Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas rejects Israeli ceasefire disarmament proposal, Palestinian official says Khamenei downplays US talks prospects as some Iranians' hopes stir, currency gains WSJ Editorial: Witkoff walks it back on Iran NYT’s Bret Stephens: It’s a mistake to think the biggest problem with Iran is nuclear weapons The Free Press’ Eli Lake: Trump’s Iran nuclear deal looks a lot like Obama’s US military poised to slash troops in Syria, officials say Disarming Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group no longer inconceivable, analysts say Another US aircraft carrier in Mideast waters ahead of second round of Iran-US nuclear talks China unexpectedly anoints new trade negotiator amid US tariff war Maldives bans Israelis to show ‘resolute solidarity’ with Palestinians amid Gaza war Trump administration proposes scrapping UN peacekeeping funding Jordan says it uncovered Islamist plot to build weapons, ‘sow chaos’In The News
Israel
The move by Hamas in recent weeks to try to stop a wave of protests against it in Gaza reflects the group’s determination to continue silencing dissent even as the war with Israel has left the militants badly weakened. – Washington Post
Hamas is said to have rejected an Israeli proposal for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza which called for the armed group to give up its weapons. – BBC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party accused the head of the domestic intelligence organization on Tuesday of turning parts of the service into “a private militia of the Deep State” and called for him to go, amid a deepening political crisis around the agency. – Reuters
The Israeli army said on Tuesday that it shot down a drone that attempted to “smuggle” weapons from Egypt into Israeli territory. – Reuters
The armed wing of Hamas said on Tuesday it had lost contact with a group of militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in the Gaza Strip. – Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza on Tuesday, accompanied by the country’s defense minister, head of the military and other senior officials, his office said. – Reuters
An Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of a field hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing a medic and wounding nine other people, a hospital spokesman said. – Associated Press
Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, remarks that could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release. – Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday that recognizing Palestine as a state would be a victory for Hamas and Iran. – Politico
An Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jet inadvertently released a heavy bomb over an open area near Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, close to the Gaza border, due to a technical malfunction. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the incident on Tuesday evening resulted in no injuries and is currently under investigation. – Ynet
Administrative reforms in the Palestinian Authority since the start of the Gaza war are reaching new levels: for the first time, the Palestinian Central Council is set to convene to elect a vice president for both the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority in two weeks, Ynet learned on Tuesday. – Ynet
The IDF killed Nukhba terrorist Mahmud Ibrahim Hasan Abu Hisirah, a senior aide to the commander of Hamas’s Gaza Brigade, in a strike in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
French President Emmanuel Macron said after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that he hopes a decision will be made “in the coming hours” to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to secure the release of additional hostages. – Haaretz
Chuck Freilich writes: If push comes to shove, Israel will have no choice but to attack Iran, even if the results may be limited. The Haggadah also teaches us, however, to make do with realistic objectives and if we can achieve them, dayenu, it is enough. However, before we launch military action of unprecedented difficulty and unknowable consequences, from which five American presidents have demurred, we must also recognize our limitations in the extant world. If the U.S. can achieve a long-term deal, again Dayenu. – Haaretz
Iran
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff appeared to backtrack on comments that Iran could be allowed to enrich uranium at a low level in a new nuclear deal with the Trump administration, saying Tuesday that Tehran would have to abandon its enrichment program – Wall Street Journal
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sought on Tuesday to play down expectations of a breakthrough in nuclear talks with the U.S., following stirrings of hope among some Iranians weary of economic hardships that have at times sparked public unrest. – Reuters
President Donald Trump met with his top national security aides on Tuesday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program ahead of a second meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials on Saturday, sources said. – Reuters
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday the country’s military capabilities were off limits, ahead of a second round of talks with the United States on its nuclear program. – Agence France-Presse
The recent U.S. deployment of B-2 bombers, the only planes able to launch the most powerful bunker-busting bombs, to within range of Iran is a potent signal to Tehran of what could happen to its nuclear programme if no deal is reached to rein it in. – Reuters
