| November 26, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. New, expanded rules for U.S. combat in Afghanistan in 2015
(Military Times) New rules for the 9,800 U.S. troops staying in Afghanistan next year will let commanders order airstrikes or night raids on Taliban forces who pose a significant threat to the Afghan government, defense officials said.
2. Exclusive: Flournoy Drops Out of Race to Be Next Secretary of Defense
(Foreign Policy) Michèle Flournoy, the most widely rumored candidate to replace Chuck Hagel as the next secretary of defense, has taken herself out of the running for the job, according to sources familiar with the situation. The decision complicates what will be one of the most important personnel decisions of President Barack Obama's second term.
3. White House Needs Strategic Thinker at Pentagon, and Quickly, Former Official Says
(Defense News) When the announcement came on Monday, with no successor named to be chewed over during the lame duck session of the 113th Congress, a litany of familiar names cropped up as Hagel's potential replacement.
4. U.S.-Led Raid Rescues Eight Held in Yemen
(New York Times) In a predawn raid on Tuesday, United States Special Operations commandos and Yemeni troops rescued eight hostages being held in a cave in a remote part of eastern Yemen by Al Qaeda's affiliate there, officials from both countries said.
5. Missouri governor orders more Guard troops to Ferguson
(Army Times) The governor of Missouri ordered additional National Guard troops to Ferguson, a day after rioting broke out following the grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown.
CONGRESS
Hagel's replacement could face rough confirmation
(Military Times) Whoever accepts the nomination to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel should not expect a warm welcome on Capitol Hill.
Hagel's Dismissal Underscores White House Trust Deficit, Lawmakers Say
(Defense News) Chuck Hagel was a Barack Obama mentor, which made him part of the US president's inner circle. But when the defense secretary drifted, he had to leave. And so it goes in Barack Obama's war cabinet.
Group Seeks to Restore Retirement Pay for Army Officers
(New York Times) A bipartisan group of 15 senators has asked the Army to change a policy that strips some soldiers of their officer-retirement pay if the Army-wide drawdown forces them to retire. Currently, enlisted soldiers who become officers but have not served eight years before being forced to retire must retire at their highest enlisted pay - a difference of about $1,000 per month. In a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh, Senators Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, and Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia, said that "to demote these soldiers in retirement is an injustice that devalues their service and will materially disadvantage them and their families for the rest of their lives."
Issue Tracker: Familiar Faces, New Places
(Defense News) The 114th Congress started to take shape last week, with House lawmakers electing new committee chiefs and senators signaling which panel leadership posts they will take. Here's a rundown of some key moves, and what each means for the defense sector.
Dem applauds suspension of France-Russia warship sale
(The Hill) The top Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.), welcomed news Tuesday that France was postponing the sale of a warship to Russia indefinitely.
INDUSTRY
France Suspends Mistral Warship Delivery to Russia
(Defense News) French President Francois Hollande has placed a hold on the delivery of the first Mistral helicopter carrier to Russia in view of the deadly conflict in east Ukraine, the president's office said on Tuesday.
New United Technologies Chief Faces Tough Challenges
(Wall Street Journal) United Technologies Corp. Chief Executive Greg Hayes may have a different style than his predecessor, but there are few indications he will approach strategy much differently.
GEOINT market to reach $9.7B
(C4ISR & Networks) The global market for geospatial intelligence is growing fast.
SpaceX may upset firm's monopoly in launching Air Force satellites
(Los Angeles Times) Entrepreneur Elon Musk and his upstart company SpaceX are on the verge of upsetting a cozy and pricey military deal that for years has given two aerospace giants the exclusive right to launch the Air Force's most crucial satellites into orbit.
Raytheon demonstrates self-powered radar jammers
(C4ISR & Networks) Raytheon and the U.S. Navy have tested a new, integrated electronic attack system.
Romanian Government To Invite Private Investors Into Defense Industry
(Defense News) The Romanian government has unveiled plans to secure minority private investors for the country's state-run defense industry with emphasis on plant modernization.
