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☆ NDAA: McCarthy faces challenge for passing defense bill after
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Haley Talbot | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a challenge Friday morning: A razor thin margin to get a must-pass defense policy bill over the finish line with a majority of Democrats signaling they cannot support the version of the legislation crafted by conservative Republicans. The bill – known as the National Defense Authorization Act – sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. If they lose that many members, it would greatly increase the prospects that Republicans could muscle the bill through. Without Democratic support, Republicans will need to wrangle nearly every member of the GOP conference in order to get the bill over the finish line. Many Democrats made clear ahead of the vote that if the amendment was included as part of the defense bill, they would be unlikely to support final passage.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Ralph Norman, GOP Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Lauren Boebert’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene Organizations: CNN —, Republicans, National Defense, Department of Defense, Democratic, GOP, Rep, Republican Locations: lockstep, South Carolina, Colorado, Ukraine, Georgia

☆ Defense Bill’s Fate Teeters After G.O.P. Wedges In Social Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The measures stand no chance of passing in the Democratic-led Senate, which is planning to begin considering its own version of the bill next week. Even if Republicans can muscle their bill through the House, the deep chasm between the chambers is expected to set off a protracted fight that could threaten Congress’s ability to maintain its six-decade track record of passing defense policy bills each year. Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, lamented the Republican approach to the legislation, saying it had ruined a bill that had emerged from the panel on a near-unanimous vote. They spent weeks agitating for reluctant G.O.P. leaders to include the socially conservative amendments in the defense bill debate, ultimately forcing the issue by threatening to block progress on the legislation until they got their way.

Persons: Adam Smith of, Smith, “, Kevin McCarthy, G.O.P Organizations: Defense, Democratic, Armed Services, Republicans Locations: United States, Adam Smith of Washington

CNN —President Joe Biden said Thursday that Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is being “irresponsible” and jeopardizing national security by blocking military promotions over his objections to the Defense Department’s reproductive health policies. He’s jeopardizing US security with what he’s doing,” Biden said during a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, when asked by CNN about Tuberville’s position. A defense official told CNN Austin and Tuberville eventually spoke at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. I’m doing it for Republicans and Democrats and citizens of this country. I’m doing it for the Constitution.”CNN reported in June that some of Tuberville’s colleagues have tried to talk with him behind the scenes about alternatives.

Persons: Joe Biden, Republican Sen, Tommy Tuberville, “ I’d, ” Biden, Lloyd Austin’s, Tuberville, Austin, Brig, Pat Ryder, ” Tuberville, CNN’s Manu Raju, Biden’s, I’m, We’ll, “, Republican Party …, they’ve, ”, Raju, I’ve, that’s, Republican Roger Wicker, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, Sen, Joni Ernst, CNN’s Wolf, ” Austin, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Organizations: CNN, Republican, Defense, Alabama, CNN Austin, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Marine Corps, Republican Party, Republicans, Democrats, ” CNN, Armed Services Committee, Iowa, Senate Armed Services Committee, NATO Locations: Helsinki, Finland, Texas, Vilnius, Lithuania, “

☆ NATO Isn’t Really About Defense, and It Never Was - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Grey Anderson | Thomas Meaney | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

In the realm of defense, the alliance was not as advertised. The war in Ukraine, for all the talk of Europe stepping up, has left that asymmetry essentially untouched. Far from a costly charity program, NATO secures American influence in Europe on the cheap. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, roughly half of European military spending went to American manufacturers. Yet already there are signs that NATO is making headway in getting Europe to follow its lead in the theater.

Persons: — Organizations: NATO, European Union, U.S . Locations: Czech Republic, Prague, United States, Ukraine, Europe, U.S, Brussels, American, America, Washington, Germany, China, South China

☆ What the U.S. Risks By Supplying Ukraine With Cluster Weapons - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Cluster munitions used by both Ukrainian and Russian forces have led to, reportedly, at least dozens of civilian deaths and serious injuries, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Thursday. Specifically, the report said Ukrainian cluster-munition rocket attacks on Russian-controlled areas around the city of Izium in 2022 “caused many casualties among Ukrainian civilians.” (Ukraine denied that cluster munitions were used there.) While it is Ukraine’s decision to choose what weapons it uses in its defense, it is for America to decide which weapons to supply. Sending cluster munitions to Ukraine amounts to a clear escalation of a conflict that has already become far too brutal and destructive. In 2008, the Pentagon set a limit of 1 percent on cluster munitions, and Congress has since banned the use, production or transfer of weapons over that rate.

