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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward, Daniel Lippman and Matt Berg | | 
After a five-month search, the Council on Foreign Relations named its 15th president Wednesday, and it’s Michael Froman. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt After searching since October, the Council on Foreign Relations named its 15th president Wednesday, and it’s MICHAEL FROMAN. CFR’s board unanimously approved of the former trade representative’s appointment in a Tuesday meeting. He’ll start on July 1 after RICHARD HAASS, who has led the think tank for 20 years, steps down in June. But the expectation from six people in CFR’s community (none of them in the search committee) was that a woman would be named to lead the organization or someone who would increase the organization’s gender, racial or ethnic diversity. “They want a diverse candidate,” someone close to CFR said this week, just days before the Froman appointment. “It’s always been old white men at the top.” MEGHAN O’SULLIVAN was considered for the post but dropped out of contention in part because she had an offer to lead Harvard University’s Belfer Center, per someone familiar with the search. Even so, no one NatSec Daily talked to ahead of the announcement — on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press — was disappointed by the Froman announcement. In fact, they were fully supportive. The seven search committee members narrowed down an initial list of 120 nominees to “a diverse group of 27 candidates,” DAVID RUBENSTEIN, the chair of the board of directors, wrote to CFR’s 5,000 members Wednesday morning. JAMI MISCIK and BLAIR EFFRON, the co-chairs of the search committee, said Froman was selected “for his intellect, proven leadership, and vision for the future of the Council.” Whoever leads CFR matters, and not just because Alex once worked there for a hot second. It’s the most establishment foreign-policy think tank around, and the work it does and the people it convenes influences Democratic and Republican administrations in direct and indirect ways. Froman will now be charged with modernizing the think tank’s programming, membership and outreach as the conduct of foreign policy has increasingly become a partisan issue. “The search committee sought a candidate with deep and broad experience in international relations, experience in leading organizations and building and managing diverse teams, background working in senior levels in government, and experience engaging the public and media," said SYLVIA MATHEWS BURWELL, a search committee member. "Mike stood out as the right person to lead the organization.” A search committee member told NatSec Daily that they held countless meetings, either over Zoom or in person, as the 120-person field winnowed. The search committee read packets on each candidate and updated the board on decisions on why someone was kept in or taken out of the process. As to the diversity issue, the search committee member said that they respect the general CFR community’s feeling that a woman should’ve gotten the job, but that the main criteria was “to look at what the Council needs and make sure we do that.” “We ran a very inclusive process. There was diversity of all kinds in the pool,” this person said. In the end, Froman met all the criteria they were looking for. Haass focused on diversifying the think tank’s membership base during his time in charge. He told the New York Times’ MICHAEL CROWLEY in October that “only about one-third of those members are women, though the organization was all male until 50 years ago. About 20 percent are people of color.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | RUSSIA BEAT IN TANK BATTLE: Ukrainian soldiers emerged victorious in a three-week conflict against Russians that officials are calling the biggest tank battle of the war so far. Taking place on a plain near the town of Vuhledar in southern Ukraine, the fighting saw both sides sending tanks over dirt roads and maneuvering around trees while Ukrainians cautiously fought back the offensive, The New York Times’ ANDREW KRAMER reports. By the end of it, Russian soldiers failed to take the town, leaving destroyed armored vehicles on the battlefield. The defeat underscores a larger issue for Moscow’s military: As elite units dwindle, inexperienced fighters are tasked with leading on the frontline. While Ukraine successfully staves off major offensives, a top Ukrainian official didn’t rule out the possibility of retreating from Bakhmut. Speaking on CNN, ALEXANDER RODNYANSKY, an economic adviser to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, said the key city is being surrounded by experienced Wagner Group fighters. There’s no sign of a withdrawal yet, he said, but troops would “strategically pull back” from the city if needed, adding that “we’re not going to sacrifice all of our people just for nothing.” LOW ENERGY: The intelligence community has determined that unexplained health incidents referred to as “Havana Syndrome” that have afflicted dozens of government officials in recent years were not caused by a foreign adversary, knocking down a main theory among victims and experts, our own LARA SELIGMAN and ERIN BANCO report. The assessment, compiled by the CIA and six intelligence agencies, also said the U.S. found no evidence that the symptoms experienced by American intelligence officers, diplomats and other government employees were the result of an intentional weaponized attack, according to two U.S. intelligence officials. “We cannot tie a foreign adversary to any incident,” a U.S. intelligence official said. “There is no one explanation for any of this,” a second U.S. intelligence official added. “We believe that what these officers are reporting is real.” “The intelligence community assessment released today by ODNI reflects more than two years of rigorous, painstaking collection, investigative work, and analysis by IC agencies including CIA,” CIA Director BILL BURNS said in a statement. “We applied the agency’s very best operational, analytic, and technical tradecraft to what is one of the largest and most intensive investigations in the agency’s history.” The Washington Post’s SHANE HARRIS and JOHN HUDSON first reported on the assessment. CHINA IMPORTS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR FUEL: China has imported Russian uranium for a new reactor, Bloomberg News’ JONATHAN TIRONE reported late Tuesday. U.S. intelligence analysts believe that when China’s fast-breeder reactor on Changbio Island goes live, “the CFR-600 will produce weapons-grade plutonium that could help Beijing increase its stockpile of warheads as much as four-fold in the next 12 years. That would allow China to match the nuclear arsenals currently deployed by the U.S. and Russia,” per Tirone. The program could be civilian, of course, but U.S. officials fear the connection between Russia and China might fuel a nuclear arms race: “Military planners assess that the CFR-600 is poised to play a critical role in raising China’s stockpile of warheads to 1,500 by 2035 from an estimated 400 today.” 