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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward | | 
The multi-million dollar project to renovate the White House Situation Room will start in about two weeks and take about a year to complete. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | With help from Lawrence Ukenye, Connor O'Brien, Andrew Desiderio and Daniel Lippman Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– The White House Situation Room is getting a facelift for the first time in 15 years, one that will refit the legendary quarters with sharper screens and new technology to help President JOE BIDEN and his team more ably — and more comfortably — make important decisions. The Situation Room is a misnomer. Actually, it’s a bunch of rooms — a small, highly classified complex of conference areas, offices and operations centers in the West Wing, where the president meets with his national security team to discuss sensitive matters (and looks nowhere near as cool as it does on TV). It’s filled with a 24/7 crew of military and civilian staff who keep an eye on breaking developments around the globe, ensuring senior White House officials have as much up-to-date information as possible. Biden was just recently in the WHSR , as it’s known internally, to learn about and authorize the operation to kill al Qaeda leader AYMAN AL-ZAWAHRI. The multi-million dollar project will start in about two weeks and take about a year to complete, a National Security Council official told me. As construction takes place behind privacy panels, old flooring, furniture, monitors and tech from the last renovation in 2007 will be replaced with the latest equipment. The goal is to maintain the WHSR’s original look from 1961 — when then-President JOHN F. KENNEDY had the first secure communications site created — but more modernized and with updated, better stuff. "It’ll be nice to have the newer aesthetics and have it feel newer and more presidential,” the NSC official said. NSC spokesperson ADRIENNE WATSON confirmed that the renovation will soon get underway. Staffers have for years complained that the SitRoom needed updates, both for technological and comfort reasons. “The wear and tear is very heavy given its usage. It’s a 24/7 operation,” the NSC official said. Ultimately, the time had come to make the move and work with the Government Services Administration on finalizing a contract with the construction team. The White House will still have access to all the WHSR’s capabilities during the renovation. Staffers will simply be moved to other nearby offices where they’ll still use the same kinds of equipment. There will be some short-term pain for long-term gain, the NSC official said, because when the WHSR opens again around this time next year, the team’s work will be more efficient and effective. Or, at a minimum, everyone will be seated in more comfy chairs.
| | | REVEALED RUSSIAN DISINFO PLOT: Russian officials are planning to falsify evidence in order to blame Ukraine for the strike that killed Ukrainian prisoners of war in July, a U.S. official told NatSec Daily. “We anticipate that Russian officials will try to frame the [Ukrainian Armed Forces] in anticipation of journalists and potential investigators visiting the site of the attack,” the official said, based on downgraded intelligence. “We have reason to believe that Russia would go so far as to make it appear that Ukrainian HIMARS were to blame before journalists arrive.” Our own LARA SELIGMAN reported Monday that the Biden administration already determined American-made missiles weren’t used in the July 29 airstrike on Olenivka prison. “We know Ukraine didn’t attack the site with HIMARS because the site doesn’t have the indications it would have if it was hit with HIMARS,” one of the officials told her. Biden’s team continues to declassify and release intelligence to counter Russian claims, which it did most notably before the Feb. 24 invasion to reveal a Kremlin-led false flag operation hatched to provide a pretext for war. RUSSIA’S PAIN, UKRAINE’S GAIN: A shortage of troops and critical equipment is once again plaguing Russia forces, giving Ukraine a leg up in its planned counteroffensive, U.S. and European officials told The New York Times’ JULIAN BARNES and ERIC SCHMITT . “The signs of Russia’s challenges abound: artillery shells missing their targets, intercepts of Russian soldiers complaining they have been given old tanks and a sharply rising death and injury toll in its military ranks,” they reported. “NATO and other officials say the reality on the ground should force the Russian military to slow its operations to reinforce depleted units, better protect its supply lines and move in new equipment. These officials concede it is possible that [Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN] could override the advice of his officers and order the drive in the east to continue through the summer. For all of Russia’s equipment and manpower issues, high energy prices mean Moscow is making enough money to fund its military,” they continued. Even as fighting continues in Ukraine’s east, it’s widely expected the epicenter of fighting will soon take place in the south as Russia seeks to annex that territory. Today, Ukrainian forces struck a railway bridge in the southern Kherson region to disrupt Moscow’s supply lines ahead of the counteroffensive. GRINER FOUND GUILTY: A Russian court found American basketball star BRITTNEY GRINER guilty of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison. Griner pleaded guilty to bringing cannabis oil into Russia, saying she did so by mistake. “Speaking through a court interpreter in late afternoon, Griner apologized in her final statement before the judge’s verdict and said she never intended to break Russian law or harm anyone in Russia,” The Washington Post’s ROBYN DIXON and MARY ILYUSHINA reported. “A member of her legal team, ALEXANDER BOIKOV, had told the judge that Griner deserved to be acquitted despite her guilty plea, saying the prosecution had failed to prove criminal intent. In addition, he said, her rights were breached during the investigation and legal process,” they continued. The court, however, claimed Griner brought the cannabis-infused products into Russia “deliberately” and found her guilty. Biden called the ruling “unacceptable” in a Thursday statement. “I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.” The U.S. has openly offered to trade a Russian in U.S. custody for Griner and fellow captive PAUL WHELAN. U.S. officials tell NatSec Daily privately that the person is VIKTOR BOUT , an infamous arms dealer known as “The Merchant of Death,” though the administration won’t say so publicly. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN spoke last week with Russian Foreign Minister SERGEI LAVROV about the proposed exchange. IT’S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the 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 follow me on Twitter at @alexbward . While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi , @woodruffbets , @politicoryan , @PhelimKine , @ChristopherJM , @BryanDBender , @laraseligman , @connorobrienNH , @paulmcleary , @leehudson , @AndrewDesiderio and @JGedeon1 — plus our summer interns, @Lawrence_Ukenye and @nicolle_liu .
