News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. How Biden will deal with the Pentagon's generals
2. The fading light of liberal democracy
3. A Chinese Communist Party think tank staffer offered to pay for sources
4. Scoop: DHS to issue China data security warning to U.S. businesses
5. WeChat Becomes a Powerful Surveillance Tool Everywhere in China
6. A Dinner, a Deal and Moonshine: How the Stimulus Came Together
7. FBI links Iran to online hit list targeting top officials who've refuted Trump's election fraud claims
8. After Fort Hood, the U.S. Army Will Succeed or Fail on Trust
9. The Big Hack Is Damaging. That Doesn't Make Russia 10 Feet Tall.
10. Europe rediscovers the Indo-Pacific
11. Members Send Letter to Secretary of Defense-designee Lloyd Austin
12. We can help the Chinese people change their communist regime
13. Beijing Ransacked Data as U.S. Sources Went Dark in China
14. Tech Giants Are Giving China A Vital Edge in Espionage
15. "Unreliable" news sources got more traction in 2020
16. Prepare to Fight Upcoming Cyber-Threat Innovations
17. Why the Russian hack is so significant, and why it's close to a worst-case scenario
18. What Every Vaccine Skeptic Should Know About The New Coronavirus Vaccines
19. Is the ICC corrupted by China?
20. Deep State Strike Force
21. It's Time for a U.S. Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security
22. Three Articles Signal New Cold War
1. How Biden will deal with the Pentagon's generals
news.yahoo.com by Sean D. Nayor December 22, 2020
I hope Sean's analysis holds true. This bodes well for civil-military relations at the top.
Some key excerpts that describe a good leader:
Biden ultimately lost that debate. Nonetheless, his engagement typified what Petraeus and other former government officials described as Biden's approach with senior military leaders: highly respectful of their sacrifice and professionalism, but neither cowed by their rank nor afraid to question their judgment.
“We did disagree on some pretty significant policy issues - as was to be expected to a degree, perhaps, given our different responsibilities and perspectives - but he always heard me out, welcomed and considered my views, and engaged in constructive back-and-forth," Petraeus said. "He was not necessarily one to leave something unsaid - but then neither was I."
...
Panetta, who attended many meetings in the White House with Biden and senior military officers, said that although the vice president did not shrink from asking hard questions regarding military assumptions, he always did so respectfully. "I never heard him shout at anybody," Panetta said.
...
Biden isn't just drawing on close associates, however. When NBC News reported last month that national security experts from outside the government had begun briefing the president-elect to prepare him to take office, among the experts listed was none other than Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
The retired general did not respond to a request for comment, but Panetta attributed McChrystal's role to the lessons Biden had acquired during his long political career. "One thing senators learn early on is you don't carry a grudge if somebody has abilities that you may need in making a decision," Panetta said. "You get beyond that."
2. The fading light of liberal democracy
Financial Times · by Martin Wolf · December 22, 2020
The buried lede? South Korea is at the top of most of the charts with apparently relatively favorable views toward the US.
So the enemy is the "pluto-populists?"
3. A Chinese Communist Party think tank staffer offered to pay for sources
Axios · by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
Everyone should watch "Game of Pawns: The Glenn Duffie Shriver Story". It may be a "B movie "(28 minutes) by the FBI but it illustrates the threat from China.
4. Scoop: DHS to issue China data security warning to U.S. businesses
Axios · by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
Excerpt: "The advisory specifically cautions U.S. businesses with regards to data centers owned or operated by Chinese firms, foreign data centers built with Chinese equipment, joint ventures with Chinese firms, software and mobile device applications, and fitness trackers and other wearables, according to a copy of the advisory reviewed by Axios."
5. WeChat Becomes a Powerful Surveillance Tool Everywhere in China
WSJ · by Jing Yang· December 22, 2020
This is not surprising.
Excerpts:
“The Chinese government also tapped Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to design health-rating systems that make up one of the main contact-tracing tools to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The health codes embedded within WeChat and Alipay, operated by Alibaba affiliate Ant Group Co., have become essential passes in China for entering residences, office buildings and accessing public transportation.
...
The Trump administration has cited WeChat's access to user information and censorship as reasons to ban it from the U.S., along with short-video app TikTok. Both bans have been challenged in American courts and haven't taken effect.
Censorship during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak became so strict that even content from Chinese state-owned media was occasionally taken down, a phenomenon that researchers attributed to internet companies overcompensating to avoid running afoul of rules governing speech that are often unclear.
"The primary mechanism here is not the law, but rather fear," said David Bandurski, co-director of The University of Hong Kong's China Media Project. "Companies must abide by regulations and propaganda guidelines imposed by the leadership in order to protect their business interests."
