| TOP STORY: Social media was flooded with videos showing the devastating effect of a remote-controlled attack on Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon when, at 3:30 local time, thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah to avoid smartphone tracking exploded almost simultaneously. At least nine people were killed in the small but powerful blasts, and hospitals were overwhelmed by more than 2,800 wounded. Videos showed unsuspecting victims as their pagers blew up in their faces, on the streets, and in markets, leaving a gruesome trail of people with missing fingers, severe eye injuries, bloody body parts, and amputations. Publically, the U.S. disavowed any knowledge of the unprecedented attack, with both White House and Pentagon spokespeople making similar statements. " We have seen, obviously, the reports. I don't have more information to share," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "Obviously, something that we're continuing to monitor, but don't have any information to provide," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at the Pentagon. Both the Associated Press and the New York Times reported that Israel was behind the attack, citing an American official who spoke on the condition of anonymity and said Israel had briefed the U.S. privately about the intricate details of the attack. Israel has said nothing publicly, neither confirming nor denying its involvement. "We hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression that also targeted civilians," Hezbollah said in a statement, which vowed revenge. "This treacherous and criminal enemy will certainly face its just retribution for this sinful aggression, from places expected and unexpected." HEZBOLLAH TARGETED IN UNPRECEDENTED EXPLODING PAGER ATTACK HOW THE BEEPERS WERE BOOBY-TRAPPED: When the wave of beeper bombs went off all at once, the initial speculation was they had somehow been remotely hacked to make the lithium battery overheat and explode, but even if that were possible, that would only produce a fire and would lack the explosive force that maimed most of the victims. Instead, it appears the pagers, which Hezbollah had ordered from Gold Apollo in Taiwan and which were manufactured under a licensing agreement in Hungary, were tampered with before they reached Lebanon, and a high-explosive, such as RDX, was added to the devices. "The explosive material, as little as one to two ounces, was implanted next to the battery in each pager," the New York Times quoted two U.S. officials as saying. "A switch was also embedded that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosives." "The devices were programmed to beep for several seconds before exploding, according to three of the officials," the officials told the newspaper. ONE EXPERT'S TAKE: Retired Australian Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan, who writes extensively on military strategy on his Substack page, says the "audacious and imaginative attack" has "profound implications for Hezbollah and its leadership." "Israel is demonstrating that it can identify and target members of Hezbollah regardless of their location or position in the organization. This is indicative (again) of a sophisticated Israeli intelligence apparatus, which, despite its failures leading up to the 7 October Hamas massacres, can execute complex and audacious attacks," Ryan writes this morning. "Israel (if it did conduct the attacks) is saying to Hezbollah's leadership that it can and will reach out personally, and that it can remove entire layers of the Hezbollah chain of command instantly." "The Israelis have demonstrated that they are inside Hezbollah's communications networks and its supply chains. This will give every member of Hezbollah pause to reconsider whether to trust the communications and other equipment issued by the organization," Ryan says. "The pager attack on Lebanon has shown that these lethal, personal attacks are possible, at scale, well beyond the battlefield," he added. "These kinds of attacks do not require the resources of a state either. They are possible from motivated individuals or issue-motivated groups if they can access the personal devices of government officials or politicians." READ MORE: PAGER BOMBS: PRECISION WARFARE TAKES A PERSONAL TURN IN LEBANON Good Wednesday 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 Christopher Tremoglie. 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: WE'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has scheduled a vote for today on his preferred option to keep the government funded past the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30: a six-month continuing resolution, or CR, with an additional provision that would require voters in federal elections to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of registration. "Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections," Johnson said in a statement announcing the vote. "Because we owe this to our constituents, we will move forward on Wednesday with a vote on the six-month CR with the SAVE Act attached." "I urge all of my colleagues to do what the overwhelming majority of the people of this country rightfully demand and deserve — prevent non-American citizens from voting in American elections." "At least a dozen lawmakers initially came out in opposition to Johnson's proposal," reported Washington Examiner Congressional Correspondent Cami Mondeaux, "That opposition makes the legislation likely dead on arrival, as Johnson can only afford to lose four Republican votes if there is full attendance and all Democrats vote against it." "There's no Plan B. This is what he's trying to get done," Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), a top appropriator in the House, told the Washington Examiner. "The speaker has elected to call the play. He's calling the play, and I'm supporting his play there." Democrats argue