Tag: Nuclear weapons

Peace Picks | December 21 – December 25, 2020

Notice: Due to public health concerns, upcoming events are only available via live stream.

1. The Islamic Defenders Front and Political Polarization in Indonesia | December 20, 2020 | 9:00 – 10:015 PM ET | Yusof Ishak Institute | Register Here

Amid growing religious polarization since 2019, the return from self-exile of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab to Indonesia in November has revitalized the opposition movement against President Joko Widodo. Islamic populism is set to be a major force at the 2024 presidential election. In the near term, however, Rizieq Shihab’s fate is uncertain as the government seeks to curtail his activities and prevent mass mobilizations in the capital. On December 7 a clash between security services and a convoy in which Rizieq was travelling left six of his followers dead. In this webinar, Dr Quinton Temby analyses these recent developments, drawing on social media data to illustrate how Rizieq’s return has played into online polarization between government and opposition activists. With physical mobilization restricted due to the pandemic, and the details of the recent clash disputed, Twitter has been an arena for hashtag battles between different actors seeking to control the narrative. Dr Temby concludes by reflecting on the prospects for Islamic populism in Indonesia and why social media is likely to be critical to any populist success.

Speakers

Dr Quinton Temby: Visiting Fellow, Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. 

2. Political Fallout: Nuclear Weapons Testing and the Making of a Global Environmental Crisis | December 21, 2020 | 4:00 – 5:30 PM ET | Wilson Center | Register Here

The Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 is typically viewed as marking a first step toward nuclear arms control. But Toshihiro Higuchi argues that it was also one of the first international agreements that addressed a truly global, human-induced environmental problem. By tracing a worldwide struggle to determine the biological effects, social acceptability, and policy implications of radioactive fallout, Higuchi reexamines the Cold War in the context of the Anthropocene – an era in which humans are confronting environmental changes of their own making.

Speakers

Toshihiro Higuchi: Assistant Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Christian F. Ostermann, moderator: Director, History and Public Policy Program; Cold War International History Project; North Korea Documentation Project; Nuclear Proliferation International History Project; Woodrow Wilson Center

Eric Arnesen, moderator: Former Fellow; Professor of History, The George Washington University. Director, National History Center of the American Historical Association.

3. Cyber War and Cyber Peace: Past and Future Cyber Clashes in the Middle East | December 22, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | Middle East Institute | Register Here

Although the cyber domain is an emerging field of conflict, it is no longer a new frontier – many battles in cyberspace have been fought and it is imperative they be understood to begin imagining how the future of warfare online may look.

As the United States, the Middle East, and policy community globally begin to consider how a Biden administration will approach conflict and cyber conflict in the region, this panel is an opportunity to study the history of cyber warfare in the Middle East as context for the policy challenges that will arise in the next four years. This panel is sponsored by SentinelOne, a cybersecurity solution encompassing AI-powered prevention, detection, response and hunting in a single autonomous platform.

Speakers

Selena Larson: Senior cyber threat analyst, Dragos, Inc.

James Shires: Assistant professor, Institute for Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University

Thom Langford, moderator: Security advocate, SentinelOne 

Additional speakers TBD

4. Putin’s playbook: Lessons from the operation to kill Alexei Navalny | December 22, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | Atlantic Council | Register Here

Bellingcat, CNN, the Insider, and der Spiegel have produced an explosive investigative report on the elaborate FSB efforts to poison Alexei Navalny with a Novichok nerve agent. Navalny survived and has resumed his role as an active player, amplifying the identities of the team that allegedly worked to kill him and laying responsibility for the operation at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s feet—all while promising to return to Russia. All of this raises the question: Why does the Kremlin regard Navalny as so large a threat, and when was the line crossed to start plotting his death? What does a recovered and newly active Navalny mean for Russia’s politics, and how will Russia’s relationship change with key states such as Germany, where Navalny has been recuperating? Russia has long struggled to see a viable alternative to Vladimir Putin—is Navalny that alternative?

Speakers

Christo Grozev: Lead Russia Investigator, Bellingcat 

Irina Borogan: investigative journalist and Deputy Editor, Agentura.ru 

John Sipher: Nonresident Senior Fellow, Eurasia Center; CEO & Co-Founder, Spycraft Entertainment 

Ambassador John Herbst, moderator: director of the Eurasia Center

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Stevenson’s army, December 19

Atlantic Council has a China strategy.
CNAS has ideas for economic statecraft.
WSJ laments loss of social trust among Americans.
Stimson Center says DPRK may be building nuclear components.
WSJ says its economy is near collapse.
Pompeo openly blames Russia for cyber attacks  [which still seem to me to be espionage rather than “act of war.”]

