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10:00 AM ET, Friday, August 4, 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:  

 In the Americas

Trump Pleads Not Guilty in 2020 Election Case.  Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he led a conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election defeat.  Trump was indicted on Tuesday with conspiracy to defraud voters with lies, attempted use of fake electors, and pressuring officials to alter election results.  He appeared in court on Thursday to be arraigned on the charges.  After the hearing, he dismissed the indictment against him, saying that it amounted to “persecution of a political opponent” and adding that it is a “very sad day for America.”  The indictment against Trump is his third since April and is part of investigations led by special prosecutor Jack Smith into the January 6 Capitol attack.  Associated Press NBC News New York Times Reuters

Two US Navy Soldiers Arrested for Allegedly Sending Military Secrets to China.  US officials said Thursday that two US Navy soldiers, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao and Navy sailor Jinchao Wei, have been arrested on charges of sharing sensitive information concerning national security to China.  Zhao was charged with conspiracy and bribe taking, as he allegedly received almost $15,000 in exchange for sensitive U.S. military info.  Officials say Zhao is accused of sending his Chinese handlers security information on U.S. naval facilities in California, plans for U.S. military drills in the Indo-Pacific, and blueprints and electrical diagrams for a radar system on a U.S. base in Okinawa.  Wei was charged with conspiring to transfer national defense data to Beijing in exchange for money.  He is accused of providing information to China about the operations, power, and weapons of the USS Essex, an amphibious assault vessel, in addition to other warships.  Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen told journalists that “sensitive military info ended up in the hands of the People’s Republic of China” due to the suspected crimes of the two men.  FBI Special Agent Stacey Moy criticized China’s actions, saying that Beijing "will stop at nothing to attack the United States in its strategic plan to become the world's sole superpower."  The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet responded to requests for comments.  Reuters Al Jazeera CNN Washington Post 

Mexican President Condemns ‘Inhumane’ Texan Floating Buoys.  Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador on Thursday denounced Texas’s anti-immigration buoys on the Rio Grande river, calling the border enforcement technique “inhumane.”  López Obrador directly criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the method, saying “no one should be treated like this. That kind of treatment does not come from a good person.”  His comments came after Mexico’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that two bodies were recently recovered in the river in separate incidents, with one of them lodged in the buoys.  Mexican authorities say it is unclear what caused their deaths, though Texas officials say the person caught in the buoys died further upstream.  The U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of Texas over the floating barriers, which were installed in July without federal consent.  López Obrador asserted that the buoys breach Mexico’s “sovereignty and human rights,” saying, “we are already demanding that these buoys be removed.” Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Alicia Bárcena Ibarra added that the barriers violate two treaties between the U.S. and Mexico.  Associated Press CNN 

Western Europe

British Prime Minister Sunak Considering Skipping UN Gathering in September. The Telegraph reports that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering not attending the upcoming UN General Assembly.  A source close to the matter said Sunak has not yet confirmed his attendance to the annual meeting of world leaders in September and will reportedly focus instead on preparing for the annual Conservative Party conference in October. Sunak would be the first British prime minister in a decade to skip the gathering.  Downing Street has not yet responded to requests for comments on the matter. The Telegraph Reuters 

Denmark to Increase Border Controls after Quran Burnings Create Security Issues.  The Danish Justice Ministry on Thursday revealed that police will begin strengthening border controls on August 10th to address security concerns following recent Quran burnings, which have sparked outrage throughout Muslim countries.  The move mirrors Sweden’s decision last week to likewise bolster security measures over the burnings.  The ministry announced the stronger controls as a move “to increase the focus on who is entering Denmark, in order to respond to the specific and current threats.”  The governments of both Denmark and Sweden have denounced the recent Quran burnings, which have been permitted under free speech laws.  Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday urged against further burnings, saying that “everything that is legal is not appropriate.”  He added that new border controls will hinder “people with very weak connections to Sweden” from entering the country “to commit crimes or to act in conflict with Sweden’s security interests.”  Al Jazeera Reuters

Central and Eastern Europe

Ukrainian Drones Damage Russian Warship at Black Sea Navy Base.  Two sources on Friday claimed that the Russian warship Olenegorsky Gornyak was damaged in an assault by Ukrainian naval drones on the Black Sea navy base in Novorossiysk.  A Ukrainian intelligence source said the attack significantly damaged the Olenegorsky Gornyak, a Russian amphibious landing ship, leaving it unable to conduct combat missions.  The source added that the attack was a joint operation by the Ukrainian Navy and SBU intelligence service.  The source also said the ship had 100 Russian servicemen aboard when it was attacked and that the drone that hit the vessel carried 450 kilograms of TNT.  Another source familiar with operations at the Novorossiysk port said a Russian naval vessel had to be towed ashore due to damage.  Unverified footage on social media purportedly showing the attack shows a vessel listing heavily to its port side.  Russia’s Defense Ministry did not mention any damage, saying only that a Ukrainian attack was repelled outside of the base, with “unmanned sea boats” destroyed by Russian ships guarding waters in the area.  CNN Reuters NBC News Al Jazeera

