Ukraine’s Defense Doctrine Names Russia Military Adversary

How ISIS Turns the Economy Into A Recruiting Tactic

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 6:01 PM

Defense One - All Content

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Before Islamic State militants overran her hometown of Mosul in June 2014, Fahima Omar ran a hairdressing salon. But ISIS gunmen made Omar close her business—and lose her only source of income. Salons like hers encouraged “debauchery,” the militants said.

Omar is one of many business owners—male and female—who say ISIS has forced them to shut up shop and lose their livelihoods in the process. The extremist group has also prevented those who refuse to join it from finding jobs, and has imposed heavy taxes on civilians.

“ISIS controls every detail of the economy,” says Abu Mujahed, who fled with his family from ISIS-controlled Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria. “Only their people or those who swear allegiance to them have a good life.” When they took over Deir al-Zor, ISIS gunmen systematically took control of the local economy, looting factories and confiscating properties, says Mujahed. Then they moved in, taking over local business networks.

In Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital, a group of traders loyal to the gunmen have imposed a stranglehold over the local economy, locals and activists say.

Together with the ISIS-controlled Syrian provinces of Deir al-Zor and Hasakeh, Raqqa has been described as a “breadbasket” for Syria. But it is now traders loyal to ISIS who control all transportation of agricultural goods from Raqqa to other areas under Islamic State control—including places in Iraq.

And it is ISIS traders, not local merchants, who control the prices of goods in the markets, activists say.

“The traders are the masters now,” says Hamoud al-Moussa of anti-ISIS activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently. “They are the ones who decide on prices and people have to accept that and deal with it.”

ISIS has inflicted particularly cruel persecution on businesswomen, forcing female-run businesses like Omar’s hair salon to close and making it impossible for professional women to continue working. Dr. Suham Mahmoud, an eye specialist, says she had to close her private clinic in Mosul after militants forced her to wear a burqa—even while she was performing intricate eye operations.

After losing her income from her private clinic, Mahmoud also had to stop treating people at hospitals in Mosul because ISIS gunmen harassed her so much that she was unable to do her job.

In addition to closing businesses and preventing people from making a living, ISIS has imposed heavy taxes on those living under its rule, locals and activists say. “Only the air people breathe is not taxed,” says Mujahed, adding that the cost of utilities like water and electricity has soared underISIS rule.

The Islamic State has boasted in its propaganda videos that the markets in cities under its control are full of goods. But Syrians from Raqqa and Deir al-Zor say that while there are indeed goods in the market, prices are so high that only ISIS militants can afford to buy them. The sky-high prices—the cost of basic foodstuffs in Deir al-Zor has shot up by as much as 1,000 percent, according to one resident—coupled with heavy taxation and high unemployment, mean local people are struggling to buy everyday items.

“You can find everything there, but people do not have enough income to be able to buy what they need,” says Umm Ahmed, a woman from Raqqa. “We can only buy cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes. Meat and chicken are only for ISIS.”

The dire economic situation, the closure of businesses, and the lack of employment are pushing some people to join ISIS out of desperation, local people report. “Many young people are joining ISISbecause this is the only way to get an income,” says Abu Mutassem, who is from the town of Al Raie near the Turkish border. Activists say ISIS’s economic persecution is a deliberate tactic to force people to capitulate and support the extremists.

“ISIS used every means to strangle people on the economic level hoping this will push them to join it,” says al-Moussa.

The tactic is working well in areas that ISIS has controlled for a year or more—and in cities that the militant group has taken over more recently. In Palmyra, as many as 1,200 young men have joinedISIS since the extremists took over in May, according to local resident Nasser Mohammad.

“In Palmyra, people cannot find jobs,” adds another resident, Abu Younis al-Tadmuri. And in ISIS-controlled Iraq the only solution for some businesspeople has been to risk their lives to flee.

