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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward | With help from Paul McLeary and Daniel Lippman Welcome to National Security Daily, your guide to the global events roiling Washington and keeping the administration up at night. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Quint There’s a growing movement in conservative circles to push President JOE BIDEN to recognize former deposed politicians and newly minted resistance leaders as the true heads of Afghanistan’s government. “After speaking with Afghan Vice President AMRULLAH SALEH and representatives of AHMAD MASSOUD, we are calling on the Biden Administration to recognize these leaders as the legitimate government representatives of Afghanistan,” Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) and Rep. MIKE WALTZ (R-Fla.) said in a joint statement. “We ask the Biden Administration to recognize that the Afghan Constitution is still intact, and the Afghan Taliban takeover is illegal.” There’s no indication the White House or State Department is seriously considering backing the 48-year-old Saleh, who has already appointed himself Afghanistan’s “Acting President” and is in the rebel stronghold of Panjshir. And there’s even less evidence that administration officials would put their faith in Massoud, the 32-year-old commander of an anti-Taliban force forming in that province. “We understand that Afghan leaders are in discussions regarding the future of their country and its government. We are focused on supporting these discussions and a peaceful and orderly transition of power to an inclusive government with broad support,” a State Department spokesperson told NatSec Daily. Meanwhile, there are reports the U.S. is weighing whether or not to keep a diplomatic presence in the Taliban-run country. But that hasn’t stopped the congressional duo from pushing the issue. Waltz’s office confirmed the representative and Graham spoke with Saleh on the phone yesterday. Sen. RICHARD BURR (R-N.C.), the former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, joined them for the conversation, his office told NatSecDaily. And this evening, Fox News’ SEAN HANNITY will interview the Afghan politician before turning to Graham and Waltz for their reactions. Graham’s office didn’t return multiple requests for comment. Graham and Waltz have little power to get Biden on board with their plan, as recognizing a government squarely falls in the president’s authority. Yet NatSec Daily is told Waltz, the first Green Beret in Congress, plans to start his pressure campaign by adding an amendment to the behemoth defense policy bill to give the Pentagon authorities to back the Saleh-led resistance movement. That tracks with the lawmaker’s comments in recent days. “Look, we’re going to take a play out of Charlie Wilson’s playbook,” Waltz told JACK DETSCH, ROBBIE GRAMER, and AMY MACKINNON of Foreign Policy magazine earlier this week. “We’re going to lead and drive this from Congress if the White House and the administration refuses to.” Republicans insist they can use Afghanistan as a weapon to bludgeon Democrats heading into the midterms, even if polling shows the American public is tired of the war. Saleh and Massoud have come up on Hannity’s program before, with guests advocating the U.S. support the two men and the thousands of fighters under their command. “The U.S. government must immediately begin supporting this movement, most of it is humanitarian support — food, fuel, medical supplies and, I was asked this morning, please get us some COVID vaccine,” scandal-plagued Lt. Col. OLIVER NORTH (ret.) recommended on Monday, indicating he’s in touch with the Afghan fighters. The back-Saleh-and-Massoud plot doesn’t seem to have much traction in left-wing circles, though, meaning this issue could turn into a fight about how best to engage with Afghanistan after Aug. 31. | | | | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada’s future. 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Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | | | | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — FORMER CENTCOM CHIEFS MAKE PLEA TO CONGRESS: Three former chiefs of U.S. Central Command sent a private letter to the top two leaders in both Congressional chambers, urging them to work with the administration to safely evacuate Afghan allies of the U.S. war effort — and not just SIV applicants. “In addition to those who served alongside the U.S. military and qualify for Special Immigrant Visa status, there are thousands who worked on our civilian programs through U.S.