Today's Headlines and Commentary

The United States destroyed three Houthi-controlled radar installations in Yemen that were reportedly used to target an American warship in two failed missile attacks over the past four days, reports the New York Times. The USS Nitze fired cruise missiles at the sites following the two attacks on the USS Mason over the weekend. While the missiles failed to hit the ship, the United States pledged to retaliate against the Houthis, whom the government believes is responsible. The Houthis have denied any involvement and have offered to assist in any investigation of the attacks.

The retaliation represents the first time that the United States has directly engaged the Houthi rebels, although it has provided logistical and intelligence support to the Saudi-led intervention that began last year. President Obama approved the operation, which the administration referred to as “limited self-defense strikes.” The Wall Street Journal has more.

Iran responded by moving two warships to the Yemeni coast, writes Reuters. A “semi-official” Iranian news agency claimed the ships were for counter-piracy operations. But the deployment’s timing was closely synced with the American attack on their Houthi clients in Yemen.

The Afghan national security forces are facing a sustainability crisis stemming from their high casualty and low recruitment rates, writes the Times. The government is grappling with a resurgent Taliban, which is in the midst of a multipronged offensive that includes assaults on the capitals of Helmand and Kunduz provinces. The militants massacred 100 Afghan security forces as the government troops retreated in what the government had believed to be a negotiated route from a town near the Helmand capital on Tuesday. As the government takes heavy losses, it also faces consistently poor recruitment rates that prevent it from recuperating its security forces. In the meantime, an increasingly exhausted cadre of 17,000 Afghan Special Forces are struggling to make up the difference.

Secretary of State John Kerry is again trying to resurrect efforts for a new cease-fire deal in Aleppo, notes the Times. To square the circle with the United States’ previous commitment to end bilateral talks with Russia on Syria, Secretary Kerry called for a multilateral meeting of key regional stakeholders in Lausanne, Switzerland next week. The meeting will include Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia, and the United States.

The diplomatic negotiations come amid continued carnage in eastern Aleppo. The Russian-backed bombing has killed 150 this week, writes Reuters. The Syrian government denied U.N. requests to provide humanitarian aid to the city, approving requests for 25 of 29 sites but excluding Aleppo, adds Reuters.

Britain is considering more intensive military intervention in the Syrian conflict, Reuters tells us. The government announced it would only increase its involvement in concert with the United States. Russian officials responded that the Kremlin will welcome British intervention only if the United Kingdom targets militants rather than the Syrian government.

The European Union continues to harden its stance against Russia in response to the Kremlin’s ongoing intervention in Syria, reports the Journal. Policymakers are discussing a range of potential measures to strengthen sanctions against Russia, ranging from merely sanctioning Russian officials to freezing technology transfers to Russia that may advance the state’s military programs. The Financial Times has more.

Russia delivered the final components of S-300 air and missile defense systems to Iran this week, writes Reuters. The Kremlin had agreed six years ago not to go through with the deal after the international community argued that the system could allow the Iranians to bolt for the nuclear bomb without fear of a preemptive strike, but the Iran nuclear deal encouraged Russia to change its position and finalize the deal.

Turkey is complicating the final stages of preparation for the Mosul offensive by demanding that Turkish-backed Sunni forces be included in plans for the operation, comments the Journal. The U.S.-led coalition includes disparate ethnic and sectarian groups, and plans for the offensive rely on a careful balancing act to assuage each group’s concerns. Shiite militias have agreed to limit their involvement in the offensive, but Turkish demands for greater Sunni participation threaten consensus on the current plan.

Domestically, Turkey continues its far-reaching purges following this summer’s failed coup attempt, Reuters observes. The latest victims include 109 fired military judges, over 200 fired military personnel, 184 suspended judges and prosecutors, and 215 arrested police officers.

Vietnam announced today that it will not host any foreign military bases, Reuters reports. The Vietnamese statement follows Russian claims last week that the Kremlin may expand its global military presence by restoring bases in Vietnam and Cuba.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died today, ending his reign of Thailand since the Second World War, notes the Financial Times. His death raises questions about the future of Thailand’s political system, which is now under military leadership after a coup in 2014. The military has promised to hold elections next year.

Japan plans to expand its military presence in Djibouti to counteract China’s growing influence in Africa, reports Reuters. Tokyo will also increase its development aid to African countries by $30 billion, mirroring Beijing’s prominent role as a financier of African development. The move represents the more active role of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Australian authorities arrested two teeenagers allegedly about to carry out an “imminent attack,” writes the Times. The New South Wales police arrested the boys outside of Sydney, reporting that the duo was carrying bayonet knives and was inspired by the Islamic State.

Jaber al-Bakr, the Syrian refugee and suspected terrorist whom German police arrested yesterday on Monday, committed suicide in jail last night, the Times reports. German authorities suspected that al-Bakr was affiliated with the Islamic State and was in the late stages of planning an attack on airports in Berlin.

Negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government secured the release of 21 of the 300 girls the militants kidnapped almost three years ago, the Times tells us. It is unclear what the government gave Boko Haram in exchange for the girls. Nigerian military forces have recently made major gains against the militant group, but these gains may be overshadowed by an impending humanitarian disaster as Nigeria faces extreme food shortages. The Washington Post has more.

Burundi may go forward with its threat to become the first state to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, reports the Journal. After the country’s legislature voted to withdraw this week, all that is required now is for Burundi to notify the U.N. Secretary-General and go through a one year waiting-period. Burundi claims that reports document its human rights abuses are merely propaganda, and barred U.N. human rights investigators’ access to the country earlier this week.

The judge presiding over the 9/11 cases at Guantanamo ruled that the government may retroactively censor information released in public testimony during hearings, arguing that inadvertently spilling classified information does not mean it then becomes declassified and available for public consumption. The Miami Herald has more.

Air Force investigators are looking into the causes of a critical network failure at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, writes Buzzfeed. Creech is the central hub for directing global drone operations, vital to both intelligence and targeted killing operations. The military is investigating whether the failure was the result of an inadvertent technical mishap or a malicious cyberattack of a foreign actor.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Ashley Deeks uploaded a new report from the Hoover Institution, The International Legal Dynamics of Encryption.

Susan Hennessey analyzed the effectiveness of the U.S. strategy for cyber deterrence.

Kenneth Anderson commented on the transition to the next U.N. Secretary-General.

Jack Goldsmith offered some initial reactions to the Obama administration’s promise to retaliate against Russia for its interference in the election.

Quinta Jurecic posted a reminder about the next Hoover book soiree this Thursday, when Jack Goldsmith will interview David Priess about his new book on the history of presidential intelligence briefings.

Jack Goldsmith recommended a conference next week entitled The Next President’s Fight Against Terror.

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