Australia Hints It Will Look Overseas for New Submarine Fleet
(Wall Street Journal) Australia has given its strongest signal yet it will look overseas for a 25 billion Australian dollar (US$22 billion) fleet of new conventional submarines, with the country's defense minister saying Tuesday he wouldn't trust local naval shipyards to "build a canoe."
General Dynamics to refresh radios for Canadian military
(C4ISR & Networks) General Dynamics Canada has won several communications contracts recently.
ISLAMIC STATE
Could Hagel resignation signal shift in US strategy against Islamic State?
(Christian Science Monitor) Before his resignation, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel criticized US strategy in Syria against the Islamic State in a letter to National Security Adviser Susan Rice. However, the Pentagon maintains there is no connection between the two events.
FBI Accuses Two Young Minnesotans of Planning to Join Extremists in Syria
(National Journal) An 18-year-old Minnesotan who is accused of conspiracy to provide material support to the Islamic State group was arrested on Tuesday following an FBI investigation. His friend, a Minnesotan two years his senior, is charged with actually providing that support. He is believed to have joined a terrorist organization in Syria.
Iraq to overhaul Baghdad security to stop bombings
(Associated Press) Baghdad's neighborhood of Gorayaat, a small Shiite enclave on a bend in the Tigris River, exemplifies the failures of Iraq's security agencies trying to protect the capital from attacks by the Islamic State. The district has been a target for years, hit by so many bombings, suicide attacks, rockets and mortars that residents have lost count.
Key provincial capital in Iraq may be about to fall to Islamic State
(McClatchy) Islamic State fighters on Tuesday penetrated to the core of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Iraq's largest province, prompting local security officials to warn that the city was on the verge of falling to the extremists. Such a gain would be the Islamic State's most significant victory in months.
Activists raise Raqqa strikes death toll to 95
(Associated Press) The death toll from a series of Syrian government airstrikes on the Islamic State group's stronghold in northeastern Syria has risen to at least 95, making it one of the deadliest attacks on the city of Raqqa in the past three years.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Rift between Chuck Hagel and the White House? Pentagon spokesman says no
(Washington Post) The Pentagon's top spokesman sought Tuesday to squash the widely accepted narrative about Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's forthcoming departure from the Defense Department - that he was fired or forced to resign by President Obama, rather than leaving on his own accord.
Hagel Exit Shows Obama Has Taken Power Away From Pentagon
(Bloomberg) President Barack Obama pushed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel out of his job yesterday after less than 21 months, with White House officials citing disagreements over Iraq and Syria policy.
Bug Accidentally Shut Down Military Open Source Software Portal
(NextGov) A data center supporting Forge.mil executed computer instructions that accidentally "corrupted all Forge.mil systems," Defense Information Systems Agency officials said in a notice released early Monday.
New DoD cloud policy delayed
(C4ISR & Networks) The plan was originally expected in mid-November.
Pentagon seeks protective bubble for Ebola patients
(USA Today) To avoid problems caused by faulty biohazard suits used in tropical climates, the Pentagon is rushing to develop by January a portable "Care Cube" that would envelope patients infected with the Ebola virus while allowing caregivers to work without wearing the bulky suits, according to a newly released military document.
ARMY
Command Sgt. Maj. killed in Afghanistan
(Army Times) Command Sgt. Maj. Wardell Turrner, assigned to a key training command in Afghanistan, was killed Monday, according to a friend and Facebook posts.
Soldier from Grove City killed in Afghanistan bombing
(Columbus Dispatch) Every now and then in a coach's career, a kid comes along who changes things.
The war after the war
(Dallas Morning News) Wounded soldiers allege mistreatment in the Army's Warrior Transition Units
Bragg soldier killed in one-car wreck on post
(Army Times) Spc. Nethaniel H. Wolfson died in a one-car accident during the early morning hours Sunday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Insulted by treatment
(Dallas Morning News) Deployed four times - twice to the war in Iraq - Ngala Benn was taking prescription drugs for post-traumatic stress disorder when he was put in charge of soldiers at Fort Hood's Warrior Transition Unit.