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, December 16

Military families need food assistance.
Iraq’s economy is collapsing.
White House meddled in CDC.
Somalia breaks relations with Kenya.
John Bolton criticizes Trump action on Morocco.
A reporter tries to tell what will happen to nuclear “football” if Trump skips inauguration.
The hawkish FDD has its policy recommendations.
Analogy of the day: writers call for “Goldwater-Nichols for emerging technology.”

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Peace Picks | December 14 – December 18, 2020

Notice: Due to public health concerns, upcoming events are only available via live stream.

1. After Flood and Revolution: Sudanese Responses to a Lagging Transitional Government | December 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:15 AM ET | Middle East Institute | Register Here

In 2018, the Sudanese Revolution gained prominence on social media and drew international attention to the movement taking place against Omar Al-Bashir’s 30 year dictatorship in the country. Widespread protests were sparked by drastic policies meant to prevent economic collapse such as the slashing of bread and fuel subsidies. Two years later, grievances remain as Sudan continues to face a multitude of issues including record breaking floods, poor governance, incoming Ethiopians and Eritreans fleeing conflict, and persistent militia violence. The Sudanese people have begun to lose patience with the Transitional Government’s inability to sufficiently reform the system and respond to crises.  

How has Sudan adapted to both environmental and political upheaval? What changes have occured since Omar Al-Bashir was ousted? How does Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok plan to move forward with the reconstruction of Sudan’s constitutional system, and how could the violence in Ethiopia and Eritrea affect that? In what ways, do we see Sudan’s relationship with foreign allies changing amidst this reconstruction? In this panel, the Middle East Institute (MEI)  brings together experts to explore what the future of Sudan looks like, and what the revolution succeeded and failed to bring the people. 

Speakers

Isma’il Kushkush: Independent Sudanese journalist

Baha Sharief: Women’s economic empowerment advocate

Jérôme Tubiana: Africa desk director, International Federation for Human Rights

Mohamed Soliman, moderator: Non-resident scholar, MEI

Additional speakers TBA

2. Reducing the Nuclear Threat: A 5-Point Plan | December 14, 2020 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Register Here

A global nuclear arms race is underway, and the threat of nuclear war is growing. Drivers of escalation—ballistic missile defense, nonstrategic nuclear weapons, and China’s nuclear modernization—cannot be easily managed through treaties, so what can be done to mitigate the real risks of the nuclear contest?

Please join us for a conversation featuring James Acton, as he shares insights from a new Carnegie report, “Revamping Nuclear Arms Control: Five Near-Term Proposals,” co-authored with Carnegie Endowment scholars Thomas MacDonald and Pranay Vaddi. Acton will be joined by Kristin Ven Bruusgaard of the University of Oslo. Anita Friedt, who served as a U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state, will moderate.

Speakers

James M. Acton: Jessica T. Mathews Chair, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Kristin Ven Bruusgaard: postdoctoral fellow in the Political Science Department at the University of Oslo.

Anita Friedt: former U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state.

3. Ten Years After the Arab Spring: Middle East Writers Reflect on the Arab Uprising | December 14, 2020 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET | Middle East Institute | Register Here

The Middle East Institute’s Arts and Culture Center and the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center at George Mason University are pleased to mark the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring with a series of monthly talks with leading writers from the region. Ten Years After The Arab Spring, which launches this December, will feature the voices of award-winning writers from Arab Spring countries reflecting on the past ten years through the lens of their writings and personal experiences.

The inaugural event will feature award-winning Tunisian writer Yamen Manai discussing his newly translated novel The Ardent Swarm (originally published as L’Amas Ardent in 2017). In his novel, Manai celebrates Tunisia’s rich oral culture, a tradition abounding in wry, often fatalistic humor. The book is a stirring allegory about a country in the aftermath of a revolution, told through the simple and hermetic life of Sidi, a bee whisperer.

Speakers

Yamen Manai was born in 1980 in Tunis and currently lives in Paris. Both a writer and an engineer, Manai explores in his prose the intersections of past and present, and tradition and technology. 

Matthew Davis is the founding director of the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center. He’s the author of When Things Get Dark: A Mongolian Winter’s Tale and his work has appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the Washington Post Magazine and Guernica, among other places.

