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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward, Matt Berg and Ari Hawkins | |  Sporadic clashes between the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group continued in the capital and a neighboring city Wednesday. | Marwan Ali/AP Photo | With help from Phelim Kine and Joe Gould Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt Planning is underway to send a consular “fly away” team to Sudan to assist Americans fleeing the escalating war, Alex and LARA SELIGMAN report. If a final decision is made to send the team, the State Department contingent would perform similar duties to consular officers who were sent to Afghanistan in 2021 during the evacuation of Kabul. An unknown number of officials will check documents and get evacuees on to flights or ships out of the Port of Sudan. VEDANT PATEL, a State Department spokesperson, did not confirm the fly away team planning. There has been “no current change in our posture when it comes to our personnel in Sudan,” he said. The State Department has asked the military for logistical support to move the fly away team to the port, according to a Defense Department official. Another person, a former U.S. official, said the fly away team was assembled and making the necessary preparations for the Port of Sudan deployment. Both were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation. As NatSec Daily reported yesterday, Americans are scrambling to get out of Sudan and to safety. Leaving his apartment building, one of the American citizens said he and a group of 20 people left to meet the French military convoy in the middle of the night. The United Nations said at least 20,000 Sudanese people have fled to neighboring Chad. The casualty total is rising as fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group escalates. The latest tallies indicate more than 400 people have been killed, including two Americans (more on that below) and around 4,000 people wounded. Sporadic clashes between the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group continued in the capital and a neighboring city Wednesday, albeit with less intensity. The Pentagon is looking at options to move the team by ship or by air, the DoD official said. The U.S. government is currently looking at “what’s the fastest, safest way” to get the consular team to the port, the DoD official said. At the moment, the military “has not been tasked to do anything other than position ships in case they are needed.” Read Alex and Lara’s full story.
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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 security network-centric architecture. Learn more. | | | | | ZELENSKYY’S CHAT WITH XI: Chinese President XI JINPING called Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on Wednesday, our own STUART LAU and VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA report. It was a “long and meaningful phone call,” Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet. “I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.” Reaction to the call by the Biden administration has been underwhelming. “We’re glad to see that they did talk,” National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY told reporters. Same on the Hill. "I don't think it makes it a dimes worth a difference around here,” said Rep. MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee. This marks the first time that Xi — who pledged a “no limits” partnership with the Kremin last year and who visited Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN during the war — has reached out to Kyiv amid Western pressure to do so. The Biden administration has dismissed Beijing’s 12-point peace plan for the conflict, published in February, as empty rhetoric. Beijing’s readout of the call — which included Xi’s offer to dispatch an envoy to Ukraine for “in-depth communication with all parties” — suggests that China is continuing to position itself as a peacemaker, not a war promoter. “A serious policy approach means [China] has to break with Russia,” said DANIEL FRIED, former assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs now at the Atlantic Council. “A Chinese role in ceasefires? Screw that. That’s Putin’s position and you don’t need China for that –– tell them to take a hike,” Fried said. SUDAN’S STRUGGLE: A second American was killed amidst the growing war in Sudan, National Security Council spokesperson Kirby confirmed Wednesday morning. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family,” he said. Another ceasefire isn’t fully holding, though Kirby told reporters that “we're glad to see that the levels of violence generally appeared to have gone significantly down.” Residents said Wednesday’s fighting was mostly in limited areas of Khartoum and Omdurman, around the military’s headquarters and the Republican Palace, the seat of power, the Associated Press’ SAMY MAGDY reports. The same day, Sudan’s military said the nation’s former autocratic ruler, OMAR BASHIR, was being held in a military-run hospital, the first indication of his location since fighting broke out two weeks ago. His whereabouts were unknown after the prison where he, along with many of his former officials, were being held was attacked. NUKING NORTH KOREA?: A military response to a North Korean nuclear attack would feature American nuclear weapons, South Korean President YOON SUK YEOL seemed to signal on Wednesday, though