Persons: “, Abrams, America’s, Russia’s, John Ismay Organizations: Human Rights, Pentagon, Times, Foreign Assistance Locations: Ukrainian, Izium, ”, Ukraine, America, United, Russia, Washington, Vietnam, Afghanistan

☆ Tuberville Blockade Over Abortion Policy Threatens Top Military Promotions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But their efforts have thus far failed to dissuade Mr. Tuberville, who has dismissed his critics by arguing that Senate leaders have options to resolve the impasse. He has dared Senate leaders to circumvent his blockade by voting on the promotions individually, arguing that he would be ready to approve some promotions if forced to take a vote. In the meantime, Mr. Tuberville has steadily rejected the compromises that Senate leaders have offered him. Challenges to the Pentagon’s abortion access policy are expected to figure in the House debate on the defense authorization bill. But they hope that such a public referendum on the Pentagon’s policy would back Mr. Tuberville into a corner, creating public pressure on him to give up his quest.

Persons: Tuberville, Charles Q, Brown, Biden’s, Milley, Randy A, George, Mr, Biden Organizations: Armed Services Committee, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Army, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Defense Department, House Democrats Locations: Alabama

☆ Cluster Weapons U.S. Is Sending Ukraine Often Fail to Detonate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( John Ismay | More About John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When the White House announced on Friday that it would agree to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, it came after assurances from Pentagon officials that the weapons had been improved to minimize the danger to civilians. The weapons, which have been shunned by many countries, drop small grenades that are built to destroy armored vehicles and troops in the open, but also often fail to immediately explode. Years or even decades later, they can kill adults and children who stumble on them. The Pentagon said the weapons they would send to Ukraine had a failure rate of 2.35 percent or less, far better than the usual rate that is common for cluster weapons. But the Pentagon’s own statements indicate that the cluster munitions in question contain older grenades known to have a failure rate of 14 percent or more.

Organizations: White, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine

☆ SPECIAL REPORT-Inside the subsea cable firm secretly helping America take on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Reuters is revealing details of the Diego Garcia project and SubCom’s deepening ties with the Pentagon. SubCom’s loyalty is especially important because it is the only major U.S. subsea cable company. Rather, they carefully obscured the U.S. military component within a larger private-sector cable project, according to four subsea cable industry sources with knowledge of the arrangement. That project, known as the Oman Australia Cable, was spearheaded by SUBCO, a Brisbane-based subsea cable investment company owned by Australian entrepreneur Bevan Slattery. Once the Navy project was complete, AT&T’s submarine cable project morphed into a commercial business, the former employees said.

Persons: Diego Garcia, SubCom, Cerberus, Stephen Feinberg, Donald Trump, Feinberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Eckhard Bruckschen, They’ve, ” Bruckschen, Trump, Brad Smith, –, Mao Ning, ”, Jacob Helberg, Bevan Slattery, SUBCO’s, Richard Payne, Payne, “ We’re, ” Payne, Alex Kerska, Catherine Creese, Creese, David Coughlan, Coughlan, Slattery, SubCom’s Coughlan, Rich, Australia West Express –, John Mariano, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Caesar, Kellee Wicker, ” Wicker Organizations: CS, SubCom, Google, Microsoft, Meta, ., U.S, Navy, Cerberus Capital Management, U.S . Navy, President’s Intelligence, Board, U.S . Navy’s Pacific Fleet, U.S . Pacific Fleet, U.S ., Pentagon, America Inc, Cable Consultancy, Reuters, Japan’s NEC Corporation, France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks, China’s HMN, U.S . Department of Defense, White, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Oracle, China Economic, Security, Commission, U.S . Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, government’s, Cable Security Fleet, Oman Australia Cable, SUBCO, The, The U.S . Pacific Fleet, SUBCO’s Oman Australia Cable, Facebook, Defense, Intelligence, SubCom’s, London Stock Exchange Group, U.S . Coast Guard, Naval, Cable, Office, Tyco Telecommunications, Australian, Financial, Australia West Express, GoTo Networks, couldn’t, Netflix, AT, Tyco International, Tyco, New, Washington, Science, Technology, Wilson, “ Cables Locations: Diego, Indian, China, New Jersey, United States, U.S, Soviet, Washington, New York, Philippine, South China, Beijing, America, American, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Eatontown , New Jersey, British, Britain, Australian, Australia, Oman, Brisbane, Southeast Asia, The U.S, SUBCO’s Oman, Perth, SubCom, Guam, U.S . Pacific, Republic of Djibouti, of Africa, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Newfoundland

☆ Inside the subsea cable firm secretly helping American take on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +24 min

