US strike again at Iranian proxies in Syria

“As a matter of international law, the United States acted pursuant to its right of self-defense. The strikes were both necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope,” Kirby said, describing the strikes as “defensive” and “appropriately limited in scope,” aimed at disrupting and deterring future attacks. “President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel.”

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES AIRSTRIKES AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN IRAQ-SYRIA BORDER REGION

SEE FOR YOURSELF: The Pentagon this morning released a series of cockpit videos showing the targets and the strikes by land-based aircraft in the regions.

The strikes conducted by at least two U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles and an F-16CM destroyed a number of buildings that the Pentagon described as “weapons storage facilities,” used by the Iranian proxy militias Kataib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

“The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq,” Kirby said. “Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries.”

SECOND WARNING: The weekend strikes were similar to a series of strikes ordered by Biden in February, which also targeted infrastructure said to be used by Iranian-backed militia groups, but unlike in February, the U.S. hit buildings on the Iraq side of the border as well as in Syria.

“Iran has been using rocket and drone attacks via proxies in Iraq to force the U.S. out through a cycle of violence,” says Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow and Iran scholar at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “The big question for the Biden team is if it will ever hold the patron responsible for the actions of its proxy.”

“In both strikes, the militia Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhahda was struck, which is yet to be sanctioned by Washington. It makes no sense to target a terror group with force but be unwilling to sanction it,” Taleblu says.

While Biden’s threshold for the use of force is lower than former President Donald Trump’s, who often threatened military action if attacks against U.S. forces resulted in a loss of life, it’s still unclear what Biden’s red line is.

Sunday’s strike can be seen “as a signal of resolve against the Iranians,” Benhan says. “One wonders, however, if this signal is lost among the noise of potential sanctions relief during talks in Vienna.”

BIDEN SYRIA STRIKES DODGE DIFFICULT CLASH WITH IRAN IN IRAQ

Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what’s going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue!

NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not publish on Monday, July 5, as we observe the long Independence Day holiday weekend. Back on Tuesday, July 6.

HAPPENING TODAY: Secretary of State Antony Bliken is in Rome, where this morning he received an audience with Pope Francis and will attend a meeting of the Defeat-ISIS Ministerial ahead of the G-20 foreign ministers summit.

ALSO TODAY: Former Afghanistan commander retired Gen. David Petraeus takes part in a 9 a.m. Washington Post Live discussion of what faces Afghanistan after the U.S. and NATO forces leave.

UFOs ARE REAL, BUT REAL WHAT? The much-anticipated report from the U.S. intelligence community about the nature of UFOs — or as the Pentagon prefers to call them, UAPs for “unidentified aerial phenomena” — was released Friday, and while it provides few answers, it does add significantly to the body of knowledge about the mystery sightings and confirms that at least in some cases they are actual objects, not optical illusions or some kind of hallucination.

“Most of the UAP reported probably do represent physical objects given that a majority of UAP were registered across multiple sensors, to include radar, infrared, electro-optical, weapon seekers, and visual observation,” the report concludes, while acknowledging the experts still have no idea what they are.

“In a limited number of incidents, UAP reportedly appeared to exhibit unusual flight characteristics,” the report notes. “These observations could be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or observer misperception and require additional rigorous analysis.”

“If and when individual UAP incidents are resolved they will fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall ‘other’ bin.”

Could that catch-all “other” bin mean “strange visitors from another planet?” The report makes no mention of the possibility that the objects are evidence of alien intelligence.

UFOS DISPLAY TECH US DOESN’T HAVE AND CAN’T DEFEND AGAINST, EX-INTELLIGENCE CHIEF RATCLIFFE SAYS

NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE: Future study will concentrate on 18 cases where the objects “appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion.”

“UAP pose a hazard to safety of flight and could pose a broader danger if some instances represent sophisticated collection against U.S. military activities by a foreign government or demonstrate a breakthrough aerospace technology by a potential adversary.”

The report notes most sightings occur around U.S. training and testing grounds. “We assess that this may result from a collection bias as a result of focused attention, greater numbers of latest-generation sensors operating in those areas, unit expectations, and guidance to report anomalies.”

