The Insider

The Pentagon recently issued an instruction memo that outlines the Defense Department's policies for setting up, operating and maintaining "DOD Internet services on unclassified networks to collect, disseminate, store, and otherwise process unclassified DOD information," as well as the "use of Internet-based capabilities (IbC) to collect, disseminate, store, and otherwise process unclassified DOD information."

More specifically:

4. It is DoD policy that:

a. Decisions to collaborate, participate, or to disseminate or gather information via DoD Internet services or IbC shall balance benefits and vulnerabilities. Internet infrastructure, services, and technologies provide versatile communication assets that must be managed to mitigate risks to national security; to the safety, security, and privacy of personnel; and to Federal agencies.

b. DoD Internet services and IbC used to collect, disseminate, store, or otherwise process DoD information shall be configured and operated in a manner that maximizes the protection (e.g., confidentiality, integrity, and availability) of the information, commensurate with the risk and magnitude of harm that could result from the loss, compromise, or corruption of the information.

(1) For use of DoD Internet services, paragraph 4.b. applies to both public and non-public DoD information.

(2) For use of IbC, this applies to the integrity and availability of public DoD information. IbC shall not be used to collect, disseminate, store, or otherwise process non-public DoD information, as IbC are not subject to Federal or DoD information assurance (IA) standards, controls, or enforcement, and therefore may not consistently provide confidentiality.

c. DoD information systems (ISs) hosting DoD Internet services shall be operated and configured to meet the requirements in DoDD 8500.01E (Reference (f)) and DoDI 8500.2 (Reference (g)), and certified and accredited in compliance with DoDI 8510.01 (Reference (h)).

d. Effective information review procedures for clearance and release authorization for DoD information to the public are conducted in compliance with DoDD 5230.09 and DoDI 5230.29 (References (i) and (j)). DoD information intended for non-public audiences requires similar review and consideration prior to dissemination. DoD employees shall be educated and trained to conduct both organizational and individual communication effectively to deny adversaries the opportunity to take advantage of information that may be inappropriately disseminated.

e. Public DoD websites shall be operated in compliance with the laws and requirements cited in Reference (c). Detailed explanations, and implementation guidance are provided at the Web Manager’s Advisory Council Website.

f. DoD Internet services and the information disseminated via these services, where appropriate, shall be made available to Federal initiatives such as Data.gov, Recovery.gov, and USA.gov to reduce duplication and to foster greater participation, collaboration, and transparency with the public. Where feasible and appropriate, such DoD information shall be provided as datasets in raw (machine readable) format as defined in DepSecDef Memorandum (Reference (k)).

g. All unclassified DoD networks (e.g., Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET), the Defense Research and Engineering Network) shall be configured to provide access to IbC across all the DoD Components.

h. Authorized users of unclassified DoD networks shall comply with all laws, policies, regulations, and guidance concerning communication and the appropriate control of DoD information referenced throughout this Instruction regardless of the technology used. Furthermore, all personal use of IbC by means of Federal government resources shall comply with paragraph 2-301 of DoD 5500.7-R (Reference (l)).

Read the full memo.

On Friday, InsideDefense.com reported that Army intelligence analysts looking deep into the next decade had issued a "strategic estimate" document that envisions potential operational environments and related missions against adversaries in Iran, China, Yemen, North Korea, Pakistan and Nigeria:

In the new estimate, Training and Doctrine Command's intelligence directorate anticipates operational environments through 2028 as part of an effort to identify future needs for all aspects of the Army -- including new weapons -- while thinking anew about land operations after more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"This strategic estimate will serve as the foundation to build, train and educate the U.S. Army," Gen. Robert Cone, TRADOC commanding general, wrote in a foreword to the 100-page document, dated August 2012.

The volume is intended to inform decisions about future Army budgets, it states: "Currently, in the midst of a global recession, the Army finds itself at a strategically important crossroad as it tries to determine where to wisely invest its limited training, personnel, and materiel resources."

The document describes the need to be ready to confront a wide range of potential adversaries, from standing conventional forces to irregular militias and paramilitary forces to terrorist groups and criminal gangs.

"The strategic environment remains as it has always been: complex," the report notes.

We now have the document.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), who chairs the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, announced he has introduced a bill designed to better protect nuclear weapons and facilities, "legislation that would transfer responsibility for providing security at certain National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) nuclear weapons facilities to the Department of Defense (DOD)."

From his statement:

Under the bill, the military would provide security for nuclear weapons and special nuclear material at NNSA's sites in the same manner as it does for nuclear weapons in military custody. In addition, responsibility for securing transportation of nuclear weapons would also shift to DOD.

"Last week my Subcommittee heard directly from NNSA officials and experts on the Y-12 incident and the alarming lapse of security. On a bipartisan basis we were stunned by the series of failures, at all levels, that enabled this incident to occur. We were also dismayed by the lack of accountability in responsible federal officials. It is clear that the NNSA is broken and we must take immediate action to ensure the security of the nation's nuclear materials," said Turner.

In May of this year, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (H.R.4310). The bill contained a series of reforms sponsored by Turner that would overhaul the governance, management, and oversight of the nuclear security enterprise. The bill would shift NNSA from focusing on paperwork and overly bureaucratic processes to ensuring NNSA's mission is performed safely, securely, and effectively.

