TURKISH MESS: The Pentagon is alarmed at the unfolding situation in northern Syria where one faction of Syrian forces backed by the U.S. and Turkey is clashing with another group of Syrian Kurds backed by the CIA. The problem is Turkey considers the Kurdish militia known as the YPG terrorists, even as the U.S. supported the group as it drove the Islamic State from the the key northern city of Manbij. Over the weekend, Turkey launched airstrikes at Kurdish fighters north of Manbij, and Turkey’s state news agency reported two Turkish tanks were hit by a Kurdish rocket, killing a Turkish soldier. To placate Turkey, which believes the Syrian Kurds are trying to establish a Kurdish zone in the north of Syria, the U.S. has warned the YPG forces to move east of the Euphrates river, and stay there.
In an emailed statement to the Examiner this morning, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said the U.S. is calling on all its allies to “to stand down immediately and take appropriate measures to deconflict.”
“While we are closely monitoring reports of clashes south of Jarabulus — where ISIL is no longer located — between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups and units that are affiliated with the [Syrian Defence Force], we want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable.”
Cook’s statement underscores the Pentagon’s growing concern with Turkish actions in Syria: “We are also aware of reports of Turkish airstrikes and artillery shelling of positions south of Jarabulus where ISIL is not located, as well as fire against Turkish forces in this area. The United States was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with U.S. forces, and we do not support them.” You can read his full statement here.
NO LOVE LOST: Experts told Susan Crabtree that Vice President Joe Biden’s fence-mending trip to Turkey last week was one of the toughest diplomatic challenges this administration has had to juggle, and that, while it may have made some progress in thawing the icy relationship between the two countries, it was largely seen as a bust.
GETTING CLOSER TO MOSUL, ONE CITY AT A TIME: On Friday, Iraq declared its troops had liberated the northern Iraqi city of Qayyarah from the Islamic State. This morning, the U.S. agreed the strategic objective on the road to Mosul had been achieved. U.S. military spokesman Col. John Dorrian tweeted that the defeat of the Islamic State came after more than 500 coalition airstrikes in and around Qayyarah. In an email this morning Dorrian said, “The loss of this key terrain by Da’esh [ISIS] further reduces their freedom of movement, and further enhances the freedom of movement for Iraqi Security Forces who can use this area as a stepping stone toward the liberation of Mosul.”
Dorrian also tweeted out video of one of the biggest airstrikes to date in Mosul, where 17 coalition strike aircraft hit multiple aim points on what was determined to be a car bomb factory in Mosul.
ISIS SAYS IT’S BEHIND YEMEN ATTACK: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing in the port city of Aden in southern Yemen. At least 40 people are reported killed in an attack that targeted a military facility used by the pro-government Popular Resistance militia.
Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Jacqueline Klimas (@jacqklimas) 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 be sure to add you to our list.
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CARTER MEETS INDIAN MoD: Defense Secretary Ash Carter welcomes India’s Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Pentagon this afternoon. It’s Carter’s sixth meeting with Parrakar, whose honor cordon arrival ceremony on the River Entrance steps comes just weeks after India was designated a major defense partner of the United States during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June visit to Washington. A joint press conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in the Pentagon Briefing Room.
A MORE PESSIMISTIC VIEW: Last week, the U.S. military spokesman in Kabul, Brig Gen. Charles Cleveland, argued the Taliban was unable to hold any significant territorial gains. The Institute for the Study of War is out with a contrary conclusion. Its analysis concludes Taliban militants are successfully expanding their territorial control across several regions of Afghanistan. While the U.S. insists Afghan forces have mounted an effective counter offensive and are on a positive track, the ISW says, “If Afghanistan remains on this course, global extremist organizations will reconstitute their sanctuaries in Afghanistan’s ungoverned spaces and pose enduring threats to U.S. national security.”
THE TERMINATOR CONUNDRUM: Military leaders say we’re about 10 years away from autonomous weapons systems that can decide without human intervention whether to inflict harm. But a recent report suggests the Pentagon needs to use that time to get ahead of adversaries who may use the technology for evil. Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. Paul Selva calls it the “terminator conundrum,” where adversaries build autonomous weapons systems that can make lethal targeting decisions.
RACES TO WATCH: Both Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain and former GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio have a primary contest tomorrow, in Arizona and Florida respectively. Both are ahead in the polls.
OOPS HE DID IT AGAIN: Meanwhile the 79-year-old McCain revealed to TMZ over the weekend that Britney Spears is his favorite “younger generation” female celebrity, Mariana Barillas writes. Head on over here to see who his favorite male celeb is.
WELCOME REFUGEES: The U.S. is set to accept its 10,000th Syrian refugee this week, Ryan Lovelace reports, hitting an end-of-fiscal-year goal a month early. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat running for the Senate, defended the program to vet refugees, saying that very few military-age men are being resettled as part of the program. “They’re widows and orphans. And the men of military age, according to the briefings I received, who are part of the refugees who are even selected to begin the process of coming to the U.S., are those men that are torture victims and people fleeing ISIS because they’ve been targeted, people who are, you know, who have been translators for the U.S. military, for example,” she said.
HOW MUCH DOES A POLAR BEAR WEIGH?: In lieu of polar bears (to break the ice), the Coast Guard will be releasing a request for proposal to build its new icebreaker this winter, Sen. Angus King said after his fact-finding trip to Greenland. Asked if Bath Iron Works might bid for the contract, King said it’s a possibility. Other experts have talked about General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls throwing their hats into the ring.
FOUR-STAR INVESTIGATION: The Air Force is conducting a sexual assault investigation of a retired four-star general who was active at the time of the incident. The probe is looking into the actions of retired Gen. Arthur Lichte, who retired as the commander of Air Mobility Command in 2009, the Air Force confirmed on Friday.
CORRECTION: In citing Ronald Reagan’s famous debate quip last week, I gave the wrong year. It was in 1984, in his race against Walter Mondale, that Reagan defused the age issue with the line, “I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” I voted in that election, and thought I remembered the year as 1980. Lesson: always look it up. That’s why Al Gore invented the Internet after all.
THE RUNDOWN
Defense News: Report: Aerospace and Defense Exports To Grow 3.2 Percent in 2016
UPI: Lockheed unit providing engineering support services to U.S. Navy
Defense News: LCS Freedom’s Engine May Need Replacement
Military.com: Navy Gets $2.7B Attack Submarine Sponsored by Michelle Obama
Defense News: Held Up In the Shipyard, Carrier Bush Is Under The Gun To Deploy On Time
UPI: New 155mm artillery round on way
Defense One: Violently Ousting Assad Won’t Solve Anything in Syria
Military Times: North Korea threatens to fire at U.S., South Korea troops’ lights
Marine Corps Times: More Marines are training to fight in the jungle
Military.com: Battle for Mosul Appears to be Entering Final Stage
Associated Press: Turkey-backed rebels expel Kurdish forces from Syrian towns
CNN: A landmark day for drone flights arrives
Calendar
MONDAY | AUGUST 29
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Brookings Institution hosts a panel discussion on the defense budget and overseas contingency operations spending. brookings.edu
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Government officials from the U.S. and the Netherlands will discuss how to improve information sharing between allies to better counter terrorism. csis.org
TUESDAY | AUGUST 30
11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. A panel of experts discusses the defense items Congress must address in the remaining months of 2016. heritage.org