-funded NGOs, contractors, and other implementers,” wrote retired generals ANTHONY ZINNI, WILLIAM FALLON and DAVID PETRAEUS . “We are concerned that this group of Afghans — individuals who qualify for Priority 2 refugee status — could be left behind. These civilian operations — driven by Afghans working on U.S. funded projects — have been vital for America’s national security and for empowering millions of women and girls.” The letter was posted today by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition after sharing it exclusively with NatSec Daily. It follows another letter sent by over 600 veterans to Biden asking for the same thing as the former CENTCOM bosses. BREAKING — IC COVID REPORT: CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD NO 'FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE VIRUS BEFORE THE INITIAL OUTBREAK': The director of national intelligence's office released its unclassified summary of the 90-day investigation into Covid-19's origins. "[T]he IC remains divided on the most likely origin of COVID-19," the summary reads, with agencies split on whether the virus came from nature or a lab. But one important detail sticks out in the report: "The IC assesses China’s officials did not have foreknowledge of the virus before the initial outbreak of COVID-19 emerged." In order to gain more information and reach a definitive conclusion, the report says "China's cooperation most likely would be needed." The chances of getting that, though, seem slim to none right now. THE IC’S 'HARD, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE' TASK: White House Press Secretary JEN PSAKI couldn’t have been more clear that Biden’s intention is to find and eliminate those responsible for the Kabul airport attack. “We will not forgive, we will not forget, and we will hunt down these terrorists and kill them wherever they are,” she told reporters yesterday. But finding the perpetrators won’t be the easiest job, former U.S. intelligence officials tell NatSec Daily. “It’ll be hard, but not impossible,” said JAMES CLAPPER, the former director of national intelligence. “It’s not as though we don’t know the geography and we have a lot of familiarity with the players. And, we have a lot of contacts who will help. Communications in Afghanistan are predominantly by cell phone, and they are exploitable. And, the ISIS franchise there is small and importantly inimical to the Taliban.” “I don't think people realize the time it takes to develop intelligence networks and how fragile they are. We need humans on the ground to collect intelligence, but also make all the technical gear useful,” asserted JOHN SIPHER, who spent nearly 30 years in the CIA. “Without finding them, all the fancy gear and high-end special operators are useless.” The CIA hoped to move away from its counterterrorism focus after the mission in Afghanistan ended. But now it looks like the spy agency may be drawn back in after the twin bombings at Kabul’s airport underscored the persistent threat. “The C.I.A.’s new mission will be narrower, a senior intelligence official said.... But the rapid American exit devastated the agency’s networks, and spies will most likely have to rebuild them and manage sources from abroad,” The New York Times’ MARK MAZZETTI, JULIAN BARNES, and ADAM GOLDMAN reported. Back in April, CIA Director WILLIAMS BURNS warned the Senate Intelligence Committee of the challenges ahead. "When the time comes for the U.S. military to withdraw, the U.S. government's ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That's simply a fact," Burns said. BIDEN TO BENNETT: After his one-on-one meeting with Israeli Prime Minister NAFTALI BENNETT, which was rescheduled from yesterday to today after the Kabul attack, Biden told his counterpart that he prefers a diplomatic solution to the growing nuclear threat from Iran. Should that option fail, though, Biden promised the U.S. would consider “other options” to ensure Tehran “never” acquires a nuclear weapon. Bennett didn’t seem put off by those comments. “I was happy to hear your clear words, that Iran will never be able to have a nuclear weapon, and you emphasized that we will try the diplomatic way but that there's other options that will work out,” Bennett said alongside Biden in the White House. In an interview with The New York Times days before his visit, Naftali said he opposes America’s return to the Iran deal, will continue covert attacks on the Islamic Republic and plans to expand settlements in the West Bank. That followed previous statements where he promised not to annex more territory but also said he would not allow a Palestinian state while he’s in charge. U.S. SPECIAL OPS VETS SAVING AFGHAN LIVES: ABC News has quite the story from JAMES GORDON MEEK: Special operations veterans have launched their own daring missions outside the confines of the Kabul airport to rescue members of Afghanistan’s elite forces. “Moving after nightfall in near-pitch black darkness and extremely dangerous conditions, the group said it worked unofficially in tandem with the United States military and U.S. embassy to move people, sometimes one person at a time, or in pairs, but rarely more than a small bunch, inside the wire of the U.S. military-controlled side of Hamid Karzai International Airport,” Meek wrote. The former commandos dubbed their mission “Pineapple Express,” and as of Thursday morning the secret effort saved around 