there was confusion about what he really meant. American officials have long said that Pyongyang launching a nuclear attack would result in the end of the North Korean regime, a line President JOE BIDEN reiterated during a press conference alongside Yoon. But Yoon’s comment seemed explicit, and the first time in memory that the always vague nuclear subtext became text. “President Biden has reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to extended deterrence towards the Republic of Korea,” Yoon said, adding “in the event of North Korea's nuclear attack and promise to respond swiftly, overwhelmingly and decisively using the full force of the alliance, including the United States nuclear weapons.” Some, however, said Yoon either misspoke or, at least, didn’t accurately reflect a change in U.S. policy. “Yoon can’t speak for U.S., and the U.S. wouldn’t endorse it,” said FRANK AUM of the U.S. Institute of Peace. “The U.S. will not guarantee a nuclear response, it’s not a part of the doctrine. Yoon will try to push the envelope as much as possible but U.S. policy and declaratory statements are what matters.” Others agreed, noting that America’s position is that nukes could be used, not will be used. The first day of the state visit has been nuclear weapons forward. Washington has granted Seoul a long-sought place at the table while discussing possible nuclear operations, in exchange for South Korea restating its commitment to not develop its own nuclear arsenal, the Wall Street Journal’s MICHAEL GORDON reports. Under the deal, the U.S. will retain control over the targeting and execution of nuclear operations, U.S. officials said. The text of the agreement — dubbed the “Washington Declaration” — was released Wednesday. Washington will also deploy nuclear-armed submarines to Seoul as a show of support against North Korea’s continued nuclear threats, Biden and Yoon announced. The plan has been in the works for months, with the leaders agreeing that “occasional” and “very clear demonstrations of the strength” of U.S. extended deterrence capabilities need to be an major part of the agreement, senior Biden administration officials told the AP’s AAMER MADHANI, COLLEEN LONG and ZEKE MILLER. Read: Nukes, Ukraine and semiconductors top Biden-Yoon agenda by Phelim SPACE WORRIES: The United States is increasingly examining the space capabilities of itself and adversaries, predicting that while Russia’s program will fail soon, China continues to pose a major threat, the Washington Post’s CHRISTIAN DAVENPORT reported Tuesday. In the next decade, Moscow’s program “very likely will diminish” due to global competition, U.S. sanctions and the prominence of SpaceX, according to leaked Pentagon documents. Beijing, on the other hand, has the ability to “to hold key U.S. and allied space assets at risk” and will probably do so in the case of a Taiwan conflict. ISLAMIC STATE LEADER KILLED: The terrorist leader responsible for planning the attack on Abbey Gate during the evacuation from Kabul airport that killed 13 American service members was killed in a Taliban operation in Afghanistan, our own LARA SELIGMAN reported late Tuesday. Washington had no part in the Taliban raid, which took place in recent weeks, said a senior administration official. The officials interviewed declined to say exactly when the raid occurred, or name the terrorist killed, citing “sensitivities.” 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, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @Lawrence_Ukenye, @reporterjoe and @_AriHawkins.
| | RON ‘DECEASEFIRE’ IN UKRAINE: Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS urged Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, in an interview with the Tokyo-based Nikkei Asia, the outlet’s SHIGERU SENO and MITSURU OBE reported last night. “You don’t want to end up in, like, a Verdun situation, where you just have mass casualties, mass expense, and end up with a stalemate.” he said, referring to the longest battle in World War I. “It’s in everybody’s interest to try to get to a place where we can have a ceasefire.” “The Europeans really need to do more [on Ukraine]. I mean, this is their continent. The U.S. has provided security for them. And yes, Poland — there’s some that are doing stuff, and that should be appreciated. But Germany, they’re not doing anything,” DeSantis said. Earlier today, the Republican governor also called for greater cooperation between Washington and Seoul in the areas of space and aviation industry, during trade talks with South Korean Prime Minister HAN DUCK SOO.
| | KEEP IT SAFE: The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee wants companies working on artificial intelligence to ensure that the rapidly advancing technology is safe. “We must acknowledge the security risks inherent in this technology and ensure AI development and adoption proceeds in a responsible and secure way,” Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) wrote in letters to Apple's TIM COOK, Google’s SUNDAR PICHAI, Meta’s MARK ZUCKERBERG and others. “Some of the AI-specific security risks that I am concerned about include the origin, quality, and accuracy of input data (data supply chain), tampering with training data (data poisoning attacks), and inputs to models that intentionally cause them to make mistakes (adversarial examples),” the lawmaker continued. “I also have concerns regarding bias, trustworthiness and potential misuse or malicious use of AI systems.”