6. A Dinner, a Deal and Moonshine: How the Stimulus Came Together
The New York Times · by Nicholas Fandos, Luke Broadwater and Emily Cochrane · December 22, 2020
This is political. Many are unhappy with the outcome of the bill or with many provisions within it.
But this story gives us hope that the center can hold and get some work done for our country, however imperfect. But of course compromise by definition means will not get a perfect result.
7. FBI links Iran to online hit list targeting top officials who've refuted Trump's election fraud claims
The Washington Post· by Ellen Nakashima, Amy Gardner and Aaron C. Davis · December 23, 2020
Excerpts:
“One state official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, said the FBI has been placing calls to those targeted on the web page to inform them that Iran was behind the effort. The agency plans to make an announcement Wednesday.
Several of those targeted received the following statement from the bureau: "The FBI is in possession of highly credible information indicating Iranian advanced persistent threat actors were almost certainly responsible for the creation of a website, called 'Enemies of the People' containing death threats aimed at U.S. election officials in mid-December 2020."
8. After Fort Hood, the U.S. Army Will Succeed or Fail on Trust
warontherocks.com · by Carter F. Ham · December 23, 2020
Sober conclusion: "My old soldier sense is that this is a watershed moment for the Army I love. I think it is also a last, best chance for the Army to demonstrate that it can police itself, learn from serious mistakes, and right itself as the profession of arms demands. Should Army leaders at all levels fail to do this, outsiders will inevitably impose changes that may well address some of the specific issues raised in the Fort Hood report, but also weaken the bonds of trust that are essential in our society. By failing to act now, the Army will have failed in its obligation to the nation. The Army leaders I know understand this, and they have the character and commitment to rebuild trust across the force and build the Army America needs. The time is now.
9. The Big Hack Is Damaging. That Doesn't Make Russia 10 Feet Tall.
defenseone.com · by Daniel DePetris
But perhaps only 9.5 feet all in the cyber world. But cyber is such a great asymmetric capability for an inherently weak country.
10. Europe rediscovers the Indo-Pacific
eastasiaforum.org · by David Camroux · December 23, 2020
Excerpts:
“Embracing the Indo-Pacific idea has four interrelated goals for the European Union. First, the term captures its wider Asia policy and partly compensates for the lacuna in its existing patchwork of arrangements. Second, it is a political statement on the salience of Europe's regulatory power in the region. Third, it provides a foundation for a shared European and American understanding of how to respond to China.
Finally, embracing the Indo-Pacific idea has allowed Europe to add a trans-Atlantic dimension to its bilateral relations in the region. By expressing their willingness to participate in Biden's planned 'Summit for Democracy', Europeans have indicated the ideological dimension to their objectives in the region.
Europe rediscovers the Indo-Pacific | East Asia Forum
11. Members Send Letter to Secretary of Defense-designee Lloyd Austin
slotkin.house.gov · December 22, 2020
"A commitment to ensuring that senior policy-making positions across the office of the Secretary of Defense are filled by qualified civilians, reflecting the need for civilian expertise and oversight in developing national security policy up and down the chain of command;"
It is the "up and down" the chain of command that concerns me and smacks of the political officer system. I hope they meant within the Pentagon's chain of command as in within the building only. We cannot have civilians injected into the chain of command at the combatant commands and operational units (e.g., "down the chain of command.")
I have to call out one of these six "commitments" being demanded of the SECDEF designee.
12. We can help the Chinese people change their communist regime
The Hill · by Joseph Bosco, opinion contributor · December 22, 2020
Interesting argument sand I agree with much of the comments on VOA and RFA but I will raise the flag on one issue regarding public advocacy for US policies. One simple fix would be for US government officials to grant the interview request they receive from VOA and RFA. US government officials making statements on US policy is news. It is not “propaganda.” I know many journalists from VOA and RFA who have requested interviews with US government officials only to be ignored or denied. And I will tell you the Korean service of VOA does a great job of interviewing experts to explain US policies. The Korean news I watch every night has experts explaining US policy. And shows such as the weekly Washington Talk are designed with the sole intent of explaining what is happening in Washington regarding US policies. But as far as I know no US government official has ever accepted an invitation to participate in the program. VOA, RFA. RFE should have routine access to the highest government officials.
Excerpts:
“The Chinese people clearly hunger for honest information and friendly communication with the American people, including U.S. officials. Messages from Pottinger, Miles Yu at the State Department Office of Policy Planning, and other Mandarin speakers in the government would find receptive audiences in China.
