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THE CLOCK IS TICKING: The countdown to a military strike on Syria is underway, and the only question seems to be whether the U.S. will act alone — as it did a year ago — or in concert with allies Britain and France. British media is reporting that Prime Minister Theresa May is under heavy pressure to join the U.S., perhaps by contributing Tomahawk cruise missiles from one of its Astute- or Trafalgar-class submarines. President Trump spoke to both May and French President Emmanuel Macron Sunday, the day after the suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, but before he had received military options from the Pentagon. The Times of London reports members of May’s government are warning that Britain risks losing influence in Washington and Paris if it turns down Trump’s request to join a retaliatory strike. “President Macron of France was said by Whitehall sources to be ‘egging on’ Mr. Trump,” the paper reports this morning. “They acknowledged that Downing Street had been left embarrassed as Mrs. May was still waiting to speak to Mr. Trump last night.” In the past, Macron has called the use of chemical weapons by the regime of Bashar Assad a “red line” and has repeatedly threatened to strike chemical weapons sites in Syria if they were used again. A MENU OF OPTIONS: As you would expect, the president has been given a range of options, Pentagon officials confirmed to me yesterday, including another Tomahawk cruise missile strike. Like last April’s strike, a volley of Tomahawks would minimize any risk to U.S. pilots posed by Syrian or Russian air defenses. “While the process of drawing up and presenting the options are similar to last year, I wouldn’t look at this through a soda straw,” said one Pentagon official familiar with the planning. “It’s up to the president to decide how to respond. It’s up to us to provide the options.” A Navy source said the U.S. has a number of ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles in the region, including the USS Donald Cook, a guided-missile destroyer that has just completed a port call in Cyprus, and is now in the eastern Mediterranean within range of Syria. “We have a lot of options militarily, and we’ll be letting you know pretty soon. Probably after the fact,” Trump said yesterday as he prepared to sit down for a dinner session with his senior military leaders. Earlier in the day at a meeting with the emir of Qatar at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters “I don’t rule out anything right now.” ‘THE US WILL RESPOND’: Trump has left little doubt he plans to act soon. “I will not say because I don’t like talking about timing,” he said last night. But he vowed, “It will be met, and it will be met forcefully.” It’s a position that U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley underscored at an emergency briefing at the United Nations yesterday. “We are beyond showing pictures of dead babies. We are beyond appeals to conscience. We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done. History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria,” Haley said at the session. “Either way, the United States will respond.” PUTIN WILL PAY: Trump didn’t shy away from pointing an accusing finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was supposed to have guaranteed that Syria had no more chemical weapons. Asked by reporters at the White House if Putin bears responsibility for the attack on civilians, Trump said, “He may. Yeah, he may. And, if he does, it’s going to be very tough. Very tough. … Everybody’s going to pay a price. He will, everybody will.” BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS: At the heated U.N. session, Haley was even more unsparing in her criticism of Russia, which she accused of “shielding a monster” in propping up Assad. “Russia and Iran have military advisers at Assad’s airfields and operations centers. Russian officials are on the ground helping direct the regime’s ‘starve and surrender’ campaign, and Iranian allied forces do much of the dirty work. When the Syrian military pummels civilians, they rely on the military hardware given by Russia,” Haley said. “The Russian regime, whose hands are all covered in the blood of Syrian children, cannot be shamed by pictures of its victims. We’ve tried that before.” FAKE NEWS: Russia continues to claim that the reports of a chemical attack on civilians in Syria are “fake news” staged by the rebels, and is calling for an international investigation that it insists will find no evidence to support the accounts. At the U.N., Russia’s ambassador continued to warn against military intervention. “Armed force under mendacious pretext against Syria, where, at the request of the legitimate government of a country, Russian troops have been deployed, could lead to grave repercussions,” said Vassily Nebenzia. “From what we hear now, I am afraid they are looking for a military option, which is very, very dangerous.” SYRIA