Deprived of her only source of income after the militants closed her hair salon, businesswoman Fahima Omar escaped from Mosul and now lives in Irbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

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The number of child abuse cases in the military hits a decade high

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 6:00 PM

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Confirmed cases of abuse and neglect of military children increased markedly in 2014, Defense Department data showed on Wednesday, prompting concerns among Pentagon about efforts to safeguard the nation’s over 1 million military children.

In fiscal year 2014, officials tracking family violence within the military confirmed 7,676 cases of child abuse or neglect, an increase of 10 percent from the previous year, according to annual statistics on child abuse and domestic violence. Confirmed cases of neglect – which excludes physical and sexual abuse – rose by 14 percent, military officials said.

The data, which has not been released publicly and was obtained by the Washington Post, contrasts with a years-long decline in child abuse and neglect among civilian families nationwide.

“It really did get our attention,” a Defense Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the data. But officials equally acknowledged they don’t fully understand the reasons behind – or the significance of — the increase in 2014 abuse figures.

The number of abused and neglected military children dropped steadily from 2004 until 2008, when it began to rise again.

With only limited ability at the Pentagon to analyze complex social science data, the Pentagon has now hired an external expert in child abuse to scrutinize the worrying increase in instances of neglect.

“We’re hoping to take a deeper dive into the data in the next year,” the official said.

While the government has not yet released 2014 data on child abuse among the general population, the rate of sexual and physical abuse among Americans has declined significantly since the mid-1990s. Over that period, the number of neglect cases also declined, but at a slower rate.

David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, said the rate of abuse among military families, at 5.6 victims per 1,000 children, remains well below that for the general population, which is around 9 per 1,000 nationally.

“I do think noticing something like that in the data really merits an investigation, to see what could be going on … especially in something as important as the welfare of children,” Finkelhor said.

Yet he cautioned that the new Pentagon figures may be less indicative of a serious increase in child mistreatment than they appear at first glance.

While the number of cases of abuse and neglect rose in 2014, the actual number of child victims fell slightly to 5,838. Military officials have said such a discrepancy may be caused by the fact that a single child can be the subject of multiple incidents, or that multiple people could be charged in the abuse of a single child.

The data also shows a jump in the share of alleged child abusers who are female rather than male.

Military officials also received reports of 30 fatalities linked to child abuse or neglect in 2014, 18 of which were deaths among children less than 1 year old. There are 1.05 million children in U.S. military families.

The figures come to light as the Pentagon grapples with toll that repeated deployments, combat stress and, now, budget pressures and force reductions have taken on military families over the last decade.

While the winding down of the war of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has reunited families, the new figures have prompted concern among Pentagon officials about ongoing strains faced by military families.

“The stress on the force doesn’t end when the deployment is going away or slowing down,” said Patricia Barron, an official with the Association of the U.S. Army.

The external child abuse expert will focus on the 14-percent increase in child neglect, a Pentagon spokesman said. Teresa Huizar, executive director of the National Children’s Alliance, said that neglect was the most prevalent form of child abuse, in part because programs to address the phenomenon did not receive enough funding or attention.

Pentagon officials described a number of safeguards the military has put in place to curb domestic violence, including placing family advocacy officials on every military installation and educating military leaders and rank-and-file about how to detect, report and prevent abuse. Cases of abuse or neglect are referred to military or civilian law enforcement.

“Providing resources and engaging with military families is both a national security issue and a moral imperative,” said Rosemary Freitas Williams, a senior Pentagon official responsible for military community and family policy.

The Pentagon is also struggling to end a chronic problem with sexual assault among service members. In May, the Defense Dept. released a report showing that instances of sexual assault had fallen but that retaliation against those who report such attacks remains a major problem. For the first time, the military is also expanding the scope of its effort to contain sexual assault to include male-on-male attacks.

The family abuse data also shows positive trends, including a 6 percent decrease in spousal abuse in 2014.

Missy Ryan writes about the Pentagon, military issues, and national security for The Washington Post.

