|
From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Matt Berg | |  The joint assault came after the Houthis ignored weeks of warnings from Washington and its allies to stop their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. | Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images | PROGRAMMING NOTE: NatSec Daily won’t publish on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll be back on Tuesday. Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt We’ll have more on the nitty-gritty of the Houthi strikes below, but NatSec Daily wanted to kick off with a step back: What do they tell us about the way President JOE BIDEN uses force? First, he and his team take their time — even as they face pressure to act more quickly. After Alex and LARA SELIGMAN reported in December that Team Biden was weighing strikes, the chattering class’ reaction was, effectively, stop planning and do it already. But caution and deliberation were baked in from the start. A February 2021 rocket attack on U.S. coalition forces in Iraq by Iranian proxies led to days of discussion before launching a retaliation 10 days later. “You own the clock,” Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN reportedly advised Biden. A longer waiting game happened here. Houthi strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea began in November, intensified in December and crossed a line on Tuesday, when the militant groups’ 26th attack was foiled by U.S. and British ships in the region. That was enough for Biden, and he chose an option presented to him by aides to strike more than 60 targets at 16 locations. There are also critics of the Biden administration’s decision to take so much time — nearly two months — before retaliating with force. They argue that might’ve stopped the Houthis from attacking much earlier and sent a clear deterrence signal to Iran. Time also allowed for diplomatic means to curb an escalation, including offering consistent public warnings that continued attacks would merit a response. The creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition of more than 20 countries to safeguard Red Sea transit, also served as a diplomatic message to the Iran-backed Houthis: The world is against your missile launches. In the meantime, the U.S. built a legal case and legitimacy for action by rallying allies. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Wednesday condemning the militant group’s attacks. LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said “the measure underscores the Council’s support for navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all states in the Red Sea in accordance with international law.” Biden administration officials also used the diplomatic period to coordinate what an attack might look like with other countries. Allies wanted to understand the legal basis for the strikes, a senior Pentagon official told POLITICO yesterday, along with precisely what the U.S. was asking them to contribute. Ultimately, they each understood the assignment, paving the way for five countries to take part in last night’s strikes. The assaults are still not without controversy. Rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans insist that Biden needed to seek congressional authorization for bombing the Houthis, though leading lawmakers — including Speaker MIKE JOHNSON — supported the strikes. The U.S. and nine other countries argue the retaliatory attacks were allowed due to the “inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the U.N. Charter.” Biden is wary of lighting a powder keg in the Middle East. October strikes on an Iran-backed militant group in Syria came only after attacks on U.S. forces in the region exceeded the norm. The U.S. plan was calibrated to hit two facilities, including an ammunition storage area, to make a point but keep a lid on spiking tensions. It’s unclear if that’ll work this time, though, as the Houthis have already vowed to exact revenge. Still, Biden’s strikes were par for the course for this administration: taking its time, building a diplomatic, legal and legitimate case, and then partnering with allies to make any response global in scope. To hear a senior administration official tell it, “it was very thought out.”
| | 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. | | | | | OK, BUT WHAT HAPPENED? Alright, now let’s get to the details of last night’s military action against the Houthis. The United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain, conducted air and missile strikes at Houthi rebel targets across Yemen Thursday evening. The joint assault involved U.S. aircraft, ships and submarines. It came after the Houthis ignored weeks of warnings from Washington and its allies to stop their attacks on vessels in the commercially important waterway: “These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes,” Biden said in a statement. The strikes targeted radar systems, as well as storage and launch sites for drones, cruise and ballistic missiles across “a large area of Yemen,” a Defense Department official told Lara. The targets were chosen “to degrade the Houthi ability to continue endangering mariners in the Red Sea.” No civilians were assessed to be present at the sites, the official said. Speaking with reporters this morning, National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY said he couldn’t confirm any casualties, including Houthi officials’ claim that five people were killed in the strikes. “We're still doing the assessment of the actual impacts on all these targets,” Kirby said, later adding that “we're not looking for conflict with Iran,” which backs the militant group. But the Houthis, who have targeted the ships in a show of support for Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, vowed to continue harassing shipping in the Red Sea following the attacks, our own GABRIEL GAVIN reports. Now, those in the Middle East are gearing up for escalation. "America and Britain will have to prepare to pay a heavy price" for their role in the strikes, said HUSSEIN AL-EZZI, a top Houthi official. Read: Inside Biden's decision to strike the Houthis by Lara and LAUREN EGAN ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE DEFENSE: Israeli lawyers defended the country against South Africa’s genocide accusation in front of the United Nations’ top court today, calling the charges “grossly distorted.” They argued the accusations don’t hold water because Israel is fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, and is defending itself, per Reuters’ ANTHONY DEUTSCH, TOBY STERLING and STEPHANIE VAN DEN BERG. They called on the International Court of Justice to reject South Africa’s call for Israel to stop the offensive and drop the case altogether. "If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel … Hamas seeks genocide against Israel," TAL BECKER, the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, told the court. Nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed amid Israel’s strikes in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, according to Gaza health officials. The ICJ is expected to rule on emergency measures later this month. A decision on the genocide accusation could take years. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring EDUARDO MAIA SILVA, a spokesperson for the National Security Council. When he’s not fielding our (allegedly) annoying questions, you can find him enjoying a gin martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives. “A martini is a pretty straightforward drink that you can get most places and generally won’t annoy a bartender,” he told NatSec Daily. The bartenders at Off the Record — the Hay-Adams hotel’s bar — do a good job, he says, “and I’m often around [there] anyway.” And here’s an #EduardoBonus: “Always, always recommend getting a side of fries from there too alongside with the drink.” Cheers, Eduardo! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: 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, and @JGedeon1.
