Mystery in the desert: The US is bombing pro-Assad fighters, but they still won’t leave

The U.S. is taking action because the group has moved into a de-escalation zone near the southern border, where the U.S. is training local fighters. So why are they there? These pro-Assad forces appear to have their eye on the oil fields of Deir al-Zour, where the Islamic State leadership has moved to as the U.S.-backed fighters begin the assault on the self-proclaimed ISIS capital of Raqqa. These forces, which include militias backed by Iran, are the same ones that have been operating near the U.S. training base at al-Tanf, on the Syria-Iraq border. Between the Iranian-backed troops and the prized oil fields are vast areas of Syrian desert, and small towns all held by ISIS.

The U.S. also has its eye on Deir al-Zour as the next logical target after ISIS is defeated in Raqqa. “I would not call it a race,” U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, said this morning in an interview from Iraq. “We’re going to be successful in Raqqa, and then once we’re done with that, we’ll see where to go next.” But Dillon says the value of the region is no secret. “Just east of Deir al-Zour, right outside are oil fields, is a very rich location for resources. We know that because ISIS has been using these resources to finance these operations.”

But while the objective of the pro-regime forces seems clear, it’s a mystery why they have ignored U.S. demands they stay clear of a 35-mile ring around the al-Tanf training garrison that the U.S. has declared a “deconfliction zone.” Last month, a small, platoon-size element moved into the zone and refused to leave. Despite repeated warnings, and three separate bombings by U.S. warplanes, the latest yesterday, in which technical vehicles were destroyed and an armed drone shot down, they are staying put. So why aren’t they getting the message? “I wish I knew,” Dillon told the Washington Examiner this morning. “This is not what we want to do. We would be perfectly pleased if we did not have to focus on the protection of our forces there.”

WHOSE DRONE WAS IT ANYWAY? The armed drone the U.S. shot out of the sky was described yesterday as resembling an American MQ-1 Predator, similar in size and design. A U.S. warplane took down the unmanned plane after it dropped a munition on a group of coalition and partner troops that was patrolling just outside the safe zone. The suspicion is that the drone was Iranian, part of the support for the Iranian-backed troops on the ground. Sources confirm the drone was made by a country in the region. We may get a better idea today, since the Pentagon may release video of the shootdown to show the drone was in fact a threat to U.S. and partner forces. There were no casualties in the drone attack. The bomb it dropped “hit dirt,” we are told.

NDAA BEGINS: The top two lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee took the first steps toward building the National Defense Authorization Act Thursday, by introducing H.R. 2810, which is the “by request” version of the bill. It’s the first procedural step toward building the NDAA, which will see lawmakers haggle over President Trump’s $603 billion request for national defense.

SAUDI SHOPPING LIST REVEALED: That $110 billion deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia that Trump touted during last month’s trip there includes Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems by Lockheed Martin, along with aircraft and more than 100,000 air-to-ground munitions, according to a document obtained by Defense News. The contents of the deal have been somewhat of a mystery since news of the deal came out.

About $24 billion of the order was known because it was negotiated under the Obama administration, but the remaining $89 billion in intended sales was unknown. This larger section would also include KC-130J and C-130J aircraft by Lockheed, enhancements to its Patriot anti-missile system built by Raytheon, and sustainment for its Boeing F-15 fighters. What remains to be seen is how much is a true “shopping list,” and how much is just a “wish list” of capabilities the Saudis would like to have, but can’t really afford. Affordability aside, these items would also have to be approved for sale by Congress.

NORTH KOREA’S SHIP-KILLER MISSILES: Yesterday, we told you about North Korea’s firing of several land-based anti-ship missiles. Today, North Korea is boasting that the missiles were a new, improved version capable of hitting U.S. or other “enemy” ships off the coast. “This new-type cruise rocket is a powerful attack means capable of striking any enemy group of battleships… at will,” the Associated Press quoted the North’s official Korean Central News Agency as saying. Kim Jong Un reportedly observed the test fights and claimed the missiles “accurately detected and hit” floating targets at sea after making “circular flights.” There is no way to know how much of that is true.

Good Friday 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.

COMEY’S BIG DAY: Trump broke his Twitter silence just after 6 this morning. “Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!” It was his first reaction to Comey’s dramatic testimony yesterday in which he attacked the president’s integrity, labeling him a liar.

Comey said he was defamed by Trump administration assertions that the FBI was in disarray, poorly led, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader. “Those were lies, plain and simple.” Comey said. “It’s my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” he said later in the hearing “I was fired, in some way, to change — or the endeavor was to change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted.”

