US VOWS RESPONSE TO ‘IRAN-ENABLED’ ATTACKS ON SHIPPING: The U.S. Central Command, in a statement confirming four attacks against three cargo ships operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea, said while the anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, Iran is ultimately responsible.
“These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world,” CENTCOM said on its webpage and on social media. “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.”
Distress calls from the commercial ships Sunday prompted the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney to render assistance, and in three instances, the U.S. warship shot down Houthi drones, although it was unclear if the Carney or the commercial ships were the intended targets.
The three ships hit by ballistic missiles, the Unity Explorer, Number 9, and Sophie II, all sustained some damage but reported no casualties. Two of the ships were Panamanian-flagged, while the Unity Explorer was flagged in the Bahamas.
RED SEA SHIPPING ATTACKS: US CENTCOM CONFIRMS 4 ATTACKS ON 3 COMMERCIAL SHIP
‘IRAN REMAINS UNDETERRED’: The U.S. can expect more attacks from Iranian-backed proxies, predicted Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who said Houthi rebels have grown bolder as their arsenal of Iranian-supplied anti-ship missiles has grown.
“The Houthis are the only Iranian proxy that boast both anti-ship cruise and anti-ship ballistic missiles,” Taleblu said in an analysis provided to Daily on Defense. “Yemeni anti-ship missile capabilities are brought to you by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Full stop.”
“We are watching Iran export its strategy to threaten maritime traffic in real time across the region, be it in the Persian Gulf or Red Sea,” Taleblu said. “Iran remains undeterred from challenging America on land or at sea across various theaters of conflict, most recently in the hopes of getting America to terminate Israel’s war on Hamas.”
“Fearful of escalation with Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East, the Biden administration has yet to respond to multiple attacks on U.S. warships over the past several weeks,” Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at FDD, posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Iran and its proxies view this as weakness, not restraint, and militia attacks will continue.”
“Washington must respond meaningfully and credibly against both patron and proxy to change the current course of the conflict,” Taleblu argued.
GRAHAM: PRESSURING IRAN KEY TO FREEING MORE HOSTAGES: In an appearance on CNN Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) argued that the Biden administration’s unwillingness to confront Iran directly is making it harder to secure the release of the remaining 140 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including eight Americans.
“I would put more pressure on Iran,” Graham said. “Hamas doesn’t exist without Iranian help. Our soldiers are being hit in Syria and Iraq by Shiite militia controlled by Iran. So, what I would do is flip the script here. I would go to Iran and say, listen, you need to tell Hamas to let these hostages go. If you don’t, you’re going to start paying a heavier price.”
Yesterday, the U.S. conducted an airstrike in northern Iraq, near Kirkuk, where it appeared Iranian proxy forces were preparing to attack U.S. troops. The self-defense strike came as the Pentagon confirmed the number of drone and rocket attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since mid-October has risen to 75.
“We will not tolerate attacks on American personnel. And so, these attacks must stop,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a keynote speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday. “And until they do, we will do what we need to do to protect our troops and to impose costs on those who attack them.”
THE DRUMBEAT FOR TARGETING IRAN
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HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at the Pentagon at 11 a.m. Austin is just back from the Reagan National Defense Forum, which was held Friday and Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
AUSTIN: ‘AMERICA MUST NOT WAIVER’: In his Saturday speech, Austin delivered an impassioned warning against America “forfeiting its position of responsibility” in the face of the arguments by some in Congress that it’s time to pull back from international commitments, such as supporting Ukraine in its existential fight against Russian aggression.
“In every generation, some Americans prefer isolation to engagement, and they try to pull up the drawbridge, they try to kick loose the cornerstone of American leadership, and they try to undermine the security architecture that has produced decades of prosperity without great power war,” Austin said. “You’ll hear some people try to brand an American retreat from responsibility as bold new leadership. So, when you hear that, make no mistake: It is not bold, it is not new, and it is not leadership.”