EXIT STRATEGY UNAFFECTED: White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insists there is a “separation” between Trump’s desire to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria after the Islamic State is defeated, and his planned response to the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons. “The president has made clear that with the defeat of ISIS, he wanted to be able to bring our troops home,” Sanders told reporters at the White House. “But at the same time, he wants to make sure Assad is deterred from chemical weapons attacks on innocent civilians.” Good Tuesday 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: Trump is scheduled to meet today with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, who was at the Pentagon yesterday for a meeting with Mattis. Among the topics of discussion will be efforts to end the feud between the Persian Gulf states that has been simmering for more than a year. “They … discussed the Gulf Cooperation Council and the importance of de-escalating tensions so all U.S. partners in the region can work together to ensure regional security and stability,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White. Mattis made a point of thanking the visiting emir for allowing the U.S. to have a forward headquarters at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha. “We don’t take this relationship for granted, and we appreciate what you do,” he said. QATAR WEAPONS SALE: The State Department has greenlit the possible sale of $300 million worth of advanced precision kill weapon systems to Qatar. The APKWS converts unguided rockets into precision-guided rockets, “giving warfighters a low-cost surgical strike capability,” according to maker BAE Systems. The potential sale of 5,000 APKWS comes after some turbulence in the U.S. relationship with the Gulf nation following a blockade last year by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over alleged terror funding. ALSO TODAY — ZUKUNFT KEYNOTE: The Sea-Air-Space exposition at National Harbor rolls into its second day with a lunchtime keynote address by Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard, at around 12:15 p.m. Here is a rundown of coverage from the annual event on Monday:
TRUMP MEETING WITH KIM MAY SLIP: Yesterday came the first hint that the schedule for Trump to sit down with Kim Jong Un may be slipping a bit. Trump told reporters that he intends to meet North Korea’s leader in May or early June for talks to broker a deal on denuclearization. One of the big issues that need to be resolved before the two leaders meet is a common understanding of just what “denuclearization” means. To the U.S., it means North Korea giving up all of its nuclear weapons. To the North, it means the U.S. no longer protecting the south with its “nuclear umbrella.” “Hopefully, we’ll be able to make a deal on the de-nuking of North Korea. They’ve said so. We’ve said so. Hopefully, it’ll be a relationship that’s much different than it’s been for many, many years,” Trump said. “We have a meeting that is being set up with North Korea. So, that’ll be very exciting, I think, for the world. I think it’s going to be a very exciting thing for the world.” NAVY’S LCS BUY LIKELY TO GROW: The Navy has requested just a single littoral combat ship in 2019, and Secretary Richard V. Spencer has already been on Capitol Hill defending the move. But analysts say Congress will almost certainly add one or two more of the ships as the armed services and appropriations committees craft the upcoming defense budget. “The 2019 LCS shortfall is likely to take care of itself from a congressional shipbuilding plus-up perspective,” said Jim McAleese, the founder of McAleese and Associates, a government contracts consulting and legal firm. Political pressure is already building to buy more. The Navy’s plan has rankled House members from states that build the small surface warship and triggered warnings of layoffs from two of the Navy’s commercial shipyards in Wisconsin and Alabama. “If we go to one ship, likely both of them would be reducing their workforce,” said Thomas Callender, senior research fellow for defense programs at the Heritage Foundation. Last year, the administration bowed to similar pressure and added a second request. Congress ended up giving it three of the ships. 3 OF 4 STATES IN ON TRUMP’S BORDER DEPLOYMENT: The Republican governors of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona have responded favorably to Trump’s request to send National Guard troops to the border to free up Border Control agents to apprehend illegal migrants. But Democrat Jerry Brown in California has yet to say whether he’s in. So far, 1,600 of the up to 4,000 Guard troops have received orders to report. In an email last night, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jamie Davis listed some of the tasks they will be performing, which it turns out are not limited to sitting behind desks or watching video monitors.
