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DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION: As anyone who covers the Pentagon knows, when there is a major announcement from President Trump affecting the Department of Defense, the standard response from the office of Press Operations is to shrug and turn palms up. It can take hours or even days before someone figures out what to say. Now thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request by Democracy Forward, we have a peek behind the curtain to see how the public affairs shops had to scramble after one of those surprise pronouncements from the commander in chief. What’s clear in the emails is that the people whose job it is to manage the message were completely blindsided in June of last year, when the White House said the Assad regime was preparing for another chemical weapons attack on civilians and said he would “pay a heavy price” if he did. In one email, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White tells her staff, “We woke up to the statement. WH did not coord with us or JS (Joint Chiefs) or State from what I can tell.” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, who was head of Press Operations, wrote in an email to reporters “I have nothing” and told a Joint Chiefs of Staff official that the Syria statement “surprised us all.” What’s not as clear from the emails is whether the Pentagon was consulted at the highest levels. In another exchange with her deputy, White says that even though the public affairs officers were taken by surprise, it doesn’t mean the higher-ups were out of the loop. “So just because everyone didn’t know doesn’t mean it wasn’t known within orgs,” White writes to Davis. “[T]he WH gets to do whatever it wants when it wants how it wants.” Davis responds, “Copy. Sounds like I may have gotten out a bit ahead of him.” It’s not clear who “him” was. Sarah Sanders, who was a deputy White House press secretary at the time, told the press that “the military chain of command was also fully aware of the statement as it was being prepared and later released.” The emails obtained by Democracy Forward were first reported by BuzzFeed. The Washington Examiner also got copies of the email exchanges. The emails fit a pattern in which the Pentagon is caught flat-footed by an unexpected order from Trump, and then tries to paper over the obvious disconnect. Examples include the transgender policy, the deployment of National Guard troops to the border, Trump’s call for a Space Force, and the suspension of joint exercises with South Korea. THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW: Fast forward one year and there are more indications of dysfunction and lack of coordination. Politico reports that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is feeling shut out by national security adviser John Bolton’s effort to simplify the administration’s decision-making process. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also said to feel frustrated by the dearth of “principals committee” meetings scheduled by Bolton. “Mattis has gone so far as to draft a letter to Bolton requesting that he hold more gatherings of agency and department chiefs ‘to smooth the bubble’ on thorny issues ranging from U.S. policy in Syria to North Korea,” according to one senior administration official, quoted by Politico. IN THE LOOP, ON THE ATTACK: A combative an unapologetic Pompeo gave no ground yesterday as he faced a barrage of questions with senators of both parties on the Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday afternoon. The hearing was marked by several tense exchanges, notably with New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who asked Pompeo if the president has fully briefed him on what was said in the private meeting with Vladimir Putin. “I’ve had a number of conversations with President Trump about what transpired in the meeting. I was also present when he and President Putin both gave us a sense of what they discussed in the meeting that followed immediately after. I also had the chance to speak with Sergey Lavrov twice,” Pompeo said. “I think I have a pretty complete understanding.” Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the panel, told Pompeo that from the outside it looks as though Trump is just winging it. “The administration tells us don’t worry, be patient, there’s a strategy here,” Corker said, “but from where we sit it appears that in a ready, fire, aim fashion, the White House is waking up every morning and making it up as they go.” “Here’s what the world needs to know. With respect to Russia, this administration has been tougher than previous administrations,” Pompeo told Corker. “And so somehow there’s this idea that this administration is free-floating. This is President Trump’s administration. Make no mistake who’s fully in charge of this. And it was directing each of these activities that has caused Vladimir Putin to be in a very difficult place today.” AFTER THE ‘WITCH HUNT’: Facing a backlash from his own party, Trump has decided to postpone round two of his meetings with Putin until things calm down in Washington. “The President believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we’ve agreed that it will be after the first of the year,” Bolton said in a statement. Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) 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 add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense. |
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HAPPENING TODAY, VOTE ON NDAA: The House is set to hold a final floor vote today on the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act after it was briefly held up. The House and Senate conference committee that hammered out the $716 billion compromise bill was forced to make some technical revisions after a complaint over revenues with the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the House Rules Committee, said lawmakers worked through the day to resolve the issue and make the changes. Sessions’ committee passed a rule on floor debate within minutes after receiving the revised bill. The NDAA is expected to pass easily today. It includes authorizations for ships and planes, space reforms, a raft of Russia initiatives including sanctions waivers requested by Mattis, and other Pentagon policies for the coming year. Once it clears the House, Sen. Jim Inhofe, the senior Republican heading the Senate Armed Services Committee, is pushing for a final floor vote on the bill early next week. That would put in on Trump’s desk to be signed into law in August and could mean the earliest completion of the annual policy bill in more than two decades. CHINA REACTS: U.S. lawmakers need to “immediately delete” certain “negative” provisions of the latest American defense bill, a Chinese diplomat said yesterday. “If the relevant content passes into law, it will severely undermine the mutual trust between China and the U.S.,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. “We urge the U.S. side to discard the outdated Cold War and zero-sum mentality, immediately delete the relevant negative content, and uphold, rather than disrupt, the steady development of the relations between the two countries,” Geng said. BOOM TIME FOR CONTRACTORS: Sales at Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and Boeing climbed in the three months through June as the defense contractors