Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
WSJ Editorial: No more free Gaza cease-fire for Hamas Netanyahu returns to war amid mounting political pressure at home Hamas does not respond with counterattack to renewed Israeli assault Bush School of Government and Public Service’s Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar: Can Iran Save Itself? Author Efran Fard: Twilight of the Islamic Republic- The rocky road to regime change in Iran has begun Putin agrees to pause attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure in call with Trump Yemen's Houthis won't 'dial down' under US pressure or Iranian appeals Israel's multiple wars in the Middle East WINEP’s Dennis Ross: How to match ends and means in the Middle East US says ready to confer with China, Canada on WTO disputes Congo and Rwanda presidents call for east Congo ceasefire during Qatar sit-down China’s Xi is angered by Panama port deal that Trump touted as a winIn The News
Israel
Israel returned to fighting in Gaza on Tuesday, but without clear public backing amid a wave of political turmoil that has caused trust in the government to plummet. – Wall Street Journal
After Israel launched airstrikes against Hamas on Tuesday, killing hundreds of people in one of the deadliest days of the war, some Israeli and U.S. officials said the surprise operation came in response to the militant group’s recalcitrance during recent negotiations. Others said it was to preempt an imminent attack that Hamas was plotting against Israel. – Washington Post
Hours after Israel launched a massive bombing campaign across Gaza on Tuesday, Hamas’s military wing had not mounted a discernible counterattack. – New York Times
The resumption of heavy Israeli strikes in Gaza immediately cast into question the status of the remaining hostages held there by Hamas and other groups — with fewer than half of the 59 left still thought to be alive, according to the Israeli government. – New York Times
Former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who left the government over disagreements about the ceasefire in Gaza, is rejoining the coalition, a joint party statement said on Tuesday, after Israel resumed strikes on the enclave. – Reuters
Hamas has not shut the door on negotiations, an official from the group tells AFP, after Israel launched its most intense strikes of Gaza since a January 19 ceasefire. – Agence France Presse
Some 40,000 people crammed into Tel Aviv’s Habima Square Tuesday night for a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to oust Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, amid a probe into the alleged ties between aides to the premier and Qatar. – Times of Israel
Editorial: For the first time in the war, Iran is under U.S. pressure rather than protection. Recall that one of Joe Biden’s early moves after Oct. 7 was to push the false message that Iran had nothing to do with it. Now Mr. Trump is enforcing oil sanctions and pledging to hold Iran accountable for its Houthi proxy’s attacks. On Tuesday one U.S. dollar traded for more than a million Iranian rials, an all-time low. Hamas no doubt used the cease-fire to lay traps for Israeli troops. But the ground has shifted under the terrorists’ feet. Their strategic position is worse than ever. – Wall Street Journal
Editorial: Israel’s objective is clear: ensure that Hamas can no longer function as an organized terrorist entity. This requires sustained military pressure, strategic strikes, and a refusal to engage in futile negotiations that only serve to prolong Hamas’ grip on power. The world must recognize Hamas’ tactics for what they are – a desperate attempt to stall, deceive, and survive at the expense of peace. – Jerusalem Post
Marc Champion writes: This attempt poses as much of an existential threat to Israel, at least in its democratic form, as do Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran. In the name of removing a nonexistent deep state, Netanyahu threatens to eviscerate the legal checks and balances that turn elections into functioning democracies. Nobody should be bamboozled into letting him succeed. – Bloomberg
Robbie Sabel writes: If Hamas does not pose a security threat, then is it our business to determine what regime Gaza will have? Are we capable of doing so? Israel’s attempt to try and change regimes in our neighbors, as we did in Lebanon, was not a success. It is highly unlikely that Hamas can be replaced by a liberal democracy. Therefore, it is recommended that Israel’s policy in Gaza should concentrate on our vital security interests; it is doubtful whether a regime change in Gaza is one of them. – Jerusalem Post
Michael J. Salamon writes: They understand that their nation’s security depends not on grand gestures but on the patient work of building coalitions, strengthening democratic institutions, and pursuing peace through principled engagement with both allies and adversaries. The bottom line is that Israel may benefit in the short term if Trump stays on its side, but his unpredictability means the country cannot fully rely on him. It will need to hedge its bets by maintaining bipartisan support in the US and strengthening independent security capabilities. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