INHOFE WANTS BRIGADE FOR AFRICA: The Army should consider assigning one of its newly minted security force assistance brigades to Africa to help local forces there, said Sen. Jim Inhofe, a senior Senate Armed Services member. Inhofe made the proposal to Army Secretary Mark Esper in a letter Monday. The proposal would involve one of the units that are specifically designed for such assistance work and comprise about 500 soldiers under the control of U.S. Africa Command as it confronts a growing array of terror groups on the continent. “As you know, AFRICOM does not have any assigned forces, but must compete for allocated forces within the Department of Defense’s global force management process,” Inhofe wrote in the letter Monday. The Army has sent one of its brigade combat teams to Africa in the past to provide assistance, but Inhofe said the deployment of a standard brigade was a drag on the unit’s readiness and kept it from other missions. STUDY CHALLENGES MATTIS ON TRANSGENDER TROOPS: A new study by Cornell University says research over the past 25 years points to a wide consensus that transgender medical treatment is effective, despite a Pentagon determination that the science remains uncertain. The university looked at 56 peer-reviewed studies on how hormone treatment or surgery can help transgender people. Ninety-three percent reported the treatment improved their well-being, according to a summary provided by Cornell. “Among researchers who have studied gender transition, there is little doubt that it improves the well-being of transgender people, often markedly,” said Nathaniel Frank, the director of Cornell’s What We Know Project for policy and co-author of the study. “A consensus like this is rare in social science.” Mattis unveiled a new personnel policy last month that seeks to bar anybody who has had hormone therapy or surgical treatment from enlisting in the military, and to deny such treatment to those who are already serving. DEFENSE SPENDING BY STATE: Ever wonder what states get the most dollars from military contracts? The Pew Charitable Trust has broken down $485 billion in 2015 defense spending by states and the District of Columbia. That includes contracts, salaries and wages, and retirement benefits. Spoiler: D.C. got the highest overall per capita in spending at $10,413. The U.S. average is just $1,510. You can play with Pew’s data and interactive map to view spending by state here. CHINA’S ISLANDS: China has installed equipment on two fortified outposts on the Spratly Islands capable of jamming communications and radar systems, which U.S. officials say signifies a stepped-up militarization of the South China Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported. NAVAL EXERCISE: The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet says ships of the USS Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group conducted joint exercises with the Japanese amphibious transport dock JS Shimokita yesterday in the East China Sea. “The navigational maneuvers were held as part of an enduring commitment of both sea services to operate together to demonstrate commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance and security of the region,” 7th Fleet said. |
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THE RUNDOWN Wall Street Journal: Chinese Military Conducts What U.S. Officials Describe As Its Largest Military Exercise To Date In South China Sea Military Times: Pentagon strips Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria troop numbers from web USA Today: U.S. airstrike against Syria not likely to be a game-changer, analysts say NBC News: Russia has figured out how to jam U.S. drones in Syria, officials say Daily Beast: The Israeli Airstrike on Syria Monday: A Message to Iran, Russia — and Trump Washington Post: Senior ISIS leader killed in northern Afghanistan, highlighting shifting militant allegiances Military Times: The Pentagon is asking for 3 times as many drones for 2019 AFP: Killer robots Air Force Times: Air Force chief of staff orders review of increasing aviation mishaps Task and Purpose: Mattis: What DoD Readiness Problems? (Shush: Bad Guys Are Listening!) The Hill: GOP senator wants vote before Trump uses force in Syria New York Times: Syrian Forces Aimed to Kill Journalists, U.S. Court Is Told Foreign Policy: John Bolton Can’t Be Contained Reuters: Former top U.S. intelligence officials back Trump’s CIA pick Army Times: Check out the high-tech mortar system US forces set up in Manbij Defense One: The Logic of Assad’s Brutality Washington Post: Trump gets schooled in Syria on how much his words matter |
CalendarTUESDAY | APRIL 10 7 a.m. 6715 Commerce St. 2018 Ground Robotics Capabilities Conference and Exhibition. ndia.org 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League’s global maritime exposition with Adm. Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard. seaairspace.org 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Posture of the United States Transportation Command with Gen. Darren McDew. Armed-services.senate.gov 11 a.m. Pentagon Briefing Room. Army Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve briefs the media live from Baghdad. Live streamed on www.defense.gov/live. WEDNESDAY | APRIL 11 7:30 a.m. 900 S Omre St. Air Force Association Breakfast Series with Gen. Robin Rand, of Air Force Global Strike Command. afa.org 8 a.m. 2401 M St. NW. Defense Writers Group breakfast with Adm. Paul Zukunft, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League’s global maritime exposition with Thomas Modley, Under Secretary of the Navy. seaairspace.org 9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. The UN’s New “Sustaining Peace” Agenda. stimson.org 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Hearing on Cyber Operations Today: Preparing for 21st Century Challenges in an Information-Enabled Society. armedservices.house.gov 10 a.m. House 140. Closed Hearing on Fiscal Year 2019 Budget of U.S. Strategic Command with Gen. John Hyten. appropriations.house.gov 10 a.m. Dirksen 192. Subcommittee hearing to review the FY2019 budget request for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency with Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves. appropriations.senate.gov 11 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Book discussion of “Zbigniew Brzezinski: