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10:00 AM ET, Thursday, November 2, 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 TOP STORIES

U.S., China to Begin Nuclear Arms Control Talks Amid Concern Over Beijing’s Nuclear Buildup.  The U.S. and China are set to begin low-level nuclear arms control talks next week as Beijing accelerates its build-up of nuclear weapons, according to a Biden Administration official. The Administration’s objective is to gain a better understanding of China’s plans following a Pentagon report last week that said Beijing is producing nuclear weapons faster than expected. The Pentagon report said China had about 500 nuclear warheads this year and plans to increase that number to more than 1,000 by 2030. The U.S. has approximately 3,700 nuclear warheads. In an earlier report on the talks, The Wall Street Journal said the U.S. would be represented by Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Mallory Stewart and China by the head of the Foreign Ministry’s arms control department, Sun Xiaobo. The State Department and the National Security Council declined to comment. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said yesterday that the two sides “will hold exchanges on a range of issues.” Bloomberg  Wall Street Journal

Speaker Johnson Supports Ukraine Aid, But Not Tied to Funds for Israel, Taiwan.  House Speaker Mike Johnson told Senate Republicans yesterday that he supports additional aid for Ukraine and a stop-gap bill to fund the government through January 15. However, Johnson remains opposed to including funding for Ukraine in a package for Israel. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said that if aid to Ukraine is included in the same package with funds for Israel and Taiwan, Republicans will revolt and that likely would end Johnson’s speakership. Johnson told the senators that aid for Ukraine should be combined with U.S.-Mexico border security funds. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) reported that Johnson said the two issues are “inextricably intertwined.” Following his meeting with the senators, Johnson spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who told Politico the two had a good conversation but that Johnson did not propose a timeline for passing a bill for Ukraine. Kyiv Independent Politico 

Senate Republicans Clash with Colleague Tuberville Over Holds on Military Promotions.  After months of behind-the-scenes efforts to arrive at a compromise, Republican senators publicly confronted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) yesterday over the months-long holds he has placed on hundreds of military promotions. Several of Tuberville’s fellow Republicans, most of whom have military backgrounds, tried from the Senate floor to confirm 61 of those promotions one by one by voice vote, and Tuberville objected to each one. At least 378 generals and admirals have been blocked by the hold, which has been in place since February. Tuberville has promised not to let the Senate fast-track their confirmations, as it has done traditionally, until the Pentagon ends its policy of providing troops leave and travel funds for reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Some Republicans say that even though they disapprove of the Pentagon policy, Tuberville’s holds are counterproductive. Tuberville said the holds are not affecting military readiness, but others disputed that. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and the leader in yesterday’s effort to break the holds, said America needs to have its “most combat-capable leaders on the field” and “that’s not happening.” He also said, “Xi Jinping is loving this. So is Putin.” Among the Republican senators who oppose the holds is Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has called them “a bad idea.” Yesterday’s Republican effort to approve the promotions came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday morning that the Senate will consider a workaround in the near future that would allow quick confirmation of the officers nominated for promotions, a resolution that would for the remainder of the year allow the Senate to approve multiple military nominations together. Wall Street Journal Associated Press Washington Post Politico CNN 

Putin Revokes Russia's Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.  Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law revoking Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on Thursday.  Moscow maintains that it will not resume nuclear testing unless the U.S. does and that the move to revoke ratification of the treaty puts Russia in line with the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the agreement.  Russia has also said de-ratification will not change its nuclear posture or information sharing on nuclear activities.  Experts warn that a new nuclear test could spark a global nuclear arms race.  Al Jazeera Euronews Politico Reuters 

Philippines Accuses China of Intruding Into its Waters.  The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) accused China on Wednesday of intruding into its waters earlier this week. The DFA disputed China’s claim that a Philippine military vessel entered China-claimed waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine presidential office added that South China Sea matters will be included in bilateral talks between President Ferdinand Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Manila on Friday. Reuters 

