07/15/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin
1. House panel votes to end 2001, 2002 war authorizations
2. Massachusetts Democrat calls for Voice of America chief to resign
3. The U.S. wants Asian allies to stand up to China. It’s not that easy
4. US may need to nationalize military aircraft industry, USAF says
5. How significant is the new U.S. South China Sea policy?
6. Picking flowers, making honey. (China)
7. To block Trump’s troop withdrawals, Congress turns an old tactic upside down
8. Trump administration rescinds rules on foreign students studying online
9. Three Marines, now focus of Russian bounties investigation, show the costs of an endless war
10. US picks a fight with China in South China Sea
11. Camouflage uniforms, flight suits now off-limits for Marines and Sailors at the Pentagon
12. President Donald J. Trump announces intent to appoint individuals to key administration posts | The White House
13. FDD | Five reasons it’s smart to ban Chinese apps
14. FDD | Taliban suicide team strikes NDS headquarters in Afghan city
15. FDD | German gov’t removes Taiwan flag, permits Palestinian flag
16. An abuse of power (USAGM)
17. Exclusive: Secret Trump order gives CIA more powers to launch cyberattacks
18. New York Times to move Hong Kong staff to Seoul over press freedom fears
19. US allies once seemed cowed by China. Now they’re responding with rare coordination
20. Chinese police are making threatening video calls to dissidents abroad
21. Opinion | I’m a former civil servant. We are professionals, not a ‘deep state.’
1. House panel votes to end 2001, 2002 war authorizations
Defense News · by Joe Gould · July 14, 2020
It is unlikely this will make it through the Senate.
2. Massachusetts Democrat calls for Voice of America chief to resign
The Hill · by Rafael Bernal · July 14, 2020
Actually he is calling for the head of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to resign.
3. The U.S. wants Asian allies to stand up to China. It’s not that easy
Los Angeles Times · by Shashank Bengali · July 14, 2020
It requires a strong alliance structure to back them up.
4. US may need to nationalize military aircraft industry, USAF says
defenseone.com· by Marcus Weisgerber
Wow. That is a shocking headline. It got my attention.
5. How significant is the new U.S. South China Sea policy?
csis.org · by Gregory B. Poling · July 14, 2020
This is how the author describes it: “The statement marks a significant clarification of prior U.S. positions but not a radical break from past policy. It makes explicit things that had been implied by previous administrations.” But he does balance this with some of the downsides in the conclusion.
6. Picking flowers, making honey. (China)
aspi.org.au · by Alex Joske
A view from Australian that focuses on Chinese R&D and Chinese students at western universities.
7. To block Trump’s troop withdrawals, Congress turns an old tactic upside down
defenseone.com · Katie Bo Williams
The language in the 2018 through 2020 NDAAs focused on preventing the withdrawal of troops from Korea.
Here is language on Korea in the HASC and SAC versions of the 2021 NDAA:
HASC:
Indo-Pacific
▪ Authorizes $3.58 billion as the basis for the Indo-Pacific Reassurance Initiative to
optimize the presence of U.S. forces in the region, strengthen and maintain bilateral and
multilateral military exercises and training with United States allies and partner countries,
improve infrastructure in the region to enhance the responsiveness of U.S. Armed
Forces, enhance the prepositioning of equipment and materiel of the U.S. Armed
Forces, and build the defense and security capabilities, capacity, and cooperation of
allies and partner nations.
▪ Prohibits the use of funds to reduce the total number of active duty service members
deployed to South Korea below 28,500 until 180 days after the Secretary certifies: 1)
doing so is in the national security interest of the United States and will not significantly
undermine the security of U.S. allies in the region, 2) is commensurate with a reduction
in the threat posed by North Korea, 3) that South Korea is capable of deterring a conflict,
and 4) U.S. allies – including South Korea and Japan – have been appropriately
consulted.
▪ Note: See Africa section for China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative in Africa
SASC:
SEC. 1260. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS TO REDUCE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY WHO ARE DEPLOYED TO THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA. None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be obligated or expended to reduce the total number of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty and deployed to the Republic of Korea to fewer than 28,500 such members of the Armed Forces until 90 days after the date on which the Secretary of Defense certifies to the congressional defense committees that—
(1) such a reduction—
(A) is in the national security interest of the United States; and
(B) will not significantly undermine the security of United States allies in the region; and
(2) the Secretary has appropriately consulted with allies of the United States, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, regarding such a reduction.
8. Trump administration rescinds rules on foreign students studying online
WSJ · by Michelle Hackman, Melissa Korn, and Andrew Restuccia · July 14, 2020
Good news.
9. Three Marines, now focus of Russian bounties investigation, show the Costs of an Endless War
The New York Times · by Helene Cooper · July 14, 2020
10. US picks a fight with China in South China Sea
asiatimes.com · by Richard Javad Heydarian · July 14, 2020
Is it picking a fight or trying to operate within the rule of law and international norms?
11. Camouflage uniforms, flight suits now off-limits for Marines and Sailors at the Pentagon
military.com · by Hope Hodge Seck · July 13, 2020
It is hard to recall for many but I believe pre-911 there were no camouflage uniforms or flight suits in the Pentagon. This is a post 9-11 thing with everyone supposedly on a war footing. It is hard to rescind that decision when we still have troops in harm’s way as some interpret it as no longer supporting the troops (which is not true of course – but it is all about appearances).
12. President Donald J. Trump announces intent to appoint individuals to key administration posts | The White House
whitehouse.gov · by President Donald J. Trump
So when I saw this announcement on twitter I (and others) wondered what is the National Security Education Board? I had never heard of this board. I expected to learn that it was a board to oversee national security education in the government, e.g., provide guidance to military PME institutions and the Foreign Service Institute and other training and education programs in the government.
However, that is not the case. The “board” is the board of directors for the National Security Education Program which funds scholarships and fellowships and other programs to support civilian education in national security, including language education. Here is the link to the board of directors and the link of the mission of the NSEP. This is an important organization for students (undergrad and graduate) who want to compete for scholarships and fellowship to study in the area of national security.
So the bottom line is there is no Board that oversees national security education for US government officials and military personnel.
13. FDD | Five reasons it’s smart to ban Chinese apps
fdd.org · by Cleo Paskal · July 14, 2020
A public service announcement. 🙂 Delete those “predatory” apps. I like the description of predatory.
14. FDD | Taliban suicide team strikes NDS headquarters in Afghan city
fdd.org · by Bill Roggio · July 14, 2020
15. FDD | German gov’t removes Taiwan flag, permits Palestinian flag
fdd.org · by Benjamin Weinthal · July 14, 2020
This is what the PRC and CCP do. We should ask all free countries to raise the Taiwan flag outside the PRC embassies. (yes that would be just as petty an act as the PRC pressuring all countries not to recognize or deal with Taiwan and to prevent Taiwan’s access to and participation in international organizations.)
16. An abuse of power (USAGM)
the-american-interest.com · by Martha Bayles
Another critical article of the US Agency for Global Media.
17. Exclusive: Secret Trump order gives CIA more powers to launch cyberattacks
news.yahoo.com · by Zach Dorfman, Kim Zetter, Jenna McLaughlin and Sean D. Naylor · July 15, 2020
Well, I hope we kept this plausibly deniable for a sufficient amount of time. We should review Title 50 and the definition and description of a Presidential Finding here. Just to review the key points regarding covert action and presidential findings:
50 U.S. Code § 3093.Presidential approval and reporting of covert actions
(a)Presidential findings. The President may not authorize the conduct of a covert action by departments, agencies, or entities of the United States Government unless the President determines such an action is necessary to support identifiable foreign policy objectives of the United States and is important to the national security of the United States, which determination shall be set forth in a finding that shall meet each of the following conditions:
(1)Each finding shall be in writing, unless immediate action by the United States is required and time does not permit the preparation of a written finding, in which case a written record of the President’s decision shall be contemporaneously made and shall be reduced to a written finding as soon as possible but in no event more than 48 hours after the decision is made.
(2)Except as permitted by paragraph (1), a finding may not authorize or sanction a covert action, or any aspect of any such action, which already has occurred.
(3)Each finding shall specify each department, agency, or entity of the United States Government authorized to fund or otherwise participate in any significant way in such action. Any employee, contractor, or contract agent of a department, agency, or entity of the United States Government other than the Central Intelligence Agency directed to participate in any way in a covert action shall be subject either to the policies and regulations of the Central Intelligence Agency, or to written policies or regulations adopted by such department, agency, or entity, to govern such participation.
(4)Each finding shall specify whether it is contemplated that any third party which is not an element of, or a contractor or contract agent of, the United States Government, or is not otherwise subject to United States Government policies and regulations, will be used to fund or otherwise participate in any significant way in the covert action concerned, or be used to undertake the covert action concerned on behalf of the United States.
(5)A finding may not authorize any action that would violate the Constitution or any statute of the United States.
(b)Reports to congressional intelligence committees; production of information. To the extent consistent with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters, the Director of National Intelligence and the heads of all departments, agencies, and entities of the United States Government involved in a covert action—
(1)shall keep the congressional intelligence committees fully and currently informed of all covert actions which are the responsibility of, are engaged in by, or are carried out for or on behalf of, any department, agency, or entity of the United States Government, including significant failures; and
(2)shall furnish to the congressional intelligence committees any information or material concerning covert actions (including the legal basis under which the covert action is being or was conducted) which is in the possession, custody, or control of any department, agency, or entity of the United States Government and which is requested by either of the congressional intelligence committees in order to carry out its authorized responsibilities.
(c)Timing of reports; access to finding
(1)The President shall ensure that any finding approved pursuant to subsection (a) shall be reported in writing to the congressional intelligence committees as soon as possible after such approval and before the initiation of the covert action authorized by the finding, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) and paragraph (3).
(2)If the President determines that it is essential to limit access to the finding to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting vital interests of the United States, the finding may be reported to the chairmen and ranking minority members of the congressional intelligence committees, the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and such other member or members of the congressional leadership as may be included by the President.
(3)Whenever a finding is not reported pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this section,[1] the President shall fully inform the congressional intelligence committees in a timely fashion and shall provide a statement of the reasons for not giving prior notice.
(4)In a case under paragraph (1), (2), or (3), a copy of the finding, signed by the President, shall be provided to the chairman of each congressional intelligence committee.
(5)
(A)When access to a finding, or a notification provided under subsection (d)(1), is limited to the Members of Congress specified in paragraph (2), a written statement of the reasons for limiting such access shall also be provided.
(B)Not later than 180 days after a statement of reasons is submitted in accordance with subparagraph (A) or this subparagraph, the President shall ensure that—
(i)all members of the congressional intelligence committees are provided access to the finding or notification; or
(ii)a statement of reasons that it is essential to continue to limit access to such finding or such notification to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting vital interests of the United States is submitted to the Members of Congress specified in paragraph (2).
18. New York Times to move Hong Kong staff to Seoul over press freedom fears
BBC · July 15, 2020
:-). Press freedom in Seoul? Some of the political opposition in Korea may take exception to that.
19. US allies once seemed cowed by China. Now they’re responding with rare coordination
CNN · by Angela Dewan
I think few countries can respond to the PRC alone. There is safety in numbers!
20. Chinese police are making threatening video calls to dissidents abroad
Vice · July 15, 2020
The evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party.
21. Opinion | I’m a former civil servant. We are professionals, not a ‘deep state.’
The Washington Post · by Russell E. Travers
I do not believe in the “deep state.” I believe in our professional civil service corps. Yes there are problems in every bureaucracy but there is no deep state.
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“Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an accessible simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all.”
– John W. Gardner, No Easy Victories
“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.”
– Hyman Rickover
“After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.”
– Will Rogers