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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward , Connor O’Brien and Matt Berg | | 
The Stop Iranian Drones Act included an amendment filed by Sen. Ted Cruz that places any Iranian group — including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC — on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list for 10 years for using a drone to kill an American citizen. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | With help from Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt The House Ways and Means Committee may force senators to drop a push to sanction Iran over its drones program as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, two people familiar with the matter told NatSec Daily. The reason: an amendment that would place Iranian groups on a terrorism blacklist for using those drones to kill Americans, the individuals said. The Stop Iranian Drones Act — aimed at stopping Tehran or any militia affiliated with Iran from acquiring a lethal unmanned aerial vehicle — passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June. That legislation included an amendment, filed by Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas), that places any Iranian group — including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC — on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list for 10 years for using a drone to kill an American citizen. Instead of passing on its own, the measure was thrown into the pile to pass in the coming NDAA. House Ways and Means didn’t respond to NatSec Daily’s requests for comment. But proponents of passing the measure in the NDAA say it’s convenient to keep it out while the Biden administration negotiates a return to the Iran nuclear deal, even if those negotiations are sputtering and an agreement looks unlikely. The IRGC is already on the terrorist list, and President JOE BIDEN decided not to remove the group from it even though Tehran demanded that action during negotiations. The news comes as Russia uses Iranian drones to strike civilian targets throughout Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv. About 30 percent of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed , and the attacks have forced Ukrainians to ration their use of water and heat as a brutal winter approaches. House Ways and Means isn’t telling congressional aides that the terrorism list is the main concern. Instead, it’s saying that the problem stems from a “blue slip” issue about revenue. Bills that affect federal revenue must start in the House under the Constitution, and the lower chamber lodges the blue slip objection when the Senate runs afoul of that provision. Over the summer, for instance, the PACT Act that expanded healthcare for veterans exposed to burn pits was held up over a tax provision that triggered a blue slip. Senate leaders will want to avoid any snags that could delay passage of the $847 billion defense policy bill as lawmakers race to craft a compromise NDAA that can clear both chambers and earn Biden’s signature by the end of the year. A blue slip after the fact would mean the Senate would have to fix the issue and pass the NDAA again, eating up precious time leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees could use to negotiate a final bill. The proposal is one of more than 900 amendments filed so far ( handy rundown here for Pros! ) that Senate leaders will need to pour through when they return to action next month. Senate Armed Services Chair JACK REED (D-R.I.) and ranking member JIM INHOFE (R-Okla.) have already incorporated 75 amendments into a revised bill teed up last week. But senators from both parties will be clamoring for votes on their other proposals, and Democrats and Republicans will need to strike a deal to satisfy their members and allow the bill to advance.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today . | | | | | | | | EU TO SANCTION IRANIANS: The European Union is planning to sanction eight Iranian people and entities in the coming days for arms sales to Moscow, four diplomats and officials told our friends over at Brussels Playbook . The potential sanctions come after Russian forces used of Iranian-made drones to strike Kyiv on Monday, killing four people. Reports that Iran may soon provide the Kremlin with precision-guided missiles have also caused tension to rise. The New York Times’ JULIAN BARNES reported Tuesday that Iran has sent members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to train Russians on how to use the provided drones. “Sincerely, the JCPOA does not count anymore,” one senior official from Europe told Brussels Playbook, referring to the stalled Iran nuclear deal. “We have gotten used to the idea that this will not move forward.” RUSSIA RECOILS: Russian forces are preparing for a Ukrainian counterattack in Kherson, urging residents to evacuate as the Kremlin’s top general SERGEI SUROVIKIN characterizes military efforts in the region as “very difficult,” the Associated Press’ HANNA ARHIROVA and SABRA AYRES report . Text messages were sent out to residents Wednesday, telling people to leave the southern city, according to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti. Kherson was among the first cities seized by Russian forces in the early days of the war, but Moscow is expecting Ukraine’s troops — which have gained momentum with land gains in recent weeks — to attempt to take it back. The battle preparation comes as continued missile strikes and shelling of energy facilities left areas of towns and cities without power on Wednesday. Russia President VLADIMIR PUTIN also declared martial law in the four Ukrainian regions he previously claimed to annex. That’s a dubious order, though, since Russia doesn’t officially control those territories. CONFLICT IN KOREA: In the latest string of escalatory behavior on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea fired about 100 artillery shells toward the sea Wednesday, signaling disapproval of South Korea’s live-firing drills at border areas, the Associated Press’ HYUNG-JIN KIM reports . South Korean military officials detected the shots from a town on North Korea’s western coast. The latest rounds come after North Korea fired a total of about 250 shells from its east and west coasts Tuesday night. The shells landed within the maritime buffer zones enacted by the dueling countries in 2018, originally intended to reduce tension. But in recent weeks, animosity between the Koreas has grown as North Korea conducted repeated missile tests claimed to be a simulation of nuclear attacks . IT’S WEDNESDAY: 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 mberg@politico.com , and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33 . While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi , @woodruffbets , @politicoryan , @PhelimKine , @BryanDBender , @laraseligman , @connorobrienNH , @paulmcleary , @leehudson , @AndrewDesiderio , @magmill95 , @ericgeller , @johnnysaks130 and @Lawrence_Ukenye .