Applications open for West Point teaching duties
(Army Times) Applications are being accepted from qualified mid-career officers who want to serve in prestigious broadening assignments on the staff and faculty of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
NAVY
Haley tapped for top job at AIRLANT
(Navy Times) A career naval aviator with 3,500 flight hours and more than 1,000 carrier landings has been selected to command Naval Air Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia, the Defense Department said Tuesday.
Hagel Will Still Make Final Call on LCS Follow On
(USNI News) Despite the announcement of his resignation, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will continue to, "keep his foot on the pedal and moving forward," in his current role, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.
Special and general courts-martial results for October 2014 announced
(Navy Times) The Navy has released results of special and general courts-martial for October 2014. The cases are listed by the Navy Region in which they were tried:
AIR FORCE
Vice chief turns attention to prevention of sex crimes
(Air Force Times) More than a year has passed since the military was rocked by a string of high-profile sexual misconduct scandals and a Defense Department report that showed a steep rise in the number of service members who said they'd experienced unwanted sexual contact.
Kadena airman dies in on-base motorcycle crash
(Stars & Stripes) An airman from Kadena Air Base died Monday following an on-base motorcycle crash.
A-10s will support war against ISIS
(The Hill) An Air Force A-10 fighter squadron that recently deployed to the Middle East will work with coalition forces to support the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Air Force said Monday.
MARINE CORPS
Study aims to improve MARSOC training, injury prevention
(Marine Corps Times) A years-long study designed to prevent injury and improve training for MARSOC's elite critical skills operators is preparing to kick off in North Carolina.
W.Va. veteran with cancer gets wish to see son lecture at Pitt
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) The speeches, the handshakes, the red-white-and-blue cake -- it was all a surprise, and a lot more public acclamation than retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jeffrey Raymond Wheeler, a Vietnam War veteran with terminal lung cancer, was used to receiving for his service in Da Nang in the mid-1960s.
Corps' best corporals courses offer action, excitement
(Marine Corps Times) New noncommissioned officers in Hawaii attended a beefed-up Corporals Course this year which culminated in four hours in the field recreating the combat experiences of Silver Star recipient Gunnery Sgt. Timothy Tardif.
VETERANS
Phoenix VA director's firing leaves critics wanting more
(Military Times) When former Veterans Affairs Department executive Sharon Helman was fired Monday, VA critics reacted swiftly and similarly to the news: Finally - but it's not enough.
Lawmakers want answers from VA on 'choice card' rollout
(The Hill) New Hampshire Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D) are voicing displeasure with the Veterans Affairs Department over the rollout of legislation meant to give veterans greater access to medical care.
Time to address veterans' suicides, senator says
(Associated Press) U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., who is wrapping up his time as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, says he'll work to pass legislation before year-end to address high suicide rates among veterans.
Lawmakers seek to give veterans easier access to medical marijuana
(Military Times) House lawmakers have introduced legislation that would make it easier for veterans to get medical marijuana in states where that is legal.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Two powerful explosions rock Kabul
(Washington Post) Two powerful explosions hit Kabul early Tuesday, one wounding six Afghan army soldiers, the latest in a series of insurgent attacks on high-profile targets.
Ghani warns against Afghan 'proxy war' at South Asia summit
(Agence France-Presse) Afghanistan's new president told the leaders of India and Pakistan he would not let his country become the battleground of a proxy war Wednesday as the enmity between South Asia's arch rivals cast a shadow over a regional summit.
AGO freezes assets of Mahmood Karzai and Haseen Fahim
(Khaama Press) The assets of Mahmood Karzai and Haseen Fahim have been frozen by the Attorney General Office (AGO) over the the outstanding payment of loans from Kabul Bank which collapsed in 2010.
