DOWN THREE AND COUNTING: People who work at the Pentagon have taken to posting on social media pictures of the mahogany-paneled wall just inside the River Entrance, which displays the official portraits of the current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Three of the eight frames are empty, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) stranglehold on more than 300 senior officer promotions continues to block their confirmations.
In Annapolis, Maryland, yesterday, as Adm. Michael Gilday ended his term as chief of naval operations, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin again lamented that the Navy now joins the Army and the Marines with no confirmed military leader.
“This is indeed a proud day, but I want to take a moment to mark a painful milestone,” Austin said. “Starting today, for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense, three of our military services are operating without Senate-confirmed leaders. This is unprecedented, it is unnecessary, and it is unsafe, and this sweeping hold is undermining America’s military readiness. It’s hindering our ability to retain our very best officers, and it is upending the lives of far too many American military families. Our troops deserve better, our military families deserve better, and our allies and partners deserve better, and our national security deserves better.”
BUILDING RAGE: The normally mild-mannered chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee let loose yesterday with a fusillade of opprobrium aimed at Tuberville and Republicans in the Senate who are unable to convince the Alabama senator to find another way to protest the Pentagon’s abortion travel policies.
“Senator Tuberville continues to act like military promotions are a partisan game. His decision to play politics with our troops is having a negative impact up and down the chain of command. His culture war plays are impeding the U.S. military’s real-world ability to deter, fight, and win actual conflicts,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said in a statement. “It’s past time the former football coach ends this reckless blockade and stops hurting honorable, hardworking military families who have dedicated their lives and careers to service.”
“It is past time Senator Tuberville show some respect to our military and start listening to his constituents and the American people. He and Senate Republicans must stop denying consent for these nominees,” Reed said.
CHIEFS IN LIMBO: There are five four-star officers whose nominations are pending in the Senate, including for the chairman’s spot, which will be vacated by Gen. Mark Milley at the end of September. They are:
- Chairman: Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
- Army: Gen. Randy George
- Navy: Adm. Lisa Franchetti
- Marines: Gen. Eric Smith
- Air Force: Gen. David Allvin
‘AN ENTIRELY REPUBLICAN-MADE PROBLEM’: Tuberville continues to argue he’s not blocking confirmations, which could be brought to the floor for individual votes, and that he holds the moral and legal high ground by opposing a policy that uses federal funds to facilitate access to abortion, which he believes violates the Hyde Amendment. And he insists only Congress has the power to authorize the current Pentagon policy, which grants paid leave and reimburses expenses for military members who must travel to get a legal abortion or other reproductive services.
Tuberville wants a vote on the policy, but he is insisting on conditions that would essentially guarantee his position would prevail. “Senator Tuberville was repeatedly offered votes on his position, and he repeatedly declined,” said Reed. “He knows his position on this issue doesn’t have majority support in the U.S. Senate or from the American people.”
In the Senate, it takes 60 votes to pass any controversial measure. A vote to force the Pentagon to rescind its policy would be blocked by the Democrats with their 51-49 majority. Tuberville wants the Pentagon to first rescind the policy, and then for the Senate to vote on whether to reinstate it. Such a measure would be unlikely to get the 60 votes needed for Senate passage, or pass the House with its 222-212 Republican majority, hence the impasse.
“This is an entirely Republican-made problem, and there is an easy Republican solution: Senator Tuberville’s colleagues in Republican leadership need to tell him in public what they say in private: They will not continue to tolerate this unprecedented blockade,” Reed said. “The longer this shameful blockade drags on, the worse it gets.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Good Tuesday 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 Conrad Hoyt. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
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!
GRIM ANNIVERSARY: It was two years ago today that the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, as the U.S.-trained-and-equipped Afghan army collapsed, the capital Kabul fell, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country with suitcases of cash in fear for his life.
Eleven days later, an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 Afghans as crowds of civilians seeking evacuation jammed the Abbey Gate of Kabul’s airport.
The United Nations says since the takeover, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in violence in the country, and under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become the most repressive country in the world for women and girls, depriving them of virtually all their basic rights, including barring them from attending schools and universities.
McCAUL: NO ANSWERS: For two years, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been battling with the State Department and the Pentagon to get unexpurgated internal reports about the chaotic and deadly evacuation mission that followed the fall of Kabul.
“I will not rest until we do get answers and accountability and transparency as to what happened. How did this go so wrong?” McCaul said on Fox News Sunday. “We just have reported today a member of my staff, Jerry Dunleavy, with his book, Kabul, that U.S. intelligence had ISIS-K in their sights, knowing they were plotting to take out Abbey Gate on the very same day that it was taken down when the suicide bomber went off.”
