Today's Headlines and Commentary

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea early on Sunday in the first such test since Trump became president, Reuters informs us. An official said that the Trump administration had been expecting a North Korean “provocation” soon after taking office and will consider a full range of options in response, with the goal of avoiding escalation. The White House is likely to step up pressure on China to rein in North Korea, in line with previous statements by Trump that China has not done enough in this area.

Trump responded to the North Korean missile test by announcing that the United States “stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100%.” Before the joint response with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who called the launch “absolutely intolerable,” and insisted that North Korea adhere to U.N. Security Council resolutions barring ballistic missile testing, Trump turned his dinner with Abe into a strategy session in full view of fellow diners at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The incident has raised serious questions over security, especially after a guest at Mar-a-Lago posted photographs on Facebook of Abe and Trump strategizing over the missile launch and lighting the documents with camera lights from cell phones, which could potentially have been compromised by foreign intelligence.

Reuters writes that China’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern after a joint statement from the U.S. and Japan reaffirming a U.S.-Japan treaty dealing with the Senkaku Islands, a territory that is in dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman warned, “No matter what anyone says or does, it cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China, and cannot shake China's resolve and determination to protect national sovereignty and territory.”

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn appears to be on thin ice, as the Wall Street Journal writes that White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is leading a review to decide whether or not Flynn should be allowed to maintain his position following revelations that Flynn urged Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to show restraint in response to sanctions imposed by the Obama administration. The Washington Post informs us that Flynn spoke privately with Vice President Mike Pence on the matter and then allowed Pence and other administration officials to publicly deny that he had. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) has questioned Flynn’s fitness to serve in his current position, saying that “if the now national security advisor was undermining U.S. national security interests, he’s unfit to hold that office.” In a story broken by the Post last week,. The New York Times reports that Trump plans to “look into” the reports about Flynn’s contact with Kislyak.

The Times also writes that there is turmoil inside the National Security Council due to large holes in the experienced bureaucracy, with career officials struggling to handle policy in response to Trump’s tweets. Those who have remained on the traditionally apolitical NSC staff have been alarmed by displays of overt partisanship, and nervous staffers have discussed amongst themselves purging their social media accounts of any anti-Trump sentiments. The paper flow is erratic, with NSC staff not seeing some executive orders until they are leaked to the press and with staff being told to keep policy papers to one page with lots of maps. The investigation in Flynn and his continuing conflict with intelligence agencies has only made things more complicated.

Politico tells us that the CIA denied Robin Townley, a top deputy to Michael Flynn, the top-secret level security clearance that is required for him to serve on the National Security Council. Townley, who had been the senior director for Africa on the NSC, was forced out of the post after the Agency, without much explanation and reportedly with CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s approval, rejected Townley’s request. The move comes as Flynn’s already tense relationship with the intelligence community has become more fraught over investigations into his conversations Sergey Kislyak.

The Post notes that Trump rejected former Reagan and George W. Bush foreign policy aide Elliot Abrams for the position of Deputy Secretary of State after he saw writings in which Abrams was critical of him during the campaign. Abrams was Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s pick for the key position and was the leading choice for the post, based on his knowledge of the State Department and Washington foreign policy bureaucracy. The rejection leaves Tillerson as the lone Senate-confirmed State Department official chosen by Trump.

Reuters also tells us that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump may be organized in the lead-up to a G-20 summit in July. The two leaders have yet to meet but both are on record as pledging to work towards an improved relationship between the two world powers.

The Post informs us that President Donald Trump said that he is considering rewriting his executive order temporarily barring refugees and citizens from seven Muslim majority countries from entering the United States in the wake of a unanimous Ninth Circuit ruling leaving the ban suspended. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that several options are still on the table, including taking the case to the Supreme Court. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the online legal wrangling might move too slowly for his taste. Among the revisions that Trump is reportedly considering are “new security measures,” although exactly what those are remains unclear.

The Guardian notes that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to meet with Trump today. Much is on the line with the visit, since three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the United States, and roughly 2.5 million Canadian jobs depend on U.S. trade. Trudeau has hinted at the responsibilities he shoulders when it comes to U.S. relations, saying that “the first is, of course, to highlight Canadian values and principles and the things that keep our country strong.”

The Times reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to visit the White House on Wednesday. In a tacit appeal to Israel’s burgeoning far-right, Netanyahu has stated that Trump’s election does not mean Israel has a free hand to continue the construction of thousands of new homes in the occupied West Bank. The Post adds that Netanyahu’s education minister Naftali Bennett is urging Netanyahu to abandon his tentative commitment to the two-state solution.

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.K. Defense Minister Michael Fallon said on Saturday during a visit to the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Erbil that the British-American defense partnership has never been stronger. He added that Trump’s tenure will likely encourage other NATO countries to enhance their military budgets. Fallon declined to confirm Trump’s assessment that the alliance was “obsolete,” but he noted that both countries agree substantial reforms to the body are necessary.

Al Jazeera tells us that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the final goal of a Turkish excursion into northern Syria is to clear a 5,000 kilometer “safe zone,” and has vowed to press on to the ISIS-controlled city of Raqqa. Turkish troops entered the center of the ISIS bastion Al Bab on Sunday. The push is part of a campaign by Turkey which began back in August, codenamed Euphrates Shield, with the purpose of cleaning Turkey’s border of ISIS fighters and stopping the advance of Kurdish militias. The development comes as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched a new phase in the Raqqa offensive.

Turkey has arrested two suspected ISIS militants planning attacks in Europe according to ABC News. Mahammad Labban, a Danish citizen, and Mohammed Tefik Saleh, a Swedish citizen, received weapons and explosives training in Syria for the past three months. Saleh’s wife apparently informed authorities that he had crossed from Turkey into Syria to join ISIS, along with his two daughters. Authorities say the two men entered Turkey using fake identification. On that note, Foreign Policy examines the rise of Malhama Tactical, the world’s first jihadi private military contractor (PMC) and consulting firm, a group of 10 well-trained fighters from eastern Europe that has been contracted to fight with and train such groups as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

CNN informs us that two New York men accused of conspiring to support ISIS and set off a pressure-cooker bomb in the city have pled guilty to all charges. Munther Omar Saleh of Queens and Fareed Mumuni of Staten Island were also charged with assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers, and Mumuni was charged with “attempted murder of federal officers,” after repeatedly stabbing an FBI agent in the torso with a large kitchen knife as law enforcement officials carried out a search warrant at his home two years ago.

Al Jazeera tells us that a powerful bomb blast ripped through the center of Lahore, Pakistan this morning during a protest attended by hundreds of pharmacists. Rescue workers rushed to the scene to after the large explosions, which reportedly occurred when a man on a motorcycle rammed into a crowd of the protesters, wounded several people.

ICYMI: This Weekend, on Lawfare

Quinta Jurecic posted the Lawfare Podcast, featuring Norm Eisen on the Emoluments Clause.

Paul Rosenzweig provided some privacy news.

Jane Chong flagged the indictment of Harold Thomas Martin III on charges of willful retention of national defense information, and the Justice Department’s press release.

Quinta flagged that the Justice Department had deposited the complete and unredacted SSCI report in interrogation with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Paul Rosenzweig examined whether we need new legislation to pay for President Trump’s border wall.

In the Foreign Policy Essay, Lorenzo Vidino called for a more careful and nuanced approach to considering the Muslim Brotherhood.

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