‘A WHOLE HOST OF QUESTIONS’: Senators who received a classified briefing on the leak of hundreds of highly-classified documents, allegedly by a low-ranking Air National Guardsman, emerged shocked by the lax enforcement of rules designed to protect the nation’s secrets.
“I think there are a whole host of questions,” said Mark Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after the closed-door session with Pentagon and intelligence officials. “From access to internal security controls to making sure how we really make sure continuous vetting in an internet-driven age actually can spot anomalies.”
The briefing came as the accused leaker, 21-year-old Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira, made a brief court appearance as his lawyers requested more time to prepare his defense, and as the Air Force shut down the intelligence mission of Massachusetts Air National Guard, where he served, as part of the investigation into the massive leak that was only discovered after the New York Times broke the story.
“I think it’s stunning that the Department of Defense and the intelligence agencies found out about it primarily from the press,” said committee Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). “It’s unacceptable. And I’m not sure, at least in the time I was in there, I certainly wasn’t satisfied with any plans they have in place to prevent this from happening in the future.”
“I would, by and large, typify it as bureaucratic gobbledygook,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), according to a report by NBC, which also quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as calling the briefing by National Intelligence Director Avril Haines and other officials a “s*** show.”
“I didn’t get a very good explanation of how this could happen,” Graham said. “I’m just as confused now as I was before the briefing.”
“I was disappointed when the Biden administration came out at the earliest breaking news on this that it was no big deal because this is a big deal,” said Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Fox. “We need to get to the bottom of it. We need to know exactly what documents were out there, which ones were doctored for Russian disinformation, and what’s going to be the process going forward to make sure that there is more control on this by the Department of Defense and the Department of State going forward.”
PENTAGON DOCUMENTS LEAK CASE: JACK TEIXEIRA’S DETENTION HEARING DELAYED
AUSTIN: AGE NOT THE ISSUE: During a news conference with his Swedish counterpart in Stockholm, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed back against the suggestion that Teixeira was too young at 21 to have a TS/SCI [Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information] security clearance.
“The vast majority of our military is young, and so it’s not exceptional that young people are doing important things in our military. That’s really not the issue,” Austin said. “The issue is, you know, how you responsibly execute or carry out your duties and how you protect the information.”
Austin described the suspect’s job as “a systems administrator,” essentially an information technology or IT expert. “So he was a computer specialist that worked in an intelligence unit, and so their business was intelligence, and part of his responsibility was maintaining the network that they operate on.”
“My principal question is how in the world did a 21-year-old National Guardsman have access to this level of top secret information?” said Sen. Angus King (I-ME) before yesterday’s briefing.
“TS/SCI. That’s just about the highest classification,” King said in an appearance on CNN. “That means there are people, for example, in the CIA that can’t even see it.”
“This young man allegedly, apparently, was not an intelligence analyst or a member of the intelligence community. He was a technician running the network. So, the question is, can you keep the network running without having access to the content on the network, or are there ways to secure it,” King said. “You’re only supposed to be able to see that information if you have a need to know it in some operational sense. So, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. This is a really serious breach, and it also shows a serious gap in the structure of our intelligence organization.”
AIR FORCE UNIT WITH ALLEGED LEAKER LOSES INTELLIGENCE MISSION AS INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATES
USING BIG DATA TO REDUCE LEAKS: An analysis just published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggested it’s time to update security protocols with the same kind of software that credit card companies use to flag identity theft and fraudulent charges.
“To stop a leak like this one would require a highly sophisticated form of internal monitoring based on establishing a robust pattern of normal and abnormal behaviors,” write CSIS’s Emily Harding and Benjamin Jensen.
“For example, if this recent leaker did not normally print intelligence products, then one day printed an unusual quantity, that would be flagged. If the most recent leaker focuses on cybersecurity for his normal job, but suddenly was accessing reports about China or Iran, that could be flagged as suspicious,” they suggest. “A question from a supervisor about unusual activity might be enough to dissuade the person from further activity.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Good Thursday 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 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!
HAPPENING TODAY: U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. John Aquilino, the four-star officer who would oversee war with China if it ever comes to that, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m. alongside U.S. Korea Commander Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, who has responsibility for the other Asian hot spot, North Korea.
In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Aquilino warned that the risk of war is growing. “I believe that the trends for the threat are in the wrong direction. There’s no doubt about that.”
“But there’s more to do, and we must act with a greater sense of urgency. Every day, INDOPACOM works tirelessly to prevent conflict, not provoke it. War is not inevitable, and it’s not imminent. However, this decade presents a period of increased risk,” the four-star admiral testified. “There’s more to do, and we must act with a greater sense of urgency. Every day, INDOPACOM works tirelessly to prevent conflict, not provoke it.”
