TRUMP AS PROTECTOR IN CHIEF: Declaring “I am your voice,” and “I will win for you, “ Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination in Cleveland last night casting himself as the protector of ordinary Americans. “My plan will begin with safety at home, which means safe neighborhoods, secure borders and protection from terrorism. There can be no prosperity without law and order.”
Trump laid out his three-point strategy to “quickly” defeat the Islamic State: 1) Gather “absolutely the best” intelligence. 2) Abandon “the failed policy of nation-building and regime change,” while working “with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terrorism.” 3) Suspend immigration “from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism.” Trump promised “We’re going to win, we’re going to win fast!”
Trump’s speech came just hours after Secretary of State John Kerry closed a two-day gathering of representatives from 45 countries who are part of the U.S.-led counter-Islamic State coalition. “Today we can say that the tide has turned.” Kerry said. “Our coalition and partners on the ground have driven Daesh [ISIS] out of nearly 50 percent of the territory that it once controlled in Iraq and 20 percent of the territory in Syria.” Kerry also announced a “pledging conference” raised more than $2 billion in new funds to meet humanitarian needs as cities are liberated from the Islamic State.
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KEEPING AN EYE ON TURKEY: Ankara is reeling from a military coup, but in the process of cleaning up its business, it needs to make sure it keeps things nice and democratic, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said yesterday. The comments, reported by Susan Crabtree, come as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his government is imposing a three-month state of emergency to stabilize the nation. Erdogan pledged to cleanse the military of any “viruses” that remain.
“Turkey succeeded in fighting off the military coup because of the strength of that country’s and those citizens to democracy,” Earnest said. “Turkey has a long tradition of democracy. These are principles that are enshrined in their constitution, and even in this time of turmoil it is critical that the democratically elected civilian government of Turkey protect them.”
DANGER IN SAUDI ARABIA: The State Department warned of a possible threat to U.S. citizens traveling to Jeddah, Kelly Cohen reports. The department urged Americans to vary their routes and times in “all instances when traveling” in Saudi Arabia. It also urged them to “carefully consider the risks of traveling to Saudi Arabia and limit non-essential travel within the country.”
TAKING THE TARGET OFF THE BACKS OF JOURNALISTS: After almost a year of review, the Pentagon has released a new version of the Law of War manual, after complaints from news organizations that the revised version published last year asserted that journalists may at times be deemed “unprivileged belligerents” subject to capture and confinement. DoD General Counsel Jennifer O’Connor said “The department’s mission is to defend the very freedoms that journalists exercise.” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said “We appreciate the willingness of journalists to constructively share their concerns.” The changes, he said, are “an effort to address those concerns and clarify specific language.”
MAYBE COPS DO NEED THAT ALL THAT SURPLUS MILITARY GEAR: With law enforcement feeling increasingly as though it is under assault across the nation, the White House is pledging an “item-by-item” review of surplus military equipment that is handed over to civilian law enforcement, Susan Crabtree reports. “We believe that the program is providing departments with the tools that they need to protect themselves and their communities while at the same time providing the level of accountability that should go along with the provision of federal equipment,” a White House official said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner Thursday.
BOEING EARNINGS: Boeing on Thursday announced it would recognize a $393 million after-tax charge in its second quarter earnings, set to be released next week, because of delays and technical challenges to the KC-46 tanker program. “This additional investment in the KC-46 supports the delivery timeline for the initial production aircraft and our transition to full-rate production,” said Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. “We remain confident in the long-term value of the KC-46 for our customers and our shareholders.”
NATO FALLOUT: The world reacted on Thursday to Donald Trump’s remarks that he may not automatically come to the aid of a NATO ally depending on whether they met their “financial obligations.” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said that the comments made him question whether he’ll vote for Trump in November. And retired Adm. James Stavridis, who served as the supreme NATO commander, said the U.S. trying to distance itself from NATO is a “misguided strategy.” While some analysts defended Trump’s larger point about member nations paying their share, the consensus of national security thinkers is that his ambiguous response was a misstep by Trump. Sen. Mitch McConnell called Trump’s comments “a rookie mistake.”
Estonian President Toomas Hendrick Ilves took to Twitter to push back on Trump’s criticism, noting that Estonia had fought alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan when Article 5 was invoked after 9/11.
