THE WEAPONIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“We need to move beyond our 20th century approach to messaging and start looking at influence as an integral aspect of modern irregular warfare.”
Andrew Knaggs, the Pentagon’s deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combating terrorism, speaking at a defense industry symposium Feb. 5
ENOUGH
“Great nations do not fight endless wars.”
Remarks from President Donald J. Trump at his second State of the Union speech on Feb. 5 on concluding military operations in the Middle East
OUT OF HERE
“For years, Russia has violated the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty without remorse. … Russia’s violations put millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking from the State Department announcing US suspension of the INF Treaty [CNN, Feb. 1]
DO SVIDANIYA!
[Do svidaniya translates from Russian to interject: farewell, goodbye, see you later, until we meet again.]
“Our response will be symmetrical. Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the INF Treaty, and we are suspending it too. They said that they are engaged in research, development and design work, and we will do the same.”
Russian President Vladamir Putin’s response to US departure from INF Treaty
INTERCEPTION
“For certain regional geographies—North Korea comes to mind—we actually think it’s entirely possible and cost-effective to deploy what I will loosely call air-to-air interceptors, although possibly of new design, on advanced aircraft [and] using the aircraft as either sensor or weapons platforms to affect a missile intercept.”
Michael Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering on possible creation of a new F-35 ICBM-killing weapon
CLOSER LOOK
“The Trump White House .. proposed that all clearance activities be shifted to the Pentagon, and that the Defense Security Service get a new name highlighting its counterintelligence mission. An Executive Order is now pending that would shift all of OPM’s personnel and resources involved in clearances to the new agency.”
Loren Thompson, Lexington Institute [Forbes.com, Jan. 7]
CROWDED SPACE
“We assess that commercial space services will continue to expand; countries—including US adversaries and strategic competitors—will become more reliant on space services for civil and military needs, and China and Russia will field new counterspace weapons intended to target US and allied space capabilities.”
Statement from National Intelligence Director Daniel R. Coats
MAKEOVER
“The current vetting process for security clearances and positions of trust is too complicated, takes too long, costs too much, and fails to capitalize on modern technology and processes. We are taking too many security risks and losing talented people who are not willing to endure a years-long process. Our current system is broken and needs a revolution.”
Remarks by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) who introduced a bill to overhaul DOD security clearances