AUSTIN’S BIG DAY: President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to nominate a retired four-star general to a job that by law must be filled by a civilian who has been out of uniform for at least seven years will put Lloyd Austin in the hot seat this afternoon, as he testifies at his Senate confirmation hearing to be defense secretary.
Democrats, with some notable exceptions, have been falling in line in hopes of giving Biden the person he says he needs to lead the Pentagon at a time of rising challenges from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
“While I initially had concerns about the nomination of another recently retired general, Secretary-designate Austin has reinforced his understanding of the role civilian control of our military plays in the safety and security of our democracy and is committed to upholding this cherished principle,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith last week, as he introduced a bill that would grant Austin the required waiver.
‘IN TIMES OF NATIONAL PERIL’: A bipartisan group of 15 former top defense officials, most of whom served in Democratic administrations, has written the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees urging approval of the waiver, arguing that Austin can “lead effectively as a civilian.”
“We do not make this recommendation lightly,” says the letter posted to Twitter by Fox News and signed by former Secretaries of Defense Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, and William Perry, noting that “in times of national peril, Congress has the legal authority to grant a waiver.”
Without specifically mentioning that Austin would be the first black U.S. defense secretary, or this month’s siege of Congress by right-wing extremists, the letter cites a “threat from domestic terrorism that has rarely been more clear or more dangerous.”
Austin, they say, “knows the national security imperative of rooting out white supremacy from the force.”
UNIQUELY QUALIFIED? The argument is a key one for senators, such as incoming Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, a Democrat who vowed that after granting retired Gen. Jim Mattis a similar waiver four years ago, he would not be inclined to do it again.
At a hearing last week on the importance of civilian control of the military, current Chairman Jim Inhofe said the question of “uniqueness” was of primary concern. “So, we need to assess, number one, what makes Gen. Austin uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Defense,” he said.
“The question here is, was this the only possible choice? No, clearly, it was not the only possible choice,” testified Lindsay Cohn, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College.
“Choosing a recently retired general officer and arguing that he is uniquely qualified to meet the current challenges furthers the narrative that military officers are better at things and more reliable or trustworthy than civil servants or other civilians,” Cohn said. “This is hugely problematic at a time when one of the biggest challenges facing the country is the need to restore trust and faith in the political system. Implying that only a military officer can do this job at this time is counter-productive to that goal.”
“But it is the choice that the president-elect has made, and that has put you in the position of determining whether the balance is good or bad,” she said, “and I do not envy you.”
THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? A widely circulated memo from the Republican Study Committee argues against the waiver, but also that Austin, based on his performance as a military commander, is not the right person for the job.
“As commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq from 2010-2011, during President Obama’s premature withdrawal, and as head of CENTCOM from 2013-2016, General Austin presided over a rocky period which witnessed the emergence of ISIS,” the group representing members of a Republican caucus wrote. “General Austin implemented a number of the Obama Administration’s failed strategies in the Middle East, including turning a blind eye to the expansion of Iranian backed militias in Iraq which occurred under his watch.”
At today’s hearing, Austin can expect some pointed questions about whether he initially underestimated the threat from ISIS and his role in the production of overly rosy intelligence from the U.S. Central Command while he was in charge.
RELATED: Lloyd Austin’s mixed record as four-star commander
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. 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, ‘CONFIRMAPOLOOZA’: With one day to go before Joe Biden takes over as the 46th president of the United States, the U.S. Senate begins the work of confirming his nominees for key Cabinet positions.
Here’s the list for today:
10 a.m. 342 Dirksen — Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to be secretary of homeland security. http://www.hsgac.senate.gov
10 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of Janet Yellen to be Treasury secretary. http://finance.senate.gov
2 p.m. 301 Russell — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Antony Blinken to be secretary of state. http://foreign.senate.gov
3 p.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nomination of retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to be defense secretary. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
THE INSIDER THREAT: In the wake of last week’s arrest of a Capitol rioter who was also an active member of the Army National Guard in Virginia, the Secret Service and FBI have been conducting extensive background checks on the 25,000 National Guard troops who have been called up from 44 states to bolster security for tomorrow’s scaled down inauguration ceremonies.
“If there’s any indication that any of our soldiers or airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it’s either handed over to law enforcement or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, in a news release.
“While we have no intelligence indicating an insider threat, we are leaving no stone unturned in securing the capital,” said acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller in a statement. “The D.C. National Guard is also providing additional training to service members as they arrive in D.C. that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their chain of command.”
RELATED: National Guard preparing for improvised explosive device threat from inauguration protesters
BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN INSURGENCY? As more video has surfaced giving an even more granular blow-by-blow of the Jan. 6 ransacking of the Capitol, American combat veterans are seeing comparisons to the battles against violent extremism they fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When sending it, many of the veterans asked, “What does this remind you of?”
“I watched with my heart in my throat — the exhilaration of the participants, the chaos of a historic event playing out around you, the violence and latent presence of madness; it reminded me of combat,” writes Elliot Ackerman, a former Marine, in an opinion piece in the New York Times, of one 40-minute video that was posted to YouTube.