4. Vanishing Media Freedoms Across South Asia | December 15, 2020 | 9:00 – 10:30 AM ET | United States Institute for Peace | Register Here

Across South Asia, an already challenging climate for free media appears to have further deteriorated in the past year. The 2020 World Press Freedom Index has seen India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka slip down the annual rankings, with all four South Asian countries in the bottom third worldwide. The challenges to free media in South Asia are myriad—particularly threats to journalists’ safety and freedom, repressive actions and overt censorship by governments, unravelling business models, and a chaotic online environment. In many cases, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the threats that journalists and media outlets face as economic pressures have intensified and governments seek to further restrict media freedoms.

Speakers

Tamanna Salikuddin, opening remarks: Director, South Asia, U.S. Institute of Peace

Shahidul Alam: Managing Director, Drik Picture Library Ltd. (Bangladesh)

Dilrukshi Handunnetti: Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting (Sri Lanka)

Siddharth Varadarajan: Founding Editor, The Wire (India)

Cyril Almeida, moderator: Visiting Senior Expert, U.S. Institute of Peace; Former Assistant Editor, Dawn Newspaper (Pakistan)

5. Foreign Policy is Climate Policy: New Modes of Multilateralism & the Call for a More Equitable and Just World | December 16, 2020 | 3:30 – 5:00 PM ET | Wilson Center | Register Here

How can the foreign policy community harness the transformative power of the new leadership coalitions that have emerged to strengthen the UNFCCC process—an indispensable mode of diplomacy? And as decision-makers push forward on climate action, how can they incorporate the increasingly compelling calls for social and racial justice into efforts to address climate change? 

Speakers

Lauren Herzer Risi, introduction: Project Director, Environmental Change and Security Program

Maxine Burkett, moderator: Global Fellow; Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai’i

Jennifer Austin: Director of Policy and Strategy, COP26 High Level Climate Champions team

Julie Cerqueira: Executive Director, U.S. Climate Alliance

Rt Hon David Lammy: Member of Parliament for Tottenham, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, United Kingdom

Elan Strait: Director, U.S. Climate Campaigns, World Wildlife Fund; Manager, We Are Still In

6. The Creeping Threat of Climate Change | December 16, 2020 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM ET | Middle East Institute | Register Here

Climate change is slowly stamping an imprint on Egypt’s environment, culture, and economy. The most obvious of these challenges is the rising scarcity of water. Egypt is already one of the world’s most water scarce countries; while the UN assesses water scarcity at 1,000 cm3 per person annually, Egypt has less than 560 cm3 per person. Rapid population growth, urbanization, desertification, and unpredictable weather patterns are all taking an unrelenting toll on the country’s strained water resources, while fear is climbing over loss of water from the Nile if the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam holds back water during droughts.

Just as worrisome is rising heat. This threatens health, water supplies and, in a country where over 30 percent of the labour force is directly involved in agriculture, Egypt’s harvests.

While there has been much work done on water conservation, climate change mitigation policy is unclear. Much of the action is handled by the private sector which is not always invested in the strictest environmental standards. Is it possible to tackle the oncoming threat while balancing mitigation with the need for development?

Please join us for the first of a series of events on climate change mitigation, part of the Middle East Institute’s Egypt program’s upcoming work on hidden threats and imminent challenges.

Speakers

Abla Abdel Latif: Chair, Presidential Advisory Council for Economic Development; executive director and director of research, Egyptian Center for Economic Studies 

Sarah El-Battouty: Founder and chairperson, ECOnsult

Mirette F. Mabrouk, moderator: Senior fellow and director, Egypt program, MEI 

Additional speakers TBD

7. China’s Influence on Conflict Dynamics in South Asia | December 16, 2020 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET | United States Institute for Peace| Register Here

China’s expanding presence in South Asia is reshaping the region, and along the way exacerbating tensions in regional politics and U.S.-China relations from the Himalayan mountains to the Indian Ocean. As the United States works to fulfill its vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and to respond to a more assertive China, the final report from USIP’s bipartisan Senior Study Group (SSG) on China and South Asia serves as a road map for the next U.S. administration to advance the Indo portion of that vision.

The SSG’s final report—the fourth in a series—examines China’s influence in South Asian conflict zones and fragile states from a variety of angles. Drawing on the insights of the group’s senior experts, former policymakers, and retired diplomats, the report includes top-level findings and actionable recommendations. 