MIDDLE EAST
Egypt's Sisi Piles on to Hagel's Fractured Legacy
(Foreign Policy) One day after announcing that Chuck Hagel is being dismissed as defense secretary, his greatest foreign-policy legacy -- relations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government -- seems to be evaporating. Egypt's interior minister warned on Tuesday, Nov. 25, that police will not hesitate to use deadly force against Islamist protesters during a planned demonstration on Friday, which represents the first serious challenge to Sisi's government since elections in June.
What's behind surge in Israel violence? A push to let Jews pray at Muslim holy site
(McClatchy) Once dismissed as a fringe group with limited public support, a movement of religious Jewish activists seeking to pray at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site has provoked a wave of Palestinian violence that has raised fears of a slide into a religious war.
Breaking Silence, Ayatollah Says Iran Is Standing Up to West in Nuclear Talks
(New York Times) The day after a deadline for concluding a nuclear agreement was extended for seven months, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered his first remarks on the negotiations, saying that the West had failed to bring Iran "to its knees."
EUROPE
Pentagon: No arms for Ukraine's military
(The Hill) The Defense Department has not changed its mind about providing lethal arms to Ukraine's military, an official said Tuesday.
Cash cut to Ukraine rebel areas in risky strategy
(Associated Press) For hours, small crowds in Donetsk huddle hopefully in the cold around cash machines that never get filled, as artillery rumbles in the distance.
Failures Preceded British Soldier's Killing
(New York Times) The two men who killed a soldier on a London street last year had figured in seven investigations by British intelligence agencies, and one of the men had threatened online to commit just such a murder five months before the attack, lawmakers said in a report issued on Tuesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
North Korean Leader Assails American 'Aggressors'
(New York Times) North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, condemned American "aggressors" as cannibals on Tuesday, as his government orchestrated a huge outdoor rally in Pyongyang to protest an American-supported move at the United Nations to refer the North's leaders to an international court for human rights abuses.
Defector: Kim Jong Un's Aunt Killed Herself Last Year
(Wall Street Journal) Where is Kim Kyong Hui?
U.S. Forces Japan revises liberty policy; curfew reduced by hour
(Stars & Stripes) U.S. Forces Japan revised its liberty policy Wednesday, allowing servicemembers to stay out a little later starting next month.
AFRICA
Ebola Is Changing Course In Liberia. Will The U.S. Military Adapt?
(National Public Radio) The Ebola outbreak started in rural areas, but by June it had reached Liberia's capital, Monrovia.
Al-Shabab Doesn't Want a Truce With Infidel Powers'
(The Atlantic) The violent campaign between Kenya's government and Somali militants is escalating. On Sunday, a day after members of the al-Shabab group executed 28 passengers on a Kenyan bus, Kenya's Vice President William Ruto announced that the country's military had crossed into Somalia and attacked al-Shabab camps where the bus attack was planned. The combined air and ground attack killed over 115 militants and, according to Ruto, "identified, followed and struck the perpetrators of these heinous crimes." A spokesman for al-Shabab denied Ruto's claim, and the attack could not be independently verified.
Two Suicide Bombers Kill Dozens in Nigeria
(New York Times) Two suicide bombers, at least one of them a woman, blew themselves up on Tuesday at a crowded market in this northeast Nigerian city, killing dozens of shoppers and merchants, including some who witnesses said were decapitated by the explosions.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
What Was Chuck Hagel's Biggest Mistake?
(Politico) Was it his Syria policy? A distrusting White House? Poor management at the Pentagon? All of the above? As Chuck Hagel steps down as defense secretary, Politico Magazine asked top national security thinkers to tell us what his biggest mistake was-or what went wrong otherwise in his tenure-and here's what they had to say.
The Still Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense
(Charles Stevenson in War on the Rocks) Since the job was created in 1947, there have been 24 secretaries of defense, counting Donald Rumsfeld twice. With Chuck Hagel's departure, nine of them have been fired or forced to resign.
