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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Lawrence Ukenye | | 
The national security world is already crafting doomsday scenarios once Twitter users can pay $8 a month for verification. | Noah Berger/AP Photo | With help from Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt ELON MUSK’s plan to charge users for Twitter verification could be quite the opportunity for Russia. The new owner’s subscription policy — $8 a month for that coveted blue checkmark — doesn’t start until after the midterms , but the national security world is already crafting doomsday scenarios. The dangers are much more worrisome than some of the threats of warfare from foreign adversaries, argued GLENN GERSTELL, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as general counsel of the National Security Agency and Central Security Service from 2015 to 2020. “I’m sure that the Kremlin, VLADIMIR PUTIN and YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN are delighted to know that for just $7.99 a month, you can sow discord and set Americans against each other,” Gerstell told NatSec Daily, referring to the Russian oligarch who admitted to interfering in U.S. elections on Monday and vowed to continue doing so. “From their point of view, that sounds like, “Wow, what a great deal. Where do we sign up?’” That may be hard for Musk to square with his ambitious goal for the platform: “Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission,” he tweeted Sunday evening. One of the issues with the verification policy users have pointed out is the ability to easily impersonate an authentic person by simply changing your own profile name. Many verified users, including comedian KATHY GRIFFIN, took the opportunity to poke fun and impersonate the world’s richest man. It seemed to get his attention, with Musk announcing a new policy shortly after and suspending the comedian’s account . "Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended," Musk tweeted , pledging that violators will not be warned of the suspension. And while midterms get a pass, the lax verification policy comes as political tensions rise ahead of the next presidential election cycle. That’s a prime opportunity for foreign adversaries to spread disinformation — and it’s more likely that people will share information that comes from verified accounts. “Remember what I’ve been saying all along, about ‘look to your state and election officials, look to those trusted, authoritative sources for information,’” former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director CHRIS KREBS said during a Washington Post Live event Monday, referencing Twitter Blue’s verification policy. “If you upend that model at a time when authoritative information is absolutely critical, I think there’s a significant amount of risk." Russian trolls aren’t the only foreign adversaries to watch out for in the next two years, Gerstell said. China appears to be stepping into the disinformation game , taking a page out of Russia’s playbook. With the chance to add credibility on Twitter, “it just adds fuel to the fire.” “Disinformation corrodes our institutions and democracy and pits citizens against each other, and that’s far more pernicious than, say, the risk of North Korean missiles landing in San Francisco,” Gerstell said. “Not that we don’t need to worry about that too, but the likelihood of the threat causing harm from disinformation is way higher.”
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | | ‘MERCILESSLY’ USING MISSILES: Speaking of missile threats, North Korea admitted that its recent barrage of rocket launches were tests for “mercilessly” striking South Korean and U.S. targets, including air bases and operation command systems, the Associated Press’ HYUNG-JIN KIM reports . The authoritarian regime fired dozens of missiles and sent warplanes to South Korea’s border last week, a show of force that underscores leader KIM JONG UN’s determination to protest ongoing joint military drills between his southern rival and the U.S. The military actions last week are a “clear answer” from North Korea that “the more persistently the enemies’ provocative military moves continue, the more thoroughly and mercilessly the [Korean People’s Army] will counter them,” the General Staff of North Korea’s military said in a statement via state media. Notably, the intercontinental ballistic missile that was launched near Japan was not mentioned in the announcement. KYIV BUNDLES UP: Kyiv Mayor VITALI KLITSCHKO warned residents that they should prepare for a winter without electricity, water and heat in case Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy sources persist, the Associated Press reports . “We are doing everything to avoid this. But let’s be frank, our enemies are doing everything for the city to be without heat, without electricity, without water supply, in general, so we all die. And the future of the country and the future of each of us depends on how prepared we are for different situations,” Klitschko told state media. Moscow has taken aim at the country’s energy infrastructure over the last month, leading to widespread outages leaving millions without electricity or water. To save energy, Kyiv and nearby regions have scheduled hourly rolling blackouts. MORE STRIKES COMING: Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY warned that Russia is planning more large-scale strikes on the country's energy infrastructure, The New York Times reports. “We also understand that the terrorist state is concentrating forces and means for a possible repetition of mass attacks on our infrastructure. First of all, energy,” Zelenskyy said. Ukrainian officials fear that infrastructure attacks near recently liberated areas could prompt roughly 500,000 displaced people to seek refuge in other regions of the country. Kyiv has already advised those who have fled the country against returning to avoid straining the nation's already-damaged infrastructure as winter approaches. IT’S MONDAY: 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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Lockheed Martin employees and customers are bound by a common cause. Ennobled by our shared patriotism, we will do all that is necessary to protect American and allied interests. Together, we will strengthen deterrence and help ensure mission readiness today. Learn more. | | | | | | TALKING IT OUT: Representatives from Tigray and the Ethiopian government began a new round of talks on Monday to work out the details of last week’s agreement to end hostilities in the two-year conflict that is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Associated Press’ CARA ANNA reports . The discussions, held in Kenya, will center on how to monitor the deal, disarm forces in Tigray and resume humanitarian aid and basic services to the Tigray region. The talks are expected to continue through Wednesday, according to an official familiar with the discussions. “Maybe by the end of this week or the middle of next week” trucks of humanitarian aid will be allowed to go to the northern region, REDWAN HUSSEIN, the Ethiopian government’s lead negotiator, told reporters. DAM DRAMA: Russian news agencies claimed the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region was damaged in shelling by Ukrainian forces over the weekend, Reuters reports . News agency TASS cited an emergency services official, who said a rocket launched by a HIMARS missile system had damaged the dam’s lock in an "attempt to create the conditions for a humanitarian catastrophe" by breaching the dam. The allegations, which were not supported by evidence, could not be immediately verified. In recent weeks, the dam has become a contentious topic as Russian and Ukrainian forces accuse each other of planning to explode the dam, which would likely bring widespread destruction to Kherson.
