BUCKLE UP: Welcome to the start of a very frenetic week for defense in Washington, one dominated by Senate confirmation hearings for many of President-elect Trump’s picks for top national security posts. Retired Gen. James Mattis gets his hearing Thursday, before the Armed Services Committee.
Mattis has submitted his plan to avoid conflicts of interest to the Pentagon’s ethics office last week. In the letter, posted by Bloomberg over the weekend, Mattis pledges to resign from the Hoover Institution, General Dynamics, and says he has already stepped down from Theranos. He says he’ll sell General Dynamics stock, and give up unvested stock options, and recuse himself from any decisions affecting the finances of the companies for a period of one year. Bloomberg points out that may sideline Mattis during billion-dollar decisions. “The Pentagon may buy ground-warfare vehicles from General Dynamics for the 65,000 Army troops Trump has promised to add, and it may also benefit from the Republican’s pledge to expand the Navy to 350 vessels by supplying its Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Virginia-class nuclear submarines,” not to mention the Navy is in contract talks with General Dynamics to build 12 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
IRAN, IRAN, IRAN: Mattis may also face questions over a report in the Washington Post this morning that says in 2011, when he was the top commander in the Middle East, he was itching to conduct a military strike against Iran in response to Iranian rockets that were killing U.S. troops in Iraq. The report suggests it was Mattis’ aggressive style that alienated the White House and led to his falling out with President Obama, who wanted a commander who was not so fixated on Iran. In 2010, when Mattis was asked by the president to lost his top priorities, Mattis reported replied, “Number one Iran. Number two Iran. Number three Iran.”
Mattis’ confirmation is just one of the high-profile national security hearings set for this week. Tomorrow, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hears from retired Gen. John Kelly, nominated for homeland security secretary. Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee grills Rex Tillerson, up for secretary of state, and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has Rep. Mike Pompeo, for CIA director. Tillerson’s hearing is expected to go two days.
Democrats are already grumbling that many of the hearings are going on at the same time, and are being conducted before all the required vetting is completed and disclosure and ethics paperwork is in. Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted that the “lack of a full disclosure of the standard ethics information,” means “we are being asked to rubber stamp a cabinet.”
And in addition to the confirmation mania, Trump holds his first news conference since becoming president-elect this week, facing reporters in a formal setting for the first time since last summer. It’s not like he hasn’t been available; he’s conducted sit-down interviews with major news outlets such as the New York Times, and has made himself available for pool reporters for brief question-and-answer sessions. But Wednesday’s presser offers his first chance to address a group for an extended period. The Washington Examiner staff came up with 17 questions we’d ask him if it were up to us.
And if all that’s not enough, there’s the Surface Navy Association’s annual meeting and several think tank events. See the full rundown here.
Whew!
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STOP OR WE’LL SHOOT: Outgoing Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who 10 years ago advocated a preemptive strike to cripple North Korea’s missile program, said on NBC that if Kim Jong Un launches an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the U.S. or our allies, we would definitely shoot it down. “If it were threatening to us, yes,” Carter said on “Meet the Press.” “If it’s predicted impact, or one of our friends or allies, yes, we would shoot it down.” Carter said the U.S. would use “an interceptor” to shoot the missile out of the sky. In the past, North Korea has launched missiles on a southern or eastern trajectory, making the tests less of a direct threat. Yesterday, Pyongyang boasted North Korea could test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile “at any time from any location.”
Carter, who has 11 days left as Pentagon chief, also feels the U.S. can and should do more against Russia after the cyberattacks. “I don’t think it should be a military or purely military response,” he said. “There has to be a response, and I think the things and the steps that have been taken so far probably represent a beginning and not the end.”
Today, it’s Carter’s turn to get the formal military send-off after the president’s ceremony last week. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford presides over the formal armed forces farewell tribute at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. 3 p.m.
FRUIT SALAD: Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said that Trump’s notion that a souped-up F/A-18 Super Hornet could replace an F-35 joint strike fighter is like comparing apples to oranges. “It’s a fine aircraft, it’s a different aircraft, it does not fulfill the same requirements,” she said. “It’s a little bit apples and oranges and I have to believe before any final decision would be made with respect to a final shift, the chief requirements officer would be consulted.”
James also gave an update on the engine that fell off the B-52 bomber last week, as well as several programmatic milestones coming on Friday during her final public address as the Air Force’s top civilian.
