OUT OF AFRICA? Alarmed by reports that Defense Secretary Mark Esper is contemplating a wholesale realignment of U.S. forces that would dramatically reduce the U.S. footprint in Africa, several senators are pressing the Pentagon to put any such plans on hold.
The New York Times reported just before Christmas that Esper wants to reduce U.S. missions battling distant terrorist groups in order to refocus on confronting so-called “Great Powers” Russia and China.
“We write to express our serious concern regarding reports of a possible decision to significantly reduce or completely withdraw U.S. Armed Forces within the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) area of responsibility, specifically the Sahel of West Africa,” said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratiic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware in a letter to Esper yesterday.
“While we support the intent of the 2018 National Defense Strategy and the desire to do more to focus on our near-peer competitors, we must not forget the continued threat from violent extremists to our interests and our homeland,” they wrote.
INHOFE WEIGHS IN: Armed Services Committee Chairman Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, who was back in Oklahoma with a family member facing a medical issue, issued a statement, echoing the concern.
“Africa has been and must remain a key theater for our counterterrorism efforts. Today, more than a dozen terrorist groups with ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS, like Al-Shabaab, are operating across the continent,” Inhofe wrote. “Many of these groups have ambition to attack Americans and our partners, as we saw last week when Al-Shabab militants in Kenya killed a U.S. service member and two DoD contractors. Without pressure, the threat these groups pose to the U.S. will grow unchecked.”
‘ZERO-BASED REVIEW’: At the Pentagon, spokesman Jonathan Hoffman indicated that no decision has been made, but confirmed that Esper has ordered “a zero-based review” of the disposition of U.S. forces worldwide.
“We’ve been going through this for many months now,” Hoffman said. “He’s sitting down with each of the combatant commands to walk through what is the right force posture; what are our right goals; what are the right countries we need to be engaging; what are the right challenges; and where can our allies and partners participate more?”
Good Friday 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 Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating). 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.
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 be published Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of the federal holiday honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL: The U.S. military has confirmed that 11 U.S. troops suffered suspected concussions from the shock waves generated by Iran’s missile attack on the Al Asad air base in Western Iraq last week.
Eight of the service members have been sent to the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, and others were moved to medical facilities in Kuwait for diagnosis and treatment for potential traumatic brain injury.
The Pentagon insisted there was no effort to cover up the casualties, which were not immediately apparent, but which were disclosed to a reporter who toured damage to the base over the weekend.
“At least two soldiers were thrown through the window of a meters-high tower, and several dozen U.S. troops were later treated for concussion as a result of the missile strikes,” the Washington Post reported Monday, quoting military officials on the base.
SAUDI TRAINING TO RESUME WITH ENHANCED VETTING: The Pentagon says training of Saudi pilots will be resuming soon, now that an investigation of last month’s triple shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola has wrapped up.
Defense Secretary Esper plans to visit the base next week, and announce new mandatory vetting and physical security procedures to increase security at training facilities that host foreign students as well as all bases worldwide.
“Previously, vetting had been handled by the home country of the students as well as DHS and State Department,” said spokesman Hoffman at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “So we’ve taken an enhanced look at that on how we can use our resources and information we have to do an enhanced vetting and look through that and that’s what we’ve started to conduct.”
STILL NOT LEAVING IRAQ: The Pentagon says U.S. remains in discussion with Iraq about the status of the roughly 5,000 American forces in the country, as the country’s caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said this week it will be up to the next government to decide whether to enforce a non-binding vote in parliament to disinvite the U.S. troops.
“We’re still with conversations with our Iraqi host. We continue to want to be a friend and partner to the sovereign and prosperous Iraq,” Hoffman said. “ At this time, there are no plans by the U.S. military to withdraw from Iraq.”
Hoffman said despite the vote in Iraq’s parliament, the Pentagon believes the consensus in Iraq is that the U.S. presence there is a force for good. “Having the United States forces in Iraq allows NATO to be present, as well, to help with that counter-ISIS mission as well as the training mission, to support Iraqi Security Forces,” he said.
BORDER WALL SCRAMBLE: The Pentagon is still not confirming reports that President Trump is planning for the second year in a row to use funds that Congress appropriated for counterdrug operations and military construction projects to accelerate the construction of barriers on the U.S. Mexico border.
Last year the Pentagon juggled funds from several accounts, including money intended for training Afghan forces, to fulfill the White House order to divert $3.6 billion to border wall construction, with the hope that any delayed projects would refunded this year by Congress.
But the budget passed in December did not replace the funds, and so the Pentagon is once again on the hunt for spare change to pay for road repairs and infrastructure improvements, including school construction projects on military bases.
“They’re still fully authorized and we’ll continue to try to find funds to pay for them,” Hoffman told reporters yesterday “Congress did not backfill some of those projects and therefore we’re going to continue to look for them.”
Hoffman said he was “not privy” to any decisions about the reported consideration of diverting an additional $7.2 billion in Pentagon funding for border wall construction, but indicated if the order comes from the White House, the Pentagon will salute smartly and make it happen.
“We have a long history supporting the Department of Defense in our border security efforts and we’ve been called on by the president to continue to do so,” Hoffman said. “The department considers national security and border security to be one.”
THE BLAME GAME: The Pentagon is also flatly rejecting the notion that a U.S. cyber attack may have disrupted Iran’s air defense radars, and led to the accidental drowning of a civilian airliner that killed all 176 people on board.
The suggestion was made by an Iranian general, according to a Voice of America reporter who asked Hoffman about it at yesterday’s briefing.