The natural conduit for such direct communications would be an expanded and invigorated effort by Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA), but some at VOA fear a conflict between reporting the news and disseminating "propaganda."
VOA and its sister communications agencies have earned global legitimacy and respect for their journalistic integrity and truthfulness. It would not jeopardize that reputation if news reports about administration speeches or policy statements, with a few quotations, provided links to the complete texts. Funding should be provided for more translators if needed.
A fuller presentation of U.S. policies would be perfectly consistent with the three missions set forth in VOA's charter: 1) a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news; 2) a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions; and 3) statements of U.S. policies and responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.
Some at VOA have chafed at going beyond the first mission - pure news. Experts close to the organization recently addressed that concern:
"This third mission is often called public diplomacy but ... a better term is 'policy advocacy,' defined as efforts by U.S. officials and diplomats to explain and defend U.S. interests, intentions and ideals to overseas audiences. Some critics within [the agency] argue for eliminating policy advocacy, calling it inimical to the norms of professional journalism. But this is unrealistic. Policy advocacy is an inescapable part of any government's communication with the world. The challenge is to keep policy advocacy separate from news reporting - and to do it in ways that are truthful, not propagandistic."
13. Beijing Ransacked Data as U.S. Sources Went Dark in China
Foreign Policy · by Zach Dorfman · December 22, 2020
Excerpts:
“Still, some China hawks remained frustrated over what they perceived of as a lack of focus on Beijing, and especially its industrial policies. "I was fighting people to get this done, more collection on China," said Robert Spalding, who served as the top China strategist for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the late Obama administration. At Spalding's request, in 2015 the Joint Chiefs organized meetings with a suite of top intelligence officials, as well as representatives from the Commerce, Treasury, and State departments around these issues. "The [intelligence community] refused to engage," said Spalding, who subsequently served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration.
But other former national security officials, who emphasize the time lag between high-level strategic reprioritizing of different intelligence targets and on-the-ground results, say there was an intensified focus on China around this time-including on developing greater insight into the relationship between Chinese intelligence agencies and private Chinese companies. By 2016, senior U.S. national security officials had "tasked the [intelligence community] to develop answers, setting the wheels in motion" on "the sharing between private [Chinese] companies and the MSS," one former national security official recalled. We "were looking at the forensic trail," they said.
The Obama administration's increased scrutiny of the Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE helped catalyze this process, this source said: "Part of the material that was obtained within that investigation provided a breadcrumb trail to Huawei's practices in Iran and elsewhere. But the picture was still being colored in."
After President Donald Trump took office in early 2017, this increasingly well-developed picture would spur U.S. intelligence officials, and senior Trump administration officials, to zero in on the symbiotic relationship between China's security apparatus and its private sector leviathans.”
14. Tech Giants Are Giving China A Vital Edge in Espionage
Foreign Policy · by Zach Dorfman · December 23, 2020
Excerpts:
Key legal restrictions and cultural norms mean American spy agencies cannot induce U.S. firms to sift through the fruits of its own cyberspying; they have had to build these data analysis capabilities for themselves, U.S. officials say. And they cannot, for example, commandeer private U.S. companies' data-processing power to help them create a composite picture of what the Chinese know about, say, U.S. government employees based on Beijing's prior hacks. But synthesizing these parallel databases has been a priority for U.S. officials, who have worked to mirror image at least some of what they believe the Chinese possess, according to three current and former senior officials. This can be a laborious process. "It took us forever to condition" the data from the OPM breach, the current senior intelligence official said.
But when U.S. officials eventually analyzed all this data, the picture that emerged about what, in fact, the Chinese knew was not a pretty one. U.S. intelligence reporting on the subject is "sickening to your stomach," the senior intelligence official said.
Conclusion:
Driven by fears over internal instability and external threats to its rule, the Chinese Communist Party has determined that data security is tantamount to regime security. But this strategy creates some internal tensions for Beijing. "The Chinese cybersecurity system today requires backdoors into every single company and individual in China," said a former senior intelligence analyst. "And they are willing to admit that these [backdoors] could enable attackers and may decrease the cybersecurity of the companies."
This is a trade-off China's leaders seem willing to make, at least for now-even though these policies may catalyze an economic decoupling with China's most important trading partner, and even though this decoupling might itself drive domestic instability. Meanwhile, the bear hug between Chinese intelligence and Chinese industry continues to squeeze together ever more tightly. After all, said the former senior intelligence analyst, "this is a country with omnipresence in its companies."
15. "Unreliable" news sources got more traction in 2020
Axios · by Sara Fischer
According to many on the social media feeds I monitor there is no such thing as reliable news.