“At this hinge in history, America must not waiver. American leadership rallies our allies and partners to uphold our shared security, and it inspires ordinary people around the world to work together toward a brighter future. But the troubles of our time will only grow worse without strong and steady American leadership,” he said. “The world built by American leadership can only be maintained by American leadership.”
LESSONS FROM FIGHTING TERROR: Austin also had words of caution for Israel as it steps up its campaign to wipe out Hamas in Gaza.
“You know, I learned a thing or two about urban warfare from my time fighting in Iraq and leading the campaign to defeat ISIS. Like Hamas, ISIS was deeply embedded in urban areas,” Austin said. “The lesson is that you can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians. You see, in this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population, and if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.”
“Two things are true: Any state has a duty to respond to a terrorist attack like Oct. 7, and every state has a duty to protect civilians during armed conflict,” he said. “I have repeatedly made clear to Israel’s leaders that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.”
GRAHAM: AUSTIN ‘SO NAIVE’: “Secretary Austin is telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve,” argued Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in his appearance on CNN Sunday. “He’s so naive. I mean, I have just lost all confidence in this guy. “
“The reason so many Palestinians are dying, I think, is because Hamas wants them to die. So, if you have got ideas about lessening civilian casualties, let me know. I will tell Israel, or you tell them directly,” Graham said. “If we were attacked like this, which we were on 9/11, if somebody called for us within two months to have a ceasefire against al Qaeda … we’d have laughed them out of town. We’d have run them out of town.”
“What is too many people dying in World War II after Pearl Harbor? Did the American public worry about how many people were dying to destroy Tokyo and Berlin?” Graham continued. “I think the goal of destroying Hamas is important for Israel, really important for the Palestinians. And Hamas is making it impossible for Israel to fight without hurting innocent people.”
“It’s not like this is a tranquil population only inflamed after Israel goes in to defend itself. … This is a radicalized population. I don’t want to kill innocent people, but Israel is fighting not just Hamas but the infrastructure around Hamas,” he said. “Look what happened to the Israeli hostages when they were presented to the Palestinian population. It’s beyond naive.”
NEXT PHASE OF ISRAEL’S MILITARY OPERATIONS IN GAZA COMPLICATED BY SITTING DUCK CIVILIANS
KIRBY: ISRAEL HAS BEEN ‘RECEPTIVE’: In a series of appearances on the Sunday show, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Israel has been “receptive” to U.S. entries to minimize civilian casualties.
“We don’t want to see them moving into the south unless or until they have accounted for that now additional civilian population because they move folks out of the north into the south, hundreds of thousands of them,” Kirby said on ABC. “We saw that as they went into north Gaza. They did in a more precise way, a smaller way. And just in the last 24, 48 hours, they published online a map of places where people could go to avoid combat.”
“There’s not a whole lot of modern militaries that would do that … telegraph their punches in that way. So, they are making an effort,” he said.
HAMAS BLAMED FOR END OF CEASEFIRE: The U.S. and Israel both blame Hamas for the breakdown in negotiations to secure the release of more hostages and the end of the ceasefire that’s seen Israel resume punishing airstrikes against Hama targets in Gaza.
“There are no official negotiations going on right now,” Kirby said on NBC. “And that’s because of Hamas. Hamas failed to come up with yet another list of women and children that could be released. And we know they’re holding additional women and children — not combatants, not female IDF soldiers but innocent civilians, women, and children that they have, that they couldn’t put on a list and turn that in.”
“What hasn’t stopped is our own involvement trying to get those back on track and trying to discuss with those partners and all those interlocutors, see if we can’t get it back in place,” Kirby said.
