Friday Finale & This Time Last Year: Imprisoned in Iran
FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Mental health, Question 21, and your clearance. “Psychological health is a factor in your ability to maintain a security clearance. Controversy remains about how exactly to establish risk as it relates to mental health and psychological treatment.”
The student debt. “The reality that smacks many of our clients in the face is that delinquent student loan debt raises the same security concerns as a delinquent Rolls Royce auto loan (if those even exist) – namely, that the clearance holder is living beyond their means and thereby has an increased propensity to succumb to the financial temptations of espionage.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
A tale of two American ISIS recruits. “More than three years ago, before ISIS burst into the consciousness of mainstream America with the release of all of those beheading videos, Bilal Abood departed his Mesquite, Texas residence for Syria. . . . Abood traveled through Mexico and across Europe, eventually reaching Syria, but returned to the U.S. that fall.” (Lawfare)
Face-to-face with Hiroshima. “Barack Obama on Friday paid tribute to the 140,000 people killed by the world’s first atomic bomb attack and sought to bring global attention to his unfulfilled vision of a world without nuclear weapons, as he became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. ‘Death fell from the sky and the world was changed,’ Obama said, after laying a wreath, closing his eyes and briefly bowing his head . . . .” (AP) See also, “Obama visits Hiroshima.”
Baluchistan: Taliban central. “While Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, is well known for its role as a Taliban haven — the Taliban’s Rahbari Shura, or central leadership council, is also called the Quetta Shura — a host of cities and towns such as Zhob, Killi Nalai, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Chaman, Pishin, Kuchlak, Ahmad Wal, Dalbandin, Chagai, and Girdi Jangal host the Taliban and provide vital support for the group’s activities in Afghanistan.” (The Long War Journal)
Running out of smart bombs. “The U.S. military is raiding its smart-bomb stockpiles around the world to continue its nearly two-year-old airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria . . . . The coalition has conducted 12,453 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since August 2014, according to Operation Inherent Resolve, the task force overseeing the counter-ISIS campaign. More than 8,500 of the strikes have occurred in Iraq and nearly 4,000 in Syria. American warplanes and drones alone have conducted 9,495 of the strikes, with allies accounting for the remaining 2,958. More than 41,697 bombs have been dropped in those strikes.” (Defense One) See also, “Eisenhower Strike Group to Fight ISIS with Cannibalized Parts.”
CONTRACT WATCH
Seeking better electro-optical sensors. “U.S. Air Force researchers will brief industry from 9:30 to noon on 21 June 2016 on efforts to advance electro-optical sensor technologies for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and situational awareness for manned and unmanned aircraft. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s sensors directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will reveal details of the Electro-Optical Combined Hyperspectral Imaging, Infrared Search and Track, and Long Range Imaging R&D (EO-CHIL) project during the industry-day briefings.” (Military & Aerospace Electronic)
Pakistan’s helo pick: AW139. “Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced today that Government of Pakistan has signed a contract for an undisclosed number of AgustaWestland AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters. The signing was held in Islamabad in presence of the H.E. Italian Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo. The contract is part of a fleet renewal programme spread over several batches including a logistic support and training package. The AW139s, deliveries of which are expected in 2017, will be used to perform search and rescue across the nation.” (Defence Talk)
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
The Defector. “Dresnok came from a difficult background and was going through a difficult period — his wife had left him and he was in trouble with his superiors — when he decided to cross the demilitarized zone into North Korea in 1962. He was 21. He taught English and appeared in television shows and movies — always playing the ‘evil American.’ . . . Now 75 and in poor health, Dresnok hasn’t been heard of for several years.” (Washington Post) See also, “North Korea Trots Out American Ex-Pats to Urge Peace Talks with U.S.”
The Cipher Bureau: NSA’s code-breaking roots. “Officially known as The Cipher Bureau, it was America’s first peacetime organization dedicated to code breaking. Located in New York City and disguised behind a public-facing commercial code company, its existence was a highly-secret affair that was jointly funded by the State Department and the US Army.” (Tech Insider)
CIA’s John Kenneth Knaus dead at 92. “John Kenneth Knaus, a CIA case officer who in the late 1950s and in the 1960s helped train and direct Tibetan guerrillas against Chinese occupiers, only to see U.S. support for the policy later evaporate, died April 18 at a hospital in Washington. He was 92. . . . During a 43-year CIA career, Mr. Knaus was based at times in India, Japan and Canada, and a substantial focus of his work involved aiding Tibetan guerrillas in their resistance against communist China.”
Ivan: Russia’s robot soldier. “Experts have known that Russia has been trying in recent years to match the US and China in the development of robots, drones, and other war machines that are potentially autonomous. Today, those machines are remotely controlled. Iron Man and other recent developments illustrate how they’re making progress.” (Vice News)
OPM’s growing IT debacle. “Nearly a year after its inspector general issued a warning about the increased risk of failure of a major IT project, the Office of Personnel Management is struggling to demonstrate it’s on the right track. The IG issued a third report May 18 on the agency’s ‘shell’ project, highlighting why auditors are ‘even more concerned about the lack of disciplined capital planning processes’ today than they were in June 2015.” (Federal News Radio) See also, “More questions raised about OPM’s response to breaches of background, personnel records.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Give me some privacy. “Sen. Claire McCaskill on Thursday defended Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email to conduct official business by saying the then-secretary of state wanted ‘privacy.’ ‘She’s admitted this was a mistake. I think we need to realize she wasn’t trying to undermine the United States of America, she was trying to protect her privacy,’ the Missouri Democrat said . . . . Sen. McCaskill, who has endorsed her former Senate colleague’s campaign for the presidency, said Clinton was ‘probably misguided,’ but speculated that she wanted ‘some free space of privacy’ after being ‘under attack her entire life.’” (Washington Examiner)
Deny, deny, deny. “The FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission are scrutinizing Tennessee GOP Sen. Bob Corker’s personal finances, including stock transactions involving one of the nation’s top developers of shopping centers and malls . . . . Corker denies any wrongdoing in how he has conducted his personal finances. . . . he declined to comment when asked if he had been contacted by federal investigators and said his office would provide a statement on the matter.” (Politico)
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
The legacy of Hiroshima. “For President Obama to visit Hiroshima without reflecting on the why of that unfortunate loss of lives, as if they occurred via some natural disaster, is tragically consistent with the fact that for 71 years no American president felt it particularly important to visit the victimized city. America’s lack of introspection over one of the 20th century’s most significant events continues, with 21st century consequences.” (Reuters)
ISIS’ staying power. “It is important for Washington and its allies not to become overly complacent with the status quo in the Middle East conflict. Even successful counterinsurgent practices, once adopted, must be maintained nearly four-and a-half years, on average, if they are to prevail. In a fight against an organization like Islamic State, that can seem like an eternity.” (Reuters)
Stability in Somalia. “European and African lawmakers should think carefully about the knock on effects of these decisions. Not only would the success of the election be in danger, it would also provide the space for al-Shabab to reemerge, or the Islamic State to secure a base in Somalia. Although AMISOM cannot stay in Somalia forever, this is not the time to reduce its funding or decrease its troop size.” (Defense One)
In defense of the Littoral Combat Ship. “The Littoral Combat Ship and its proposed frigate variant remain the best choice for rapidly increasing the size of the U.S. surface fleet in response to a deteriorating international situation. It remains relatively inexpensive, it is getting additional capabilities to meet new challenges in naval warfare, and it has been well received by forward deployed commanders. It remains the best choice.” (War on the Rocks)
