4:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 14, 2023
Daily national security briefings aren’t just for the president anymore. The Cipher Brief uses AI partnered with human analysis and expert perspective to keep you up-to-date on national security news from around the world.
Here’s what’s happening now:
THE TOP STORIES
E.U. Agrees to Start Ukraine Accession Talks. The E.U. unexpectedly agreed to open membership talks with Ukraine on Thursday. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had pledged to block the move but decided to abstain from the vote on the matter since all 26 other members of the bloc were in favor. After the vote, Orban maintained that Ukraine is not ready to join the E.U., calling the decision to open accession talks “irrational” and “inappropriate” and saying that he abstained so Hungary would not be part of “this bad decision.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the decision as a “victory” for Kyiv and all of Europe. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen likewise hailed the move as a “strategic decision” that will be “engraved” in the E.U.’s history. European Council President Charles Michel added that the E.U. agreed to open accession talks with Moldova and grant E.U. candidate status to Georgia. He also said the bloc hopes to advance Bosnia’s membership bid once it reaches “the necessary degree of compliance” with criteria. Reuters Politico Euronews Associated Press
Congress Passes Defense Bill, Biden to Sign Into Law. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024 on Thursday, sending it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law. The House voted 310 to 118 to pass the $886 billion defense spending bill, which the Senate had passed on Wednesday. The bill includes measures to bolster the military strength of the U.S. and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, raises for service members, and a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Surveillance Act. The bill also extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2025 and authorizes $300 million for the program in the current fiscal year and the next one, but it does not include the separate $61 billion aid request that Biden has asked Congress to approve for Ukraine. The bill also does not address social issues like abortion access or transgender healthcare access for service members. Reuters CNN Washington Post Wall Street Journal
Maersk says Container Ship Headed to Saudi Arabia Targeted by Missile. Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Thursday that one of its container ships, the Maersk Gibraltar, was targeted by a missile as it sailed from Salalah, Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was not immediately clear if the missile hit the vessel, but the company said the crew and the ship were safe. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident took place near the Bad al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a Norwegian tanker on Tuesday. Maersk said that recent attacks against commercial vessels in the region are “extremely concerning” and called for “political action to ensure a swift de-escalation.” Reuters
Finland, U.S. to Sign Defense Pact. Finland and the U.S. are set to sign a defense cooperation agreement on Monday. The agreement will reportedly give the U.S. military access to 15 facilities and areas in Finland to store equipment and ammunition. The pact gives the U.S. access to four airbases, a military airport, and railway links to northern Finland. Notably, the U.S. military will have a storage area on a railway that leads to the Russian border. Officials said that the agreement is aimed at providing swift military access and aid to Finland, the newest member of NATO, in the event of conflict. Sweden also signed a similar defense cooperation pact with the U.S. last week, giving the U.S. access to 17 different areas including four airbases, one harbor, and five military camps. The U.S. has similar agreements with Norway, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Estonia. An agreement with Denmark is still pending approval. Officials added that there are currently no plans for permanent U.S. bases and that the U.S. would be barred from storing or transporting nuclear, biological weapons, or anti-personnel mines due to non-proliferation treaties. Reuters Associated Press
ISRAEL AND HAMAS WAR
Israeli Raids in West Bank Reportedly Kill 12 Palestinians. Palestinian officials and international health organizations report that Israeli raids in Jenin in the occupied West Bank have killed 12 Palestinians over the last three days. Witnesses said Israeli soldiers exchanged fire with gunmen, who also detonated homemade explosive devices. Doctors Without Borders and the Palestinian health ministry highlighted the killing of an unarmed teenager by soldiers operating in the Khalil Suleiman hospital compound outside of the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinian health authorities also claimed that Israeli troops blocked the movement of ambulances at the hospital. The Israeli military did not comment on the reported shooting or stopping of ambulances, but it confirmed “ongoing counterterrorism activity” in Jenin that has destroyed bomb laboratories, tunnel shafts, and explosive devices. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned Israeli soldiers who were filmed singing Jewish songs through a loudspeaker at a mosque in Jenin, calling their acts a “mockery” of the site. The Israel Defense Forces said it suspended the soldiers and will discipline them accordingly, adding that their actions go against “codes of conduct within a religious establishment.” BBC Reuters
