|
From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Eric Bazail-Eimil, Alexander Ward and Matt Berg | |  President Joe Biden's administration imposed new sanctions today on current and former Iranian leaders for the disappearance and presumed death of an American contractor and retired FBI agent. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo | With help from Daniel Lippman and Mohar Chatterjee Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt The Biden administration made a deal to bring seven Americans in Iran home, but that won’t usher in a new era of Washington-Tehran engagement, senior officials insist. Top government figures have taken to the airwaves and opinion pages to quash such speculation, assuring critics that ending the yearslong standoff over the U.S. citizens’ release was a narrow target — and that there isn’t some grander plan in the works. "I don't think we should look at this as some sort of confidence-building measure to a better relationship with Iran," said National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY on CNN Monday morning. "It was not orchestrated as some way of rapprochement.” “This deal was not linked to nuclear diplomacy. It was negotiated separately, in Doha,” BRETT MCGURK, the National Security Council’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, said in told The Washington Post’s JASON REZAIAN. “The nuclear talks to date have stalled, and while we will not shut the door to diplomacy altogether, we are also prepared for any and all potential contingencies with respect to Iran’s nuclear program.” Notably, The Tehran Times reported Sunday that it had obtained audio of McGurk saying the chances of a renewed nuclear deal are low, though it’s unclear when the comments were made or who he made them to. “It’s increasingly less likely we’re gonna get back into JCPOA anyway,” he reportedly said, using the acronym for the agreement’s official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The administration is now moving on to “Plan B” regarding Iran, “which means options of the toolkit as what it is, it is diplomatic isolation, it’s sanctions, it’s a military force, it’s sabotage.” We asked the White House to confirm these were McGurk’s actual comments but didn’t hear back. It also doesn’t look like President JOE BIDEN is extending a hand to Iran. Nothing in his statement on detainee releases hints at that. His administration imposed new sanctions today on current and former Iranian leaders for the disappearance and presumed death of American contractor and retired FBI agent ROBERT LEVINSON. And Biden currently has no plans to meet with hardline Iranian President EBRAHIM RAISI on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week, though Raisi told reporters the swap could “definitely help in building trust” between the U.S. and Iran. But Biden’s political problems over the issue are far from over. Most skeptics of the agreement finalized today are upset that it gives Tehran any access to some $6 billion of previously frozen funds. They say Biden has effectively paid Iran’s ruling clerics a ransom. The administration hotly denies this, saying the money can only be used for limited humanitarian-type purchases. The detractors argue money is fungible and that Iran now has a windfall to fuel its terrorist activities around the world. Meanwhile, supporters of Biden’s move say he should use this moment as a springboard to improve U.S.-Iranian ties. “This swap opened a new window for diplomacy,” KELSEY DAVENPORT, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told reporters on Monday. As of this moment, Biden is poised to leave both sides wanting more, as making any kind of deal or even holding any interactions with Iran has become a partisan issue. “Especially in the runup to an election year for President Biden, I do think there’s going to be pitfalls here,” said ELLIE GERANMAYEH, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Delivering Multi-Domain Deterrence.
Fast-moving threats require agile deterrence with multi-domain enabled platforms. Lockheed Martin’s combat-proven systems work together to protect critical assets against evolving threats.
We're accelerating production of combat-proven capabilities like HIMARS and PAC-3 MSE to support our customers’ national security missions. Learn more. | | | | | KIM GETS RUSSIAN DRONES: After their summit, Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN sent North Korean leader KIM JONG UN packing with several parting — party? — gifts, including drones that have been widely used during the war in Ukraine. Kim was given five one-way attack drones and a Geranium-25 reconnaissance drone, Reuters’ JACK KIM and LIDIA KELLY report, citing Russian state media. The exchange violates at least two U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed on Pyongyang. His goodie bag also included a cosmonaut’s glove, a fur hat, body armor and a rifle. While it remains to be seen whether Kim will don all the swag at once, the exchange caps off a demonstration in which the pair strengthened ties and discussed an arms deal, though the meeting ended without major announcements on weapons. BALLOON THEORIES POP: Chinese paramount leader XI JINPING wasn’t immediately told about the spy balloon’s floating across the U.S. in February. But when he learned, he was pissed. “When Mr. Xi learned of the balloon’s trajectory and realized it was derailing planned talks with Secretary of State ANTONY J. BLINKEN, he berated senior generals for failing to tell him that the balloon had gone astray, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence,” The New York Times’ JULIAN BARNES and EDWARD WONG reported Sunday. With that news, and the fact that China appears to have suspended its balloon program after American fighter jets shot the object down over the Atlantic, it seems safe to say that Beijing didn’t intend for it to float across the United States. It also didn’t collect intel, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. MARK MILLEY told CBS News’ DAVID MARTIN on Sunday, confirming the Pentagon’s assessment in June. Read: National security adviser, China’s top diplomat take fresh stab at cooling U.S.-China tensions by our own NAHAL TOOSI and ARI HAWKINS. WALLY’S NIGERIA PITCH: The administration continued its development offensive Monday in Nigeria, sending the deputy Treasury secretary to assert that the United States makes the best reform partner for one of Africa’s most important countries. WALLY ADEYEMO offered four suggestions: ensure a stable naira, devise a new fiscal strategy “that will provide the resources to make critical investments,” eradicate government corruption and protect the country’s financial system. “President Biden and our whole administration are committed to taking steps in these key areas that are at the heart of long-term economic growth,” said Adeyemo, a member of the Nigerian diaspora in the U.S. Getting Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, to work more closely with the U.S. — and not with China — is a big prize for this administration. Washington wants developing nations to partner with the West for its projects and reforms, ensuring Beijing doesn’t usurp its central position in the global financial system. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIR FORCE: Seventy-six looks good on you, airmen! Happy birthday to the nation’s second-newest service, which was created in the National Security Act of 1947. Our gift this year is not celebrating the birthday by promoting images of Swedish fighter jets. 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 X 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, @JGedeon1 and @ebazaileimil.