“I would never talk about cyber operations from the podium,” said Hoffman in response, “but to try to pin the blame [for] something that is, from all appearances, a tragic mistake by the Iranian military on the United States is dishonest and it’s shifting the blame for their own fault.”
FAKE NEWS: A purported Pentagon memo circulated on social media this week which claimed more than 100 U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian missile strike, has been debunked as a fake, writes Russ Read in the Washington Examiner.
The Jan. 13 letter purported to be from James Hogan, the Pentagon’s Freedom of Information Act chief, and allegedly was written in response to a FOIA appeal from Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
The forged letter, written on what appeared to be official Pentagon letterhead, listed 139 troops killed and another 146 injured. Thompson’s office confirmed that the letter was a fake and told the Washington Examiner that the congressman did not file a FOIA request.
Related: VOA: Iran’s State TV Airs Apparent Prank Call to C-SPAN to Back False Claims of US Casualties.
INDUSTRY WATCH: The Army is going back to the drawing board in its bid for a fighting vehicle to replace the venerable M2 Bradley, which dates back to the 1980’s.
An announcement late yesterday said the service is cancelling its solicitation of proposals for what’s called the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, or OMPV, after General Dynamics was the only company to submit a prototype by the required deadline. The announcement said the Army would “revisit the requirements, acquisition strategy and schedule before moving forward.”
“We remain committed to the OMFV program as it is our second-highest modernization priority, and the need for this ground combat vehicle capability is real,” said Bruce Jette, the Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. “It is imperative we get it right for our Soldiers.”
“The Army asked for a great deal of capability on a very aggressive schedule,” said Jette. “Despite an unprecedented number of industry days and engagements, to include a draft request for proposal over the course of nearly two years — all of which allowed industry to help shape this competition — it is clear a combination of requirements and schedule overwhelmed industry’s ability to respond within the Army’s timeline.”
NAVY PICKS TRAINING CHOPPER: The Navy has picked the Leonardo AW119 single-engine helicopter to replace its fleet of 115 TH-57 Sea Rangers as the basic helicopter used to train all student aviators, the company announced Thursday.
The Italian aerospace company said the contract is for the production of 32 aircraft designated the TH-73A, and is valued at $176.5 million, including spares, initial support and training. Delivery is be completed in October 2021.
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Despite billions spent on missile shields, US troops were defenseless when Iran attacked
Washington Examiner: Iran cyberattacks expected after Soleimani killing
Washington Examiner: Iran attack feared: DHS advises chemical companies to beef up security
AP: Iran’s President Says ‘No Limit’ To Nuclear Enrichment
Washington Post: 2019 saw record U.S. airstrikes in Somalia. Why is al-Shabab surging?
Breaking Defense: Marine Commandant: ‘The Farther You Back Away From China, They Will Move Toward You’
Defense News: Congress Wrestles With Deterring China ― Beyond Nukes
AP: U.S.-Russia Hold New Strategic Talks On Arms Control
New York Times: Taliban Offer to Reduce Violence While in Talks With U.S.
Seapower Magazine: USS Gerald R. Ford Set for 11 At-Sea Periods for Tests and Trials
Seapower Magazine: Navy Carriers to Receive Unmanned Aviation Warfare Centers
Air Force Magazine: AFRL Boss Cooley Fired Amid Misconduct Investigation
Defense News: The Space Force Gets Its First Member, And Trump Gets His First Briefing On The New Service
Calendar
FRIDAY | JANUARY 17
10 a.m. 485 Russell — Middle East Policy Council conference on “U.S.-Iranian Confrontation: Domestic, Regional and Global Implications,” with John Limbert, former deputy assistant secretary of State for Iran; former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Kuwait Douglas Silliman; former U.S. Ambassador to Oman Richard Schmierer, chairman and president of MEPC; Suzanne Maloney, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy; Joyce Karam, Washington correspondent at The National; and Thomas Mattair, executive director of MEPC https://mepc.org/hill-forums
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion on “the growing security challenges posed by U.S. strategic competitors, with Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Air Force Gen. John Hyten; and Kathleen Hicks, director of the CSIS International Security Program. https://www.csis.org/events
MONDAY | JANUARY 20
All day — Federal holiday in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
TUESDAY | JANUARY 21
7:00 a.m. 1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir — Association of the U.S. Army breakfast with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville. The event is sold out, but video will be posted afterward at www.ausa.org/live
THURSDAY | JANUARY 23
4 p.m. Bushnell, Florida — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers remarks on U.S. foreign policy at the Sumter County Fairgrounds. https://www.state.gov
FRIDAY | JANUARY 24
9:00 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Security Forum “Emerging Technologies Governance,” featuring a keynote address from Defense Secretary Mark Esper and discussion with Kathleen Hicks, CSIS senior vice president. Also with Samuel Brannen, CSIS; Gabrielle Burrell, minister counsellor defense policy, Embassy of Australia; Andrew Hunter, CSIS; Jason Matheny, former director, intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity; Suzanne Spaulding, CSIS; and Brig Gen. Benjamin Watson, vice chief of naval research and commander Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. Live streamed at https://www.csis.org/events/global-security-forum
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 29
11:30 a.m. 1667 K St. N.W. — Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment discussion of new report, “Taking Back the Seas: Transforming the U.S. Surface Fleet for Decision-Centric Warfare,” with Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly. https://files.constantcontact.com
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Africa is a continent full of potential, and this is the wrong time to withdraw U.S. troops serving to stabilize fragile regions of the continent. Any withdrawal or reduction would likely result in a surge in violent extremist attacks on the continent and beyond as well as increase the geopolitical influence of competitors like Russia and China…”
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, opposing any drawdown of U.S. troops in Africa
