Trump mulling Iran response: ‘I don’t want war with anybody’

“I’m not looking to get into new conflict, but sometimes you have to,” he added.

NOT READY TO ACCUSE IRAN: While administration officials were telling reporters on background that the Saturday attack that cut Saudi oil production in half was launched from Iranian territory, Trump was holding his cards close to the vest. “As soon as we find out definitively, we’ll let you know, but it does look that way.”

“You’re going to find out in great detail in the very near future. We have the exact locations of just about everything. You’re going to find out at the right time. But it’s too early to tell you that now,” Trump said during an Oval Office availability with Bahrain’s crown prince. “We think we know who it was, but I didn’t say anybody,” he said, “but, certainly, it would look to most like it was Iran, but I did not say it.”

AT THE PENTAGON: Defense Secretary Mark Esper was at the White House yesterday briefing the president on the latest military intelligence and, according to accounts, urging restraint for now.

“The United States military, with our interagency team, is working with our partners to address this unprecedented attack and defend the international rules-based order that is being undermined by Iran,” Esper tweeted upon his return to the Pentagon.

Trump indicated the U.S. would prefer to respond with allies and hinted military action was not the only option. “We’ll be talking to Saudi Arabia. We’ll be talking to UAE and many of the neighbors out there that we’re very close friends with. We’re also talking to Europe, a lot of the countries that we’re dealing with — whether it’s France, Germany, et cetera. Talking to a lot of different folks. And we’re figuring out what they think.”

Esper also said he spoke over the weekend to both the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and Iraqi defense minister Najah al-Shammari.

SAUDI WILL PAY: President Trump also suggested that should the United States launch a retaliatory strike against Iranian oil facilities, Saudi Arabia would have to reimburse the U.S. for the cost of the operation.

“The fact is that the Saudis are going to have a lot of involvement in this if we decide to do something,” Trump said. “They’ll be very much involved and that includes payment. And they understand that fully.”

AT THE UN: At yesterday’s United Nations Security Council briefing on the situation in Yemen, America’s new U.N. ambassador, Kelly Craft, echoed the more definitive words of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling the attack “a direct assault on the world’s energy supply.”

“The United States condemns these attacks in the strongest possible terms, standing firmly with our Saudi friends,” she said. “There is no evidence that the attacks came from Yemen. Emerging information indicates that responsibility lies with Iran.”

MISSILES AND DRONES: While the initial reports suggested the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities were carried out by drones, U.S. and Saudi officials are now saying both drones and low-lying cruise missiles were used, including some cruise missiles that missed their targets and fell into the desert.

The threat to Saudi oil infrastructure from Iranian missiles was outlined in a report released two weeks ago by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“All of Saudi Arabia is threatened by Iranian missiles, and the number of Iranian missiles capable of reaching the country would overwhelm virtually any missile defense system,” write the report’s authors. “Iran maintains the largest ballistic and cruise missile force in the Middle East, capable of striking targets as far as 2,500 km from its borders. Iranian missiles continue to improve in terms of range, speed, flight profile, and destructiveness.”

And the report included this ominously prescient warning:

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HAPPENING TODAY: Bahrain’s crown prince, Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, will be welcomed to the Pentagon at 1 p.m. for meetings with Defense Secretary Esper and then shuttles back across the Potomac to meet with Secretary Pompeo at the State Department.

LOW ON AMMO: President Trump added a new anecdote to illustrate one of his favorite talking points, namely how he rebuilt the U.S. military that was “depleted” under the administration of President Barack Obama.

In an apparent reference to the U.S. bombing of ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2017, Trump said then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told him the munitions were being used faster than they were being replaced. “Gen. Mattis told me, ‘Sir, we’re very low on ammunition.’ I said, ‘That’s a horrible thing to say.’”

Trump said at one point Mattis recommend delaying an operation until more ammo could be moved to the front. “He said to me, ‘Sir, if you could, delay it, because we’re very low on ammunition.’ And I said, ‘You know what, general? I never want to hear that again from another general.’ No president should ever, ever hear that statement, ‘We’re low on ammunition.’”

During the Obama administration, the Pentagon was under tight spending limits, known as sequestration, imposed by Congress because Democrats and Republicans refused to compromise on raising domestic spending along with military spending.

“That’s what I got stuck with. And we fixed it, and we fixed it good,” Trump said. “So we are very high on ammunition now.”

Under Trump, bipartisan budget agreements have ended the sequester restrictions, which expire for good in 2021.