| | | HEY THERE, HAMAS: The militant Palestinian group Hamas is developing into a capable offensive cyber actor that deserves more attention from Western authorities, argues a new report out today from the Atlantic Council, our friends over at Morning Cybersecurity (for Pros’) report . Though the U.S. tends to focus on cyber threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, or on terrorist cyber threats against critical infrastructure, non-state actors like Hamas have grown adept at employing a mix of espionage and information operations to reinforce their domestic and external political objectives, argues the report’s author, SIMON HANDLER. Handler warns Hamas could pose a greater cyber threat over time, and he calls on U.S. authorities to consider new countermeasures for non-state cyber actors, such as how to limit technology and capability sharing via third parties.
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, “At a Crossroads: America’s Defense Strategy” on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America’s national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | | MARITIME MARRIAGE: Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards, the largest-private U.S. shipbuilder, announced early today that it is acquiring Mississippi’s VT Halter Marine and ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore from Singapore Technologies Engineering, our friends over at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report . The marriage of the Navy and Coast Guard contractors will enable the combined company to complete contracts more efficiently, Bollinger CEO and President BEN BORDELON told our own BRYAN BENDER. “Adding these facilities into us is only going to add to the depth and the capability of what we can produce,” he said, emphasizing that the acquisition will help to flex the Gulf Coast’s collective political muscle in Washington. HUSKY CONTRACT: AirBoss Defense Group has received a $35 million order for 10 Husky 2G counter-improvised explosive device vehicles, the company announced on Monday. The C-IED vehicles will be equipped with detection systems, ground penetrating radar, M20 interrogation arms, rollover detection systems, thermal cameras and RPG-defeat netting, the company said in a statement. They’ll be delivered over the next 16 months.
| | | WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR: House Appropriations Chair ROSA DeLAURO said she’s ready to negotiate a year-end funding deal — including a Pentagon spending bill — but talks are on hold until after the midterms, our own CAITLIN EMMA reports (for Pros!). DeLauro told Emma that Republicans “laid out that they don't want to do anything until after the election … But I've got a Dec. 16 deadline. It’s one I intend to meet.” House and Senate appropriators still need to strike a deal on overarching funding levels for the Pentagon and domestic programs before crafting an omnibus. House Democrats supported President JOE BIDEN’s proposed Pentagon budget, while Senate appropriators endorsed a spending increase in their own bill.
| | | LASHING OUT: China lashed out over the visit of British Trade Policy Minister GREG HANDS to Taiwan, Associated Press reports . Beijing sees the self-governing island as part of its own territory and called on the United Kingdom to respect its sovereignty and avoid sending signals in support of Taiwanese independence. Hands was on a two-day visit with plans to meet Taiwanese President TSAI ING-WEN and host trade talks between both sides. Tensions between London and Beijing have recently increased after British officials were angered after a pro-Hong Kong protester was attacked outside of the Chinese consulate in Manchester last month.
| | | |   | | | | | | — COREY JACOBSON is joining the Pentagon as special assistant to assistant secretary of Defense for space policy JOHN PLUMB. He previously was legislative director for Rep. TED LIEU (D-Calif.) and is a HENRY WAXMAN alum.
| | | — BEN RHODES, The Atlantic: Taiwan’s TSAI ING-WEN Wants China To Think Twice — SHABNAM SAFARZADEH and SHAGHAYEGH SAFARZADEH, POLITICO: Our Sisters in Iran are No Longer Afraid of the Ayatollahs — IVO DAALDER, POLITICO: Europe’s U.S. Anxiety
| | | — The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Belvoir, 8 a.m.: "Industry Days" — The United States Institute of Peace, 3:30 p.m.: "Twitter Space: Syria, Russia and the War in Ukraine" — The Middle East Institute, 3:30 p.m.: “By, With and Through Partner Special Forces in the Middle East” 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 “mercilessly” edits our work. And we thank our producer, Jeffrey Horst, who brings the electricity to this newsletter.
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Lockheed Martin is helping you outpace evolving threats by accelerating our digital transformation. That means simulating wear-and-tear with digital twins so you can anticipate maintenance and reduce downtime. It means deep knowledge of your missions. It means industry-wide experience and next-gen technologies. We do it all to help you prevent and deter emerging threats sooner and faster than ever. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