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The F-35 delivers the unrivaled advantage for our pilots, nation, and partners. A decisive differentiator in near-peer warfare, the F-35 is the most advanced node in 21st century warfare network-centric architecture. Learn more. | | | | | | WHO WARNS GENOCIDE IN TIGRAY: World Health Organization head TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS warned that "there is a very narrow window” to avoid a genocide in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Agence France Presse reports . "The world is not paying enough attention," Ghebreyesus told reporters from WHO headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday. The Ethiopian military and its allies seized control of Shire, a key city in the country’s northern region, this week as the war between government forces and Tigrayan soldiers intensifies since the five-month cease-fire stopped in August, The Washington Post’s KATHARINE HOURELD reports . Residents of the city fled in panic, fearing brutal atrocities including gang rapes and mass killings. But bus tickets to escape have soared up to $100, stranding poorer inhabitants in the opposition-held city. Officials worry that the intense warfare will continue and further destabilize the Horn of Africa .
| | | GO ‘PRETTY BIG’ OR GO HOME: The Kremlin went “pretty big” in its digital attacks against Ukraine in the past, but the country’s stalwart defenses prevented the worst, according to ROB JOYCE, the director of National Security Administration’s cybersecurity directorate, our friend JOHN SAKELLARIADIS over at Morning Cybersecurity (for Pros!) reports . Still, Joyce suggested it was dangerous to downplay how much effort went into mitigating the impact of Russian cyberattacks in Ukraine. He cited Moscow’s cyberattack on the commercial satellite provider Viasat and its seven wiper attacks on Ukrainian networks to support his point. “We may think that [cyber] wasn’t a big deal out there in the Ukrainian landscape, but it actually was,” said Joyce, speaking at Mandiant’s mWISE conference on Tuesday.
| | | MONEY MOVES: The Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee and the House and Senate Defense Appropriations panels signed off on $2.5 billion of a nearly $2.9 billion request that the Pentagon submitted in June to reshuffle money in its current budget between accounts, our friends over at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. The reprogramming includes $1.1 billion to support Army operations, including deployments in Europe, the Middle East and at the southwest border. The committees also approved $17.5 million for the Army’s development of counter-drone technology; $45 million for Space Force research and development; and $33 million for the nuclear refueling of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. UKRAINE’S WISHLIST FROM ISRAEL: Ukraine’s Embassy in Israel handed its defense-systems wishlist to Jerusalem, Axios’ BARAK RAVID reports . Per a copy of the shared document, Ukraine has requested Iron Beam , Barak-8 , Patriots , Iron Dome , David’s Sling and Arrow Interceptor . Importantly, Iron Beam is not yet up and running, and the U.S. makes Patriots. Israeli Defense Minister BENNY GANTZ said Wednesday that Israel will help Ukraine develop an air-defense “early warning system” but won’t “deliver weapons systems to Ukraine due to a variety of operational considerations.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | | | | NEW UKRAINE AUTHORITIES: The White House told lawmakers that it wants two new Ukraine-related authorities in the next National Defense Authorization Act: a Critical Munitions Acquisition Fund and a Defense Exportability Transfer Account. Without those new authorities, America’s defense-industrial base “is likely to continue to be challenged to meet surges in demand, creating long lead-times for the delivery of critical munitions or weapon systems to allies and partners of the United States to support sustained contingency operations,” per the statement of administrative policy , known as a SAP, released by the Office of Management and Budget late Tuesday. The munitions fund would give the Pentagon $500 million to purchase more, well, munitions. But lawmakers have mostly rejected this idea, saying that funding for munitions should be spread out among various accounts, not just one. Others also want enough funds to keep producing munitions beyond the number needed to restock emptied shelves. Two other notable statements in the SAP:
- “The Administration strongly opposes continued funding for the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and its associated warhead.”
