01/08/2021 News & Commentary – National Security
News and Commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and Published by Riley Murray.
1. Putin’s disinformation campaign claims stunning victory with Capitol Hill ‘coup’
2. Donald Trump’s Final Days (WSJ editorial)
3. Why the search for the real origin of the coronavirus is a global concern
4. Domestic Terrorism Strikes U.S. Capitol, and Democracy
5. Iraq Issues an Arrest Warrant for President Trump
6. Statement by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Yesterday’s Violence at the Capitol
7. How to deal with China
8. “Baby-making machines”: Chinese tweet on Uygurs not against Twitter rules
9. A year after Wuhan, China locks down another city of 11 million people to contain a coronavirus flare-up
10. The Most Reliable Pandemic Number Keeps Getting Worse
11. Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready.
12. Why Plainclothes Police Had Striped Reflective Tape On Their Glocks During The Capitol Siege
13. The Making of QAnon: A Crowdsourced Conspiracy – bellingcat
14. Neil Sheehan, N.Y. Times reporter who obtained Pentagon Papers and chronicled ‘Bright Shining Lie’ of Vietnam, dies at 84
15. Leadership & Strategy: A conversation between Secretary James Mattis & The Honorable Michael Vickers
16. State Department sets up new bureau for cybersecurity and emerging technologies
17. The EU just sold human rights down the river for minor commercial gains in China
18. China, Russia, Iran Spin Capitol Insurrection
19. In Washington Riot, Echoes of Post-Soviet Uprisings
20. Senate Armed Services sets confirmation hearing for Austin
21. Exclusive: How the Space Force foiled an Iranian missile attack with a critical early warning
22. Tehran’s 20 percent enrichment is designed to extort Washington
23. Opinion | Matthew Pottinger exits, but his China strategy is here to stay
24. Capitol rioting: Rep. Crenshaw blasts fellow Republicans for ‘lying’ to Trump supporters
1. Putin’s disinformation campaign claims stunning victory with Capitol Hill ‘coup’
haaretz.com · by Omer Benjakob
A fascinating analysis that is contrary to the agenda of some in the US.
Here is a key point (among many in this essay): As the chaotic scenes played out on Capitol Hill, I also recalled what researchers at the Rand Corporation said after completing a massive study into disinformation efforts on Twitter ahead of November’s election: The Russian campaign’s goal was never to push out a coherent, pro-Trump message, but instead to subvert America’s democratic institutions and sow distrust. President Donald Trump was just a means to that end.
2. Donald Trump’s Final Days (WSJ editorial)
WSJ · by The Editorial Board
It is really amazing to read this editorial.
Like when LBJ was President during the Vietnam War when Walter Cronkite turned against him: “If you have lost Cronkite you have lost America”
Here we have the Wall Street Journal editorial board (owned by Rupert Murdock and generally has always been supportive) calling for POTUS to resign. “If you have lost the Wall Street Journal….”
If you accept the Russian disinformation article above this plays right into Russian objectives for its malign influence.
3. Why the search for the real origin of the coronavirus is a global concern
The Washington Post – by Adam Taylor – January 7, 2021
Conclusion:
By placing political rivalry above scientific discovery, both China and the United States have undermined research. Some experts think it is now unlikely that the WHO team will have the support to complete a credible investigation.
That would be a massive missed opportunity. As the WHO’s own emergencies chief Mike Ryan said last week, the coronavirus is not the only pandemic humanity will face. “This is not necessarily the big one,” he said.
4. Domestic Terrorism Strikes U.S. Capitol, and Democracy
cfr.org · by Bruce Hoffman
Excerpts:
Where does the country go from here?
Until yesterday, many believed that the peaceful transition of power, the hallmark of U.S. governance for over two centuries, could never seriously be threatened. These events have undermined faith in the sanctity of American institutions and constitutional values. America is now at an epochal moment, which calls for strong moral leadership and sober reflection. The U.S. image as a bastion of democracy, rule of law, and respect for institutions has perhaps been irrevocably tarnished.
The United States has always been a place of prophetic destiny and hallowed mission-a beacon for the principles of democracy and rule of law. These beliefs are enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility…” After yesterday’s shameful events, the country should rededicate itself to the building of a more perfect union, through civility and respectful debate and discourse so that it can reestablish domestic tranquility and secure the blessings of liberty for all Americans.
