WEDNESDAY PDB – In stunner, House GOP bid to impeach Mayorkas fails. The effort to impeach failed and discredited Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed embarrassingly as three Republicans joined Democrats in voting against what would have been the second-ever impeachment of a cabinet official.
The failure came about partly because of the surprise appearance in the chamber of Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who showed up unexpectedly – having recently had surgery and wearing hospital scrubs and no socks – to vote against the bill.
But after two expected GOP “no” votes from RINO Reps. Ken Buck (Colo.) and Tom McClintock (Calif.), a third House GOP lawmaker, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), also voted against impeachment.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
RIP BROTHER PATRIOT – Toby Keith, country music star and USO staple, dies at 62. He went on 11 USO tours to visit and play for troops serving overseas.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Former UFO boss: Pentagon needs to be less secretive. Sean Kirkpatrick says the Defense Department would have benefited from engaging with the public on unknown aircraft.
Want an interchangeable naval force? Expand foreign navy exchanges. Nearly two decades after then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen championed a 1,000-ship Navy, the rationale for a combined fleet — that is, a maritime fighting force augmented by international allies and partners — is more relevant than ever.
US special ops community taking innovation foundry to London to focus on battles in ‘smart cities.' In April, Special Operations Command personnel will be heading to meet with U.K. defense officials, tech experts and others to brainstorm the capabilities and concepts that will be needed for fighting in hyper-connected cities of the future.
Trump SECDEF Mattis secretly advised Arab monarch on Yemen war, newly released records show. U.S. officials approved the retired Marine general's work for the UAE, then fought to conceal it from the public.
How the myth of ‘killer robots' challenges AI integration. The Hollywood notion that military AI will rise up and attack humanity creates real-world reluctance for people to adopt it, one expert says.
US POWER OVERSEAS
South Korea, US explore joint ship, weapons maintenance opportunities. The two are exploring whether the former's defense industry could help maintain, repair and overhaul the latter's warships and weapons.
POLITICS
PUTIN STOOGE? OR JUST DUMB? Tucker Carlson confirms he's interviewing Vladimir Putin. ex-Fox News host is in Moscow to talk to the brutal Russian leader.
House fails to pass Israel aid amid Ukraine standoff with Biden. The path forward for both Israel and Ukraine aid is unclear amid a House Republican standoff with the Democratic-held Senate and White House over a roughly $118 billion foreign assistance and U.S. southern border security bill.
House advances foreign arms sales bill supported by defense industry. The House Foreign Affairs Committee narrowly advanced a foreign arms sale bill largely along party lines that has pitted defense industry groups against arms control advocates. The legislation is meant to address substantial U.S. foreign military sales delays across the board, including to Taiwan.
Austin agrees to testify at House hearing on his secret hospitalization. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will face questions over his decision to hide his recent hospitalization from top national security officials, including the president.
White House spokesperson apologizes for claiming US warned Iraq before strikes. National security spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday apologized for being wrong.
IRAN THREAT
AS I'VE BEEN SAYING – Stop letting Iran hide behind its proxies and strike them head-on. With U.S. strikes against Iran-linked targets on Feb. 2, Joe Biden attempted to fulfill his vow to “hold all those responsible to account” for a Jan. 28 drone attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan by Iran-backed militia that killed three U.S. service members and injured at least 40 more. But he hasn't.
After Jordan attack, Pentagon weighs options to bolster base security. There are no plans to move troops out of Jordan while officials investigate how an Iran-backed militia's drone was able to evade detection and detonate above a housing building at Tower 22.
US takes out explosive-laden Houthi surface drones. This, as the Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea continue to threaten Navy ships and commercial vessels in the region.
ISRAEL'S WAR ON TERROR
More than a fifth of Israeli hostages in Gaza are dead. As Israel and Hamas inch closer to a deal to free hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a cease-fire, the military disclosed that at least 30 of the captives still in Gaza have been confirmed dead.
CHINA THREAT
Robot wingmen vs. China: What a think tank's wargame revealed about a key USAF concept. As the Air Force contemplates a range of price points, the tabletop exercise suggests cheaper is better.
Supplier bottlenecks threaten US Navy effort to grow arms stockpiles. If U.S. military planners' worst-case scenario arose in the Pacific — having to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion — American military forces would target Chinese amphibious ships.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
A movement builds against Putin's war in Ukraine. Western observers are increasingly pessimistic about Ukraine's chances for driving out the Russian invaders. But doomsayers miss one key factor: Support for Putin's war among Russians — crucial to the country's success in Ukraine — is faltering significantly.
Ukraine creates a branch of its armed forces specific to drone warfare. This appears to be a first for a national military, reflecting the rise of drones in armed conflict.
U.S. House Oversight Republicans request Pentagon to provide information about Ukraine weapons as aid in jeopardy. The formal request heightens the increased scrutiny within the House GOP conference and falling support among Republican lawmakers.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
South Korea, Qatar defense ministers agree to boost military ties. The two have agreed to expand joint military training and strengthen bilateral cooperation amid a push by Seoul to boost global arms sales.
Netherlands considers creating tank battalion but needs funding. This, amid Russia's war in Ukraine, though there's currently no funding for the initiative.
US MILITARY
Will the Air Force bring back warrant officers? Challenges with retaining highly skilled technical specialists could drive the Air Force to reintroduce warrant officers 45 years after the last Air Force warrant officer retired in 1980. Space Force doesn't have them either, but probably should.
2 Fort Myer soldiers arrested and charged with stealing LGBTQ+ pride flags from house near base. The soldiers stole the flags at least three times from a house just outside the gates of Fort Myer, Virginia.
END of PDB
READ NEXT: Report: European Union Considers Sanctions Against Tucker Carlson