A journalist from Iran who prosecutors said was the target of an assassination plot testified Tuesday that Tehran’s campaign to silence her left her feeling broken, but that she responded to every threat by planting a flower at her home in New York. – Associated Press
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson is warning President Trump against a preemptive strike against Iran after the president ordered strikes on Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East over the weekend. – The Hill
Zvi Bar’el writes: Iran, already attacked by Israel, does not need the U.S. operation in Yemen to be convinced of the validity of Trump’s threats. However, it’s unlikely that even a heavy U.S. bombing campaign will topple the Houthis, who have survived a very brutal seven-year civil war. – Haaretz
Efran Fard writes: It is anticipated that Iranian society will soon make a pivotal decision. As it stands, the Islamic Republic approaches the twilight of its ignominious existence. This momentous period in history heralds the demise of religious despotism in Tehran, the disintegration of the regime of the corrupt, terrorist mullahs, and marks the beginning of Iran’s journey toward renewal. – Jerusalem Post
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar writes: Tehran is determined to prevent domestic divisions from weakening the country’s ability to withstand pressure. Limited social and political openings serve as a calculated strategy to diffuse public frustration before it escalates into mass unrest. If past is prologue, this approach could allow the Islamic Republic to frame any conflict with United States not as a struggle for regime survival but as a sovereign nation’s resistance against external coercion. But it does not portend a shift in the regime’s core strategy. Tehran, in other words, is not about to cast aside decades of defiance. – Foreign Affairs
Gonul Tol and Alex Vatanka write: In short, for now, the worst-case scenario is an escalation of Iran-Turkey proxy competition on a larger scale. That would represent a dangerous return to the zero-sum rivalry that gripped the region after the Arab Spring — a chapter most regional powers had hoped they had put behind them. – Middle East Institute
Russia & Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a limited cease-fire against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a phone call with President Trump on Tuesday, but remained resistant to a longer-lasting peace plan pushed by the U.S. president since his election. – Wall Street Journal
The Ukraine war has led to a rapid evolution in drone warfare, as both sides have continually innovated in an effort to get an upper hand. Though it was later rescinded, the recent halt to U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing only highlighted how vital drones are to Ukraine as it tries to hold out against the Russians, who have a manpower advantage of 5-to-1 on some parts of the front line. – Wall Street Journal
A fresh supply of North Korean troops, command of the air and a crushing superiority in numbers helped Russia last week retake the town of Sudzha, Ukraine’s last stronghold in western Russia, according to interviews with Ukrainian soldiers and officials familiar with the battles of the last few weeks. – Washington Post
Russia significantly stepped up its sabotage campaign over the past two years as it sought to pressure Europe and the United States to curb their support for Ukraine, according to a new study released on Tuesday. – New York Times
Several U.S. national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration pushes Russia to end its war in Ukraine. – Reuters
Editorial: For all the noise of negotiations, what matters are the terms of a peace deal. Mr. Trump might want to keep a note card reminding him that roughly seven in 10 Americans wanted out of Afghanistan in 2021. President Biden thought he’d be a hero for wrapping up that war. We know how that turned out. – Wall Street Journal
David Ignatius writes: Trump has put himself on the diplomatic hot seat. He has promised the world a peace agreement. But the path toward that laudable goal has a sharp fork ahead. Trump will either confront Putin and get concessions that could frame a lasting deal, or he’ll back off and risk a bad deal that might be only a temporary pause in this terrible war. – Washington Post
Mikhail Zygar writes: Even if one were to come about, it wouldn’t solve much. Given it lacks American security guarantees, Russia could easily provoke an incident, accuse Ukraine of violating the truce and immediately retake abandoned positions, stronger than ever. It’s telling that after the cease-fire proposal, Mr. Putin appeared in military uniform for the first time in the entire war — an unmistakable sign of intent. Little wonder the Ukrainian leadership is skeptical of success. – New York Times
Syria
Syria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Israeli strikes on the southwestern city of Daraa, which it said killed and injured civilians. – Reuters
Israeli jets targeted former Syrian army outposts in the central Homs province, two security sources said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Freddy Eytan writes: Just weeks after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Europeans rushed to meet with the new master of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. How can we believe that this notorious jihadist would so quickly abandon Islamist terror and transform himself into a moderate head of state? – Jerusalem Post