Turkey’s Erdogan Urges U.S. to Secure Gaza Ceasefire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with President Joe Biden that the U.S. has a “historic responsibility” to achieve a “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza as soon as possible. Erdogan’s office said he warned Biden that without a ceasefire, the prolonged fighting could have negative regional and global impacts. He suggested that the withdrawal of U.S. unconditional support for Israel would quickly ensure a ceasefire and that demand for this is growing both within the U.S. and in the international community. Besides the Gaza conflict, Erdogan’s office said he and Biden discussed Sweden’s NATO membership bid and Turkish-U.S. relations, including the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. Reuters
THE UKRAINE UPDATE
Putin says Ukraine War to Continue with Same Goals. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Thursday to continue Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine until the “demilitarization”, “denazification”, and neutrality of Ukraine, unless Kyiv agrees to a deal that achieves these objectives. Putin also said that these initial goals in Ukraine have remained constant and that the Russian military has been “mostly improving” their positions on the battlefield. Putin also reiterated his claim that NATO’s supposed eastward expansion to include Ukraine instigated the war. The West has dismissed Putin’s arguments and views him as the aggressor. Separately, Putin also ruled out a new military mobilization in Russia for now, claiming that Moscow has 617,000 Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Experts note that his comments doubling down on the invasion and reiterating blame on the West for the conflict, which has inflicted significant military losses on Russia and challenges to the Russian economy, comes as he seeks another six-year presidential term in March. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that it would be impossible to hold peace negotiations until all Russian soldiers leave Ukrainian territory. Reuters RFE/RL
ANALYSIS: Ukraine Set to Benefit from F-16 Fighter Jets. U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine have begun to arrive at centers in the U.S., Denmark, and Romania for Ukrainian pilots to train on. The F-16s, which have advanced capabilities like being able to better target radar transmitters and intercept cruise missiles, are set to improve Ukraine’s aging fleet of MiG-29s and help Kyiv counter Russia’s more modern planes. The jets will also help the Ukrainian military integrate with Western allies, such as by coordinating with modern Western air defense systems. The impact of the F-16s is expected to be long-term since it will take time to train pilots and deliver the jets to Ukraine, which experts say is not expected till 2024 at the soonest. Still, the jets will pave the way for future collaborations between Ukraine and NATO and will reduce the Ukrainian military’s reliance on outdated military hardware. Reuters
THE CYBER AND TECH RUNDOWN
Iran-Linked Hackers Deploy New Malware Downloader Against Israeli Targets. An Iran-linked cyberespionage group has deployed malware downloaders developed over the last two years and deployed them recently against targets in Israel. Slovakia-based ESET tied the newly discovered downloaders to the Iran threat group tracked as APT34, and also known as OilRig. ESET researchers identified the malware downloaders as ODAgent, OilCheck and OilBooster, all of which were used to target Israeli organizations in the healthcare sector as well as a manufacturing company and local government organization. The researchers said the pattern of malware use indicates that “OilRig is persistent in targeting the same organizations, and determined to keep its foothold in compromised networks.” OilRig uses well-known cloud services for command-and-control communications, which allows the threat group to blend its activity into normal network traffic streams. ESET characterized OilRig as “a group to watch out for” given its use of new malware variants, testing of different cloud services, and repeated attempts to probe the same targets. The Record
