JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/ROBERT MUELLER/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Before taking his new job as White House national security adviser in 10 days, John Bolton will have to wind down his multimillion-dollar political operation that is already in the thick of the 2018 election, according to the White House and an independent federal watchdog agency. Under the […]
Category: National Security
3/28/2018
JARED KUSHNER/NATIONAL SECURITY/REX TILLERSON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s shake-up of his national-security team is likely to reshape the role played by Jared Kushner, who has been a key counselor but whose global portfolio created friction with departing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, administration officials and others close to him said. But the arrival […]
3/27/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A bipartisan group of more than 100 US national security experts — including nearly 50 retired military officers and more than 30 former ambassadors — is urging President Donald Trump to remain in the Iran nuclear deal as sources say it is becoming increasingly likely he will withdraw. The statement titled […]
3/27/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday [3-27-18] he had no reservations or concerns about President Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser, John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran. Mattis said he would meet Bolton for the first time later […]
3/26/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/MUSLIMS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/ TRUMP PEOPLE: “The latest shifts on President Donald Trump’s foreign policy team, including his choice of John Bolton as national security adviser, have rekindled fears among lawmakers and activists that the White House will further damage America’s precarious standing in the Muslim world. Bolton chairs an organization that produces harshly […]
3/26/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Former President Jimmy Carter sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to appoint John Bolton as national security adviser, calling the move ‘maybe one of the worst mistakes that President Trump has made since he’s been in office’ in an interview with USA Today. Trump named Bolton, a former US […]
3/26/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/REX TILLERSON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump has, to great fanfare, remade his national-security team in recent days. But the most intriguing and consequential member of that team isn’t one of the newcomers, but rather the one who has been there all along: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Mr. Mattis is the most […]
3/23/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s shakeup of his national security team adds to the burden on one man at the center of any decision about war and peace: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Long a champion of alliances and diplomacy, Mattis increasingly finds himself surrounded by policy hawks on issues from Iran […]
3/23/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In picking John Bolton as national security adviser, President Donald Trump appears to have found a longtime Washington hand who is in step with his views on major national-security issues, including objections to the Iran nuclear agreement, the need to stop North Korea’s nuclear program and an ‘America First’-driven […]
3/22/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As a candidate, I pledged that if elected I would use every lawful tool to combat unfair trade, protect American workers, and defend our national security. Today, we took another critical step to fulfill that commitment. https://t.co/7NBI0Dibmx https://t.co/nmzqos3BUA“ –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 22, 2018 1:40pm […]
3/21/2018
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/NATIONAL SECURITY: “The Trump administration’s Homeland Security chief told Congress on Wednesday [3-21-18] that the U.S. government has made significant strides in better protecting the election system after a Russian campaign of hacking and misinformation during the 2016 election. Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of Homeland Security, testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that information […]
3/13/2018
CAMPAIGN/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s personal assistant, John McEntee, was escorted out of the White House on Monday [3-12-18], two senior administration officials said. The cause of the firing was an unspecified security issue, said a third White House official with knowledge of the situation. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined […]
3/12/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iran On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted […]
3/12/2018
ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr. has a previously undisclosed business relationship with a Texas hedge fund manager and longtime hunting pal who raised millions of dollars for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and has special access to top government officials, it was reported on Monday [3-12-18]. The president’s son and Gentry Beach have been […]
3/10/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/MEDIA/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the first hours after hearing that North Korea’s leader wanted to meet with me to talk denuclearization and that missile launches will end, the press was startled & amazed.They couldn’t believe it. But by the following morning the news became FAKE.They said so what, who cares!” – Donald […]
3/10/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The planned meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May will make it more likely the administration will kill the Iranian nuclear agreement, some current and former western officials said. … Wendy Sherman, the lead U.S. negotiator on the Iran deal who also […]