500 Afghan special operators and their family members, among others. It’s been a risky play. Some in the group were hurt in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Kabul, and it’s unclear if some of the people they hoped to evacuate have been killed. But those involved say the struggle has been worth it. "Dozens of high-risk individuals, families with small children, orphans, and pregnant women, were secretly moved through the streets of Kabul throughout the night and up to just seconds before ISIS detonated a bomb into the huddled mass of Afghans seeking safety and freedom," Army Lt. Col. SCOTT MANN (ret.), the former Green Beret who led the effort, told Meek. ON THE GROUND: Of the more than 100,000 evacuated from Kabul, only about 7,000 Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) holders have made it to the United State so far, Pentagon spokesperson JOHN KIRBY confirmed today. There are about 20,000 Afghan SIV applicants total, with thousands of them somewhere in the pipeline, including at U.S. bases in the Middle East en route to the U.S. TGI FRIDAY (SORTA): Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily, the newsletter for top U.S. and foreign officials, lawmakers, lobbyists, experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and qforgey@politico.com, and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @QuintForgey. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @woodruffbets, @politicoryan, @PhelimKine, @BryanDBender, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmccleary, @leehudson, @AndrewDesiderio and @JonnyCustodio.
| | | AFGHAN SHIA FEAR TALIBAN TAKEOVER: When the Taliban were last in power, it was Afghanistan’s Shia that often faced the brunt of the militant group’s wrath. Now the country’s Shia minority, and especially the Hazara community, fear a return to that era with the Taliban back in charge. “During the Taliban’s previous regime from 1996 to 2001, human rights groups documented three large-scale massacres of Hazara civilians, including in 1998 in Mazar-i-Sharif, where Human Rights Watch said scores if not hundreds of men were summarily executed,” the Financial Times’ AMY KAZMIN, NAJMEH BOZORGMEHR, and FARHAN BOKHARI report. It’s that kind of history that has Afghanistan’s Shia deeply concerned. “The Taliban’s anti-Shia hatred is deep-rooted, which cannot disappear overnight,” Javad, a young Shia Hazara from Bamiyan, told the British paper. “They have been educated in Pakistani schools and believe Shia are infidels who must be killed.” JAPAN INTERCEPTING CHINESE SPY PLANES: Japan scrambled its warplanes three times this week after Chinese drones and accompanying surveillance aircraft approached its airspace, Newsweek’s JOHN FENG reported. On Tuesday, Japan tracked a Chinese TB-001 reconnaissance drone in the East China Sea. The next day, China sent a BZK-005 UAV and two Y-8 support aircraft, which it uses for maritime patrol and intelligence gathering, through the Miyako Strait but remained in international airspace. And then Thursday, the TB-001 and Y-8s followed a similar pattern. At no point did the Chinese vehicles ever enter Japanese airspace. China has long used its military assets aggressively against regional neighbors, especially Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. But the consistent tempo shows there’s no sign of that practice ending any time soon.
| | | NEW DHS CYBER SERVICE: The Department of Homeland Security has created the Cybersecurity Service, FedScoop’s BILLY MITCHELL reported. People in these roles will be excepted, meaning they can join the government without having to go through the normal byzantine, competitive hiring process. The goal is to lure supremely skilled people from the private sector in part by paying them competitive wages. The highest someone joining this new service can get paid is $255,880, which just so happens to be Vice President KAMALA HARRIS’s salary. A DHS official told NatSec Daily that this new service is “definitely a good thing” but questioned whether it was solving the biggest issue. “The number one problem to hiring and retaining cybersecurity talent at the top end isn’t the pay scale, it’s the fact that working in government is like swimming in molasses compared to [the] private sector,” adding that “so many in government seem to actively fight to preserve that.” | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | | | | NAVY HYPERSONIC WEAPON MOTOR TEST: The Navy Wednesday completed a test of its second-stage motor for a hypersonic weapon, announcing its success yesterday. The test in Utah “is another step toward the fielding of a Navy and Army co-designed common hypersonic missile,” Defense News’ JEN JUDSON reported. “The Army plans to field its ground-launched Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon by the end of fiscal 2023, and the Navy wants its ship-launched capability fielded in 2023 followed by a submarine-launched missile in 2024. The Air Force wants to field an air-launched version in 2022.”