The Kremlin on Tuesday declined to comment when asked if Russia was ready to take control of Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium as part of a possible future nuclear deal between Iran and the United States. – Reuters
The Islamic Republic might believe it has the upper hand as negotiations restart in Italy between its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and President Trump’s special envoy, Steven Witkoff. Will the Saturday talks, then, turn into an Iranian version of Hollywood’s 1953 “Roman Holiday”? – New York Sun
But with Diego Garcia located roughly 2,500-3,000 miles from launch sites in Iran, targeting the strategic U.S. base would necessitate far more range than the nation was known to possess. While Tehran has yet to showcase a platform capable of reaching such a distance, the nation with the largest and most advanced missile arsenal in the region has consistently demonstrated breakthroughs on such technology. – Newsweek
As Iran engages in nuclear negotiations with the United States, Iranian state-affiliated Fars News Agency released a video on Tuesday purportedly showing what it claims is previously “unseen footage” of drone and missile preparations, as well as command center operations, related to “Operation True Promise 1.” – Ynet
With Israel concerned that the Trump administration may cut a weak new nuclear deal with Iran, one way out of such a scenario could be a theoretical Mossad operation that kills the key Iranian official who ordered 400 ballistic missiles fired on Israel in 2024, think-tank sources conjectured to The Jerusalem Post. – Jerusalem Post
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi is due to visit Tehran on Wednesday in parallel to the flurry of nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the US. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: Axios reports that Mr. Trump held a White House meeting on Tuesday on the Iran talks with his senior advisers. We don’t know if Mr. Witkoff’s X.com post was a result of that meeting, but we hope so. Iran has a long history of lying about its nuclear plans and facilities that makes trust in its promises impossible. If Iran is really willing to abandon its nuclear program, it must be willing to give up uranium enrichment. – Wall Street Journal
Bret Stephens writes: And to give this rhetorical diplomacy some teeth? Trump can also lease modern aerial tankers and old bombers to Israel, which the Jewish state would need to carry out a comprehensive attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. As negotiators like Trump and Witkoff should know, an olive branch is easier to accept when it is offered from the tip of a sword. – New York Times
Eli Lake writes: Iran’s economy is crippled, with inflation above 30 percent and a limping currency. So it’s baffling that the Trump administration would signal that they are open to a deal that allows an unpopular regime to keep its nuclear production capability. Why offer Iran an opportunity to keep its centrifuges and ballistic missiles? Far better to press the advantage now and make Iran a Godfather offer. The mullahs can dismantle their nuclear program now in exchange for concessions—or America and Israel can do it for them. – The Free Press
Yonah Jeremy Bob writes: In 2015, most top Israeli defense officials said they thought it was possible for the air force to be able to strike Iran’s nuclear program. Now, following the air force’s devastating attack on Iran’s air defenses and ballistic missile production in October 2024, it is known that the IAF has the capability to strike Tehran’s nuclear program, which in relative terms, has been defenseless for six months running. – Jerusalem Post
Russia and Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday and declared “unwavering” support for Ukraine in the aftermath of a deadly Russian attack in the north of the country. – Reuters
A Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight injured three people, sparked fires and damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, officials of the southern Ukrainian region said early on Wednesday. – Reuters
Four Russian journalists were sentenced by a Moscow court to 5-1/2 years each in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of working for the banned organisation of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. – Reuters
Ukrainian, British, French and Turkish representatives will discuss Black Sea security in Turkey on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. – Reuters
The US appears to have tempered its demands for the payback of aid by Ukraine during talks over an economic deal between the two nations, according to people familiar with the matter. – Bloomberg
Leon Aron writes: It goes without saying that stopping the yo-yoing of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and instead increasing it massively would make an impression. Trump and his negotiators must understand that at the moment, Putin intends to go to any so-called peace talks only to codify a Ukrainian surrender. He will procrastinate until he is confident of meeting this objective. There are no shortcuts to persuading him otherwise — except for making the cost of his dithering increasingly painful. – Politico
Syria
When Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December, the iconography of posters, billboards and statues emblematic of his family’s brutal decades-long grip on the country also came down. – New York Times
