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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 | |  “We were as forthcoming as we should have been at the time the first stories appeared,” John Kirby said Monday about the administration's response to reports last week that China was developing a spy base in Cuba. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo | With help from Phelim Kine and Lara Seligman Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt “Inaccurate.” That’s what the administration, from the White House to the Pentagon, labeled reports by the Wall Street Journal, POLITICO and other outlets Thursday that China was developing a spy base in Cuba. But two days later, the White House revealed what the media had gotten wrong was the timing. Beijing already has an outpost on the island nation 100 miles from the United States and it has been operating since at least 2019. Still, the main thrust of all the reporting — the revelation of a Chinese surveillance outpost in Cuba — was accurate. One person familiar with the intelligence told CNN Saturday that the administration had engaged in “semantic quibbling.” The reporter-spokesperson relationship is already tough: The journalist always wants more information than a comms person can typically give. That tension is exacerbated when it’s about sensitive intelligence information. In that instance, spokespeople are restrained in what they can say, unable to give a steer one way or the other if the reporter doesn’t have all the details right. It’s one of the trickiest gray areas in national security reporting. The White House official who eventually confirmed the base’s existence had to get highly sensitive intelligence declassified to speak to reporters about it. That was surely a tough undertaking, done in service of putting the right information out there. Senior officials certainly had to sign off on that. “We were as forthcoming as we should have been at the time the first stories appeared,” National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY said Monday from the White House podium. “The sensitive nature of this information is such that we just simply couldn't go into more detail, even before the first story appeared, to try to better inform that reporting.” “After the first stories appeared, we worked very, very hard, as expeditiously as we could, with the intelligence community to try to get some context downgraded so that we could provide it over the weekend, and we did that,” he continued. Going forward, “we will be as forthcoming with [reporters] as we can.” But the initial misleading statements from the administration have led to some mistrust within the media and with lawmakers, a point Republican opponents have hit hard in recent days. "Deny, deny until you can't anymore, and then blame the Trump administration," Rep. MICHAEL WALTZ (R-Fla.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday. The administration has made some serious national security-related media flubs before. They’ve accused lawmakers skeptical of accepting Ukraine into NATO of parroting Russian talking points and belittled reporters questioning military readouts of operations. The overall stance has been “trust us” when information is provided, even though sometimes that information was wrong, especially in the case of a “righteous strike” on a suspected ISIS terrorist in Afghanistan that instead killed 10 civilians, including seven children. An open question is why the administration chose to deny the China-Cuba story so forcefully but then changed course. The leading theory is not to derail Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN’s visit to China, planned for sometime in the next week, which had already been delayed once by the spy balloon embarrassment earlier this year. Kirby denied that was the case. What many in the media and government are looking at next, though, is how the administration works to rebuild some of the trust that eroded over the weekend. “It’s going to take some time,” a Democratic congressional staffer said, “but I think they’ve learned their lesson.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Using Artificial Intelligence to help firefighters better detect, predict and fight wildfires.
Lockheed Martin is collaborating with commercial companies to integrate our technologies and expertise with their capabilities to help first responders detect, predict and fight wildfires. Learn more. | | | | | UKRAINE’S GAINS… AND LOSSES: Ukrainian officials claimed their first wins from the recently launched counteroffensive, saying that Kyiv had liberated five villages in the east and south of the country, our own VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA reports. But the effort has been costly. In the past few days alone, Ukraine has lost 16 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, a chunk of the 109 armored vehicles the U.S. has supplied, CNN reports. As Ukraine continues to attack, Russia is “turning Western armored vehicles into scrap heaps,” according to Moscow’s Ministry of Defense. At least three German-made Leopard 2 tanks have also been abandoned or destroyed, the New York Times’ ANDREW KRAMER reports. In the meantime, the plan is for Ukrainian pilots to begin training on F-16s this summer, the Netherlands’ Defense Minister KAJSA OLLONGREN told Reuters Monday. CHINESE PARTS IN IRANIAN DRONES: Newly made Chinese parts have found their way into Iranian drones, a clue as to how Tehran can swiftly send so many of those weapons to Russia. Investigators with the U.K.-based Conflict Armament Research “said an Iranian drone brought down by Ukrainian forces in April contained a voltage converter that appeared to have been made in China in mid-January. It marks the first time a part made in 2023 has been found in the drones,” the Wall Street Journal’s DION NISSENBAUM reports. “The Chinese part was made in January, shipped to Iran, installed and then sent to Russia and used against Ukraine in April.” As of now, there’s no link between Chinese-made parts going directly to Russia. But, at least in this way, Beijing is assisting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO: Washington is preparing evacuation plans for American citizens in Taiwan due to increased tensions with China in recent months, The Messenger’s LILI PIKE and JIM LaPORTA report. Discussions about the plans have been happening for about six months, but they’ve “heated up over the past two months or so,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told The Messenger. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was an impetus for the talks, a person familiar with the matter also told the outlet. SWEDEN’S OLIVE BRANCH: Sweden agreed to extradite a Turkish drug trafficker who also supported the pro-Kurdish PKK, Agence France Presse reports. It’s the first extradition since Ankara stalled Stockholm’s NATO bid, which hasn’t progressed despite officials from both countries meeting earlier this month in an attempt to bridge their differences. Turkey has accused Sweden of allowing “terrorists” in its country and has asked the Nordic nation to extradite dozens of people. WASHINGTON’S U.N. PLAN: The Biden administration is considering ways to overhaul the United Nations Security Council in an attempt to restore global confidence in the governing body, the Washington Post’s MISSY RYAN reports. The proposal includes the addition of six permanent seats to the council (without veto power), recognizing the growing influence of lower-income nations and addressing worldwide concerns about the council’s ability to ward off major conflicts, like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’ll be a tough sell as the established powers are reluctant to stray from tradition, and it’s not guaranteed that the reform would mend global conflicts. At the same time, Washington is planning to rejoin UNESCO, the U.N. cultural and scientific agency, and repay $600 million in dues to counter China’s increased policymaking influence in the group, the Associated Press’ ANGELA CHARLTON reports. TOOTH BAD: Biden’s planned meeting with NATO Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG was postponed until Tuesday because the president needed a root canal. Stoltenberg and Biden are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and preparations for NATO’s summit in Vilnius in July. 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, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @_AriHawkins and @JGedeon1.
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | BUT IT DID HAPPEN: Recall that the Biden administration claims China’s spy base in Cuba has been in operation since at least 2019. That year, DONALD TRUMP was president. And yet, he blared on Truth Social Monday that “CHINA JUST, EFFECTIVELY, TOOK OVER CUBA. WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.” One, China has not taken over Cuba. Two, per the Biden official that confirmed the existence of the base, it certainly may have happened during his administration, as any time between January 2017 and January 2021 would’ve been on Trump’s watch. “When this administration took office in January 2021, we were briefed on a number of sensitive [Chinese] efforts around the world to expand its overseas logistics, basing and collection infrastructure globally to allow the [Chinese military] to project and sustain military power at greater distance,” the official said Saturday.
| | | ‘MAKE ELECTIONS BORING AGAIN’: Ahead of the next presidential contest, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director JEN EASTERLY believes artificial intelligence could play a major role in election interference. “I think that there are many things that could happen with AI generated scripts and chatbots that could make the information environment that much more difficult,” Easterly said on New York Magazine journalist KARA SWISHER’s podcast Monday morning. As the internet becomes flooded with fake photos, videos and other media, “the average person can't tell what's real anymore.” Election interference by domestic and foreign threats has become a major concern for her agency, Easterly added. So, more than a year out from the vote, CISA is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. “What I’d love to do is to make elections boring again,” she said, a line that’s been out there since the last vote.
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today. | | | | | | | | BREAKING: Adm. SAMUEL PAPARO is Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN's pick as the next chief of naval operations, NBC News' COURTNEY KUBE reports. It's a surprise, as the suspected frontrunner for the post was Adm. LISA FRANCHETTI, who would've been the first woman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The D.C. scuttlebutt was that Paparo would be the next U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief. Biden has yet to make a formal decision. EYE ON CHINA: Washington’s Coast Guard is planning to raise the number of wartime patrols and training activities in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing continues to advance its reach in the South China Sea, according to RYO NAKAMURA from Nikkei Asia. "The U.S. Coast Guard is increasing capacity-building efforts across the Indo-Pacific region and will deploy resources to Southeast Asia and Oceania for security cooperation and humanitarian and capacity-building activities," Adm. LINDA FAGAN, commandant of the Coast Guard, told the publication. The admiral added that the Coast Guard seeks to expand its relationship with Japan, Australia and Pacific island nations to enhance defenses. Washington’s focus on the Indo-Pacific comes as China engages in a so-called gray zone strategy, which involves dispatching militant and fishing vessels into contested waters to gradually increase Beijing’s control over disputed territory. ALARM AT CHINA’S NUKE ARSENAL: China’s growing nuclear arsenal should be a matter of international concern, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute warns. Beijing’s atomic weapons stockpile rose to 410 warheads in January 2023 from 350 the previous year, SIPRI said in its 2023 Yearbook published on Monday. That puts China on track to creating a nuclear arsenal that will rival the size of those of the U.S. and Russia by the end of the decade. SIPRI estimates that the U.S. has 5,244 nuclear warheads compared to Moscow’s 5,889. The Pentagon estimated in November that Beijing aims to triple the size of its nuclear arsenal to up to 1,500 warheads by 2035. Meanwhile the Chinese leadership has rejected administration efforts to discuss the implications of that buildup. Earlier this month, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN offered “unconditional” talks with both Russia and China to address the global danger of their growing nuclear arsenals in a speech to the Arms Control Association.