While Comey’s testimony contained a lot of damaging allegations, it also gave Trump’s attorney a lot to work with in disputing the charges that the president crossed the line in his interactions with FBI. Marc Kasowitz, Trump’s personal lawyer, laid out the case for the defense shortly after Comey wrapped up. Kasowitz focused on the areas that Comey confirmed that work in the president’s favor, including:

– The president was not under investigation as part of any probe into Russian interference

– There is no evidence that a single vote changed as a result of any Russian interference.

– Trump supported the FBI investigation, telling Comey, “It would be good to find out” if there were “some satellite associates of his who did something wrong.”

Kasowitz also flatly denied two of Comey’s most damning allegations: That the president asked Comey to “let Flynn go,” and that he demanded loyalty from Comey in return for keeping his job. “He never said it in form and he never said it in substance,” Kasowitz said.

And he labeled Comey a “leaker” who was part of an entrenched bureaucracy that has been conspiring to bring Trump down. “It is overwhelmingly clear that there have been and continue to be those in government who are actively attempting to undermine this administration with selective and illegal leaks of classified information and privileged communications,” Kasowitz said. “Mr. Comey has now admitted that he is one of these leakers.”

IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND YESTERDAY: And didn’t have a chance to to watch the Comey testimony, Kelly Cohen rounded up seven things we learned from the session. Read that here.

BIGTIME BACKFIRE: British Prime Minister Theresa May’s gamble, calling snap elections to bolster her mandate, backfired in spectacular fashion yesterday when her Conservative Party lost its majority, with the surprisingly strong showing by Jeremy Corbyn’s opposition Labour Party. May didn’t need to call elections, but when she did five weeks ago, the Conservatives were up 16 points in the polls, and the forecast was the Tories would pick up as many as 100 seats. Instead, Labour gained more than 30 seats, in the 650-seat parliament. It takes 326 seats to have a majority. The conservatives had 330 seats before the election, and now have 318, leaving Britain stuck with a “hung parliament,” in which no side has a majority. Despite calls for her resignation, May says she’ll hang around and try to form a government. The big question is what this means for Brexit. May had hoped the elections results would give her a stronger position as she negotiates Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

DISCLOSE CYBER OPS: With foreign hacking dominating headlines, the Pentagon would be required to notify Congress about its own military cyber operations outside of war zones, as well as any newly deployed cyber weapons, under a bill introduced Thursday by top lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Mac Thornberry, the committee’s Republican chairman and a sponsor, said it would mean “greater transparency and accountability for some of the most classified elements of our national defense.”

The legislation is likely to be rolled into the committee’s annual National Defense Authorization Act just as the Pentagon is facing increasingly numerous and advanced cyber operations by adversaries such as China, North Korea and especially Russia, which is accused of using hacked documents to influence the U.S. presidential election and European allies.

KUSHNER HEADS TO THE SENATE: Jared Kushner, adviser and son-in-law to Trump, will meet with staffers from the Senate Intelligence Committee next week, Sen. Angus King confirmed on Thursday. Earlier, NBC News reported that the meeting would take place this month, hours after Comey testified before the Senate intelligence panel about his private conversations with Trump.

An unnamed person familiar with the matter later told NBC News that Kushner has agreed to meet with the panel, but that talks are still being conducted over when that might be. Kushner has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks after one report claimed he offered in December to set up a secret back channel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin and another report about how he may have had several undisclosed communications with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak during and after the campaign.

TRANSGENDER DELAY: The Army and Marine Corps want to delay implementing a policy to accept transgender applicants to serve, according to a report on Thursday. The requests come prior to the July 1 deadline given to the services to craft a transgender policy. Last year, the Obama administration repealed a ban on allowing openly transgender troops to serve in the military for health reasons. In 2014, an independent commission said that there was “no compelling medical reason” for a transgender ban in the military.

A final decision on the matter has yet to be made by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, according to a report from USA Today. Unnamed sources said the Army is concerned about the capability of transgender soldiers while they are in their transitional phases. In contrast, the sources said the Navy is ready to apply an acceptance policy for transgender applicants.

PUTIN ON THE CHARM: Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he likes Sen. John McCain during a trailer for an interview with Oliver Stone released Thursday. “Well, honestly, I like Sen. McCain to a certain extent. And I’m not joking,” said Putin. “I like him because of his patriotism, and I can relate to his consistency in fighting for the interests of his own country.” In the Showtime trailer, a Feb. 7 video is shown of McCain condemning Putin in response to Trump’s saying he respected Putin and said “you think our country’s so innocent.”

