Shutdown D+12Default D-5, & Saturday’s Scoop.

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1.  A veritable culture of job growth. Contributor Chandler Harris explains how our federal laboratories animate an entire community: “Colorado’s federal laboratories contributed $2.3 billion to the state’s economy during fiscal 2012, nearly double the amount five years previously . . . . Yet the benefits of federal labs extend far beyond employment and state revenues . . . . The Colorado labs are partners in education through K-12 facility tours and graduate and doctoral programs. Also, numerous laboratories in the state collaborate with businesses on joint research and commercialization, including technology transfers, licenses, and spin-off companies . . . .”

2.  Women Vets get IT. Contributor Tranette Ledford reports, “A partnership between the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW) is designed to help women veterans better their chances of success in landing IT jobs. ‘The partnership with NCWIT is a means to help women veterans tap into resources they don’t otherwise have, and connect with mentors who can help them identify and define their career goals in IT,’ said Karen Montagne, BPW spokesperson.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1.  IMPORTANT: In Syria, extremist militia’s growing as moderates dwindle. McClatchyDC.Com’s  Mitchell Prothero and Hannah Allam report, “The moderate rebel command at the center of U.S. policy in Syria is becoming increasingly marginalized as dozens of militias peel away to form rival, Islamist alliances in a move that could leave the Obama administration with no battlefield partner in the fight to topple President Bashar Assad. . . . If the project to build rival Islamist commands succeeds, opposition activists and Middle East analysts warn, the Supreme Military Command is likely to fizzle quickly, essentially ending talk of a “moderate” rebel force to counter the influence of Islamist insurgents, including at least two factions aligned with al Qaida.”

2.  No More Nukes (Commanders). AP’s Robert Burns reports, “First it was bad attitudes among young officers in nuclear missile launch centers. Now it’s alleged bad behavior by two of the nuclear arsenal’s top commanders. Together the missteps spell trouble for a nuclear force doubted by some for its relevance, defended by others as vital to national security and now compelled to explain how the firing of key commanders this week should not shake public confidence.”

3.  Good thing Hussein is gone. Iraq executes 42 in two days. Aljazeera.Com reports, “The [Justice Ministry] said on Thursday that all 42 executed, including a woman, over the past two days were Iraqis convicted of ‘terrorist crimes, killing dozens of innocents in addition to other crimes aimed at destabilising the country, causing chaos and spreading horror.’”

4.  Surprise! Kerry stops in Afghanistan, U.S. reports progress. While Karzai finally gets on board, U.S. policymakers cite progress in talks to establish bilateral security. AP’s Matthew Lee reports from Kabul, “Secretary of State John Kerry extended talks on Saturday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the contentious security deal to allow American troops to remain in the country after the NATO-led military mission ends next year. . . . U.S. officials said some progress had been made but it was unclear if that was the reason for the continued talks. . . . Kerry’s unannounced overnight visit to Kabul comes as talks foundered over issues of Afghan sovereignty despite a year of negotiations. Discussions have repeatedly stalled in recent weeks over Karzai’s demand for American guarantees against future foreign intervention from countries like Pakistan . . . .” Khaama.Com reports, “Spokesman for president Hamid Karzai following the conversation late Friday also said that negotiations over the security pact had advanced. This comes as Afghan president Hamid Karzai earlier this week said that he was prepared to walk away from negotiations on the security deal if the conditions of the Afghan government were not met.”  Of course, the Taliban are none too happy.

CONTRACT WATCH

1.  $1.6 billion for Raytheon – Missile Defense. GovConWire.Com reports, “Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) has won a potential $1,633,363,781 contract to build air and missile defense radars for U.S. Navy destroyers. The cost-plus-incentive-fee contract has a base value of $385,742,176 and was awarded through a full and open competition, Raytheon said Thursday.”

2.  $6 billion proposals – ITFederalTimes.Com reports, “The Defense Intelligence Agency is requesting proposals for an IT contract worth up to $6 billion. The Enhanced Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise (E-SITE) contract will provide IT services for DIA, combatant commands, the intelligence requirements of the military services, and ‘partner agency worldwide missions across the intelligence community,’ said the notice of the draft request for proposals (RFP) . There will be multiple contract awards for large and small businesses, with contracts for a base period plus four option years.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1.  Part I: Intelligence in the Digital Age. In the first of a multi-part report, DefenseMediaNetwork.Com’s Justin Hienz tackles NSA’s PRISM: “With all the discussion about the NSA’s digital surveillance activities, the ‘Big Brother’ analogy is becoming as trite as it is inaccurate. . . . In this article series, we look at who is spying on whom, why they’re doing it, and what that means for a democratic society that values liberty and privacy.”