16. Prepare to Fight Upcoming Cyber-Threat Innovations
darkreading.com
Excerpts:
“2020 has been an unprecedented year for cyber threats. We've seen cyber attackers in full force, taking advantage of every opportunity and every attack vector possible. Unfortunately, 2021 shows no signs of slowing down; the types of threats and the types of vulnerabilities will continue to evolve in step with new technologies.
Threat intelligence is central to defending against these threat vectors, providing vital information in real time. Visibility will also be critical, particularly at this time when a significant amount of traffic is encrypted and many users are outside the typical network scenario. Examining encrypted traffic puts an enormous strain on a security device, and not all systems are up for the challenge at speed and scale. You may miss critical threats entering your network if you're not prepared. Another piece of the security armor is automated threat detection so that your team can address attacks immediately, not months later.
Start preparing now for the emerging new attack methods, using the tools and strategies that will empower your team to defeat the negative aspects of innovations in computing performance.”
17. Why the Russian hack is so significant, and why it's close to a worst-case scenario
NBC News · by Kevin Collier · December 22, 2020
Excerpts:
"The issue is, we don't know how big this is, and at the same time it could be the biggest ever," said Sergio Caltagirone, the vice president of threat intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Dragos, which is currently in the process of helping industrial and manufacturing companies deal with the hacking campaign and its fallout.
Only a handful of organizations, including the cybersecurity company FireEye and three U.S. federal agencies - the Departments of Commerce, Energy and Treasury - have so far admitted being seriously affected. But the cybersecurity industry is aware of "a little over 200" compromises, Caltagirone said, with that number all but guaranteed to grow.
"Most organizations still lack the basic visibility to even assess whether they were compromised or not," Caltagirone said. "We know we are undercounting the victims here. We know that for a fact."
Why the Russian hack is so significant, and why it's close to a worst-case scenario
Experts say it's potentially the largest spying operation against the U.S. in history - and it ran without being noticed for nine months.
18. What Every Vaccine Skeptic Should Know About The New Coronavirus Vaccines
Forbes · by Ethan Siegel · December 22, 2020
The anti-vaxers will be responsible for the extension of the pandemic. They will not heed this advice:
“What is concerning about the virus mutating is this: viruses mostly mutate via random chance, through a process known as genetic drift. Each individual mutation is unlikely to cause that worst-case scenario, just as any single lottery ticket is unlikely to win you the Powerball. If you give the virus enough chances to mutate, however, just like if you buy enough lottery tickets, the unlikely could become an inevitability. The things that give the virus more chances to mutate are the number of infected hosts, and the duration of time that the virus remains both in the population and in each host while they're infectious or contagious.
The safest path forward for all of us is one where:
-
- everyone who can get vaccinated does get vaccinated,
- everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, continues to wear a mask, socially distance, wash hands, and stay home/isolated whenever possible,
- and people stop gathering with those from outside their household until it's safe to do so.
Every time someone goes out to a bar or restaurant, over to a friend or relative's house, or has any type of close, prolonged, or non-essential contact, they run an increased risk of not only contracting or spreading the virus themselves, but of being that unlucky lottery ticket who creates an escape mutant within their own body.
19. Is the ICC corrupted by China?
foxnews.com · by Hollie McKay
A rhetorical question?
20. Deep State Strike Force
frontpagemag.com · by Lloyd Billingsley
Ah, the deep state is made up of the Senior Executive Service. Now it is all clear to me (note my sarcasm).
21. It's Time for a U.S. Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security
Foreign Policy · By Sahana Dharmapuri, Jolynn Shoemaker, and Erin Cooper of Our Secure Future
Excerpts:
“The Special Representative could leverage these nascent good governance efforts, and bring together stakeholders to support the Women, Peace and Security agenda in these emerging policy areas. An internal advocate for a broader peace and security lens, the Special Representative would expand the range of voices at the table. This would ensure that our security policy discussions and solutions are more inclusive, effective, and forward-thinking.
This is the moment for the incoming Biden Administration to bring the principles of Women, Peace and Security into the full landscape of peace and security challenges, including violent conflict but also new and complex challenges in the digital ecosystem.
We need imagination to bridge our ideals of human rights and democracy into the reality of the new world that we are living in. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is about norms and principles - human rights, participation, inclusion, justice - that are fundamental to our journey as a nation.
The Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security can bring together many facets of the democracy we seek to build at home and reflect the best of American leadership abroad for the sake of peace and security.”
22. Three Articles Signal New Cold War
realcleardefense.com · by Francis P. Sempa
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"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow."
- Helen Keller
"No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."
- James Madison