3/9/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House is ignoring a bipartisan congressional inquiry regarding documents about the Rob Porter scandal, prompting the House Oversight Committee’s top Democrat to request that the White House be subpoenaed over the matter. The committee’s investigation into White House security clearances began after Porter, a former staff secretary, resigned […]
3/6/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump called an offer by North Korea to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons sincere, but top administration officials Tuesday [3-6-18] stopped short of a commitment to open talks with Pyongyang. The White House’s wariness stems from three decades of frustrated diplomacy and fears that North Korea […]
3/6/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump hailed ‘possible progress’ Tuesday [3-6-18] in talks between North Korea and South Korea, hours after the US ally said that North Korea is willing to talk to the United States about giving up its nuclear program… North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also agreed […]
3/6/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA: “North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a visiting South Korean delegation that he was willing to hold talks with the U.S. about giving up nuclear weapons and normalizing relations with Washington, officials in Seoul said Tuesday [3-6-18]. During meetings in Pyongyang, Mr. Kim, who has conducted a series of […]
3/6/2018
FBI/LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Michael Flynn, the retired Army general and ex-Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents about his Russian contacts, has put his Virginia home up for sale to pay mounting legal fees, friends and family members told ABC News. Flynn’s 13-year-old, three-bedroom townhouse in Old Town […]
3/4/2018
MCMASTER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Even before he took the job last winter as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster had a target on his back. He stepped into the role with lukewarm support from the president and outright resistance from high-ranking Trump loyalists who saw in Gen. McMaster the embodiment of the […]
3/3/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the midst of a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists, President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday [3-3-18] that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first ‘denuke.’ ‘Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of […]
3/3/2018
BUSINESS/ECONOMY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WTO: “President Donald Trump upped the ante in a brewing trade conflict stirred up by his announcement of steel and aluminum tariffs, saying the U.S. would impose tariffs on European car exports if the bloc follows through with retaliation against his metals duties. … The exchange began Thursday after Mr. Trump […]
3/3/2018
BUSINESS/ECONOMY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports have many economists and lawmakers worried about a coming trade war. But workers and others in this community, where steel has been made for well over a century, see a chance for more jobs and bigger paychecks. … ‘Overall it’s […]
3/1/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/RUSSIA: “Russia has developed nuclear weapons capable of penetrating U.S. air-defense systems, the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, said Thursday [3-1-18], sharpening rhetoric against the West and raising the prospect of a new arms race with Washington. In language reminiscent of the Cold War, Mr. Putin used his annual state of the union address to […]
2/28/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “One of the White House’s most important diplomats happens to be an artist — with a top secret security clearance. That means the chief White House calligrapher now has greater access to sensitive information than White House adviser — and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law — Jared Kushner. Scrutiny over White House clearances in […]
2/27/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The White House downgraded the security clearance of senior adviser Jared Kushner last week as part of White House chief of staff John Kelly’s push to tighten control of classified information inside the Trump administration, said an administration official with knowledge of the situation. Mr. Kushner, who is also President Donald […]
2/26/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “President Donald Trump’s decision to punt the issue of whether Jared Kushner can keep his access to sensitive government secrets without a full security clearance to his chief of staff, John Kelly, has put him in a tricky position, stuck between the rules on one side and the […]
2/22/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “From speeding to pot smoking to, in one case, ownership of a Canadian brewery, rank-and-file government employees often see their security clearances challenged, denied or revoked for issues they consider relatively minor. Which makes them all the more frustrated to see White House staffers with major red flags in their backgrounds given […]
2/20/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, is resisting giving up his access to highly classified information, prompting an internal struggle with John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, over who should be allowed to see some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets, according to White House […]
2/14/2018
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Nine days into the Rob Porter scandal, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is pushing for senior officials who made the decisions surrounding the former White House staff secretary’s security clearance to take over the task of explaining—and defending—those decisions to the public. Since Tuesday [2-13-18], when FBI director Chris […]
2/14/2018