2.  I am Iron Man. TALOS goes pop as the hipsters take notice. Wired.Com contributor Allen McDuffee reports, “The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS, will deliver ‘superhuman strength with greater ballistic protection’ by providing a powered exoskeleton to haul heavier equipment, liquid armor capable of stopping bullets, built-in computers and night vision, as well as the ability to monitor vital signs and apply wound-sealing foam. Put together, the capabilities would make the already elite Special Operation Forces nearly invincible in the field . . . . TALOS, which shares the name of the mythological Greek automaton made of bronze that Zeus assigned to protect his lover Europa, is expected to make a first-generation appearance sometime next year.” Thanks, Ozzie.

3.  Where no (luddite) man has gone before – the hidden-net. The Silk Road bust exposed the deep internet to luddites like me. Now, TorSearch takes us to the land down under. VentureBeat.Com’s John Koetsier reports, “The newest search engine in the world is hidden in the shadows of the Internet, but it shines a light on those shadows that ordinary search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo can’t. It’s TorSearch, and it’s the new way for the million-plus users of Tor to find anything, privately . . . . Clearly, of course, Tor is a great place for criminal activity, even communication for terrorists. Just as clearly, it’s an attempt by well-meaning people to restore freedom and privacy to their online activities.

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1.  Cruz makes Ryan palatable, even delicious for Dems. NYTimes.Com’s Jonathan Weisman explains, “Mr. Ryan suddenly is everywhere . . . . An opinion piece he wrote in The Wall Street Journal this week laid out what has now become the House Republican plan: a debt ceiling increase tied to changes to Medicare and Medigap plans that would save more than enough money to ease some of the across-the-board cuts to domestic and defense programs; a fast track for the comprehensive simplification of the tax code; and a demand for immediate, serious and structured negotiations with the White House and Democratic Senate. The fact that Mr. Ryan’s plan quite obviously made no mention of the health care law as a bargaining chip quickly drew him scorn from some on the right, but to Democrats and more moderate Republicans, the sidelining of the health care fight immediately gave the plan credibility.”

2.  When sister turns against sister, Sister. Ann Coulter . . . there, I typed it . . . turns on her sugar daddies: “Best-selling conservative author Ann Coulter, who has used her nine books to launch vicious attacks on Democrats, is turning her guns on Republicans in a new book out Monday, calling Florida Sen. Marco Rubio a hypocrite, urging donors freeze contributions to the GOP, and demanding that only governors or senators run for the party’s presidential nomination. Her point in ‘Never Trust a Liberal Over 3 – Especially a Republican’ is to shake the party out of its doldrums in time for the 2014 and 2016 elections.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1.  “An African lens on breaking sovereignty.” The Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board warns, “Foreign intervention in another country, whether approved or not, can often break a long-held rule about national sovereignty, or the collective self-determination of a people. In Africa, where most borders date back to colonial days and don’t follow ethnic demographics, the sovereign concept is still a work in progress.”

2.  Africa and the International Criminal Court – worth noting. Aljazeera.Com contributor Mehari Taddele Maru argues, “To be certain, an en masse withdrawal from the ICC will hurt Africans more than the ICC. With the highest incidence of systemic and human rights violations globally, Africa, more than any other continent, needs the ICC. As the largest bloc to ratify the ICC Rome Statute, Africa showed its staunch support for the ICC. Indeed, many Africans genuinely believe that they want an end to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC can help in deterring political forces from committing these terrible crimes.”

3.  “A debt ceiling history lesson.” USNews.Com contributor Robert Schlesinger argues, “This time, the debt ceiling debate really is different. . . . The current showdown, the GOP offer to postpone it for six weeks notwithstanding, has a dangerous, new tenor, calling into question whether a debt ceiling increase will pass at all. The GOP now openly holds out the prospect of default, characterizing the idea of negotiating after raising the debt ceiling – when the immediate danger has been eased – as “unconditional surrender,” as if their only leverage lies in their ability to intentionally harm the country.”

4.  “A new Paul Ryan?” Reuters’ contributor Paul Rohde argues, “This week, Representative Paul D. Ryan (R-Wi.) may have made himself a leading Republican presidential contender in 2016. By proposing an end to the budget impasse that did not include one word — Obamacare — Ryan may have outmaneuvered Senators Rand Paul (R- Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R- Texas). Multiple proposals are under consideration in Washington. If Ryan’s plan becomes the basis for a bipartisan budget agreement, it will boost his standing and be a body blow to the Tea Party.”

THE FUNNIES

1.  Casualties of war.

2.  Never forget (again).

3.  Sound logic.

4.  Working during shutdown.

Related News

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.