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, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco 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. | | | | | | BEFORE THE RAID: The Justice Department and FBI tussled for months over how best to recover classified materials from former President DONALD TRUMP. DOJ prosecutors urged the FBI to conduct a raid, but two senior FBI agents feared the plan was “too combative and proposed instead to seek Trump’s permission to search his property,” the Washington Post reports, potentially giving Trump some fuel headed into the primary season. Disagreements continued: “Starting in May, FBI agents in the Washington field office had sought to slow the probe, urging caution given its extraordinary sensitivity…Some of those field agents wanted to shutter the criminal investigation altogether in early June, after Trump’s legal team asserted a diligent search had been conducted and all classified records had been turned over.” The story potentially gives Trump, who seeks reelection, ammo to say that even the FBI thought the raid was over the top. Such a line could creep in while he smacks Biden and former Vice President MIKE PENCE for having classified documents in their possession — though Trump had far more documents and was loath to return them to the National Archives.
| | | TIKTOK TALKS: Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee forced through a bill that could effectively ban TikTok from all mobile devices in the U.S. despite united opposition from Democrats, our own BRENDAN BORDELON reports. Introduced Friday and fast-tracked by Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas), the DATA Act would grant the Biden administration the power to ban the social media app in the U.S. under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, if the administration finds it had knowingly transferred user data to “any foreign person” working for or influenced by the Chinese government. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has long denied accusations that it has transferred any such data and pledged that it would not do so in the future. In a rare breakdown of congressional bipartisanship on the alleged threat posed by Chinese tech, the committee approved the bill in a 24-16 vote, a partisan divide Democrats say was caused by the legislation being rushed. Rep. GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), the committee’s ranking member, is “deeply concerned with the GOP’s quick passage” of the bill, he said in a statement. There needs to be more debate about the legislation and consultation with experts, “none of which has been done.”
| | | BAD VIBRATIONS: The Pentagon is working to fix a vibration issue on the F-35 fighter jet, a Pratt & Whitney executive told reporters Tuesday afternoon. JEN LATKA, vice president of the F135 program, said that officials have an “immediate resolution” for the issue and “for sure we are going to be retrofit[ting] some jets.” Some say the vibration problem caused a F-35B to crash in December. Per Breaking Defense’s MICHAEL MARROW, “retrofitting jets means F-35s will have to be grounded while a hardware fix is implemented. How many jets are impacted, how long they will be grounded for repairs, whether the issue impacts foreign-owned jets and how much the fix will cost taxpayers all remain open questions.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE 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. 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — PRESSING THE PRESS: Rep. JACK BERGMAN (R-Mich.) introduced a bill that would prevent state-sponsored media outlets from obtaining press credentials to access Capitol Hill unless they’re in compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and other U.S. laws. It follows Bergman’s letter to House Majority Leader KEVIN McCARTHY calling for the suspension of Al Jazeera Media Network’s Capitol Hill media credentials until the organization registers as a foreign agent of the state of Qatar. In addition to requiring compliance with FARA, the bill also limits total press credentials for any qualifying foreign state-sponsored media outlet and its affiliates to 10 and requires FBI background checks for all such individuals applying for credentials to the House Press Gallery. POPCORN FOR PRIMETIME: After a day packed with China-related meetings, the much-anticipated primetime House China Select Committee hearing didn’t disappoint, our own PHELIM KINE reports. In a three-hour event complete with multimedia presentations and activist hecklers, the committee heard from witnesses who painted a lurid portrait of an America at acute risk from malign Chinese government activities. A range of perennial tensions, including TikTok, Taiwan, trade and human rights took center stage in the discussions. But the hearing revealed stark differences in how GOP and Democratic committee members perceive the U.S.-China rivalry and the strategies to approach it. Committee chair MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.) laid out a GOP vision of an external facing “existential struggle” against China’s “ideological, technological, economic and military threat.” Meanwhile, Democrats countered with a more domestic-focused approach to thwart Beijing’s challenge. One highlight from the hearing: Former deputy national security adviser MATTHEW POTTINGER spiced up his testimony, likening China’s “information warfare” on the U.S. to magicians. The Chinese Communist Party, he said, is “the HARRY HOUDINI of Marxist-Leninist regimes; the DAVID COPPERFIELD of Communism; the CRISS ANGEL of autocracy.”