Join the co-chairs and members of the SSG as they discuss their work and the report’s conclusions. The conversation will tackle topics such as U.S. interests in South Asia amid China’s growing role, Beijing’s interests in and approach toward the region, China-Pakistan relations, China-India relations, and China’s relations with the smaller South Asian states. 

Speakers

Jennifer Staats, introductory remarks: Director of East and Southeast Asia Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace; USIP China Senior Study Group Series Executive Director

Richard G. Olson, report briefing: Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace; Co-Chair, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Randall G. Schriver, report briefing: Chairman of the Board, The Project 2049 Institute; Co-Chair, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Alyssa Ayres: Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Patrick Cronin: Asia-Pacific Security Chair, Hudson Institute; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Sameer Lalwani: Senior Fellow and Director of the South Asia Program, Stimson Center; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Anja Manuel: Co-Founder and Partner, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Daniel Markey: Senior Research Professor in International Relations, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Tamanna Salikuddin: Director of South Asia Programs, United States Institute of Peace; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Vikram J. Singh: Senior Advisor, Asia Center, United States Institute of Peace; Member, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

Jacob Stokes: Senior Policy Analyst, China Program, U.S. Institute of Peace; Project Director, USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group

8. The Biden Administration and Iran—Confrontation or Accommodation | December 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | Carnegie Endowment for Peace | Register Here

Iran will almost certainly  be a top priority of the incoming Biden Administration. Not only are dealing with Iran’s nuclear ambitions expected to be high on the U.S. agenda; but escalating tensions on the ground between Iran, Israel and the United States in 2020 may well intensify in 2021 and the United States will need to prepared to contain them.

How do Tehran and Jerusalem intend to approach the new administration; what priorities, calculations, and attitudes will shift? And how will the Biden foreign policy team deal with the complex challenge of reentering and/or renegotiating the Iran nuclear accord as well as engaging the other international parties still committed to the JPCOA? Finally, what role will domestic politics in Washington, Tehran, and Jerusalem play in shaping events  as they unfold? 

Speakers

Aaron David Miller: senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy.

Suzanne Maloney: vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She previously worked on Middle East issues in the State Department and in the private sector and has published three books on Iran.

Karim Sadjadpour: senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.

Michael Singh: Lane-Swig Senior Fellow and managing director at The Washington Institute and a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council.

9. The Arab Spring, Ten Years On: What Have We Learned and Where Are We Going?| December 17, 2020 | 4:00 – 5:15 PM ET | Brookings Institute | Register Here

The popular protests that unfolded across the Arab region in 2011 seemed poised to usher in a new era of freedom and democracy. Ten years on, however, the future does not seem as bright. Tunisia is the only Arab country to have successfully transitioned into a democracy; other countries have either reverted to strong authoritarian rule or have become mired in devastating civil wars.

The underlying socio-economic and political factors that led to the “Arab Spring” continue to drive unrest across the region. The recent protests in Algeria, Iraq, and Sudan show that social activists have learned from the mistakes of the past and adopted new tactics, forcing those in power to make unexpected concessions. In turn, Arab leaders have also adapted, fighting back calls for change with targeted propaganda campaigns and repressive crackdowns.

The Brookings Doha Center invites you to attend a webinar that takes stock of the Arab Spring and its impact on the region over the past decade. The discussion will address the following questions: On balance, what was the outcome of the Arab Spring? How have Arab social movements and leaders evolved in the years since? Can we expect new protests in countries experiencing economic and political strains? And how can the region address the demands of its people and build an inclusive social contract?

Speakers

Joseph Bahout: Director at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs – American University of Beirut

Lina Khatib: Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme – Chatham House

Michele Dunne: Director of the Middle East Program – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Nader Kabbani, moderator: Director of Research – Brookings Doha CenterSenior Fellow – Global Economy and Development

10. Democracy and Corruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Two Years into the Tshisekedi Administration | December 18, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | Brookings Institute | Register Here

Nearly two years after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) saw a peaceful transfer of power to President Félix Tshisekedi following a nevertheless flawed election, numerous significant political and economic developments have transpired in the country. The president’s chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, was convicted on corruption charges; violent conflicts have increased in the eastern DRC; civil society has mounted increasing anti-corruption campaigns; and political maneuvering is already starting in preparation for the 2023 elections. Meanwhile, in a bipartisan letter, the U.S. Senate highlighted the need for urgent anti-corruption and electoral reforms in the country and the International Monetary Fund is considering a significant loan to stabilize the country’s economy, pending anti-corruption reforms.

