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THE HUNT IS ON: Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is discovering firsthand — if he wasn’t already well aware — that one of the principal tasks that falls to any defense secretary serving President Trump is turning his pronouncements unpopular in the Pentagon into policy that is more palatable to the military and its supporters. The first thing that Shanahan made clear in his remarks to reporters flying back with him from the weekend Munich Security Conference is that military housing funds will not be part of the $3.6 billion in military construction funds the president wants to divert to build more border barriers. “I’ve received a number of letters. I’ve had lots of feedback: ‘Do not jeopardize the projects that are underway,’” Shanahan said. “There are some priorities that won’t be considered: military housing.” Shanahan said he will be following a deliberate and careful process to figure out how to shift funds to meet the president’s priorities while minimizing the impact on quality of life for military families. And he underscored that as of the weekend no decisions had been made. 5-YEAR MONEY VS. THIS YEAR MONEY: Shanahan is basically working with two pots of cash. The $2.5 billion in counter-narcotic funds have to be spent this year. But the $3.6 billion in military construction funds is five-year money, because construction projects take time. “All of this money has been assigned for other purposes, so it really then comes to what are you going to trade off,” Shanahan said. “When you say ‘tradeoff,’ it really is a tradeoff. There is without something that wouldn’t be done that [was] planned to be done.” THE LEGAL CHALLENGE: Meanwhile 16 states, led by California, are suing in federal court in an attempt to block the emergency declaration that authorizes the transfer of military money to wall funding. California attorney general Xavier Becerra said in a statement that California’s lawsuit argues the declaration is unconstitutional. “President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt,” Becerra said, according to the AP. “He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court.” In Friday’s announcement the White House was careful to cite the precise provisions of a law Congress passed in 1976 that specifically authorizes the president to declare a national emergency and then authorizes the secretary of defense to use unallocated (that is unspent) military construction funds to support the armed forces. “The language itself is very simple,” said Shanahan. “In effect it says to support military operations, you have the discretion to utilize military construction funds, and it’s basically that broad.” Shanahan says the Joint Staff will be conducting a careful “mission analysis” to determine how the military can support the Department of Homeland Security and how the funds can be spent legally. “We are following the law, using the rules, and we’re not bending the rules,” he said. TYING UP THE MONEY: But while the legal battle plays out, the funds will essentially be frozen. The Pentagon can’t spend the money, about $10 billion in FY 2020 funds, or they won’t be available for the wall. And if a court issues an injunction, the money also won’t be used for construction of new border barriers. GENERAL CONFUSION: Given that no projects have been identified for defunding or delay, President Trump’s Friday remarks that he was briefed by “the generals” and the projects “didn’t sound too important” were curious, to say the least. Trump invoked the “the generals” in arguing that the border wall was a higher priority than whatever else they money would be spent on. “Some of the generals think that this is more important. I was speaking to a couple of them. They think this is far more important than what they were going to use it for. I said, ‘What were you going to use it for?’ And I won’t go into details, but it didn’t sound too important to me.” A request to the Pentagon for more information about which generals and what projects were discussed in what forum last week has gone unanswered. In 2017 when President Trump tweeted an order declaring that “after consultation with my Generals” he was instituting a ban on transgender troops, it later turned out no generals had been consulted, and the tweet took the Pentagon by surprise. HASC CHAIR FURIOUS: Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, took particular exception to Trump’s remarks about relative value of military construction priorities. “It is utterly disrespectful of U.S. national security and the needs of our men and women in uniform, and it further undermines his credibility in requesting the upcoming defense budget,” said Smith in a statement. Smith called Trump’s move an “appalling decision” and “an egregious example of the President putting his political agenda ahead of the interest of the United States.” “As the President begins to steal money from military needs to build his wall, Congress must conduct oversight to identify exactly which projects supporting servicemembers and their families the President has chosen to value less than this political stunt,” Smith said. 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 Kelly Jane Torrance (@kjtorrance). 