Secretary of State John Kerry declined to wade into the politics of the election, but reassured allies that President Obama is “fully committed” to fulfilling U.S. obligations.
A PRO-RUSSIAN CANDIDATE?: “I actually really, just to be quite blunt, have wondered why Donald Trump and his team have been seemingly so pro-Russia,” Kinzinger said during a discussion in Cleveland, Joel Gehrke reports. “I hope that people are looking up connections and contracts and things from the past or whatever, doing due diligence.”
Gehrke writes: “Paul Manafort, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, has provided political advice to pro-Putin politicians in Ukraine. One of the generals he vetted for vice president appears regularly on Russia Today, a Kremlin-sponsored media outlet. Russia Today regularly praises Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin complimented him during the GOP primary season.” And then there were Trump’s NATO comments, which seemingly telegraph to Putin that he’s free to invade any country that isn’t viewed by the U.S. as paying its fair share.
CATCH ALL THE REPORTERS: State Department spokesman John Kirby had to dodge virtual Pokémon creatures yesterday while conducting a serious briefing on the counter Islamic State effort. CNN has video. From the transcript:
KIRBY: “I think it’s an important reminder — you’re playing the Pokémon thing right there, aren’t you?
REPORTER: I’m just keeping an eye on it.
KIRBY: …why we convened this important ministerial and we’ll continue to work with our coalition partners to defeat Daesh… Did you get one?
REPORTER: No. The signal’s not very good.
KIRBY: I’m sorry about that.
THE RUNDOWN
Defense One: How Trump’s Supporters Understand His National Security Views
Associated Press: AP sources: Kaine emerges as favorite in Clinton’s VP search
Reuters: Exclusive: Possible early North Korean nuclear site found – report
Wall Street Journal: Discord Between China’s Top Two Leaders Spills Into the Open
Breaking Defense: Marines, NSA To Bring Smartphones To Rifle Squad
Defense News: Growing Threats Require Critical Upper Tier Missile Defense Capabilities
UPI: U.S. Army delivers Q-36 Firefinder radar to Ukrainian military
Defense News: Lockheed Presses For International Missile-Defense Sales
Defense & Aerospace Report: Why NATO Needs Maritime Patrol Aircraft
VOA: What Would it Take for US to Extradite Muslim Cleric to Turkey?
Reuters: Erdogan says Turkey’s military to be restructured after abortive coup
Military.com: More US Troops Likely to Be Sent to Iraq: Gen. Votel
Wall Street Journal: Iraqi Factions Vie to Take Part in Mosul Offensive
Washington Post: Levi Shirley wanted to be a Marine. Instead, he died an American vigilante fighting ISIS in Syria
Defense News: Fallon: Brexit Offers Opportunities for Defense Innovation
Reuters: Erdogan vows military shake-up as Turkey seeks to assuage critics
Military Times: Oscar winner asks court to protect Bowe Bergdahl interview tapes
Navy Times: Fly like a Blue Angel with new flight simulator app for your phone
Calendar
FRIDAY | JULY 22
10:00 a.m. The Pentagon Briefing Room. Army Col. Christopher Garver, spokesman, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve briefs the media live via Skype. streamed live on www.defense.gov.
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. CSIS and the U.S. Naval Institute host Rear Adm. Mathias Winter, chief of naval research, to discuss naval innovation and capabilities. usni.org
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. CSIS hosts a panel to discuss Russia’s undersea warfare in Northern Europe. csis.org
TUESDAY | JULY 26
8:30 a.m. The Watergate Hotel. Defense One hosts a conversation with Air Force Secretary Deborah James on the readiness crisis. defenseone.com
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Brookings Institution hosts a discussion on the U.S.-China-Russia trilateral relationship and historical dynamics. brookings.edu
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. CSIS will host a conversation on how the 2016 presidential election will affect the future of U.S. military forces. csis.org
FRIDAY | JULY 29
9 a.m. 1150 17th St. NW. AEI hosts Marine Lt. Gen. Jon Davis and Air Force Lt. Gen. (ret.) David Deptula to discuss the readiness crisis in Marine Aviation. aei.org