ISRAEL AND HAMAS WAR

Israel Pushes Towards Gaza City, Faces Heavy Hamas Resistance.  Israeli forces continued their offensive towards Gaza City amid fierce resistance from Hamas and Islamic Jihad using mortars and hit-and-run attacks from tunnel networks.  Israeli military commander Brigadier General Itzik Cohen reports that Israeli troops “are at the gates of Gaza City,” the main population center in northern Gaza.  Israel’s military appears to be concentrating forces on Gaza City rather than launching a wider assault on the entire territory.  Israel says it is facing a tough fight, with Brigadier General Iddo Mizrahi, chief of Israel’s military engineers, saying that troops are encountering mines and booby-traps as they push further into Gaza, saying “Hamas has learned and prepared itself well.”  Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 9,000 Palestinians have been killed from Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.  Gaza’s Hamas-run media office claims that at least 195 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli strikes on the area of the Jabalia refugee camp.  Israel says it killed two Hamas commanders in those attacks.  Reuters Times of Israel Washington Post

Biden Calls for Humanitarian Pause in Hamas-Israeli War.  President Biden said yesterday he thinks there should be a humanitarian pause in the Hamas-Israel war to “give time to get the prisoners out.” Biden’s comments came during a speech in which a heckler, reportedly a Jewish Rabbi, interrupted Biden and called for a cease fire, prompting Biden’s response of “I think we need a pause”.  White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier yesterday that the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, will travel to the Middle East soon and that part of his mission will be “supporting U.S. efforts to create the conditions for a humanitarian pause to address the worsening humanitarian conditions facing Palestinian civilians.” Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog told The Hill yesterday that “we don’t need urging” in response to calls for more aid for Gaza. He said Israel is increasing the flow of humanitarian supplies to those areas of Gaza “which we are taking away from Hamas.” Associated Press Bloomberg 

West Bank Violence Has Spiked Since Hamas Attack on Israel.  The West Bank has seen increasing violence since Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7. The U.N. says Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians have increased to an average of seven a day from three a day previously. According to the U.N.’s humanitarian affairs agency, Israeli troops and armed settlers have killed at least 123 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Palestinians have been driven from their homes in the West Bank during that time. President Biden expressed his concern last week, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a responsibility to rein the Israelis in. The U.N. says that the situation in the West Bank was worsening even before October 7, with Palestinian militant groups increasing and threatening the control of the Palestinian Authority. Wall Street Journal Reuters 

Israeli President says Hamas Seeks to Divide Jewish and Arab Citizens.  Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Wednesday that he believed Hamas sought to “incite hatred within us – between Jewish citizens and Arab citizens.” Herzog also said, “We must eradicate any incarnation of enmity, racism, and violence towards different groups within us.” The president spoke of mutual responsibility in maintaining peace and reminded Israeli citizens of the “dozens of Arab citizens here who paid with their lives in the terrible massacre and as part of the security forces and the IDF.” The president concluded by saying that Israel would not allow the “psychological campaign” to succeed in destroying “personal and national spirit.”  CNN

Israeli Defense and Finance Minister Disagree Over Palestinian Tax Revenue Transfer. Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has called for the immediate transfer of West Bank tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank in order to maintain “stability in Judea and Samaria.” Gallant says that the revenue could be impactful in areas of the Palestinian government that deal directly with terrorism. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on the other hand, responded by calling the proposition a “serious mistake.” Smotrich, a member of the hardline religious nationalist party, has accused Palestinians in the West Bank of supporting Hamas. Smotrich was quoted saying, “I do not intend to let the State of Israel finance our enemies in Judea and Samaria who support the terrorism of Hamas and finance the 7/10 terrorists who murdered and massacred us.”  Reuters Times of Israel

World Health Organization Reports Three Attacks Damage its Gaza Facilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported three separate instances of attacks that resulted in some damage to their Gaza facilities in the past 24 hours. A primary care clinic was entirely destroyed, and two hospitals sustained damage, one of which was a center specializing in cancer treatment. That specific hospital was hit for the second time in the past two days. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported, “The hospital was directly hit in an aerial bombardment, with damage to the third floor and smoke causing suffocation and panic among the staff and people sheltering there.” There are an estimated 117,000 individuals within the remaining 13 hospitals in Gaza. All have been given orders by the Israeli military to evacuate, though the condition of many patients would make compliance with this order impossible.  Bloomberg