Carolyn Moorman, Andie Parry, Katherine Wells, Kelly Campa, Alexandra Braverman, Faris Almaari, Victoria Penza, and Annika Ganzeveld write: Recent tit-for-tat sectarian killings and local support for pro-Assad insurgent cells will likely hamper Syrian interim government efforts to promote security and community reconciliation in coastal Syria. […] Alawite insurgent leaders likely designed the early March 2025 attacks to trigger sectarian violence against their community in order to stoke fear among Alawites and thereby increase support for the insurgency. – Institute for the Study of War
Turkey
Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained at his home Wednesday morning, a day after Turkish authorities revoked his university diploma in a move that could bar him from challenging Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the next presidential election. – Bloomberg
Turkey will ramp up diplomatic efforts to reinstate a ceasefire in Gaza and halt the killing of innocent people there, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party said that President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance had offered no clear steps during closed-door talks on Monday meant to advance a peace process after Kurdish militants pledged to disarm. – Reuters
Lebanon
As Israel resumes heavy strikes in the Gaza Strip, escalating Israeli attacks in south Lebanon have killed five Hezbollah members in the last few days, according to security sources in Lebanon, underlining the fragility of a U.S.-backed ceasefire. – Reuters
Homeland Security officials on Monday said that a doctor from Lebanon who was deported over the weekend despite having a U.S. visa “openly admitted” to supporting a Hezbollah leader and attending his funeral. – Associated Press
Souhire Medini writes: Complementary action by the United States and France, the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, is essential for pushing toward full implementation. [They should] continue to work toward Lebanese reconstruction, which is intrinsically linked to economic reforms. […] Test UNIFIL by implementing the French proposal at one of the outposts, with the next renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate in mind. – Washington Institute
Yemen
At least 10 U.S. strikes targeted areas in Yemen, including Saada province and Hodeidah, Yemen’s Houthi media reported early on Wednesday. – Reuters
Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday they would expand their range of targets in Israel in the next hours and days unless the “aggression” on Gaza stops. – Reuters
Yemen’s Houthis will not “dial down” their action against Israeli shipping in the Red Sea in response to U.S. military pressure or appeals from the group’s allies such as Iran, the Yemeni militant group’s foreign minister said. – Reuters
The Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile at Israel from Yemen Tuesday evening, marking the first attack from the Iran-backed group since the ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip two months ago. – Times of Israel
Amine Ayoub writes: In a broader strategic context, the US should work closely with regional allies to develop alternative logistical and trade routes that bypass Oman’s influence. By reducing reliance on Omani ports and land routes, the leverage Muscat holds over regional trade can be diminished, further incentivizing it to abandon its support for the Houthis. – Jerusalem Post
Middle East & North Africa
Israel has been fighting wars on several fronts in the Middle East since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked communities in the country in October 2023 and triggered a conflict in Gaza. It has engaged in heavy bombings and assassinated some of its most implacable foes, all backed by Iran. – Reuters
The Saudi industry and mineral resources ministry awarded on Tuesday mining exploration licenses to several local and international firms, state news agency SPA reported. – Reuters
A dispute over the fate of 60 Algerians that France hopes to deport has deepened a rupture between the countries that has approached a historic low over the past year. – Associated Press
Dennis Ross writes: Good statecraft requires setting realistic goals and dedicating the necessary resources to achieve them. Trump understands better than most the importance of exercising leverage to meeting his objectives. But he misses that Washington has historically been most effective when it has drummed up support from its friends. By working with others, the United States increases its leverage and becomes more powerful. The Trump administration has the best shot at success if it uses all the tools at its disposal—including soft power and alliances. – Foreign Affairs
China
The U.S. mission told China and Canada it was ready to confer with its officials in Geneva after those two countries filed trade disputes in response to new tariffs, World Trade Organization documents showed on Tuesday. – Reuters