REACTION FROM THE HILL: It was language inserted in last year’s Intelligence Authorization Act by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio that forced the government to produce and release the report, and in a statement, Rubio called the acknowledgment that UFOs are a real phenomenon, “an important first step.”

“For years, the men and women we trust to defend our country reported encounters with unidentified aircraft that had superior capabilities, and for years their concerns were often ignored and ridiculed,” Rubio said. “The Defense Department and Intelligence Community have a lot of work to do before we can actually understand whether these aerial threats present a serious national security concern.”

“Unexplained aerial phenomena are a real concern that must be taken seriously,” said Sen. Jack Reed, chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “Any time we have objects operating in our airspace, some of which have been fast-moving, they need to be identified, whether they’re advanced technology drones, experimental aircraft, or some other aerospace system.”

“As this report makes clear, at this time we simply lack the information necessary to determine what these objects are and what they are doing,” Reed said.

“I was first briefed on these unidentified aerial phenomena nearly three years ago. Since then, the frequency of these incidents only appears to be increasing,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, in a statement. “The United States must be able to understand and mitigate threats to our pilots, whether they’re from drones or weather balloons or adversary intelligence capabilities. Today’s rather inconclusive report only marks the beginning of efforts to understand and illuminate what is causing these risks to aviation in many areas around the country and the world.”

DECODING THE GOVERNMENT’S UFO REPORT

DID THE US TRAIN KHASHOGGI’S KILLERS? A group of five Democratic senators is calling on the Pentagon and State Department to reevaluate extent of training, military cooperation, and arms sales with Saudi Arabia, in light of a New York Times report that the Saudis who murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi previously received State Department-authorized paramilitary training from a U.S. private security contractor.

In letters sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the five write, “While we continue to believe these programs are integral to U.S. national security objectives, rigorous oversight is paramount for their success and for the integrity of the United States.”

‘“Given both the sensitivity and quality of U.S. military expertise and the grave risk for placing these skills and knowledge in the wrong hands, the lack of restrictions or requirements in U.S. law regarding U.S. provision of military, security, and intelligence-related services to foreign governments and entities is alarming,” concludes the letter, signed by Foreign Relations Committee Chairmen Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Pentagon announces airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq-Syria border region

Washington Examiner: Afghan president rejects intelligence reports that Kabul will fall

Washington Examiner: US Blackhawks and Apaches train with Russian attack helicopters nearby

Washington Examiner: NATO Black Sea partners describe Russian threat and need for more US deterrence

Washington Examiner: UFOs display tech US doesn’t have and can’t defend against, ex-intelligence chief Ratcliffe says

Washington Examiner: Decoding the government’s UFO report

Washington Examiner: New Air Force weapon can take out hundreds of drones instantly — and silently

Washington Examiner: Trump bashes ‘woke generals’

Reuters: Iran Has Drones With Range Of 7,000 Km, Guards Commander Says

National Defense Magazine: China Building Formidable Amphibious Fleet

South China Morning Post: China Deploys J-20 Stealth Fighter Jets To Units Monitoring Taiwan Strait

Stars and Stripes: Russia Steps Up Efforts To Sow Confusion And Fear Of Conflict Ahead Of Naval Exercise, Analysts Say

Washington Post: As the last American forces prepare to leave Afghanistan, Biden says the country’s fate is in its own hands

New York Times: In Meeting With Afghan Leader, Biden Pledges Aid After U.S. Withdrawal

USNI News: Japan-based USS Ronald Reagan Now in the Middle East to Cover Afghanistan Withdrawal

Washington Post: Plan to evacuate U.S. allies from Afghanistan raises specters of Iraq and Vietnam

AP: US officials double down on push for nuclear modernization

Air Force Magazine: Air Force’s New Plan for ABMS: Smaller Budget, Clearer Schedule

Military Times: Pentagon Tech Boss Used Unauthorized App For Official Communications: Watchdog

New York Times: Russian Mercenaries Are Driving War Crimes in Africa, U.N. Says

19fortyfive.com: Joe Biden Promised to Leave Afghanistan. Has He Changed His Mind?

