Overnight Defense & National Security — Top commander vents on Afghan evacuation

by Jordan Williams - 02/10/22 5:26 PM ET

It’s Thursday, welcome to Overnight Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe here: digital-stage.thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

The top commander leading the U.S.’s withdrawal in Afghanistan detailed his frustrations with outside requests to evacuate certain people.

We’ll dive deeper into his comments, plus the U.S. Capitol Police watchdog’s investigation into claims that the force is unlawfully spying on GOP lawmakers, and the possibility that Denmark will allow American troops to move freely on its soil.

For The Hill, I’m Jordan Williams. Send tips to jwilliams@digital-stage.thehill.com.

Let’s get to it.

Commander frustrated over evacuations

The top military commander overseeing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan says the effort was hampered by outreach from a variety of officials, including the White House and other international interests.

In testimony to Army investigators, Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, who was commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan Forward, explained how he had been inundated with requests from officials.

“There was all goodness in this, but the lesson learned is it was a distraction from the main effort as they were coming directly to the individuals on the ground trying to accomplish the task at hand,” Vasley told investigators, according to the testimony.

Where are the comments? Vasley’s comments appear in an Army investigation regarding the ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul’s international airport that killed 13 U.S. service members. Military officials briefed reporters on the attack last week.

The Washington Post, which first reported Vasley’s comments, originally reported on Tuesday that the report revealed frustrations from military leaders with the White House and State Department over the evacuation.

Keeping priorities in check: Vasley told Army investigators that the priority was evacuating American citizens, legal permanent residents, and special immigrant visa holders. However, “you had everyone from the White House down with a new flavor of the day for prioritization.”

Vasley explained that he was getting emails from retired military personnel, even the “center for humane treatment of animals” to try and evacuate dogs. “Wy wife and friends in the U.S. were getting these calls,” Vasley said, according to the report.

“We did not think this would happen as part of a [non-combatant evacuation] and resulted in manpower being pulled from existing priorities to deal with these special interests,” he said.

As a result, he had to formulate a coordination cell to handle the “insurmountable” requests.

Read the full story here

Watchdog to probe GOP spying claims

The inspector general for the U.S. Capitol Police has agreed to investigate the force’s practices following accusations from Republican lawmakers that USCP is spying on them and their visitors.

In a detailed letter obtained by The Hill, Capitol Police forcefully denied any wrongdoing, laying out a system for reviewing people who attend events with elected officials largely at lawmaker request.

The investigation comes at the request of Chief Thomas Manger, who said he sees it as a way to “assure both this Committee, the Congress as a whole, and the public that these processes are legal, necessary, and appropriate.”

Who asked for the probe? The initial request for insight into Capitol Police practices came from the five Republicans initially selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to serve on the Jan. 6 committee.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R–Ohio) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) were blocked from serving on the panel by Democratic leadership, and while Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas) refused to serve after their colleagues were blocked. Reps. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) and Bryan Steils (R-Wis.) also joined the letter.

The seven lawmakers were alarmed, they said, by reporting in Politico detailing a move by USCP to review the backgrounds and social media feeds of congressional staffers and those coming to visit lawmakers.

The original story: The Politico story lays out a system where USCP intelligence analysts are instructed to review the backgrounds of those meeting privately and publicly with lawmakers, including reviewing the social media accounts of those participating and even the building ownership where events are held.

The USCP response strongly pushes back on how the story outlined its policies, saying it contains “inaccurate facts, misleading information, and unsupported conclusions.” It also notes that none of the practices “are in any way related to an ‘insider threats’ program” to evaluate lawmakers of their staff.

Deep mistrust in Capitol Police: The effort reflects the deep mistrust of USCP leadership held by some GOP members who say that agency has encroached on privacy in attempts to bolster security after Jan. 6.

It’s a relationship that’s only gotten more tense with the news this week that a Capitol Police officer entered Nehls’ office after finding the door ajar while on a weekend patrol.

Read the full story here.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT WILL HOLD HOUTHIS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ATTACKS

The White House on Thursday strongly condemned and vowed to hold accountable Yemen’s Houthi rebels for carrying out a terrorist attack targeting an airport in Saudi Arabia that injured at least a dozen civilians.

“We will work with our Saudi and international partners to hold them accountable,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

“As the President told His Majesty King Salman yesterday, we are committed to supporting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from these attacks. America will have the backs of our friends in the region.”

The attacks: Saudi air defenses reportedly intercepted an explosive-laden drone sent by the Iranian-backed Houthis targeting the Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia mid-day Thursday, with shrapnel injuring at least 12 people.

The attack is the latest salvo amid eight years of civil war against the internationally recognized Yemeni government in Aden and its backers, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

State of play: The Biden administration ended support for the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive operations in Yemen in February under pressure from Congress and human rights groups critical of Riyadh’s record of civilian casualties that have occurred amid the fighting.

But President Biden has stressed unity with Riyadh, saying the U.S. stands by the legitimate defensive needs of the Saudis. The president said in a press conference last month he is considering redesignating the Houthis an international terrorist organization amid an increase in attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Biden last year lifted the terrorist designation on the Houthis that was imposed by former President Trump shortly before he left office. United Nations officials, human rights groups and advocates pushed for lifting the terrorist designation, saying it hampered the delivery of critical assistance to civilians in the war-torn country.

Read the full story here

US troops may be allowed on Danish soil

Mette Frederiksen

Denmark may reverse a decades-old policy and soon allow American troops and military equipment to be stationed on its soil through a new defense cooperation agreement with the United States.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters Thursday that the two countries will begin negotiations on a new agreement which would be “a breakthrough after many decades,” according to Danish public broadcaster DR, as reported by The Associated Press.

“An increased American commitment here in Denmark will improve the access of the United States to the European continent,” Frederiksen said.

Current rules, new hopes: Under its current policy, the NATO ally does not allow foreign troops to be stationed on Danish soil.

The Danish government is reportedly hoping to have a similar defense pact with Washington as fellow NATO country Norway has had since May 2021.

Under Norway’s treaty, American forces have permission to move freely in and out of the country, though Washington must adhere to Norwegian law and not send nuclear weapons, landmines or cluster bombs with those troops.

The elephant in the room: The announcement comes as tensions ratchet up between Western nations and Russia, which appears ready to invade Ukraine with a massive placement of more than 100,000 troops near the former Soviet country’s borders.

Frederiksen stressed that the new U.S.-Danish talks was not due to the current situation in Eastern Europe and had been planned for some time.

Read the full story here

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

The United States Institute of Peace will host a discussion on “Conflict and Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia” at 9 a.m.
The Hudson Institute will hold a discussion on “Turkey’s Role in the Ukraine crisis” at 10 a.m.
The Organization of Iranian American Communities will host a Bipartisan Congressional Briefing on Iran at 11 a.m.
The Atlantic Council will host an event on “Fighting to survive: The human toll of the Kremlin’s Ukraine war” at 12:30 p.m.
New York University’s Remarque Institute will host a discussion on “What’s at Stake in Ukraine?” at 12:30 p.m.
The American Security Project will host a “Rapid Response Briefing: On the Brink of War in Ukraine” at 1 p.m.