"Shifting security to the military provides a number of advantages over the current system. Our military has the capabilities, training, and cultural mindset needed to secure the nation's most powerful weapons. NNSA was originally created by Congress because of major security and mismanagement problems at DOE. For 12 years DOE and NNSA have been saying they will get things right -- this latest incident proves once again that they haven't. I am not willing to risk having security for our nuclear weapons continue to reside inside this broken system," added Turner.

Cosponsors of Turner's bill include: Reps. Trent Franks (AZ-02), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Austin Scott (GA-08), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Mike Rogers (AL-03), and Jon Fleming (LA-04).

The Defense Department announced overnight that it had reached an agreement with the Japanese government that will permit the V-22 Osprey to commence flight operations in Japan.

“This agreement was the result of a deep partnership and thorough process that allowed both sides to reconfirm the safety of the aircraft. It is a testament to the strength and maturity of our alliance, which remains the cornerstone for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, he added, who "has placed a high priority on reaching this agreement," has "directed numerous senior officials at the Department of Defense to work on this issue over the past several months, and raised the issue in multiple discussions with Foreign Minister Gemba and Defense Minister Morimoto, including earlier this week."

The Center for Strategic and International Studies today issued its annual report on contractor spending by the Defense Department. The 56-page report, "U.S. Department of Defense Contract Spending and the Supporting Industrial Base," seeks to provide an in-depth assessment of the trends driving more than half of all federal contract dollars, according to a summary, which notes the report also includes findings on the industrial base supporting DOD in its missions.

The time frame analyzed in the report extends from 1990 to 2011. The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) is the main source of data on government contract obligations in the CSIS report.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates chided lawmakers today for failing to set aside their differences to solve the federal debt crisis, noting that intense partisan rivalries are creating a "real threat to America's future."

Speaking today at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on sequestration, Gates blasted lawmakers for being more focused on "winning elections and scoring ideological points" than reaching a compromise. He lamented the view that moderation is akin to lacking principles and seen as "selling out."

"My hope is that following the presidential election, whatever adults remain in the two political parties will make the compromises necessary to put this country back in order," Gates said via satellite.

Gates, who stepped down as head of the Pentagon last summer after serving under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said leaders must make decisions that may be unpopular in the short term, but will help in the long run.

During his speech, Gates enumerated reasons why compromise is a challenge:  gerrymandered congressional districts create safe havens for incumbents that strap them to the most hardcore ideological base; "wave elections" that sweep parties in and out of power make it hard to sustain policies and programs; and the decline of the classic congressional powerbroker. In addition, he said, a 24/7 digital media environment has lead to a "dumbing down" of political discourse because it provides a forum to spread extreme opinion.

“American politics has always been a shrill and ugly business,” Gates said. "We have now lost the ability to execute even the most basic functions of government, much less solve the most difficult . . . problems facing this country."

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Adm. Michael Mullen, speaking at the same event, contended that "solutions that require compromise seem but a figment of the imagination."
Mullen also said he is not as optimistic as others that the "fiscal cliff" will be averted. "My intent today is not to point a finger for I don't have enough fingers to point. Nor to affix blame for there's plenty of that to go around," Mullen said. "My urgent appeal is to get to the higher ground and to do so sooner rather than later together. There will come a time when we try to kick the can but we will find the can will not budge."

Ever since North Korea tested the two-stage Taepo Dong 2 ballistic missile in 1996, the country has been held up by the Bush and Obama administrations as a significant potential threat to the United States. The missile is often cited by ballistic missile defense proponents as one of the reasons the United States needs to invest in a robust BMD program

But a recent study committee formed by the National Academy of Sciences isn't buying the threat. "While some view the Taepo Dong 2 as a potential threat to the United States, the committee thinks this is unlikely," the committee's report states. The report, issued last Tuesday, examines the investment the United States is making in missile defense programs.

When the Obama administration issued its 2010 Ballistic Missile Defense Review, it pointed to the TD-2 as a serious threat to the U.S. mainland. "Although the test launches of the TD-2 in 2006 and 2009 were deemed unsuccessful, we must assume that sooner or later North Korea will have a successful test of its TD-2 and, if there are no major changes in its national security strategy in the next decade, it will be able to mate a nuclear warhead to a proven delivery system," the review stated.

The Heritage Foundation, which is a big proponent of missile defense, notes in a recent policy briefing for 2012 election candidates that the TD-2 "has the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead to Hawaii. A third stage could boost the weapon's range to include the continental United States. The best way to contain the threat from North Korea is through missile defense."

During a Sept. 11 telephone conference call with reporters, David Montague, one of the NAS committee's two co-chairs, succinctly summed up the committee's opinion of the TD-2: "It's ugly."

Montague added that the TD-2 is incapable of carrying a large enough payload to be a significant threat.

"It's a baby satellite launcher and not a very good one at that. If you look at the way it has to be erected prior to launch, it is a sitting duck for 'first intelligence' and what I call pre-launch defense," he said.

The TD-2 is a liquid-fueled missile and has to be fueled as it sits on the launch pad prior to liftoff.

The NAS committee thinks another North Korean missile program should draw greater scrutiny than the TD-2.

"A more immediate threat is a new 3,200[-kilometer intermediate ballistic missile] North Korea is developing that can threaten Japan, Guam, Okinawa -- all staging areas for a U.S. response to aggressive behavior by North Korea," the report states.