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6:00 PM ET, Monday, August 21, 2023

The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:  

The Americas

U.S. Army’s New Electronic Warfare Chief Discusses Priorities.  Brigadier General Ed Barker spoke with Defense News about his new role as head of the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, or PEO IEW&S, at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.  Barker was the office’s deputy for the past two years under Mark Kitz.  Barker, who was appointed in June, now leads the Army’s development of its jamming, spoofing, spying, intelligence-gathering and navigation capabilities.  He said that after initial outreach to strategic partners and the workforce, he will focus on leading program wide assessments to better organizational agility and talent-management.  Regarding projects he is most excited about, Barker said he is enthusiastic about ongoing work on deep sensing, and he noted that the Ukraine war has proven the importance of electronic warfare.   Defense News 

Space Development Agency Awards $1.5 billion for Transport Satellites.  The Space Development Agency, which is currently building a constellation of communication and missile tracking satellites, awarded contracts totaling $1.5 billion to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to provide data transport satellites for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. According to the contracts, tech companies will develop 36 spacecraft designed to provide encrypted connectivity to the military around the globe. The Space Development Agency announced that Lockheed’s contract is worth $816 million and Northrop Grumman’s is $733 million. The SDA expects to launch the 72 satellites built by the two companies in 2026.  Defense News

Western Europe

Greece to Train Ukrainian Pilots on F-16s.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Greece will participate in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.  Zelensky made the announcement in a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands said they will supply the first F-16s to Ukraine.  Zelensky did not provide further details.  A coalition of 11 countries is backing the training program, with officials saying training will take place in Denmark and Romania.  Reuters

Turkish Foreign Ministry Summons Danish, Dutch Diplomats Over Koran Burnings.  Turkey’s state owned broadcaster TRT on Monday said that the Turkish foreign ministry has summoned the Danish charge d’affaires and a Dutch diplomat over the recent Koran burnings.  In the past months, anti-Islam protesters in several Nordic countries have burned or damaged copies of the Koran, prompting outrage in the Muslim world.  Turkey has recently condemned the anti-Islam protests, including those in Sweden, which is still awaiting Turkey’s approval to join NATO.  Reuters

Two US Soldiers Arrested for Murder in Germany.  German police announced on Sunday that they have arrested two American servicemen suspected of involvement in the stabbing death of a local man.  The police said the murder took place during an altercation at a fair in the small town of Wittlich.  Witnesses said “two men and two women” ran away from the scene of the crime after killing.  The two men were identified as the U.S. soldiers, who the German police handed over to US authorities, in accordance with NATO protocol.  Colonel Kevin Crofton of the U.S. Airbase Spangdahlem described the incident as an “intolerable and avoidable tragedy in our peaceful community.”  Al Jazeera

Central & Eastern Europe

Russia Says it Downed Another Ukrainian Drone Over Belgorod Region.  The Russian Ministry of Defense said air defenses intercepted another Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region on Monday.  The ministry said there were no casualties or damages caused by the attempted drone attack, which it called a “terrorist attack.”  Al Jazeera

Ukraine’s Anti-Graft Work Takes New Meaning During Wartime.  Ukraine’s top anti-graft official says the fight against corruption is now more important than ever amid the war with Russia.  Rooting out corruption has been a top goal for Ukraine since 2014 after a revolution that ousted a pro-Russian government.  Semen Kryvonos, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) says that corruption is now a matter of survival for the country during the war, calling it a “crime against national security.”  He said that constrained resources due to the war and greater public demand for accountability has forced the agency to focus more on wartime crimes that directly endanger Ukraine. The agency’s new priorities are reportedly focused in strategic areas such as defense, reconstruction, and energy.  Highlighting the necessity of the issue, Kryvonos said that NABU and the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office has launched almost 300 cases and sent a record of 58 indictments to court this year alone.  Reuters