| | WRAY ON THE HILL: FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY will meet with members of the House Intelligence Committee in the SCIF this evening at 5:15pm, a congressional aide with knowledge of the meeting tells LARA SELIGMAN. The staffer was granted anonymity to talk about the sensitive gathering. A range of topics are expected to come up, including the indictment of Trump unsealed last week. But lawmakers will be especially keen to press Wray on the report released by Special Counsel JOHN DURHAM in May, which concluded the FBI should never have launched a full investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. BLUMENTHAL’S PGA PROBE: Sen. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.), chair of the Homeland Security investigative subcommittee, launched a probe into the PGA Tour-LIV Golf mega deal that grants Saudi Arabia a firm foothold in U.S. sports, our own ANTHONY ADRAGNA reports. AUKUS SUB-SHARING BILL: Three lead House Democrats have offered the latest piece of legislation to clear the way for the AUKUS security pact with the U.K. and Australia, our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. The AUKUS Undersea Defense Act’s sponsors are House Foreign Affairs ranking member GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), Indo-Pacific subcommittee ranking member AMI BERA (D-Calif.) and HASC Seapower ranking member JOE COURTNEY (D-Conn.). The bill, based on consultations with the administration, is expected to have bipartisan support even though it was introduced by Democrats alone. It was filed on Friday. If passed, the legislation would permit the transfer of the Virginia-class boats to Australia, the training of Australian private sector defense personnel, as well as the integration of Australian financial contributions to the U.S. defense industrial base for submarines.
| | ‘THE GREATEST GRIFT IN U.S. HISTORY’: The Associated Press released a major investigation Monday showing how criminals and every-day Americans stole billions in Covid-relief funding from the government. “All of it led to the greatest grift in U.S. history,” RICHARD LARDNER, JENNIFER McDERMOTT and AARON KESSLER report. “An Associated Press analysis found that fraudsters potentially stole more than $280 billion in Covid-19 relief funding; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent. Combined, the loss represents 10 percent of the $4.2 trillion the U.S. government has so far disbursed in Covid relief aid.” To date, the U.S. has charged more than 2,230 defendants with pandemic-related fraud crimes, per the AP. Here’s just a taste of what they found: “An $837 billion IRS program, for example, succeeded 99 percent of the time in getting economic stimulus checks to the proper taxpayers, according to the tax agency. Nevertheless, that 1 percent failure rate translated into nearly $8 billion going to ‘ineligible individuals,’ a Treasury Department inspector general told AP.”
| | | |   | | | | | — Retired Lt. Gen. MARY LEGERE is now the managing director for global defense at Accenture. She retired from the Army as the chief of staff’s top intelligence adviser, or G2. — ADAM TAYLOR is now the legislative director for Rep. SCOTT PETERS (D-Calif.). Taylor was Peters’ military legislative assistant.
| | — ANNALENA BAERBOCK, HADJA LAHBIB, JEAN ASSELBORN, WOPKE HOEKSTRA, BOGDAN AURESCU, TANJA FAJON and JOSÉ MANUEL ALBARES BUENO, POLITICO: It’s time for more majority decision-making in E.U. foreign policy — CAROLINE GRAY, ZURI LINETSKY, LUCAS ROBINSON and MARK HANNAH, Eurasia Group Foundation: Caught in the middle: views of U.S.-China competition across Asia — DEXTER FILKINS, The New Yorker: Biden’s dilemma at the border
| | — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: Opportunities and Challenges in Civilian-Military Humanitarian Coordination — Senate Armed Services Committee, 9:30 a.m.: Hearings to examine the nomination of General ERIC SMITH, USMC, for reappointment to the grade of general — House Appropriations Committee, 10 a.m.: Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill — R Street Institute, 12 p.m.: The Private Sector's Evolving Role in Conflict –– From Cyber Assistance to Intelligence — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1 p.m.: Ahead of the NATO Summit: Burden Sharing to Responsibility Sharing — Federalist Society, 2 p.m.: New START, Nuclear Weapons, and the New Landscape: Arms Control and Deterrence Post-Ukraine — Atlantic Council, 3 p.m.: The Mechanisms of Corruption in Iran Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who says everything we write is “inaccurate” until she gets her hands on it. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who we secretly call George Washington because he can’t tell a lie.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Using Artificial Intelligence to help firefighters better detect, predict and fight wildfires.
Lockheed Martin is collaborating with commercial companies to integrate our technologies and expertise with their capabilities to help first responders detect, predict and fight wildfires. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