The U.S. military is set to consolidate its presence in Syria over the coming weeks and months, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday, in a move that could reduce the number of troops it has in the country by half. – Reuters
A month after a wave of revenge attacks left hundreds of Alawite civilians dead, members of the Syrian religious minority are still living in fear, with dozens killed in smaller attacks since the start of April. – Associated Press
Turkey
Turkish authorities arrested 234 people in an operation coordinated with four European countries against criminal drug-trafficking organisations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Turkey’s Pro-Kurdish DEM Party called on parliament on Tuesday to pave the way for a renewed peace process by enacting legislation that would support the disarmament of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). – Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that whoever prevents Syria from achieving permanent peace and stability will find Syria and Turkey against them, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Lebanon
Lebanese officials hope to meet international bondholders to talk about restructuring debt in the next 12 months but are not planning any meetings at the World Bank/IMF Spring meetings next week, finance minister Yassin Jaber said on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.N. human rights office voiced concern on Tuesday about the protection of civilians in Lebanon as Israeli military operations have continued to kill civilians there since a ceasefire in November. – Reuters
The once unthinkable disarmament of Hezbollah could finally be within reach, as the United States pushes Lebanon to act and applies pressure to the group’s backer Iran, over its nuclear program, analysts said. – Agence France-Presse
Middle East & North Africa
A second U.S. aircraft carrier is operating in Mideast waters ahead of the next round of talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, satellite photos analyzed Tuesday by The Associated Press showed. – Associated Press
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday that it received a report of an incident for a vessel 100 nautical miles east of Yemen’s Aden, the first report by the agency in the area in months. – Reuters
France said Tuesday it was expelling 12 Algerian diplomatic officials a day after Algeria announced the expulsion of the same number of French officials in escalating tensions between the two countries. – Associated Press
As the United States negotiates with Iran to try to curb its nuclear program, it is also advancing towards a preliminary agreement on a civilian nuclear program with one of Iran’s main rivals, Saudi Arabia. – Newsweek
Korean Peninsula
South Korean industry ministry officials are considering travelling soon to Alaska as part of working-level negotiations between the United States and South Korea over Alaska’s gas project, the ministry said on Tuesday. – Reuters
South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will hold a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week to discuss trade issues during a visit to the United States at the suggestion of Bessent, Seoul’s ministry said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Nathan Blustajn writes: Washington simply can’t afford to take a backseat as Beijing deepens its ties with the DPK. Nor can it allow China to monopolize relations with South Korea’s likely next ruling party. To prevent this, it must preemptively engage with DPK leaders and assert its diplomatic influence. Decisive diplomacy is paramount. South Korea’s snap presidential election will occur within 60 days of the impeachment ruling. This narrow window of opportunity demands immediate American outreach. Without it, Washington risks ceding further strategic ground to China in the Indo-Pacific. – National Interest
China
A senior Chinese official warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s tariffs would backfire and that soon, “those peasants in the U.S.” would “wail in front of the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.” – Washington Post
The rapidly worsening trade war between the world’s two largest economies is threatening the place where Americans and Chinese most regularly interact: online shopping. – Washington Post
The trade war between the United States and China is already eroding far more than just economic ties. The rapid expansion of the battlefield, from trade to culture and education, underscores how fragile the relationship between the United States and China has become. – New York Times
China on Wednesday unexpectedly appointed a new trade negotiator key in any talks to resolve the escalating tariff war with the U.S., replacing veteran trade tsar Wang Shouwen with the Chinese envoy to the World Trade Organization. – Reuters
The Chinese embassy in Argentina has called out U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for “maliciously slandering and smearing” China for carrying out normal cooperation with other countries, expressing firm opposition to his remarks. – Reuters
China and Vietnam expressed their support for maintaining a multilateral trade regime centered around the World Trade Organization in a joint statement issued on Tuesday at the end of a two-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. – Reuters
