization
2:30 p.m. — National Iranian American Council webinar: “The Iran Nuclear Deal or No Deal?” with Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association; Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Barbara Slavin, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York; and Jamal Abdi, president of NIAC. https://secure.everyaction.com/
3:30 p.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group Conversation with Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu/
THURSDAY | APRIL 1
9 a.m. — Atlantic Council webinar: “Whose Voices Count on Afghanistan? The Politics of Knowledge Production,” with Orzala Nemat, director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit; Bashir Safi, former senior adviser to the Afghan National Security Council; Mariam Safi, co-director of the Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace; Obaid Ali, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network; and Sahar Halaimzai, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/whose-voices-count
9:50 a.m. — A Institute for Defense and Government Advancement virtual Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit, with Navy Rear Adm. John Fuller, deputy director for force protection, Joint Chiefs of Staff. https://www.idga.org/events
3 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studiesvirtual book discussion on This is How They Tell Me the World Ends, with author Nicole Perlroth, New York Times cybersecurity reporter. https://www.csis.org/events/how-they-tell-me-world-ends
FRIDAY | APRIL 2
8:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies “Space Power Forum” event with Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, director of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, U.S. Space Force; and retired Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, director of research at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org
9:50 a.m. — Institute for Defense and Government Advancement virtual Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit, with Spanish Brig. Gen. Enrique Silvela Diaz-Criado, commander of the Spanish Army Air Defense Command. https://www.idga.org/events
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We have to, and we do, deal every day around the world with leaders of countries who do things that we find either from objectionable to abhorrent. But, in terms of actually advancing our interests and advancing our values, it’s important to deal with them. The crown prince is likely to be the leader of Saudi Arabia far into the future.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on CNN Sunday, explaining why President Joe Biden is not punishing Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
