Today's Headlines and Commentary

Yesterday, the Department of Defense announced the first death associated with current U.S. operations in Iraq and Syria. According to Air Force Times, Cpl. Jordan L. “Spears [died]... in the Persian Gulf on Oct. 1 when he jumped from an MV-22B Osprey that nearly crashed shortly after taking off from the flight deck of [an]... amphibious assault ship.” Originally, his death was classified as a non-global war on terror casualty, but has since been reclassified as supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. On Tuesday, the U.S. conducted four air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria. Allies participated in an additional nine attacks in Iraq. Reuters details the specific targets hit. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is looking to get back together with the Islamic State. According to the Associated Press, al-Qaeda has issued a number of reconciliation appeals, though the Islamic State has yet to respond publicly. “A reunification... would allow al-Qaida to capitalize on the younger group's ruthless advance across the region [and]...let IS benefit from al-Qaida's broad, international network.” The Washington Post analyzes the role of foreign fighters from Tunisia in Islamic State operations. Meanwhile, Foreign Policy examines the militant group’s recruitment of children. The Wall Street Journal considers the detente that the U.S. and Iran appear to have reached over the past year as their interests have converged on issues, such as the Islamic State. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that crippling sanctions and low global oil prices are taking a serious toll on the Iranian economy. In the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg examines U.S.-Israeli relations, which have reached an apparent nadir under the Obama and Netanyahu administrations. As of yesterday, at least 2,207 U.S. military personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001, reports the AP. Military.com informs us that yesterday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that military officials “returning from deployments in West Africa to combat the Ebola virus be quarantined for 21 days." Yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia intends to recognize the results of the upcoming elections organized by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Times notes that his statements have set “the stage for renewed tensions with the West.” The Wall Street Journal examines the effective new border of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Baltic states are re-prioritizing domestic defense spending. According to Reuters, this decision represents a response to the “new normal” of eastern European relations with Russia. During his first major policy speech, NATO’s new Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, noted that “today’s tensions with Moscow conjure memories” of the Cold War. Stars and Stripes outlines his address. In November, Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif will travel to the U.S. to meet with Defense Secretary Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. Navy Times shares details. Following the shooting that occurred last week at the Canadian Parliament, the U.S. is increasing security at government buildings. McClatchy quotes Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who announced, “Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel.” Yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry met in Ottawa with his Canadian counterpart, Foreign Minister John Baird, and vowed to work with the northern ally to combat terrorism. The Wall Street Journal shares details. The AP reports that North Korea “may be developing sea-based missiles.” Yesterday, on Lawfare, Paul Rosenzweig called attention to Russian cyber espionage skills, following a report by FireEye regarding “an advanced persistent threat (APT) group engaged in espionage against political and military targets including the country of Georgia, Eastern European governments and militaries, and European security organizations since at least 2007.” Apropos, the Post reports that over the past few weeks, hackers affiliated with the Russian government breached the unclassified networks of the White House computer system. According to administration officials, the “intruders did not damage any of the systems and... to date, there is no evidence the classified network was hacked.” The Post also shares that cybersecurity researchers have identified a Chinese cyber espionage unit engaged in “the most sophisticated cyberespionage tactics we’ve seen out of China.” Paul flagged this news on Lawfare, as well. In a policy document released yesterday, the Chinese Communist Party announced vague intentions “to increase legal restrictions online, step up supervision of the military, and set up new laws to combat terrorism and corruption.” The Wall Street Journal examines this recent step. During a meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) reached out to American business leaders for help in securing passage of the bipartisan Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Defense News details the progress of the bill. According to the Post, in 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) created a fake AP news story and sent it to a teenager suspected of making bomb threats against Timberline High School in Washington state. By opening the link to the article, the suspect downloaded malware, which “enabled agents to identify his Internet protocol address.” Privacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have condemned the ruse. Yesterday, a federal jury convicted Robel Phillipos, friend of alleged Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, for lying to FBI agents during their investigation into the April April 15, 2013 bombings. The AP has the story. 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.