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Reporters face subpoenas in case over CIA head's resignation

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 5:57 PM

Associated Press

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eapcontent.ap.orgFILE - In this Nov. 13, 2012, file photo, Jill Kelley leaves her home in Tampa, Fla. The Associated Press has learned that lawyers for Scott and Jill Kelley's privacy lawsuit over leaks in the Obama administration investigation that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, intend to subpoena at least two journalists to compel them to testify about their sources in the case. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A couple suing over leaks in the federal investigation that led to CIA Director David Petraeus' resignation intend to subpoena at least two journalists in an attempt to compel testimony about their sources, The Associated Press has learned.

That legal strategy was driven by a judge's decision in July to quash efforts by lawyers for Scott and Jill Kelley to question Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who was the Defense Department's general counsel at the time of the investigation.

The judge had told the Kelley's lawyers that because Johnson was a Cabinet secretary, they could not question him until after subpoenaing reporters about any conversations Johnson or his subordinates had with journalists about Jill Kelley's relationship with Petraeus or Marine Gen. John R. Allen.

"It may turn out that the information plaintiffs seek cannot be obtained through any other means, but that ... has yet to be established," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in her ruling.

Pentagon officials acknowledged in depositions that they developed a "press plan" with members of an unspecified delegation from the White House in November 2012 to tell reporters that emails between Allen and Jill Kelley were "potentially inappropriate" and to suggest that the two had a sexual relationship.

She has denied this, and Allen later was exonerated by the Pentagon's inspector general.

The Kelleys, from Tampa, Florida, sued the government in June 2013 in Washington, alleging that officials violated the U.S. Privacy Act by disclosing information about them.

Among reporters, their lawyers plan to subpoena Daniel Klaidman, formerly of the Daily Beast, and Douglas Frantz, formerly the national security editor at The Washington Post, according to a person familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is under a judicial gag order.

Klaidman exchanged messages with Johnson's private Gmail account about Jill Kelley on Nov. 11, 2012, according to court files. Frantz had faxed Jill Kelley the same day and told her that reporters were shown copies of harassing emails sent to her regarding her friendship with Petraeus.

No subpoenas have been issued, and depositions are expected to continue through Oct. 31.

Current and former government officials already questioned under oath include former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former Pentagon chief of staff Jeremy Bash and former Pentagon and CIA spokesman George Little.

In the weeks ahead, lawyers expect to question Petraeus, Allen and Philippe Reines, a former senior adviser when Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of state. According to testimony, Reines exchanged emails about Jill Kelley with Pentagon officials at the time.

Reines did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday from the AP asking to discuss the case.

Klaidman, now deputy editor at Yahoo News, declined to comment. Frantz, an assistant secretary at the State Department, did not immediately return a telephone message left with a secretary.

The Kelley family's Washington lawyer, Alan Charles Raul, declined to comment.

In 2012, Jill Kelley complained to the FBI when an unknown person sent her harassing emails. Her complaint triggered a criminal investigation that led agents to Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer. Broadwell had been having an affair with him.

The FBI concluded that Broadwell had forwarded to her personal email account at least 1,500 messages about intelligence and military matters from Petraeus' official CIA email account. Petraeus resigned Nov. 9, 2012, and later pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information.

Jill Kelley's name and some harassing emails were disclosed on Nov. 11, 2012, to reporters amid the sensational disclosures about Petraeus, a former Army general. Two days later, she was linked to Allen, the then-commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

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· · · ·

Ukraine Military Doctrine Declares Russia The Enemy And NATO Membership A Top Goal

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 5:48 PM

International Business Times

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The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council revised the country’s military doctrine Wednesday, defining Russia as the country’s adversary and laying out a long-term path toward NATO membership. At the meeting, the council backed plans to abandon its previous status as being against moving closer to the European Union and "to resume the strategic course on Euro-Atlantic integration," according to a report in Sputnik, a Russian state news site.