| | | HASC WANTS TO REEL IN THE F-35: The House Armed Services Committee is looking to constrain spending on the fifth-generation F-35 warplane. Breaking Defense’s THERESA HITCHENS obtained a copy of HASC Chair ADAM SMITH’s FY22 NDAA markup and found it “sets ‘Affordability, Operational, and Sustainment Cost Constraints’ for the F-35 program, based on the ‘affordability targets’ assessed by the Air Force, Navy and Marines of the three fighter variants,” she reported. The full committee will vote on the draft Sept. 1.
| | | MARINE LT. COL. CALLS OUT SENIOR LEADERS ON AFGHANISTAN: In a rare and dramatic move, an active-duty Marine openly criticized senior U.S. military leadership on social media over their handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. “I have a growing discontent and contempt for, my perceived, ineptitude at the foreign policy level, and I want to specifically ask some questions to some of my senior leaders, said Marine Lt. Col. STUART SCHELLER in a video posted Thursday to Facebook and LinkedIn.” Among the questions: “Did any of you throw your rank on the table and say ‘hey, it’s a bad idea to evacuate Bagram Airfield, a strategic airbase, before we evacuate everyone.’ Did anyone do that? And when you didn’t think to do that, did anyone raise their hand and say ‘we completely messed this up?’” Scheller is aware of the risk he ran by posting this video. “I have been fighting for 17 years. I am willing to throw it all away to say to my senior leaders: I demand accountability.” The video is going viral and is circulating in military channels on social media. And based on people NatSec Daily has talked to, Scheller isn’t the only military person who feels this way. “We keep following the same broken model, and all these retired generals and admirals who went in there, why aren't they held accountable?” a former SOF operator said. “Personally, I wish I could recall them to active duty and demote them to the rank of two stars, or the last honorable rank that they served.” Scheller on Friday posted to Facebook that he was fired from the Marine Corps at 2:30 p.m. "based on a lack of trust and confidence," adding "My chain of command is doing exactly as I would do...if I were in their shoes."
| | | At the end of every long, hard week, we’re going to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene likes to unwind with a drink. Today, we have KORI SCHAKE , a senior fellow and director for foreign and defense studies at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Since Kori is known throughout the capital as a friend and mentor to many, we wanted to know what she likes to imbibe when chatting about the world and careers. Schake enjoys drinking a French Summer Lemonade -- “which packs a punch,” she says -- at The Girl and Fig in her hometown of Sonoma, California. And when was the last time she got to enjoy such a treat? “This week,” she replied right before sending NatSec Daily a smiley face emoji.
| | | — ALIA AWADALLAH is now a Saudi Arabia country director in the Defense Department’s Middle East policy shop. The assignment is a rotation in her role as a presidential management fellow. She most recently did a stint at State’s Bureau for Budget and Planning.
| | | — EZRA KLEIN, The New York Times: “Let’s Not Pretend the Way We Withdrew from Afghanistan Was the Problem” — Defense Priorities: “ Putting the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan into Perspective” — Wall Street Journal: “Inside the Hidden War Between the Taliban and ISIS”
| | | — International Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, 10 a.m.: “The Myanmar Economy Six Months After the Coup: What’s Next?’” — Asia Development Bank Institute, 11:30 p.m.: “ Women’s Economic Empowerment in Asia: Challenges and Ways Forward” Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot us an email at award@politico.com or qforgey@politico.com to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
