FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Get the intel 411. Contributor Marko Hakamaa offers, “The Defense Security Service (DSS) provides a variety of counterintelligence and security reports to the defense industry to help agencies and contractors identify targeting trends, threats, incident analysis, and current news. Below are short descriptions of these specific reports and the purpose of each . . . .”
2. Positioning for success. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains, “Mentorship may be one of the best – and easiest – ways for women to advance. When women struggle to find their voice, the assistance of a more senior female can help. Having a trusted advisor to discuss ideas, issues and career progression with may help women find their confidence, and their voice, in the boardroom.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Kurd momentum near Kirkuk. Christian Science Monitor’s Scott Peterson reports, “Bulldozers equipped with steel plates welded over their cockpits to thwart snipers are digging earth berms and trenches here, creating the new front lines of northern Iraq. . . . The Kurdish fighters’ aim is to squeeze the self-styled Islamic State between them and a parallel offensive by the Iraqi Army and allied Shiite militia to the south that has encircled Tikrit. The multi-pronged fight is a major test for reconstituted Iraqi forces.” See also, “In battle to retake Tikrit, Sunnis form unlikely alliance with Shiite militias.”
2. Nuke talks getting tougher. Reuters’ Lesley Wroughton and Parisa Hafezi report, “Efforts to reach a political agreement on Iran’s nuclear program by the end of the month intensified on Tuesday as negotiations between the United States and Iran resumed, and Western officials warned that tough issues remained unresolved. . . . The six world powers are trying to reach a political framework agreement with Iran by the end of the month that would curb Tehran’s most sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years in exchange for the gradual easing of some sanctions.”
3. Netanyahu reversal: no Palestinian state. AP’s Karin Laub and Daniel Estrin report, “Israelis were voting in parliament elections Tuesday after a heated three-month campaign that focused on economic issues but ended with a dramatic last-minute pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu’s comments marked a reversal of long-standing promises to the United States and were seen as a last-ditch effort to appeal to hard-line voters as he fights for his political survival in a tight race.”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. On the verge of acquisition reform. Defense News’ John T. Bennett reports, “House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry next week will unveil legislation that would make some changes to the Pentagon’s buying system. . . . The legislation is the product of lengthy committee study of the Pentagon acquisition system, which officials and lawmakers of both parties agree too often churns out weapons far over budget and behind schedule — or leads the services to cancel them.” See also, “‘Goodness’ From Falling Space Budget.”
2. Marines getting more G/ATORs. Military & Aerospace Electronics’ John Keller reports, “Officials of the Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico Marine Base, Va., announced a $113.3 million contract modification Friday to the Northrop Grumman Corp. Electronic Systems segment in Linthicum Heights, Md., for two low-rate initial production (LRIP) versions of the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR). . . . G/ATOR is an expeditionary, three-dimensional, short-to-medium-range multi-role radar system designed to detect low-observable targets with low radar cross sections such as rockets, artillery, mortars, cruise missiles, and UAVs.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. Volksverschlüsselung: encryption for the people. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “In the wake of the revelations that intelligence agencies have engaged in mass surveillance, both industry and society at large are looking for practicable encryption solutions which protect businesses and individuals. Previous technologies have failed in practice because they were too expensive or not user-friendly enough. Fraunhofer has launched an open initiative called Volksverschlüsselung, which aims to bring end-to-end encryption to people.”
2. NSA’s web domains. Wired’s Kevin Poulson reports, “There was NewJunk4U.com and Monster-Ads.net, CoffeeHausBlog.com and SuddenPlot.com. But, these sad-sounding domains actually were artful creations of the National Security Agency: They were fronts for distributing and controlling government malware around the world. Those domains and 109 others came to light last month as part of the ‘Equation Group’ report from anti-virus vendor Kaspersky. Researchers at Kaspersky identified 300 such domains, and published 113 of them.”
3. FBI powers expanded. Defense One contributor Dustin Volz reports, “A judicial advisory panel Monday quietly approved a rule change that will broaden the FBI’s hacking authority despite fears raised by Google that the amended language represents a ‘monumental’ constitutional concern. . . . the rule change, as requested by the department, would allow judges to grant warrants for remote searches of computers located outside their district or when the location is unknown.”
4. Re-engineering stealth. Aviation Week’s Bill Sweetman reports, “Counterstealth technologies, intended to reduce the effectiveness of radar cross-section (RCS) reduction measures, are proliferating worldwide. Since 2013, multiple new programs have been revealed, producers of radar and infrared search and track (IRST) systems have been more ready to claim counterstealth capability, and some operators—notably the U.S. Navy—have openly conceded that stealth technology is being challenged.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Gambling man: “Speaker John Boehner is seeking to jump-start his legislative agenda with a bipartisan gamble: a $200 billion Medicare deal that’s already dividing conservatives in his rowdy conference. The Ohio Republican sees the deal as a steppingstone to what could be a broader overhaul of the costly entitlement system. Tax and entitlement reform are two of Boehner’s biggest priorities, but they’ve languished since he took power in 2011. By the end of this week, the House committees responsible for healthcare issues could roll out a plan to halt recurring cuts to Medicare doctors.”
2. Hoping for a loss: “He won’t admit it publicly, but President Obama wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lose his re-election bid Tuesday. . . . For Obama, the attractions of a Netanyahu alternative are clear. The most vocal critic of Obama’s nuclear talks with Iran would be out of office. A new prime minister could be more receptive to limiting construction of new settlements in the West Bank. And a change in Israeli leadership might breathe new life into the idea of restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “An Iran Deal Could Have Broader Implications.” AP contributors Don Perry and Adam Schreck ask, “Is this the beginning of the Islamic Republic’s broad acceptance by the community of nations?”
2. “The Peshmerga: an ally taken for granted.” Rudaw contributor Victoria Fontan argues, “As every Kurdish family is investing in securing its borders, it is time for Washington to recognize its mistake in blindly supporting the Baghdad government, and treat their friends with the respect that they deserve.”
3. “Relax, Israel – if your ally is working with your enemy, it doesn’t make them friends.” Reuters contributor Ilan Goldenberg and Elizabeth Rosenberg argue, “In the aftermath of a successful nuclear deal, U.S. relations with Iran should shift from that of an adversary to that of a competitor. They must feature a dialogue on areas of common interest. But Washington must also push back where it disagrees and compete. Through word and deed, Washington must continue demonstrating to longtime key partners that the United States remains committed to their security.”
THE FUNNIES
1. Can of corn.
2. What hurdle?
3. “50 Shades of Putin.”
