Shutdown D+15Default D-2, & Ten for Tuesday.

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1.  Don’t let your clearance bounce. Financial strain? Protect your clearance. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains how: “the biggest issue when it comes to financial issues isn’t the fact that they exist, it’s what caused them, and how a person dealt with them. Certainly being up front and self-reporting issues is key. But don’t feel compelled to race to your facility security officer the first time you’re unable to make a payment. Many bills – including utilities, mortgages, and other monthly expenses – offer grace periods. If you make a call to the companies or creditors, you can often work out extensions or payment plans that reflect your current financial strain. Above all, keep clear records of both your bills, and your attempts to pay them.”

2.  Yes, yes, sell your self! This quarter’s government shutdown is almost over – have you spent your furlough wisely? Take advantage of these last hours to sharpen your resume and tighten your portfolio so you’ll never be non-essential again: “The new candidate resume profile on the ClearanceJobs Cleared Network provides a full 360° view of you, your skills, and your personality, making it easier for employers to identify, contact, and hire the perfect fit for their company’s unique culture.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1.  In Afghanistan, key governor dies in suicide blast. Reuters Mirwais Harooni and Ahmad Sultan report from Pul-i-Alam, Afghanistan, “A bomb attack on a mosque in Afghanistan killed the governor of a province south of the capital, Kabul, on Tuesday as he was making an address on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, officials said. Arsala Jamal was governor of Logar province, a strategically important province on the southern approaches to Kabul and home to one of Afghanistan’s richest mines. He had previously been governor of violence-plagued Khost province on the Pakistani border and the killing of such a senior official will raise new fears for Afghanistan’s security as foreign troops prepare to leave by the end of next year.” Khaama.Com also reports, “Mosque explosion kill Logar governor Arsala Jamal,” AP reports, “Mosque Bombing kills” and Aljazeera.Com on same.  Also in Afghanistan, “Gulbuddin Hekmatyar warns against Afghan-US security deal.”

2.  Happy Eid al-Adha. Aljazeera.Com reports, “Syrian warplanes have bombed the suburbs of Damascus, while rebels have fired mortar shells at the capital on the first day of a major Muslim holiday . . . . the regime bombed rebel areas near the city of Hama, killing three children, and the Eastern Ghouta district of Damascus. State television broadcast images of President Bashar al-Assad entering the Hassiba mosque in Damascus and waving to supporters before taking part in prayers.” In Iraq, “a bomb planted near a Sunni mosque in northern Iraq has killed 12 worshippers after morning prayers on a major Muslim holiday. . . . the attack took place in Kirkuk on Tuesday. The bomb went off as worshippers were leaving the al-Qodus mosque after prayers for the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday.”

3.  Welcome to the United States. You have the right to remain silent. Terrorist Anas al-Libi to court today. Aljazeera.Com reports, “An alleged senior al-Qaeda figure captured in Libya by US special forces this month has been transferred to the United States and will face charges in court in New York on Tuesday . . . . The Libyan, Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, better known as Abu Anas al-Liby, is a suspect in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 civilians. He was seized by a US Army Delta Force squad on the streets of Tripoli on October 5 and whisked onto a navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea where he was questioned by a team of interrogators. He was handed over to US civilian law enforcement over the weekend and brought directly to the New York area . . . .” AP expands the context of al-Liby’s trial: “Four years after his failed effort to bring the 9/11 mastermind to New York for trial, President Barack Obama has reinstated the federal courthouse as America’s preferred venue for prosecuting suspected terrorists. His administration has done so by quietly securing conviction after conviction in the civilian judicial system.”

4. In Geneva, Iran has the opportunity to play ball. AP’s George Jahn and John Heilprin report from Geneva, Switzerland, “The U.S, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are eager to see whether Iran’s new style since Rouhani’s election will translate into progress on dispelling concerns that Tehran may want to make nuclear weapons. . . . No final deal is expected at the two-day session. However, if the Iranians succeed in building trust, the talks could be the launching pad for a deal that has proven elusive since negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program began in 2003.” Aljazeera.Com says, “Iranian diplomats are expected to face pressure to scale back their country’s enrichment of uranium in return for the easing of tough US-led sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.” Christian Science Monitor (CSM.Com) reports, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel . . . claimed that despite Mr. Rouhani’s ‘sweet talk’ he is a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing.’” UPI.Com business news on Iran: “Iran plans to court major oil companies if sanctions are lifted.”

5.  In AFRICOM, integrating the women. U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs’ Sgt. Terysa M. King reports, “U.S. Army Africa personnel traveled to Gaborone, Botswana and Windhoek, Namibia to recommend proposals to help integrate enlisted females in the Botswana and Namibia Defense Forces . . . . ‘This initiative supports Executive Order 13595 signed by President Obama and United Nations Security Resolution 1325 which supports engaging partner countries’ national security leadership to incorporate a gender perspective and women, peace and security initiatives in their planning and activities while promoting, supporting and encouraging African partners to integrate women into their defense forces’ . . . . this event is a milestone in countries across Africa because it goes against the socio-cultural and traditional norms that have existed for centuries. Despite cultural norms, Simmons said both countries are interested in addressing and sharing integration challenges.”

6.  Medal of Honor to William D. Swenson. AP reports, “A former Army captain hailed for bravery during combat in Afghanistan in 2009 is adding the Medal of Honor to his list of military decorations. President Barack Obama will bestow the nation’s highest military honor on William D. Swenson on Tuesday. . . . Swenson is being recognized for courageous actions while he was an embedded trainer and mentor with the Afghan National Security Forces in Kunar Province in northeastern Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1.  Boeing & Raytheon – Air Force winners. GovConWire.Com reports, “Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) have each won a $1.86 million contract to prepare for production of satellite terminals for the U.S. Air Force. These contracts are for the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals program’s first phase and the Air Force will select one contractor for phase two . . . . FAB-T terminals are intended to provide nuclear and non-nuclear command and control users with extremely high frequency, wideband, protected and survivable communications terminals.”