Persons: Diego Garcia, SubCom, Cerberus, Stephen Feinberg, Donald Trump, Feinberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Eckhard Bruckschen, They’ve, ” Bruckschen, Trump, Brad Smith, –, Mao Ning, ”, Jacob Helberg, Bevan Slattery, SUBCO’s, Richard Payne, Payne, “ We're, ” Payne, Alex Kerska, Catherine Creese, Creese, David Coughlan, Coughlan, Slattery, SubCom’s Coughlan, Rich, Australia West Express –, John Mariano, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Caesar, Kellee Wicker, ” Wicker, Joe Brock, Mohammad Kawoosa, Edgar Su, Catherine Tai Design, Eve Watling, Marla Dickerson Organizations: CS, SubCom, Google, Microsoft, Meta, ., U.S, Navy, Cerberus Capital Management, U.S . Navy, President’s Intelligence, Board, U.S . Navy’s Pacific Fleet, U.S . Pacific Fleet, U.S ., Pentagon, America Inc, Cable Consultancy, Reuters, Japan’s NEC Corporation, France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks, China’s HMN, U.S . Department of Defense, White, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Oracle, China Economic, Security, Commission, U.S . Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, government’s, Cable Security Fleet, Oman Australia Cable, SUBCO, The, The U.S . Pacific Fleet, SUBCO’s Oman Australia Cable, Facebook, Defense, Intelligence, SubCom’s, London Stock Exchange Group, U.S . Coast Guard, Naval, Cable, Office, Tyco Telecommunications, Australian, Financial, Australia West Express, GoTo Networks, couldn’t, Netflix, AT, Tyco International, Tyco, New, Washington, Science, Technology, Wilson, “ Cables Locations: Diego, Indian, China, New Jersey, United States, U.S, Soviet, Washington, New York, Philippine, South China, Beijing, America, American, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Eatontown , New Jersey, British, Britain, Australian, Australia, Oman, Brisbane, Southeast Asia, The U.S, SUBCO’s Oman, Perth, SubCom, Guam, U.S . Pacific, Republic of Djibouti, of Africa, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Newfoundland

☆ Opinion | The Government Must Say What It Knows About Covid’s Origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Zeynep Tufekci | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

One of those named researchers, Ben Hu, is a leading scientist who has worked on bat coronaviruses related to SARS. In September 2021, DRASTIC also obtained a funding proposal that the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s U.S. collaborator, EcoHealth Alliance, submitted to the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The proposal called for using genetic engineering to perform experiments with bat SARS-like coronaviruses and modify them by inserting features that can increase their ability to infect humans. The feature could also have evolved naturally, and many scientists dismissed its significance as evidence that research set off the pandemic origins. (Some of the scientists have said they later changed their minds).

Persons: Ben Hu, Yu Ping Organizations: U.S, U.S ., Waste, Wuhan Institute of Virology’s, EcoHealth Alliance, Pentagon’s Defense, Research Projects Agency, Wuhan Institute, Virology Locations: Wuhan, U.S, coronaviruses

☆ Opinion | So About Those U.F.O. Stories …
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times Audio app includes podcasts, narrated articles from the newsroom and other publishers, as well as exclusive new shows — including this one — which we’re making available to readers for a limited time. Download the audio app here. Earlier this month, a news outlet called The Debrief published a story that included, to put it mildly, some explosive material. The story centered on David Grusch, a decorated former combat veteran who has worked in multiple government intelligence agencies and served on the Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. [You can listen to this episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google or wherever you get your podcasts.]

Persons: David Grusch, Grusch, “, Ezra Klein Organizations: New York Times, ., Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google

☆ China Investing in Open-Source Intelligence Collection on the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Why It Matters: Beijing’s open-source intelligence collection could give it an advantage. As the relationship between the United States and China has become more adversarial, both countries are investing more in their intelligence collection capabilities. For example, the report details some of the work one prominent Chinese open-source intelligence company has done to analyze publicly available insights from the Office of Net Assessment, the Pentagon’s in-house think tank. Naval War College has a China Maritime Studies Institute, and it produces a lot of open-source research on China,” said Zoe Haver, a threat intelligence analyst with Recorded Future. China’s secret intelligence-gathering abilities have grown in leaps and bounds in recent decades, and Beijing’s investment in open-source information has intensified over the last decade.

Persons: ”, Zoe Haver, Ms, Haver Organizations: Naval War College, U.S . Naval, China Maritime Studies Institute, ”, ., China’s, Liberation Army Locations: United States, China, Newport, R.I, Taiwan, States, Beijing

☆ NASA Panel Says Data Problems Make Explaining U.F.O.s Difficult
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Many in the public are invested in the idea that some of the anomalous phenomena could be extraterrestrial. NASA officials said many panel members had been subjected to online harassment. Throughout the meeting, many commentators on NASA’s YouTube feed accused panel members of lying or covering up evidence of extraterrestrials. Despite such hostility, the panel tried to explain some of the material that has fascinated the public. Many military videos of these phenomena appear interesting at first, but only later do ordinary explanations emerge.

