| BIDEN'S UN SWAN SONG: When lame-duck President Joe Biden addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at 10 a.m., he will have war on his mind — specifically in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan. "At the General Assembly, the president will do what he has done throughout his presidency: rally global action to tackle some of our world's biggest challenges," a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Biden's speech. "We'll be talking about the need to strengthen our systems for providing humanitarian assistance, to end brutal wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, and we'll also be talking about the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence." "I think it's an opportunity to talk about what we have achieved and what we still need to do, given a situation that is just heartbreaking where hostages have not been returned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and, as you know, just such a sensitive issue, such a delicate and dangerous situation between Israel and Lebanon right now," the official said. WHAT ISRAEL HOPES TO ACHIEVE AGAINST HEZBOLLAH AS IT RAMPS UP ATTACKS NETANYAHU: 'PLEASE, GET OUT OF HARM’S WAY': As Israel continues to bombard Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, fears are growing that the conflict is spinning into an escalatory cycle that may be hard to stop. Yesterday's Israeli airstrikes, which targeted weapons Israel said were hidden in homes and civilian buildings, reportedly killed more than 490 people, including more than 90 women and children, according to Lebanese authorities. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel Defense Forces spokesman, said Israel will do "whatever is necessary" to clear a buffer zone along the border so that some 60,000 Israelis can return to their homes. "Regarding the high number of casualties, everyone is a tragedy. In Lebanon, among those killed were large numbers of Hezbollah terrorists who were next to the weapons that we targeted," Hagari said. "We cannot accept a terrorist group storing weapons inside people's homes and using them to fire at other civilian communities." In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hezbollah's use of civilians as human shields for the deaths of innocents and urged noncombatants, "Please get out of harm’s way now." "Israel’s war is not with you. It’s with Hezbollah," he said. "Don’t let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. … Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes." ISRAELI STRIKES KILL SCORES IN LEBANON AS IT EXPANDS HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT 'WALKING INTO A WIDER WAR': "I think right now, to be truthful, we’ve crossed a threshold here between a war that tries to apply some restraint and a wider war," Leon Panetta, former defense secretary and CIA director, said in an appearance on CNN. "We’re clearly walking into a much wider war. And that makes it much more difficult for any of the parties to agree to any kind of solution." "[We] have to urge that the parties try to strive toward some kind of ceasefire in order to be able to provide for the hostage exchange, provide for a path as to what happens with Gaza and the Palestinians, what happens with humanitarian aid," Panetta said. "I think those arguments need to be made. And President Biden is the person to try to make those arguments." "It would be nice for the United Nations to spend some time recognizing that Iran has enabled the terrorist activities by Hezbollah, by Hamas, by the Houthis. There’s so many organizations operating because of Iran. We’d like to see more of a focus on Iran," Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a separate appearance on CNN. "We expect Israel will defend itself, but an escalation of the conflict is not in Israel’s interest, not in the United States’s interest," Cardin said. "We want to see a de-escalation of the conflict, and we want to see the countries in the region come together and isolate Iran so that the Israelis and Palestinians can live with security in the region, respecting each other’s rights." GAZAN SUPPORT FOR HAMAS DECLINES AS MAJORITY SAY OCT. 7 ATTACK WAS WRONG Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: In its battle with Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, the Republican-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled a hearing for 10 a.m. titled, “An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat.” Knowing full well that Blinken, in New York for the U.N. General Assembly session, would be a no-show, the Republicans also scheduled a committee markup 15 minutes later of a report recommending the full House find Blinken in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a duly issued subpoena. "Rather than own up to their mistakes, this administration touts their deadly evacuation as a success. I believe that is shameful," Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said at a Rules Committee hearing yesterday. "If the administration refuses to hold itself accountable, then the duly elected representatives of the American people must." The top Democrat on the committee denounced the attempt to cite Blinken for contempt as "political theater" based on "bogus allegations of wrongdoing." "Secretary Blinken was the first cabinet official to appear before Congress in the days after the Afghanistan withdrawal, has appeared an additional three times before the committee since to take questions on Afghanistan, and has provided regular access to department officials and thousands of pages of sensitive documents to the committee throughout its Afghanistan oversight work," Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), ranking member of the committee, said in a statement. "Yet, after more than three years since the Afghanistan withdrawal but conveniently on the eve of a Presidential election, Republicans suddenly urgently need his testimony?" Meeks said. "It is shameless that, while Secretary Blinken deals with pressing issues around the world — like securing a ceasefire deal in Gaza or the war in Ukraine — the House GOP continues its political theater by seeking to hold Secretary Blinken in contempt