“They asked the Taliban to go in, our U.S. military, the Taliban denied. U.S. intelligence requested an airstrike. Guess what, that airstrike was denied,” McCaul said, blaming the on-scene commander Gen. Frank McKenzie, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“We’ve been denied access to these witnesses. And we’re prepared to go forward with subpoenas to get to the bottom,” he told Fox’s Shannon Bream. “This was not a successful evacuation by any stretch of the imagination. And the Taliban was put in charge. And in my judgment, that was the worst mistake of all, was to put them in charge.”
US FUNDING THE TALIBAN: In its latest report to Congress, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction noted that the U.S. is sending billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, of which a large portion is being stolen by the Taliban.
“The United States remains the largest donor to the Afghan people, having appropriated more than $2.35 billion since the Taliban takeover in August 2021,” the report said, adding that, “The Taliban view UN assistance as a ‘revenue stream,’” and are “pushing for ever-increasing degrees of credit and control over the delivery of aid.”
“It is no longer a question of whether the Taliban are diverting assistance from our programs to help the Afghan people, but rather how much they are diverting,” wrote SIGAR executive John Sopko.
“I’m prepared in my position to put a hold on this funding until we get assurances it’s not going right into the hands of the Taliban,” said McCaul during his Fox appearance. “The U.S. taxpayers funding this, we need some assurance that this is going to go to the right hands, and it’s going to help the women in Afghanistan, and if the Taliban cannot assure us that, I think we need to be prepared to cut that funding off as a stick, rather than giving them just a carrot.”
THE LATEST UKRAINE AID PACKAGE: Another day, another $200 million in military weapons and ammunition shipped to Ukraine from U.S. stocks.
The Pentagon announced yesterday the latest shipment, the 44th since August 2021, consists primarily of munitions, including anti-aircraft missiles for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems and precision rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.
What Ukraine is still waiting for are U.S. Abrams main battle tanks and for training to begin for its pilots to fly U.S. F-16s.
“By all accounts, the training has gone well for those tank crews,” said spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder in a gaggle for reporters. “We’re confident that we can provide those tanks when we said we would, which would be before the end of this year.”
As for the F-16 training, it’s hung up on the lack of Ukrainian pilots who are fluent in English, which is a requirement to operate and maintain the F-16.
“We’re working closely with Denmark and the Netherlands, who have the lead for the training,” Ryder said. “I will underscore though that when we announced this program back in May … we were clear at the time that this is part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine and that this training was not intended for the current counter-offensive.”
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW MILITARY AID PACKAGE TO UKRAINE
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: READ IN FULL: Donald Trump indictment in Georgia over 2020 election interference
Washington Examiner: Donald Trump indicted: Former president slams Georgia charges as he claims ‘Witch Hunt continues’
Washington Examiner: Top naval officer’s retirement leaves three branches without Senate-confirmed heads
Washington Examiner: Biden administration announces new military aid package to Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Russia tries to clamp down on bad news from Ukraine war front lines
Washington Examiner: Russia fires on and boards cargo vessel in Black Sea: ‘Provocative actions’
Washington Examiner: Vivek Ramaswamy cuts off interview after floating plan to let China attack Taiwan after 2028
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Vivek Ramaswamy’s foreign policy instincts are OK, his initiatives need a rethink
Washington Examiner: Biden gives Iran a $6 billion payday
Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Inches Forward In The Southeast
New York Times: Would F-16s Have Made the Difference in Ukraine’s Counteroffensive?
