FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Bulk collection’s end. Editor Lindy Kyzer reports, “The past several months have been a transition period between the Patriot Act and implementation of the Freedom Act, but as of this weekend the government is now prohibited from collecting bulk telephone records for either US or non-US citizens. Rather than a situation of ‘collect first and clarify later,’ the government is now required to specifically identify a person, account or device prior to collecting data from the phone companies.”
Appealing denials. Contributor Sean Bigley explains, “DoD Instruction 5200.46 lays out the process by which those who are denied a CAC may appeal the decision. The process contemplates a two stage appeal, wherein applicants first respond to a letter of denial (LOD) issued by the employing DoD component or the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), as may be applicable. . . .”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
More troops to Syria. Defense News’ Tom Vanden Brook reports, “The Pentagon will consider deploying more special operations troops to fight Islamic State militants if its pilot project in Syria shows signs of progress . . . . The Pentagon’s counter-ISIL strategy will be the focus of a hearing Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee; Defense Secretary Ash Carter is scheduled to testify.”
ISIS take Sirte, Libya. Wall Street Journal’s Tamer El-Ghobashy and Hassan Morajea report, “Even as foreign powers step up pressure against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the militant group has expanded in Libya and established a new base close to Europe where it can generate oil revenue and plot terror attacks. Since announcing its presence in February in Sirte, the city on Libya’s Mediterranean coast has become the first that the militant group governs outside of Syria and Iraq.” See also, “IS controlling Sirte, Libya.”
POTUS on Turkey. Vice News reports, “US President Barack Obama has stepped into the ongoing feud between Turkey and Russia, saying on Tuesday he supported Turkey’s right to defend itself. Speaking after a meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Paris, where he has been attending the climate summit, Obama said ‘The United States supports Turkey’s right to defend itself and its air space.’ . . .”
Afghanistan’s good governor: Atta Mohammad Noor. Christian Science Monitor’s Scott Peterson reports, “Afghanistan may be challenged by weak government and donor apathy, but Mr. Noor has long delivered security in the northern Balkh Province. In this part of the world, that brings political power. Noor also shows a business acumen that attracts foreign cash. As a teacher-turned-mujahideen commander, he’s known as a strategic planner able to harness this nation’s dual desire for stability and development.”
Radical fight. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “Since the January 2015 terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo and Jewish supermarket in Paris, nearly sixty individuals suspected of Islamist radicalism have had their authorization to work at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport pulled. There are currently 86,000 French men and women who have passed security screening, and who have security permits which allow them to work in secure sites such as critical infrastructure and airports.” See also, “EU sets detailed, Europe-wide anti-radicalization agenda.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Federally Funded Research and Development Center. Federal Times’ Carten Cordell reports, “The Professional Services Council is concerned that a proposed Department of Homeland Security research and development center could eliminate contractor competition. In a Nov. 20 letter to DHS Under Secretary for Science & Technology, Dr. Reginald Brothers, PSC president Stan Soloway said the request-for-proposal for the agency’s Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center may be too broad and could take away competition for services that currently exist in the contractor market.”
Northrop’s Intertial Sensor Module. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. Navy shipboard electronics experts are moving forward with a project to replace the aging AN/WSN-7 ring laser gyro for shipboard navigation with a new inertial sensor module to enable surface vessels to navigate accurately without GPS satellite navigation. Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington announced a $19.8 million contract Monday to Northrop Grumman Corp. in Charlottesville, Va., to develop the Inertial Navigation Systems Replacement (INS-R) Inertial Sensor Module (ISM).”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
SHELTER: outsourced cybersecurity. Nextgov’s Aliya Sternstein reports, “The Air Force is finalizing a $49.5 million plan to hire private sector coders who, by developing software, can sabotage adversary computer systems and thwart incoming hack attacks. . . . SHELTER, the nickname for the mouthful of a project title, is a 5.5-year deal that would add to the Defense Department’s growing arsenal of cyberweapons.”
NIST: crowd-sourcing security. FierceGovernmentIT’s Stephanie Kanowitz reports, “As the year nears its close, the data breaches that came to light in the past 12 months remain top of mind. To help combat that cyber threat, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking comments on a new project that would help organizations prepare for and recover from data attacks. NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is asking for comments on a white paper titled ‘Data Integrity: Reducing the impact of an attack’ . . .” Read the white paper.
Hyperloop. The Wall Street Journal’s Alexander Chee reports, “[I]magine you could board one and travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in a half-hour. As you sit down in an engineless pod the size of a bus, your seat remembers you and adjusts the entertainment settings. The pod accelerates to 760 miles per hour, a velocity made possible by the near-vacuum inside the tube. There’s no engine noise—the nearest thing to an engine is the tube, a smart tube that measures speed and location. The pod has been pressurized to minimize the G forces; the trip is as comfortable as a flight. All of this is solar-powered. There won’t even be time for beverage service.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Shutdown slip. “House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) strategy for avoiding a government shutdown is taking shape, with his leadership team seeking a clean break from the divisive intraparty warfare that plagued John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) tenure. GOP leaders on Monday predicted there would be no shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding and made clear that they expect an omnibus package to be approved with Democratic support before money runs out on Dec. 11.”
Work. “Capitol Hill is snapping into action. Bipartisan compromises are set to hit the floor. Hopes are flickering that a bottleneck of stalled nominations will finally open. And crises are likely to be averted, at least if Republican leaders in both chambers have their way.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“Congress Weighs In on Defense Procurement Gaps.” Government Executive contributor Stan Soloway argues, “DOD is right that there are occasional problems in how they buy, and what they pay for, commercial items or services. But they are wrong to think the answer lies in more restrictive or prescriptive rules. As with any core problem, the answer lies in addressing the root causes. That’s the clear message that Congress, in a rare bipartisan spirit, is so strongly sending. It’s time for the department to listen. And to act.”
“Encryption makes us more secure, not less.” The Christian Science Monitor contributor Amie Stepanovich argues, “In times of crisis, we should be able to rely on our leaders to affirm and strengthen our rights and our freedoms, not strip them away. And when people’s lives are at stake, we deserve better than knee-jerk rhetoric.”
“A Call To Service Can Help Unite A Divided Nation.” Defense One contributor Seth Moulton argues, “In the face of danger, it is easy to feel isolated and small. Serving teaches you how to be far bigger than you could ever be on your own.”
Up for discussion: “The Clash of Civilizations?” Samuel P. Huntington argues, “It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.” See also, “The Clash of Civilizations Twenty Year On.”
