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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Matt Berg, Alexander Ward, Lawrence Ukenye and Ari Hawkins | |  Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested in a single-family home on Thursday afternoon, as our own Erin Banco and Josh Gerstein report. | Steven Senne/AP Photo | With help from Josh Gerstein and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt A lot — and we mean a lot — has happened over the last 24 hours in the largest classified documents leak case in a decade. So your friendly NatSec Daily team thought it’d be a good idea to give you a full rundown of all the stunning developments. Let’s start with the big kahuna: JACK TEIXEIRA, a 21-year-old in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested in a single-family home on Thursday afternoon, as our own ERIN BANCO and JOSH GERSTEIN report. He was based at Fort Bragg at the time of the leak, where he led a Discord group used to post the information. The New York Times first reported his identity, citing two U.S. officials who said investigators were hoping to speak with Texeira about the leak. President JOE BIDEN apparently hinted at the update on Thursday, telling reporters that federal investigators are “getting close” in the leak probe, but didn’t provide any details on what that means, Matt writes. “I'm concerned that it happened. But there's nothing contemporaneous that I'm aware of that’s of great consequence,” Biden said in Ireland, in an effort to allay worries about a massive breach that has exposed worldwide U.S. intelligence secrets and angered allies. Teixeira’s identification follows a report by the Washington Post’s SHANE HARRIS and SAMUEL OAKFORD that a young gun enthusiast who worked on a military base was behind the leaks, per his friend — a member of the Discord channel — who called the leaker “OG.” While working in a secure facility that contained secret information, the leaker started out copying the classified documents by hand and posting them to the Discord group composed of religious gun and military enthusiasts. When that became too laborious, he switched to photographing the documents and posting them. “He’s a smart person. He knew what he was doing when he posted these documents,” said the friend, a member of the Discord group. Bellingcat first spoke with the friend. Meanwhile, more news about what’s in the spilled trove continues to fill column inches. Newly published documents unveiled the depth of infighting between Russian officials, as intelligence officials blamed the military for obscuring the number of Ukrianians killed during the war, the New York Times reports. Another set of documents shows that the U.S. expects the war to bleed into 2024, without negotiations or victory on either side, WaPo’s JOHN HUDSON reported late Wednesday. And China approved the provision of lethal aid to Russia, per WaPo’s KAREN DeYOUNG and MISSY RYAN, who reviewed a U.S. intercept of Russian intelligence within the documents trove. The leak had been happening for months, but it didn’t become public knowledge until last week. That’s because there’s no single office responsible for monitoring, for example, social media sites for classified leaks, current and former officials told Erin on Wednesday. “No one in the U.S. government knew they were out there,” one U.S. official said. As to why they didn’t: “We cannot answer that just yet,” a senior administration official said. “We would all like to understand how that happened.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Innovating at hypersonic speed.
Lockheed Martin is innovating with urgency to solve today’s hypersonic strike and defense challenges. We’re investing in the American hypersonic workforce and supplier base, to ensure our customers stay ready for what’s ahead. Learn more. | | | | | ‘BEFORE THEY KILL HIM, THEY WANT HIM TO SUFFER’: Top Russian opposition leader ALEXEI NAVALNY may have been poisoned in prison, ANNA VEDUTA, VP of the Navalny-founded Anti-Corruption Foundation, told NatSec Daily, saying he’s suffering from intense stomach pains and dramatic weight loss. No medical tests have been performed on Navalny, who Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN had arrested and tried for opposing his rule. But because Navalny has been poisoned by the Kremlin with the nerve agent Novichok before, “we cannot rule out” that he’s been poisoned in prison. Veduta believes that the intention is to make Navalny suffer over a long period of time, likely with small doses of poison. Eventually, though, Veduta fears Russian officials want him dead. “The ultimate goal is to kill him slowly,” she said, but before they kill him, they want him to suffer.” “They’re torturing him to make him regret” opposing Putin, Veduta said, telling us Navalny has lost 18 pounds in 15 days. Any time he eats a prison-provided meal, his stomach convulses and he feels widespread pain in his abdomen. Veduta suggested such a slow-moving poisoning operation must have been authorized from high up inside the Kremlin. But the Kremlin has denied any knowledge, stating all matters should be referred to Russia’s penitentiary service. SOLID FUEL TEST?: North Korea may have used solid fuel to power an intercontinental ballistic missile launched on Thursday, a Seoul defense official told the Associated Press’ HYUNG-JIN KIM, KIM TONG-HYUNG and MARI YAMAGUCHI. If true, it would mark Pyongyang’s first test of such a weapon. The missile, launched near the North Korean capital, is believed to be a new version that’s more mobile and difficult to detect than a liquid-fueled projectile. U.S. officials characterized it as a long-range missile, while South Korean officials said it likely had intercontinental range. South Korea’s military said the missile landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan after a 620-mile flight. The launch, which triggered an evacuation alarm for residents of Hokkaido in Japan, was the first ICBM test in a month. HERZOG’S HOPE: Negotiations to compromise on Israel’s judicial overhaul plan have gained momentum this week, President ISAAC HERZOG said, expressing hope that the nation will quell the public’s growing discontent with its leadership. “It’s a potential for a constitutional moment,” Herzog told the Times’ PATRICK KINGSLEY and RONEN BERGMAN. “A moment where we can direct Israel into a stronger and more resilient structure.” The talks could also solve numerous constitutional ambiguities that haven’t been addressed yet, he added, nodding to the fact that the nation’s founders established the state without penning a formal constitution. 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 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, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @Lawrence_Ukenye, @reporterjoe and @_AriHawkins.