“I say it again, conflict in the Indo-Pacific is not inevitable, but we cannot rest on our past accomplishments to secure a peaceful future,” Aquilino said. “Now, for me, it doesn’t matter what the timeline is … I’m responsible to prevent this conflict today. And if deterrence were to fail, they’ll be able to fight and win.”
US COMMANDER DISMISSES 2027 ESTIMATE FOR CHINESE INVASION OF TAIWAN: ‘EVERYBODY’S GUESSING’
UKRAINE’S PRE-OFFENSIVE BUILDUP: Ukraine continues to put the pieces together ahead of a promised late spring counteroffensive designed to punch through Russian lines in the east and south of the country in an effort to reclaim significant territory occupied by the invaders since last year.
The Pentagon has announced another shipment of arms and military supplies for Ukraine, valued at $325 million and drawn from U.S. stocks, that is heavy on the kind of ammunition Ukraine is burning through at a high rate, including more ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket systems, additional 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, and anti-tank weapons including shoulder-fired TOW and AT-4 missiles.
The latest announcement comes a day ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where 50 countries will meet to consider additional materiel support before the promised Ukrainian counteroffensive.
US ANNOUNCES NEW UKRAINE MILITARY AID PACKAGE OF $325 MILLION
PATRIOTS ARRIVE: The German Defense Ministry announced this week that a U.S.-built Raytheon Patriot missile defense battery and a supply of missiles have been delivered to Ukraine, along with 18 Leopard tanks, 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and mine-clearing and other support vehicles.
But Ukraine continues to plead for Western warplanes, in particular U.S. F-16s, arguing the air defenses cannot fully protect vital targets from attack. “On average, our air defense systems destroy about 75% of cruise missiles and drones in peaceful areas. Whereas these 25% still reach their targets!” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a post on its Twitter account. “Civilians die, and infrastructure is destroyed. F-16s can eliminate these air threats.”
“Russian jets do not enter our air defense areas, striking from long distances. As a result, civilians in the northern, southern, and eastern regions suffer,” the Twitter thread continued. “The F-16 carries air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 180 km. This aircraft will make it possible to push enemy jets away from our borders and front lines … The wide range of the F-16’s modern high-precision weapons will allow for inflicting strikes on Russian troops during counter-offensive actions.”
SOUTH KOREA MIGHT LIFT ‘LIMITATIONS’ ON SENDING WEAPONS TO UKRAINE
AUSTIN HOPES SWEDEN IN NATO BY SUMMER: In his appearance with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed optimism that Hungary and Turkey’s objections to Sweden will be overcome by this summer and that the Nordic country will become the 32nd member of NATO alliance by the time alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.
Austin said the U.S. and other NATO allies are pressing Turkey in particular to move ahead with approval. “I won’t second-guess their leadership or predict when their leadership’s going to make decisions,” Austin said. “I would just say that it’s important to all of us that they make the decision sooner versus later, because we all look forward to having a very capable Sweden sitting at the desk beside us in Vilnius this summer.”
“I’m hopeful that we will be able to join NATO by the Vilnius summit,” said Jonson. “We want to be there at the table in order to be able to be a security provider into the alliance.”
Austin said he feels “confident” Hungary and Turkey will approve Sweden’s accession before July.
LLOYD AUSTIN REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SWEDEN, PREDICTS IT WILL JOIN NATO ‘BEFORE JULY’
INDUSTRY WATCH: CENTCOM HIRES GOOGLE TECH GURU: The U.S. Central Command announced yesterday it has recruited a top Google executive to advise the military command on artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, and data analytics.
Andrew Moore, former director of Google Cloud AI and former dean of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, will be CENTCOM’s first-ever formal adviser on AI, machine learning, and robotics.