“Many of the veterans asked, ‘What does this remind you of?’” he wrote. “It reminded me of combat.”
“I did see a similar dynamic in the evolution of al Qaeda in Iraq, where a whole generation of angry Arab youth with very poor prospects followed a powerful leader who promised to take them back in time to a better place, and he led them to embrace an ideology that justified their violence,” retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal told Yahoo News.
‘Counterterrorism officials and experts who have closely examined how violent extremist movements arise out of unstable societies abroad have detected recurring patterns. The movements typically begin with small groups operating independently. Over time, they form connections with other like-minded groups through secret communications,” writes journalist James Kitfield.
“I think we’re much further along in this radicalization process, and facing a much deeper problem as a country, than most Americans realize,” he was told by McChrystal, the former head of Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq and the U.S. Afghanistan commander of all U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
TILLERSON: ‘WE’RE IN A WORSE PLACE’: President Trump’s first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has given an interview to Foreign Policy in which he impugns Trump’s intelligence, warns of a coming war with China, and says Trump has left the world in worse shape.
“Nothing worked out. We squandered the best opportunity we had on North Korea. It was just blown up when he took the meeting with Kim, and that was one of the last straws between him and I,” Tillerson said. “With Putin, we didn’t get anything done. We’re nowhere with China on national security. We’re in a worse place today than we were before he came in, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I think China is the biggest worry,” Tillerson said. “I have a fear that we will come to military conflict with China within the decade and it will be when they make their move on Taiwan. They’ve been putting all of their pieces in place for a long time now to do that, and that is [Chinese President Xi Jinping’s] legacy, to reunite China.”
On his efforts to help Trump implement his policies, Tillerson said of the soon-to-be ex-president: “His understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of U.S. history was really limited. It’s really hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t even understand the concept for why we’re talking about this.”
MILLER: ‘I CANNOT WAIT TO LEAVE THIS JOB, BELIEVE ME’: Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller raised some eyebrows when an official Pentagon transcript quoted him as telling a small group of reporters traveling with him, “I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me.”
Officials said the offhand remark, which came in response to a question on acquisition reform, was just a bit of self-deprecating jocularity about the myriad of challenges in leading the Pentagon.
In any event, today will be Miller’s last full day on the job. Tomorrow, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist will take over as acting secretary until a permanent replacement is confirmed.
IT’S OFFICIAL, ISRAEL NOW IN THE MIDDLE EAST: The Pentagon has rejiggered its areas of responsibility for combatant commanders and shifted Israel out of the European Command AOR to the Central Command AOR.
“DOD reviews the UCP every two years and reassesses all boundaries and relationships against the operational environment,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “We structure boundaries to best mitigate risk and protect U.S interests and partners.”
So, Israel is now in the Middle East. But you knew that already.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: ‘No stone unturned’: National Guard protecting Biden inauguration vetted for extremist ideologies
Washington Examiner: FBI warns QAnon supporters discussing inauguration infiltration by ‘posing’ as National Guard: Report
Washington Examiner: National Guard preparing for improvised explosive device threat from inauguration protesters
Washington Examiner: Lindsey Graham: Pardoning Capitol rioters would ‘destroy’ Trump
Washington Examiner: Former Pentagon leaders call for congressional waiver for Biden nominee Lloyd Austin
Washington Examiner: In last speech as vice president, Pence says he is ‘proud’ Trump administration avoided new wars
Washington Examiner: Alaska military bases limit alcohol sales to reduce drinking-related suicides
Yahoo News: Attack on Capitol was the beginning of an American insurgency, counterterrorism experts warn
Washington Examiner: Activist, antifa, or grifter? Self-styled BLM supporter from Utah finds himself at center of the Capitol fallout
Bloomberg: Three National Guard Members Recall Rushing to Duty After D.C. Riot
AP: Gen. Milley key to military continuity as Biden takes office
Washington Post: The NSA is ‘moving forward’ to install Michael Ellis, a former GOP operative, as its top lawyer, the agency said Sunday
Military.com: Senators Raise Concerns Over Pending Ouster of Military Medical University President
Bloomberg: Taliban Call On Biden To Honor Trump Deal To Remove U.S. Troops
Air Force Magazine: Second B-21 Under Construction as Bomber Moves Toward First Flight
Washington Post: Kim May Be Planning Missile Launch To Welcome Biden
USNI News: Chinese Survey Ship Caught ‘Running Dark’ Give Clues To Underwater Drone Operations
AP: Taiwan Military Stages Drill Aimed At Repelling China Attack
Reuters: Trump Orders Assessment Of Security Risks Of Chinese Drones
19fortyfive.com: Russia’s T-14 Armata Tank Is A Modern Battlefield
AP: Russia Ready For Quick Extension Of Last Arms Pact With U.S.