Iranian Military Delegation in Moscow.  Russian state news agency TASS, citing Russia’s Defense Ministry, reports that an Iranian military delegation has arrived in Moscow to discuss cooperation between Iran and Russia’s ground forces.  Russia and Iran have deepened military cooperation since the start of the Ukraine war.  Western governments accuse Iran of supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, which Tehran denies.  Reuters 

Netherlands Buys Israeli Counter-Defense System.  Elbit Systems, an Israeli firm, announced Monday that it will supply a multilayered counter-drone system worth $55 million to the Netherlands.  Elbit said that it is scheduled to fulfill the contract over four years to provide the Netherlands with its ReDrone counter-unmanned aerial system technology along with logistics support and training.  The Dutch Defense Ministry says it plans to deploy the systems at the country’s air bases and at the Den Helder naval port for defense against drones. The ReDrone system is made up of Elbit’s DAiR Radar, signal intelligence sensors, and COAPS-L electro-optical payload, which provides an enhanced, integrated aerial picture and electronic attack capabilities.  The deal comes amid heavy use of drones by both Russia and Ukraine in the Ukraine war.  Israel’s policy is to provide solely humanitarian support to Ukraine and not provide arms to Kyiv, though the Israeli government does not prevent its defense companies from selling defense technology to NATO countries, which have provided military aid to Ukraine.  Defense News

Asia & Oceania

China-Russia Trade Booms, Sending Chinese Chips, Jammers and Excavators to Moscow.  China and Russia continue to deepen economic ties amid the Ukraine war, with Beijing providing much-needed support for Moscow’s sanctions-hit economy, while also being a primary buyer of Russian oil and gas.  Trade data shows that China’s total trade with Russia in the first seven months of this year increased 36% from the same period last year, to $134 billion.  China also now accounts for around 50% of Russia’s imports, and Chinese exports to Russia have increased 73% since the start of the year.  Some of this trade has included dual-use technologies, including Chinese computer chips, jet-fighter parts and navigation and electronic jamming technology.  Researchers have notably seen Russia nearly doubling its imports of Chinese excavators and other earth-moving machines since last year, which analysts have linked to the construction of Russian defenses in occupied areas of Ukraine.  Experts say the trend of increasing trade between Beijing and Moscow is unlikely to change soon and will also continue to impact the war in Ukraine.  Wall Street Journal

China Holds ‘More Restrained’ Drills After Taiwanese VP’s Visit to U.S.  Analysts say the military drills China launched around Taiwan in response to Taiwanese Vice President William Lai’s visits to the U.S. were more restrained than the war games held after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s previous meetings with senior U.S. officials.  One analyst described the latest drills as “a lot of thunder, but less rain.”  Beijing has criticized Lai of “colluding with external forces” to promote Taiwanese independence.  However, its recent drills following his visits to the U.S. were not as large or as long as previous large-scale exercises that took place after Tsai met with U.S. House speakers in August 2022, which included the firing of missiles over Taiwan, and in April this year.  Observers note that Lai’s stopovers in the U.S. were more low-profile than Tsai’s meetings and comparatively less provocative since he didn’t meet top U.S. officials, thus necessitating a smaller response.  Experts also note that the response to Lai’s travels came after the U.S., Japan and South Korea agreed to a historic trilateral security agreement.  Other analysts also say China is calibrating its military activities to avoid undoing progress from broad diplomatic efforts and bilateral engagements between Washington and Beijing in recent weeks.  South China Morning Post Reuters 

Pakistan Says Indian Forces Killed Civilians on Kashmir Boundary.  Pakistani police in Kashmir claim Indian forces killed a civilian along the region’s disputed boundary.  Police say the civilian was killed by “unprovoked” gunfire from Indian troops while he was cutting grass near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the Pakistani- and Indian-controlled sides of the region.  The Indian military did not comment on the matter.  Two people were killed at the LoC by Indian forces in June, in what was the first major cross-border incident since Pakistan and India reaffirmed a ceasefire in 2021.  India acknowledged the incident but said people were trying to cross the border.  India has accused Pakistan of training Islamist militants, which Islamabad denies, saying that it provides moral and diplomatic support to “freedom fighters.”  Reuters