Microsoft Seizes Infrastructure, Websites of ‘No. 1’ Seller of Fake Accounts. Microsoft announced Wednesday that it has conducted a large-scale operation to seize the U.S.-based infrastructure and websites operated by a threat group tracked as Storm-1152. The group was responsible for creating 750 million fake Microsoft accounts and a variety of websites to conduct cybercrime operations. According to Amy Hogan-Burney, a Microsoft cybersecurity official, Storm-1152 operations “enable scores of cybercriminals to carry out their malicious activities more efficiently and effectively.” The group’s “cybercrime-as-a-service ecosystem,” Hogan-Burney wrote in a blog post, offered fake Microsoft accounts as well as services to bypass CAPTCHA puzzles. Storm-1152, Microsoft said, is “the number one seller and creator of fraudulent Microsoft accounts.” Microsoft’s investigation identified several Vietnam-based individuals the company said developed and maintained websites associated with the activity, including step-by-step videos that explained how to use their products to exploit fraudulent Microsoft accounts. Microsoft actions against Storm-1152 were carried out in collaboration with Arkose Labs. CyberScoop BleepingComputer
Idaho Nuclear Lab Confirms Compromise of Personal Data from ‘Off-Site’ Data Center. A late November compromise of an “off-site data center” used by the Idaho nuclear research lab (INL) resulted in the exposure of sensitive information on more than 45,000 individuals, including former employees, spouses, and dependents. With 5,700 current employees, INL conducts ground-breaking research into nuclear reactors. According to breach notification documents filed by the facility, the lab’s internal network and databases were not impacted by the cyberattack. The lab said that “multiple forms of sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) including names, social security numbers, salary information and banking details were exposed for many individuals.” A group known as SiegedSec carried out the intrusion and shared screenshots of stolen information. SiegedSec launched cyberattacks on unclassified NATO websites in October as well as several state-run websites this summer in Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The Record BleepingComputer
Cybersecurity Experts, Rights Advocates Assail Latest Draft of UN Cybercrime Treaty. The latest draft of a UN cybercrime treaty currently under negotiation has been criticized by cybersecurity experts and human rights advocates, who say it would criminalize research and disregard human rights. Katitza Rodriguez, policy director for global privacy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), said the latest draft “worsens” the group’s concerns as it extends the boundaries of cybercrime definitions, “encompassing a long list of non-cybercrimes.” Rodriguez added that the new treaty version “overreaches in investigating and prosecuting crimes beyond those detailed in the treaty.” Deborah Brown, the acting associate director of Human Rights Watch, said the treaty draft is “primed to facilitate abuses on a global scale” due to the expansive cross-border powers it grants governments to investigate “virtually any imaginable crime – like peaceful dissent or expression of sexual orientation – while undermining the treaty’s purpose of addressing genuine cybercrime.” The Cybersecurity Tech Accord, which represents more than 157 large tech companies including Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, and Cisco, said in a statement this week that it is “gravely concerned” by the direction of the treaty negotiations and called for “extensive changes over the final draft text.” The group warned that the treaty in its latest draft would “erode data privacy, weaken cybersecurity, and undermine online rights and freedoms across the world.” The Record
Split Vote in FCC Leads to New Deadline, Procedures for Data Breach Notifications. For the first time in 16 years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday updated its data breach rules by expanding on breach definitions and notification procedures when a breach occurs. The FCC order was decided by a 3-2 party line vote. Telecommunications carriers and providers will be required to notify customers within 30 days if a breach results in the “inadvertent access, use, or disclosure” of certain personally identifiable information. Exceptions have been granted for circumstances when provider employees obtain the information in the course of their duties and do not improperly use or disclose the information. Unless a delay is requested by law enforcement, customers will receive notice of a breach within 30 days. Carriers and providers also will be required to alert the FCC of breaches, along with contacting the FBI. Congressional Republicans have opposed the new FCC’s rules. shift. Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday criticized the expected decision in a letter, saying the regulations would circumvent a 2016 Congressional order preventing similar expanded FCC privacy restrictions. The letter stated that “the FCC is defying clear and specific direction not to issue requirements that are substantially similar to parts of a rule disapproved by Congress.” Its was co-signed by three additional senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Record
ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD
Asia and Oceania
Philippines Contingency Planning For South China Sea Tensions. Alberto Carlos, chief of the Philippines’ Western Command, told CNN Philippines that the Philippine military is planning contingencies for an escalation of hostilities with Beijing in the South China Sea. Carlos said Manila is expecting further coercive actions “short of armed attack,” including the use of water cannons and ramming, as Chinese vessels have already done, and the potential boarding of Philippine vessels. There have been several standoffs and collisions between China and the Philippines in disputed areas in the South China Sea this year. Manila has responded by bolstering military ties with the US. and increasing security engagement with both regional and other Western powers. Reuters CNN Philippines