Editorial: Ambitious sectoral goals — to increase electric steelmaking, for instance, or the uptake of electric vehicles — would help maintain momentum behind decarbonization. President Xi Jinping likes to say his nation is helping drive “changes unseen in a century.” Here’s his chance to prove that China can produce the kind of change the world actually wants to see. – Bloomberg
Brandon P. Yoder writes: None of this will happen with tariffs alone. Pressuring the Chinese government is an important part of U.S. diplomacy, and tariffs, if deployed skillfully, can provide leverage over Beijing as it attempts to manage its struggling economy. But ramping up pressure without a clear diplomatic or legal road map could reverse recent gains. A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the new U.S. tariffs “will deal a heavy blow to counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation.” – New York Times
Zachary Faria writes: First-world countries should understand by now that China is not an ally or a reliable partner with whom they can work in good faith. Developing countries such as Zambia need to understand that selling their national soul to the Chinese government will not benefit them in the long run either. China does not care about cooperation or collaboration; it only cares about self-enrichment at any cost to whichever country it is “working with” or taking resources from. – Washington Examiner
Stephen Biddle and Eric Labs write: Debates over the balance of the Chinese and U.S. navies must be broadened to consider the dynamics of competitive production in long wars at sea. Historical analogies can influence sound defense policy decision-making only so much. But they can help identify potential errors—such as being caught in a long naval war against a larger adversary, and without an industrial capacity to truly compete. – Foreign Affairs
South Asia
India and New Zealand aim to sign a free trade agreement in the next two months, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday, a move that could expand bilateral trade in agricultural, aerospace and renewable energy sectors. – Reuters
India is resisting pleas by Bangladesh to resume issuing normal volumes of medical visas, citing staffing shortages amid worsening ties, six sources said, giving China rare space to expand similar offerings and build people-to-people ties. – Reuters
Andy Mukherjee writes: Before Modi could do anything about that $100 billion annual shortfall, Trump is out to crunch India’s near-$50 billion trade surplus with the US, the South Asian nation’s biggest overseas market. It couldn’t come at a worse time. Domestic demand is slowing sharply, and stock markets are reeling under a $1.3 trillion rout. New Delhi’s best hope is to buy time for broader trade negotiations with Washington by delaying the threat of reciprocal tariffs, especially on politically sensitive agricultural products. – Bloomberg
Michael Rubin writes: The new Bangladeshi regime has also sprung Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Khelafat-e-Majlis terrorists from prison. Bangladesh today is like Afghanistan in 2000. Khelafat-e-Majlis, Allah’r Dal, and Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh now coalesce under Heefazat-e-Islam to establish Islamic law throughout Bangladesh under the banner, “Bangladesh will become Afghanistan, and we will become Taliban.” – Washington Examiner
Asia
Taiwan’s military planners said U.S. support is essential to the security of the island, signaling to Washington the desire for a stable relationship as anxieties simmer in Taipei about whether President Trump would send help to defend against a Chinese attack. – Wall Street Journal
Cabinet ministers from Thailand will head to China’s Xinjiang region on Tuesday to inspect Uyghurs deported last month, an official said, ahead of a three-day visit in which Bangkok says only five of the 40 sent back will be made available. – Reuters
South Korea’s industry minister will visit Washington, D.C. this week to discuss issues including tariffs and the country’s “sensitive country” status with U.S. top officials, the industry ministry said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron is showcasing France’s plans to upgrade its nuclear arsenal as he seeks to engage in talks with Germany and other European powers about extending his country’s nuclear umbrella. – Wall Street Journal
German lawmakers passed a mammoth spending plan Tuesday that could allow for up to $1 trillion in defense and infrastructure investments over the next decade. – Washington Post
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday talks on the future of Cyprus had made progress for the first time in years, with both sides agreeing a series of initiatives including the opening of crossing points. – Reuters
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cautioned European partners on Tuesday against escalating a trade dispute with the United States through retaliatory tariffs and urged Western allies to continue their longstanding cooperation. – Reuters
The UK and European Union are in talks to accelerate arms shipments to Ukraine ahead of a potential full ceasefire, Britain’s foreign secretary told Bloomberg shortly before Vladimir Putin agreed to a limited truce. – Bloomberg
NATO members Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said Tuesday they are abandoning the 1997 Ottawa convention treaty outlawing the use of anti-personnel landmines (APL) amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. – The Hill