Hong Kong’s post office will stop shipping small parcels to the United States after Washington announced plans to charge tariffs on small-value parcels from the southern Chinese city, the government said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Wilson Beaver and Benjamin Ford write: The NPC’s annual reports always appear at odds with developments on the ground. […] If the United States aims to deter China from launching a war of aggression in the Western Pacific, our political leaders and others need to stop taking CCP claims about defense spending at face value. Failure to do so will only continue bolstering China’s strength relative to our own, which is exactly why they’re obscuring real military spending year after year. – National Interest
South Asia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to transform India into a global factory floor has produced billions of dollars of low-cost iPhones and pharmaceuticals. Now he hopes to add missiles, helicopters and battleships to the shopping carts of foreign governments. – Reuters
Pakistan is considering importing crude oil from the United States for the first time to offset a trade imbalance that triggered higher U.S. tariffs, according to a government source directly involved with the proposal and a refinery executive. – Reuters
The Maldives announced Tuesday it was banning the entry of Israelis from the luxury tourist archipelago in “resolute solidarity” with the Palestinian people. – Agence France-Presse
Sumit Ganguly writes: New Delhi cannot afford to see the steady erosion of its influence in Dhaka. Instead of just sounding the alarm about shifting politics or the Yunus government’s flirtation with China, India needs to step up its own diplomatic efforts—highlighting its long-term support for Bangladesh, offering financial assistance, and addressing concerns about market access to India. Otherwise, there is a real risk that the fraught India-Bangladesh relationship will inexorably deteriorate. – Foreign Policy
Asia
Japan is ready to help the U.S. achieve its economic goals, but in a way that’s mutually beneficial, Japan’s economy minister said ahead of trade talks with the Trump administration. – Wall Street Journal
Australia’s conservative opposition leader, Peter Dutton, promised to tackle government inefficiency if he became prime minister in the looming election, echoing many of the notes Musk hit with his U.S. DOGE Service. – Washington Post
U.S. controls on sensitive defence exports, relaxed for AUKUS partner Australia last year, still apply to submarines, creating hurdles to defence industry collaboration on U.S. Virginia-class sub production, officials and executives said. – Reuters
Indonesia will propose increasing its imports of crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas from the United States by around $10 billion as part of its tariff negotiations, energy minister Bahlil Lahadalia told local media on Tuesday. – Reuters
The United States is deploying around 9,000 troops to the Philippines for this year’s joint military exercises, as the allies strengthen ties amid tensions with China over its activities in the South China Sea and in Taiwan. – Reuters
One thing is clear from an authoritative report that the Russians are angling to operate from an air base in Indonesia: A lot of people don’t want them there. – New York Sun
Gearoid Reidy writes: Japan does have leverage, being by some distance the largest holder of US Treasuries. But contrary to reports suggesting it was responsible for the surge in yields some believe stayed Trump’s hand, it’s close to impossible to imagine Tokyo resorting to such levels of diplomatic brinksmanship. And despite Ishiba’s talk Monday that Japan won’t fold in the hopes of reaching a quick deal, Akazawa will doubtless play it safe. But in Trump, he is dealing with an opponent who rarely takes the prudent path. And if even Tokyo can’t secure a positive deal, that might lead other nations to decide that the better strategy is fighting back. – Bloomberg
Europe
Britain has sent a parade of senior officials to China this year, part of a calculated charm offensive to thaw out relations with a country that looms large in a world order upended by the United States under President Trump. – New York Times
The outlook for the German economy cratered this month after U.S. President Trump’s tariff blitz, according to a monthly survey of financial analysts published Tuesday. – Wall Street Journal
Attackers targeted a prison near the French port city of Toulon overnight Monday to Tuesday, burning vehicles and firing shots at its walls, French authorities and a union said on Tuesday, adding that this was part of a series of attacks on the country’s prisons. – New York Times
A Swedish probe found no conclusive evidence to suggest that a Chinese ship had deliberately dragged its anchor to damage two Baltic Sea cables, Sweden’s Accident Investigation Authority said on Tuesday, though a separate investigation remains under way. – Reuters
The United States is removing sanctions on a close aide of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the State Department said on Tuesday, adding that the punitive measures were inconsistent with U.S. foreign policy interests. – Reuters
U.S. Vice President JD Vance believes there is a “good chance” of Britain and America reaching a “great” trade agreement, in a boost to U.K. officials scrambling for a deal. – Politico
Sweden’s defense minister told Business Insider that his country, the newest NATO ally, has “unique capabilities to strengthen the alliance.” – Business Insider