that voting by noncitizens in federal elections is already illegal and that there are few, if any, documented cases of violations. Republican opposition centers around the wisdom of picking a partisan political fight on a no-win issue ahead of a very tight election. "My only observation about this whole discussion is the one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). "It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly, we'd get the blame." LOOMING SHUTDOWN SETS UP NEXT BIG LEADERSHIP TEST FOR JOHNSON AND FRACTURED GOP CONFERENCE UKRAINE'S SPECTACULAR ATTACK ON A RUSSIAN AMMO DEPOT: Ukraine has reportedly used dozens of drones, perhaps as many as 100, to attack a major ammunition storage facility, igniting a conflagration that has sent a giant cloud of fire into the sky, and forced the evacuation of the parts of the Tver region, according to numerous social media posts. The strike, believed to be one of the biggest of the war, set off earthquake monitors, as weapons including Iskander missiles, Tochka-U missiles, KAB bombs, S300/S400 missiles, artillery rounds, and North Korean missiles are said to have cooked off at the sprawling complex of warehouses located in Toropets, a town located roughly 230 miles from Moscow. Speaking to reporters early Wednesday, Tver Gov. Igor Rudenya said that all drones in the region were shot down and that there was a fire on the ground as a result of debris from a downed drone, NBC News reported. The news network noted that as he spoke, "loud explosions could be heard in the background." The fires were so intense that they were picked up by NASA satellites, while the explosion was recorded as a 3.2 magnitude earthquake by Norwegian monitoring agency NORSAR, NBC said. FORMER CENTCOM COMMANDER: END OF ISIS MISSION 'BEWILDERING': In an opinion essay published in the Washington Post, retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, former head of the U.S. Central Command, and Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute argue the decision by the Biden administration to draw down its forces in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government is "bewildering," given that ISIS is reconstituting next door in Syria. "The U.S. presence in Iraq is … integral to the U.S. deployment next door in Syria, where 900 American troops remain engaged in a vital campaign against the Islamic State alongside our local partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces," wrote Votel and Lister. "Without forces in Iraq, it is hard to envision troops remaining in Syria for long." Just two weeks ago, U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted their largest joint operation in years in western Iraq, killing 14 ISIS members, including four senior leaders, according to the U.S. Central Command. ISIS may have been dealt a "territorial defeat" in 2019, they argue, but they "retreated to the desert" and have since "slowly but methodically rebuilt itself" in Syria. While the Islamic State network is "a shadow of its former self," Votel and Lister say, the announcement of a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in two years' time "will boost the Islamic State's confidence significantly. As troops begin to draw down, the terrorist group will unquestionably seek to step into the resulting vacuum." "Given the state of the Islamic State today, ongoing regional hostilities and an upcoming U.S. election, a decision to announce a deal to bring the anti-Islamic State coalition to an end is bewildering. Yet, it does now seem inevitable," they conclude. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Hezbollah targeted in unprecedented exploding pager attack Washington Examiner: Harris says her Israel policies won't differ much from Biden's Washington Examiner: Trump now receiving 'approximate' level of security as Biden: Mayorkas Washington Examiner: Trump would-be assassin was subject of FBI tip in 2019 Washington Examiner: ‘Only consequential presidents get shot at’: Trump muses about assassination attempts Washington Examiner: DeWine declines to reveal foreign adversary behind Springfield bomb threats Washington Examiner: 'Suspicious' mail with white powder sent to more than a dozen election offices in various states Washington Examiner: Looming shutdown sets up next big leadership test for Johnson and fractured GOP conference Washington Examiner: McConnell: 'beyond stupid' to shut down government ahead of election Washington Examiner: Opinion: How to restore trust in the Secret Service Washington Post: Israel Expands War Goals On Lebanese Border As U.S. Tries To Calm Tensions AP: Russia Goes All-Out With Covert Disinformation Aimed At Harris, Microsoft Report Says Washington Post: Meta Bans RT, Related Russian State Media For 'Foreign Interference' New York Times: Moscow Hits Back in Kursk as Air War Heats Up Washington Post: 'Sprinkled with our blood': Why so many Ukrainians resist land for peace Air & Space Forces Magazine: Ukraine, New to F-16s, Takes a Cautious Approach, Says US General Defense One: Russia's Hasty Mobilization Could See More Drones Crash on NATO Territory Defense One: NATO Considering Arctic Combined Air Operations Center to Deal with Russian Threats Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Leaders: Pilot Shortage Requires 'Holistic,' Analytical Solution Militarycom: Air Force Top Enlisted Leader Says Trainees Carrying Real Rifles at Boot Camp Is 'Desired End State' Inside Defense: Defense Strategy Commissioners Worry Their Message Is Being Drowned Out by Political Division, Chaos USNI News: Red Sea Lessons Informing Fleet Forces' Combat Surge Model, Says Admiral Stars and Stripes: Surveillance Plane Makes Navy's First Pass Over Taiwan Strait In 5 Months Bloomberg: Pentagon's F-35 Cost Rises 10% to $485 Billion to Fix Overheating Engines Defense News: Italy to Buy 25 Extra F-35 Fighter Jets Under New Budget Air & Space Forces