benefited from higher military spending in the U.S. and avoided fallout from Trump’s trade war. Revenue at planemaker Boeing’s defense business rose 9 percent to $5.59 billion in the second quarter, the Chicago-based company said Wednesday. Sales climbed 10 percent to $7.1 billion at Northrop Grumman, the weapons-systems maker that recently purchased Orbital ATK, and widened almost 20 percent to $9.2 billion at shipbuilder General Dynamics. General Dynamics, which made itself one of the government’s largest information technology contractors with the $9.6 billion takeover of cybersecurity specialist CSRA this year, “accomplished a number of key strategic objectives,” CEO Phebe Novakovic said in a statement. “Our combat and marine segments continue to have reliable growth with strong operating performance.” RUSSIA MUST LEAVE: In an official declaration yesterday, the State Department said the U.S. will never recognize Russia as having legitimate sovereignty over Crimea, and called on Russia to end its occupation of that territory. “United States reaffirms as policy its refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention of international law,” said the statement issued in the name of Pompeo. “In concert with allies, partners, and the international community, the United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.” NORTH KOREA STILL PRODUCING: In his congressional testimony, Pompeo also acknowledged that North Korea is continuing with its nuclear weapons production. “Yes, they continue to produce fissile material,” he said. He declined to comment on whether the regime is pushing for “submarine-launched ballistic missiles,” citing the need for a classified setting. His remarks failed to allay the skepticism of some lawmakers. “It’s clear to everyone that North Korea’s dismantling of an outdated missile test facility, as well as a previously-dismantled ICBM assembly building, which can be rebuilt within three days, are empty gestures and not indicative that North Korea has changed its tune,” charged Sen. Ed Markey. GRUDGING PRAISE: Those who argue that Trump should be judged more by his actions than words got some qualified support from an unlikely source: Bill Browder, the man Putin wanted his people to question. Browder has been a thorn in Putin’s side since he successfully lobbied for the Magnitsky Act that has sanctioned Russian oligarchs. “I’ve been publicly complimenting the Trump administration on their tough actions towards Russia, in particular the sanctions that they have imposed on the richest Russian oligarchs,” Browder said on CNN yesterday. “The Trump administration has been tougher on Russia than the Obama administration. Objectively.” But he added, “It’s totally inconsistent and schizophrenic that at the same time as they’re doing really good policy towards Russia, that President Trump goes out there and gives Vladimir Putin an international stage in which to gain respectability and says all these nice things about him. It just doesn’t make sense.” ON HER SOAPBOX: Veteran CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has written an opinion piece criticizing Trump for his constant attacks on the news media, and questioning how Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford can continue to serve a president who doesn’t share their values. “The 1.3 million members of the US military have one thing in common. Each one has taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. They have sworn that they are willing to die in combat to defend the core values of this country. And that means they are willing to die on the battlefield for freedom of speech and freedom of the press,” Starr writes. “Continuing to attack both of those fundamental American pillars is clearly something that President Donald Trump feels resonates with his political base, even after 19 months in office.” She argues that Mattis and Dunford “are walking an increasingly fraught line, ordering troops to fight and die under a Commander in Chief who does not publicly share the values the troops are obligated to defend.” THE RUNDOWN AP: Death toll in devastating IS attacks in Syria climbs to 216 New York Times: U.S. Pastor Moved to House Arrest in Turkey. Pompeo Says It’s ‘Not Enough.’ Bloomberg: Navy Seeks $30 Million to Fix Gear That Hobbled Its New Carrier Defense News: The fate of DISA and other org chart changes in the new defense policy bill USNI News: General Dynamics Readies for Virginia-class Block V and Columbia-class Sub Production BuzzFeed: Alleged Russian Agent Maria Butina’s Lawyer Disputes Government’s Claim She Offered Sex For A Job USA Today: Islamic State claims Toronto shooting rampage; police not convinced Defense One: New Details About the F-15X That Boeing is Pitching the US Air Force Navy Times: A trailblazer to the end: The Navy’s first female admiral passes away at 98 Roll Call: Few Believe Trump’s Walk-Back on Russian Interference, New Poll Finds |
CalendarTHURSDAY | JULY 26 7:30 a.m. 300 1st St. SE. AFA Breakfast Series Capitol Hill Edition with Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. afa.org 8:30 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Sen. Joni Ernst to Discuss U.S. Policy Options in Post-ISIS Iraq. usip.org 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Eighth Annual South China Sea Conference. Csis.org 9:30 a.m. 1501 Lee Highway. Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, speaks at the Air Force Association Mitchell Hour. 11 a.m. 8661 Leesburg Pike Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition James Geurts provides keynote remarks at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International Small Business Innovation Summit at the Sheraton Tyson Hotel, Vienna, Virginia. 12 noon. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Identifying – and Isolating – Jihadi-Salafists through their Ideology, Practices, and Methodology. heritage.org MONDAY | JULY 30 10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Space Force: The pros and cons of creating a new military branch with former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. brookings.edu 12 noon. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Requirements for a Successful Military Cloud: Best Practices, Innovation and Security. hudson.org 12:30 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. The Nuclear Future: Can There Be Order Without Trust? stimson.org TUESDAY | JULY 31 12 noon. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Reforming the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. hudson.org 6:30 p.m. 14750 Conference Center Dr. Peter B. Teets Award Dinner with Lt. Gen. David Thompson, Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command. ndia.org WEDNESDAY | AUG. 1 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Maritime Security Dialogue: A Conversation with Adm. Karl Schultz, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. csis.org THURSDAY | AUG. 2 7 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Institute of Land Warfare Army Cyber + Networks Hot Topic Symposium. ausa.org
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ADVERTISEMENT: NDIA invites you to attend the Army Science and Technology Symposium and Showcase August twenty first through twenty third at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC. Register today at http://www.ndia.org/ArmyScience |
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