| | | | The McCain Institute will convene its 10th annual Sedona Forum on May 5-6, featuring lawmakers, journalists, military leaders, business executives, and more. This year’s theme, “Indispensable Power,” will examine the diplomatic, military, and economic means employed to protect democracy, human rights, and the global competitive edge. Established by Senator John McCain, the Sedona Forum is held each spring in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona, to advance the mission of the McCain Institute – fighting for democracy, human dignity, and security. Visit TheSedonaForum.org to register for the livestream today. | | | | | | | | DESANTIS COMEBACK?: Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS is trying to reverse his skid in the polls and come back to challenge former President DONALD TRUMP. His slide, per Republicans who spoke to the Wall Street Journal’s ALEX LEARY, was due at least in small part to his remark that the Ukraine-Russia war was a “territorial dispute.” “It was an unforced error,” said former Florida Rep. FRANCIS ROONEY, a Republican donor who supports DeSantis’ presidential bid. Before an expected official announcement this summer, DeSantis will aim to portray himself as a statesman during a visit to Israel later this month in which he’ll deliver the keynote address at an event titled “Celebrate the Faces of Israel.” Per our own GARY FINEOUT in March, DeSantis “supported the decision by the Trump administration to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. He led a trade delegation to Israel in 2019” and “has also pushed to go after corporations that boycotted or limited their activities in Israel and supported state funding to make security improvements to Jewish schools.”
| | | INFLUENCING THE AIRWAVES: In response to Western efforts to suppress the influence of Russian media outlets like RT, Moscow has worked to grow its influence in Africa by growing its media footprint, the New York Times' ELIAN PELTIER, ADAM SATARIANO and LYNSEY CHUTEL report. RT, Russia’s state-sponsored television network, has formed partnerships with other media groups in countries like Cameroon, which has led to broadcasting coverage of the war that heavily vilifies the U.S. and France. African social media influencers are also spreading pro-Russian narratives about the conflict and saying the West wants to interfere in the continent's affairs.
| | | |   | | | | | LASER COMMS: The Space Development Agency is seeking proposals from industry for a new batch of space vehicles that will make up the laser communications portion of its satellite network, according to a new notice. The plan, per our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!), is to fund the development of 72 communications satellites, which would be similar to spacecraft being manufactured for the agency. Unlike previous satellites, the new space vehicles would feature enhanced tech and new payloads. They would pass data to ground systems and allow aircraft, ships and military personnel to send information around the world. The SDA is building a “Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture,” meaning a satellite constellation to perform communications, missile warning, missile tracking, Earth observation and navigation.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | | | | DRONE DOWNING: The House is set to vote to condemn Russia’s takedown of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea in March when it returns to Washington next week, Morning Defense also reports. The bipartisan resolution criticizes Russia’s “reckless actions” in the episode, when an Su-27 fighter jet clipped a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone. The legislation also affirms the U.S. “will not be deterred” from flying drones in international airspace in the region.
| | | NORWAY’S EXPULSIONS: Norway is expelling 15 Russian diplomats suspected of spying while working at the Russian embassy in Oslo, the Associated Press’ JAN OLSEN reports. Foreign Minister ANNIKEN HUITFELDT said Norway, a NATO member, still wants “Russia to continue to have a functioning diplomatic mission in Norway” but cannot accept diplomatic missions that are “misused for the purposes of carrying out covert intelligence activities.” Russia’s foreign ministry told the Kremlin-controlled TASS news agency that “Russia will make an appropriate response.”
| | | — FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY: JUAN PACHON is now the vice president of communications for FWD.us, an immigration-focused organization. He recently stepped down as the top spokesperson for Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats, working for 12-plus years as an aide to Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.). — SOFIA ROSE GROSS is joining defense company Anduril Industries as their director of communications based in Washington. She most recently was head of policy partnerships and social impact at Snapchat and serves as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. — ENRIQUE ROIG is now deputy assistant secretary covering Western Hemisphere and Africa in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department, DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. He most recently was senior adviser in the Office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights at the State Department.
| | — ALEXANDER BURNS, POLITICO: Lula’s Plan: A Global Battle Against Trumpism — SHANNON O’NEIL, Bloomberg: Mexico’s Carnage Has No Military Solution — RICHARD HAASS and CHARLES KUPCHAN, Foreign Affairs: The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine
| | — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: The Future of Western Aid to Ukraine: A Conversation with Ambassador DERECK HOGAN — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 9 a.m.: Kosovo and Serbia after the Ohrid Breakthrough: What Next? What Else? — The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, 10 a.m.: Securing Space: Addressing The Cyber Risk — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10 a.m.: Carnegie Connects: Russia, Ukraine, and the Struggle for Democracy — The American Enterprise Institute, 10 a.m.: The Iraq War Series: The Conduct of the War — The Hudson Institute, 11 a.m.: Constraining Russia’s War Economy: Lessons from Lithuania — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2 p.m.: Sanctions and Russia's Defense Industry — The Brookings Institution, 2 p.m.: The US-South Korea alliance at 70 — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 3 p.m.: A Discussion with HON SHAWN SKELLY, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who leaks damaging information about us all the time. We also thank our producer, Greg Svirnovskiy, who we called “OG” long before news broke of the nickname. Original Greg.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Innovating at hypersonic speed.
Lockheed Martin is innovating with urgency to solve today’s hypersonic strike and defense challenges. We’re investing in the American hypersonic workforce and supplier base, to ensure our customers stay ready for what’s ahead. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
