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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Matt Berg, Lawrence Ukenye and Ari Hawkins | |  The affidavit in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant against Jack Teixeira is photographed on Friday, April 14, 2023, in Boston. The Massachusetts Air National Guard member appeared in court in Boston, accused in the leak of highly classified military documents. | Jon Elswick/AP photo | With help from Joe Gould, Maggie Miller, Alex Ward, Lara Seligman and Erin Banco Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt If one thing is clear after an explosive week of leaks, it's that Pentagon officials will be taking a hard look at how they can stop this from happening again. Mitigation measures are already in full swing: Some U.S. officials who once received daily briefing materials have stopped receiving those, CNN reported, and the Pentagon is continuing to trim down its distribution lists. Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. PAT RYDER has said the DoD is looking at ways to prevent another leak. President JOE BIDEN said Friday that he has ordered the military and intelligence community to “take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information.” Whittling down the number of people who have access to such materials is a good start, MICK MULROY, a former Pentagon official and retired CIA officer, told NatSec Daily. But there’s much more that can be done. “We can do a lot better at stopping things like this from happening. It will take some money and it will take some effort,” Mulroy said. Mulroy offered three actions the DoD could consider: decreasing the number of people with access to top secret materials, making a concerted effort to find out whether members have contact with foreign nationals and limiting the physical printing of documents. That last point is because Russians may have been in the Discord chat where JACK TEIXEIRA, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member, allegedly leaked the documents, as one of his friends told The Washington Post. The nationalities of the group’s members have not been confirmed. “If Jack was going down to his local pub in Massachusetts and hanging out with a group of people, two of which were Russians, that would be a major flag,” Mulroy said. “But now we have this new world, where people have strong relationships that literally happen only online and remotely. I don't know how much that is taken into account.” Most people probably wouldn’t have expected Teixeira to have access to top secret documents about Ukraine’s imminent counteroffensive, or Egypt planning to supply Russia with rockets, or South Korean officials’ alleged qualms about supplying weapons to Kyiv. But Pentagon officials weren’t surprised, our own LARA SELIGMAN reported Thursday evening. It’s unclear whether it’d be possible to limit the access that people who maintain military networks have to classified information. “It’s not like your regular IT guy where you call a help desk and they come fix your computer,” a defense official told CNN’s HALEY BRITZKY. Teixeira was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which the official said is responsible for gathering highly classified intelligence and packaging that for combatant commanders, who are among the most senior military officers. “They’re working on a very highly classified system, so they require that clearance.” But JULIETTE KAYYEM, a former official who once oversaw the base where Teixeira worked, is baffled by the case: “I am at a loss to explain why a 21-year-old member of the state intelligence wing, who does not appear to have been working in any federal capacity, would need access to the kind of materials.” On the question of who can print what, there appear to be changes that could be made. Teixiera or anyone with a basic top secret clearance would have had access to DoD’s internet for top secret information, a member of the intel community told NatSec Daily (we granted the person anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press). While that closed system doesn’t allow users to send out information, they can print from it — an action that would have been logged internally but would not have triggered an alert. Access to that internet, called the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, amounts to “the keys to the United States’ intelligence Kingdom,” JONATHAN REIBER, a former cyber official in the Obama administration, told our own MAGGIE MILLER.
