Today's Headlines and Commentary

British Prime Minister Theresa May stressed the need for a “long-term [Western] response” to the security threat posed by Russia, Reuters reports. While speaking with senior U.K. cabinet officials on Tuesday, May praised U.S. and European actions to expel Russian diplomats but noted that much work remains to counter Russia in the future. NATO joined the U.S., U.K., Ukraine, and several EU countries on Tuesday by expelling seven Russian diplomats and blocking the appointment of three others to the alliance’s Brussels headquarters. Ireland and Moldova also followed suit. A total of 22 European countries have ejected Russian diplomats in the wake of Moscow’s attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a banned nerve agent.

Satellite images reveal that dozens of Chinese vessels are engaging in military exercises with an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea this week, Reuters reports. The images, captured on Monday, show a minimum of 40 ships and submarines surrounding the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Analysts described the exercises as an unusually large display of force, noting that it follows a freedom of navigation operation undertaken by a U.S. warship last week. The destination of the Chinese flotilla and the duration of the exercises remain unclear.

In an off-the-record interview with the New York Times, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman harshly condemned the Iran nuclear deal, the Times reports. Of the deal, Salman said that “delaying it and watching them getting that bomb, that means you are waiting for the bullet to reach your head.” The prince added that he believes Iran continues to pursue the bomb in an effort to build up enough strength that it can act with impunity throughout the region. Addressing his kingdom’s controversial military campaign in Yemen, the prince attempted to paint the war in a positive light; he emphasized Riyadh’s newfound commitment to pursuing a political resolution to the conflict.

In contrast to the Saudi prince’s condemnation of the deal and the Trump administration’s stated displeasure with it, 100 U.S. former national security officials, including 50 retired military officers and four former ambassadors to Israel, endorsed the deal on Monday, the Times adds. The group, which calls itself the National Coalition to Prevent an Iranian Nuclear Weapon, issued a statement outlining 10 reasons why it remains in America’s interest to preserve the Iran deal. The coalition cited Iran’s compliance with international inspections; the importance of maintaining close relations with our European allies that support the deal; and the implications of defecting from the deal before denuclearization talks with North Korea as compelling reasons to remain committed to the deal.

The Federal Communications Commission seeks to prevent the use of Chinese-made wireless technology in America’s future data networks, the Washington Post reports. The proposal, which the FCC is expected to make public on Tuesday, will block wireless carriers and companies from using federal funds to purchase hardware or services from “any company that poses a national security threat to the integrity of U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain.” The proposal reflects growing concerns among administration officials that foreign technology companies such as China’s Huawei will design products that would allow the foreign companies to monitor, and potentially interfere with, U.S. government agencies and private businesses. Similar concerns motivated President Trump’s recent decision to block Singaporean tech giant Broadcom’s attempted takeover of Qualcomm, an American technology company developing 5G network infrastructure.

On Monday, 37 state attorneys general demanded that Facebook explain its handling of user data in the massive Cambridge Analytica breach, the Wall Street Journal reports. The state attorneys general addressed a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing their serious concern over news stories indicating that third-party apps were able to harvest Facebook users’ information without their knowledge or consent. The Journal notes that the letter adds to the momentum of a nascent push to regulate Facebook and other tech giants. According to a source briefed on the matter, Zuckerberg will testify before Congress on the incident, Reuters adds.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Leah West explained how C-59, a national security bill pending before the Canadian Parliament, will add to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service’s capabilities by granting it the authority to collect, retain, and use “datasets.”

Susan Landau argued that the Cambridge Analytica scandal is not a failure by Facebook to secure users’ data but a failure by the company to protect users’ privacy.

Robert Chesney shared the syllabus for the “Cybersecurity Foundations: Law, Policy, and Institutions” course that he teaches.

Lawfare’s Editors announced the next Hoover Book Soiree, which will take place on April 5. Benjamin Wittes will interview Tim Maurer about his new book, “Cyber Mercenaries: The State, Hackers, and Power.”

Adam White argued that Congress should let the judiciary review any attempt to fire the special counsel.

Matthew Kahn posted the directive and corresponding memo published by the director of national intelligence on the intelligence community’s policies for safeguarding privacy and civil liberties and providing greater transparency.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.