Hagel's departure more about policy than the person
(Mackenzie Eaglen in The Hill) One sentiment reigns a day after the news of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's early exit from the administration: Everyone, including the president, dislikes something about the U.S. strategy to combat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
America Musn't Neglect Its Nukes
(Elbridge Colby in The New York Times) Earlier this month the Pentagon released a devastating assessment of its own management of the nation's nuclear arsenal. The report, authored by two widely respected former four-star officers, judged that America's nuclear weapons complex - particularly the personnel who operate and maintain it - is near its breaking point, worn down by years of neglect, lack of funding and unnecessarily invasive and inquisitorial screening of employees. This malaise has been exacerbated by bouts of apathy and even hostility on the part of prominent voices in and out of government: The prevalent attitude is that there are more important national security priorities and, among some, that nukes are useless and should be left to rust.
How Military Advisers Can Avoid Mission Creep in Iraq
(Peter Storey in Cicero Magazine) The term 'military adviser' is often applied by governments to troops conducting military operations in order to address domestic or international concerns stemming from military action in a foreign state. However, what does the continuing US military advisory mission in Iraq - Operation Inherent Resolve - actually mean for America? Will US operations inevitably "creep" once again towards large-scale troop commitments and another quagmire in Iraq?
NATO's Campaign in Libya Offers Salient Lessons for the Air War Against ISIL
(Karl P. Mueller in Defense One) Three years have passed since the Autumn 2011 conclusion of Operation Unified Protector, the seven-month NATO air campaign that in concert with Libyan rebel forces defeated the dictatorial regime of Col. Muammar Qaddafi. It has received relatively little mention in public discussion of the three-month-old air campaign against the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), yet amidst their differences the two operations share important similarities, including the scale of the enemy, the nature of the air operations, and both campaigns' focus on protecting civilians from brutal regimes. At least five lessons of the Libyan air campaign deserve greater attention today:
The Islamic State's Stalled Offensive in Anbar Province
(Daveed Gartenstein-Ross in War on the Rocks) In September, the Islamic in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched a devastatingly effective offensive in Iraq's Anbar province that for a time masked the losses the group was experiencing elsewhere (see two previous WOTR reports on ISIL's Anbar campaign). Beginning in late October, ISIL garnered even more headlines through its horrific slaughter of hundreds of members of the Albu Nimr, a Sunni tribe. However, there are signs that ISIL's attempts to crush the Albu Nimr under its boot have backfired, instead stiffening the tribe's resolve to fight the jihadist group. ISIL's campaign in Anbar now appears stalled.
Don't Tell Me We Lost The War In Afghanistan
(Kyle Dykstra in Task & Purpose) There seems to be a fickle measure of success when it comes to the discussion of whether we won or lost the war in Afghanistan. With six weeks remaining until the official end of major U.S. combat operations, the popular talking point among some is that the war in Afghanistan was lost. While President Barack Obama has announced a nearly 10,000 service-member contingent will remain to train Afghan forces, many have dismissed the 13-year war as a failed, listless expedition.
China's ADIZ at One Year: International Legal Issues
(Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative) This week marks a year since China abruptly declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) covering a large area of the East China Sea, including islands the legal possession of which China disputes with Japan. Especially because China has sent signals that it might enact another such zone in the South China Sea, this anniversary provides a moment to reflect on the international legality of the East China Sea ADIZ and international rules applicable to it. In general, China's establishment of an ADIZ is not per se illegal as a matter of international law; however, the requirements China has declared for its East China Sea ADIZ are much broader than recent customary practice by others and China could enforce it in particular ways that would violate international law. Because international law does not yet have much to say about ADIZs, the practices worked out between China, the United States, Japan and others in this case will serve as important baselines for future ADIZs in Asia.
The Asia-Pacific Is Really a Land Theater
(Daniel Goure in Real Clear Defense) North America and East Asia are the two regions that will dominate the world in the 21st Century. Separating them is the Pacific Ocean. Because the Pacific is so vast and U.S. interests, allies and competitors are at the opposite end, it is no surprise that many strategists have assumed that future conflicts in this region will be air and sea power centric.
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