"The new military doctrine of Ukraine determines the Russian Federation as the country's military adversary and defines conditions for the liberation of temporary occupied territories of Ukraine," the council said in a statement.

At the Security Council meeting, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the doctrine "not only officially establishes the Russian Federation as Ukraine's military opponent, but states the task of relocating military units and creating the necessary military infrastructure in the eastern and southern regions."

The new doctrine is expected to be signed by Poroshenko in the coming days.

Ukrainian Military Expenditure Over Time | FindTheData

The move comes amid trouble in Kiev, where Poroshenko has been attempting to gain approval for a constitutional change that would divert power from Kiev to the independent regions in Ukraine, including Donbas and Luhansk which are currently under control of separatists. Critics say a change in power means the two contested regions would end up in rebel and Russian hands.

However, it may be the case that Ukraine is willing to forego hanging on to both regions in exchange for peace and a shot at eventually joining the EU and NATO, without either of the war-torn regions, according to a report from Carnegie Moscow Center, the Russian outpost of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace global foreign-policy think tank.  

On Monday, when the parliament gave its initial approval to the bill that would decentralize power,riots and fighting erupted outside the parliament. The scuffles killed three police officers and injured more than 100 civilians.

Russia denies it has sent troops into eastern Ukraine or assisted the pro-Russian rebels in the region.

Ukraine’s Defense Doctrine Names Russia Military Adversary

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 5:45 PM

Washington Free Beacon

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AP

BY: Jenna Lifhits 

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council called Russia a “military adversary” in its defense doctrine released today.

The document defines the “conditions for the liberation” of territories in eastern Ukraine, according to a statement by the council.

The doctrine also declares that Ukraine will retract its non-aligned status in favor of pursuit of NATO membership. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, “The goal is to ensure full compatibility of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with NATO member states by 2020.”

President Poroshenko added that the document “not only officially establishes the Russian Federation as Ukraine’s military opponent, but states the task of relocating military units and creating the necessary military infrastructure in the eastern and southern regions.”

According to RT, the document is a response to the “high probability” of foreign involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The doctrine says that Russian nationals are “involved in financial support of terrorists and other criminal activities, as well as in the violation of the international law, having supported the annexation of the Ukrainian territory by the Russian Federation.”

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the doctrine is unprecedented in its outright definition of an enemy.

“For the first time in the history of Ukraine’s independence, there is a clearly defined enemy and aggressor in the draft of the doctrine—and it is the Russian Federation,” he said.

The new defense doctrine was approved Wednesday by the National Security and Defense Council and must be signed by President Poroshenko to go into effect.

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‘A Better Iran Deal’ Is Just Wishful Thinking

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 5:44 PM

Defense One - All Content

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Supporters of the Iran deal argue they have secured verifiable, significant reductions in Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons. Opponents accuse the deal’s backers of wishful thinking. It’s fatuous, they argue, to think that Tehran is willing to forgo the bomb. Instead, the Iranian leadership will cheat on its obligations. Or wait patiently until constraints expire. And be even more trouble to Israel and otherU.S. friends in the Middle East.

Let’s weigh these arguments against the possibility of another kind of wishful thinking: that a “better” deal can be achieved by walking away from this one. To achieve better terms, the current sanctions regime must hold as long as it takes to resume negotiations. Also, the next American president must be able to convince all of Washington’s negotiating partners to support better provisions than those rejected by the Congress. Plus, “tougher” sanctions must remain in place on all of Iran’s significant trading partners for as many years as it takes Tehran to cry “uncle.” All of these hopeful assumptions rest on the next President’s ability, moral standing and political backing — domestically and internationally — to negotiate a better deal.

