ON BENGAHZI
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing (livestream video link) on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. as part of its continuing examination of the September 11th attacks against the U.S. mission in Benghazi. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) will preside. This hearing follows a December 20th, 2012, committee hearing on the attacks with witnesses Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides and Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns.
WHAT: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
WHEN: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: 216 Hart Senate Office Building
ON THE FIGHT
Remotely piloted vehicles targeted al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula for the third time in four days, with a strike aimed at members of the terrorist group in the northern province of Al Jawf.
Fox News Jennifer Griffin has a series of questions she hopes Hillary Clinton is asked today at her hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
ON THE FORCE
Jay Ulfelder has calculated the countries most at risk of a coup, and almost all of them are on the continent of Africa.
As US special operations forces pull back in Afghanistan, the so-called village stability operations are feeling the brunt of it. The controversial Afghan Local Police, a quasi-militia operating under the cognizance of American personnel, have begun to complain they may not be up the task or able to assume control completely in the absence of USSOF.
The highly respected Michael Nagata, a contemporary of retired General Stan McChrystal, is departing his highly-coveted and influential perch as deputy director for special operations on the Joint Staff (also known as -37, or the more-formal J-37) to assume command of Special Operations Command Central. Meanwhile, General Ralph Baker, currently leading Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa, is headed back to DC after being tapped to lead U.S. Army Military District of Washington/Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region. Additionally, Brigadier General Laura Richardson, who has been serving as deputy commanding general of 1st Cavalry Division, is head to Afghanistan as the deputy chief of staff, communications, Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
The Inspector General of the Department of Defense has cleared General John Allen of all wrongdoing, finding in a months-long probe that he did nothing wrong and was not in violation of regulations by corresponding with infamous Tampa-area socialite Jill Kelley. General Allen is currently leading all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Paul Wolfowitz, former Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Bush, seems to think Syria and Libya are both Hillary Clinton’s fault.
Tom Friedman, a syndicated columnist with the New York Times, has basically proposed doing everything that public diplomacy is and does.
Alabama Republican Rep. Martha Roby has been pegged to head up the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, according to a committee announcement released on Tuesday.
ON TECH
The former Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, believes that drones could one day rise up and conspire to kill the President of the United States.
Believe it or not, the military uses IRC to synchronize and coordinate its air and space operations.
ON SECRECY – OR LACK THEREOF
Screen Daily was granted an interview with Julian Assange, who launched and facilitated Wikileaks.
CONTRACT WATCH
The Department of State is in the process of modernizing and fortifying its 240-some-odd posts worldwide, and “anticipates” at least “25 IDIQ [indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity] contracts” as just an appetizer. Additionally, the department is also building not one but two prisons in Haiti.
Special Operations Command’s Preservation of the Force and Family, the brainchild of commander Admiral McRaven, is kicking into high gear.
The National Ground Intelligence Center, despite the existence and prominence of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, is continuing its QUIET STORM program, focused on fighting the scourge of improvised explosive devices, even though is meant to centralize and coordinate all such efforts across the Department of Defense.