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Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | SUSPECT IN COURT: Teixeira was charged in Massachusetts court on Friday with two federal offenses, our own LEE HUDSON reports. The charges are for “unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information” and “unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material.” But revelations from the leak haven't stopped yet. Russia’s covert Spetsnaz forces have been decimated by the war in Ukraine, and it could take years for them to be rebuilt, The Washington Post’s ALEX HORTON reports. Early on in the war, senior commanders ordered the elite forces into direct combat, causing the units to become rapidly depleted. Teixeira began sharing documents online as early as October, The New York Times reports. One of his friends said he started posting the intel to Discord as early as February 2022, when the war began, per the Post. SOLID FUEL DETAILS: North Korean officials claimed the intercontinental ballistic missile Pyongyang fired on Thursday was powered by solid fuel, confirming a Seoul defense official’s comment, the Associated Press’ KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM report. North Korean state media reported that the missile was solid fuel-powered on Friday, a development that would demonstrate a possible breakthrough in the country’s efforts to build a missile that’s more powerful and harder to detect. The launch of the named Hwasong-18 missile, state media reported, was supervised on site by North Korean leader KIM JONG UN. Kim described the missile as the most powerful weapon in his nuclear arsenal, pledging to continue bolstering nuclear capability to “constantly strike extreme uneasiness and horror” in adversaries. E.T., ARE YOU PHONING HOME?: A Pentagon official in charge of a secret effort to explain unexplained aerial incursions has a theory that’s out of this world: Recent objects could actually be alien probes from a mother ship sent to study Earth, Lara reports. In a draft paper dated March 7, SEAN KIRKPATRICK, head of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, and Harvard professor AVI LOEB teamed up to write that the objects, which appear to defy all physics, could be “probes” from an extraterrestrial “parent craft.” Kirkpatrick’s involvement in the academic paper demonstrates that the Pentagon is open to scientific debate of the origins of UFOs, an important signal to send to the academic world, experts said. But they add that his decision to attach his name to a theory considered in most academic circles to be highly unsubstantiated also raises questions about AARO’s credibility. CHINA’S OUT: Chinese Foreign Minister QIN GANG said the country won’t sell weapons to Russia or Ukraine during the war, despite strengthening ties with Moscow. He directly addressed Western concerns that Beijing could provide Moscow with lethal military equipment, telling reporters on Friday that “regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude. China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict.” Qin added that China will “manage and control” dual-use items as well, the Associated Press reports. Still, Beijing continues to publicly show support of Moscow, despite its insistence of neutrality. In the latest demonstration of such friendship, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. LI SHANGFU will visit his Russian counterpart SERGEI SHOIGU next week. Also on Friday, Chinese President XI JINPING rolled out the red carpet for Brazilian President LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA as the pair begin talks that are expected to include a discussion of possible peace plans for the war, the New York Times’ KEITH BRADSHER, JACK NICAS and ANDRÉ SPIGARIOL report.
| | | | 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. | | | | | YEMEN PRISONER DEAL: Nearly 900 prisoners connected with Yemen’s yearslong conflict are expected to be released as part of a deal brokered by the United Nations between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia. “The United States is proud to support this U.N.-led engagement, and we will continue to do all we can to help consolidate the truce that’s now been in effect for over one year, helping to set the conditions for a more enduring peace,” national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN said in a statement. PAIN IN PAKISTAN: Former U.K. Foreign Secretary and current head of the International Rescue Committee DAVID MILIBAND said the world is not doing enough to help the millions without access to clean water in Pakistan following last year’s devastating floods. “The combination of the national and international efforts are not yet pushing back the crisis,” said Miliband, who called NatSec Daily from Pakistan. “This has to be both a local and international effort,” added Miliband, who met with high-level officials to help navigate the country's humanitarian needs this week. “There's very close coordination with the government.” Miliband said. Still, there are “gaps that they are unable to fill [and] we're bringing expertise that they sometimes don't have.” The September floods, the most intense in the country’s 75-year history, killed more than 1,730 people and caused more than $30 billion in damage. Large portions of the country remained under water for months forcing millions to live in tents or makeshift houses. The U.S.-based global ratings agency Fitch warned of the “possibility of a default” in Pakistan without an international bailout back in February. The IMF has already delayed a $6.5 billion loan after Pakistan failed to institute certain terms of the deal including sharp tax increases and slashes to government subsidies. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the global national security and foreign policy scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring PAUL SCHARRE, vice president at the Center for a New American Security, whom Matt chatted with a few weeks back about his new book on the AI race between the U.S. and China. He’s a big rye whiskey guy, preferring to kick back outside and enjoy the brief reprieve from the Washington chaos. “After a busy week, I enjoy sitting on my back porch and soaking in the fresh air and a few moments of stillness. It’s a nice break from the constant hustle of Washington. I’m currently drinking WhistlePig, but Bulleit is a favorite.” Cheers!
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| | PENCE ON LEAK: Former Vice President MIKE PENCE took aim at Biden for his comments that the intel in the leaked Pentagon documents wasn’t “contemporaneous” or “of great consequence.” “If it turns out to be legitimate, about Chinese hypersonic weapons at a time when China continues to menace against Taiwan, the information about air defenses in Ukraine, I just don't understand how that’s not contemporaneous, not timely,” Pence told Fox News on Friday, The former VP also said he believes the leak endangered troops overseas and that Teixeira should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And on whether he’ll run for president: “I believe that you'll have a clear idea of what the Pences will decide in weeks, and not months.”