BLINKEN FORECASTS ‘TOUGH CHOICES’ AMID DISAGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL’S DEFINITION OF VICTORY AGAINST HAMA
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Red Sea shipping attacks: US CENTCOM confirms four attacks on three commercial ship
Washington Examiner: Next phase of Israel’s military operations in Gaza complicated by sitting duck civilians
Washington Examiner: Biden’s love-hate relationship with Netanyahu nurtures domestic headaches
Washington Examiner: Blinken forecasts ‘tough choices’ amid disagreement with Israel’s definition of victory against Hama
Washington Examiner: UN Palestinian agency looking into claim teacher held Israeli hostage in attic
Washington Examiner: Battle for Arctic territory pits US against China and Russia
Washington Examiner: Philippines opens South China Sea outpost as it digs in against China
Washington Examiner: Another senator holds up a key national security nominee, and it’s not Tuberville
Washington Examiner: Former US ambassador arrested in Florida, accused of serving as an agent of Cuba
Washington Examiner: Opinion: China’s infernal internal affairs hypocrisy
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The Europeans fail China’s pipeline attack test
Reuters: Israel Says Ground Forces Operating Across Gaza Strip As Offensive Builds
CQ Roll Call: Members Want $26 Billion for Programs the Pentagon Didn’t Seek
AP: Watchdog: Western arms companies failed to ramp up production capacity in 2022 due to Ukraine war
New York Times: Crossing The Dnipro: What Ukraine’s Foray Might Mean
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Identifies 1 Airman Killed in Japan Osprey Crash, 7 Still Missing
Air & Space Forces Magazine: US Drone Thwarts Militia Attack on American Troops in Iraq
Breaking Defense: CCA Loyal Wingman Could Lose ‘a Year’ of Progress Due to Congressional Budget Logjam: Kendall
Defense One: Anduril Unveils Jet-Powered Interceptor Designed to Down Enemy Drones, Missiles
Popular Mechanics: We Might Have Just Seen the World’s First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Attack
Air & Space Forces Magazine: To Counter Laser Weapons, Air Force Creates Better Eye Protection
AP: Pentagon Forges New High-Tech Agreement With Australia, United Kingdom, Aimed At Countering China
Bloomberg: US Navy, UK, Australia Will Test AI System to Help Crews Track Chinese Submarines in the Pacific
Defense News: US, Australia Eye Joint Hypersonics Experiments in 2024
Space News: US, UK, Australia Sign Agreement to Jointly Operate Deep Space Radar Network
Space News: Canada Taps into US Military Satellites for Mobile Communications
Washington Post: Why The Islamic State Is Surging In Africa
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Announces Not One, But Two Bonus Programs to Retain Aviators in 2024
The War Zone: F-35 ‘Franken-Bird’ Being Made from Two Badly Damaged Jets
Stars and Stripes: Cost To Fully Modernize 20,000 Stateside Navy Base Buildings Pegged At $49 Billion
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force’s Most Comprehensive Suicide Study Still Not Complete
Military.com: No More Late Night Alcohol Sales: Army and Air Force Exchange Stores to Ban the Practice Next Month
The Cipher Brief: Targeting FBI Budget Makes Us More Vulnerable on Cyber
The Cipher Brief: Want to Know if Putin Will Every Give Up Ukraine? History Offers Clues.