| | | | POLITICO AT CES® 2024: We are going ALL On at CES 2024 with a special edition of the POLITICO Digital Future Daily newsletter. The CES-focused newsletter will take you inside the most powerful tech event in the world, featuring revolutionary products that cut across verticals, and insights from industry leaders that are shaping the future of innovation. The newsletter runs from Jan. 9-12 and will focus on the public policy-related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the show. | | | | | | | | | TRUMP: BAD MOVE, BIDEN: Former President DONALD TRUMP blasted the Biden administration this morning for conducting strikes against Houthi militants. “So, let me get this straight. We’re dropping bombs all over the Middle East, AGAIN (where I defeated ISIS!), and our Secretary of Defence [sic], who just went missing for five days, is running the war from his laptop in a hospital room,” wrote Trump, the leading GOP presidential candidate. Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 with complications from a procedure to treat the cancer, and the Pentagon didn’t notify top U.S. officials for several days. While Deputy Defense Secretary KATHLEEN HICKS took over for three days in early January, Austin has since resumed his duties and was directed to order the strikes while working from the hospital. Biden has come under criticism from lawmakers for not seeking congressional approval first for the strikes, but Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS doesn’t think the president is in the wrong. “These are stateless actors. I think they’re operating outside the traditional laws of armed conflict. And I think you have a right to ensure that commerce continues and that they’re not allowed to just bomb ships and do and do other things,” he said at an event in Iowa on Thursday, Florida Politics’ A.G. GANCARSKI reported.
| | AIRDROP TROUBLES: Security researchers warned Apple as far back as 2019 about risks with its AirDrop sharing system, which China has recently claimed to use to track users’ locations, the researchers told CNN’s SEAN LYNGAAS and BRIAN FUNG. AirDrop lets users share information using Bluetooth and other wireless tech. Chinese authorities have compromised the feature to identify users accused of sharing information deemed inappropriate by the government. “Anyone using an iPhone should be concerned with the security of Apple’s AirDrop function,” Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) told CNN. “This breach is just another way for Beijing to target any Apple user it perceives to be an opponent. The time to act is now, and Apple must be held accountable for failing to safeguard its users against such blatant security breaches.” The news is likely to reignite lawmakers’ longstanding concerns about Apple’s ties to China and how the company ensures that its features are safe for Americans to use.
| | | |   | | | | | BRITISH BILLIONS: U.K. Prime Minister RISHI SUNAK arrived in Ukraine this morning to announce $3.2 billion in military support, as well as humanitarian aid and security guarantees, to the country, our own ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH, VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA and BETHANY DAWSON report. Commending Ukraine for its "unfaltering" determination to repel the "brutal Russian invasion" over the past two years, Sunak said: "I am here today with one message: the U.K. will also not falter. We will stand with Ukraine, in their darkest hours and in the better times to come." At least $255 million of the funding will be spent on a major push to rapidly procure and produce thousands of drones for Ukraine, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones, according to a British statement. It would be the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine from any nation, the statement added, with most expected to be manufactured in the U.K.
| | | NO MORE ‘ENDLESS WARS’: Lawmakers continued to rip on the Biden administration today for conducting the Houthi strikes without congressional approval. “Congress alone decides if we go to war. I join my colleagues on both sides insisting we follow the Constitution,” Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) tweeted this morning. Across the aisle, Rep. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-Mass.) struck a similar chord: “Unacceptable. @POTUS must get approval from Congress before authorizing military strikes in Yemen or any other country. The people do not want more endless wars.” Pressley’s comment in particular builds on progressive backlash. Last night, members responded furiously to the strikes, arguing that the move violated Article 1 of the Constitution, which requires military action to be authorized by Congress. But some prominent Hill leaders, including Speaker Johnson, voiced their support for the measure. “This action by U.S. and British forces is long overdue, and we must hope these operations indicate a true shift in the Biden Administration’s approach to Iran and its proxies that are engaging in such evil and wreaking such havoc,” he wrote. ICYMI — GOP hawks to Austin: Fix your relationship with Congress by our own CONNOR O’BRIEN, JOE GOULD and Lara
| | | | Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of new episodes – click here. | | | | | | | | KEEP ROME OUT OF IT: Italy declined to take part in the strike against the Houthis yesterday because it prefers to pursue a “calming” policy in the region, a government official told Reuters’ ANGELO AMANTE, JOHN IRISH, INTI LANDAURO and NANDITA BOSE. Rome also would’ve needed parliament to greenlight the attack, making a quick approval impossible, the official said. Italy staying out of the action aligns with a comment made by Italian Defense Minister GUIDO CROSETTO, who said that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea must be stopped — without triggering a new war.
| | | — HASAN MURAT MERCAN is retiring today as Turkey’s ambassador to the U.S. Mercan said he was heading to his country “for good” in a text message. — Aerospace Industries announced a trio of promotions today: EMMA HAMILTON will be senior manager, ERICA OSOWISKI will be manager and MADDY CARLSON will be senior coordinator.
| | | — MEGAN STACK, The New York Times: Don’t turn away from the charges of genocide against Israel — MARC CHAMPION, Bloomberg: Iran wins with U.S. airstrikes on Houthis in Yemen — ELAINE McCUSKER, DefenseNews: Pentagon’s industrial strategy describes the problem, not the solution
| | — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8:50 a.m.: Indo-Pacific forecast 2024 — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10 a.m.: Ukraine in 2024: in search of the best U.S. policy — The Aspen Institute, 10 a.m.: Beyond the clickbait: the impact of AI on cybersecurity — The Wilson Center's Middle East Program, noon: Understanding the economic ramifications of the Hamas-Israel war on Israel — The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, 1 p.m.: Demilitarizing the U.S.-Mexico relationship Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, who never has a plan for anything. We also thank our producer, Raymond Rapada, for whom plans are made.
| | 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. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