Persons: ”, Nadia Drake, Scott J, Kelly, ” Mr, “, Bart Simpson, Sean M, Kirkpatrick Organizations: NASA, Pentagon, Defense Department, Federal Aviation Administration, The New York Times, YouTube, Navy Locations: United States

☆ Start-Ups Bring Silicon Valley Ethos to a Lumbering Military-Industrial Complex
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

While waiting for a decision by the Pentagon, the company recently moved to lay off some employees. Mr. Roper, the former Air Force procurement boss, said another problem is the Defense Department’s historical insistence on creating its own solutions to problems instead of buying new technologies from commercial firms. He noted that artificial intelligence, for example, still has not been integrated into Air Force flight operations beyond some basic experiments. Mr. Austin, the defense secretary, recently announced that the Defense Innovation Unit will report directly to him, supervised by a new recruit from Apple. But for each success, there are many other tech start-ups struggling to pay bills as they wait for the Pentagon to make a purchase decision.

☆ Opinion: Fentanyl is killing a shocking number of young Americans. What the US can do to respond
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Opinion Joni Ernst | Tim Kaine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Illicit fentanyl that originates abroad is one of the most damaging weapons employed against our homeland, destroying lives and families across our country. Cartels’ fentanyl trafficking far surpasses the US government’s response. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of fentanyl trafficking offenders increased 950%, from 146 to 1,533 in the US. Curbing fentanyl trafficking and breaking up cartel networks demands an aggressive and clear approach. Mexico and the US need to be active partners in combating criminal organizations and curtailing illicit drug trafficking.

☆ Trump Revives Election Lies and False Boasts in CNN Town Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Linda Qiu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Trump then repeated his lie that the 2020 election was rigged. Mr. Trump was referring to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when his loyalists stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop the certification of Mr. Biden’s election victory. Mr. Trump also claimed that the acting defense secretary at the time, Christopher C. Miller, backed up his account. Vanity Fair reported in 2021 that Mr. Trump had floated the 10,000 figure to Mr. Miller the night of Jan. 5. Nor did a Pentagon inspector general report on the breach, which instead referred to suggestions by Mr. Trump that his rally on Jan. 6 had been conducted safely.

☆ Austin lambasts ‘irresponsible’ and ‘unprecedented’ Republican hold on military nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote a letter strongly criticizing an ongoing hold on senior military promotions and nominations in the Senate led by Republican lawmakers, saying it would create a “perilous precedent” for the military and impose “unconscionable” burdens on military families. The Senate approves thousands of civilian and military nominations every year, typically through unanimous consent. But Austin warned in his letter to Warren that the nominations need to be approved as quickly as possible. The United States military relies on the deep experience and strategic expertise of our senior military leaders,” he said. “The longer that this hold persists, the greater the risk the US military runs in every theater, every domain, and every service.”

☆ The U.S. is providing $1.2 billion for Ukraine to buy air defense missiles and other crucial equipment.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The goods will arrive in Ukraine in the months and years to come, as defense companies produce them. A major focus of the $1.2 billion in new funds for Ukraine will go to purchase air-defense missiles for Kyiv to use in repelling Russian aerial attacks, General Ryder said. Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, has been targeted repeatedly by Russian strikes, including on Monday and early Tuesday. “We’re going to continue to rush ground-based air defense capabilities and munitions to help Ukraine control its sovereign skies and to help Ukraine defend its citizens from Russian cruise missiles and Iranian drones,” he said. “This is something that we’re going to keep after both in the near term and the long term.”General Ryder also confirmed reports that an American-made Patriot air-defense system provided to Ukraine shot down a Russian Kinzhal missile last Thursday.

☆ The U.S. Navy’s Bud Light Moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Tommy Tuberville | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

With recruitment rates to the U.S. military falling, attention is turning to the rise of woke politics, which is undermining public confidence in America's military leaders. Images: Department of Defense/YouTube/Go Army Composite: Mark KellyThe Senate Armed Services Committee heard chilling testimony Tuesday from the Government Accountability Office: The Navy’s ship-maintenance backlog tops $1.8 billion; its aircraft are aging; American shipyards are in poor condition. Contrast that with China’s military surge. The Pentagon’s most recent China Military Power report shows that China’s army, navy and space assets are accelerating at a pace one American four-star admiral called “breathtaking.” China already has the largest navy in the world and it’s getting larger. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ’s office reports that China’s air force is “rapidly catching up to Western air forces.”