US Intel Reveals Russia Seeking Increased Military Cooperation with North Korea.  U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that American intelligence shows that Russia is interested in heightening military collaboration with North Korea to get support for the Ukraine war.  Kirby said Pyongyang is considering providing lethal aid to Moscow and specifically mentioned artillery shells as one of the key areas of potential support. Concerns about cooperation between the two nations have risen following Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s recent visit to North Korea.  Kirby noted that the turn to Pyongyang “ is yet another example of how desperate Mr. Putin is becoming, because his war machine is being affected by the sanctions and the export controls.”  CNN

Asia and Oceania

North Korea Condemns U.S. Weapons Aid to Taiwan.  North Korea criticized a U.S. weapons package to Taiwan Friday, accusing the U.S. of inflaming tensions in the region to be “another ignition point of war”. The U.S. recently unveiled an aid package to Taiwan for up to $345 million. Congress has also authorized up to $1 billion worth of weapons aid for the country as part of the 2023 budget. In a statement carried on North Korean state media, Maeng Yong Rim, the Director General of the North Korean foreign ministry’s Chinese affairs department said that the aid plan was a “dangerous and military provocation “ and a “flagrant violation” of the One China principle. China has long claimed that the democratically governed island falls within its own territory and has warned against any “official changes” in stance from the United States and Taiwan. Rim also said in the statement that “it is the sinister intention of the U.S. to turn Taiwan into an unsinkable advanced base against China and the first-line trench for carrying out its strategy for deterring China”, and he warned that the United States would have to “pay a high price” for “provoking the core interest of China”. This comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang last week and vowed to develop the relations between the two countries to a “new high.” Reuters 

Japan to Host Iranian FM.  Broadcaster TBS reported Friday that Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian is set to visit Tokyo, Japan on Sunday for talks with his Japanese counterpart and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  Several government sources reportedly told TBS that Japan will use the talks to urge Iran to cease the sale of weapon supplies and materials to Russia. Reuters 

U.S. Nuclear Submarine Arrives in Western Australia.  A U.S. Navy Virginia-class nuclear submarine arrived at the HMAS Stirling Naval Base in Perth, Western Australia on Friday.  The submarine is at the base for a scheduled port visit as part of a patrol of the Indo-Pacific.  The visit comes as Australia and the U.S. conduct two major military exercises this month, including the Talisman Sabre multilateral drills, which close on Friday, and a Quad exercise off eastern Australia next Friday.  The visit also comes as AUKUS plans get underway, including an expansion of Port Stirling to become a base for U.S. and British nuclear submarines by 2027 and wider efforts to deepen defense cooperation between Washington and Canberra and have Australia acquire nuclear submarines.  Defense and foreign ministers from the U.S. and Australia recently announced plans to increase the type and number of U.S. forces rotating in Australia, stockpile U.S. military stores in the country, establish a joint intelligence center, and upgrade Australian air bases.  Reuters 

New Zealand Releases Defense Review, National Security Strategy.  New Zealand’s government presented its first national security strategy and the first stage of a defense review on Friday.  The review said that New Zealand’s military is not fit for future challenges and that the country faces its most challenging strategic environment in decades amid escalating great power competition.  The review adds that the country must spend more on its military and strengthen ties with security partners in the Indo-Pacific.  Any changes to defense will not be made until after further documents are released in 2024, which experts say may be an effort to justify needed spending increases for military upgrades.  The security strategy underscored challenges from China, noting how Beijing is upending norms and how Chinese state-sponsored actors pose a cybersecurity threat to New Zealand.  Reuters New Zealand Government

Middle East and Northern Africa

Lebanon Warns of Potential Army Intervention at Palestinian Refugee Camp.  Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is threatening to deploy the Lebanese army into the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp if fighting there does not stop.  Violence in the camp between Palestine’s Fatah party and the armed groups Jund al-Sham and Shabab al-Muslim began several days ago after Fatah accused the groups of killing one of its military generals.  Mikati called the fighting a “flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty,” saying groups cannot “terrorize the Lebanese,” especially in the south, which he said has long supported Palestinians.  Al Jazeera

Sub Saharan Africa

Niger’s Ousted President Warns of Coup’s “Devastating” Impact, Calls on World to Preserve Democracy.  Ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, who was removed from power last week in a military coup currently led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, warned of “devastating” consequences for the world if his elected government is not restored and called on the U.S. and the international community to help.  In a Washington Post column published Thursday, Bazoum called himself a “hostage” and said, “this coup, launched against my government by a faction in the military on July 26, has no justification whatsoever . . . If it succeeds, it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world.”  Bazoum cautioned against “authoritarian movements” and warned that “the entire Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via the Wagner Group, whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine.”  This comes as a weekend deadline set by the West African bloc ECOWAS to restore Bazoum approaches.  ECOWAS leaders recently sent a delegation to Niger to find an ‘amicable’ solution to the crisis, but the talks reportedly failed to reach any breakthroughs.  ECOWAS has said that use of force to restore the democratically elected government in Niger is an option.  West African regional defense chiefs are meeting on Friday to discuss options.  Washington Post CNN Al Jazeera Reuters