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: LMXT: Competitive capabilities for America’s next strategic tanker.
Lockheed Martin and Airbus announced the LMXT’s boom will be manufactured in Arkansas, reinforcing that the LMXT will be built in America for Americans by Americans. Learn more. | | | | | | U.S. DELAYS ICBM TEST AMID CHINA TENSIONS: The U.S. postponed a routine intercontinental ballistic missile test so as not to ratchet up tensions with China, which are already sky high over Taiwan. “This is a long-planned test but it is being postponed to remove any misunderstandings given the PRC’s actions around Taiwan,” a defense official told The Wall Street Journal’s MICHAEL GORDON and NANCY YOUSSEF , referring to the People’s Republic of China. “The postponed Minuteman III test is known as a ‘Glory Trip’ and is generally done a few times a year to assess the reliability of the ICBM,” the reporters noted. In fairness, tensions are high as China conducts provocative, live-fire military drills right off Taiwan’s cost following Speaker NANCY PELOSI’s visit to the democratic island. The Japanese government said China likely fired at least four missiles over Taiwan Thursday, with five in total landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. NSC spokesperson JOHN KIRBY said the U.S. will send the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and other ships to the region to "monitor the situation." The Biden administration has occasionally delayed ICBM tests when geopolitical passions are high. In April, for example, the Air Force said the Minuteman III wouldn’t fly as scheduled to lower nuclear tensions during the war in Ukraine. Republicans, it's safe to say, are unhappy. "These weak-kneed pearl-clutching attempts at appeasement hurt our readiness and will only invite further aggression by our adversaries,” said Rep. MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. IRAN TALKS OPENLY ABOUT THE BOMB: Iran is more explicit than ever that it seeks to make a nuclear bomb, something Tehran has long denied was ever in the works. “The remarks could be bluster to force more bargaining-table concessions from the U.S. without planning to seek the bomb. Or, as analysts warn, Iran could reach a point like North Korea did some 20 years ago where it decides having the ultimate weapon outweighs any further international sanctions,” The Associated Press’ JON GAMBRELL reported. Here are two examples of what Iran officials are saying, per Gambrell:
- “In a few days we were able to enrich uranium up to 60% and we can easily produce 90% enriched uranium. ... Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one,” KAMAL KHARRAZI, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah ALI KHAMENEI, told Al Jazeera in mid-July.
- “As Mr. Kharrazi mentioned, Iran has the technical ability to make an atomic bomb, but there is no such plan on the agenda,” MOHAMMAD ESLAMI, the head of Iran’s civilian nuclear agency, told the semi-official Fars new agency Monday, making clear Tehran has a functioning nuclear program.
U.S., European and Iranian officials are in Vienna now to try and revive the sputtering 2015 nuclear pact the Trump administration ripped up. The prospects for any return look grim, with a U.S. official telling NatSec Daily yesterday their hopes for a positive outcome were “very modest.”
| | | TAIWAN MOD HIT BY CYBERATTACK: Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said its website faced cyberattacks and momentarily went offline — coming just as tensions with China have spiked following Pelosi's visit to the democratic island. “Earlier this week, several government websites, including the presidential office, were subject to overseas cyber attacks, some of which authorities said were launched by China and Russia,” Reuters’ YIMOU LEE reported. It’s still unclear if these cyberattacks were specifically directed by authorities in Beijing, Moscow or elsewhere. Some experts suggest that the low-level scale of these cyberstrikes, namely the distributed denial-of-service attack on the Taiwanese presidential office, indicates “patriot hackers” are behind them.