Lionel Laurent writes: Whatever happens on Thursday, it’s vital that on the trip home — with JD Vance planning his own visit to Rome as a follow-up — Meloni eyes a longer-term plan for strengthening Italy and Europe in a global trade war. As bad as a Trump trade shock could be, it’s already prompted taboo-breaking ideas from the likes of Germany, such as long-term reform of EU fiscal rules to spend more on defense. – Bloomberg
Andrea Gilli, Mauro Gilli, and Niccolò Petrelli write: In summary, while geopolitical realities justify Europe’s pursuit of greater military self-sufficiency, achieving this objective will require more than just increased funding. It will necessitate a long-term commitment to technological innovation, industrial expansion, military recruitment, and strategic education. Without a comprehensive and pragmatic approach, the vision of an independent European defense force will remain an aspiration rather than a reality. – War on the Rocks
Africa
Tens of thousands of people have fled attacks on camps for displaced families in Sudan, the United Nations’ migration agency says, as eyewitnesses and survivors described an onslaught by paramilitary forces just days before the second anniversary of a civil war seen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. – Washington Post
Rape is being used systematically as a weapon of war in Sudan, a UN agency warned on Tuesday, as the conflict marks its second year. – Reuters
G7 foreign ministers on Tuesday issued a statement calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Sudan and condemning attacks by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. – Reuters
The Trump administration on Tuesday condemned attacks by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on civilians in North Darfur and called for parties in the country’s civil war to be held accountable for breaches of international humanitarian law. – Reuters
Ghana and the International Monetary Fund have reached a staff-level agreement on the fourth review of its $3 billion loan programme, the IMF said on Tuesday, which is set to unlock $370 million upon approval by the Fund’s executive board. – Reuters
Sudan’s paramilitaries have declared the formation of a rival government to the country’s armed forces, two years into a war that has become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. – BBC
Police in South Africa said they had rescued the kidnapped U.S. pastor Josh Sullivan following a “high-intensity shootout” that left three of his captors dead. – Newsweek
The Americas
President Trump is “attacking” Canada’s auto industry, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, and officials can’t guarantee that vehicle producers operating in the country will remain there given the trade turmoil. – Wall Street Journal
Chile, Canada and Peru – three of the largest copper suppliers to the United States – have told President Donald Trump’s administration that imports of the metal from their countries do not threaten U.S. security interests and should not face potential tariffs. – Reuters
Mexico’s federal government is negotiating with its northern states to send more water to the United States, the country’s president said on Tuesday, after its historic shortfall led President Donald Trump to threaten tariffs and sanctions. – Reuters
Brazil has granted diplomatic asylum to Nadine Heredia, the wife of former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala after both were convicted of receiving illicit campaign funds, Peru’s Foreign Ministry said late on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned leaders of Mexican cartel La Nueva Familia Michoacana on Tuesday while the State Department announced reward offers of up to $8 million for information that could lead to their arrests. – Reuters
Pierre Espérance writes: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the United States will continue to fund the Kenyan-led force intended to support the police. “We will help,” he told reporters at a February news conference in Santo Domingo. If Mr. Rubio really wants to help, he should make it U.S. policy to weaken gangs and strengthen Haitian institutions. In the middle of the night, people should be able to call the police and get help. – New York Times
United States
The White House budget office has proposed eliminating funding for United Nations peacekeeping missions, citing failures by operations in Mali, Lebanon and Democratic Republic of Congo, according to internal planning documents seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) said on Tuesday its key processor chips would soon be made at TSMC’s (2330.TW) new production site in Arizona, marking the first time that its products will be manufactured in the United States. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy tasked with ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, are expected to travel to Paris later this week, according to two people familiar with preparations for the trip. – Politico
Jim Banks writes: President Trump was right to place reciprocal tariffs on communist China, sending the message that on his watch, the American people will no longer be cheated by foreign interests. Despite fearmongering from Washington, President Trump is charging full steam ahead to fight for the American worker. President Trump is leading us into America’s new golden age—an age of historic prosperity and success—and I’m proud to stand with him. – Newsweek