FINGER IN THE EYE: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz doesn’t give whit what Beijing thinks about his meeting in Houston with the president of Taiwan, which China considers a violation of the “one China” policy. After his meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which was also attended by Gov. Greg Abbott and a group of Texas legislators, Cruz issued a defiant statement. “The People’s Republic of China needs to understand that, in America, we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,” Cruz said, rejecting China’s demand that U.S. officials not meet with Tsai. “This is not about the PRC. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend,” Cruz said. “The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet.” In apparent response, the state-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned Trump that China would “take revenge” if he reneged on the one-China policy.
REPORT FALLOUT: With the late-Friday release of the intelligence report on Russia’s attempts to influence the election, experts, the media and even Trump spent the weekend chewing over its implications. Trump spent a few minutes Saturday morning blaming the Democratic National Committee for getting hacked, then said only “stupid” people wouldn’t want the U.S. to get along with Russia.
Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the report made a “strong case” that Russians tried to affect the outcome of the election in Trump’s favor. “And if they were able to succeed doing that, then you destroy democracies. Because you destroy the fundamental which is free and fair election,” he said.
Byron York went through the report and came up with six questions the document raised. The central conundrum being: How do you prove the Russians did it in a declassified document, when it takes a classified document to show your work?
THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: Trump’s pick to be his senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council, Monica Crowley, plagiarized several passages in a 2012 book she wrote, according to CNN on Saturday. The report found 50 instances in Crowley’s book, “What The (Bleep) Just Happened,” where text from news articles, think tanks and Wikipedia were nearly identical with only minor adjustments. Also listed are examples of similar text from Fox News, where Crowley until recently appeared as a contributor, as well as passages from National Review, Associated Press, the New York Times, Politico, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the BBC and Yahoo News.
HAPPENING TODAY: The Defense Innovation Board, the fate of which is unclear in the Trump Pentagon, meets this morning to discuss recommendations made in October, as well as new recommendations to establish a department-wide data center. Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and chairman of the innovation board, retired Adm. William McRaven and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson are all expected to attend.
THE RUNDOWN
New York Times: Strikes By Russia Buttress Turkey In Battle Vs. ISIS
Military Times: The Obama era is over. Here’s how the military rates his legacy
Military.com: Mabus Warns Against Undoing Navy Reforms In Farewell Address
Defense One: Still Fighting, US Troops from Syria to Afghanistan Await Trump Orders
Military Times: Under Trump, military pay and benefits could see a boost
Defense News: Northern Triangle: US, UK and Norway’s Expanding Alliance
Daily Beast: ISIS Has a New Weapon: Fire
Army Times: 2-star’s suicide prompts Army review of the health of its general officer corps
Navy Times: Lax security at Washington Navy Yard persisted years after 2013 shooting
UPI: Leidos to support counter-IED organization
Military Times: Marines approve Magpul’s signature polymer ammunition magazine
UPI: U.S. Air Force issues RFP for aircraft laser weapons
Wall Street Journal: Former Iranian President Rafsanjani Dies at 82
Calendar
MONDAY | JANUARY 9
3 p.m. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford hosts an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Defense Secretary Ash Carter at 3 p.m. Live streamed at defense.gov
TUESDAY | JANUARY 10
9 a.m. Livestream. John Kerry, the secretary of state, and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, will speak at a “passing the baton” event hosted by the United States Institute of Peace. usip.org
9:30 a.m. Hart 216. The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on civilian control of the military. armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Va. The Surface Navy Association hosts its annual three-day symposium, featuring remarks from Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Moran and Rep. Rob Wittman. navysna.org
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 11
9:30 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Officials from the Marine Corps discuss how science fiction has impacted the service’s ability to develop new technology. atlanticcouncil.org
10 a.m. Hart 216. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence holds an open hearing, followed by a closed session. intelligence.senate.gov
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, speaks about challenges for the next president and new lawmakers. csis.org
10:30 a.m. 850 10th St. NW. Vice Adm. Joseph Rixey, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, delivers a keynote on reforming the security cooperation enterprise. ndia.org
2 p.m. Dirksen 342. Retired Gen. John Kelly has his confirmation hearing to serve as the secretary of homeland security. hsgac.senate.gov
3:30 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. The Atlantic Council releases a paper titled, “A Nonstate Strategy for Saving Cyberspace.” atlanticcouncil.org
THURSDAY | JANUARY 12
2 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. A panel of experts talks about how the next president should combat Al Qaeda in Syria. atlanticcouncil.org
FRIDAY | JANUARY 13
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. A panel of experts discusses lessons learned from Russia’s intervention in Syria. csis.org
12:45 p.m. 2000 H St. NW. Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of acquisition, technology and logistics, speaks about progress in acquisition management at the Pentagon. atlanticcouncil.org
3:30 p.m. 901 17th St. NW. Retired Adm. James Stavridis talks about the growing problem of U.S. national security. stimson.org