| | | ‘YOU’VE MADE YOUR CHOICE’: Sen. MIKE LEE (R-Utah) is coming after the Japanese government for not releasing imprisoned U.S. Navy Lt. RIDGE ALKONIS into American custody by his Feb. 28 deadline. “You’ve made your choice,” he tweeted to Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA FUMIO. “I hope you’re ready for some conversations on the Senate floor that you’re not likely to enjoy. This issue isn’t going away, and neither am I.” That comment seemingly got Lee’s personal account briefly suspended from Twitter. Alkonis, then 33, was arrested in October 2021 for killing two people with his car. The Navy concluded he suffered a bout of altitude sickness following a hike on Mt. Fuji and lost control of the case. Lee wants Alkonis released into U.S. custody, and could threaten to halt Tomahawk missile transfers to Japan until that’s done. Japan’s embassy in the U.S. denied a request for comment. LACK OF DIVERSITY: A former senior spokesperson for the State Department is now blasting her former employer for its lack of diversity. “African American diplomats are still subject to harsh treatment from their own colleagues, some of whom use tools of coercion, manipulation, gaslighting and enduring systems to keep the ‘pale, male and Yale’ culture alive,” JALINA PORTER, who served as State’s deputy spokesperson until last year, wrote in a Tuesday afternoon Foreign Policy op-ed. Porter suggests a few ways to make State more hospitable to Black employees. One is to “hold racists accountable” she said, citing the case of Fritz Berggren, a foreign service officer with a blog full of antisemitic and racist statements, who still works at the agency. State should also “engage regularly with African American lawmakers and media” and expand a “culture of sponsorship and mentorship.” Asked about the op-ed, State Department spokesperson NED PRICE said, “Jalina and others who have spoken out on this issue are right to highlight that there is always more that we can and must do” to promote diversity and inclusion in the department. “The task of dismantling decades of obstacles will take time to complete. We’ve been clear this is a long-term project that deserves — and has received — concerted, high-level attention,” Price added, citing the department’s strategy for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Price also noted that State has appointed a chief diversity and inclusion officer and expanded recruiting efforts to bring in a diverse group of people to the department.
| | | |   | | | | | | — Vietnam's Communist Party has nominated VO VAN THUONG as the country’s new president. He succeeds former president NGUYEN XUAN PHUC, who was forced to resign in January as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. — CINDY McCAIN is poised to lead the United Nations’ World Food Program, per our own MEREDITH LEE HILL. Her appointment will be announced Thursday. — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced subcommittee leadership and membership assignments for the new Congress: TIM KAINE (D-Va.) will chair the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women's Issues, with MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) as ranking member. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) will chair the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, with PETE RICKETTS (R-Neb.) as ranking member. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.) will chair the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy, with MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) as ranking member. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.) will chair the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, with TODD YOUNG (R-Ind.) as ranking member. CORY BOOKER (D-N.J.) will chair the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, with TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) as ranking member. BEN CARDIN (D-Md.) will chair the Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations and Bilateral International Development, with BILL HAGERTY (R-Tenn.) as ranking member. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) will chair the Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy and Environmental Policy, with JOHN BARRASSO (R-Wyo.) as ranking member.
| | | — JOSHUA FRANK, The Nation: How Nuclear Power Plants Became Tools of War — TODD HELMUS, War On The Rocks: The Ukrainian Army is Leveraging Online Influencers. Can the U.S. Military? — SINAN CIDDI, Foundation for Defense of Democracies: Turkey after Erdoğan
| | | — The Atlantic Council, 8 a.m.: Integrated Deterrence of Aggression Against Taiwan — The Hudson Institute, 9 a.m.: A Test of Will: Why Taiwan Matters — The Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: Building a More Resilient Indo-Pacific Security Architecture — Nuclear Threat Initiative, 11 a.m.: The Biden Administration’s New Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism — The Government Executive Media Group, 11 a.m.: The State of the Army — The National Press Club's Press Freedom Committee and Journalism Institute, 11 a.m.: Living Under Threat: Ukraine, Russian journalists share struggles of wartime reporting — The Center for a New American Security, 11 a.m.: Russian Political Stability: Assessing How the Kremlin's War in Ukraine is Affecting Putin's Hold on Power — New America, 12 p.m.: The Invasion of Iraq: Twenty Years On — The Atlantic Council, 12 p.m.: The Future of Zeitenwende: One Year Since Germany's Historic Turning Point — The Cato Institute, 12 p.m.: Gonzalez v. Google at the Supreme Court — The Center for American Progress and Public Knowledge, 12:30 p.m.: The Next Wave of Technology Regulation: The Need for New Authorities in the U.S. and Beyond — Defense One and Babel Street, 1 p.m.: Information and Insider Intelligence: Understanding and Responding to Global Chinese Influence — The Atlantic Council, 2 p.m.: Looking North: Security in the Arctic — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 4 p.m.: Discussion with outgoing Australian Ambassador to the U.S. ARTHUR SINODINOS — Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 5:30 p.m.: Democracy in 2023: The Battle for Ukraine and Other Challenges Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who would vote to remove us from this newsletter. We also thank our producer, Kierra Frazier, who would win any election unanimously.
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