Defense News: How F-16s for Ukraine Could Harm Russia Without Taking a Single Shot
AP: Massive explosion at gas station in Russia’s Dagestan kills 30, injures scores more
New York Times: Russian Military Fires A Warning, Then Boards A Black Sea Freighter
Washington Post: Sudden Fall Of Ruble Underscores Heavy Pressures On Russia’s War Economy
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Russian Warplanes Fly Near Alaska and NATO in Separate Incidents on Same Day
AP: South Korea’s Yoon calls for strong security cooperation with US, Japan ahead of Camp David summit
Washington Times: Taiwan Braced For New Chinese Military Moves Following Vice President’s U.S. Visit
Bloomberg: War With China Is the Threat That Defines Taiwan’s Next Election
Defense News: Acting Navy Chief Takes Over A Fleet On The Cusp Of Major Changes
Breaking Defense: Space on Agenda for Biden’s Trilateral Summit with S Korea, Japan
Space News: Space Force Pitch to Private Sector: ‘Help Us with Space Protection’
Politico: Zalmay Khalilzad’s push to stay relevant after losing Afghanistan
Washington Post: Niger Junta Announces It May Charge Deposed President With Treason
Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-2s Land in Iceland for First Bomber Task Force in Months
Defense One: Logisticians Battle Distance, Weather, Red Tape in Giant Pacific Exercise
DefenseScoop: Air Force Research Lab Opens New ‘Extreme Computing’ Facility amid International Arms Race for Quantum Tech
AP: American ambassador to Russia visits jailed reporter Gershkovich, says he’s in good health
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Career Airmen Can Retrain More Easily Under New Air Force Rules
Breaking Defense: Why Will Roper Still Believes the Pentagon Should Work More Like Formula One
AP: Texas woman who helped hide US soldier Vanessa Guillén’s body sentenced to 30 years in prison
Forbes: Opinion: Five Reasons Software Is Eclipsing Hardware In Pentagon Technology Plans
Calendar
TUESDAY | AUGUST 15
8 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conversation with Bob Hale and Ellen Lord, chairman and vice chair Congressional Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Reform. RSVP: Thom Shanker at [email protected]
8 a.m. 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Virginia — ExecutiveBiz Hypersonics Forum: “Challenges, priorities, strategies and successes steering the technology in the U.S.,” with James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Defense Undersecretary for Research and Development https://events.executivebiz.com/event/ebiz
10:30 a.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies virtual discussion: “Afghanistan in Peril: Two Years After the U.S. Withdrawal,” with Kathy Gannon, former news director and Associated Press chief correspondent; Edmund Fitton-Brown, former British diplomat and coordinator of the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and the Taliban; and Bill Roggio, FDD senior fellow and editor of FDD’s Long War Journal https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/08/15/afghanistan-in-peril
11 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation discussion: “China’s Future Naval Bases: New Empirical Data Points to Likely Places,” with Alexander Wooley, director of partnerships and communications at AidData; Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Center for National Defense; and Brent Sadler, senior research fellow at the Heritage Center for National Defense https://www.heritage.org/asia/event/chinas-future-naval-bases
11 a.m. — Wilson Center Asia Program and Middle East Program virtual discussion: “Assessing Taliban-Led Afghanistan, Two Years On,” with former Afghani Education Minister Mirwais Balkhi, fellow at the Wilson Center; former Afghani Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil, director of the World Health Organization’s Special Programme on Primary Health Care; Nader Nadery, associate fellow at the Asser Institute; and Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/assessing-taliban
3 p.m. — Jewish Institute for National Security of America policy webinar: “Possible Marines Deployment to Counter Iran Maritime Aggression,” with retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox, former deputy commander, U.S. Central Command; retired Marine Lt. Gen. Dave Beydler, former commander, Marine Forces Central Command; and Ari Cicurel, JINSA assistant director of foreign policy https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 16
3 p.m. — Air and Space Forces Association and the U.S. Air Force virtual discussion: “The next phase of the Blended Wing Body aircraft prototype project,” with Ravi Chaudhary, assistant Air Force secretary for energy, installations, and environment; Maj. Gen. Albert Miller, director of strategy, plans, requirements, and programs at the Air Mobility Command Headquarters; and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright, president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: “Addressing Violent Extremism in the United States,” with Ryan Andrew Brown, RAND senior behavioral/social scientist; and Todd Helmus, RAND senior behavioral scientist https://www.rand.org/events/2023/08/policy-lab
THURSDAY | AUGUST 17
8 a.m. 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Intelligence and National Security Alliance discussion: “Open Source: Art of the Possible for National Security,” with Chris Rasmussen, founder and program manager at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Tearline Project; Mason Clark, senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War; Matthew Daggett, technical staff member at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Systems group; Sam Gordy, president of Janes U.S.; and retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event
2 p.m. — The Hill virtual discussion: “We Are Not Alone; UFOs & National Security,” with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN).; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL); Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL); and Greg Eghigian, professor of history and bioethics at Pennsylvania State University https://thehill.com/events/4141299-we-are-not-alone-ufos-national-security
FRIDAY | AUGUST 18
TBA Camp David, Maryland — Trilateral summit between President Joe Biden; Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; and South Korean President President Yoon Suk-yeol
WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 30
10:30 a.m. — 1775 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — Brookings Institution’s Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy and Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in-person and virtual event: “How much money for defense is enough?” with Michael O’Hanlon, director, Talbott Center; Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Travis Sharp, senior fellow and director of defense budget studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-how-much-money-for-defense
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If you expect Ukraine to fight like we fight, then they have to have the tools that we have, and we have not given them those tools.”
Retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme commander and Air Force F-16 pilot, telling the New York Times Ukraine’s hopes for victory in its counteroffensive “will have to happen without the F-16.”