Magazine: NORAD Boss 'Intrigued' by New High-Altitude Drones amid Increase in Russian Approaches The War Zone: General Atomics Says Its Collaborative Combat Aircraft Is Like a Bic Lighter National Defense Magazine: Honeywell Unveils AI-Enabled Counter-Drone Swarm System Aviation Week: Boeing Unveils Land-Based MQ-25 Autonomous Tanker Design Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lockheed Eyes Low-Cost Attritable Drone for CCA Increment 2 Breaking Defense: Boeing Tackling Workforce Challenges amid F-15EX, Super Hornet Production Line Changes Air & Space Forces Magazine: Flosi: What 'Breaking Down Stovepipes' Means for Airmen Air & Space Forces Magazine: How Commercial Space Services Kept US Troops Safe While Leaving Niger Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Futures Command Could Still Be a Year Away CNN: China And Russia Are Ramping Up Joint Military Drills. What's Their End Goal? Philippine Star: Philippines Eyes Taking Sea Dispute With China To UN General Assembly SpaceNews: Capella Space Lands $15 Million US Air Force Contract for Radar Imaging Upgrade Washington Post: Opinion: Joe Votel: As ISIS rebuilds in Syria, the U.S. is making a bewildering call THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 18 8 a.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland — Air and Space Forces Association 2024 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, with “Achieving Decisive Advantage in an Age of Growing Threats,” Air Force Undersecretary Melissa Dalton; Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Integration Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara https://www.afa.org/air-space-cyber-conference 9:25 a.m. 5151 Pooks Hill Rd., Bethesda, Maryland — Institute for Defense and Government Advancement 2024 Hypersonic Weapons Summit Phil Hansen, project manager, hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor at the Missile Defense Agency https://www.idga.org/events-hypersonicweaponssystems 9:45 a.m. — Defense News webcast: "Modernizing to Meet Tomorrow’s Defense Needs," with Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology https://events.defensenews.com/modernizing-to-meet-tomorrows-defense-needs/ 10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: "The Findings and Recommendations of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy, with former Rep. Jane Harman D-CA, chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy; and Eric Edelman, vice chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy https://armedservices.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings 10 a.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — National Press Club discussion with the families of seven American hostages in Gaza, with Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American hostage and Israel Defense Force (IDF) member Omer Neutra; Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen; Ruby and Hagit Chenl parents of American hostage and IDF member Itay Chen; Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of American hostage and IDF member Edan Alexander; Liz Hirsh Naftali, great-aunt of former child hostage Abigail More Edan; and Hannah Siegel, niece of American hostage Keith Siegel https://www.press.org/events/npc-headliners-families-seven-american-hostages-gaza 10 a.m. 310 Cannon House — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “A Country Without Borders: How the Biden-Harris Open Borders Policies Have Undermined Our Safety and Security" http://homeland.house.gov 10 a.m. — The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. book discussion: Artificial Intelligence 'Arms Dynamics': The Case Of The U.S. And China Rivalry, with Gloria Shkurti Ozdemir, researcher, Foreign Policy Directorate, SETA Foundation; Kadir Ustun, executive director, SETA Foundation https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register 10:30 a.m. — McCain Institute discussion: “Defending American Democracy in the Digital Age,” with Rachael Dean Wilson, managing director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy and US Elections at German Marshall Fund; Jim Ludes, vice president for strategic initiatives and executive director of the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy; Jane Andersen, executive director of Agenda for Arizona; Steven Richer, county recorder of Maricopa County; and Dianna Nanez, executive director of Arizona Luminaria https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/events 2 p.m. 2358-C Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Russia Imperial Identity,” with Botakoz Kassymbekova, assistant professor of modern history at the University of Basel; Philip Obaji Jr., Daily Beast correspondent; Timothy Snyder, Yale University history professor; and Maria Vyushkova, Buryat activist and scientist https://www.youtube.com/live/zKNxUx9_U9I 2:30 p.m. 216 Hart — Senate Intelligence Committee hearing: "Foreign threats to elections in 2024, roles and responsibilities of U.S. tech providers" http://intelligence.senate.gov 2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Commercial Space for National Security: Integration and Institutional Change,” with retired Air Force Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski; and Mandy Vaughn, CEO and founder of GXO Inc. https://www.csis.org/events/commercial-space-national-security-integration 3 p.