of Congress." US MILITARY DEPLOYS 'SMALL NUMBER' OF ADDITIONAL TROOPS TO MIDDLE EAST ZELENSKY'S DAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to address a U.N. Security Council ministerial meeting on Ukraine at 3 p.m., and he is expected to discuss his "Plan for Victory," without revealing the details that he is saving for his face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden Thursday in Washington. "This is a very specific plan on how to strengthen Ukraine without any decisions or pressure from Russia. This plan does not depend on any decisions made by Putin," Zelensky said after a meeting with a bipartisan congressional delegation on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, which included Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY). In a session yesterday, Blinken warned that Ukraine not only needs military assistance but also a massive effort to restore the country’s energy grid, crippled by relentless Russian missile and drone attacks. "We have once again not just the prospect but the reality of Putin weaponizing winter, weaponizing the weather, to use energy as a weapon in his efforts to subjugate Ukraine. And we know that the upcoming winter will be challenging," Blinken said. "We need to go on an urgent basis in the days and weeks ahead, repairing and replacing things that are taken out by Russian bombs and missiles, protecting the different facilities on the grid, getting more power, distributed power, to Ukraine." TRUMP: WAR IN UKRAINE 'OUR FAULT': At a political rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, last night, former President Donald Trump blamed the United States for the war in Ukraine, saying were it not for Biden's "incompetence," Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have invaded his neighbor. "It’s our fault because it’s a war that should have never been allowed to happen," Trump told the crowd at one point in his 90-minute remarks. "And we had the power that it would never have happened. We have an incompetent leader." Trump also suggested that Ukraine’s military was so depleted that it was "now using young boys and old men" to fight the war because "so many of their people have been killed." In April, Ukraine lowered the age for drafting men into the military from 27 to 25 as a way to address its need for more troops. And while Zelensky hopes to meet with Trump to share his vision for victory over Russia while in the U.S. this week, Trump continues to describe the Ukrainian leader as someone soaking the American taxpayers to pay for the war. "I think Zelensky’s the greatest salesman in history," Trump said, repeating a line he's used many times before. "Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with $60 billion." While Congress eventually approved a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine after eight months of wrangling, the money has been doled out in small increments, and $6 billion authorized for taking weapons and ammunition from U.S. military inventories is set to expire in a week unless Congress acts. Trump also said Zelensky wants Kamala Harris to win in November because if Trump wins, he'll end the war immediately. "He wants them. He wants them to win this election so badly," Trump said. "But I would do it differently. I will work out peace before I’m even, before — as president-elect, if I win this election, the first thing I’m going to do is call up Zelensky and call up President Putin and I’m gonna say, 'You gotta make a deal. This is crazy.'" TRUMP ARGUES ZELENSKY WANTS HARRIS TO WIN 'SO BADLY' AS UKRAINIAN LEADER VISITS PENNSYLVANIA CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Israeli strikes kill scores in Lebanon as it expands Hezbollah conflict Washington Examiner: US military deploys 'small number' of additional troops to Middle East Washington Examiner: What Israel hopes to achieve against Hezbollah as it ramps up attacks Washington Examiner: Gazan support for Hamas declines as majority say Oct. 7 attack was wrong Washington Examiner: Lawmakers grow frustrated with Mayorkas over handling of Trump assassination attempts Washington Examiner: Trump would-be assassin to be detained without bail until trial Washington Examiner: Trump blasts FBI and DOJ for 'downplaying' investigation Washington Examiner: Russia using AI 'quickly and convincingly' to interfere with US election Washington Examiner: Trump argues Zelensky wants Harris to win 'so badly' as Ukrainian leader visits Pennsylvania Washington Examiner: Mike Johnson calls Harris Iran's 'preferred candidate' Washington Examiner: House GOP leadership bypasses hard-line members to send stopgap spending bill to floor Washington Examiner: What's in — and out of — the latest House funding bill Washington Examiner: Johnson's majority narrowed after New Jersey Democrat sworn in Washington Examiner: House report finds US funded research helped advance Chinese military interests Washington Examiner: Biden administration proposes banning Chinese software in vehicles Washington Examiner: Jack Smith readies massive filing in Trump case AP: Israeli strikes kill 492 in Lebanon's deadliest day of conflict since 2006 AP: Israel's Iron Dome intercepts missiles fired from Lebanon over Haifa Washington Post: Iranian President Vows Response To Killing Of Hamas Leader In Tehran Wall Street Journal: The Vast Hezbollah Arsenal Awaiting Israel in Lebanon Wall Street Journal: Japan Warns Russia Over Violating Airspace, Fires Flares for First Time USNI News: Chinese, Russian Warships Operating Near Japan In Major Joint Exercise USNI News: Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Leaves For Deployment AP: Boeing makes a 'final offer' to striking workers, but union says it's not good enough The Hill: Afghanistan's neighbors don't want another civil war Air & Space Forces Magazine: How the Air Force Reserve Overcame Its Recruiting Crisis AP: US-China Research Has Given Beijing's Military Technology a Boost, House GOP Says Breaking Defense: China Indo-Pac Military Power Trumps US, but US Remains More Influential: Lowy Institute Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force to Keep Up Bombers Rotations in Australia amid China's 