High stakes: National security community braces for nuclear brinkmanship if summit fails

All signs may point to a successful and historic summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, but the stakes are so high that the U.S. national security community is braced for the possibility of a rapid spiral toward nuclear brinkmanship if the talks between the two men turn sour.

With the North Korean side notorious for bizarre antics and sudden walkouts from diplomatic meetings, it remains anyone’s guess how Tuesday’s face-to-face will ultimately play out — even as most analysts agree that Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim are both driven by domestic political motives to make it appear as a major success.

“It’s very hard for me to imagine this summit not succeeding,” said Robert L. Gallucci, a former chief U.S. negotiator with the North Koreans, although he acknowledged that a sudden meltdown in Singapore could trigger a quick reversal to the threat-soaked posturing between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim just a year ago.

“The president of the United States might hop on his airplane and come home pretty unhappy,” Mr. Gallucci, now a professor at Georgetown University, said Friday at a discussion hosted by the Center for a New American Security in Washington. “We would be in a situation in which we were once again talking preventive strikes and the South Koreans would be caught in the middle.”

Others have put it more bluntly. Victor Cha, also a former U.S. negotiator and now adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has said “the danger of a failed summit is that it could actually take us a step closer to armed conflict, because there is no diplomacy left after a [failed] summit.”

Mr. Cha made the comment in April to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, arguing that “a preventative unilateral attack by the United States on North Korea” would need congressional approval and take into “sober account” the possibility of counterstrikes targeting the 350,000 U.S. military personnel and other Americans living in Japan and South Korea.

While Mr. Trump has upped hopes for success — tweeting just before arrival in Singapore of “a feeling that this one-time opportunity will not be wasted!” — his optimism comes against a backdrop in which the summit nearly fell apart just a few weeks ago.

Mr. Trump canceled the summit in late May after North Korea suddenly hurled invective at Washington — and specifically National Security Adviser John R. Bolton — for suggesting that Pyongyang’s complete denuclearization must happen quickly along a “Libya model.”

With South Korea scrambling to mediate, the two sides worked through the hiccup and got the summit back on track. But the danger of a potential collapse felt all the more real when a Pentagon spokesperson told reporters in late May that the U.S. military was “ready to fight tonight” should North Korea launch strikes against American interests or allies.

The comment was reminiscent of the height of brinkmanship in August, when fears of an armed clash soared amid Mr. Trump’s warning that North Korea could face “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” He made the threat after reports that Pyongyang had succeeded in building a nuclear bomb small enough to fit inside an intercontinental ballistic missile.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/10/us-ready-north-korea-nuclear-crisis-if-talks-fail/

Barrick Gold launches autonomous haul trucks in Nevada

ELKO, Nev. (AP) - Barrick Gold Corp., the largest gold mining company in the world, has started testing autonomous hauling trucks in a partnership with a neighboring mine in northeast Nevada and a Utah-based company that’s using new technology to retrofit existing haul fleets.

Barrick announced last week that it began testing the autonomous trucks at its Arturo Joint Venture operation. The Elko Daily Free Press reported .

“The goal is to use advances in automation technology to help Barrick prove and deliver improvements in safety, efficiency and production,” said Matt Majors, superintendent of mining operations and project manager for autonomous haulage.

Surface testing will begin with autonomous haulage at the Arturo mine, a joint venture operation between Barrick and Premier Gold Mines Ltd.

Barrick and Premier have partnered with Autonomous Solutions Inc. to retrofit an existing fleet of five haul trucks with autonomous kits.

“As the mining industry continues to innovate and adopt new technology at increasing speed, autonomous is quickly becoming a critical component to running a safer and more sustainable operation,” said Bill MacNevin, CEO of Barrick Nevada. “The company’s long-term sustainability is dependent on the safety and security of our employees. That is why Barrick remains committed to innovation and teaching the next generation of skills in a rapidly changing technological environment.”

Barrick recruited autonomous operators and staff for the project from its existing workforce.

Testing will continue through the year and include evaluation of the potential for surface autonomous technology at other Barrick operations in Nevada.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/10/barrick-gold-launches-autonomous-haul-trucks-in-ne/

>>1693431

>>1693456

This stuff is getting quite creepy, isn't it?

Marine Corps weighs wooing older members for new cyber force

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The head of the Marine Corps says it’s time the U.S. military branch known for its fierce, young warriors becomes a little more mature.

The Marine Corps is considering offering bonuses and other perks to entice older, more experienced Marines to re-enlist as it builds up its cyber operations to defend the nation, especially against cyberattacks from Russia and China. About 62 percent of Marines are 25 years old or younger with many serving only four years.

The move marks a historical change that could transform a force made up primarily of high school graduates lured by the bravado and physical challenges of joining a branch that prides itself on being the “tip of the spear,” the first to go into battle and knock in doors. It’s part of the Marine Corps‘ modernizing efforts after 16 years of largely low-tech, counterinsurgency fights.