Supporters argue that the deal doesn’t rely on trust; it relies on intrusive monitoring provisions, included at suspect sites, where timelines for access will prevent “break out” or “sneak out” from key limitations. Perhaps Tehran will abide by its obligations; if it doesn’t, President Obama and his successors will know about Iranian noncompliance in time to take remedial action. Such action may include, as a last resort, military strikes — an option that will remain after the terms of this deal lapse. As for Iran’s misbehavior in the region, the Obama administration is taking many steps to shore up friends, especially Israel, with military assistance. Subsequent administrations will do so, as well. Rather than engaging in wishful thinking, supporters of the deal have instead put in place prudent hedges against worst cases.

Now let’s examine the underlying assumptions behind the push for a “better” deal. Will existing sanctions hold between the time this deal is torpedoed by the Congress and the advent of the next administration? It is more likely that they will fray because Congress will be in no position to hold the line against every other trading partner of Iran, all of whom support this deal.

Will the next U.S. president have the standing to negotiate better terms, the way that Ronald Reagan was able to secure deeper cuts in nuclear forces than the strategic arms limitations that Jimmy Carter obtained? Reagan got a better deal because he wanted to eliminate nuclear weapons in both the United States and the Soviet Union. In the Iran deal, the United States (and Israel) accept no nuclear constraints; all of the limitations are on Tehran.

Ronald Reagan won’t win the next election. The next American president will have to operate in the same severely partisan circumstances as President Obama — except that he or she will have less standing because Republicans in Congress have sided with a hardline government in Israel against every other state that supports this deal.

Realistically speaking, the probability of sanctions eroding if Congress torpedoes this deal is greater than the prospect of tougher sanctions. Tehran has been willing to accept significant, long-term constraints on its enrichment program in return for the lifting of some sanctions. It won’t cry “uncle” as sanctions erode.

Sinking this deal is far more likely to result in no deal than a better deal. If Congress rejects this deal, if sanctions erode, and if Iran increases its enrichment capabilities — as opponents fully expect — an American president is left with basically two options. One is not to use military force. The other is to launch another war in the Middle East to prevent another country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Although backers of a “better” deal rarely say so, their fallback plan is the same as that of the deal’s supporters: the use of military force. But there is a huge difference between making war against a country that violates the terms of an international agreement not to make nuclear weapons, and making war after rejecting an agreement could have avoided war in the first place.

Nothing will weaken America’s standing in the world or exhaust its armed forces and treasury more than fighting a second, unnecessary war in the Middle East to prevent a state from acquiring nuclear weapons. This deal provides an opportunity to prevent worst cases, while being prepared for them. Torpedoing this deal increases the odds of worst cases. It is wishful thinking to expect that a better deal will result from killing this one on Capitol Hill.

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Video Sheriff David Clarke Obama Started This War On Police

Wednesday September 2nd, 2015 at 4:19 PM

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With the backing of Maryland Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Democrats now have enough votes in the Senate to ensure the nuclear agreement survives.

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Recent open source reports and unverified images of Russian equipment in Syria might indicate that the Kremlin is slowly ramping up its presence in the war-torn country in support of the beleaguered regime of Syrian President Bashir al-A...

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Defense One What Congress Can Learn from the Military About Cybersecurity Defense One When Senators return to Washington, DC this fall, they will take up work on legislation to make it easier for companies to share cybersecurity informat...

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-

Today's Headlines and Commentary - Lawfare

Wednesday September 2^nd, 2015 at 6:22 PM

Lawfare

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The nuclear accord with Iran will stand.

On the heels of yesterday's endorsements of the JCPOA with Iran by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Chris Coons (D-DE), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) has announced her intention to also support the Iran nuclear deal reached by the P5+1 in July. In a statement, Mikulski said that she had concluded that this deal “is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb.”

Mikulski, as the 34th Senate vote in support of the deal, assures that President Barack Obama will have the necessary support to sustain his veto of a future resolution of disapproval, should one be passed by Congress when it takes the deal up for debate later this month. The Wall Street Journalprovides an updated whip count, displaying where each member of the House and Senate stand on the agreement. President Obama will now likely attempt to get enough Democratic support to filibuster a resolution of disapproval.