'Heavy-Handedness' Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force to Revamp PME for Top Enlisted to Focus on China The War Zone: Aggressor F-16 Fleet Set to Be Slashed by Air Force Breaking Defense: France Claims World's First Space-to-Earth Laser Comms SpaceNews: US Eyes Geostationary Orbit for Next-Gen GPS Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Wants a Market for Commercial Satellites That Can Maneuver in Orbit Defense One: Dueling Robot Wingmen Take the Stage Stars and Stripes: Airman Who Helped Save Afghan Kids' Lives Finally Gets His Due After Paperwork Snafu National Security Journal: China's 70-Year-Old Xian H-6 Bomber Is Still a Killer National Security Journal: North Korea Is a Nuclear Weapons State. Here's What America Should Do About It National Security Journal: The Air Force Has a Plan to Make Sure the F-22 Raptor Fighter Still Dominates National Security Journal: M1 Abrams SEPv3 Upgrade Could Be the Best Tank of All Time Soldier of Fortune: So You Want to Be a War Correspondent Military.com: Opinion: Setting the Record Straight on the V-22 Osprey THE CALENDAR: TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 24 9 a.m. — United Nations General Debate opens, with speeches by Secretary-General António Guterres, President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian https://gadebate.un.org/en 10 a.m. — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. U.S., with testimony from former Deputy Solicitor General of the U.S. Philip Lacovara, Georgetown University Law School Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection Executive Director Mary McCord, Columbia University School of International and Public Senior Research Scholar Timothy Naftali, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law Associate Professor of Law and Separation of Powers Institute Director Jennifer Mascott http://judiciary.senate.gov 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat,” with Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited http://foreignaffairs.house.gov 10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing: “Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part III,” with testimony from Bradley Thayer, founding member on the Committee on Present Danger: China; Joseph Cella, former U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuval, and co-founder and director, citizen-led Michigan China Economic Security and Review Group; and Robert Atkinson, founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation http://oversight.house.gov 10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy Subcommittee hearing: “Cyberspace Under Threat in the Era of Rising Authoritarianism and Global Competition,” with testimony from Laura Cunningham, president of the Open Technology Fund, Washington, D.C.; David Kaye, clinical professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, Irvine, Calif.; and Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director, National Security Institute, Arlington, Va. http://foreign.senate.gov 10 a.m. — Wilson Center Global Europe Program virtual discussion: “Ukraine’s Energy Front,” with Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, former CEO and chairman of the Management Board of Ukrenergo https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/ukraines-energy-front 12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army virtual discussion: “Recruiting and Marketing for the U.S. Army,” with Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of Army Recruiting Command, and Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report-recruiting-marketing-us-army 12:30 p.m. New York, New York — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “America’s Role in the World and the Perils of Isolationism,” with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, director and senior fellow on public policy at the Hoover Institution https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/condoleezza-rice 2 p.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability Committee Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Subcommittee hearing: "Tracking Progress: Examining the Department of Defense’s Financial Management Practices," with testimony from Tom Steffens, senior assistant to the comptroller, Brett Mansfield, deputy inspector general for audit; Office of the DODInspector General, and Asif Khan, director, financial management assurance, Government Accountability Office https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/tracking-progress 2 p.m. 210 Cannon — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: "Russia’s shadow war on NATO,” with Erkki Tori, national security adviser to the Estonian prime minister; Benjamin Schmitt, senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Energy Policy; and Michael Weiss, investigative journalist https://www.youtube.com/live 2 p.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies book discussion: Seeing Red: Russian Propaganda and American News, with author Sarah Oates, professor at the University of Maryland at College Park https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/book-talk 3 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “The Russia-Ukraine War: A Study in Analytic Failure,” with co-author Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews; co-author Eliot Cohen, CSIS chair in strategy; Kimberly Kagan, founder and president of the Institute for the Study of War; and Gian Gentile, associate director, RAND Arroyo Center https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch-russia-ukraine-war-and-study-analytic-failure 5:30 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affair book discussion: “The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East,” with author Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-end-of-ambition WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 25 8 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies Doing Business in Ukraine Conference: “Building Ukraine’s Security Through a Modernized Economy," with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA); Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX); and Erin McKee, assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia https://www.csis.org/events/doing-business-ukraine 8:30 a.m. 