Pakistan's Jailed Ex-PM Khan Charged Over Leaking State Secrets. Pakistani authorities have begun a criminal investigation into former Prime Minister Imran Khan over leaking state secrets.  The prime minister and three of his aides are named in the case, which centers on a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington early last year.  Khan allegedly made the classified cable public and has argued that it was part of a U.S. conspiracy aimed at pushing the Pakistani military to oust Khan in a parliamentary vote of no confidence because he had visited Moscow ahead of the invasion of Ukraine. The Pakistani military and Washington deny this.  Khan is currently serving a three-year sentence for a graft case and has been barred from entering politics for five years.  Khan has been formally arrested in connection with the new charges and one of the former aides named in the case was arrested on Saturday.  Reuters

Magnetic Mine Blast Kills Two in Kabul.  A magnetic mine exploded in Kabul near Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry on Monday.  Police say two people were killed by the blast.  The incident is the latest in a wave of violence that has continued since the Taliban takeover.  Reuters

Analysis: China Remains on the Sidelines in Afghanistan Following the U.S. Withdrawal.  Analysts hold a wide range of views on China’s position towards Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.  While Beijing has called the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan a failure of U.S. hegemony — with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson saying last week that Washington has yet to learn “profound lessons” two years on from the “Kabul moment” — some analysts doubt the pullout will have long-term impact on wider American credibility and global standing, noting that the U.S. remains the biggest donor to Afghanistan and that the Taliban has sought to increase contacts with the U.S. to address Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian issues.  Analysts also say chaos from the U.S. withdrawal is in part a “collective failure” of regional powers, who they say had “minimal influence” and “transactional” dealings with Afghanistan after the Taliban’s reinstatement.  The analysts included China with countries who were reluctant to fill the void left by the U.S., despite Beijing’s initial engagement with Taliban leaders after their reinstatement.  One analyst particularly criticized Beijing’s cautious, wait-and-see approach, arguing that China’s lack of engagement with non-Taliban Afghans will lead to “resentment against China” in Afghanistan.  Some analysts note that China views Afghanistan “more as a challenge than an opportunity,” acknowledging that while Beijing’s worst fears of the Taliban takeover triggering a refugee crisis and pushing militants into western China did not happen, Afghanistan still lacks security guarantees that China seeks for greater involvement and investment.  South China Morning Post

Middle East & Northern Africa

U.A.E. Cashes In on Russia’s Economic Woes. After a Wall Street Journal report claimed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was aiding Moscow by providing a safe place for Russian money, Dubai says they are careful not to violate any sanctions imposed by its Western allies on Russia over the war in Ukraine. A UAE official says the country has a robust process to deal with sanctioned individuals and companies and is in close contact with the United States and the European Union regarding the war’s effects on global markets. The WSJ had reported that an influx of Russians pouring into the UAE had attracted the attention of some of the Gulf country’s banks, including government-owned banks, which is alleged to have recruited Russian bankers in order to set up a team dedicated to managing money for wealthy Russians overseas.   Al Jazeera Wall Street Journal

French Soldier Killed During Training Exercise in Iraq.  A French military trainer was killed in Iraq during an anti-terrorism training exercise on Sunday, according to the French presidency.  France’s defense ministry said the soldier, Warrant Officer Nicolas Latourte, was wounded in a combat training exercise and was confirmed dead at a military hospital.  Another French soldier posted to a training mission in Iraq, Sergeant Baptiste Gauchot, was killed on Friday in a road accident.  France 24 Reuters