Israel Condemns Latin American Nations for Severing Ties, Recalling Envoys in Protest.  The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday denounced Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile for their condemnation of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, and their subsequent diplomatic moves made in response to human rights issues. In a statement, Israel’s foreign ministry urged Colombia and Chile to “explicitly condemn the Hamas terrorist organization” and to avoid aligning themselves with “Venezuela and Iran in support of Hamas terrorism.” Israel also accused the Bolivian government of positioning itself with Hamas by severing all ties with Israel. Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors for consultation and criticized the deaths of Palestinian civilians, while Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico have also voiced concerns over the situation. This prompted the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization, to accuse Colombia and Chile of hostility towards the “Jewish state,” and Bolivia of creating an alliance with Iran. Associated Press

THE UKRAINE UPDATE

Ukraine Says it Repels Russian Attacks on Frontlines.  The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reports that Ukrainian troops repelled several Russian attacks on Thursday, including eight attacks near the northeastern city of Kupiansk, five near the eastern city of Bakhmut, and five near Avdiivka.  Experts noted that Russia continues to focus offensive operations on Avdiivka despite suffering heavy losses against Ukrainian defenses.  Analysts say there are reportedly 40,000 Russian troops massed outside Avdiivka.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also highlighted that Ukrainian troops repelled a new Russian assault near the eastern town of Vuhledar, which has seen some of the bloodiest fighting in the war as it is located at a strategic intersection between the eastern and southern fronts.  Separately, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reports that Russia has lost 302,420 troops in Ukraine since the start of its invasion.  Reuters Reuters Kyiv Independent

Russia Assaults 118 Ukrainian Towns in 10 Regions in 24 Hours.  Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Wednesday that Russia shelled 118 Ukrainian settlements in 10 regions in 24 hours, from October 31st to November 1st. Klymenko said that these attacks marked the largest “number of towns and villages that have come under attack” since the beginning of this year. Regions in Ukraine’s east suffered the most intense assaults, with casualties reported in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. Some villages and towns were reportedly reduced to rubble. An assault on a Kremenchuk oil refinery in Poltava Oblast caused a blaze, which required the efforts of 100 rescuers and a robot to extinguish. The bombardment of so many Ukrainian settlements came at the same time as a Tuesday report from South Korean intelligence saying that North Korea has shipped more than one million artillery shells to Russia. Ukrainian authorities have for months anticipated an increase in Russian assaults in the fall and winter, particularly on energy infrastructure targets. Kyiv Independent Al Jazeera France 24

Fourth Individual Arrested in New York for Illegal Export Network.  The U.S. Justice Department reported on Wednesday that a fourth individual, Brooklyn resident Nikolay Grigorev, was arrested in New York after being linked to two distinct conspiracies to "unlawfully export controlled, dual-use technologies to Russia” for use in Ukraine. Grigorev’s detainment follows the Tuesday arrest of one Russian-Tajik national and two Russian-Canadians who were allegedly involved in a "massive sanctions evasion and export control scheme." Grigorev and his associates in Russia reportedly used the corporate entity Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC) to obtain dual-use electronic components, such as semiconductors, to send to businesses connected to Russia’s military. There was no reported mention of how the suspects plans to plea, or any remarks from their attorneys.  Two other Russian nationals, Artem Oloviannikov and Nikita Arkhipov, were also charged in the indictment but remain at large.  Kyiv Independent U.S. Department of Justice

