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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Matt Berg | |  Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) speaks with reporters at the Capitol on Feb. 1, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | With help from Joe Gould Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt Nearly half of all Senate Democrats wrote to President JOE BIDEN expressing anger about the humanitarian situation in Gaza — and with the U.S. for not pushing Israel hard enough to improve the dire circumstances. Sens. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.) and CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.) led 23 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Biden on Thursday, then released the document publicly this afternoon. They call the suffering in Gaza “unacceptable and staggering,” adding that the humanitarian assistance getting into the small enclave “is just a fraction of what is needed to save lives.” The letter is remarkable for the simple fact that a quarter of the Senate, all members of Biden’s party, is openly criticizing Israel for not doing enough for Palestinians in need. It’s also noteworthy because the letter implicitly chastises the U.S. for not pushing Israel to prioritize the humanitarian side of the conflict. The lawmakers devised five recommendations over weeks of private talks, urging the U.S. “to work with Israeli officials to take the following urgent steps”:
- Open a third border crossing at Erez to let more aid into Gaza
- Improve the inspections process so more assistance gets in, not turned away
- Ensure the deconfliction process works so humanitarian organizations can operate without the fear of getting bombed
- Work to increase the aid that can get into Gaza and restart commercial imports at Kerem Shalom
- Identify and open other humanitarian supply routes into the enclave
“Additional and longer humanitarian pauses are needed to enable a surge of assistance to enter Gaza and the safe movement of goods and people within Gaza. A humanitarian pause will also allow people to safely return to their homes in north Gaza,” the lawmakers continued.
The Biden administration, while staunchly backing Israel’s retaliation against Hamas, has been much more outspoken in recent weeks about the need to improve the brutal circumstances in Gaza. Still, that close Biden allies like Murphy and Sen. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) signed their name to the letter shows at least a good chunk of White House-friendly Democrats in the Senate want the administration to do much, much more. “The Netanyahu government can do much more to get desperately needed humanitarian assistance to people in need in Gaza, and we think that the Biden administration can do more to push the Netanyahu government to get more aid in Gaza,” Van Hollen told NatSec Daily in an interview shortly after the letter’s release. The senator already proposed an amendment to mandate that any nation receiving U.S. military aid must comply with American and international law. “At this moment that needs to be applied to address the situation in Gaza,” Van Hollen said. The senator is clearly not alone in his displeasure. “The high number is reflective of the fact that a lot of Democrats are frustrated with Israel and want to see movement,” said a Senate Democratic aide. “The U.S. is not an innocent bystander here,” said another Senate Democratic staffer, like the other granted anonymity to discuss the sentiment behind the letter. Notably, the message doesn’t go as far as others in the president’s caucus would like. Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.), for example, called for a halt in U.S. aid to Israel until the war ends. His resolution to turn that idea into policy failed in the Senate last month, 72 to 11. On Friday, Sanders said he would introduce a resolution to the $106 billion national security supplemental to strip Israel of $10.1 billion in aid for offensive weapons. Funding for defensive weapons will be preserved.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Turn the Entire Battlefield into your Field of Vision
Today's military landscape features systems and platforms engineered for standalone operations. Embracing our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is at the forefront of defense innovation, weaving connections between defense and digital domains. Learn More. | | | | | WESTERN DISSENT: More than 800 officials in the United States, the United Kingdom and across the European Union anonymously signed a letter voicing dismay with their governments’ support of Israel’s war in Gaza. In a letter provided to The New York Times’ EDWARD WONG and MATINA STEVIS-GRIDNEFF, the officials say they’ve been ignored after internally raising complaints to their governments, and that it’s their duty to improve policy in their nations’ interests. It is the first instance of officials internationally joining together to openly criticize their governments on the issue. “Our governments’ current policies weaken their moral standing and undermine their ability to stand up for freedom, justice and human rights globally,” reads the letter, according to the NYT. “There is a plausible risk that our governments’ policies are contributing to grave violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and even ethnic cleansing or genocide.” An official who has worked in the State Department for more than two decades told NYT that the letter is anonymous because people are afraid of losing their jobs for speaking out. About 80 of those include American officials, one organizer told the outlet, with State making up the biggest group. HEADED SOUTH? Israel’s defense minister signaled that his nation’s forces might soon fight in Gaza’s southernmost point. “We are completing the mission in Khan Younis, and we will reach Rafah as well, and eliminate every terrorist there who threatens to harm us,” YOAV GALLANT said during a recent visit with troops, per a video posted online late Thursday. It’s unclear if Gallant meant Israeli service members would head to Rafah imminently or if they will arrive during another phase of the war. Israel and Hamas are mulling a six-week cease-fire