ECONOMY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A senior official on the National Economic Council says he resigned on Tuesday [2-13-18] after being informed that he would not receive a permanent security clearance, as the White House faces increasing scrutiny over the number of high-ranking officials allowed to work on interim clearances. George David Banks, who had served […]
2/14/2018
FBI/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday [2-14-18] asked Chief of Staff John Kelly and FBI Director Christopher Wray to answer questions about the White House’s security clearance policy and their handling of domestic-abuse allegations against former adviser Rob Porter… Mr. Gowdy said the committee was seeking to learn what information was available […]
2/14/2018
GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican lawmakers raised questions Wednesday [2-14-18] about the Trump administration’s security clearance process and an oversight panel launched an investigation, as the controversy surrounding former aide Rob Porter starts to eat into Capitol Hill’s confidence in President Donald Trump’s White House. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said his House Oversight Committee on Tuesday […]
2/13/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House quietly imposed a ban on new interim security clearances for anyone in the executive office of the president last fall, but it let existing employees with interim clearances stay on, according to an email obtained by POLITICO. The Nov. 7 internal email to senior leaders at the Office […]
2/12/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The doors at the White House have been swinging a lot lately. A deputy chief of staff moved on. A speechwriter resigned. The associate attorney general stepped down. The chief of staff offered to quit. And that was just Friday [2-9-18]. All of that came after the departure of Rob Porter, the […]
2/12/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY: “One week after the 2016 election, President-elect Donald J. Trump tweeted that he was ‘not trying to get *top level security clearance* for my children,’ calling such claims ‘a typically false news story.’ But he said nothing at the time about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Nearly 15 months […]
2/11/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The furor over spousal abuse allegations that forced the resignation of one of President Trump’s top advisers last week has exposed fissures within the White House that had been papered over since John F. Kelly took over last summer as chief of staff with a mandate to end the dysfunction. Aides […]
2/11/2018
JOHN KELLY/NATIONAL SECURITY: “President Donald Trump has full confidence in John Kelly, White House officials said Sunday [2-11-18], after the president in recent days had privately criticized his chief of staff’s handling of domestic-abuse allegations against a senior aide. Top officials also defended Mr. Trump’s recent public statements about abuse, in which he emphasized that […]
2/9/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the […]
2/9/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya On February 25, 2011, by Executive Order 13566, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701‑1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign […]
2/5/2018
DEFENSE/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “SUBJECT: Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under Section 1238 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate […]
2/5/2018
DHS/NATIONAL SECURITY: “The Department of Homeland Security documents critiquing the response to a simulated anthrax attack on Super Bowl Sunday [2-4-18] were marked ‘For Official Use Only’ and ‘important for national security.’ Recipients of the draft ‘after-action’ reports were told to keep them locked up after business hours and to shred them prior to discarding. […]
2/5/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. has met the limits on the number of deployed nuclear warheads it is allowed under a 2010 treaty with Russia, the State Department said Monday, and expects to find Moscow in compliance with its obligations as well. The State Department said the U.S. has fulfilled its commitments under […]
2/4/2018
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Pentagon put potential adversaries on notice that the U.S. might respond with nuclear weapons if it is the target of a major nonnuclear attack. The warning, which is contained in a new plan called the Nuclear Posture Review, doesn’t specifically detail the circumstances that might lead the U.S. to retaliate […]
1/29/2018
IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said Monday [1-29-18] it was resuming refugee admissions from 11 countries deemed national-security risks, while adding additional screening measures for them. Senior administration officials said the new vetting would include more independent interviews of refugee applicants and their families, but gave no other details. The decision comes […]
1/26/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It was all but ignored last year when it was wrapped into a sanctions law punishing Russian aggressions. But in recent weeks, a requirement that the United States identify Russian oligarchs in a public list has set off a cavalcade of anxious lobbying across Washington by those who fear their links […]
1/25/2018
INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA: “A Chinese middleman who is allegedly one of the largest facilitators of North Korean trade invested around $500,000 with his wife in a fund that put them on a path toward becoming U.S. permanent residents, according to a court document filed on Thursday [1-25-18]. Law-enforcement officials seized the funds in October, and […]
1/23/2018
DEFENSE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Determination No. 2018-04 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 4533(a)(5) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 4533(a)(5) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 […]
1/23/2018