Ukraine’s Army Chief Calls for New Military Capabilities for Attritional Fighting.  Ukraine’s top general Valery Zaluzhnyi writes in The Economist that the Ukrainian military needs new military capabilities and technology as the war with Russia moves to positional warfare with static and attritional fighting.  He emphasized the need for air power and drones to break out of this stage of the war, as well as the importance of electronic warfare in countering Russian drones.  Zaluzhnyi also notes that Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian artillery has decreased, while Russian counter-battery abilities have improved, largely due to its Lancet one-way drone.  Mine-breaching technology is another priority.  He also called on Ukraine to build up its army reserves and expand the categories of Ukrainian citizens who are eligible to be called up for training or to be mobilized.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Zaluzhnyi’s comments, asserting that the conflict “has not reached a stalemate.”  Kyiv Independent Reuters Reuters The Economist

Senior Congressional Republicans Urge Long-Range Missiles for Ukraine.  A group of senior Congressional Republicans sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Wednesday urging him to send longer-range missiles to Ukraine. Senators James Risch and Roger Wicker and Representatives Michael McCaul and Mike Rogers, top Republicans on the foreign relations and armed services committees, said in the letter that they welcome reports that the Biden administration has provided some limited-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine but said the country’s “requirement for deep-strike capability remains urgent,” particularly in Crimea.  Reuters 

Russian Imposters Call Italian PM Meloni, Who Speaks of Ukraine Fatigue.  Russian imposters, known as Vovan and Lexus, on Wednesday released an audio of a call they made to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in September, in which they posed as chief of the African Union Commission.  During the conversation, Meloni spoke about international fatigue with aiding Ukraine and voiced her frustrations about the lack of support for Italy in its struggles with migration. Her office released a statement saying it regretted that Meloni had been deceived by Vovan and Lexus, who have been accused of being linked to Russian intelligence services, though there has been no substantial evidence to back this claim.  Vovan and Lexus have previously tricked other Western politicians and celebrities into speaking unreservedly.  Reuters Forbes The Guardian

THE CYBER AND TECH RUNDOWN

UK Welcomes Chinese Role at AI Summit Although Not All Sessions ‘Appropriate’.  Britain’s deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, told Bloomberg Television Wednesday that there are some sessions of the global AI Safety Summit that might not be appropriate for participation by Chinese representatives.  While noting some meetings might be confined to “like-minded countries working together,” Dowden said no country wants to see adverse consequences emerging from AI development “so it’s right that we work with China.”  Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology Wu Zhaohui is leading Beijing’s delegation at the AI Safety Summit.  Dowden described China as a “major AI power” and said the country’s participation is important.  The deputy prime minister also welcomed the involvement of Elon Musk, owner of the X social media platform, even though he does not endorse “many of Elon Musk’s views.”  Musk, Dowden said, “is an indisputable tech titan, and it’s a sign of the importance of this conference that someone like Elon Musk is here and it’s a sign of what this conference is all about.”  The summit seeks to reach “a common understanding of the risks and a valuation of the risks,” which include misinformation, disinformation, and deep fakes.  Bloomberg Reuters

Extensive Ransomware Attack in Western Germany Closes 70-Plus Municipal Systems.  More than 70 local government systems in multiple locations in western Germany have been impacted by a ransomware attack, leaving some services “severely limited.”  The Sudwestfalen IT provider reported Monday that an unknown threat actor encrypted its servers, prompting the company to limit access to its infrastructure for 70 municipalities.  Nearly all municipal headquarters systems in the region, particularly North Rhine-Westphalia, were impacted.  Authorities in the affected areas said they are offering in-person services to the public while their online systems remain down, including email and phone networks.  German cybersecurity experts said the timing of the attack is especially troublesome since local governments normally perform financial transactions at the end of the month. Salaries, social assistance benefits, and transfers from the nursing care fund may be affected by the attack.  German officials told local media they expect a “complex and lengthy investigation” as they work to determine the extent of the damage, services impacted, and responsibility for the attack.  The Record

House Committee Plans New Bill To Reauthorize National Quantum Act.  The leaders of the House Science Committee, chair Frank Lucas and ranking member Zoe Lofgren, plan to introduce a bill Friday that will lead to reauthorization of the National Quantum Initiative Act.  Legislators have worked to expand the scope of the Act from fundamental R&D to include early-stage applied research.  The previous law expired on September 30.  A summary of the new bill reviewed by Axios reveals that in addition to provisions for applied research, new quantum research centers would be authorized, NASA would be added to the quantum program, and a new Quantum Instrumentation and Foundry Program would be established to develop domestic supply chains and provide resources to the quantum industry and research sector.  Axios