Speakers

Michael E. O’Hanlon, moderator: Director of Research – Foreign PolicyCo-Director – Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Africa Security InitiativeSenior Fellow – Foreign Policy, Center for Security, Strategy, and TechnologyThe Sydney Stein, Jr. Chair

Sasha Lezhnev: Deputy Director of Policy – The Sentry Project

Mvemba P. Dizolele: Senior Associate (Non-Resident) – CSIS

John G. Tomaszewski: Professional Staffer – Senate Foreign Relations Committee

André Wameso: Ambassador – Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Trying to mind read Biden in Tehran

Mohammad Lotfollahi of Iran’s Etemad Newspaper asked questions. I responded:

Q: The assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian nuclear scientist, by Israel (according to the New York Times) has greatly changed the political equation and increased tensions. What do you think was the motive of the perpetrators of this assassination?

A: I imagine there are several motives, including setting back the Iranian nuclear program, but the timing seems related to the political situation in the US. The Israelis want to make it hard for President Biden to return to the JCPOA. Iranian retaliation against Israel or the United States would make that difficult.

Q: Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018. He tried to reach a better agreement with maximum pressure and sanctions. Was Trump able to achieve his goals?

A: No, the maximum pressure campaign generated a maximum resistance response, with no visible progress in getting to a better agreement.

Q: With Joe Biden in office, will US policy continue to use sanctions against Iran, or will Washington pursue diplomacy and cooperation?

A: Washington will shift towards diplomacy, but not all the sanctions are nuclear-related. Some derive from support to terrorism and human rights abuses. I don’t expect to see all the sanctions lifted until there is a broader agreement than the JCPOA, and maybe not even then.

Q: The Economist says Joe Biden should drive a hard bargain with Iran. In your opinion, what policy should Biden have towards Iran?

A: I think the JCPOA had adequate restraints on the Iranian nuclear program for the time frame of its validity. The Americans will now want to extend that time frame and the physical scope of IAEA inspections as well as limit Iranian power projection in the region, including its missile program and support to proxies. I don’t know whether Iran will be prepared to discuss those issues or whether agreement on them is possible, but normalization of relations with Washington will require real progress on them.

Q: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told weekly Der Spiegel that it was in the interest of the US and Europeans to reach a broader agreement with Tehran. Does it make sense to look for a bigger deal when you can’t have a small successful deal?

A: Maybe not, but it is worth a try. The JCPOA was successful so long as the Americans remained committed to it.

Q: A win-win agreement between Iran and the United States should have what characteristics? What role can Europe play in signing this agreement

A: Win-win would mean increased security for the US, Israel, the Arab states of the Gulf, and for Iran. I can picture that, though we are still far from it.

Q: Netanyahu is a staunch opponent of the nuclear deal. He supports a military strike on Iran. He carried out several sabotage operations against Iran during the Trump era. Under Biden, will the US president follow in Obama’s footsteps or prefer to work with Netanyahu?

A: I don’t know precisely what Biden will do. He will certainly be committed to Israel’s security, but he will at the same time try to revive the JCPOA and to restrain Israeli operations in hope of getting Iran to restrain its nuclear program and regional power projection.

Q: “Under a Biden-Harris administration, we will reassess our relationship with the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia], end US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, and make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil,” Biden said in October. What policy will the Biden government have in the Middle East? Do human rights really influence the policies of the future US government?

A: Yes, I think human rights will play a stronger role in the Biden Administration than they have in the Trump Administration, including human rights in Iran as well as in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. There will be no sword dancing in Riyadh. But there are also limits to what can be achieved in societies governed by autocratic regimes. I would guess Biden will initially focus on Saudi women imprisoned for driving and other protests in the Kingdom and Americans imprisoned in the Islamic Republic.

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Stevenson’s army, November 30

NYT says Fakhrizadeh killing was done by a dozen people with multiple vehicles in a carefully planned attack.WaPo sorts out Israeli motives.
Lobbyists are working hard to weaken Uighur sanctions.
Neera Tanden, Biden pick for OMB, looks like the prime GOP target since the job requires Senate confirmation.
Axios says Biden is considering retired Army General Lloyd Austin for SecDef.  Bad move. The law would have to be waived since he been out of uniform only 3 years. Mattis set troubling example of ignoring civilians.
Politico lists House members vulnerable to redistricting.
SCOTUS hears census citizenship case today.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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