THE SUPPLEMENTAL IS FINALLY HERE: The administration on Thursday submitted the supplemental funding request lawmakers have been demanding for months and the initial response was: not good enough. The $11.6 billion additional request for the overseas contingency operations account would allow the Pentagon to pay for the increased troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the State Department to provide humanitarian support in places that have been cleared of the Islamic State.
But Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said it’s still not enough to fully fund the military. “The amount still does not accommodate the increased pace of operations against ISIL and does nothing to begin addressing the readiness crisis,” he said in a statement.
Both Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry praised the request and urged Congress to pass it.
TRANSITION BEGINS: Things started to get more real yesterday as President-elect Donald Trump met with President Obama in the Oval Office, while the vice president and his replacement also met, followed by more meetings on Capitol Hill.
But at the Pentagon, where officials are primed and ready to welcome the Trump transition team and to assist with “skill and expertise” to ensure a smooth handover to the new administration, no one from Team Trump has come calling. “As of this morning, the last time I checked, Bob, we had not had any direct contact yet from — from anyone with the Trump campaign, or from the president-elect staff,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters yesterday.
“We have a duty to the men and women of the U.S. military and the thousands of civilian employees that will serve the next administration, as well as the American people to do this job right, and we will,” Cook said. “We will also continue to serve the current commander in chief with our full effort, and that means continuing to address the national security challenges that confront us. Among those is the ongoing military campaign to defeat ISIL.”
CONSULATE ATTACK: Four people were killed and 115 others wounded at the German consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif late Thursday after a car packed with explosives crashed into a high wall surrounding the facility, according to multiple reports. Members of the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the bombing, calling it payback for last week’s airstrikes near Kunduz by NATO nations.
According to a U.S. military statement this morning, a quick-reaction force from Operation Resolute Support rushed to the consulate and safely evacuated all 21 members of the German consulate. “This attack by the Taliban once again shows that they use violence indiscriminately and without regard for the safety of civilians,” said Lt. Gen. Sandy Storrie, deputy commander, Resolute Support. “We condemn this attack and pledge that we will continue our mission to help the Afghan government and the Afghan people achieve peace, security and stability.”
Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense. Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) is off today, so this Veteran’s Day edition comes to you from 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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MOSUL UPDATE: More than three weeks after the U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive to liberate Mosul began, the northern Iraqi city is virtually surrounded nearly 100,000 fighters, but few troops have entered neighborhoods in the east where the Islamic State is making its last stand. “The advances so far are forcing ISIL to choose where they want to try and defend the city,” Cook said at Thursday’s briefing. Cook says Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism forces are securing key neighborhoods in the east, and have retaken Bashiqa to the north.
CNN is reporting this morning that the coalition has killed senior ISIS leader Mahmoud Shukri al Nuaimi was killed in an airstrike on Tuesday. ISIS confirmed the death in a video montage, CNN said.
RETURN TO NORMALCY: After nearly a month away campaigning, lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, where they have defense authorization and appropriations bills to finish. The first votes in the Senate are expected Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on the Gold Star Families Voice Act, which requires the Veterans’ Oral History Project to also collect audio and video stories from the families of those who were killed while in uniform.
Lawmakers will also be ironing out the final differences on the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, including whether the sage grouse, a bird native to the western U.S., should be deemed an endangered species, which has implications for training exercises on bases within the bird’s habitat. A House Armed Services Committee staffer said top negotiators will likely need to meet again upon their return to Washington, but that no schedules have been set.
On the Iran front, House lawmakers will vote to extend sanctions authority when they return next week, GOP leadership announced late Thursday. Joel Gehrke reports that an extension authored by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce will be introduced and considered next week, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s schedule. The underlying bill has been a fundamental plank of U.S. policy toward Iran since 1996, but it is due to expire at the end of the year. Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran makes its extension a little dicier than usual.