Space Force Chief Describes Space-Based Competition with China, Alliance Benefits.  Space Force commander Gen. Chance Saltzman told a Nikkei interview that China has made substantial investments to neutralize U.S. advantages in space-based intelligence collection, early warning, and communications.  The pace and scale of Chinese efforts to counter U.S. capabilities “is the most alarming” aspect and reinforces the assumption China would attempt to degrade U.S. space assets at the outset of a conflict to disrupt operations and mobilization.  The Pentagon’s October report on Chinese military power concluded that Beijing developing multiple capabilities, including directed-energy weapons, jamming technology, and anti-satellite missiles.  Regarding Chinese experimentation with robotic arms capable of grabbing satellites, Saltzman said "until we establish those [rules] and get a commitment worldwide, globally, internationally, that says this is what acceptable behavior is [and] these are the norms of behavior in space, then they could always say, 'Well, that wasn't unsafe. That was just normal.'"  Saltzman pointed to the opportunity to lead discussions on establishing norms of behavior in space, suggesting the possibility of bilateral discussions with China on the issue.  Saltzman also referred to the U.S. partnership with Japan, which includes a “ride share” program that equips Japanese satellites with U.S. payloads.  The joint program, Saltzman said, is "a problem for China," adding that the U.S. is working on similar arrangements with Britain and Norway.  "Partnerships, in and of themselves, create deterrence because the country has to decide whether they're willing to go to war against the whole world [and] because it's not going to be a one-on-one situation."  Nikkei Asia

House Bill Seeks Ban on Federal Purchases of China-Made Drone Technology.  The House China Committee Wednesday introduced legislation that would prevent the Federal government from purchasing China-made drones.  The bill, the American Security Drone Act, co-sponsored by committee chair Mike Gallagher and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi does not name individual Chinese drone companies but according to Rep. Gallagher, calls for a prohibition “on using American taxpayer dollars to purchase this equipment from countries like China, supporting the PRC’s malign behavior and posing a serious national security threat to the U.S. and our allies.”  Adam Welsh, head of global policy for leading Chinese drone maker DJI, said limiting access to its drones would have negative implications for safety and would impact small companies that use its drones and related software.  The bill would also prevent local and state governments from purchasing Chinese drones with federal grants.  Several Federal departments, including the Pentagon, Homeland Security, and Justice, would be exempt from the Act’s prohibitions under conditions specified in the bill.  Financial Times Cybernews

Dutch Firms Eye Chips Making in Vietnam Amid China Tensions.  During a visit to Hanoi by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday, senior officials told Reuters that Dutch semiconductor companies and suppliers are planning manufacturing investments in Vietnam. BE Semiconductor Industries (Besi) announced during the visit that it has received approval to make an initial investment of $5 million to rent a factory in southern Vietnam. The company’s vice president for global operations, Henk Jan Poerink, said Besi expects investment to grow significantly, with the company planning to build its own factory within the next four years. Poerink said his company’s strategy is to rely less on China, where the company continues to grow but only to serve an expanding Chinese market. Officials cited restrictions on trade with China as a reason for investing in production in Vietnam. Reuters 

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

Europe

Moldova Accuses Russia of Election Interference.  Maia Sandu, Moldova’s pro-European president, on Wednesday accused Russia of influencing upcoming local elections by funneling money to pro-Moscow parties, which she said amounted to “buying” voters.  Sandu said that Moscow had channeled the equivalent of $5 million to “criminal groups,” including the banned political party led by fugitive businessman Ilan Shor.  Sandu has previously denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of trying to oust her in a coup. Moldovans vote this Sunday in elections seen as a barometer of Sandu’s push towards Europe.  Moscow responded by saying Sandu’s accusations were an attempt to distract from the failures of her own government and exaggerate the threat posed by Russia.  A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said Sandu was a “disgrace” and was targeting political opposition.  Reuters Reuters