“Putin is a killer. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Putin’s Russia. I repeat, there is no moral equivalent between that butcher and thug and KGB colonel and the United States of America,” McCain said.

THE RUNDOWN

Washington Post: Bahrain and UAE criminalize ‘sympathy’ for Qatar

New York Times: Iran says Tehran assailants were recruited inside the country

Reuters: South Korea Will Not Change THAAD Agreement With U.S. – Security Adviser

Reuters: Putin says Kremlin critic Senator McCain ‘lives in Old World’

War on the Rocks: Maj. Smith goes to Washington: In defense of citizen-soldiers in Congress

DoD Buzz: First KC-46 delivery delayed until spring 2018

Fox News: Hawaii’s X-band radar vindicated by successful missile intercept, military says

Politico: Trump tweets propel Europe into new military age

Military.com: Contract talks under way at Newport News shipyard

Navy Times: Hangman’s noose discovered on a destroyer, leaving more questions than answers

USA Today: Iran: Trump response to terror attack in Tehran ‘repugnant’

Defense One: Boeing, shipbuilder team up to build giant underwater drones

Wall Street Journal: Islamic State claims it killed two Chinese nationals in Pakistan

Foreign Policy: Al Jazeera media network hit by massive hack

USNI News: Interview: As unmanned systems take on greater role, PEO LCS advancing its programs

Calendar

FRIDAY | JUNE 9

10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Book talk on Russia: Three Years After Crimea. wilsoncenter.org

MONDAY | JUNE 12

10:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. A daylong forum on religion and violence in Russia. csis.org

7 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Defense Department budget request hearing with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. armedservices.house.gov

TUESDAY | JUNE 13

8 a.m. 300 1st St. SE. Nuclear modernization and cooperative paths forward with John Harvey, former principal deputy assistant to the secretary of Defense for nuclear and chemical and biological defense programs. michelleaerospacepower.org

9 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW. A conversation about countering Putin’s Russia with Rep. Adam Smith. aei.org

9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Defense Department budget with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. armed-services.senate.gov

10 a.m. Dirksen 419. Review of the FY 2018 State Department budget request with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. foreign.senate.gov

10 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Preserving and building on the Iran nuclear deal. atlanticcouncil.org

1 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Climate, conflict and refugees: Examining the impact of environmental change on human security. stimson.org

2:30 p.m. Dirksen 192. Budget request for the State Department with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. appropriations.senate.gov

2:30 p.m. Russell 222. Budget for Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs. armed-services.senate.gov

2:30 p.m. Dirksen 419. Recent incidents of state-sponsored cyberspace threats and U.S. policy response. foreign.senate.gov

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 14

8 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. Mastering business development workshop. ndia.org

9 a.m. Rayburn 2172. The FY 2018 foreign affairs budget with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. foreignaffairs.house.gov

9 a.m. 800 17th St. NW. Manufacturing division meeting. ndia.org

9 a.m. 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Boeing Defense Space and Security CEO Leanne Caret talks about shaping the division for strategic growth. defenseone.com

9 a.m. 529 14th St. NW. Documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick preview “The Vietnam War.” press.org

10 a.m. Dirksen 342. Understanding the tools, tactics, and techniques of violent extremism. hsgac.senate.gov

11:30 a.m. 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington National Cemetery. 2017 Service to the Flag award ceremony. ndia.org

12 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Retired Army officer Conrad C. Crane discusses the creation of the counterinsurgency field manual. heritage.org

THURSDAY | JUNE 15

8 a.m. 300 First St. SE. The next ballistic missile defense review with retired Brig. Gen. Kenneth Todorov, former deputy director of the Missile Defense Agency. michelleaerospacepower.org

9:30 p.m. Dirksen G-50. Posture of the Navy with Adm.l John Richardson, chief of naval operations, and Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps. armed-services.senate.gov

10 a.m. Rayburn 2359. Defense Department budget for 2018 with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. appropriations.house.gov

10 a.m. Senate Visitor Center 209-08. Study release on optimizing the potential of remotely piloted aircraft with Sen. John Boozman and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula. mitchellaerospacepower.org

FRIDAY | JUNE 16

9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. American and Japanese perspectives on a Eurasia security strategy. stimson.org

10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. New administrations and the challenges and way forward for the U.S.-South Korea alliance with Chung-in Moon, special adviser to the South Korean president for unification and national security affairs. wilsoncenter.org