2.  Boeing – out with the old, in with the old, according to Inspector General. Bloomberg.Com reports, “Four times in the past five years, the Pentagon’s inspector general has found that Boeing Co. (BA) collected excessive or unjustified payments on U.S. defense contracts. In the latest of four audits since 2008, the watchdog office said the Chicago-based company charged the U.S. Army for new helicopter parts while installing used ones . . . . the July 16 report found that the company overcharged the U.S. Army by as much as $16.6 million by exaggerating how many new [CH-47 parts] were required while installing refurbished equipment salvaged from old aircraft. The report also faults defense agencies and military services for lax negotiations and contract management.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1.   Supreme Court takes on the NSA. Wired.Com’s David Kravets reports, “The President Barack Obama administration is urging the Supreme Court to reject a challenge to the National Security Agency’s once-secret telephone metadata spying program. The filing — the first government briefing on the topic to reach the Supreme Court — was in response to the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s petition asking the justices to halt the program that was disclosed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. . . . One of the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act — Section 215 — allows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to authorize broad warrants for most any type of records, including those held by banks, doctors and phone companies. Lawmakers have repeatedly voted to prevent the act from expiring. The government only needs to show that the information is ‘relevant’ to an authorized investigation. No connection to a terrorist or spy is required. A 1976 purse snatching paved the legal route to the program.”

2.  Encrypt everything. You’re vulnerable – do something about it. PCWorld.Com’s Ian Paul dissects your vulnerabilities and recommends measures: “Data security is never easy, and security with mobile devices—smartphones, tablets, and, of course, laptops—is no exception. But you can take a few steps to meaningfully improve your mobile security. Join me as we walk through three of the best strategies.”

3.  Another anti-United States shift: the Internet. More evidence that the world is getting fed up. AllThingsD.Com reports, “Last week a group of the Internet’s governing organizations announced they were effectively turning their backs on the United States. The heads of ICANN, the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Internet Architecture Board, the World Wide Web Consortium and the Internet Society, backed by the heads of the regional registrars for global top-level domains, issued a statement calling for the ‘acceleration of the globalization’ of the functions carried out by ICANN and IANA. . . . In the arcane world of Internet administration and governances, this was seen as something of an important shift away from the U.S.-centric bent the Internet has had since its inception, and in time it may be seen as a turning point toward a more global governing framework.”

4.  Why 3, above? WaPo reports, “NSA collects millions of e-mail address books globally”: WaPo’s Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani report, “The National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top-secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The collection program, which has not been disclosed before, intercepts e-mail address books and ‘buddy lists’ from instant messaging services as they move across global data links. Online services often transmit those contacts when a user logs on, composes a message, or synchronizes a computer or mobile device with information stored on remote servers. . . . Although the collection takes place overseas, two senior U.S. intelligence officials acknowledged that it sweeps in the contacts of many Americans. They declined to offer an estimate but did not dispute that the number is likely to be in the millions or tens of millions.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1.   What should we wear? Army fashion-istas just cannot figure it out. TheDailyBeast.Com reports, “Eight years after spending $5 billion on a heavily-criticized universal camouflage pattern, the Army is back at the drawing board looking for a new design that’s estimated to cost another $4 billion. . . . Less than a decade after the so-called Universal Camouflage Pattern, or UCP, was introduced the Army is back to the drawing board, set to announce a new camouflage pattern and standard uniform to be worn by the more than million members of the active duty and reserve forces.” How about just getting back to jungle fatigues?

2.  Something squirrely going on here . . . . are squirrels tied to the Tea Party? NYPost.Com reports, “Squirrels are living high on the hog thanks to the government stalemate – feasting on tomatoes from the First Lady’s beloved White House garden while federal gardeners remain idle. With the shutdown entering its third week, the Park Service gardeners who normally tend the mushrooms, peppers, squash and other tasty items have only been permitted to water the plants. . . . Local squirrels – already a nuisance in D.C. thanks to soft-hearted tourists bearing popcorn and other snacks – have been milking the shutdown as much as camera-hungry politicians.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1.  Four ‘Facts’ About the Middle East that Americans Need to Reconsider. Time contributor Dan Macsai argues, “There’s no denying that the Middle East is in turmoil. But as TIME’s International editor Bobby Ghosh said Monday at Chicago Ideas Week, there’s also much in the region that is, undeniably, ‘a sign of hope’—even if it’s overshadowed by images of war.”

2.  “Reinforcing US Middle East policy.” Aljazeera.Com contributor Edward P. Djerejian argues, “An important question is whether or not a political consensus can be achieved in Washington between the Republicans and Democrats to pursue such a policy on a bipartisan basis. The stakes are high and one can only hope, perhaps idealistically, for a return to the days when partisan politics stopped at the water’s edge.”

3.  Dems up the ante. WaPo’s Eugene Robinson argues, “Obama and Reid are now in a position to win gracefully by compromising on their new spending demands. Republicans could then portray the outcome as something other than a rout — and hope the focus on spending makes the hyper-caffeinated GOP base forget about that whole Obamacare-is-the-devil thing.”

THE FUNNIES

1.  Pawns?

2.  Peace Prize.

3.  al-Shabab.

4.  Shutdown.

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Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.