Asia and Oceania

Dozens of Chinese Warplanes Cross Taiwan Strait Median Line.  Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reports that China sent 43 warplanes and 7 naval ships near Taiwan on Wednesday.  The ministry said 37 of the Chinese aircraft crossed the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait.  Taiwan responded by dispatching ships, activating land-based missile systems, and scrambling fighter jets.  Associated Press ABC News Deutsche Welle 

Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Crossing Overwhelmed After Expulsion Order.  Pakistan’s main northwestern border crossing with Afghanistan was swamped by thousands of people seeking to enter Afghanistan after Islamabad’s deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave or be forcibly expelled passed on Wednesday.  Pakistani authorities had been rounding up undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, hours before the deadline.  Aid organizations report dire conditions at the border.  The Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan reports that over 24,000 Afghans used the northwestern Torkham crossing to enter Afghanistan on Wednesday, adding that it has established temporary transit camps to deal with the influx of people.  Over 4 million Afghans live in Pakistan, with an estimated 1.7 million being undocumented.  Islamabad has said Afghan nationals were involved in 14 suicide attacks in the country this year, as well as other crimes.  Kabul has rejected these accusations.  Reuters

The Americas

Brazil to Bolster Security at Airports, Ports, Borders to Counter Organized Crime.  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that he would deploy armed forces to the nation’s major airports, ports, and international borders in an effort to crackdown on organized crime. The announcement came days after gang members in Rio de Janeiro set 35 buses on fire after police killed an important militia member, and nearly a month following the murder of three doctors in Rio.  At a news conference in Brasilia, Lula said that the country has reached “a very serious situation,” which requires the participation of the federal government to assist state administrations in countering crime. Brazil will deploy 3,600 army, navy and air force personnel to augment patrols and surveil international airports in Rio and Sao Paulo, in addition to two maritime ports in Rio and Sao Paulo’s Santos port. The mobilization is part of the government’s scheme to expand the number of federal police forces in Rio, bolster investment in sophisticated technology for the collection of intelligence and facilitate collaboration between law enforcement entities. Associated Press France 24

DEA Agent Leaked Confidential Information about Maduro Ally Saab.  The jury at the bribery trial of DEA Agent John Costanzo Jr. heard this week how he leaked confidential information about the criminal case of Colombian-born businessman and ex-informant Alex Saab to defense lawyers in exchange for money.  The U.S. Justice Department has gone after Saab, an ally to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, for allegedly taking $350 million from state contracts.  In a wiretapped phone call, Costanzo leaked the date in 2019 when prosecutors in Florida planned to bring charges against Saab for the crime. Costanzo has been charged with accepting $73,000 in bribes in return for disclosing confidential law enforcement information to his former boss Manny Recio.  Costanzo and Recio deny all wrongdoing.  Associated Press

El Salvador Repeals Media Crackdown After Declaring Victory in War on Gangs.  El Salvador’s Congress repealed a law that criminalized the publication of gang messages as the ruling party declared victory in its war against criminal groups on Wednesday. Last year, President Nayib Bukele cracked down on El Salvador’s violent gangs.  The crackdown significantly reduced crime rates, though incarceration skyrocketed, and is now the highest in the world.  Lawmakers passed the law on gang messages to target those who spread or reproduced graffiti “or any form of visual expression” related to gangs. Critics argued that the law unjustly targeted journalists. The main legislator behind the law, Christian Guevara, was added to a U.S. blacklist for “corrupt and undemocratic actors” for promoting the law. Lawmakers who originally backed the law said that it has now served its purpose and that the country can alter its legislation now that it has won the war on gangs.  Reuters

The data cutoff for this product was 8:00 a.m. E.T.

Brad Christian, Ethan Masucol, Ken Hughes, Bruce Wilmot, Emma Fisk, Katharine Campbell, and Leighton Durham contributed to this report.

Read deeply-experienced, expert-driven national security news, analysis, and opinion in The Cipher Brief