China says it Mediated Peace Talks Between Myanmar, Rebel Groups. China said on Thursday that it has mediated peace talks between Myanmar’s military junta and the country’s rebel groups, which resulted in an agreement for a ceasefire and to maintain dialogue. The Chinese foreign ministry said that talks were held in China in recent days and that Beijing hopes the parties involved will implement the agreements, exercise maximum restraint, and take initiative to deescalate the situation on the ground. A foreign ministry spokesperson said that there has been a marked decline in clashes and exchanges of fire in northern Myanmar since the talks. Myanmar’s military said on Monday that it met with the rebels and other parties in the conflict and that another round of talks are due by the end of the month. However, the ethnic minority rebel alliance has made no mention of peace talks or a ceasefire and has reaffirmed its commitment to defeat what it called Myanmar’s dictatorship. China has expressed concern about the conflict’s potential destabilizing impact on the region. The U.N. estimates around 300,000 people have been displaced from fighting since the start of a new rebel offensive in late October. Reuters South China Morning Post
Europe
Seven Arrested in Germany, Denmark, Netherlands Over Suspected Terrorism Plot. Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, were arrested in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe. Three of the suspected Hamas members were detained in Berlin, while the other was arrested in the Netherlands. Another three people were arrested in Denmark. It is currently not clear if there is a direct connection between the arrests. A Hamas official denied that there were any members of the organization detained in any European country. The arrests come as Israel continues military operations in Gaza to eliminate Hamas after its October 7 attacks. Reuters
Putin Discusses Detained Americans in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that he hoped that a prisoner exchange involving Evan Gershkovish and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan — Americans detained in Russia — could occur but said that the U.S. needed to listen to Russia’s conditions. Putin said any exchange must be “mutually acceptable and must suit both parties.” Putin added that Russia has had ongoing contacts with the U.S. concerning the issue. Gershkovich and Whelan are detained on espionage charges, which they deny. The U.S. likewise views them as wrongfully detained. White House National Security Advisor John Kirby said that discussions on their release were ongoing but that Russia had rejected a substantial proposal on the matter. CNN Reuters Wall Street Journal
Middle East
Iran Warns Against U.S.-Backed Multinational Force in Red Sea. Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned that a U.S-backed multinational task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea would face “extraordinary problems,” without specifying what challenges it would face or what Tehran’s response to such a task force would be. The U.S. said last week it was in talks with other countries to establish a multinational task force following a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the region, some of which were claimed by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Since the attacks began, the American and French navies have strengthened their presence in the Red Sea to protect commercial vessels. Reuters Al Jazeera
Iraq Links Some U.S. Embassy Attackers to Security Services. A spokesperson for Iraq’s prime minister said Thursday that Iraqi authorities identified links between several of the perpetrators of the December 7 rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to some of Iraq’s security services. The statement did not elaborate on which security services the attackers were linked to but said that several of the suspected perpetratros had been arrested. Iraqi security forces also arrested people who provided logistical support to the perpetrators and facilitated their movements near the Green Zone, where the attacks took place. The attack on the embassy was seen as an escalation in weeks of attacks on U.S. forces in the region by Iran-linked groups. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Top U.S. officials condemned the attack and called on Iraq to hold the perpetrators accountable and reiterated that the U.S. maintained the right to respond, as it has several times via airstrikes. The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski commended the Iraqi authorities on the apprehension of a number of those responsible for the attack. Reuters Al Jazeera
The data cutoff for this product was 3:00p.m. E.T.
Ethan Masucol, Ken Hughes, and Leighton Durham contributed to this report.
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