- “The Administration strongly urges Congress to continue to demonstrate a commitment to our Afghan partners and increase the Afghan SIV cap in the final FY 2023 NDAA.”
| | | NO MEET CUTE: The White House is working hard to ensure Biden and Putin don’t meet each other at next month’s G-20 gathering, our own JONATHAN LEMIRE reports. “Biden last week opened the door to meeting Putin at the summit for a chance to negotiate the freedom of American prisoners, including WNBA star BRITTNEY GRINER. But there are no discussions underway with the Kremlin to make a deal happen and that seems unlikely to change,” per Lemire. “U.S. officials have ruled out a formal meeting and are taking steps to ensure that the American president does not encounter his Russian counterpart in a hallway or even in a leaders’ group photo.” They could cross paths during the large plenary meeting or during other moments in Indonesia, but that would be the extent of it. Meanwhile, it’s still possible Biden will have a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President XI JINPING.
| | | |   | | | | | | Palantir Technologies Inc. announced four new additions to its Palantir Federal Advisory Board. These additions include:
- DEBORAH BIRX, former coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and former ambassador-at-large of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
- WILL HURD, former representative of Texas’ 23rd District
- GUSTAVE PERNA, former chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed; former commander in the Army Materiel Command
- GREG SIMON, former executive director of the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force and the Biden Cancer Initiative, and co-founder of the Melanoma Research Alliance
— BAE Systems has appointed CAITLIN HAYDEN as group communications director, effective Nov. 1. Hayden previously served as senior vice president of communications for BAE Systems. — CHRIS ESTEP , former acting communications director for the House Armed Services Committee majority, has joined the Department of Defense as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. — MALLIKARJUN KHARGE was elected as the new president of India’s main opposition Congress party on Wednesday, the Associated Press’ KRUTIKA PATHI reported .
| | | — DOUGLAS LONDON, Just Security: Addressing Putin’s Nuclear Threat: Thinking Like the Cold War KGB Officer That He Was — Editors, National Review: Biden’s Failed Election Stunt in Saudi Arabia — JOHNNIE CARSON and ALEX RONDOS, U.S. Institute of Peace: Ethiopia’s civil war is raging. How can it get on track toward peace?
| | | — The National Defense Industrial Association, 7:45 a.m.: "Integrated Precision Warfare in an Era of Major Power Conflict” — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9:45 a.m.: "Relations with the two Koreas, the 20th National Congress of the CCP, and the recently released National Security Strategy by the U.S." — The German Marshall Fund of the United States, 10 a.m.: "The Future of European Security Architecture - The Path to the NATO Summit in Vilnius" — The Wilson Center's Middle East Program, 10 a.m.: "Public Outrage: A Look at Protest Movements in Iran and the Arab World" — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association-Los Angeles, 11 a.m.: "Space Industry Days: Responsive to the Threat - Accelerating Resilient Space Capabilities" — New America, 12 p.m.: "How Should the U.S. Respond to Disinformation?" — The Atlantic Council, 12 p.m.: "How the latest women-led protests in Iran might shape the country's trajectory" — The Government Executive Media Group, 2 p.m.: "Security-Proofing the Workforce" 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. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who says working with us is “very difficult.” And we thank our producer, Jeffrey Horst, for all the help putting out this newsletter.
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Information is the battlespace advantage. F-35 sensor fusion provides vast amounts of information to accelerate critical decisions and win the fight. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
