THREATWATCH
Chad has requested immediate help in their bid to oust Islamic militants from Mali, where the smaller African nation has about 2,400 troops.
The U.S. has significantly increased its aid to the Syrian rebels, upping its contribution with armored cars, body armor and more. This is all happening as the Obama administration begins to increase overt support of the Free Syrian Army in an effort to drive Assad out of power and counter the rise of Islamic radicals on Syrian soil.
ON THE FORCE
The Defense Intelligence Enterprise, as it’s called internally by the Pentagon, could be looking at a rough couple of months — Director Flynn and Undersecretary Vickers testified to Congress that the indiscriminate cuts brought on by sequester would hurt the intelligence community in totality but especially the Defense Intelligence Agency.
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Senator Dick Durbin traveled to Djibouti recently, highlighting the importance of the region and Camp Lemmonier especially. Despite claims of a nascent Asian pivot, the Obama administration has poured untold billions into building the infrastructure necessary to support a sustained campaign across East Africa.
The Senate Select Commitee on Intelligence will vote to confirm White House counterterrorism czar John Brennan next week.
Congress will hold hearings on the contentious bidding war to host the soon-to-be-relocated FBI headquarters. So far, Greenbelt, Md, Springfield, Virginia and Anacostia (in DC) are all under consideration.
With sequestration set to hit like a tidal wave Friday afternoon, one part of Northern Virginia is already feeling its effects: the storied Crystal City in Arlington, Va.
ON TECH
The Pentagon and Veterans Affairs department are reversing their previously agreed-upon decision to merge databases and electronic health records for servicemembers and retirees.
ON SECRECY – OR LACK THEREOF
The U.S. Marshals Service has been experimenting with the use of remotely piloted aircraft domestically, and the ACLU is not particularly happy about that.
Marc Ambinder and his co-author have uncovered an astonishing amount of information about the National Security Agency.
The Algerian military will soon have access to raw surveillance data — courtesy of the United States of America.
Robert Caruso is a veteran of the United States Navy, and has worked for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Business Transformation Agency and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