Ethiopia Declares State of Emergency After Days of Fighting.  The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on Friday after days of conflict and violence in the Amhara region between the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the local Fano militia.  On Thursday, Amhara's regional government requested aid from federal officials to help impose order and solve the security crisis.  A statement from the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, “it was found necessary to declare a state of emergency as it had become difficult to control this outrageous activity based on the regular legal system." The declaration allows the government to make arrests without warrants, impose curfews, and bar public meetings.  Reuters Al Jazeera

Cyber and Tech

Chinese Research Foundation Launches Subsidy Program for ‘Chiplet’ Research.  A new program to subsidize multiple projects focused on “chiplet” technology has been launched by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).  Chiplets, which are silicon dies that can be combined into a more complex processor, are seen as a key domestic alternative to powerful semiconductors that have been blocked from the Chinese market by U.S. and Western export controls.  The NSFC program will fund up to 30 research projects over a three- to four-year span with a total of $6.4 million.  The program’s goal is “to develop a research team with international influence” as a way of enhancing China’s domestic semiconductor innovations.  The NSFC seeks to raise chiplet performance “one or two levels” through sponsored research, which will include methods to dissect, combine and reuse chiplets, and development of three-dimensional chip processing techniques.  China’s semiconductor sector may suffer another blow in mid-August, when a Biden administration executive order is expected to further limit critical U.S. technology investments in China, focusing on semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing.  In the face of earlier semiconductor restrictions from the West, Chinese enterprises have resorted to production of older-generation chips, a development that in itself has U.S. and European officials concerned.  South China Morning Post

Cyberattacks Targeting Government, Public Sector Entities Surge in 2^nd Quarter.  Cyberattacks on government and public organizations around the globe rose by 40 percent this spring compared with the first quarter of the year, Blackberry cybersecurity researchers report.  More that 55,000 cyberattacks were conducted by nation-state and financially motivated hackers from March to May.  The most heavily targeted areas were in North America, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.  Researchers reported that public sector organizations are favored targets for hackers motivated by geopolitical, financial, or simply the ability to disrupt social functioning.  The researchers say that the healthcare sector also was a popular target for hackers, including significant disruptions of a Spanish hospital in Barcelona and a Pennsylvania health network. Researchers also noted that due to the sensitive data and critical services provided by healthcare facilities, “the number of attacks against this industry is likely to rise.”  Financial services also figure prominently among hacker targets with more than 17,000 attacks directed at financial institutions, with nearly 15,000 targeted organizations in the U.S.  The Record

DoD Adoption of AI in Cybersecurity ‘Years Behind’ Private Sector.  DoD’s use of AI technologies to bolster cybersecurity is “years behind” the private sector, according to a technical expert with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).  Drew Malloy, the technical director of DISA’s Cyber Development Directorate, says that a “gigantic effort” needs to get under way in the DoD to address the gap in AI cybersecurity applications, “where industry is pushing the forefront of things.”  He noted that DoD’s challenge in adopting AI for cybersecurity includes ensuring data validity and integrity.  You need to “look at the whole end-to-end chain of an AI model to know it from a transparency perspective."  Malloy said DISA’s partnership with the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center has been beneficial in the process of using “machine learning algorithms to pre-process the data beforehand" while detecting anomalies in real-time.  Grassroots advocacy for AI development and use is critical, Malloy said, adding that "it's never going to be a top-down thing."  NextGov

U.S. Law Enforcement on Alert for Potential Use of Hacking Device by Racial Extremists.  Major city police forces are on alert to a new hacking tool called Flipper Zero and its potential to be used by “racially motivated extremists.”  The South Dakota Fusion Center (SDFC) issued a warning in April, based on an assessment by the New York City Police Department, about the possible use of the popular hacking tool by extremist groups. According to the NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau (ICB), “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists,” known by the acronym REMVE’s, may seek to bypass access control systems using the Flipper Zero cyber penetration tester.  The ICB reportedly is monitoring Telegram messaging app discussions of Flipper Zero by “domestic and international hackers, hobbyists, doomsday preppers, and most notably, REMVEs and accelerationists.”  Flipper Zero can hack everything from radio protocols to access control systems and is capable of cloning RFID cards like those used to access hotel rooms as well as bypassing security on certain electronic safes.  The ICB says it has not observed REMVEs “explicitly discuss” Flipper Zero’s attack potential, but “users within at least seven REMVE and other messaging channels have emphasized the utility of the Flipper Zero and expressed interest in purchasing the device.” DailyDot

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