GABBARD’S FIGHTING WORDS: Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard took umbrage at President Trump’s Sunday tweet suggesting the United States is waiting to hear from Saudi Arabia about “under what terms we would proceed!” This was before Trump said he would charge the Saudis for the cost of the U.S. military strike against Iran, if that’s what the kingdom wanted.

“We are not your prostitutes. You are not our pimp,” Gabbard said in a video she tweeted yesterday. “Offering to place our military assets under the command of a foreign country — Saudi Arabia — is a disgrace and betrayal of my patriotic brothers and sisters in uniform and to our Constitution.”

Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran who serves in the Hawaii Army National Guard, continued: “For you to think that you can pimp out our proud service men and women to the prince of Saudi Arabia is disgraceful, and it once again shows that you are unfit to serve as our commander in chief.”

AFGHANISTAN KIA: The Pentagon is expected to identify later today the American special forces soldier who was killed in action in eastern Afghanistan.

So far this year, 19 troops have died in Afghanistan, 17 in combat and two in noncombat incidents.

President Trump cited the death of Sgt. First Class Elis Barreto Ortiz and 11 other people in a suicide attack in Kabul this month as his reason for rescinding an invitation for Taliban representatives to meet him at Camp David.

BOLTON HAS ‘A LOT TO DISH’: Former White House national security adviser John Bolton is reportedly looking to sign a book deal and “has a lot to dish,” according to the Daily Beast.

Bolton, 70, left the White House after several private — and sometimes public — disagreements with Trump, including dealing with North Korea and Iran sanctions.

Trump announced his firing over Twitter. To which Bolton responded minutes later, saying he resigned.

The Rundown

Foreign Policy: Former 5th Fleet Commander: Iran Attacks on Saudi Oil a ‘Significant Escalation’

Washington Post: Iran’s strategic use of drones and missiles rattles Middle East rivals

Reuters: Explainer: Israel’s election – will Netanyahu survive?

AP: N. Korea says talks with US could resume in a ‘few weeks’

Reuters: China Signals Veto in Standoff With U.S. Over Afghanistan U.N. Mission: Diplomats

Washington Examiner: Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher sues former lawyers and veteran legal defense fund

Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Releases Purported Audio Message From Leader Baghdadi

Washington Post: Alleged leaker says Espionage Act charges violate First Amendment

MSNBC: Edward Snowden on Trump, privacy, and growing threats to democracy

New York Times: Taiwan Loses Solomon Islands as an Ally

Inside Defense: Modly Acknowledges 355 Ships Won’t Happen in ‘Reasonable’ Amount of Time

Bloomberg: F-35’s $1.2 Billion Savings Claim Dwindles, Senate Panel Finds

Forbes: Lockheed Martin Offers To Shoulder Risks On F-35 Maintenance With Fixed-Price, Performance-Based Contract

Federal News Network: Navy Creating New Senior Civilian Position to Manage Long-Term Sustainment

Calendar

TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 17

9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md. Day 2 of the Air Force Association’s 2019 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, with remarks from Gen. John Raymond, commander of the Air Force Space Command at 9 a.m.; Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein at 10:45 a.m.; and a town hall with Goldfein and Acting Air Force Secretary Matthew Donovan at 2:10 p.m. www.afa.org/events/calendar

9 a.m. Capitol SVC-208. Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance briefing on “The Status of Missile Defense for U.S. National Security,” with Pentagon Undersecretary for Policy John Rood and Riki Ellison, founder and chairman of MDAA. missiledefenseadvocacy.org/advocacy/events Livestream at www.youtube.com.

9:30 a.m. 1779 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace forum on “New Technologies and Nuclear Risk,” including discussions on “Conventional Precision-Strike Weapons and Non-Nuclear States” and “Artificial Intelligence, Strategic Stability, and Nuclear Risk.” carnegieendowment.org

10 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Politico Artificial Intelligence Summit, with FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. www.politico.com/live-events

12 p.m. 1776 I St. N.W. The Nuclear Threat Initiative film screening and discussion on The Atomic Soldiers, focusing on the experience of soldiers exposed to nuclear weapons tests, with filmmaker Morgan Knibbe. www.tfaforms.com

1 p.m. Pentagon River Entrance. Defense Secretary Mark Esper welcomes Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa of Bahrain to the Pentagon. www.defense.gov

