Boko Haram’s Big Gains, 2015 Tech Leads, and the CIA and Self-Defense

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. First steps to a government contract. Contributor Ashley LaGanga explains, “A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code is a five-character ID number necessary for all companies looking to be awarded contracts by the federal government. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) issues CAGE Numbers, and it is the only entity authorized to do so. There is no cost to obtain or update a CAGE Code. . . .”

2. Diploma mill dangers. Security clearance attorney Sean Bigley explains, “No matter whether you are military, a civilian federal employee, or a federal contractor, using a degree obtained from a questionable school to your advantage in hiring or promotion can land you in hot water. At a minimum, it can be viewed as a sign of dishonesty that calls your security clearance into question. If you are in doubt about whether a particular school is legitimate, here are a few questions to ask.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. Origins: the war in Afghanistan. The Atlantic contributor Robert L. Greiner tells his story: “President George W. Bush had delivered an ultimatum to the Taliban in his State of the Union address on September 20: Hand over al-Qaeda’s leadership or share their fate. But the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan had not yet begun, and I still saw a chance, however small, for a peaceful way out. That was why, as the CIA station chief in Islamabad responsible for both Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, I was having this meeting with a top Taliban official.” See also from Khaama Press, “ISIS plans to expand in northern Afghanistan: Governor Kundoz.”

2. DOA: 2016 Defense budget. Defense News’ Paul McLeary reports, “The $585 billion fiscal year 2016 defense budget request — so painstakingly sculpted by White House and Pentagon before being sent to Capitol Hill this week — will likely die a long, complicated death as it winds its way through the congressional committees . . . . The reason is that the request blows right past the $499 billion spending cap that Congress imposed in the 2011 Budget Control Act for the coming fiscal year, and one dollar over that cap would automatically kick in sequestration, which cuts and burns all programs across the board to meet the cap number.” See also from AP, “Obama sending $4 trillion spending plan to Congress.”

3. Boko Haram’s big gains. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “Early Sunday, Boko Haram Islamist militants have attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in north-east Nigeria, from four fronts overnight. The militants, employing artillery and rocket fire, bombarded the city throughout Sunday. Yesterday’s assault was the third attack Maiduguri in the past seven days. A senior Nigerian army officer said the militants were everywhere, attacking from all four roads leading into the city of about two million residents.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. Lockheed’s $47 million deal for Army’s Extended Area Protection and Survivability. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Army leaders are ready to deploy hit-to-kill missile technology developed by Lockheed Martin Corp. to destroy incoming rocket, artillery, and mortar rounds before they can do damage to U.S. and allied military forces. This technology could be with fighting forces within the next five years.”

2. Fixing acquisition. Government Executive’s Stan Soloway and Phil Kangas explain, “To borrow from military parlance, acquisition professionals must fight as they train and train as they fight. In this context, we continue to ‘train’ our acquisition workforce in ways more relevant to how things were than to the ‘fight’ they have to wage today. If we don’t seize the opportunities presented by the early stages of a generational shift in the federal acquisition workforce, we will lose the battle for a stronger, more efficient and innovative government for another generation.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Data mining tools and SpecOps. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports, “United States Special Operations Command, SOCOM, is trying to dispel some of that fog, moving forward with the development of advanced data mining tools that, if revealed, could make some of the capabilities outlined in documents disclosed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden look quaint. The utility of social media data is moving quickly beyond simple investigations directly on the battlefield, to that critical moment when a soldier decides whether or not to pull the trigger. According to some military thought leaders, it’s law and policy that isn’t keeping up.”

2. CIA, Mossad, and a theory of self-defense. Washington Post’s Adam Goldman and Ellen Nakashima report, “The United States has never acknowledged participation in the killing of Mughniyah, which Hezbollah blamed on Israel. Until now, there has been little detail about the joint operation by the CIA and Mossad to kill him, how the car bombing was planned or the exact U.S. role. With the exception of the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden, the mission marked one of the most high-risk covert actions by the United States in recent years. U.S. involvement in the killing, which was confirmed by five former U.S. intelligence officials, also pushed American legal boundaries.”

3. Tech leads for 2015. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “Looking ahead at technological innovation in the federal sphere, analysts at Deltek identified three areas prime for the most growth in 2015: sensor-based technologies, software-defined infrastructure and predictive analytics. Agencies are already preparing for these new technologies as they increase network availability, employ cloud platforms and standardize infrastructure . . . .”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. The race is on. “Mitt Romney’s exit on Friday from the 2016 GOP presidential field could be several other possible candidates’ gain. The 2012 nominee’s decision spares Republicans a heavyweight fight between Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for donors and operatives. But Romney’s departure also resonates further down the ladder, giving new life to candidates that had been stuck in the shadows. Based on interviews with several GOP strategists, these are candidates ranked in the strongest positions to win the nomination with just a year to go until the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1, 2016. . . .”

2. Lindsey on Romney. “Yes, Romney Version 3.0 was going to be fun–and funny. Images danced in my mind of the former governor at upcoming primary debates, throwing over a lectern and scolding his fellow candidates for their phony platitudes and dolled-up mush, much like the fed-up anchor on Network. Alas, it’s not to be. Maybe he was scared out of the race by Lindsey Graham.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “Michael Hayden’s Hollow Constitution.” The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf argues, “As I see it, the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and mass surveillance always qualifies. I’d argue that this makes my Constitution more resilient to terrorism than [Hayden’s].”

2. “What does Vladimir Putin really want in Ukraine?” Reuters contributor Nina Khrushcheva argues, “The so-called Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine may have served the Kremlin’s purpose of destabilizing that country. But the level of dismay these insurgents have brought with their actions . . . is creating unease across Russia. So having Russian officials speaking from the different sides of their leader’s mouth is a tactic to keep everyone confused. It only further enhances Putin’s image as a leader who holds all the answers.”

3. “Obama’s Trillion Dollar Nuclear Weapons Gamble.” Defense One contributor Stephen Young argues, “Nuclear weapons do precious little to address the real threats we and our allies face today, and do nothing to address the threat of terrorism. Nothing to counter Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. Nothing to counteract the growing risk of cyber attack.”