| | | PROTECTING SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE: A key cybersecurity watchdog wants systems in space to be considered critical infrastructure so firms in emerging industries are compelled to safeguard networks from hackers, our friends at Morning Cybersecurity (for Pros!) report. The move would involve the Biden administration naming space the 17th critical infrastructure sector, allowing rockets, ground stations and advanced research centers to have additional resources and attention from the federal government, according to the report by CSC 2.0, the successor to the government-mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Former Rep. MIKE ROGERS (R-Mich.), who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, said during a webinar on Friday that without a quick pivot on the issue of space infrastructure by the Biden administration, China is likely to have a major advantage. “I don’t think we have two or four years to dawdle on this problem set,” Rogers said, stressing the need for more federal unity on approaching space policy. “There’s going to be screaming that you’ll hear in California from Washington, D.C., but [if] we don’t do this, and we don’t do this soon, we will not be able to keep pace with China’s investment in the next generation of technology.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | SPEED IT UP: The Pentagon and State Department are separately readying internal recommendations to speed up the government’s process for selling weapons overseas, our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN is weighing more than 80 recommendations from his internal “tiger team,” which he charged with finding ways to streamline the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Sales bureaucracy. The goal is to better compete with China and replace Western weapons sent to Ukraine, and do it quickly. A Pentagon spokesperson said “several” of the recommendations are at the DoD policy chief level “for potential implementation.” Meanwhile, the State Department’s Political-Military Affairs Bureau is weeks from sending Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN five recommendations for its own process improvements. State is the lead agency for FMS cases, which the Defense Department executes.
| | CHINA SANCTIONS McCAUL: China has sanctioned Rep. MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) after he visited Taiwan with a bipartisan congressional delegation to discuss strengthening the island nation’s security through weapons deals, the Associated Press' HUIZHONG WU reports. The Texas Republican, who described the sanctions as a “badge of honor” will no longer be able to enter the country with a visa and will lose access to assets he has in China. The move comes after Beijing voiced its frustration with Taiwanese President TSAI ING-WEN meeting with House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY, prompting a series of military exercises near the Taiwan Strait.
| | STILL A HOSTAGE: The sister of PAUL WHELAN, an American hostage held in Russia since 2018, is imploring the Biden administration not to leave him behind for a third time in a Facebook video uploaded Friday morning. “Russia has taken a second American hostage, a journalist arrested on the same false charges as Paul, ‘espionage,’” ELIZABETH WHELAN said, referring to Wall Street Journal reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH who was detained by Russian secret service in late March. “The U.S. government has vowed to use whatever resources it takes to get him home. Does this not beg the question if there are resources that can be used to get an American out of Russia? Why haven't they been used for my brother Paul?” she asked. Paul, whom the U.S. considers wrongly detained under charges of espionage, has twice seen other American citizens freed in prisoner exchanges that he was not a part of: former Marine TREVOR REED and WNBA star BRITTNEY GRINER. Meanwhile, another long-term detainee has seen his hopes for a release quashed for the moment. On Thursday, a Chinese court decided to uphold the death sentence for MARK SWIDAN, an American citizen wrongly detained on drug charges in Beijing.
| | — KATE WATERS has been promoted to deputy spokesperson at the NSC, where she previously served as director of strategic communications. MICHAEL FELDMAN has joined the NSC press shop as a director of strategic communications. He comes to the NSC from CISA, where he served as director of public affairs. — FRANZ-STEFAN GADY has joined the Center for a New American Security as an adjunct senior fellow in the Defense Program. He previously was a senior fellow with the Institute for International Strategic Studies.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | — MICHAEL BARNETT, NATHAN BROWN, MARC LYNCH, and SHIBLEY TELHAMI, Foreign Affairs: Israel’s One-State Reality — MICHAEL KIMMAGE, The Wall Street Journal: Putin’s Rogue State — THOMAS FRIEDMAN, The New York Times: What I Just Saw in China and Taiwan
| | — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8:30 a.m.: The role of in-person travel and direct communication in stabilizing U.S.-China relations — National Science Foundation, 10 a.m.: Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure to provide updates on NSF-wide cyber activities — The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security, 12 p.m.: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 Reauthorization with NSA General Counsel APRIL DOSS — The Brookings Institution, 1 p.m.: The U.S. Congress and national security with Rep. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-Va.) — The State Department and Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche Center for International Affairs, 2 p.m.: Between Now and Tomorrow: Perspectives on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, Disarmament, and Global Security in an Evolving Security Context — The Middle East Institute, 5:30 p.m.:Film screening and discussion on the first episode of the PBS documentary "America and the Taliban" Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who is concerned that everyone writing today’s newsletter is either 22 or 23 years old. We also thank our producer, Andy Goodwin, who thinks we should have access to all of POLITICO’s top secrets, despite our youth.
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