America’s grand strategist” with author Justin Vaïsse. brookings.edu 12 noon. Iran’s Ballistic Missiles: Capabilities, Intentions, and the Evolving Threat (invitation only event). defenddemocracy.org 1:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. House Armed Services “Member Day.” armedservices.house.gov 1:30 p.m. Discussion on the Defense Department’s new Close Combat Lethality Task Force with Robert Wilkie, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. ausa.org 2 p.m. Rayburn 2172. Subcommittee Hearing on North Korea’s Diplomatic Gambit: Will History Repeat Itself? foreignaffairs.house.gov 2:30 p.m. Russell 222. Subcommittee Hearing on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy, Programs, and Strategy with Guy Roberts, Assistant Secretary Of Defense; Robert Soofer, Deputy Assistant Secretary Of Defense; Gen. Robin Rand, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs. armed-services.senate.gov 2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Subcommittee Hearing on the Health of the Department of Defense Industrial Base and its Role in Providing Readiness to the Warfighter with Lt. Gen. Edward Daly, Deputy Commanding General of Army Materiel Command; Vice Adm. Paul Grosklags, Commander of Naval Air Systems Command; Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command; Lt. Gen. Lee Levy, Commander of the Sustainment Center at Air Force Materiel Command; and Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, Commanding General of Marine Corps Logistics Command. armed-services.senate.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2212. A Review and Assessment of the Department of Defense Budget, Strategy, Policy, and Programs for Cyber Operations and U.S. Cyber Command for Fiscal Year 2019 with Adm. Mike Rogers, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Kenneth Rapuano, Assistant Secretary of Defense. armedservices.house.gov 4 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Reflections on US Policy in Syria and Beyond: A Conversation with Amb. Fred Hof. atlanticcouncil.org 5:30 p.m. 1667 K St. NW. Sustaining the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: The LRSO and GBSD. csbaonline.org 6 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. Historical Perspectives on the Middle East. cfr.org THURSDAY | APRIL 12 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Posture of the Department of the Army with Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff. armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. The Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 10 a.m. House 140. Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget National Guard and Reserve with Gen. Joseph Lengyel. appropriations.house.gov 10 a.m. Dirksen 419. Nomination hearing for Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State. foreign.senate.gov 1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Contested Seas: Maritime Challenges in Northern Europe. csis.org 1 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. A Conversation With Gen. Joseph Votel, Commander of U.S. Central Command. cfr.org 1:30 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. America’s Coast Guard: A National Asset for Security and Prosperity with Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft. heritage.org 2 p.m. Rayburn 2212. Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for Combat Aviation Programs. armedservices.house.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing on a 355 Ship Navy: Delivering the Right Capabilities with Vice Adm. William Merz, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy; and Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command. armedservices.house.gov 6:30 p.m. 529 14th St. NW. NPC Headliners Book Event: “Fight Like a Girl: The Truth Behind How Female Marines Are Trained.” press.org FRIDAY | APRIL 13 8 a.m. 300 First St SE. The Nuclear Posture Review and the Columbia Class Deterrent with Navy Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs. mitchellaerospacepower.org 9 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing on Military Personnel Posture: FY 2019 with Vice Adm. Robert Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel; Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower; Lt. Gen. Michael Rocco, Deputy Marine Corps Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs; and Lt. Gen. Thomas Seamands, Army Deputy Chief of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Regaining the Strategic Advantage in an Age of Great Power Competition: A Conversation with Michael Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. hudson.org 12 noon. 1501 Lee Hwy. Defending the Record of U.S. Nuclear Deterrence with Retired Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, Former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command. mitchellaerospacepower.org 2:30 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Ending Civil Wars: How Can We Succeed with Limited Opportunities? usip.org MONDAY | APRIL 16 9:30 a.m. 900 S Orme St. Mitchell Hour on Allied Aerospace Power: A Conversation with Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff. mitchellaerospacepower.org 1:30 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Hidden Wounds: Trauma and Civilians in the Syrian Conflict. usip.org 4 p.m. 740 15th St. NW. The China Mission: George Marshall’s Unfinished War. newamerica.org 7:30 p.m. 529 14th St. NW. The Kalb Report – Putin’s Trump Card. press.org TUESDAY | APRIL 17 8 a.m. 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Procurement Division Meeting. ndia.org 8:30 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. China and North Korea: Past, Present, and Future. usip.org 11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Countering Russian Kleptocracy. hudson.org 11 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Countering Illicit Funding of Terrorism: A Congressional Approach with Reps. Steve Pearce and Jim Himes. usip.org 2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Subcommittee Hearing on Navy Shipbuilding Programs with James Geurts, Assistant Secretary Of The Navy; Vice Adm. William Merz, Deputy Chief Of Naval Operations; and Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, Deputy Commandant. armed-services.senate.gov |
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