Syria Reports Israeli Attacks Around Damascus.  Syrian state TV reported on Monday that Israel launched attacks on the outskirts of Damascus.  The report did not provide further details, though the semi-official newspaper Al Watan said the attack did not impact Damascus international airport.  Israel has conducted attacks against what it says are Iran-linked targets in Syria.  Reuters

One Dead, One Wounded after Gunman Opens Fire in Occupied West Bank.  A suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli vehicle near the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The attack killed an Israeli woman and injured a man.  Israeli authorities are still searching for the gunman.  The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has taken responsibility for the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is “in the grips of a new terror offensive.”  Associated Press

Sub Saharan Africa

ECOWAS Rejects Niger Junta’s Three-Year Transition to Restore Democracy.  An ECOWAS commissioner said on Monday that the West African regional bloc has rejected a proposal by Niger’s military junta for a three-year transition of power to restore the country’s democracy.  Reports are emerging that suggest that negotiations between the two groups have not been successful.  An anonymous source within the Nigerien junta stated that the roughly two-hour conversation between Niger’s junta and ECOWAS yielded little clarity and no future steps to help resolve the crisis. Junta leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani reportedly pushed for the removal of economic sanctions but was unwilling to make concessions on anything else. The source said the junta claimed to be under enormous pressure and at times sounded apologetic but was unwavering on its stance when it came to removing former Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.  Tchiani did express concern that France, with some 1500 active troops within Niger’s borders, were planning to attack. Additionally, soldiers within the junta have expressed concern that Tchiani would not last long in power, with one soldier claiming that there are deep divisions within the presidential guard and the military. The soldier stated that he gives Tchiani a few months before being overthrown due to his unpopularity in security circles.  Reuters Associated Press

Somalia Bans TikTok, Telegram and 1XBet.  Somalia’s communications minister says that the country has banned TikTok, the messaging app Telegram, and the online gambling website 1XBet in order to limit the spread of indecent content and “propaganda.”  The minister, Jama Hassan Khalif said on Sunday that his ministry has ordered “internet companies to stop the aforementioned applications, which terrorists and immoral groups use to spread constant horrific images and misinformation to the public”. Members of the militant group al-Shabaab, which is active in Somalia, have often posted their activities on TikTok and Telegram.  Internet service companies have until August 24 in order to comply with the order.  This comes as TikTok has been threatened by bans in the U.S. over its alleged ties to the Chinese government.  Reuters

More Details Emerge after Zambian Authorities Seize Plane.   On August 14, Zambian authorities intercepted a mysterious plane in the Zambian capital of Lusaka. Karim Assad, an investigative journalist has uncovered details concerning the mysterious seizure of the plane, its route, and passengers. On August 19, Egyptian authorities arrested Assad at his home. He has since been released. According to open-source data, the plane appeared to be registered in San Marino but operated by an office in Dubai. Zambian authorities have since arrested 13 people in connection with the plane, six Egyptians, four Zambians, and others from Latvia, the Netherlands, and Spain. Details have also been published relating to some of the passengers who appear to be a part of a clandestine network of high-profile individuals with a “shady” business trail stretching across Europe and the Middle East. Additionally, the Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission seized more than $5.5 million stored in bags and boxes, five pistols, seven magazines, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.  Al Jazeera 

Cyber & Tech

Tech Giants Prepare for New EU Digital Content, Competition Rules.  A new wave of EU tech rules – the largest expansion of Western digital regulation — will begin next week and is expected to have significant impacts on technology giants like Apple and Google.  Online platforms will be compelled to improve monitoring of content and to allow for more competition in the sector.  The new data laws are Europe-centric, but are expected to influence tech operations worldwide and to serve as models for other government regulation.  Martin Husovec, associate professor of law at the London School of Economics, said the governance changes signal “that big tech is losing its monopoly on how it designs services and interprets rules it sets for users.”  Google and Meta report they have thousands of staffers involved in compliance operations.  Some of the near-term effects of the regulations will shape how users search and shop online.  In the longer term, companies will be pressured to manage systemic risks stemming from their services, including those related to elections and individuals’ mental health.  The first set of new rules, under the Digital Services Act, will address content management by the largest social-media and search companies beginning in late August.  In September, the EU will reveal the provisions of the competition rules under the Digital Markets Act.  Wall Street Journal