DEFENSE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Determination No. 2018-03 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 4533(a)(5) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 4533(a)(5) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 […]
1/23/2018
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/REX TILLERSON/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he is holding Russia accountable for a new chemical weapon attack believed to be conducted by Syrian government forces near Damascus on Monday [1-22-18]. Moscow’s failure to halt chemical strikes calls into question Russia’s ability to participate in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, Mr. Tillerson […]
1/23/2018
CHINA/INDONESIA/JAMES MATTIS/NATIONAL SECURITY: “U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis pushed for more extensive security ties Tuesday [1-23-18] with strategically located Indonesia, part of new drive to shore up Southeast Asian countries against intimidation by China in the South China Sea. Mr. Mattis is making a short tour that will also take him to Vietnam, days […]
1/23/2018
BORDER/DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/POLITICS: “U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday [1-23-18] sought a way forward on an immigration deal including protection for ‘Dreamer’ immigrants and border security before federal funding runs out again next month. On Monday, the Republican-led Congress passed a measure signed into law by President Donald Trump to fund the federal government through Feb. 8 following […]
1/20/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY: “The leader of the Hawaii National Guard told state lawmakers that he informed the governor that a panic-inducing missile alert was a false alarm two minutes after it had been sent to cellphones statewide. The leader, Maj. Gen. Arthur J. Logan, made the revelation about the Jan. 13 episode at a hearing on […]
1/16/2018
CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR: “A newly drafted United States nuclear strategy that has been sent to President Trump for approval would permit the use of nuclear weapons to respond to a wide range of devastating but non-nuclear attacks on American infrastructure, including what current and former government officials described as the most crippling kind of cyberattacks. […]
1/16/2018
JAPAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR: “Japan’s public broadcaster on Tuesday [1-16-18] accidentally sent news alerts that North Korea had launched a missile and that citizens should take shelter — just days after the government of Hawaii had sent a similar warning to its citizens. The broadcaster, NHK, corrected itself five minutes later and apologized for the error […]
1/16/2018
CHINA/CIA/LEGAL/NATIONAL SECURITY: “A former Central Intelligence Agency officer was arrested Monday [1-15-18] on charges of unlawfully retaining classified information, and U.S. officials familiar with the matter said he was suspected of providing information that helped the Chinese government identify U.S. informants in that country. Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 53 years old, who worked for the […]
1/16/2018
BORDER/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Jan. 16, 2018 08:54am […]
1/15/2018
CHINA/DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/RUSSIA: “The Pentagon is planning to develop two new sea-based nuclear weapons to respond to Russia and China’s growing military capabilities, according to a sweeping Defense Department review of nuclear strategy. The planned move has ignited a broad debate over future U.S. nuclear strategy at a time when the nation also faces the […]
1/14/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY: “Federal and local officials are reviewing the U.S. wireless emergency alert system after a false warning over an incoming ballistic missile rattled Hawaii on Saturday [1-13-18], exposing what officials say are troubling shortcomings in the network. Critics say the national alert system—which is used by local officials to issue real-time notifications in case […]
1/14/2018
DHS/NATIONAL SECURITY: “U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen cautioned Sunday [1-14-18] that Americans shouldn’t react to Saturday’s false alarm in Hawaii, warning of a nonexistent ballistic missile attack, by disregarding emergency warnings in the future… Federal, state and local officials continued their efforts Sunday to determine how to prevent a recurrence of the panic that […]
1/13/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration vowed Friday [1-12-18] to pull out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear accord without substantial changes to it, setting the clock ticking on tough negotiations with Washington’s European allies. It also imposed punitive new actions not directly related to Iran’s nuclear program meant to pressure Tehran over […]
1/12/2018
CDC/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has decided to postpone its session on nuclear attack preparedness next week. Much attention had been drawn to the timing of the agency’s session, which was publicized just days after President Trump touted the size of his nuclear button compared with North Korea’s. Late Friday afternoon, […]
1/12/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/UN: “A United Nations panel has concluded that Iran violated an arms embargo imposed on Yemen by failing to prevent the Houthi rebels in that war-ravaged nation from obtaining Iranian missiles, including one fired hundreds of miles into Saudi Arabia two months ago. The findings, in a report given to the United Nations […]
1/11/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR: “President Trump has again stopped short of reimposing draconian sanctions on Iran that could break up its nuclear deal with world powers, two people briefed on his decision said on Thursday [1-11-18], but he is expected to give Congress and European allies a deadline to improve the deal or the United States […]