| | | TARGET PRACTICE: Our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report the Air Force is asking industry for proposals on a next-generation aerial target that mimics threats posed by enemy fighter jets such as the Chinese J-20 or Russian Su-57, according to a new announcement . The service wants up to five fully tested flying prototypes within five years of contract award. The Air Force is also open to a new design or a modification of an existing product. The Pentagon sponsored a previous demonstrator , known as the Fifth Generation Air Target, but it crashed during initial flight testing in October 2020. HII EARNINGS: Huntington Ingalls Industries announced second quarter 2022 revenues of $2.7 billion, up 19.3 percent from the same quarter in 2021. Net earnings were $178 million, compared to $129 million in the same period last year. HHI attributes the growth to the acquisition of Alion Science and Technology as well as growth at Newport News Shipbuilding. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, USCG: The U.S. Coast Guard celebrates its 232nd birthday today. A little history from the Council on Foreign Relations’ JAMES LINDSAY : “The Coast Guard was created on August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized Secretary of Treasury ALEXANDER HAMILTON to construct ten vessels, known as ‘revenue cutters,’ to combat smuggling and enforce tariff laws…. For the next eight years, the Coast Guard was the United States’ only armed maritime force .”
| | | |   | | | | | | ‘IT’S A BIG JOB’: Senators and a top Biden administration official worry that China, not the U.S., will be the dominant foreign actor in the Middle East. "I would not want to see China pick up the role that we have had for almost 80 years in securing sea lanes and the flow of commerce for the entire global economy," BARBARA LEAF, assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday. "It's a big job, it's a big responsibility; I'd rather it be on U.S. shoulders than Chinese shoulders." While the U.S. remains the region's largest security partner, senators fear China's growing energy commitments may lead to security partnerships that threaten American interests. In March, Saudi Arabia and China inked a deal to build military drones to bolster the Kingdom's defense industry. Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia in July to prevent China from replacing the U.S. as the most important partner for Middle Eastern nations. The president argues maintaining close ties to Riyadh and other regional capitals is necessary not only for security purposes, but also to continue to have influence over Gulf governments on human rights issues.
| | | YOON SUNBS PELOSI: South Korean President YOON SUK-YEOL chose not to meet in person with Pelosi Thursday during her visit to the peninsula — and instead merely spoke with her on the phone. Analysts are calling it a snub. “When Pelosi last visited South Korea as House Speaker in 2015, she met then president PARK GEUN-HYE and South Korea’s then foreign minister. But Yoon’s office said this week that he was unable to meet Pelosi because he was on holiday, while foreign minister PARK JIN is in Cambodia for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” The Financial Times’ CHRISTIAN DAVIES and SONG JUNG-A reported. Yoon may be on “holiday” but, if so, it’s a staycation — he had a late night out Wednesday at the theater followed by a dinner with some actors. “I can’t understand that the parliamentary leader of our ally visited Korea and our president is not meeting her. Being on vacation cannot be an excuse,” YOO SEUNG-MIN, a high-profile former lawmaker from Yoon’s own party, wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
| | | — Secretary of Defense LLOYD AUSTIN officially named Brig. Gen. PATRICK RYDER as the next Pentagon press secretary. Ryder is currently the Air Force’s public affairs director. The uniformed officer will replace JOHN KIRBY, who is now the National Security Council’s lead spokesperson. — DAVID SPIRK, the Pentagon’s former chief data officer, has joined Palantir as a senior counselor. (h/t CONNOR O’BRIEN) — KAREN DAHUT , president of the global defense sector at Booz Allen Hamilton, is retiring from the post she held since April 2018. JODI DOTSON, who’s led the company’s national security sector since April 2020, will succeed Dahut.
| | | — ALINA POLYAKOVA and ILYA TIMTCHENKO, Foreign Affairs: “ Time for NATO to Take the Lead in Ukraine ” — ROBERT FARLEY, 1945: “ The Pelosi Visit To Taiwan: No War, But Not Good For America ” — CRAIG SINGLETON, Foreign Policy: “ Xi’s Great Leap Backward ”
| | | — Speaker NANCY PELOSI will conclude her Indo-Pacific tour in Japan by meeting with Prime Minister FUMIO KISHIDA. — Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN will continue meeting with the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations after making stops in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot me an email at award@politico.com to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. And thanks to my editor, Ben Pauker, who, like the South Korean president, is always too busy to meet with me in person and prefers phone calls.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: LMXT: Competitive capabilities for America’s next strategic tanker.
The LMXT aircraft delivers proven capabilities for the U.S. Air Force’s increasing aerial refueling missions. One of the LMXT’s discriminating capabilities is its refueling system, which includes a fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
