FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Cleared counsel. Contributor and barrister Sean Bigley writes, “The first thing I advise all denied applicants to do is to carefully and critically read the denial letter (called a ‘Statement of Reasons’). . . . the denial may be easily resolvable by presenting documentary evidence proving the government’s mistake.”
Recruiting right. Editor Lindy Kyzer writes, “No recruiter is expected to respond to every person who applies to a position or who they meet at an event. But if you identify and reach out to a candidate with an opportunity, and they take the step of sending you a thoughtful reply, it’s worth following up. Even if their reply solidifies that they are not the right person for the job. Successful hiring is about building long term relationships with great candidates. Following up can be one of the best ways to do that.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Fight for Palmyra. Vice News’ Louisa Loveluck reports, “Forces loyal to the Syrian regime amassed outside the ancient city of Palmyra on Wednesday, preparing to wrest it back from Islamic State (IS) militants. The extremist group overran the area in May 2015, seizing its modern town, UNESCO-protected ruins, and a prison so notoriously brutal that it was once described as the ‘kingdom of death and madness.’”
Fight for Mosul. Washington Post’s Sinan Salaheddin reports, “The Iraqi military backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft on Thursday launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants . . . . In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early in the morning on Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there” See also, “Iraq launches offensive against Islamic State south of Mosul” and “Coalition Has Momentum in Fight Against ISIL.”
Belgian waffles. Reuters’ Mark Hosenball reports, “Shortly after last November’s attacks on Paris by a Brussels-based Islamic State cell, a top U.S. counter-terrorism official traveling in Europe wanted to visit Brussels to learn more about the investigation. When the official tried to arrange meetings, however, his Belgian counterparts were not welcoming . . . . The Belgians indicated it was a bad time to speak to foreign officials as they were too busy with the investigation . . . . Belgian officials declined to comment on the incident.”
Left behind in N. Korea. AP’s Eric Talmadge reports, “Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-North Korea search teams conducted 33 joint recovery operations and recovered 229 sets of American remains. Washington broke them off because it claimed the safety of its searchers was not guaranteed. . . . According to the Pentagon’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, most died in major battles or as prisoners of war. Others died ‘along the wayside or in small villages’ and many of the losses from aircraft crashes also occurred near battle zones or roads connecting them.”
CONTRACT WATCH
JLTV order up. Defense Update reports, “Oshkosh Defense has received the first production order for the 657 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) vehicles. The order, issued by the U.S. Army is valued $243 million. It also includes 2,977 installed kits and related support. The order will serve both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.” See also, “Oshkosh gets JLTV armored combat vehicle order.”
F-35 delays. Defense News’ Lara Seligman reports, “The F-35 will not get its full combat capability package until late fall of 2017, a delay of about four months from the original plan . . . . The schedule risk is primarily due to software ‘stability’ issues, seen in both Blocks 3i and 3F. In essence, a timing misalignment of the software of the plane’s sensors and the software of its main computers are causing a ‘choking’ effect, where the jet’s systems shut down and have to be rebooted.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Facial recognition. Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports, “The departments of Defense and Homeland Security have invested in technology to prevent attacks like the one in Brussels, including facial recognition technology that can spot and flag a suspected terrorist in a car heading toward an airport or crowded subway. But bringing that technology out of the lab and getting it to airports and street corners is a lot harder than just snapping a photo.”
NSA data sharing. Reuters’ Dustin Volz reports, “A Democratic and a Republican congressmen have asked the National Security Agency to halt a reported plan to share more raw intelligence data with other federal agencies, warning the policy shift would be ‘unconstitutional and dangerous’ . . . . Congress last year passed a law curtailing certain aspects of the NSA’s surveillance authority, most notably ending its bulk collection of domestic phone records exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.” See also, “Representatives say NSA must end plans to expand domestic spying.”
Chinese hacker pleads. Defence Talk reports, “A Chinese national pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from the hacking of trade secrets from US defense contractors, including plans for transport and fighter jets . . . . Su Bin, 50, had been charged in a 2014 indictment with hacking into the computer networks of Boeing and other contractors, as part of a scheme to steal plans for the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and C-17 transport aircraft.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Imagine. “House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday encouraged a group of Capitol Hill interns to try to elevate the political discourse in the midst of a contentious primary season, and wistfully told them about American politics: ‘It did not used to be this bad, and it does not have to be this way.’”
Biden rule 2. “A month of being a Senate Republican talking point appears to be enough for Vice President Joe Biden. On Thursday morning, in a speech at the Georgetown Law Center, he’ll try to reclaim the ‘Biden rule’ . . . . Biden will argue on Thursday that what Republicans are doing threatens to ‘deepen the gulf between the haves and have-nots,’ according to advance excerpts of the speech provided by the vice president’s office. A divided Court, Biden will say, just means more for ‘the rich and powerful.’”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“The bitter fruits of alienation: Belgium’s struggle is the problem of our age.” Homeland Security News Wire contributor Martin Conway argues, “The current terrorism is so amorphous and so shallow in its political affiliations that it may fade away, as those drawn towards it today are attracted to the more immediate opportunities of tomorrow.”
“Brussels bombings are a sign of Islamic State’s panic.” Reuters’ Karen J. Greenberg argues, “The defensiveness of Islamic State on the run may well reap far more violence before the group’s death throes. But the West should not be deterred from keeping up its pressure on Islamic State at home and abroad. The realities of terrorism call for constant vigilance as a fact of life, and will for a long time to come. No more and no less.”
“Europe Should Review Counterterrorism Policies.” Lawfare contributor Timothy Edgar argues, “The far right’s preferred solutions will only worsen Europe’s problem of violent extremism—driving a wedge between police and intelligence services and the communities whose cooperation is needed to preempt radicalization.”
“Rethinking Nato And The Future Of European Security.” War on the Rocks contributors Job C. Henning and Douglas A. Ollivant argue, “Lest we blunder into new conflicts that no one intends, NATO should take this opportunity to proactively shape the agenda for a transformational Summit in Warsaw that announces bold new willingness to think about the future, while doubling down on deterrence, increasing transparency, reducing confusion and opportunities for misperception, and arming allies that are ready and willing to defend themselves.”