Africa
U.S. foreign aid cuts impacting Sudanese refugees in Chad have reduced already razor-thin margins for lifesaving resources like food and water, and other U.S. government-funded programs including mental health counseling and education. – New York Times
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo on Tuesday during their first meeting since M23 rebels stepped up an offensive there in January. – Reuters
A major party in South Sudan’s coalition government said on Tuesday it had suspended its role in a key element of a 2018 peace deal as relations between its leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir deteriorate amid clashes and arrests. – Reuters
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in oil-producing Rivers State and suspended the state governor, his deputy and all lawmakers. – Reuters
Mali has withdrawn from a global alliance of French-speaking countries, days after two of its neighbors took the same step. – Associated Press
Gordon G. Chang writes: Africa will become, as the Chinese would say, the world’s next growth hotspot. With a few exceptions, such as South Africa and Sudan, Sub-Saharan Africa is poised for takeoff. Few are paying attention, but India and China know the stakes. – Newsweek
The Americas
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is angry about a Hong Kong company’s plan to sell Panama Canal ports to a U.S.-led group, in part because the company didn’t seek Beijing’s approval in advance, people familiar with the matter said. – Wall Street Journal
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman and a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, said on Tuesday that he would seek political asylum in the United States, claiming he is the target of persecution for defending the right-wing movement embodied by his father. – New York Times
The global suspension of USAID funding is shuttering peace and anti-gang programs in Colombia’s most impoverished places, endangering implementation of the country’s 2016 peace deal with leftist FARC rebels, according to officials, people working with the agency and beneficiaries. – Reuters
Representatives from the United States and six allied nations pledged to work together to counter global hostage-taking and detentions considered unjust, they said in a joint statement on Tuesday after talks in Montana. – Reuters
Prosecutors in the United States have charged powerful Haitian gang leader Johnson Andre, known as Izo, with taking a U.S. citizen hostage in Haiti, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington released on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday filed a civil forfeiture complaint regarding an aircraft it said had been smuggled from the United States and operated for the benefit of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in violation of sanctions. – Reuters
Leaders from across the Caribbean are seeking clarity after a draft of a U.S. government list of over 40 countries which could face sweeping travel restrictions was made public, a move which could mark the latest in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migration. – Reuters
Colombian Finance Minister Diego Guevara confirmed earlier news reports that he was submitting his resignation after only three months in office, a move that had sent the country’s assets tumbling on Tuesday. – Bloomberg
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has told the BBC he wants US, European and Brazilian armies to join his “war” against criminal gangs. – BBC
Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Jumilca Sandivel Hernandez Perez (Hernandez Perez), a key leader of the Lopez Human Smuggling Organization (HSO), a Guatemala-based Transnational Criminal Organization responsible for the smuggling of thousands of illegal aliens from Guatemala, through Mexico, and into the United States. – U.S. Department of the Treasury
North America
In his first overseas trip as Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney went on a whirlwind tour of France and Britain on Monday to showcase Canada’s deep European bonds as President Trump threatens his country’s economy and sovereignty. – New York Times
As Canada’s new fentanyl czar, Kevin Brosseau is tasked with stopping a problem that many people in Canada say has been overblown by President Trump. – Wall Street Journal
FBI Director Kash Patel applauded Mexican authorities Tuesday for the arrest and handover of one of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” suspects, an alleged gang leader from El Salvador. – Associated Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said Canada would boost its military and security presence in the Arctic, a frozen and mineral-rich expanse that is of increasing interest to U.S. President Donald Trump. – Reuters
United States
The White House has dismissed a French politician’s symbolic call for the return of the Statue of Liberty — a gift from France some 140 years ago — on the grounds that the United States no longer represents the values embodied by the monument. – Washington Post
The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency likely violated the Constitution, a federal judge ruled Tuesday as he indefinitely blocked DOGE from making further cuts to the agency. – Associated Press