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee media event: "Marking nearly four years since the wrongful imprisonment of Hong Kong media mogul and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai,” with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD); and Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai [email protected] THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 19 8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2024 Intel Summit, with CIA Chief Technology Officer Nand Mulchandani; Matthew Ross, executive director of global integration, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Executive Assistant FBI Director Ryan Young https://potomacofficersclub.com/events 8:30 a.m. — The Hill virtual Future of Defense Summit: “Accelerating Innovation and Next-Gen Defense,” with Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NB); House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-WA); Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA): Arnold Punaro, founder and CEO of the Punaro Group and chair of the National Defense Industrial Association; and Becca Wasser, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security https://thehill.com/events/4816163-future-of-defense-summit 8:30 a.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Cyberspace Solarium Commission discussion: "America's Cyber Resiliency in 2024: A Conversation with CSC 2.0 Co-Chair Sen. Angus King," with Tom Fanning, former executive chairman of Southern Company; and former executive director retired Rear. Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director, FDD Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation; and Sam Sabin, cybersecurity reporter at Axios https://www.fdd.org/events/2024/09/19/americas-cyber-resiliency 8:45 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: "The report of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy,” with Eric Edelman, commissioner of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Mariah Sixkiller, commissioner of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; and Rebeccah Heinrichs, director of the Hudson Keystone Defense Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/conversation 9 a.m. — PunchBowl News in-person and virtual discussion: “The Future of Defense Aviation,” with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK); Jill Albertelli, president of military engines at Pratt and Whitney; Anna Palmer, co-founder of PunchBowl News; https://events.punchbowl.news/futureof_bice/Sept19 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW— Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program and the U.S. Naval Institute for a Maritime Security Dialogue in-peron and virtual discussion: "America Warfighting Navy," with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Seth Jones, CSIS senior vice president and ISP director; and retired Navy Capt. Bill Hamblet, editor-in-chief, Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/americas-warfighting-navy 11:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “On Day One: A U.S. Economic Contingency Plan for a Taiwan Crisis,” with Eyck Freymann, nonresident research fellow, Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute; and Hugo Bromley, affiliated research associate, Cambridge University Robinson College https://www.csis.org/events/day-one-us-economic-contingency-plan-taiwan-crisis 1 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight of Extremism Policies in the Army," with testimony from Agnes Schaefer, assistant Army secretary for manpower and reserve affairs; and Lt. Gen. Patrick Matlock, deputy Army chief of staff https://armedservices.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings 3 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: "Great power competition and overseas bases," with Michael O'Hanlon, Knight chair in Defense and Strategy, senior fellow and director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Geoffrey Gresh, professor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University; Dawn Murphy, associate professor, National Security Strategy, National War College; Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, Brookings; and Isaac Kardon, senior fellow for China Studies, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch 4 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “The International Side of Industrial Policy,” with Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh https://carnegieendowment.org/events 6:30 p.m. 2340 S St. NW— President Woodrow Wilson House discussion: “The challenges of American foreign and defense policy in a world in which America opponents and enemies are, if not allied, increasingly in alignment with one another,” with Eliot Cohen, chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/woodrowwilsonhouse FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 20 8:30 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Confronting the Axis of Upheaval,” with House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wa); Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman, House Armed Services Committee; and Jonathan Lord, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Middle East Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-confronting-the-axis-of-upheaval' 9:30 a.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “The Future of U.S. and Allied Hypersonic Missile Programs,” with Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO); Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE); Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ); Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA); retired Air Force Gen. Heather Pringle; former Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Adm. James Winnefeld; former Assistant Defense Secretary for Space Policy John Plumb; and Mike White, former principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Defense Secretary https://www.hudson.org/events/future-american-hypersonic-missile-program 10 a.m. Pentagon Parade Field — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. make remarks at the National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events | | | | "My only observation about this whole discussion is the one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we'd get the blame." | | Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mcconnell (R-KY) |
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