19fortyfive.com: Russia Claims It Has A Radar That Can Track 300 Air Or Surface Targets

19fortyfive.com: Missile Truck: Why the U.S. Air Force Wants the F-15EX Fighter

Forbes: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks Explains How Climate Change Threatens National Security

Calendar

MONDAY | JUNE 28

9 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan; retired Army Col. Steve Miska, executive director of First Amendment Voice; and Afghan interpreter Fraidoon Akhtari. https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the European Union Delegation to the United States virtual EU Defense Washington Forum, with European Union Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis; Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy; deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer. https://www.csis.org/events/eu-defense-washington-forum

12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “The Transformation of Japan’s Security Strategy.” with Japanese Defense Minister Yasuhide Nakayama; and Kenneth Weinstein, fellow at Hudson. https://www.hudson.org/events

2 p.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “The Future of the Coast Guard,” with Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz; and Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of the Brookings Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology. https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-future-of-the-coast-guard

2 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual event: The U.S. Maritime Industrial Base and Competition with China,” with Rep. Rob Wittman R-Va.; Rep. Mike Gallagher R-Wisc; and Bryan Clark, Hudson Institute senior fellow. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-event

TUESDAY | JUNE 29

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Space Race in the 21st Century: Understanding Russia’s Evolving Military Capabilities,” with C. Robert Kehler, former commander of U.S. Strategic Command and senior fellow at National Defense University; former Associate NASA Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Douglas Loverro, president of Loverro Consulting LLC; and Victoria Samson, Washington office director of the Secure World Foundation https://www.csis.org/events/space-race

9:30 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International and the U.S. Naval Institute virtual West 2021 Conference: “What is the Promise and Progress of Naval Integration,” Vice Adm. James Kilby, deputy chief of Naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities; Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, deputy commandant for combat development and integration and commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service; Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare in the Office of the Director of Naval Intelligence; Rear Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces; Rear Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force; Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lewis Craparotta, commanding general of the Training and Education Command; Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of the Naval Surface Force Atlantic; and Rear Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, commander of Naval Air Forces and commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force; Rear Adm. Hugh Howard III, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command; Rear Adm. Mark Fedor, assistant commandant for resources and CFO of the Coast Guard; Lt. Gen. John Jansen, deputy commandant for programs and resources at the Marine Corps; and Rear Adm. John Gumbleton, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget. https://www.westconference.org/WEST21

9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the European Union Delegation to the United States EU Defense Washington Forum, with Trine Bramsen, minister of defense of Denmark; Harjit Sajjan, minister of national defense of Canada; Joao Gomes Cravinho, minister of national defense of Portugal; and Victoria Coleman, chief scientist for the Air Force. https://www.csis.org/events/eu-defense-washington-forum

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Hong Kong’s Future on Edge: Countering China’s National Security Law One Year On,” with former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; former Hong Kong Legislative Council Member Nathan Law, fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics; Walter Lohman, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center; Ellen Bork, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong; Shibani Mahtani, southeast Asia bureau chief at the Washington Post; and Ash Jain, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/hong-kongs-future

11 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the Department of the Army,” with Christine Wormuth, secretary of the Army; and Gen. James McConville. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

12:30 p.m. — The Hill virtual discussion: “The Future of Missile Defense,” Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio; Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.; Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill; Tay Fitzgerald, vice president for strategic missile defense at Raytheon Missiles and Defense; and Steve Clemons, editor-at-large at the Hill https://thehill.com/event

2 p.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: “Securing Cyberspace,” with Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, member of the House (Select) Intelligence Committee; and Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye. https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live

2 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army’s Thought Leaders webinar, with retired Col. Tom Vossler and retired Col. Jeff McCausland to discuss their book, Battle Tested! Gettysburg Leadership Lessons for 21st Century Leaders. Register at: https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/s-Webinar-Series-Battle-Tested

4 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems hearing, “Department of Defense Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Information Assurance for Fiscal Year 2022,” with John Sherman, acting Pentagon chief information officer. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 30

3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces Hearing: “Fiscal Year 2022 Rotary Wing Aviation Budget Request,” with Douglas Bush, acting assistant secretary of the army for acquisition, logistics and technology; Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director, Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team, Army Futures Command; Frederick “Jay” Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; Lt. Gen. Mark Wise, deputy Marine Corps commandant for aviation; Rear Adm. Andrew Loiselle, director, Air Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; Darlene Costello, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics; Brig Gen. Mark August, director, Air Force Global Reach Programs. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings