| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  Even as the U.S. searches for answers, the mysterious illness can’t seem to be definitively pinpointed, and advocates for those affected are growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration’s lack of response. | Pavel Golovkin/AP | With help from Lara Seligman Subscribe here | Email Matt| Email Eric There are new details showing that Russia may be behind the unexplained health incidents known as “Havana syndrome” despite U.S. intelligence finding that it’s very unlikely a foreign adversary is behind any possible attacks. In a joint investigation 60 Minutes, The Insider, and Der Spiegel released Sunday night, the outlets found potential links to a Russian military intelligence unit dedicated to assassination and political destabilization. One new detail stuck out to us in particular: A high-level DOD official was affected at the NATO summit in Vilnius last year. "I can confirm that a senior DOD official experienced symptoms similar to those reported in anomalous health incidents,” Pentagon Press Secretary SABRINA SINGH told reporters today, adding that the person was at the summit in Lithuania but wasn’t a part of Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN’s delegation. That’s especially concerning because it shows that, if a foreign adversary does have the capability to target U.S. officials with some type of directed-energy attack, other top leaders who attended the military bloc summit (like President JOE BIDEN) could possibly have been at risk as well. The U.S. previously assessed that Russia’s military intelligence has something to do with the alleged attacks, but later determined a foreign adversary likely isn’t to blame. When reached for comment, the office of the Director of National Intelligence directed NatSec Daily to this year's annual threat assessment, which reiterated the same findings. But even as the U.S. searches for answers, the mysterious illness can’t seem to be definitively pinpointed, and advocates for those affected are growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration’s lack of response. “From what I'm hearing on the inside, this was not a shock to them,” MARK ZAID, an attorney who represents more than two dozen intelligence and government officials who have been afflicted with symptoms akin to Havana syndrome, told NatSec Daily. Zaid said he believes the U.S. doesn’t want to face the question of how to respond, if Russia is in fact targeting intelligence agents and their families. “It's a concerted effort to stick their head in the sand and not learn information, or it’s just rampant incompetence. Or both,” Zaid said of the government’s response. Speaking to reporters today, White House Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE repeated that “we take this very seriously.” GREG EDGREEN, who used to run the Pentagon’s investigations into the anomalous health incidents, argued in the Sunday broadcast that U.S. officials have set the burden of proof for Havana Syndrome so high because they don’t want to face the possibility that Americans have been targeted on U.S. soil. While Moscow has long been accused of being behind possible attacks, "all this is nothing more than baseless, unfounded accusations by the media," Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV told reporters today. Sen. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.), who introduced legislation to push the White House to get to the bottom of Havana syndrome in 2021, told NatSec Daily that the new details are “concerning” and that the U.S. intelligence community should “revisit its assessment of the cause of anomalous health incidents.” Baseless or not, the Havana Syndrome mystery isn’t going away anytime soon. And with a House bill introduced in February aimed at pressuring the Pentagon to develop a strategy to address the issue, lawmakers will be expecting answers.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Constantly evolving to meet emerging threats. In today’s world, you need to spot the threats before they’re seen.
That’s why Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security means pushing the boundaries of defense tech to build a new standard of deterrence and protection. Learn more. | | | | | IRAN COMMANDER KILLED: A senior Iranian commander was killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus today, The New York Times’ FARNAZ FASSIHI and RONEN BERGMAN report. The person killed was Gen. MOHAMAD REZA ZAHEDI, a senior commander in the Quds Force, Iran’s primary unit charged with conducting covert operations outside Iran, who oversaw military operations in Syria and Lebanon, Iranian officials said. Four Israeli officials told the Times that Zahedi was the target of the attack, but wouldn’t confirm if he was killed. Iranian Ambassador to Syria HOSSEIN AKBARI said the building was attacked by two F-35 fighter jets: “This attack will have our fierce response,” he said, per Iranian media. OUT OF AL-SHIFA: Israeli troops withdrew from the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip after two weeks of intense fighting, The NYT’s AARON BOXERMAN and IYAD ABUHEWEILA report. During the raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, Israel said its forces killed around 200 people and arrested some 900 others suspected of being militants. The operation left the hospital complex in ruins, badly damaging the emergency, obstetrics and surgical wards. Israeli spokesperson Rear Adm. DANIEL HAGARI blamed Hamas militants for the hospital’s destruction, saying that they had fortified themselves in the hospital wards and refused to surrender: “We had to fire on the buildings in order to stop that and to kill the terrorists,” he said. IRAN’S WARNING: Iran alerted Russia about a possible security threat before the deadly ISIS-K terrorist attack in Moscow two weeks ago, Reuters’ PARISA HAFEZI reports. The U.S. had also warned Moscow of the attack, which killed more than 130 people. But it would likely have been harder for the Kremlin to dismiss a warning from Tehran, an ally, raising questions about the effectiveness of Russia’s security services. The Kremlin was instructed “to prepare for a significant operation in Russia,” a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that the info provided to Moscow from Tehran lacked specific details about timing and location. HYPERSONICS HIT THE BATTLEFIELD: Ukraine is claiming that Russia has used hypersonic missiles against the city of Kyiv this year, according to Reuters’ MAX HUNDER and YULIIA DYSA. The city’s military administration said today that Russia fired five Zircon missiles at the nation’s capital. The sea-based missiles, which have a range of 625 miles and travel nine times faster than the speed of sound, limit reaction time and increase the ability of Russia’s military to attack bigger targets. Earlier this year, Russian leader VLADIMIR PUTIN had confirmed that Russia had used Zircon missiles in battle in Ukraine, but did not state where the missiles had been deployed. A QUIET PLAN FOR HAITI: NatSec Daily was casually googling when we came across the State Department’s plan to “prevent conflict and promote stability” over the course of a decade. After much confusion on whether it’s new or not, State finally told us that most of the doc had been publicly posted for the first time last week. This is a broad, long-term plan, different from the U.S.-backed plan for an international force to help Haiti that we reported two weeks ago. In 45 pages — redacted from a larger report — State outlines the challenges Haiti is currently facing and a vague outline of how the U.S. plans to help over the long term, emphasizing local and international partnerships to help the country. The full plans, which were given to Congress last March, “contained some sensitive information regarding internal U.S. government analyses and processes and have been restricted for this release,” State Department spokesperson RUSSELL BROOKS told NatSec Daily. They were released following discussions with the NSC and other agencies to help ensure equal access to information for partners potentially implementing the plan’s programs, he added. But it's unclear why no announcement was made. IT’S MONDAY. Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @alexbward, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | | | TRUMP CLARIFIES ISRAEL COMMENTS: Allies of former President DONALD TRUMP’s are doing some clean-up after his comments that Israel should “finish up” the war prompted worry in right-wing circles in Israel and the United States, according to the New York Times’ JONATHAN SWAN. KAROLINE LEAVITT, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said that the former president “fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself and eliminate the terrorist threat,” but added that Israel’s interests would be “best served by completing this mission as quickly, decisively and humanely as possible so that the region can return to peace and stability.” DAVID FRIEDMAN, who served as U.S. ambassador Israel during the Trump administration, told the Times the comments were also misinterpreted by the Israeli journalists who conducted the interview. In a March interview with the right-leaning Israel Hayom newspaper, Trump had said “you have to finish up your war … you have to get it done. We have to get to peace. We can’t have this going on,” noting the damage it was inflicting on Israel’s international reputation.
| | HACKERS AVENGE NAVALNY: A group of anti-Kremlin hackers took control of a network of computers tied to Russia’s prison system in the hours that followed the death of Russian opposition leader ALEXEI NAVALNY, according to CNN’s SEAN LYNGAAS and DARYA TARASOVA. In a new chapter for “hacktivism,” the hackers gained control of the prison system’s website and posted a picture of Navalny and his widow, YULIA NAVALNAYA, at a political rally with the message “Long live Alexey Navalny!” according to screenshots and data reviewed by CNN. They also appear to have stolen a database containing information on hundreds of thousands of Russian prisoners, including data about prisoners in the Arctic penal colony where Navalny died on Feb. 16, and reduced the prices in the online commissary system. It reportedly took Russian authorities days to regain control of their computer network. The hackers, who CNN says included a mix of nationalities, say they released this information, including contact information of prisoners’ relatives, “in the hope that somebody can contact them and help understand what happened to Navalny.” ICYMI — Thwarted supply-chain hack sets off alarm bells across DC by our own JOHN SAKELLARIADIS
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | BIDEN'S ISRAEL WEAPONS SALE: The Biden administration is weighing a major weapons sale to Israel, including F-15 fighter jets, air-to-air missiles and guidance kits, our own LARA SELIGMAN, JOE GOULD and PAUL McLEARY scoop. While the sale is still pending U.S. government approval — and it will be years before the weapons arrive in Israel — the administration has already informally notified the relevant congressional committees, a step which typically indicates the White House is ready to move forward with the sale. It comes as critics inside and outside the U.S. government say President Joe Biden has a responsibility to limit weapons sales to Israel as the death toll rises in Gaza. It also comes amid a rift among Democrats about whether Biden should leverage arms sales in his efforts to pressure Netanyahu not to launch a large-scale invasion of the southern city of Rafah. AIR FORCE HUNGER STRIKE: An active duty Air Force member continued a hunger strike in front of the White House today to protest the U.S. support for Israel, saying that he was inspired by the late Air Force member AARON BUSHNELL’s self-immolation. LARRY HEBERT began his hunger strike on Sunday and returned to the White House gates today, to make the point to parents and their children — who were participating in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll — that children in Gaza need food to stave off hunger, according to a statement announcing the strike. “I had to raise my voice in opposition to the U.S. government supplying Israel the bombs and rockets to commit genocide in Gaza,” Hebert said in a statement. “Active-duty members are afraid to speak out.” SOME NOUVEAUX MISSILES: France’s defense minister says that his country will provide Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles among other hardware, our own ZIA WEISE reported Sunday. French Defense Minister SÉBASTIEN LECORNU told a French newspaper on Sunday that President EMMANUEL MACRON wants a new aid package to Ukraine. The package will “notably include old equipment from our armies, which is still functional,” like hundreds of used armored vehicles. Lecornu also said France would provide a “new batch of Aster 30 missiles.” Read: Space is the new ‘Wild West.’ The EU is dying to step in and regulate by our own JOSHUA POSANER
| | JOHNSON’S UKRAINE PLAN: House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON (R-La.)’s plan for Ukraine aid is coming into focus as the embattled Louisianian faces pressure from his right flank over support for Kyiv. A Johnson aide told our colleagues at Playbook this morning that a Ukraine aid package bill could be released by this week. In an interview with Fox News’ TREY GOWDY Sunday night, the Louisiana Republican also outlined some of the provisions he’s exploring as part of an aid package — they include restructuring aid to Ukraine into loans, seizing Russian assets and expanding natural gas exports. Moderates are lining up behind Johnson. In an interview with Fox Business’ MARIA BARTIROMO this morning, Rep. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-Fla.) said he was “only Johnson” and blasted the party’s right flank for “forcing our agenda to go left because we can’t get their votes.” Some Democrats have also telegraphed in recent weeks that they would back Johnson in a potential vote to vacate the speakership in exchange for concessions on a Ukraine aid package. Still, as Rep. DON BACON (R-Neb.) acknowledged in an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Johnson could very well lose his speakership over a Ukraine aid package. Bacon told moderator KRISTEN WELKER “it's a very narrow majority, and one or two people can make us a minority.”
| | FRANCE WANTS ‘CLEAR MESSAGES’: France’s top diplomat is calling on China to play a more active role in brokering peace in Ukraine and send “clear messages” to Russia about its conduct of the war, our own LAURA KAYALI reports. During a press conference in Beijing, France’s foreign minister, STÉPHANE SÉJOURNÉ, standing alongside Chinese Foreign Minister WANG YI, played up China’s “key role in ... the respect of international law, including on Ukraine's sovereignty.” He added: “Therefore we are clearly expecting that China will send very clear messages to Russia.” China has pledged neutrality in the conflict, while deepening its ties with Russia and calling for Europe to include Russia in future peace talks. The comments are a preview of what Macron may say in his official visit to Beijing in May, where the French president is expected to meet with Chinese leader XI JINPING. They also come as Paris has looked to rhetorically position itself ahead of the United States and other European allies of Ukraine, especially as aid to Ukraine grows increasingly politically contentious on both sides of the Atlantic. Earlier this year, Macron floated the idea of his country’s troops joining the fronts in Ukraine — an idea that was quickly shot down by the U.S. and others. SIERRA MADRE TENSIONS CONTINUE: China is not backing down as its dispute with the Philippines over the Second Thomas Shoal, even as the U.S. and others look to shore up Manila in coming weeks. Foreign Ministry spokesperson WANG WENBIN told reporters in Beijing that “the Philippines, backed by external forces, has been going back on its words and making provocations. This is the real cause of the current tensions at sea. Nothing will hide the truth, and no one should turn black into white.” The U.S., Japan and the Philippines are looking to launch joint patrols of the South China Sea, our colleagues reported last week, as tensions mount over a military outpost in the Spratly Islands.
| | | |   | | | | | — AYODELE OKEOWO is joining Tusk Strategies as a managing director, working in its D.C. office and CHIPS Act practice, our colleagues at Playbook scoop. He most recently was director of intergovernmental affairs in the CHIPS Program Office at the Commerce Department. — DANIEL ERIKSON has stepped down as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Western Hemisphere affairs to become the senior director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council. JAMES ALVERSON will serve as acting deputy assistant secretary until a permanent replacement is named. — PAUL SALEM is stepping down as president and chief executive officer of the Middle East Institute to assume a new international role with the organization.
| | — House Foreign Affairs Committee: Tranche of Afghanistan interview documents — TAREQ BACONI, The New York Times: The Two-State Solution Is an Unjust, Impossible Fantasy — COMFORT ERO, Foreign Affairs: The trouble with ‘the Global South’
| | — United States Institute of Peace, 10 a.m.: A book discussion on "American Diplomacy Toward Lebanon: Lessons in Foreign Policy and the Middle East" — Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, 10:30 a.m.: Retaliation and resilience: China's economic statecraft in a Taiwan crisis — Bipartisan Policy Center, 2 p.m.: A book discussion on “The Shifting Twenty-First Century Presidency: Assessing the Implications for America and the World” — Brookings Institution, 2 p.m.: Nuclear challenges for the next U.S. administration — Atlantic Council, 5 p.m.: Venezuelans' view of the July elections: A look at public opinion — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 6:30 p.m.: From Ta'izz to Tehran: Debating the Next Steps for U.S. Policy in the Gulf Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who always gives us headaches. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who is able to pinpoint all our problems with Heidi.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: A bigger perspective to the battlespace.
Seeing the whole picture is Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security – innovating defense tech to deliver answers exactly when and where they’re needed most. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