3 p.m. Russell 222. Senate Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on “Situation in Southeastern Europe.” Witnesses: Damon Wilson, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council; David Shullman, senior adviser at the International Republican Institute; and Janusz Bugajski, senior fellow at the Center For European Policy Analysis. www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 18

8:30 a.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md. Day 3 of the Air Force Association 2019 Air, Space and Cyber Conference. With remarks by Defense Secretary Mark Esper at 8:30 a.m. and Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth Wright at 10:15 a.m. www.afa.org/events/calendar

9 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. N.W. United States Institute of Peace forum on “Resetting Priorities to Address Violent Extremist Threats,” with remarks by Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Denise Natali at 9 a.m. and retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, director of strategy at the Army National Counterterrorism Center, at 3:45 p.m. www.usip.org/events/resolve

10:30 a.m. 1619 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies discussion on “Avoiding Failure in Afghanistan: The Impact of U.S. Engagement on Security, Political Stability and Economic Growth,” with Earl Anthony Wayne, senior advisor at the Wilson Center and former ambassador to Afghanistan; James Cunningham, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former ambassador to Afghanistan; Ronald Neumann, president of American Academy of Diplomacy and former ambassador to Afghanistan; Laurel Miller, International Crisis Group, and former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Rohullah Osmani, ADB North America and visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS. sais.jhu.edu/campus-events

11:30 a.m. Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion on “SATCOM DoD Requirements, Capabilities, and Acquisition,” with Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of Air Force Space Command; Skot Butler, president of Intelsat General Communications; Richard Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Network Systems; Pete Hoene, president and CEO of SES Government Solutions; and Janice Starzyk, vice president of commercial space at Bryce Space and Technologies. www.wsbr.org/upcoming-events

2 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. The American Enterprise Institute holds a discussion on “North Korea’s Control Tower: The Organization and Guidance Department,” with Robert Collins of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea; Markus Garlauskas, officer for North Korea at the National Intelligence Council; David Maxwell, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; and Nicholas Eberstadt, chair in political economy at AEI. www.aei.org Livestream at www.american.com/watch.

6:30 p.m. 700 L’Enfant Plaza S.W. International Spy Museum book discussion on The Nuclear Spies: America’s Atomic Intelligence Operation Against Hitler and Stalin, with author Vince Houghton, historian at the Spy Museum, and Alexis Albion, historian at the Spy Museum. www.spymuseum.org/calendar/upcoming

THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 19

7:45 a.m. 701 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. Defense Strategies Institute annual Cyber Operations for National Defense Symposium, with Gen. James Holmes, commander of U.S. Air Combat Command, delivering remarks at 8:15 a.m. Closed to news media. cybersecurity.dsigroup.org

11 a.m. 2301 Constitution Avenue N.W. United States Institute of Peace discussion on “Reintegrating Taliban Fighters in Afghanistan,” with Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko; Kate Bateman, project lead for reintegration in the SIGAR Lessons Learning Program; Erica Gaston, nonresident fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute; Laurel Miller, program director for Asia at the International Crisis Group; Timor Sharan, deputy minister for policy and technical affairs at the Independent Directorate of Local Governance; and Scott Worden, director of Afghanistan and Central Asia programs at USIP. www.usip.org/events

12 p.m. 1107 Van Munching Hall, College Park, Md. University of Maryland’s Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland forum on “Total Defense in a Cyber Era: A Whole of Society Approach to National Cybersecurity Challenges,” with Melissa Griffith, public policy fellow at the Wilson Center. cissm.umd.edu/events/cissm-global-forum

5:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. American Security Project discussion on “Military Base Resilience,” focusing on climate security, with Alice Hill, senior fellow for climate change policy at the Council on Foreign Relations; retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney, CEO of ASP; and retired Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, co-founder and CEO of Farmspace Systems. www.americansecurityproject.org/event

6 p.m. 1619 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies discussion on “Tensions with Turkey,” with Alan Makovsky, senior fellow for national security and international policy at Center for American Progress. sais.jhu.edu/campus-events

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 20

8:30 a.m. 701 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. Day 2 of the Defense Strategies Institute annual Cyber Operations for National Defense Symposium, with remarks by Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Cyber Policy Burke Wilson at 9 a.m. and Ian Crone, project manager at DARPA, at 2:15 p.m. Closed to news media. cybersecurity.dsigroup.org

7:30 p.m. CDT. 3000 Mountain Creek Pkwy., Dallas. World Affairs Council of Dallas conversation with former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. www.dfwworld.org/events