CARTER TRAVEL: Carter sets off next week for a tour of U.S. military bases in California, Texas and Florida. Carter leaves Monday for a trip the Pentagon says is “focused on ensuring the readiness of our force and the effectiveness of the training and equipment provided to the warfighter.” His stops include: Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, and Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
TRANSGENDER ROLL-BACK? Some members of the LGBT community are worried that a Trump Pentagon could portend a shift in the Obama administration’s welcoming policies for transgender and gay troops. “We have heard from a number of our members and individuals that they are concerned that all the advancements we have made under the Obama administration could potentially be rolled back,” said Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe, one the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy organization for the military community.
It was just this summer that Carter issued rules allowing transgender service members to serve, but the new rules haven’t been fully implemented. A review of Trump’s public statements on the issue doesn’t shed much light on what he might do, but his running mate Mike Pence’s actions as governor of Indiana have some gay rights advocates nervous. At a forum with veterans last month in Virginia, Trump seemed to indicate he might take his cue on this from the generals, but like a lot of other issues facing the Pentagon, Trump’s thinking is a mystery.
RUSSIANS WERE IN TOUCH: A top Russian diplomat admitted the Kremlin spoke with members of Trump’s campaign team during the election, according to the Washington Post. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said “there were contacts” with Trump’s campaign during the run up to Tuesday’s vote. Ryabkov didn’t confirm the Russians spoke with Trump directly, and instead said it was mostly members of his team.
“Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage,” Ryabkov said in an interview with state-run media. “Those people have always been in the limelight in the United States and have occupied high-ranking positions. I cannot say that all of them but quite a few have been staying in touch with Russian representatives.”
WATCHING ESTONIA: The State Department said Thursday that it’s not rattled by the fracturing of the governing coalition in Estonia, and the prospect of a new prime minister in that country that could be much more friendly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Joel Gehrke writes. Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas was defeated, and a new prime minister could give Russia more influence over Estonia’s internal affairs. But officials maintain that the U.S. has a solid relationship with Estonians, who still remember being occupied by Russian forces throughout the duration of the Soviet Union. “Since Estonia regained its independence in 1991, the United States and Estonia have been close friends,” State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
MEET YOUR NEW VETERANS IN CONGRESS: It’s Veterans Day, and at least a dozen of them will be among the freshman class of the 115th Congress. Rep.-elect Jimmy Panetta told us that his time overseas as a Navy intelligence officer with Joint Special Operations Command will help him when it comes time to make decisions about either money or putting American lives on the line. “As a representative, to have that insight into how our special forces units operate will only benefit me and possible decisions I’ll be making with respect to funding and authorization of a potential use of force,” Panetta said.
You can see a full list of the new veterans who’ll be joining Congress next year here.
The future for two veterans is still uncertain. Army vet Clay Higgins in Louisiana’s 3rd District is heading to a runoff election early next month, and the tight race between retired Marine Col. Douglas Applegate and Rep. Darrell Issa has not yet been officially called.
HONORING OUR VETERANS: The Washington Examiner is out with four op-eds this morning that call on the nation to remember those who defend the United States while also imploring the government to keep its promises to the men and women who sacrifice so much.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, a former Marine, lists some exceptional soldiers and Marines we should keep in our minds today.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. David Melcher reminds us that while we should thank veterans, the civilian work force and members of the defense industry are working to help keep the country strong.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, senior member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, lists the ways the Department of Veterans Affairs must improve. “The VA is now at a critical moment that will define its ability to serve our veterans for the next decade.”
Retired Navy Rear Adm. David Titley writes that Trump and the new administration must focus on the threat of climate change and its effect on national security. “We need to manage that risk to maintain our military’s readiness, to anticipate the types of situations we will be required to operate in, and to ensure our bases at home, our critical domestic infrastructure and the economic foundations on which our power resides, to the benefit of veterans and all our citizens, remains strong.”