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW — Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation 10th annual China Forum, with Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL); and David Shambaugh, director, George Washington University China Policy Program [email protected] 9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Rebuilding America’s Maritime Strength,” with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fl); and retired Rear Adm. Raymond Spicer, CEO and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/rebuilding-americas-maritime-strength 9:45 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in-person and virtual discussion: "Do Chinese Companies Pose a Risk to Our National Security? A Bipartisan discussion:" with Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) chairman, and ranking member, House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party; and Marc Thiessen, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute https://www.aei.org/events/do-chinese-companies-pose-a-risk-to-our-national-security 11 a.m. 58 East 68th St., New York — Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) discussion: “Yemen’s foreign policy priorities, regional security, and the country’s humanitarian situation,” with Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen https://www.cfr.org/event/conversation-president-rashad-al-alimi-yemen 2 p.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing: “The Border Crisis: The Cost of Chaos,” with testimony from Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies; and Chris Clem, former chief patrol agent for the Yuma Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol http://oversight.house.gov 3 p.m. 2247 Rayburn — Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing: “Erasing Ukrainian Identity and Culture,” with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Hadar Harris, managing director of PEN America; Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine; Jade McGlynn, research fellow at King’s College, London; and Karima Bennoune, professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School https://humanrightscommission.house.gov/events/hearings THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 26 TBA — President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to discuss his "Victory Plan." Vice President Kamala Harris meets separately with Zelensky at the White House later in the day 8:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW — Hudson Institute discussion: "Defense Innovation and the New Cold War," with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK); Joe Londsdale, cofounder, Palantir Technologies; Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer, Palantir Technologies; Nadia Schadlow, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Richard Berger, budget director, Senate Armed Services Committee; Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow and director, Keystone Defense Initiative, Hudson Institute; and Morgan Ortagus, founder, Polaris National Security and former State Department spokesperson https://www.eventbrite.com/e/defense-innovation-and-the-new-cold-war 9:15 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: "Preserving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific," with Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Hudson Japan Chair Kenneth Weinstein https://www.eventbrite.com/e/preserving-a-free-and-open-indo-pacific 9:30 a.m — House of Representatives Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump hearing: "The Ongoing Investigation of the Butler, Pennsylvania Security Failure: The Secret Service’s Reliance on State and Local Law Enforcement," 9:30 a.m. — American Enterprise Institute virtual discussion: "China's Comprehensive Threat to American Security," with Robert O'Brien, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump; Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Robert Doar, president, American Enterprise Institute https://www.aei.org/events/chinas-comprehensive-threat-to-american-security 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Foreign Policy, Interrupted: How Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Blunt America’s Impact Abroad,” with testimony from Cardell Richardson, State Department inspector general; Paul Martin, U.S. Agency for International Development inspector general; and Anthony Zakel, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation inspector general http://foreignaffairs.house.gov 10 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “Is There a ‘Day After’? The Future of Post-War Gaza,” with Tahani Mustafa, senior analyst for Palestine at the International Crisis Group; Joe Saba, chairman of the board of directors of American Near East Refugee Aid; Mohammed Samhouri, former senior economic adviser to the Palestinian Authority; Muhammed Shehadeh, chief of programs and communications at the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor; and Khaled Elgindy, MEI senior fellow https://www.mei.edu/events/there-day-after-future-post-war-gaza 3 p.m. 1200 South Hayes St., Arlington, Virginia — RAND Corporation discussion: “All Elements of National Power: The Way Ahead for the Next National Defense Strategy,” with former Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tx); former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), chairwoman of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Eric Edelman, vice chairman of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Andrew Hoehn, RAND senior vice president of research and analysis; and David Ochmanek, RAND senior international/defense researcher https://www.rand.org/events/2024/09/the-next-national-defense-strategy | | | | "It's our fault because it's a war that should have never been allowed to happen, and we had the power that it would never have happened. We have an incompetent leader." | | Former President Donald Trump, at a rally in Pennsylvania blaming the U.S. for Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine |
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