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: In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, the U.S. is sending a warship into the Black Sea to conduct “maritime security operations” and “enhance regional maritime stability.” It’s the second visit to the Black Sea for the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, after a a November confrontation in which Russian forces fired on three Ukrainian naval vessels, seized the ships, and took the crews into custody. Russia claimed the ships tried to force their way through the Kerch Strait without following standard safety procedures. “We’re showing solidarity,” Adm. James Foggo, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa, told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “Let me tell you, that irritates me to no end,” Foggo said. “They are uniformed Ukrainian sailors and officers and chiefs. They’re not criminals and they are being charged under a criminal code. They should be protected under the Geneva Convention, which is why the United States and other NATO allies have come to the table and said ‘Release them immediately,’ and they still continue to hold them. That is just absolutely wrong and it is not the kind of behavior that you would expect from a major power — which Russia wants to be.” ‘YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING’: President Trump has warned Venezuelan military members that if they don’t abandon their support for President Nicolas Maduro, they will “lose everything.” In a speech to the Venezuelan-American community in Miami, Florida, Trump urged Venezuelan military officers to switch their allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido. “We seek a peaceful transition of power. But all options are open,” Trump said, directing his remarks to the Venezuelan military and its leadership. “If you choose this path, you have the opportunity to help forge a safe and prosperous future for all of the people of Venezuela. Or you can choose the second path, continuing to support Maduro,” Trump said. “If you choose this path, you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit, and no way out. You will lose everything.” In response, Maduro called Trump’s speech a “Nazi” discourse, a televised event. “They think they are the owners of this country. Donald Trump thinks he can give orders and that our armed forces will agree,’’ Maduro said. “It’s an offense to the dignity of our military.” WHO DOES TRUMP TRUST? In his 60 Minutes interview on CBS Sunday night, former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe told Scott Pelley that last year President Trump did not believe that North Koreans have the capability to hit the United States with ballistic missiles “because President Putin had told him they did not,” taking Putin’s word over that of the U.S. intelligence community. “Intelligence officials in the briefing responded that that was not consistent with any of the intelligence our government possesses. To which the president replied, ‘I don’t care. I believe Putin,’” McCabe said. That exchange prompted this response from Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who was interviewed on CNN yesterday before departing the Munich Security Conference. “It’s stunning that we’ve had several demonstrations of our president not believing our own intelligence community, their assessment of Russia’s interference in our 2016 election,” said Coons. “I’ll remind you, our intelligence community is led by career professionals and not partisan political folks, and their job is to gather actionable intelligence from around the world to make sure our president is able to make informed decisions on some of the most pressing security issues in front of us.” CONSTITUTIONAL COUP? Meanwhile Trump railed on Twitter about the revelation in the McCabe interview that law enforcement officials discussed whether to secretly record a conversation with the president and whether Trump could be removed from office through the 25th Amendment, calling it “Treason.” “The biggest abuse of power and corruption scandal in our history, and it’s much worse than we thought. Andrew McCabe (FBI) admitted to plotting a coup (government overthrow) when he was serving in the FBI, before he was fired for lying & leaking,” tweeted Trump, apparently quoting Sean Hannity of Fox News. “Treason,” he added. PENCE, ZARIF SQUARE OFF IN MUNICH: “The time has come for our European partners to stand with us and with the Iranian people, our allies, and friends in the region,” said Vice President Mike Pence in his Saturday speech at the Munich Security Conference. “The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region, and the world the peace, security, and freedom they deserve.” “Is it Iran that threatens the annihilation of others? Or is it [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu … who openly threatens my country’s obliteration by standing next to his nuclear weapon pack?” said Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif. “No theatrics here. Including the show put on by Mr. Pence yesterday cannot obscure these realities. Indeed, more and more nations are becoming explicit about the fact that the United States is now the single biggest source of destabilization in our neighborhood.” At the conference German chancellor Angela Merkel pushed back against Pence’s call but stressed that Europe and America have the same goal: to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “The only question that stands between us on this issue is, Do we help our common cause, our common aim of containing the damaging or difficult development of Iran, by withdrawing from the one remaining agreement? Or do we help it more by keeping the small anchor we have in order maybe to exert pressure in other areas?” she said. WARNER, KAINE WANT F-22s: Virginia senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with the entire Virginia congressional delegation, are asking Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to