JOYRIDING: If you’ve ever wanted a former military Humvee to take out joyriding, Tuesday is your chance. Next week, GovPlanet marketplace will hold an “All-Humvee” online auction to sell vehicles used by the Army and Marine Corps. The vehicles, which are made by AM General, have all been demilitarized and are intended for “sports and outdoor enthusiasts.” Starting prices vary, with the cheapest at $3,500. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation in honor of Veterans Day.
LATE-NIGHT VISIT: Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Army Secretary Eric Fanning dropped by “The Daily Show” last night to talk about the role of the all-volunteer force and the importance of keeping an inclusive military after the new administration takes over. Check it out here.
COOK TIMER: Thursday’s scheduled 1:30 p.m. Pentagon briefing by Peter Cook began at 1:45 p.m. Cook’s string of consecutive briefings that have not started within 5 minutes of the scheduled time remains unbroken. Cook is the iron man of tardiness.
THE RUNDOWN
Defense News: Trump’s Big-League Defense Buildup Would Face Hurdles in Congress
New York Times: ‘Never Trump’ Becomes ‘Maybe Trump’ in Foreign Policy Sphere
Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Stances Sow Uncertainty
Associated Press: With Trump, a major US shift in Mideast
Breaking Defense: Van Hipp Top SecArmy Pick; Hoekstra For DNI?
Task and Purpose: 4 Retired Military Leaders Who Could Serve In The Trump Administration
Defense One: Alliances Matter. Here’s How to Persuade Trump and His Voters
Wall Street Journal: What Europe Hopes for, and Fears, From a Trump Presidency
USNI News: Brookings Institution Expresses Concern Over Trump Views on NATO, Military Spending
Washington Post: How swing-state military veterans played a key role in Donald Trump winning the White House
Military.com: In Final Months, SecDef to Aggressively Pursue Obama’s Goals
Washington Post: After initial denial, Pentagon discovers it killed 10 allies in drone strike in Somalia
Defense News: Air Force’s Next Fighter Jet a Program to Watch in 2017
Air Force Times: DoD IG takes a second look at complaint against the Air Force’s 2-star chief of chaplains
Calendar
MONDAY | NOVEMBER 14
1 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. A panel of think tank experts undertakes a pathgame where violence breaks out after mobile communications are cut. atlanticcouncil.org
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 15
8 a.m. 805 21st St. NW. Former Navy Secretary Jim Webb delivers the keynote at a conference on foreign policy under President-elect Trump. theamericanconservative.com
9:30 a.m. 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Adm. Harry Harris, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, talks about what’s next for his area of responsibility. defenseone.com
11 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. A panel of experts talks about foreign policy expectations of President-elect Donald Trump. wilsoncenter.org
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks at a CSIS invitation-only event on a new strategy for countering violent extremism. csis.org
5 p.m. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments hosts an event talking about the future of amphibious warfare. csbaonline.org
WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 16
7:15 a.m. 1250 S. Hayes St., Arlington, Va. Maj. Gen. Christopher Owens, the director of expeditionary warfare, speaks at a Navy League breakfast event. navyleague.org
9 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The Heritage Foundation releases its annual 2017 Index of U.S. Military Strength, which includes a speech from Rep. Michael Turner. heritage.org
9 a.m. 1152 15th St. NW. Capitol Hill and Pentagon officials talk about how to make counterterrorism security assistance more effective. cnas.org
12 p.m. Rayburn B-369. Analysts from the Cato Institute discuss the state of world affairs and whether funding shortfalls have hampered the U.S. military. cato.org
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 17
7:15 a.m. 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Defense One hosts its annual summit featuring Army Secretary Eric Fanning and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein. defenseone.com
8:30 a.m. Livestream. House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations. cfr.org
9:30 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The Heritage Foundation hosts an event on the next administration’s relationship with Taiwan. heritage.org
3:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Richard Stengel, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, talks about national security under Obama’s administration. csis.org