“Dr. Moore brings a level of expertise in AI, Cloud Computing, and Robotics that is unmatched,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, in a press release. “This hire is a tremendous win for the culture of innovation we’re building across CENTCOM. Dr. Moore will significantly accelerate our innovation initiatives.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Pentagon documents leak case: Jack Teixeira’s detention hearing delayed
Washington Examiner: Air Force unit with alleged leaker loses intelligence mission as inspector general investigates
Washington Examiner: US announces new Ukraine military aid package of $325 million
Washington Examiner: South Korea might lift ‘limitations’ on sending weapons to Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Lloyd Austin reaffirms commitment to Sweden, predicts it will join NATO ‘before July’
Washington Examiner: Russia mobilization rhetoric hints at shift to static defense strategy
Washington Examiner: Ukrainian woman recounts being forced by Russian troops to dig her own grave
Washington Examiner: Afghanistan inspector general unsure if American taxpayers are ‘funding the Taliban’
Washington Examiner: UFO office leader reveals sighting numbers are up — but no evidence of aliens
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Decoding the Pentagon UFO chief’s testimony to Congress
Washington Examiner: Navy chief defends nonbinary sailor to Senate amid criticism
Washington Post: Trudeau told NATO that Canada will never meet spending goal, Discord leak shows
AP: NATO chief visits Kyiv for 1st time since Russian invasion
USNI News: Properly Arming Taiwan Key To Deterring Chinese Invasion, Pentagon Official Tells HASC
AP: U.S. Navy Sails First Drone Through Mideast’s Strait Of Hormuz
Wall Street Journal: Russian Drones Target Odessa As Ukraine Seeks More Air Defenses
Military Times: Army, Navy And Air Force Predict Recruiting Shortfalls This Year
Bloomberg: Spy Satellite Agency Has Plans to Quadruple US Eyes in the Sky
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Will Get New Capability for ‘Full Spectrum Operations’ by 2026, Saltzman Says
Breaking Defense: NRO Expects Prototype Moving Target Sensor on Orbit in ‘8 to 12 Months,’ Director Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Wants ‘Rapid Response’ Authority for New Starts Without Budget
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF’s Spectrum Warfare Wing Looks to Build Up Personnel, Facilities, and Institutional Expertise
Space News: With a New Medium Rocket, Firefly Plans to Compete for National Security Launches
Defense News: US Air Force Eyes September for Next Phase of Re-Engining B-52 Bombers
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Launches First ICBM Test Since Russia ‘Suspended’ New START
Defense One: Marines Overhaul Amphibious Combat Vehicle Training After Rollovers
Washington Post: Proud Boy who broke Capitol window: ‘I got caught up in all the craziness’
Washington Post: U.S. Allies In Mideast Are Targeting Dissidents On American Soil, Report Says
San Diego Union-Tribune: Investigators Say Near-Collision Of Navy Ships In San Diego Bay Was A Preventable Incident
Calendar
THURSDAY | APRIL 20
8:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis Continued? Assessing China’s April 2023 Military Exercises Against Taiwan,” with former Republic of China Chief of the Gen. Staff Adm. Hsi-Min Lee, senior research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute; John Culver, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub; and Bonny Lin, director of the CSIS China Power Project https://www.csis.org/events/fourth-taiwan-strait-crisis
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “What to Expect from the Republic of Korea President State Visit to Washington,” with Scott Snyder, director of the Council on Foreign Relation’s Program on U.S.-Korea Policy; and Sue Mi Terry, director of the Wilson Center’s Asia Program https://www.csis.org/events/rok-president-state-visit
9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “Posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea,” with testimony from Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander, U.S. Forces Korea https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “The War in Ukraine and the Future of Europe: A View from Capitol Hill,” with Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) https://www.hudson.org/events/war-ukraine-future
10 a.m. EDT Colorado Springs, Colorado — Space Foundation annual Space Symposium through Thursday, April 20. Full agenda at https://spacesymposium.org/agenda. Register: https://web.cvent.com/event
12 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual discussion: of recent paper: “Striking Back: Iran and the Rise of Asymmetric Drone Warfare in the Middle East,” with author, retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander, U.S. Central Command; Valerie Lincy, executive director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control; and Damien Spleeters, deputy director of operations at Conflict Armament Research https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/irans-military-drone-program
1:45 p.m. — New America virtual discussion: “Ukraine and the Future of NATO,” with Col. Juha Helle, defense, military, naval and air attache at the Embassy of Finland; Ingrid Ask, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Sweden; Marta Kepe, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation; Angela Stent, nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Rachel Rizzo, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council https://www.newamerica.org/future-frontlines/events
2 p.m. EDT — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Does the U.S. Need a Cyber Force?” with Mark Montgomery, executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0; John Davis, vice president of public sector at Palo Alto Networks; and Emily Harding, deputy director of the CSIS International Security Program https://www.csis.org/events/does-us-need-cyber-force
2 p.m. EDT — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion on the upcoming elections in Taiwan and U.S.-Taiwan relations, with former Taipei, Taiwan, Mayor Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party https://www.csis.org/events/fireside-chat-dr-ko-wen-je
FRIDAY | APRIL 21
4 a.m. EDT Germany — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin makes opening remarks at the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events
10:30 a.m. EDT Germany — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley news conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 26
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Navy FY2024 Budget Request,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger http://www.armedservices.house.gov
THURSDAY | APRIL 27
12 p.m. — Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments report release webinar: “Air Power Metamorphosis: Rethinking Air Force Combat Force Modernization,” with author Chris Bowie, CSBA non-resident senior fellow; Thomas Mahnken, CSBA president and CEO; and moderated by air power analyst Jeremiah Gertler https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The vast majority of our military is young, and so it’s not exceptional that young people are doing important things in our military. That’s really not the issue. The issue is, you know, how you responsibly execute or carry out your duties and how you protect the information.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, commenting on the arrest of 21-year-old Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira on charges of leaking classified documents.
