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Monday Morning Brief (12-14 July 2024)
What happened over the weekend?
Nicholas Weber
July 15, 2024
Curated foreign policy and national security news for professionals.
Good morning. Welcome to the Monday morning edition of The Intel Brief. Let’s get you up to speed.
Reporting Period: 11-14 July
Bottom-Line Up Front:
1. Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania. One civilian was killed and two others were critically injured.
2. During the NATO Summit, Biden met with America’s major partners in the Indo-Pacific. NATO and our Indo-Pacific Partners (IPP) are committing to working closer together on security.
3. Japan has called for more investment into their defense forces. Japan cited worsening tensions with China as cause for military growth.
4. AT&T experienced a massive cyber attack. Data from millions of stored calls and texts were stolen.
5. F-35 deliveries are scheduled to resume. Many new F-35’s were being put into storage due to software issues.
Former President Trump Survives Assassination Attempt During PA Rally
13 July 2024
On 13 July, Former President Donald Trump survived an attempted assassination during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was on stage speaking when gunshots were heard. Donald Trump was struck in the ear. At least one bystander was killed and two others were critically wounded. The shooter was identified by the FBI as 20 year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks was killed by Secret Service snipers.
Major figures have made statements condemning the attempt and supporting Trump. This includes President Biden, former President Barack Obama, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and X’s Elon Musk (to name a few).
Why This Matters
Violence is not, nor should ever be, the precedence for resolving political disagreements or frustrations in America. The assassination attempt is an ugly reminder of how divisive, confused, and malicious certain circles of American politics has become.
From a security perspective, the media and social media have been ripping apart the lax and unprofessional security measures that were in place at the venue. Crooks apparently took multiple shots with an rifle atop a roof that was approximately 130-150 yards from Trump.
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At NATO Summit Biden Boosts Relationship With Indo-Pacific Partners
11 July 2024
On 11 July, the final day of the NATO Summit in Washington, President Biden met with members of the Indo-Pacific Partnership (IPP). Biden met with the following leaders:
President Yoon Suk Yeol (South Korea)
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (Japan)
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (New Zealand)
Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Richard Marles (Australia)
The White House stated that NATO and the IPP need to have greater involvement each other affairs, specifically regarding security and the economy.
Why This Matters
The NATO Summit ended on the 11th, and much of its focus was on Ukraine. Russia, China, and North Korea have growing relations and partnerships. NATO is looking for greater support to Ukraine, and greater deterrence in the Pacific. The IPP will meet again later this year to discuss greater NATO-Pacific alignment.
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Press release by The White House
Japan Calls For Investment In Defense Forces
12 July 2024
On Friday, an annual defense report in Japan called for greater investment into their military. The report cites growing Chinese aggression and North Korean nuclear and missile developments. Japan will deploy stand-off missiles and American-made Tomahawk missiles to increase deterrence.
The same white paper also claims China’s aggression against Taiwan have increased, and will likely continue to increase in the near future.
Why This Matters
Japan is one of the United States’ greatest allies in the Pacific, but they require more extensive investment in their military, particularly in regards to air defense and air power. Japan hosts some of America’s most forward deployed bases within the First Island Chain.
Want To Read More?
Coverage by NHK World Japan
Coverage by Reuters
Massive AT&T Hack Compromises Data Of Millions Of Americans
12 July 2024
On Friday, AT&T announced that an April security breach resulted in a hack that saw 6 months worth of customer data stolen. Data of calls and texts from 1 May to 31 October 2022 and 2 January 2023 were stolen. AT&T states no content from the calls and texts were stolen, just phone numbers.
Why This Matters
Theft of metadata can spur other nefarious acts, like scam calling and fraud. The AT&T hack is another example of the perpetual struggle for the American government and private sector entities to deal with cyber threats.
Want To Read More?
Coverage by NBC News
F-35 Deliveries To Resume
12 July 2024
F-35 deliveries were paused a year ago due to problems with the Tech Refresh 3 software (TR-3). On 11 July, the F-35 program executive officer, Lt. General Michael Schmidt, approved the use of a truncated version of TR-3. This means despite software setbacks, F-35 deliveries can resume.
Why This Matters
Lockheed Martin has continued to manufacture F-35’s, but has been placing them in storage. The Warzone claims anywhere from 90 to 120 F-35’s can now be delivered to American and foreign customers.
The TR-3 fix is short-term, and software engineers are looking for a permanent fix. TR-3 is integral to the F-35’s “Block 4” upgrades. A 2023 article by Defense News claims the Block 4 project was supposed to add 66 capabilities for $10.6 billion by 2026, but has since expanded to 80 capabilities costing $16.5 billion, with 2029 as the timeline for completion.
Want To Read More?
Coverage by The Warzone
Block 4 by Defense News
End Brief
Thanks for sticking around. I’ll see you again on Thursday with an update on key events from the week.
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