Yet just in case there was any confusion, Thomas Erdbrink of the New York Times shares that the United States remains the “Great Satan” in Iran, at least to hardliners anyway. Although “Death to America” graffitti has been removed from the walls of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, hardliners like Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, still have criticized Iranians advocating for greater ties with the West. In a speech before the Assembly of Experts, Jafari said Iran should not be “cheated by the new slogans” of America. The remarks came as police officers inside Iran’s capital caught distributors selling clothing featuring American flags and British Union Jacks.

The CIA and U.S. special forces have launched a new secret campaign to hunt Islamic State leaders in Syria as part of a targeted killing program distinct from the broader U.S. military campaign against ISIS, reports the Washington Post. The campaign is responsible for several recent strikes, including the killing of high-profile British militant Junaid Hussain. Officials indicated that while the move may complicate Obama’s plan to shift to drone program to the Department of Defense, the new approach allows the CIA to remain involved in “finding and fixing” terrorist targets while leaving it up to JSOC to “finish” the target. The Post has more, including that the model is increasingly seen as one that could be deployed in future conflicts.

If reports from the Daily Beast are accurate, the United States may not be the only foreign actor boosting its activities in Syria. Michael Weiss indicates that a “flurry of reports” have shown that Russia is expanding its role in the conflict, providing more weapons to Syrian forces, and perhaps even preparing to fly missions alongside the Syrian air force. More on that, including curious silence at the Pentagon, here.

Turkish warplanes pounded PKK positions in Turkey today, with state media claiming that 20 militants had been killed. Reuters has the story. According to the BBC, 18 Turkish construction workers were kidnapped by unknown militants in Baghdad.

Al Jazeera shares more information on the arrests of three Vice News journalists. Apparently, they were charged because one of the men was using an encryption service often used by ISIS militants, at least that’s the story from a senior Turkish press official. The three men have been charged with “engaging in terrorist activity.” But foreign journalists are not the only victims of the Turkish government’s latest crackdown: the Guardian reports that the Ankara-based offices of a media group critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been raided and six people arrested for “providing financial support to and disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization.” The State Department called on Turkey to “uphold universal democratic values” including “freedom of the press, due process and access to media information.”

In Yemen, two Red Cross employees were killed by an unknown attacker today, according to the international aid group. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

Elsewhere, the BBC asks if the war in Yemen has simply handed over the port city of Aden to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State. According to the British news agency, with no effective policing or government control, “the once tranquil port of Aden is being steadily infiltrated by jihadists.” In one recent report, ISIS supporters dressed a number of Houthi prisoners in orange jumpsuits, put them in a boat, and then blew the boat up, killing everyone onboard.

Yesterday, a U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan killed at least five suspected militants and wounded four more, according to RFE/RL. The drone strike was the 10th reported in Pakistan this year. The Long War Journal apprises us that three Uzbeks were among the five dead, signalling that they may have been associated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a group that recently swore allegiance to the Islamic State. Of course, the Uzbeks could have also been members of the Islamic Jihadi Union, which remains loyal to the Taliban and al Qaeda. Oh, the splintering jihadist groups of Pakistan…

The Taliban made news yesterday, releasing a 5000-word biography of its new leader in five separate languages. The document waxes poetic, describing Mullah Mansur as a “good listener” and a“neat dresser” who is “naturally bequeathed with unique leading and guiding capabilities.” The biography neglects to address recent charges by Afghan Vice President Rashid Dostum that Mansur used to serve as a spy for the government.

Remember that probe, which the U.S. military plans to reopen, into the deaths of at least 18 Afghan civilians allegedly killed by U.S. special forces? The Washington Post reports that the villagers of Nerkh district are a bit skeptical, with many wondering how justice can be served after so long. One villager said the delayed review is "like throwing dust into the eyes of the people.”