Reuters: Exclusive: Long-withheld Pentagon survey shows widespread racial discrimination, harassment
Washington Post: Book review: An unusual mission in Afghanistan, and the troops who suffered to carry it out
Foreign Policy: Interview Rex Tillerson: We’re in a Worse Place Today Than We Were Before He Came
Calendar
TUESDAY | JANUARY 19
10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace webinar: “The Biden Inheritance: U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy in 2021,” with Dan Balz, chief correspondent at the Washington Post; George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic; Danielle Pletka, senior fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and Aaron David Miller, CEIP senior fellow. https://carnegieendowment.org
10 a.m. — Arab Center webinar: “Biden and the Middle East: A Challenging Road Ahead,” with Zaha Hassan, visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Diana Moukalled, Lebanese journalist; Tamara Kharroub, assistant executive director of the Arab Center; Khalil al-Anani, senior fellow at the Arab Center; Zeina Azzam, publications editor at the Arab Center; Daniel Brumberg, nonresident senior fellow at the Arab Center; and Charles Dunne, nonresident fellow at the Arab Center. http://arabcenterdc.org/events/biden
11 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webcast: “Seizing the Biden Moment: What the New U.S. Administration Means for Europe,” with Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, director of the GMFUS Paris office; Jamie Fly, senior fellow at GMFUS; Edgar Tam, visiting senior fellow at the GMFUS Paris office; and Martin Quencez, deputy director of the GMFUS Paris office. https://www.gmfus.org/events
11 a.m. — Arms Control Association webinar: “Nuclear Challenges for the Biden Administration in the First 100 Days,” with former Acting Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Tom Countryman, ACA board chair; Daryl Kimball, executive director of ACA; Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at ACA; and Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at ACA. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
11 a.m. — Arms Control Association Zoom webinar “Nuclear Challenges for the Biden Administration in the First 100 Days,” with Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy; Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy; Daryl Kimball, executive director; and Tom Countryman, fmr. acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and ACA’s board chair. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; and retired Gen. Carter Ham, President and CEO, AUSA. https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report-mcconville
3 p.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee holds confirmation hearing for Lloyd J. Austin III to be Secretary of Defense. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
4 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “Civics as National Security Imperative: The Role of Technology,” with Brad Smith, president of Microsoft; Lauren Bean Buitta, founder and CEO of Girl Security; Camille Steward, head of security policy at Google Play and Android; and Nina Jankowicz, disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center. https://www.csis.org/events/online
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 20 | INAUGURATION DAY
11 a.m. — The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the Presidential Inaugural Committee host the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif at the U.S. Capitol
Schedule of events:
- 11:45 a.m. — Swearing-in of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris
- 12 p.m. — Swearing in of President-elect Biden
- 12:15 p.m. — President Biden delivers his inaugural address, which “lays out his vision to beat the virus, build back better, and bring the country together”
- 1:15 p.m. — Pass in Review ceremony, hosted by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (East Front)
- 2 p.m. — Presidential Escort, from 15th Street to the White House
- 3 p.m. — Virtual “Parade Across America” begins
- 3 p.m. — Wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
- 8:30 p.m. — President Biden and Vice President Harris deliver remarks during “Celebrating America,” a PIC prime-time program hosted by actor Tom Hanks “to celebrate the beginning of a new national journey toward an America united”
Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/bideninaugural
3 p.m. — Presidential Inaugural Committee hosts a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor “men and women in uniform who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our common values,” with President Biden; first lady Jill Biden; Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Harris; former President Barack Obama; former first lady Michelle Obama; former President George W. Bush; former first lady Laura Bush; former President Bill Clinton; and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, former secretary of State. Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/bideninaugural
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 21
9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webinar: “The U.S.-EU Relationship in 2021 and Beyond – What Can We Expect from the Biden Administration?” with Sven Biscop, director of the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations; Reinhard Butikofer, member of the European Parliament; Ellen Laipson, director of the George Mason University Center of Security Policy Studies; and Ian Lesser, vice president of GMFUS. https://www.gmfus.org/events
10 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual forum on Army Information Technology Days, with Army Maj. Gen. Maria Barrett; and Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. John Morrison. https://afceanova.swoogo.com/20tharmyitday
4:30 p.m. — Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments webinar on a new report, “Seizing on Weakness: Allied Strategy for Competing with China’s Globalizing Military,” co-author Toshi Yoshihara, senior fellow at CSBA; co-author Jack Bianchi, research fellow at CSBA; and John Lee, nonresident senior fellow at the University of Sydney U.S. Studies Center. https://csbaonline.org/about/events/report-release
TUESDAY | JANUARY 26
3 p.m. — Air Force Association “Air and Space Warfighters in Action” event, with Brig. Gen. Jeremy Sloane, commander of the 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I did see a similar dynamic in the evolution of al Qaeda in Iraq, where a whole generation of angry Arab youth with very poor prospects followed a powerful leader who promised to take them back in time to a better place, and he led them to embrace an ideology that justified their violence. This is now happening in America.”
Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former head of Joint Special Operations Command and U.S. Afghanistan commander, telling Yahoo News that the attack on the Capitol had the hallmarks of a homegrown insurgency.