Michael Beckley writes: Today’s rivalry with China and Russia can serve that galvanizing role again, driving action to rebuild infrastructure and industry, harden supply chains, revive the defense industrial base, attract top global talent, and restore civic trust. The goal isn’t just to win a great-power contest. It’s to channel it; to fix what’s broken at home and shape a world that reflects American interests and values. A free world that works—for the United States and for those willing and able to stand with it. – Foreign Affairs
Cybersecurity
Nvidia said it is anticipating a charge of up to $5.5 billion tied to exporting its artificial-intelligence chips to China, according to a regulatory filing from the semiconductor company. – Wall Street Journal
A New York attorney has accused a British private intelligence firm of paying mercenary hackers who he says tipped a court battle in his opponents’ favor. – Reuters
Pedestrian crossings in several areas of northern California have been hacked with fake greetings mocking the tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. – BBC
British Cabinet minister Lucy Powell’s official X account was hacked Tuesday to promote a fake cryptocurrency. – Politico
A hacking group previously linked to Russian intelligence services has in past months targeted European diplomats with invitations to fake wine-tasting events from a European foreign affairs ministry, new research released Tuesday showed. – Politico
Communist China is waging a global cyberespionage campaign as menacing as its trade war with America in its drive for military supremacy from the Yellow Sea all around its periphery to the Indian Ocean and beyond. – New York Sun
A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed on Tuesday that it does provide “burner phones” to top officials, but denied a report that the practice was new and connected to a recent security appraisal of the risks when visiting the United States. – The Record
Dave Lee writes: If a deal does somehow go through, it would be another step toward state capture of Americans’ most-trafficked online spaces while doing nothing to nullify the threat from China. TikTok’s US users, who find the platform a potent and effective venue for political dissent and organizing, would be left wondering whether to be more wary of interference from the Chinese government — or from their own. – Bloomberg
Daniel Rowe writes: What if we could reimagine political systems that are not tied to geography? Could technology help create a world where Palestinians are free “from the river to the sea,” Jews are free in their indigenous land, and everyone can live under the government they choose while security is ensured? As more of life becomes virtual and automated, this type of thinking becomes increasingly plausible. – Jerusalem Post
Nikita Lalwani writes: Even if Washington ultimately decides to expand its use of the foreign direct product rule, there will be long-term value in continuing to engage in some form of export control diplomacy: doing the long, arduous, sometimes frustrating, but strategically rewarding work of persuading countries that it is in the collective interest of the United States and its allies to act together to maintain a technological lead over China. – Foreign Affairs
Defense
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on administrative leave and was escorted out of the Pentagon by security on Tuesday, two defense officials said. – Defense News
A new report from the Pentagon’s inspector general highlights fundamental disagreements between the Air Force and U.S. Space Command about the risks associated with permanently basing the command’s headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. – Defense News
Due to an “unprecedented convergence in the strategic outlooks of all three countries,” a new report stresses that Australia, Japan and the US (jointly, AJUS) must work more closely as a trilateral unit on defense issues, especially when it comes to boosting intelligence sharing and increased real-world operational cooperation, to better counter Beijing. – Breaking Defense
James Holmes writes: Fortunately, the United States has options for renovating the merchant fleet. Shipbuilding has rightly overshadowed the debate, and beyond doubt the shipbuilding sector needs to be refurbished. But as professor and former merchant mariner Sal Mercogliano points out, it is possible to enlist foreign-built ships for U.S. government service in fairly short order. Indeed, most of the vessels currently in the inventory are foreign-built. Reflagging additional hulls would palliate the wretched state of U.S. military sealift, until such time as shipyards can retool and expand to boost domestic production. Washington DC should proceed. The hour is late. – National Interest
Long War
Jordan said Tuesday that it had arrested 16 Jordanian citizens with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood who were plotting to manufacture and launch rockets to “sow chaos” across the kingdom. – Washington Post
A powerful roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying security personnel in Pakistan’s restive southwest on Tuesday, killing three officers and wounding 18 others, officials said. Separately, gunmen also abducted two polio workers in the northwest. – Associated Press
The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) recently deployed four armed drones carrying locally made grenades in an attack on the Forward Operating Base in the Wajikoro area of Borno, Northeast Nigeria, leaving about five soldiers injured. – DW