FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Vickers’ five intel priorities. Contributor Chandler Harris reports, “The current Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, Michael G. Vickers, outlined five defense intelligence operational priorities . . . . countering terrorism and in particular threats posed by al-Qaida; countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; countering the actions of repressive governments, such as in Syria; countering state-on-state aggression; and countering cyber threats.”
2. Reuniting families at Christmas. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains, “ClearanceJobs is partnering with Luke’s Wings this holiday season to ensure no service member or veteran spends the holidays alone. ClearanceJobs donated $5,000, enough to pay for 14 flights to reunite loved ones this holiday season. . . . Luke’s Wings looks to bring family members together by providing travel agency tickets and services for family members desiring to travel and be by a loved one’s side. Luke’s Wings works with families year round but sees a special need around the holidays.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi possibly hit. AP’s Qassam Abdul-Zahra and Vivian Salama report, “Iraqi officials said Sunday that the head of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was wounded in an airstrike in western Anbar province. Pentagon officials said they had no immediate information on such an attack or on the militant leader being injured. . . . An Interior Ministry intelligence official told The Associated Press that al-Baghdadi was wounded by an Iraqi airstrike that came during a meeting Saturday with militants in the town of Qaim.” See also from WashingtonExaminer.Com, “Iraqi officials: Islamic State leader wounded in airstrike.”
2. ISIS deserters a sign of discontent. Rudaw.Net’s Hiwa Husamaddin in Kirkuk and Alexander Whitcomb in Erbil report, “Hundreds of former Islamic State fighters have been arrested trying to cross into Kurdish territory . . . . Kirkuk security forces believe there is growing discontent following the brutal executions of tribal members who refused to pay taxes and abide by ISIS-imposed rules. Those killed included the administrator of Hawija, Ahmed Assi, more than a week ago.” See also from Rudaw.Net, “War against ISIS seen unifying Kurds in the diaspora.”
3. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan dissolving. Christian Science Monitor correspondent Taha Siddiqui reports from Islamabad, “Since the summer, TTP has seen many key commanders defect to form their own groups or to join, or think about joining, other international militant organizations, including the so-called Islamic State. The development suggests a shift into ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’ inside Pakistan. The so-called good Taliban militants would align with the Army’s interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir, especially as NATO draws down; they might also take part in a reconciliation process with the government.” Khama.Com reports, “Taliban are the Pawns of Pakistan.”
4. East Ukraine ceasefire tremulous. Reuters reports, “A two-month-old ceasefire to end a war that has killed 4,000 people has appeared shakier than ever in the past few days, with each side accusing the other of having violated the terms of the peace plan. Reuters journalists inside Donetsk, who have been there throughout the fighting, said the shelling sounded more intense than at any time since early October.”
5. Hagel stepping down? DoDBuzz.Com’ Richard Sisk reports, “The Pentagon on Friday sought to dispel rumors fueled by opinion columns that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had lost favor with the White House and would soon be replaced. ‘The Secretary is fully committed’ to serving as Pentagon chief for the remainder of President Obama’s term in office . . . .”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. France wants in on the boat game. DefenseNews.Com’s David Pugliese reports, “France, concerned that US firms have the inside track on billions of dollars worth of future naval contracts, is lobbying the Canadian government to consider all options for its new surface fleet. . . . French officials say they are concerned that US companies, particularly Lockheed Martin, already have the inside track. Lockheed Martin has said it is interested in handling weapons and systems integration for the CSC fleet and will pursue that contract if, and when, the Canadian government proceeds with that project.”
2. Confusing contracting law. FederalTimes.Com’s Andy Medici reports, “An executive order that cracks down on federal contractors who have committed labor law violations is both burdensome and ‘fundamentally flawed’ a group of trade and professional organizations said in a Nov. 6 letter. . . . The executive order will push contractors to settle existing labor issues such as back pay and helps provide information to contracting officers they need to make good decisions when awarding contracts, according to the administration. But the highly subjective enforcement mechanisms will delay contract awards, limit competition for government contracts and will increase bid protests . . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. Not the shooter shooter (or, so there isn’t an I in Team?). Christian Science Monitor’s Brad Knickerbocker reports, “Robert O’Neill, the former SEAL identified in several news accounts as the ‘shooter’ who fired the fatal shot to bin Laden’s head at close range, now says ‘it doesn’t matter’ who did so during that US raid on bin Laden’s compound hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011. ‘The most important thing that I’ve learned in the last two years is to me it doesn’t matter anymore if I am ‘The Shooter.’ The team got him’ . . . .”
2. Cybersecurity liabilities—the enemy is us. AP’s Martha Mendoza reports, “A $10 billion-a-year effort to protect sensitive government data, from military secrets to Social Security numbers, is struggling to keep pace with an increasing number of cyberattacks and is unwittingly being undermined by federal employees and contractors. . . . Workers scattered across more than a dozen agencies, from the Defense and Education departments to the National Weather Service, are responsible for at least half of the federal cyber incidents reported each year since 2010 . . . .” See also AP’s “Key Federal Cybersecurity Breaches.”
3. SpaceX beating China. AviationWeek.Com’s Bradley Perrett reports, “Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) sees its most intense competition for low-Earth orbit (LEO) space launch services coming from China. But it looks like CASC, the Chinese government’s main space industrial group, cannot match SpaceX when it comes to cost.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Lynch clinch: “President Obama on Saturday officially announced the nomination of U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch to replace Eric Holder as attorney general. If confirmed, Lynch, 55, would be the first African-American woman to head the Justice Department. Holder reportedly encouraged the White House to consider her as his replacement. After Democrats’ electoral drubbing at the polls Tuesday, Obama tapped Lynch over more high-profile candidates who would face more difficult confirmation battles in a GOP-controlled Senate. In a short ceremony in the White House’s Roosevelt Room Saturday morning, Obama said he was ‘enormously grateful’ for Holder’s service.”
2. Routed: “President Obama for the first time provided a concise analysis of Tuesday’s election results: ‘We got beat.’ Obama, in a taped interview with CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ that aired Sunday, also tried to demonstrate that he is taking the blame for the dramatic Democratic losses at the polls. ‘The buck stops right here at my desk . . . . And so whenever, as the head of the party, it doesn’t do well, I’ve got to take responsibility for it.’ The message Obama said he was taking away from the midterm loss of Democratic control of the Senate and historic GOP gains in the House is that ‘people want to see this city work.’”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “The message in Obama’s ‘secret’ letter to the Ayatollah.” Aljazeera.Com contributor Massoumeh Torfeh argues, “Obama’s letter to Khamenei would not make or break the nuclear deal but it will strike the right chord. It would be seen as respecting Iran, and as offering a hand of friendship . . . . It may not bring in full trust but it would go some way in keeping Khamenei’s approval intact while the negotiations are taking place and while Iran’s blocked assets are gradually being released in compliance with the Geneva accord.”
2. “Russia’s Self-Esteem Problem.” TheMoscowTimes.Com contributor Pyotr Romanov argues, “We should not deify or deprecate Russia. This country might be no better than others, but it is definitely no worse. It will therefore be better for everyone if we content ourselves with simple self-respect.”
3. “Building Berlin’s Wall helped avoid a nuclear confrontation.” Reuters contributor Nina Khrushcheva argues, “Never mind that the Cold War’s ideological divide is long gone. Putin may be resolute on the West’s animosity toward Russia, but the ill will he talks about is largely imaginary — or even hypocritical. It reflects a hurt pride that the Soviet Union lost the Cold War rather than any real danger to his rule.”
THE FUNNIES
1. Tear ‘em down.
2. Fall cleaning.
3. Ambush.