relocate the F-22 Flight and Maintenance Formal Training Units (FTU) to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton Roads. Originally located at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, which was ravaged by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, the squadron is temporarily located at Eglin Air Force Base, awaiting a permanent decision. “Beyond the existing ramp space and infrastructure at Langley that would allow it to quickly receive aircraft at minimal additional cost, a decision to move the F-22 FTU to Langley would leverage a number of key benefits that Langley and the surrounding areas have,” said the members of Congress. “The Hampton Roads area has a long history of supporting our nation’s military and their families, and would provide strong recruiting and retention ability.” KISSING SAILOR DIES AT 95: A Navy veteran believed to be the sailor in the iconic Life magazine photograph of a man kissing a woman to celebrate the end of World War II has died at the age of 95. George Mendonsa is widely believed to be the sailor kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental assistant in what looked like a nurse’s uniform in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Aug. 14, 1945, “The Kiss” photograph taken in New York City’s Times Square. “When I look at that photograph, I just think of my dad’s service, and how happy he was that it was all over,” Mendonsa’s daughter Sharon Molleur told CNN. THE RUNDOWN Washington Examiner: Here’s where Trump could order up 234 miles of new border wall Politico: Trump to approve lean Space Force Wall Street Journal: U.S. Weighs North Korean Office Washington Post: As the U.S. looks to exit Afghanistan, China is tiptoeing into the region Defense News: China Is Working On Killer Robot Ships Of Its Own New York Times: Rift Between Trump and Europe Is Now Open and Angry Bloomberg: Air Force Wants Eight Upgraded Boeing Fighters Along With F-35s AP: Iran Unveils New ‘Conqueror’ Submarine Palm Beach Post: Friends, relatives gather for funeral of Green Beret slain in Syria Bloomberg: Japan frets over ‘nightmare scenario’ as Trump again meets with Kim Task & Purpose: After Valentine’s Day, it’s clear the Pentagon is in love with great power competition Virginian Pilot: Breaking Down The Big Numbers Of Huntington Ingalls’ Two-Carrier Contract Breaking Defense: Fix It Before It Breaks: SOCOM, JAIC Pioneer Predictive Maintenance AI Tampa Bay Times: Florida Military Bases Could Lose up to $177 Million to Trump’s Border Wall New York Times: Land Mines Block Saudi-Led Assault in Yemen, Killing Civilians |
CalendarTUESDAY | FEBRUARY 19 10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, discusses the challenges faced by the Air Force in an era of great power competition. www.brookings.edu 1 p.m. 385 Water St. S.E. Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy provides the keynote address at the Muster DC veterans entrepreneur event, at the District Winery. WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 20 12:15 p.m. 740 15th St N.W. #900. “21st Century Proxy Warfare.” www.newamerica.org 12:30 p.m. 1619 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. “The ‘New Cold War’ Metaphor Makes No Sense.” www.sais-jhu.edu 2 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave, N.W. “Hope in an Age of Nuclear Weapons: The Realist Case for Elimination.” www.stimson.org THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 21 8:30 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. “Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Roundtable Breakfast.” www.ndia.org 11 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. “Gullible Superpower: U.S. Support for Bogus Foreign Democratic Movements.” www.cato.org FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 22 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Avenue N.W. “Prospects for the Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit.” www.csis.org MONDAY | FEBRUARY 25 9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Avenue N.W. “Competing with Russia ‘Short of War’: How the US and NATO have Countered Russian Coercion Panel Discussion.” www.stimson.org TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 26 7 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Breakfast with Ryan McCarthy, Under Secretary of the U.S. Army. www.ausa.org 12 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave N.E. “Modernizing the U.S. Sea-based Strategic Deterrent Force and the Need for 12 Columbia-class SSBNs.” www.heritage.org WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 27 11 a.m. 1700 Army Navy Drive. Expeditionary Warfare Division Annual Meeting. www.ndia.org THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 28 8 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W. “Strategic National Security Space: FY 2020 Budget and Policy Forum.” www.csis.org 8:30 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Congress and the National Defense Strategy: A bipartisan conversation with congressional national security leaders. www.aei.org SUNDAY | MARCH 3 10:30 a.m. 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Breakfast discussion with rocket scientist behind Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, Dr. Ari Sacher. jnf.org/vabreakfast MONDAY | MARCH 11 7 a.m. 1779 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference. www.carnegieendowment.org TUESDAY | MARCH 12 7 a.m. 1779 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference (Day 2). www.carnegieendowment.org |
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