☆ Jack Teixeira: Accused Pentagon leaker's violent rhetoric raises fresh questions about top secret vetting process
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Sean Lyngaas Zachary Cohen Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But that didn’t stop the Pentagon from granting a top-secret security clearance to Jack Teixeira, who prosecutors say had an arsenal of weapons at home and a history of violent online rhetoric. And the Air Force’s Inspector General investigation is specifically examining the Pentagon’s vetting process and whether any procedures were violated or ignored, Pentagon officials said. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday that when vetting someone for a security clearance, the adjudicator examines “a sufficient period” in someone’s life to determine if they are eligible. That program – largely run by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) – aims to continuously vet security clearance holders for warning signs than periodically investigate them every five to 10 years. “Social media is a new world that the government really hasn’t gotten ahold of yet,” said Brad Moss, a lawyer who specializes in national security and security clearance law.

☆ Pentagon Aid Package to Ukraine Includes Decades-Old Anti-Tank Land Mines
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s most recent package of weapons for Ukraine includes relics from the Cold War to help blunt Russian advances and limit their ability to maneuver during an expected spring offensive. Those weapons, M21 anti-tank land mines, have been in service with the Defense Department since at least the early 1960s. An unknown number of them will be sent to Ukraine as part of a $325 million package of aid from U.S. military stockpiles that was announced this week, the 36th such transfer of lethal matériel to Kyiv since August 2021. M21 mines — large metal-bodied weapons that are usually buried and explode when a vehicle drives over them — contain a specialized warhead built to punch through inches of armor plating. “Anti-tank land mines are an important defensive capability against Russia’s tanks and armored vehicles, helping Ukraine’s forces repel Russia’s attacks and shape the battlefield to Ukraine’s advantage,” Maj. Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday.

☆ Pentagon’s Repatriation of Algerian Leaves 30 Prisoners at Guantánamo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba — The U.S. military repatriated a prisoner to Algeria on Thursday who had been held at Guantánamo without charge for more than two decades, as the Biden administration continues its efforts to reduce the detainee population at the Navy base. The prisoner, Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush, 52, was among about 20 suspected low-level fighters who were swept up by Pakistani security services in a 2002 raid in Faisalabad on dwellings believed to be Al Qaeda safe houses. The suspected fighters were ultimately taken to Guantánamo Bay. His release leaves only one prisoner captured in the raid still at the Pentagon prison in Cuba. Lawyers who have tried to speak with Mr. Bakush described him as reclusive.

☆ US government tracking more than 650 potential UFO cases, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called “unidentified aerial phenomenon,” commonly known as UFOs, according to the director of the office created last year to focus on the sightings. He played video from two of cases that had been declassified, one that had been resolved and the other unresolved. Kirkpatrick explained that this case was unresolved because there was no other evidence beyond the video. He said that in a small number of cases, he has concerns the episodes could be evidence of potential technological advancements. Those cases, he said, are handed off to the intelligence community to investigate further.

☆ Inspector General Says U.S. Aid May Be Flowing to the Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“We used to brief on a regular basis,” Mr. Sopko said of his prior engagements with the State Department, U.S.A.I.D. and the Pentagon, as he lamented a lack of access of records on what he said was over $8 billion in U.S. aid that had been provided to Afghanistan since the evacuation. “Since SIGAR’s inception, U.S.A.I.D. “We are frequently and regularly working with SIGAR on their requests.”A State Department spokesman said that U.S. reconstruction activities in Afghanistan — the centerpiece of Mr. Sopko’s jurisdiction — ceased after the Taliban took over the government in August 2021. The hearing had been billed as a venue to scrutinize the Biden administration’s actions during the withdrawal, a focus that the panel’s top Democrat, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, criticized as “absurdly narrow.”

☆ Intelligence leak: NYT: Leader of online group where leak documents were posted is a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak Jeremy Herb Natasha Bertrand Evan Perez | Kevin Liptak | Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman has been identified by The New York Times as the leader of an online gaming chat group where a trove of classified documents was posted. CNN has not independently verified the identity of the chat leader or the FBI’s interest in talking with him. While there’s a large number of people who had access to the documents, investigators have been able to home in on a small number for closer scrutiny thanks to the forensic trail left by the person who posted the documents. On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that the person behind the leak worked on a military base and posted sensitive national security secrets in an online group of acquaintances. The Pentagon has begun to limit who across the government receives its highly classified daily intelligence briefs following a major leak of classified information discovered last week.

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