that, if implemented, would complicate a new military advance. Hamas officials said Friday that they were skeptical of some key components of the proposal, namely that the militants want a permanent pause in the war, not a temporary one. Whenever they arrive, Israeli forces will find thousands of Palestinians who fled south to escape fighting in Khan Younis and other areas of the enclave. About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is now in Rafah or its surrounding neighborhoods, the United Nations reports. ON THOSE NEGOTIATIONS: Senior Hamas official OSAMA HAMDAN said today that the militant group is still studying the latest proposed deal which would see hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a pause in fighting, The Associated Press’ BASSEM MROUE and SAMY MAGDY report. He maintained that Hamas wants a permanent cease-fire and the release of two specific prisoners, including MARWAN BARGHOUTI, a popular Palestinian uprising leader. PALESTINE TIMELINE: British Foreign Secretary DAVID CAMERON said the U.K. could officially recognize a Palestinian state without waiting for any Israeli-Palestinian talks on a two-state solution to bear fruit, our own BETHANY DAWSON reports. Cameron said no such move could come while Hamas remains in Gaza. He discussed U.K. recognition of a Palestinian state this week at the United Nations in a significant shift of British government policy. He also made clear that the U.K. could offer recognition without protracted talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders on a two-state solution coming to a head. Such talks appear a distant prospect given staunch opposition from Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU to the idea. 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 VOLODYMYR OMELYAN, a captain in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the country’s former minister of infrastructure. “I will not answer you with apple juice or orange juice. I will stick to whiskey. I think that whiskey is the best beverage to celebrate our victory,” Omelyan said. But you’re not allowed to drink alcohol in the army, he said, so “I’ve already forgotten the taste of it, except maybe some beer.” One day soon, Omelyan hopes to raise a toast to a triumphant Ukraine, he said. Budmo, captain! 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.
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | | | JAPAN TO TRUMP: DON’T MAKE CHINA DEAL: Japanese officials are working to make sure that if former President DONALD TRUMP gets back in office he’ll forgo any deal with China could upend years of regional effort to curb Beijing’s influence. Tokyo has sent senior ruling-party figures to meet with Trump and engaged with think tanks and former U.S. officials close to the top Republican 2024 candidate, six Japanese officials told Reuters’ JOHN GEDDIE, TIM KELLY and YOSHIFUMI TAKEMOTO. Japan’s biggest concern: “That if Trump returns to power he may seek some kind of trade or security deal between the world's top two economies that could undermine recent efforts by the Group of Seven wealthy nations to counter China.” Importantly, Trump has not spoken about some grand bargain with China on the campaign trail and was relatively tough with Beijing during his presidency — though he is often warm with, and says nice things about, Chinese paramount leader XI JINPING. Read: Trump influence over congressional GOP spikes ever higher by our own BURGESS EVERETT, OLIVIA BEAVERS and MERIDITH McGRAW
| | CYBER SANCTIONS: The Biden administration today sanctioned six officials in the cybersecurity wing of an elite Iranian military unit in connection with hacks against U.S. water facilities, our own JOHN SAKELLARIADIS reports (for Pros!). The action will block all assets and property of the individuals — members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command — held in the United States. It also prohibits American citizens from doing business with them. The Biden administration had not previously fingered Iran in the attacks, though private cybersecurity firms had done so. The Treasury Department did not say if the senior cyber operators in Tehran’s IRGC conducted the November attacks against a handful of water facilities across the U.S., but spokesperson MORGAN FINKELSTEIN said the U.S. has determined the group was behind the hack.
| | | |   | | | | | AIR FORCE SHAKEUP: The Air Force is putting the final touches on a major structural shakeup that would remake the force as part of the Pentagon’s push to keep up with China’s military buildup, our own PAUL McLEARY and LEE HUDSON report. Within the next few weeks, the service will announce it is consolidating some of its major three- and four-star commands, integrating fighter jets and bomber aircraft into single units, and beefing up its budget and planning shop, according to six people familiar with the plans. The goal, the people said, is to streamline the Air Force’s lumbering bureaucracy and meet China head-on. The overhaul involves reorganizing how the service plans for, budgets and designs new aircraft, while likely kick-starting new uncrewed aircraft and fighter plane projects in an era when defense budgets are expected to increase slightly or stay relatively flat. Air Force Secretary FRANK KENDALL has been working on the plan — called “Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition” — since September. A DIFFERENT RED SEA MISSION: The European Union efforts to protect commercial vessels from Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea won’t include any attacks, the EU's foreign policy chief said today. Seeking to differentiate the EU plan from the ongoing American-British Operation Prosperity Guardian, in which forces have struck Houthi targets in Yemen, JOSEP BORRELL insisted that the future EU mission will focus only on protecting commercial vessels and their assets, our own STUART LAU reports. The mission "is a shield, it’s purely defensive," Borrell said, emphasizing that forces won’t conduct any operations on land. "Our purpose is not to conduct any kind of attack, but just to defend." The EU's mission is yet to be given final approval, pending a meeting of foreign ministers on Feb. 19. Read: Pentagon to MAGA world: You need to calm down over TAYLOR SWIFT by our own LARA SELIGMAN
| | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– DON’T RAISE IT: More than a dozen progressive and antiwar groups oppose a new measure that raises the threshold for when an administration must notify Congress about an arms sale. The amendment to the Arms Export Control Act, led by Rep. MIKE WALTZ (R-Fla.), would raise the dollar-amount floor to $23 million from $14 million as well as demand drawdowns from existing U.S. stockpiles for delayed weapons transfers. The Middle East Democracy Center and the Center for Civilians in Conflict organized a letter sent to Hill offices opposing the change. “Congress will have less knowledge of what arms are being transferred to what countries, and less ability to ensure that transfers are consistent with U.S. law, policy, and interests,” they argue in the missive sent today, especially since the relevant congressional panels don’t review sales below the dollar threshold. But Waltz thinks these groups are worried about the wrong things. “Our allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia face increased threats in this new era of great power competition. It is absolutely critical that we learn from the Ukraine conflict and arm these states ahead of time, making them less likely to be attacked,” Waltz said in a statement to NatSec Daily. “Our foreign military sales system should function to help U.S. foreign policy, not hinder it.” TURKEY DROP: Sen. Van Hollen said he will not try to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey after the administration gave him a closed-door briefing to address concerns he had raised publicly, our own JOE GOULD writes in. After Turkey’s parliament greenlit Sweden joining NATO, which paved the way for the sale, Van Hollen had some criticisms about Turkey’s conduct — namely that it has been hostile toward fellow NATO ally Greece and some of America’s Kurdish allies. In the briefing, he said the administration pledged to monitor closely Turkey’s tensions with Greece and work with Ankara to tamp down the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Van Hollen said he remained “deeply troubled” by Turkish President RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN’s attacks on Syrian Democratic Forces helping fight the Islamic State in Northeast Syria. But he said officials promised, “to continue to voice their strong objections to these attacks, including the threat posed to U.S. forces working with the SDF, and reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to supporting this crucial partner. Van Hollen said that’s why he won’t block the sale, but “I will continue to stay in regular communication with the administration regarding their assurances on these and other key issues. It is clear that we must keep a close watch on Turkey.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — DON’T TARGET TEHRAN: Eighty progressive groups sent a letter to the White House urging Biden to not strike Iran and other countries following the attack in Jordan that killed three American troops over the weekend. “Retaliatory bombing will not calm the region or resolve these conflicts, and instead may entangle the U.S. in a disastrous open-ended conflict with a range of actors,” reads the letter, signed by anti-war, religious, veteran and humanitarian groups. The president doesn’t have the unilateral authority to escalate militarily in the region, the groups argued, adding that they plan to lobby lawmakers to prevent Biden from doing so. Speaking on MSNBC today, Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, challenged Republicans who want to strike Iran to bring the matter in front of the Senate. “You want to attack Iran, then let's have a vote on the floor of the Senate,” she said. “Let's have the guts of our convictions and have that discussion and if need be, then vote for it.” If any country tries to “bully” Iran, the country will “respond strongly,” PRESIDENT EBRAHIM RAISI said today, per Reuters.
| | — Gen. PAUL NAKASONE, head of both U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, officially stepped down today. Lt. Gen. TIMOTHY HAUGH, current deputy director of Cyber Command, took his post. — Lt. Gen. JEFFREY KRUSE formally took over as head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency during a ceremony today that saw Lt. Gen. SCOTT BERRIER step down as the agency’s lead, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports (for Pros!).
| | — JONATHAN GUYER, The Washington Post: How war has transformed Ukraine, and Zelenskyy — KIAN TAJBAKHSH, The Atlantic: Iran is not a ‘normal’ country — EMILY WITT, The New Yorker: BARBARA LEE’s antiwar campaign for the Senate
| | — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 8 a.m.: China and Central Asia — The Wilson Center's Mexico Institute and Inter-American Dialogue, 9:30 a.m.: Discussion with Mexican National Action Party presidential candidate XOCHITL GALVES, focusing on nearshoring, migration, energy and security, as well as her party's platform — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: Emerging policy issues for foundational semiconductors — The Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: Palestinian politics and society after the war — The Heritage Foundation, 2 p.m.: An agenda for regaining America's maritime security and competitiveness, focusing on the threat from China — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3 p.m.: Munitions production with Assistant Army Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology DOUGLAS BUSH Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, for whom we have many more than five recommendations to improve her work. We also thank our producer, Raymond Rapada, for whom the only feedback is “stop being so perfect.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Turn the Entire Battlefield into your Field of Vision
Today's military landscape features systems and platforms engineered for standalone operations. Embracing our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is at the forefront of defense innovation, weaving connections between defense and digital domains. Learn More. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