More information out of Somalia today, where the New York Times confirms that the al Qaeda-affiliate al Shabaab did indeed overrun an African Union military base in the country yesterday. For its part, the African Union released a statement asserting they had regained control of the base after initiating a “tactical withdrawal.” Shabaab militants claimed to have killed 50 Ugandan peacekeepers.

Boko Haram militants killed at least 24 people in Nigeria earlier today, in the latest indication that the security situation in that country is still unravelling. According to military sources, the gunmen rode on horseback into two separate villages, opening fire and throwing explosives into crowds. Reutersnotes that more than 700 people have been killed in militant attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari took office at the end of May.

In today’s preview of the future of violence: With the use of drones on the rise throughout Latin America, authorities around the region are rushing to pass new regulations in order to prevent criminal activity. The CEO of one Mexican drone manufacturer posed a terrifying question to McClatchy: “What would happen if you put C4 plastic explosives and loaded it with pellets?” McClatchy reports that there may already be signs of illicit drone use, with criminals attempt to smuggle heroin into the United States from Mexico using unmanned aerial vehicles. 

Back in the United States, the National Journal reports that absent federal drone rules, state governments have taken to crafting their own legislation on unmanned aerial vehicles, setting up a potential clash with federal regulations in the long run. The potential for conflict is only likely to grow the longer that the federal government stalls.

A FOIA request by Jason Leopold of Vice News has yielded emails that seem to show the FBI and JSOC discussing an American blogger, Samir Khan, who was later killed in a drone strike in Yemen in September 2011. The emails discuss a “joint operation” but redactions make it impossible to determine the mission that the FBI wanted to “push forward.” Khan was one of the founding editors of the now infamous Inspire magazine, an online propaganda rag published by AQAP that encourages lone wolf terrorism.

According to the AFP, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter complicated efforts to close Guantanamo yesterday, telling U.S. troops during a televised interview that “some of the people who are at Guantanamo Bay have to be detained indefinitely, they’ve just got to be locked up.” Carter noted that about half of the detainees have been cleared for transfer, but said that “half of them are not safe to release, period.”

Even so, Defense officials are on the prowl for a new location in which to house the forever detainees. Defense One tells us that today and tomorrow, a group of roughly 10 Pentagon officials are set to survey the Consolidated Naval Brig in Charleston, South Carolina in order to determine whether it is a suitable alternative to GTMO. The Pentagon told reporters that it has a “broad list” of potential maximum security facilities it is considering. Defense One also carries a map of the U.S. facilities currently under consideration for Guantanamo detainees.

Good news, dear federal employees! The Office of Personnel Management has finally awarded a $133 million contract to Identity Theft Guard Solutions, a service that will provide identity and credit theft protection for up to three years to all 21.5 million federal employees affected by the recent hack---just in case the PLA decides it wants that new Honda Accord.

Parting Shot: Sorry, we’re not sorry: North Korea tells South Korea that it isn’t actually sorry for planting the landmine that killed South Korean soldiers a few weeks ago, they just regret that the South was so upset.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Yesterday was Lawfare’s 5th birthday, and in traditional fashion, we celebrated with a cake for the handmaidens of power. In all seriousness, thanks to all those who have helped Lawfare develop and grow over the last half decade!

Aaron Zelin brought us the latest Jihadology Podcast on Turkish jihadism at home and in Syria, featuring the folks from North Caucasus Caucus.

In the latest Kyiv Dispatch, Stephanie Leutert described the rising challenges presented by Ukraine’s “volunteer battalions,” many of whom are ferociously nationalistic.  

Carrie Cordero shared her story of standing atop the World Trade Center fourteen years ago and how the experience in the days following 9/11 shaped her desire to “ensure that the nation addresses security threats directly, proactively, and thoughtfully.”

Daniel Reisner provided Part III in his series reflecting on the UN Commission of Inquiry Gaza Report, this time on “the clash between human rights and law of war specialists.”

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