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted. – Associated Press
William A. Galston writes: Public opinion matters, which is why autocrats work so hard to manipulate it. If their citizens have no access to alternative views, autocrats are more likely to succeed—with less effort and cost. The U.S. shouldn’t play into their hands. We should mend, not end, the Voice of America. – Wall Street Journal
Jason L. Riley writes: The relative blindness of progressives to antisemitism, however, especially when it emanates from nonwhites, undermines their moral credibility. Discrimination based on race or religion is wrong and shouldn’t be tolerated, regardless of who is on the receiving end. A previous generation of liberal activists understood this, which is one reason the civil-rights movement was so effective. America has never been as culturally diverse as it is today, and a common morality has never been more important. – Wall Street Journal
Hugh Hewitt writes: We have found ourselves in another of those moments of history where only a handful of very powerful figures make decisions for the world: United States President Donald Trump, People’s Republic of China General Secretary Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and … Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. – Fox News
Gil Troy writes: In short, you can criticize Trump and protect free speech, yet still thank President Trump for saying: “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.” – Jerusalem Post
Cybersecurity
When Google’s talks to buy cybersecurity company Wiz fell apart last summer, the startup’s founder told staff he was aiming for an initial public offering. Less than a year later, the company inked the largest cybersecurity deal ever. – Wall Street Journal
The European Union’s law enforcement agency cautioned Tuesday that artificial intelligence is turbocharging organized crime that is eroding the foundations of societies across the 27-nation bloc as it becomes intertwined with state-sponsored destabilization campaigns. – Associated Press
Elon Musk is making his presence felt in the Trump administration as an adviser and de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, but the billionaire’s Starlink system is also leaving a growing mark on the federal government. – Washington Examiner
China’s state security ministry (MSS) has accused four individuals allegedly linked to Taiwan’s military of carrying out cyberattacks and espionage against the mainland. – The Record
Cyberattacks on public entities across the U.S. — from police stations to school districts and courts — are causing wide-ranging issues for thousands of residents and public employees. – The Record
James Pethokoukis writes: One concept explored in the paper is an AI escalation ladder that adapts Kahn’s Cold War framework to the modern challenges of AI competition and conflict between nations. […] I’m not a war theorist, but I think this report provides a great example of how AI is a general purpose technology that not only affects all aspects of an economy but also all aspects of public policy, including national security. – American Enterprise Institute
Jason Healey and Virpratap Vikram Singh write: The age of cyber conflict remains about as old as the first Top Gun movie — the information age will last for decades and centuries more. Over that time, changes in technological use and geopolitics will continue to reform the dynamics of cyber operations, demanding adaptable theories to match, which can help ensure cyber conflict does not take on a life of its own, escalating out of the control of policymakers. – War on the Rocks
Defense
The Marine Corps’ top general sent a video reminder out to the force this week, cautioning troops that battlefield cellphone usage can have deadly consequences. It points to Russian disasters in Ukraine. – Business Insider
US “near peer” adversaries are “practicing dogfighting” in space to simulate orbital combat in yet another step up their wide-ranging effort to develop capabilities to deny, disrupt, degrade and/or destroy US space capabilities, the Space Force’s second in command warned today. – Breaking Defense
Lionel Laurent writes: This all depends on whether Europe is truly willing to break with entrenched habits on budgets, procurement and politics. Germany is currently taking big steps to a landmark end to austerity, but it can’t do everything alone. The bloc is asking the right questions — but getting the US out of the pilot’s seat will be a hard task. – Bloomberg
Long War
An Israeli airstrike killed the spokesperson of the armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad on Tuesday, as well as his wife and several members of his family, sources associated with the group said. – Reuters
Al Shabaab militants targeted Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a bomb attack on his motorcade as it was traveling through the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, the Islamist group said. – Reuters
Pakistan’s prime minister called Tuesday on the country’s political leadership to unite in its resolve to combat militants with “the full force of the state” following a surge in deadly violence. – Associated Press