| | | | BRAVE1 DEBUTS IN KYIV: Ukraine’s government unveiled a new initiative on Wednesday to expedite the development of drones and other technologies that are critical for the war with Russia, according to the AP’s HANNA ARHIROVA. The initiative, known as BRAVE1, aims to streamline cooperation and communication between the military, public and private sector developers. Government officials in Kyiv said the so-called “tech cluster” will support domestic development and transform Ukraine into a world leader in defense technology, Ukrainian media reported. “This will be the only platform where any Ukrainian who has an idea related to military technology can get validation of this idea, that is, confirmation of whether it has the right to life,” said MYKHAILO FEDOROV, Minister of Digital Transformation.
| | | |   | | | | | INDIA SANCTIONS WAIVER ‘MOOT’: Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) said there’s no need to revisit his legislation to grant India a waiver under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act because Biden got the message when it passed the House in July, our own JOE GOULD writes in. There had been talk of sanctioning New Delhi over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system. “What we showed the president is that an overwhelming amount in the House of Representatives don’t want him to invoke that. We haven’t seen any move even close to the president doing that, so it was a moot point,” Khanna, who co-chairs the congressional India Caucus, told reporters Tuesday.
| | ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’: The military was a favorite punching bag for Fox News host TUCKER CARLSON. Now that he’s off the air, some Pentagon officials are quietly cheering his departure, Lara also reported Tuesday. “We’re a better country without him bagging on our military every night in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” said one senior DoD official. “Good riddance,” another said. Asked to respond to the news that DoD officials are pleased by his departure from Fox, Carlson responded by text message: “Ha! I’m sure.” He declined to comment further.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | — JASON GREENBLATT has joined the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs as a senior director for Arab-Israel diplomacy. He served as a Middle East envoy in the Trump administration.
| | — JUSTIN BRONK, CNA: Russian combat air strengths and limitations: lessons from Ukraine — LIANA FIX and MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs: How China could save Putin’s war in Ukraine — ELAINE McCUSKER and MARK EASTON, Defense News: What’s the real value of the U.S. Defense Department audit?
| | | | HAPPENING NEXT WEEK! 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 May 1-4. 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. | | | | | | | | | — The Potomac Officers Club, 8 a.m.: 2023 Industrial Space Defense Summit — The Senate Armed Services Committee, 8 a.m.: Hearing on the posture of U.S. European Command and United States Transportation Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and the Future Years Defense Program — The House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee, 9 a.m.: Fixing FISA: How a Law Designed to Protect Americans Has Been Weaponized Against Them." — Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee, 9 a.m.: Closed hearing on the Defense Intelligence Agency budget — The Wilson Center's Asia Program, 9:30 a.m.: The Future of U.S.-Pakistan Relations — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10 a.m.: Holds a markup to vote on a host of nominations including ELIZABETH RICHARD to be coordinator for counterterrorism and ERIC KNEEDLER to be ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda — The Institute for Policy Studies, noon: How Russia's War Against Ukraine Impacts the Planet — The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, noon: Air Power Metamorphosis: Rethinking Air Force Combat Force Modernization — The House Armed Services Committee, 12:30 p.m.: Department of the Air Force FY2024 Budget Request — The Brookings Institution, 1 p.m.: The Biden Administration's International Economic Agenda with White House National Security Advisor JAKE SULLIVAN — The Atlantic Council, 1:30 p.m.: Harnessing Allied Space Capabilities — The House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: CISA 2025: The State of American Cybersecurity from CISA's Perspective — The House Financial Services National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: Oversight of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence — The House Armed Services Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee, 4 p.m.: Review of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise's posture and capabilities in strategic competition and in synchronizing intelligence efforts to counter the People's Republic of China — The Hudson Institute, 4 p.m.: Achieving Spectrum Superiority with the Congressional Electromagnetic Warfare Working Group Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who thinks we need a full team to help us with our writing. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who is a one-man band.
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