ANOTHER STRIKE, SAME RESULT: Thursday in the Red Sea was another day when a U.S.-owned tanker ship was targeted by Houthi missiles. It was the third this week, and it came several hours after the fifth U.S. strike on missiles in Houthi-controlled Yemen that were “aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch.”
The U.S. Central Command said U.S. strikes destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles and that the later attack missed the M/V Chem Ranger, a Marshall Island-flagged, U.S.-owned, Greek-operated tanker ship. “The crew observed the missiles impact the water near the ship. There were no reported injuries or damage to the ship. The ship has continued underway.”
In a moment of clarity, President Joe Biden admitted the Houthis show no sign of stopping. “Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?” Biden was asked as he was about to board Marine One.
“Well, when you say ‘working,’ are they stopping the Houthis? No,” Biden said. “Are they going to continue? Yes.”
“We never said that the Houthis would immediately stop,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary at the Pentagon. “It’s in their best interests, I think, to stop. You’ve seen that we’ve been able to degrade and severely disrupt and destroy a significant number of their capabilities since Thursday. But it’s really on them when they decide that they want to stop interrupting commercial shipping, innocent mariners that are transiting the Red Sea.”
“With each and every one of these strikes, we are taking away capability from the Houthis. With each and every one of these strikes, we are making it harder for them to continue to propagate these attacks,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One. “They have a choice to make. The choice ought to be to stop these reckless attacks. If they don’t, then we have additional options available to us, and we won’t be shy about using them.”
‘LAID THE BAIT’: HOUTHIS NOT DETERRED BY US STRIKES OR TERRORIST DESIGNATION
HALEY: BIDEN’S ‘HEAD IN THE SAND’: In a two-hour town hall that aired on CNN last night, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley blamed Biden’s hesitation to confront Iran for emboldening the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
“The frustration that I have with why we’re in this situation is, all of this could have been prevented,” Haley told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Keep in mind, there would be no Houthis without Iran. There wouldn’t be Hamas without Iran. There wouldn’t be Hezbollah without Iran.”
“Biden fell all over himself to get back into the Iran deal. When he lifted the sanctions on Iran, it was the most dangerous thing he could have done,” Haley said. “When he lifted the terrorist label off the Houthis, again, that was another thing he never should have done.”
“The best way you prevent war is to deter it in the first place. That doesn’t mean putting your head in the sand,” she continued. “So when Iran started shooting at our men and women in Iraq and Syria, why did it take 130 times for Biden to do something about it? If he had hit hard one time … had done that once, they would have backed off.”
SPOILING FOR A FIGHT: The Houthis say they are attacking shipping in the Red Sea in support of Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza, who are under assault by Israel in response to the horrific terrorist attack of Oct. 7.
But observers say the Houthis also seek to fuel anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment among their supporters in Yemen.
”Despite what the Houthis say, [it] is very different from what they’re doing,” Singh said at the Pentagon. “Fifty nations, some of which have no geographic location or connection to the Middle East, are being attacked by the Houthis. I mean, you have Chinese ships going through. You have Russian ships going through. You have all sorts of countries’ ships, commercial vessels that are transiting this waterway that have nothing to do with what’s happening in Israel and in Gaza.”
The problem, said Vivian Nereim, Gulf bureau chief for the New York Times, is that the Houthis are excited to be seen as being in a war with the U.S. and Israel.
“The Houthis have been very clear that they’re not going to stop, that they absolutely have no intention of stopping, and in fact, they’ve declared at this point that they would prefer a direct war with the United States,” Nereim said on the New York Times podcast, The Daily.
“There’s really no reason for them to pull back, and they’re very comfortable fighting,” Nereim said. “As soon as it stops, it essentially leaves the Houthis back in a challenging position where they’re going to have to figure out how to govern. They’re going to have to figure out how to be in power and not how to be the rebels. For the Houthis, it is going to be much easier to keep fighting than it would be for them to govern a country that has been destroyed by decades of war.”