Calendar
MONDAY | DECEMBER 4
10 a.m. — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty virtual discussion: “The Closing of the Russian Mind,” about “writers and cultural figures in exile, and how others struggle to protect the arts against state power at home,” with Greg Feifer, executive director of the Institute of Current World Affairs; Linor Goralik, Russian-born Israeli author, poet, and artist; Rim Gilfanov, director of the RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Service; and Salome Astiani, journalist and podcast host of the RFE/RL Georgian Service https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register
10 a.m. — Wilson Center virtual discussion: “From Soviet Past to European Future: Ukraine’s Geopolitical Self-Determination,” with Danylo Lubkivsky, director of the Kyiv Security Forum; Roman Popadiuk, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; and Kateryna Smagliy, first secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/soviet-past-european-future
11 a.m. Pentagon River Entrance — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to the Pentagon
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “How intelligence agencies can best adapt to today’s geostrategic challenges and how technology is changing intelligence work,” with Australian Director-General of National Intelligence Andrew Shearer and Emily Harding, director of the CSIS Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program. RSVP to [email protected]]
2:30 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion “Designing the future joint force,” with Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady and Courtney Kube, Pentagon producer and off-air reporter at NBC News https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/designing-the-future-joint-force
4 p.m. — Wilson Center virtual book discussion: Forgotten Warriors: The Long History of Women in Combat, with author Sarah Percy, associate professor of international relations at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
TUESDAY | DECEMBER 5
8 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Previewing Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election,” with Nathan Batto, associate research fellow at the Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica and jointly appointed associate research fellow at the National Chengchi University Election Study Center; Brian Hioe, journalist and co-founder of New Bloom Magazine; and Kathrin Hille, greater China correspondent at the Financial Times https://www.csis.org/events/previewing-taiwans-2024-presidential-election
9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies Project on Nuclear Issues Fall Conference, with Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command. RSVP to [email protected]
9 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center discussion: “U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea/South Korea)-Japan Trilateral Relations,” with Mark Green, president and CEO of the Wilson Center; former Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, chairman emeritus of the Council of the Americas/Americas Society; Kenichiro Sasae, president of the Japan Institute of International Affairs; former South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Sung-Hwan Kim, chairman of the East Asia Foundation; and former Japanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Koji Tsuruoka, president of the International Affairs Research Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/us-rok-japan-trilateral-relations
9:30 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast conversation with Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security affairs. RSVP: Thom Shanker at [email protected]
10 a.m. 226 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” with testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray http://judiciary.senate.gov
10 a.m. — GDIT Emerge Quantum event: “Defense Against Emerging Cyber Threats,” with Wanda Jones-Heath, principal cyber adviser, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force; Adele Merritt, intelligence community chief information officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and others https://www.gdit.com/perspectives/emerge-quantum/
10 a.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW — U.S. Institute of Peace discussion: “Ukraine’s Peace Formula for a Just and Lasting Peace,” with Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Lise Grande, president and CEO of the U.S. Institute of Peace; and William Taylor, vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Russia and Europe Center https://www.usip.org/events/ukraines-peace-formula
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies/Stanford University Big Data China project second annual virtual conference: “Prospects for China’s Growth and Foreign Relations in an Era of Competition.” https://www.csis.org/events/prospects-chinas-growth-and-foreign-relations-era-competition
11 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center Transatlantic Security Initiative and Atlantic Council’s Europe Center in-person and virtual discussion: “Sweden’s future in NATO and Europe’s evolving security architecture,” with Swedish Defense Minister H.E. Pai Jonson https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-conversation
12 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW — U.S. Institute of Peace discussion: “Russia’s Malign Influence in Moldova,” with Moldovan Ambassador to the U.S. Viorel Ursu; Mihai Popsoi, deputy speaker of the Parliament of Moldova and chairman of the Moldova-U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group; William Hill, global fellow at the Wilson Center and former head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission to Moldova ambassador; and William Taylor, vice president of the USIP Russia and Europe Center https://www.usip.org/events/russias-malign-influence-moldova
2 p.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing: “The Sahel in Crisis: Examining U.S. Policy Options,” with testimony from Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs; Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs; and Robert Jenkins, assistant to the administrator in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 6
11 a.m. Pentagon River Entrance — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng to the Pentagon