1/10/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA: “President Moon Jae-in of South Korea warned on Wednesday [1-9-18] that North Korea would face stiffer sanctions if it resumed weapons tests, while crediting President Trump with helping force the North to resume dialogue and strike a broader agreement to improve Korean ties… His comment reflected a tactful maneuver for Mr. […]
1/9/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), as amended, I hereby order as follows: Section 1. Requirement for Procedures. (a) The Director of National Intelligence shall, within […]
1/8/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/POPE FRANCIS/SOUTH KOREA: “Pope Francis Monday [1-8-18] called for stronger efforts for nuclear disarmament, particularly on the Korean Peninsula, the day before representatives of South and North Korea are due to meet in Seoul for their first official bilateral talks in two years. ‘It is of paramount importance to support every effort at […]
1/7/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The 2015 Iran nuclear agreement faces a potentially fateful week, with a series of deadlines awaiting President Donald Trump as Tehran reacts to recent antigovernment protests. Mr. Trump is expected to again notify Congress he doesn’t believe the Iran deal is in the best interest of the U.S., restating a […]
1/4/2018
BORDER/DREAMERS/GOP/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Key Republican senators will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday [1-4-18] as negotiations continue to reach a compromise on border security issues and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump is set to host the more conservative members of his party negotiating with Democrats in […]
1/4/2018
IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is ramping up calls on the U.S. Congress to stop legal immigrants from sponsoring extended family members who want to move to the United States, saying so-called ‘chain migration’ poses a threat to national security. Even without legislative action, however, the number of immigrants approved for family-based visas […]
1/2/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump again raised the prospect of nuclear war with North Korea, boasting in strikingly playground terms on Tuesday [1-2-18] night that he commands a ‘much bigger’ and ‘more powerful’ arsenal of devastating weapons than the outlier government in Asia… The president’s tone also generated a mix of scorn and […]
1/2/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my […]
12/21/2017
DHS/NATIONAL SECURITY: “A new report concludes that a Department of Homeland Security pilot program improperly gathers data on Americans when it requires passengers embarking on foreign flights to undergo facial recognition scans to ensure they haven’t overstayed visas. The report, released on Thursday [12-21-17] by researchers at the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown […]
12/21/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/POLITICS: “A bipartisan pair of senators vowed Wednesday [12-20-17] to mount a filibuster of any long-term extension of a key surveillance law, complicating the efforts of congressional leaders to keep one of the most important spying tools in the government’s arsenal from expiring. Sens. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, and Ron Wyden, an Oregon […]
12/20/2017
IRAQ/NATIONAL SECURITY/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senior national security officials in the Trump administration are embracing a proposal to transfer to Saudi Arabia an American citizen being held in Iraq as a wartime detainee, according to officials familiar with internal deliberations. A meeting last week of the National Security Council’s ‘deputies committee’ — the No. 2 […]
12/20/2017
CORRUPTION/ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, such as those committed or directed by persons listed in the Annex […]
12/20/2017
ECONOMY/JOBS/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Findings. The United States is heavily reliant on imports of certain mineral commodities that are vital to the Nation’s security and economic prosperity. […]
12/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A Russian government spokesman said Tuesday [12-19-17] that the national security strategy unveiled by the White House a day earlier showed ‘an imperialist character.’ ‘A quick read of the parts of the strategy that mention our country one way or another … [shows] an imperialist character,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov […]
12/18/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP POSITION CHANGES: “President Trump presented a blueprint for the country’s national security on Monday [12-18-17] that warns of a treacherous world in which the United States faces rising threats from an emboldened Russia and China, as well as from what it calls rogue governments, like North Korea and Iran. To […]
12/18/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “With the strategy that I announced today, we are declaring that AMERICA is in the game and AMERICA is DETERMINED to WIN! OUR FOUR PILLARS OF NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: https://t.co/B3POaMVID8” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 18, 2017 06:49pm […]
12/18/2017
ECONOMY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Declaring that ‘economic security is national security,’ President Donald Trump aimed to reframe a national debate over his domestic economic and trade policies by thrusting them into a national-security context… The president on Monday also focused on a more-traditional definition of national security, including China and Russia in a list […]
12/18/2017
CHINA/ECONOMY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will put his domestic economic and trade policies at the heart of a new national-security strategy that depicts the world as one of heightened rivalries and potentially dangerous competition. The new strategy, with an emphasis on confronting unfair trade practices and precluding rivals from stealing American technology, […]