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Good Friday 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 Conrad Hoyt. 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
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SHUTDOWN AVERTED WITH DEMOCRATIC VOTES: Another January snowfall has delayed the opening of the federal government in Washington, but a partial shutdown of the government that would have been triggered at midnight tonight has been averted thanks to another stopgap continuing resolution that passed both the House and Senate yesterday and will be signed by Biden today.
The measure, which freezes spending at last year’s level until March, was agreed to by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and passed by wide margins in both chambers, despite vehement opposition from conservatives in the House.
The vote in the Senate was 77-18, but in the House, more than 100 Republicans voted against the CR and would have forced a shutdown tonight had it not been that nearly all Democrats voted for the temporary funding measure.
“HALF of the @HouseGOP voted against the Johnson-Schumer CR,” the hard-right House Freedom Caucus posted on X. “107 Republicans and 207 Democrats voted to continue Nancy Pelosi’s spending and Joe Biden’s policies. This is supposed to be a *Republican* majority — not Democrat.”
“The hard right’s bullying did not work when we avoided default. It did not work when we avoided shutdowns last year. It did not work here either with the continuing resolution we’re passing today,” Schumer said on X. Next up is a funding deal for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and the border, he said. “It is my goal for the Senate to move forward to the national security supplemental as soon as possible. Our national security, our friends abroad, and the future of democracy demands nothing less.”
HOUSE AVOIDS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN UNTIL MARCH DESPITE OUTRAGE OVER JOHNSON STOPGAP BILL
AUSTIN ‘INVITED’ TO DO SOME EXPLAINING: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) has fired off a terse letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, requesting his testimony next month to answer a long list of questions about his attempt to keep his prostate cancer surgery secret.
“Your unwillingness to provide candid and complete answers necessitates calling a Full Committee hearing on February 14, 2024, where the Committee expects to hear your direct testimony regarding decisions made to withhold information from the President, Congress, and the American people,” Rogers wrote, including in his letter a list of more than 20 unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding Austin’s health crisis, and the transfer of authorities while Austin was incapacitated.
“Therefore, you are invited to testify before the House Committee on Armed Services at a hearing on February 14, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in room 2118 of Rayburn House Office Building,” Rogers wrote. “In the meantime, it is my expectation that you promptly answer all outstanding questions so the Committee can review the necessary information in preparation for the upcoming hearing. I expect your full honesty and cooperation in this matter. Anything short of that is completely unacceptable.”
Austin was discharged from Walter Reed Military Medical Center on Monday and remains at home while he recovers from complications from his prostatectomy. “He’s been participating in meetings since he’s resumed full authorities, but has been participating in meetings here in the building, joining remotely, either by phone or by video,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh. “I don’t have a date of when he’d be back in the Pentagon, but I know we’re certainly wishing him a speedy recovery, and I’m sure he’s wanting to come back as soon as he can.”
LLOYD AUSTIN CALLED TO TESTIFY ON FAILURE TO DISCLOSE HOSPITALIZATION
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: House avoids government shutdown until March despite outrage over Johnson stopgap bill
Washington Examiner: Trump throws border security deal in Congress further into doubt
Washington Examiner: Trump working to tank bipartisan border deal that would unlock aid for Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Senate leaders express optimism on Ukraine-border deal: ‘Closer than we have ever been’
Washington Examiner: ‘Laid the bait’: Houthis not deterred by US strikes or terrorist designation
Washington Examiner: Lloyd Austin called to testify on failure to disclose hospitalization
Washington Examiner: Benjamin Netanyahu publicly opposes Palestinian statehood
Washington Examiner: China and Russia ‘seek to turn space into a warfighting domain,’ DOD says
Washington Examiner: US seeks new security partners as Russia embraces Niger junta
Washington Examiner: Green Beret vet vying to represent Virginia’s 7th District raises $300K in fourth quarter
Washington Examiner: Trump claims lack of presidential immunity will lead to presidents being ‘afraid to do anything’
Washington Examiner: Former generals say Biden’s electric vehicle plan is putting national security at risk
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Kim Jong Un sets up his 2024 wild card threat
AP: NATO holds its biggest exercises in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel
AP: With ‘God’s-eye view,’ secretive surveillance flights keep close watch on Russia and Ukraine
AP: House GOP is moving swiftly toward Mayorkas’ impeachment as Senate focuses on a border security deal
Defense News: Pakistan’s Air Force Says It Has a Hypersonic-Capable Missile
Breaking Defense: Russia’s Nyet to White House Offer Bodes Ill for Nuclear Arms Treaty
Bloomberg: New ICBM Is Seen Going 37% Over $96 Billion Cost, Forcing a US Review
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New ICBM Has ‘Critical’ Cost and Schedule Overruns, Needs SecDef Certification to Continue
Breaking Defense: Inside Boeing’s Plans to Fix Its Troubled KC-46A Tanker
Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-21 Raider Starts Test Flights out of Edwards Air Force Base
C4ISRNET: AI-Enabled Valkyrie Drone Teases Future of US Air Force Fleet
Defense One: Shark Tank Kyiv? Investors Hunt ‘War-Winning’ Tech in Ukraine
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: Misplaced Flashlight Sucked into F-35 Engine Caused $4 Million in Damage
Military.com: Top Enlisted Leaders for Each Service Set to Testify on Quality-of-Life Issues at House Hearing
Stars and Stripes: Air Force 2-Star Requests Retirement in Lieu of Court-Martial
The Cipher Brief: Israel’s Actions in Lebanon offer a Warning for Tehran and Moscow
The Cipher Brief: After Gaza: A Political and Economic Path Forward
The Cipher Brief: A New Year Means Further Transformative Shifts in Cyber
38 North: Is Kim Jong Un Preparing for War?
THE CALENDAR:
Check on today’s events, as snowfall in the Washington area has delayed the opening of the federal government by two hours and may have resulted in the postponement or cancellation of events.
FRIDAY | JANUARY 19
8:30 a.m. 11493 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, Virginia — Government Executive Media Group forum: “Doing Business with the Space Force,” with Jeremy Leader, deputy director of the Space Force Commercial Space Office https://events.washingtontechnology.com/wt-power-breakfast
9 a.m. — Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress book discussion: The Arms of the Future, with author Jack Watling, senior research fellow at RUSI in London https://www.addevent.com/event
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Navigating the uncertainties of U.S.-China relations over the next decade,” with Conor Seyle, vice president of operations at Pax Sapiens and senior strategic adviser at One Earth Future; Ren Libo, founder and president of the Grandview Institution; Dennis Wilder, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues; Betty Sue Flowers, teaching professor emerita at the University of Texas; Patricia Kim, fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies and fellow at the Brookings Institution’s China Center; Ryan Hass, director of the Brookings Institution’s China Center, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies and the China Center and chair in Taiwan studies at the Brookings Institution https://www.brookings.edu/events/navigating-the-uncertainties-of-us-china-relations
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Tactically Responsive Space: A Holistic Approach,” with U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein; Bretton Alexander, chief revenue officer at Firefly Aerospace; Kurt Eberly, director of space launch at Northrop Grumman; Jason Kim, CEO of Millennium Space Systems; and Maj. David Ryan, program manager of the defense space portfolio at U.S. Space Force https://www.csis.org/events/tactically-responsive-space-holistic-approach
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 24
12 p.m. 208 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation in-person and virtual discussion: “A Decade of Decline: The Need to Restore America’s Military Power,” with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS); retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg’ noted grand strategist Elbridge Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development; and former Green Beret Joe Kent https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/decade-decline
1 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “Solving Operational Problems with Today’s Technology: Launching the Apex Conference Series,” with Aditi Kumar, deputy director for strategy, policy, and national security partnerships, Defense Innovation Unit; Margaret Palmieri, deputy chief digital artificial intelligence officer, Department of Defense; Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer, Palantir; Scott Forney, president, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems; Thomas Browning, assistant secretary of defense for mission capabilities; Jimmy Jones, STITCHES Warfighter Application Team Lead, U.S. Air Force; Sally de Swart, managing director, Clarion Defense and Security; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology; and Vago Muradian, editor, Defense and Aerospace Report https://www.eventbrite.com/e/solving-operational-problems
THURSDAY | JANUARY 25
6:30 p.m. Grand Rapids, Michigan — Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation book discussion: UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There, with author Garrett Graff https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register