2 p.m. — GovExec webcast “Enhancing Cloud Security: Partnering for Success,” with David McKeown, senior information security officer and deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity, Department of Defense; and others https://events.govexec.com/enhancing-cloud-security/
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing: “Back to the Future” https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/citi-hearing-back-future
3 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee hearing: “The status of Defense Department recruiting efforts and plans for FY2024” https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar: “U.S. Army’s role in 1980s U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, with retired Col. L. Scott Lingamfelter, author of Yanks in Blue Berets: American UN Peacekeepers in the Middle East https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report-yanks-blue-berets
8 p.m. Tuscaloosa, Alabama — Fourth Republican presidential primary debate, moderated by SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly, NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas, and the Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson. Broadcast on NewsNation and The CW network and livestream at https://rumble.com/gop-debate
THURSDAY | DECEMBER 7
8 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast conversation with Benedetta Berti, head of NATO policy planning in the office of the NATO Secretary-General. RSVP: Thom Shanker at [email protected]
8:30 a.m. 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW — U.S. Naval Institute: Defense Forum Washington 2023, with Marine Gen. Christopher Mahoney, assistant Marine Corps commandant; Ronald O’Rouke, specialist in naval affairs, Congressional Research Service; and others https://www.usni.org/events/defense-forum-washington-2023
8:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. — Hudson Institute discussion: “The B-21 Bomber and Its Deterrence Mission,” with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/senator-mike-rounds-b-21-bomber
9 a.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Regional Missile Defense Assets — Assessing COCOM and Allied Demand for Capabilities,” with testimony from John Hill, deputy assistant secretary of defense for space and missile defense policy; Army Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, director of the Department of the Army’s Management Office (DAMO)-Fires and Joint Capabilities (G-3/5/7); Navy Rear Adm. Douglas Williams, acting director of the Missile Defense Agency; and Army Brig. Gen. Clair Gill, deputy director for regional operations and force management for the Joint Staff J-3 https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/str-hearing-regional-missile-defense
11 a.m — National Security Space Association “SpaceTime Series,” with Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency, and Chris Williams, chairman of NSSA’s Moorman Center for Space Studies https://nssaspace.org/event/tournear-2023
1:30 p.m. 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW — Defense One forum: “The Future of Defense Acquisition,” with Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army; Dave Tremper, deputy assistant defense secretary for acquisition integration and interoperability; and Will Roper, CEO of Istari Digital and former assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics https://events.defenseone.com/do-the-future-of-defense
5:30 p.m. New York, New York — Common Good discussion: “Ukraine, Russia, and the Future of Putin,” with William Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management and head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, and Richard Salomon, founder and CEO of Vantage Point Consultants https://www.thecommongoodus.org/upcoming-events/ukraine-russia-and-the-future-of-putin
6:30 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW — Washington Film Institute and the U.S. Institute of Peace screening and discussion of the documentary, “Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” with director Evgeny Afineevsky and Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine https://www.usip.org/events/screening-freedom-fire-ukraines-fight-freedom
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 8
9 a.m. 801 N. Glebe Rd. — The Intelligence and National Security Alliance “Leadership Breakfast,” Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command, and director, NSA/Chief, CSS. https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event
11 a.m. 789 Massachusetts Ave., NW— American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in-person and virtual discussion: “American Democracy and a Fragile World Order,” with John M. Owen IV, author of The Ecology of Nations: American Democracy in a Fragile World Order; and Colin Dueck, nonresident senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute https://www.aei.org/events/discussing-american-democracy
SATURDAY | DECEMBER 9
3 p.m. and 7 p.m. — The U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Air Force Concert Band, and Singing Sergeants present a free-to-the-public holiday concert series, “Season of Hope” at DAR Constitution Hall, with the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir, the Alexandria School of Highland Dance, and a special visitor from the North Pole. Tickets: https://usafband.ticketleap.com
SUNDAY | DECEMBER 10
3 p.m. — The U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Air Force Concert Band, and Singing Sergeants present a free-to-the-public holiday concert series, “Season of Hope” at DAR Constitution Hall, with the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir, the Alexandria School of Highland Dance, and a special visitor from the North Pole. Tickets: https://usafband.ticketleap.com
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“So, at this hinge in history, America must not waiver. American leadership rallies our allies and partners to uphold our shared security, and it inspires ordinary people around the world to work together toward a brighter future. But the troubles of our time will only grow worse without strong and steady American leadership.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warning against isolationism, in a keynote address at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday
