Today's Headlines and Commentary

In a fractured exchange with George Stephanopoulos, Republican nominee for president Donald Trump made a number of remarks that strongly implied he did not realize Russia had already annexed Crimea and continues to undermine Kiev’s sovereignty elsewhere in Ukraine. Trump stated that if he were president, President Vladimir Putin of Russia would not send his forces into Ukraine. He then backpedaled when Stephanopoulos pointed out that Russian troops had been there for nearly two years.

The hacking of Democratic campaign systems—widely suspected to have been carried out by the Russian government—might extend not only to the DNC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but also the Clinton campaign as well. The Times reports on a federal law enforcement official’s comments indicating that the campaign was hacked, though the campaign itself soon issued a statement indicating that its systems were not breached.

On the other hand, the BBC writes that Russian intelligence services announced the discovery of a “cyber-spying virus” in the networks of about 20 organizations, including entities in the Russian government and infrastructure. The FSB did not point fingers on who might be responsible for the virus, but stated that the attack was similar to other, "much-spoken-about" cyber operations.

David Sanger reports in the Times that the Obama administration is still grappling with how to respond to Russia’s recent cyberattack. Though the White House has yet to accuse Moscow publicly of orchestrating the DNC attacks, intelligence officials have informed the president that they have “high confidence” that the Russian government was responsible. The decision is complicated by the danger of escalating tensions between the two nations as they collaborate on other issues, such as the resolution of the Syrian civil war.

Syrian rebels have shot down a Russian helicopter carrying three crew members and two soldiers, all of whom were killed. The episode marks the bloodiest loss for Russia’s military since it first intervened in the ongoing civil war. Russian officials attributed the attack to the organization formerly known as Jabhat al Nusra and “the so-called moderate opposition.” The Times has more.

Reuters writes that Syrian rebel fighters have launched a major assault on government-held southwestern parts of Aleppo to try to reopen supply lines into opposition-held areas of the city, following the tightening of the siege by regime forces last week. The rebels aim to push through government-controlled territory in order to link the besieged region of eastern Aleppo to rebel-held territory to the west of the city. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the ongoing assault is the largest rebel operation that has taken place in several months.

The Daily Beast examines Russian efforts to destroy Aleppo. While the Russian army has established several corridors for armed rebels and civilians to evacuate the city, U.S. officials argue that this is effectively “a demand for the surrender of opposition groups.” The Russian Army has warned that all combatants who choose not to leave the city “will be dealt with as Jabhat al Nusra,” the rebel force that recently changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham after severing its official ties with al Qaeda.

The Islamic State has claimed two attacks on an Iraqi oil and gas facilities that killed five local employees. Though the attacks are unlikely to cause major disruptions in daily oil production, they underscore the vulnerability Iraq’s critical infrastructure to ISIS. As ISIS accumulates losses on the conventional battlefield, analysts predict that more guerrilla attacks such as this will occur.

Politico notes that Iraqi security forces and U.S. military backers are gearing up for a major operation against the Islamic State in the fall—just as U.S. voters will be deciding between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. A major victory over ISIS would likely boost Clinton’s chances considerably, as the public largely views her counterterrorism strategy as similar to President Barack Obama’s.

Yet according to the Daily Beast, security analysts and U.S. officials at the annual Aspen security conference have stopped talking about defeating the Islamic State. Instead, a darker consensus has emerged: terrorist attacks are likely going rise across the world, including within the United States. Officials are increasingly comparing ISIS to a chronic illness that must be managed, rather than something that can be eradicated overnight.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Taliban attacked a compound frequented by U.S. military contractors and other organizations on the outskirts of Kabul early on Monday, engaging in an all-night battle with security forces. One policeman died and two others were wounded in the firefight. According to the Afghan interior ministry, the gunmen were all killed.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lambasted his country’s nuclear deal with six major world powers yet again in a speech in Tehran on Monday, claiming that Washington was not upholding its side of the bargain in removing sanctions and allowing foreign investment in Iran. Major European banks and investors have held back from Iranian investment partly due to remaining US sanctions, but partly because of complex Iranian regulations and corruption within the country. Reuters has more.

Following a lengthy manhunt, Turkish authorities finally captured 11 commandos suspected of trying to kidnap President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the failed coup on June 15th. The Journal reports that the commandos were hiding in the forest surrounding the seaside resort where President Erdogan had been vacationing at the time of the coup. Meanwhile, Turkey has continued discussions with the United States regarding extradition of the Pennsylvania-based cleric and suspected coup-plotter Fethullah Gulen.

Bomb disposal experts in Rio de Janeiro detonated a suspicious package found in an Olympic stadium earlier today, the Washington Post writes. It remains unclear whether or not the package contained a bomb. Rio has been plagued by security concerns in the runup to the Summer Olympics, with 12 Brazilians arrested last week for their involvement in an alleged ISIS-inspired plot to attack the Games.

The cousin of one of the two men involved on the recent attack on a Normandy church has been placed in preventative detention, Reuters writes. The man, only identified as Farid K., is under investigation for “suspicion of terrorist association with a view to perpetrating a crime.” Another man, who is now under investigation for attempting to travel to Syria with one of the church attackers, has been placed in preventative detention as well.

In a demonstration of solidarity following a string of terrorist attacks, including the attack in Normandy, a number of French and Italian Muslims attended Mass this past Sunday. Italy’s Foreign Minister thanked those who attended, saying, “they are showing their communities the way of courage against fundamentalism.” The AP has more.

Returning to the Vatican after a visit to Poland, Pope Francis expressed his belief that economic difficulty, rather than religion, lies at the root of terrorism. “Terrorism grows when there is no other option,” the Pope said, adding, “All religions want peace; it is other people who want war.” While abroad, Pope Francis urged Poles to remain open to refugees despite the spate of terrorist attacks across Europe.

The Times takes a look at New York City’s new “Critical Response Command” regiment. Created last year, the unit aims to perfect a new kind of policing to address a new kind of threat, in which lone wolf attackers “kill for the sake of killing” rather than taking hostages. Though journalists were invited to observe drilling exercises, the Times piece is necessarily light on details: the NYPD requested that journalists refrain from closely documenting the unit’s procedures, concerned that would-be attackers might study and learn from the descriptions of police tactics.

Despite Pyongyang’s warnings of a “vicious confrontation,” South Korea and the United States will proceed with their annual joint military drills next month, says US Army Secretary Eric Fanning. Secretary Fanning went on to say that “these exercises contribute to stability, they don’t compete with stability.” The Journal has more.

Reuters reports on the desire within some elements of the Chinese military for a more muscular response to the international tribunal ruling against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. So far, Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have resisted the calls to “give [the Phillipines] a bloody nose,” but the hawkish mood within the People’s Liberation Army heightens the risk of naval clashes in the disputed waters.

ICYMI: This Weekend, on Lawfare

Quinta Jurecic posted the latest episode of the Lawfare Podcast, wherein Benjamin Wittes interviewed Brookings senior fellow Shadi Hamid on his latest book, “Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Shaping the World.”

Daniel Byman penned an essay evaluating the threat the Islamic State still poses to the Middle East, even if the most high-profile attacks are still occurring in Western Europe.

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