5. Iraq Issues an Arrest Warrant for President Trump
Bloomberg · by The Associated Press · January 7, 2021
Pretty bold move. I have no knowledge of Iraq but this makes me think Iran must be behind this and must have a lot of influence over the Iraq government.
6. Statement by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Yesterday’s Violence at the Capitol
defense.gov – Jan. 7, 2021
“Yesterday’s violence at the Capitol was reprehensible and contrary to the tenets of the United States Constitution. In the midst of this tragedy, I was proud of the professionalism of our Department of Defense personnel. I want to specifically recognize the service of the District of Columbia National Guard. They performed with honor, integrity, and alacrity to protect people and property from unlawful acts.
“Our Republic may have been disrupted yesterday, but the resolve of our legislators to conduct the people’s business did not waver. Due to their efforts, supported by local and federal law enforcement and the National Guard, the attempts of those who tried to stop our government from functioning failed.
“I strongly condemn these acts of violence against our democracy. I, and the people I lead in the Department of Defense, continue to perform our duties in accordance with our oath of office, and will execute the time-honored peaceful transition of power to President-elect Biden on January 20.”
7. How to deal with China
The Economist – 9 January 2021
Excerpt: Even before Europe’s snub this was a daunting task for the incoming Biden administration, on a par with the creation of NATO or the world trading system after the second world war. And unlike back then, America’s prestige has been battered. Yet public opinion in the rich world is now wary of China. Mr. Trump failed to deal with it partly because of his incompetence and contempt for allies. Mr. Biden will take office on January 20th on a wave of global goodwill. It should be possible to create a grouping of democracies, for example an enlarged G7, that will act on China. There is still a chance to reassert the values of open societies and free markets, but it will not last forever. Faced with an assertive autocracy, dithering and division are not enough.
8. “Baby-making machines”: Chinese tweet on Uygurs not against Twitter rules
Ars Technica · by Timothy B. Lee · January 8, 2021
What an ugly and sick tweet. I am torn about deleting tweets. On the one hand I do not think even private companies should be censoring speech. Then again, we have to be concerned with hate speech and speech that incites violence. Then even more again, comments like the one in this Chinese tweet are useful to illustrate the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party and it is important that such nature be exposed so the world can know what kind of threat it poses. Then there is the double standard of Twitter. It will suspend POTUS but not take down this ugly tweet. There are just no easy answers for dealing with social media, speech, information, and influence.
9. A year after Wuhan, China locks down another city of 11 million people to contain a coronavirus flare-up
CNN · by Nectar Gan, CNN
I thought China had COVID 19 under control???
10. The Most Reliable Pandemic Number Keeps Getting Worse
defenseone.com · by The COVID Tracking Project – 7 January 2021
A record number of deaths yesterday, more than 4000 in the US.
11. Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready.
defenseone.com · by Lydia DePillis
This is very surprising. It was very easy to observe the plans for this event. I saw so much discussion on social media.
Now the question is what are we observing in terms of indications and warnings for January 20th and the inauguration? And then how are we preparing for that? (yes, I have seen reports of all the new fencing going up around the Capitol – including supposedly “unclimbable” fencing – which I think is simply a challenge for some to try to climb it!)
12. Why Plainclothes Police Had Striped Reflective Tape On Their Glocks During The Capitol Siege
thedrive.com · by Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway · January 7, 2021
Here is a nice and useful pro-tip for the opposition. There are no TTPs that can be protected.
13. The Making of QAnon: A Crowdsourced Conspiracy – bellingcat
bellingcat.com · January 7, 2021
Very much worth reading and pondering. This is one of the domestic challenges we face.
These excerpts provide some understanding of the problem – the “demand side:”
But Q’s message is that “good government” can arrive only in the form of a purge – because every prominent Democrat, and most Republicans who don’t show enough fealty to Trump, is part of a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. True justice and “good government” can only exist after the Storm, when Trump – and Trump alone – rules the country, with all his opposition dead or imprisoned.