12/14/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The White House and State Department both stated Wednesday [12-13-17] that the US is not ready to begin talks with North Korea, a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had suggested the two sides could start negotiating without preconditions. Tillerson’s offer Tuesday to “sit down and see each other face […]
12/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the U.S. military campaign against Islamic State winds down in the Middle East, the Trump administration is turning its focus to what it sees as a bigger threat: Iran. U.S. officials are wrestling with where and how to repel what they describe as a significant Iranian military expansion across […]
12/12/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRADE DEALS: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ruled out pursuing a traditional Cold War-style containment and deterrence strategy against a nuclear-armed North Korea, citing concerns that Pyongyang will transform its arsenal into a commercial business and sell nuclear weapons to other actors… President Donald Trump has long said he won’t tolerate a […]
12/7/2017
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY: “President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, will face a different judge to be sentenced than the one who took Flynn’s guilty plea to a felony false statement charge last week, court records show. Judge Emmet Sullivan was randomly assigned to take over the case after Judge Rudolph Contreras […]
12/4/2017
LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The guilty plea by President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser inspired dueling narratives over the weekend. To Mr. Trump’s supporters, the charge against Mike Flynn for making false statements was evidence that investigators were nowhere near proving collusion with Russians to interfere in the 2016 president election, the matter […]
12/4/2017
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. and South Korean militaries began five days of simulated war drills on the peninsula Monday [12-4-17], involving bombers, fighters and thousands of troops, less than a week after North Korea tested its most advanced missile. The annual drills, known as Vigilant Ace, are aimed at developing interoperability […]
12/3/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MCMASTER/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA: “The Trump administration will roll out its first national-security strategy in the next few weeks, marking the beginning of what it calls a tough new approach to confront a raft of global security challenges. White House officials said the strategy encompasses the threat of North Korea’s nuclear arms, global terrorism and […]
12/3/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ that KT McFarland, a former Trump transition official and deputy national security adviser, needs to provide testimony to Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller… The comments from Warner, as well as his colleague, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, indicate […]
12/1/2017
LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Mike Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, pleaded guilty Friday [12-1-17] morning to lying to the FBI about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. in December 2016, before Mr. Trump took office. Mr. Flynn is the most senior Trump aide or associate to face criminal charges in […]
12/1/2017
LEGAL/MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Mike Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, is expected to plead guilty Friday [12-1-17] morning to lying to the FBI about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. in December 2016, before Mr. Trump took office. In an interview with the FBI in January, Mr. Flynn said he […]
11/29/2017
HILLARY CLINTON/NATIONAL SECURITY: ” ‘Had the information (Crooked Hillary’s emails) been released there would have been harm to National Security….’ Charles McCullough Fmr Intel Comm Inspector General https://t.co/b0tLW5TVhX” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 29, 2017 09:00pm […]
11/28/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR: “As tensions between the United States and North Korea continue to simmer, Hawaii will start a statewide test on Friday [11-24-17] of a Cold War-era early warning system designed to inform its residents of an impending nuclear attack. The Attack Warning Tone, described as a ‘wailing tone,’ will be heard for about […]
11/28/2017
HILLARY CLINTON/NATIONAL SECURITY: “Charles McCullough, the respected fmr Intel Comm Inspector General, said public was misled on Crooked Hillary Emails. ‘Emails endangered National Security.’ Why aren’t our deep State authorities looking at this? Rigged & corrupt? @TuckerCarlson @seanhannity” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 28, 2017 09:45pm […]
11/28/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SOUTH KOREA: “North Korea has been conducting missile engine and fuel tests in recent weeks, with the goal of achieving nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities as early as next year, a senior South Korean official said on Tuesday [11-28-17]. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, South Korea’s lead official on North Korea, also said his […]
11/28/2017
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR: “After North Korea missile launch, it’s more important than ever to fund our gov’t & military! Dems shouldn’t hold troop funding hostage for amnesty & illegal immigration. I ran on stopping illegal immigration and won big. They can’t now threaten a shutdown to get their demands.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 28, 2017 […]
11/28/2017
MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR ENERGY: “Private-sector backers of a controversial Middle East nuclear plan worked with former national security adviser Mike Flynn to promote it inside the White House, to the point of sending him a draft memo for the president to sign authorizing the project. At issue was a proposal to build dozens of nuclear […]