China Puts Premium on Boosting Computing Power as Pillar of Competitive Strategy.  China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) highlighted its ambitious plans to boost the nation’s computing power at a provincial forum on Sunday.  MIIT Minister Jin Zhuanglong told the gathering that “computing power is now the cornerstone of digitization.”  Consequently, China will prioritize computing power development to create an essential and strong foundation for the country’s digital economy.  Jin said China must speed up the building of national computing hubs and data centers as it accelerates the pace of technological breakthroughs.  A deputy MIIT minister, Zhang Yunming, said that as data and computing competition intensifies worldwide, ““China must enhance systematic innovation and firmly get hold of core technologies.”  He noted further, without elaborating, that government policies will be introduced soon to enhance high-quality development of computational infrastructure.  The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, which is associated with the MIIT, estimates that for every yuan spent on boosting computing power China’s gross domestic product would increase by 3-4 yuan ($0.41-0.55).  Earlier this year, China established the Central Science and Technology Commission, which operates under the Ministry of Science and Technology.  The commission has the mission of leading national plans for science and research, enhancing the development of military-civilian technologies, and creating a “national innovation system.”  South China Morning Post

Tesla Cites ‘Insider Wrongdoing’ for Data Breach Impacting 75,000.  A data breach of Tesla systems in May resulted from “insider wrongdoing” and affected the information of 75,000 individuals, including employee records.  A Tesla letter to those impacted by the breach informed them that “two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Tesla’s IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media outlet.”  Tesla learned of the system compromise when the German newspaper, Handelsblatt, informed the auto manufacturer it had obtained “Tesla confidential information.”  Tesla’s letter went on to say that the company “cooperated with law enforcement and external forensics experts and will continue to take appropriate steps as necessary.”  A Tesla data privacy officer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.  Bloomberg

Ransomware Gang Exploits Backup Tool Flaw in U.S. Critical Infrastructure Systems.  A vulnerability in Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) products has been exploited by the Cuba ransomware gang in attacks on critical infrastructure facilities in the U.S. and IT firms in Latin America.  The BlackBerry threat intelligence team spotted the gang’s latest campaign in June as it attacked configuration files of the VBR products with the aim of stealing credentials.  BleepingComputer reports that Cuba uses the popular BYOVD (Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver) technique to disable endpoint protection tools.  In addition to the recent VBR flaw, the Cuba gang leverages "Zerologon,” a vulnerability in Microsoft's NetLogon protocol that exposes privilege escalation rights against AD domain controllers.  BleepingComputer

Chinese Lunar Rover Maps ‘Hidden Structures' Beneath Moon’s Dark Side.  A Chinese lunar lander, Chang’e-4, has been operational since it became the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon in 2018.  Now, after imaging impact craters and sampling lunar minerals, the lander has used lunar penetrating radar (LPR) aboard a rover named Yutu-2 to create a map of the moon’s subsurface.  Previously, the LPR had mapped 130 feet deep into the moon’s surface, where it discovered multiple layers of dust, soil, and broken rocks.  The latest LPR data has allowed scientists to visualize the upper 1,000 feet of the moon’s subsurface — five distinct layers of lunar lava that seeped across the landscape billions of years ago.  A research team led by Jianqing Feng, an astro-geological researcher at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, discovered that layers of volcanic rock grew thinner as they approached the moon’s surface, suggesting that less lava flowed in later eruptions compared with earlier ones.  The moon is often considered "geologically dead," but Feng said there could still be magma deep beneath the surface.  He said he hopes Chang'e-4 will yield additional insights into lunar geological formations as it continues its work.  Space.com

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