Three years ago, Q stitched together the most widely-held beliefs of one of the darkest corners of the internet. Drop by drop and stitch by stitch, the right-wing media scandals, the racist conspiracies and LARPs of bygone days grew into something greater than the sum of their parts. Q has eclipsed them all.
The story told above can only be incomplete. It addresses the supply side of the QAnon phenomenon, but the demand side is where the problem lies. To explore that would be to tell a story about the deepest fissures in American society – through the dangerous succor of conspiracy.
14. Neil Sheehan, N.Y. Times reporter who obtained Pentagon Papers and chronicled ‘Bright Shining Lie’ of Vietnam, dies at 84
The Washington Post · January 7, 2021
Rest in peace. I was very influenced by this book and in particular the story and work of John Paul Vann.
15. Leadership & Strategy: A conversation between Secretary James Mattis & The Honorable Michael Vickers
RSVP at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-oh-so-social-conversation-between-sec-jim-mattis-and-dr-mike-vickers-registration-135727517659?
Thu, January 28, 2021
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
About this Event
Join The OSS Society for a very special event with two leading figures from the national security community: Secretary James Mattis and The Honorable Michael Vickers. This is the first installment in The OSS Society’s 2021 “Oh So Social” Conversation Series.
16. State Department sets up new bureau for cybersecurity and emerging technologies
The Hill · by Maggie Miller · January 7, 2021
There is some criticism here:
Christopher Painter, the former State Department cybersecurity coordinator under both the Trump and Obama administrations, criticized the move to set up the new office Thursday.
“Laughable that this is done @ the 11th hr when this was not adequately resourced or prioritized for 4 yrs,” Painter tweeted. “Also, this formulation only preserves stovepipes rather than coordination.”
Painter noted that both the Cyber Diplomacy Act and the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a congressionally created group that issues recommendations to defend the U.S. in cyberspace, “called for a broader and more integrated scope and a higher level in the Department,” and pointed to the short time frame before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
“At this point the new administration should decide how best to structure this issue and where it should be placed,” Painter tweeted.
17. The EU just sold human rights down the river for minor commercial gains in China
New York Post · by Jorge González-Gallarza · January 8, 2021
Conclusion:
Yes, the deal won’t come into force for another year, but two weeks is all the time Biden has to figure out how to react – not an enviable position for the leader of the free world. Biden might take a page from his predecessor. President Trump’s China-skeptic instincts and his distrust of the Europeans appear vindicated: Xi is as bad as he insisted, and Angela Merkel’s Eurocracy has been exposed as a blob of sellouts.
The democratic West needs a single spine. Let’s hope Biden has it.
18. China, Russia, Iran Spin Capitol Insurrection
defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker
Even though we are coming to the end of the administration, our National Security Strategy is still in effect. These words still matter:
“A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation.”
19. In Washington Riot, Echoes of Post-Soviet Uprisings
The New York Times · by Andrew Higgins · January 7, 2021
20. Senate Armed Services sets confirmation hearing for Austin
Politico – 7 January 2021
As an aside, how many cabinet officials will be confirmed by the inauguration?
21. Exclusive: How the Space Force foiled an Iranian missile attack with a critical early warning
c4isrnet.com · by Nathan Strout · January 7, 2021
Interesting story. Can we give the Space Force a battle streamer for its new colors? (apologies for my attempt at humor).
22. Tehran’s 20 percent enrichment is designed to extort Washington
Newsweek · by Behnam Ben Taleblu and Andrea Stricker · January 7, 2021
north Korea is not the only country that practices blackmail diplomacy or uses a strategy of subversion, coercion/extortion and force to achieve its objectives or conducts political warfare.
23. Opinion | Matthew Pottinger exits, but his China strategy is here to stay
The Washington Post – by Josh Rogin – January 7, 2021
24. Capitol rioting: Rep. Crenshaw blasts fellow Republicans for ‘lying’ to Trump supporters
foxnews.com · by Yael Halon
Hmmmm….
“As to the members of a Democracy, they are the best sort of people in the world; but then they are but a puny sort of gentry, as to strength, put them all together; and apt to be a little defective in point of understanding.”
– Jeremy Benthem
“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”
– Abraham Lincoln
“Every word has consequences. Every silence, too.”
– Jean Paul Satre