| | | | REGISTER FOR CEPA FORUM 2023. Between September 26-29, the Center for European Policy Analysis will host a dynamic series of discussions focusing on the transatlantic response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, turning unity into action and not only winning the war but also winning the peace. RSVP NOW | | | | | | | | ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NATSEC: Republican presidential candidate NIKKI HALEY answers many domestic-related questions with global-focused answers on the campaign trail, NBC News’ ALEX TABET and GREG HYATT report. “China” is on her lips wherever she’s in Iowa. When a resident asked about price controls in health care, Haley noted “right now, our federal government gets our amoxicillin from China.” And at a roundtable of the state’s agricultural leaders, she stated “our job is to make sure that we are dominant when it comes to agriculture so that China is always dependent on America for their food.” Haley has made her foreign policy experience — two years as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration — a centerpiece of her pitch for the presidency. Average polling has her ranked fourth nationally and in Iowa.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | | UNGAI: Our colleagues at Weekly Cybersecurity smartly note that there will be a whole cyber and AI diplomacy fest on the sidelines of UNGA. Here’s what they’re watching for: — The number of countries that will say the world needs to “collaborate” on “action-oriented” approaches to combating cyber threats. Speaking of… — Will there be any updates to the proposed 2022 cyber-focused “U.N. Programme of Action”? The document, which covers everything from developing national cyber strategies to defining global norms for state behavior online, is on the docket for discussion, WC learned. — What will come out of ministerials and other meetings about AI? The tech is the new buzzword inside the U.N., and body members will hope to outline something regarding baseline rules for its usage worldwide. There’s more, so you should read WC’s whole preview. There’s already been some movement. Today, SecState Blinken announced a new $15 million commitment by the U.S. to help more governments “leverage the power of AI to drive global good,” focused specifically on the UN’s sustainable development goals, our own MOHAR CHATTERJEE writes in. KUWAIT HIT: Kuwait’s finance ministry said Monday that one of its systems was hit by a cyberattack but that the ministry continued to function with no hiccups, Reuters’ NAYERA ABDALLAH reports. “The level of the hacking attempt is being assessed," the ministry said in a statement.
| | ‘A LONG TIME’: The Ukraine-Russia war will extend for years if Kyiv’s goal is the complete pushout of Moscow’s invading troops, Gen. Milley said in a CNN interview that aired Sunday. “This offensive, although significant, has operational and tactical objectives that are limited in the sense that they do not, even if they are fully achieved, they don't completely kick out all the Russians,” the outgoing Joint Chiefs chair told FAREED ZAKARIA, noting there are 200,00 invading forces inside Ukraine. It’s therefore “going to take a long time” to expel them all from the country, as Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY wants. Milley continues to say that Ukraine’s war objectives are out of Kyiv’s reach in the near term, drawing ire from pro-Ukraine voices who insist Russia is on the backfoot. But the general insists that these are just the military realities and that, at some point, the fighting will end with a peace deal struck by both parties. MISSING F-35: Joint Base Charleston is still seeking the nation’s help in finding a missing F-36 fighter jet following the ejection of its pilot, Matt reports. “If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600,” the South Carolina base’s comms team wrote on X yesterday, adding Monday that “teams continue to search for the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B, using ground and air assets.” Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) incredulously asked on the same platform: “How in the hell do you lose an F-35? How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?”
| | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — CIA SEXUAL ASSAULT HEARING: The House Intelligence Committee's CIA subcommittee is holding a closed-door hearing on Tuesday featuring several people who say the CIA mishandled their sexual assault cases, two people familiar with the hearing told DANIEL LIPPMAN. It's an opportunity for members to hear from the victims as well as for the people to talk to members, one of the people said. Earlier this year, the House intelligence committee opened an investigation into whether the CIA is mishandling how it responds to sexual assault and harassment in its workforce. FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– CIVILIAN EXEMPTIONS: The administration should push the regional bloc of West African nations to allow exemptions for humanitarian assistance as it enforces sanctions on Niger’s military junta, five House Democrats advocated today. “We urge the Biden administration to advocate for exemptions for humanitarian assistance and critical commodities such as food and medicine to be integrated into current ECOWAS sanctions. Specifically, we encourage U.S. government officials to press this issue with interlocutors in ECOWAS member states during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly,” they wrote in a Monday letter to Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD. The lawmakers worry that the sanctions “have reduced access to basic foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals” and made it harder to withdraw funds from banks for humanitarian projects. The letter — signed by Reps. SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.), SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-Calif.), ILHAN OMAR (D-Minn.), JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.) and JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-Texas) — is designed to push the administration into pressuring the Economic Community of West African States. It’s unclear, however, if it will spur the top U.S. diplomats into action this week. ‘WE DO NOT HAVE THE VOTES’: Don’t hold out hope that Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY will have an easy time convincing House Republicans to keep the aid coming to his country during a visit to Washington this week. House Intelligence Chair MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio) predicted on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he “makes the case better than anyone” and could be “very, very persuasive” in getting Republican holdouts on board. But one senior GOP lawmaker joked to Playbook that when Turner’s “pet unicorn has offspring, I’d like to buy one of the colts,” adding that the notion is “just crazy. … We do not have the votes in the Republican conference to do any Ukraine funding.”
| | | |   | | | | | YOU’RE FIRED: Ukraine fired six deputy defense ministers today, two weeks after Defense minister OLESKII REZNIKOV was ousted as part of a corruption scandal, the Kyiv Post’s JULIA STRUCK and MARYNA SHASHKOVA report. Kyiv didn’t provide a reason for the dismissals, which included VOLODYMYR GAVRYLOV, ROSTYSLAV ZAMLYNSKY, HANNA MALIAR, DENIS SHARAPOV, ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO and VITALY DEINEGA, as well as VASHCHENKO KOSTYANTYN OLEKSANDROVYCH, the state secretary of the defense ministry. As some reports noted, it’s normal for there to be high turnover after a new minister is appointed, and Ukraine just did get a new defense chief. Still, the moves show a continued rearranging of the leadership chairs in Kyiv as the war rages on.
| | | | — ADVAITH THAMPI is now strategic adviser and VSO liaison for the chair of the board of veterans’ appeals at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He most recently was director of government affairs and legislative counsel at Veterans Education Success. — BRIAN BURTON is a senior adviser in the office of the assistant secretary of Defense for industrial base policy. At Boeing Defense, he was the capture team lead for international sales in the mobility and surveillance business unit. — BAYLY WINDER is joining USAID as a political appointee and the special assistant to the deputy administrator for management and resources. He was a senior associate at satellite startup E-Space. — ROY AWABDEH is now deputy assistant secretary of State focused on Senate affairs. He most recently was senior investigations counsel for State. — TISHA WRIGHT was named vice president of Executive Branch and International Government Relations for BAE Systems, Inc. A former Air Force officer and civilian official, she previously served as Inc.’s director of Government Relations.
| | — ANA PALACIO, Project Syndicate: Rule-making in a divided world — JIM GERAGHTY, National Review: Dispelling a myth about aid to Ukraine — STEPHEN WEISSMAN and ANTHONY GAMBINO, Foreign Policy: Washington must not allow another stolen election in Congo
| | –– The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 8:30 a.m.: The future of defense for the U.K. and its allies — The United States Institute of Peace, 9 a.m.: Maldives: presidential election and a new era of U.S.-Maldives relations — The German Marshall Fund of the United States, 9 a.m.: The impact of the war in Ukraine on the political situation in Belarus: three short-term scenarios — The Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: Discussion on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on "evolving challenges and how to keep them at the top of the global agenda" — The Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: Homeland security and "the current threat environment" — The Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: Furthering U.S.-India security cooperation — The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, 10 a.m.: The future of the Russian military — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: Strategic landpower dialogue: a conversation with Secretary CHRISTINE WORMUTH and Gen. RANDY GEORGE — The House Armed Services Committee, 10:35 a.m.: Defense cooperation with Taiwan — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3:30 p.m.: The future of security in the Black Sea region — The Atlantic Council, 3:30 p.m.: From holding the line to requiring a robust international response to the atrocities against the Uyghurs Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, with whom we will never seek an improved relationship. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, with whom we have the strongest ties.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Delivering Multi-Domain Deterrence.
Fast-moving threats require agile deterrence with multi-domain enabled platforms. Lockheed Martin’s combat-proven systems work together to protect critical assets against evolving threats.
We're accelerating production of combat-proven capabilities like HIMARS and PAC-3 MSE to support our customers’ national security missions. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