“It’s going to be a Marine Corps that’s a little bit older, a little more experienced because as much as we love our young Marines … we need a little bit older because it takes longer to learn these skills,” Gen. Robert Neller told defense leaders at a San Diego conference. “And so we’re an organization looking at the whole way we do business, and it’s going to change our culture.”

Marine Corps officials are quick to emphasize the core recruiting mission will remain the same for the branch that boasts having the toughest warriors in the U.S. military.

But getting more Marines to re-enlist could inadvertently ease pressure on recruiters. Less than 30 percent of the U.S. population is qualified physically, mentally and morally to serve, according to military leaders.

A greater number of older Marines could also help lessen behavior problems like excessive drinking that can be more prevalent among junior Marines.

“By older Marines, we’re not talking guys with walkers but rather second- and third-tour enlisted Marines,” said Gary Solis, a military expert at Georgetown University who served 26 years in the Marine Corps. “They may be only a few years older than the 18- and 19-year-old Marines, but those three or four years difference could make a hell of a difference as far as maturity when it comes to their outlook and unit cohesion.”

The commandant said it also ensures the military gets a return on the money and time it spends training troops in cyber operations, something that could take three or more years.

The 2018 defense budget earmarked money for the Marine Corps to add 1,000 Marines, many of whom will work in cyber and electronic warfare.

Tampering with networks that control the operations of air defense, for example, could be as or more lethal than firepower in the future. Extremists have also been able to use mobile technology and social media to recruit members and raise money to become a real threat.

The Marine Corps is opening jobs this October in its new cyberspace occupational field. After the announcement of the field, Neller tweeted: “‘Trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers’? Not exactly, but this is the next step in professionalizing our cyber force, which will be critical to our success, now and in the future.”

The Marine Corps floated the idea of allowing people with cyber skills to bypass boot camp, but Neller opposed that, saying a Marine should be a Marine. Any applicant over the age of 28 will still be evaluated to ensure they exhibit the physical stamina to undergo the rigors of recruit training.

Though it will not be easy to compete against six-digit salaries in the private sector, the military plans to tout how its tech people are sent out in the field, offering the chance for high-adrenaline experiences beyond sitting in an office at a computer.

Marine recruits with high-demand technical skills who choose to enlist into cyber operations may be eligible for an enlistment bonus. The Marine Corps is also developing plans to recruit and retain cyberspace professionals in the Reserves, and in May unveiled new badges for enlisted troops and officers who work as drone operators.

David Coan, a 35-year-old chief warrant officer based at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, has applied to be a part of the new cyber force after serving 17 years in the Marine Corps. Many Marines retire after 21 years, but the combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said now he’s found more reason to stay beyond that.

“There are a lot of Marines at my level who foster the hope of trying to move into these operations in this new realm,” he said, adding it’s exciting to be at the forefront of a new force and receive cyber training. “This is going to change the Marine Corps and the way it fights.”

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/9/marine-corps-weighs-wooing-older-members-for-new-c/

A skeptical chairman Grassley really, really wants to see the Michael Flynn 302

On Feb. 15, 2017 — that would be 16 months ago — Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked the Justice Department to turn over the transcript of fired national security adviser Michael Flynn's infamous call with the Russian ambassador, plus other documents related to the Flynn case.

The department refused.

Some of Grassley's and Feinstein's questions were answered the next month, on March 15, 2017, when the FBI's then-director, James Comey, briefed the committee on Flynn and other matters in the Trump-Russia investigation. It was at that briefing that Comey told lawmakers the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe he lied to them.

"Then-director Comey led us to believe during that briefing … that the Justice Department was unlikely to prosecute [Flynn] for false statements made in that interview," Grassley wrote later.

After the March 2017 briefing, Grassley and others made the reasonable assumption that Flynn would not be charged. They were surprised on Dec. 1, 2017, when — months after the Trump-Russia investigation passed from Comey and the Justice Department to special counsel Robert Mueller — Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Last month, Grassley, this time without Feinstein, repeated his demand for the Flynn transcript, and also for the FBI's so-called 302 report, in which the agents who interviewed Flynn made extensive notes on what was said. Grassley also asked for any other notes or documents relating to the interview. And Grassley asked that the FBI make available agent Joe Pientka, one of the two agents (along with Peter Strzok) who conducted the Flynn interview.

Again, the Justice Department refused, and this time with more than a hint of impatience. In a May 29, 2018, letter to Grassley, assistant attorney general Stephen Boyd recounted details of the Flynn plea deal at length and delivered what boiled down to a simple message: Flynn pleaded guilty. You understand? He's guilty. Now stop bugging us.

"Whatever Mr. Comey may have said and whatever Mr. Flynn's demeanor," wrote Boyd to Grassley, "the evidence in the public record proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr. Flynn knowingly made false statements about contacts with the Russian ambassador." Referring to the Flynn case as a "pending criminal prosecution" — Flynn is currently awaiting sentencing — Boyd said turning over evidence to Congress could create "the reality or appearance of political interference."

If Boyd's letter was an attempt to mollify Grassley, it didn't work. And now, long after first requesting the documents, the chairman's patience appears to be running thin.

"The department's reply … is insufficient," Grassley wrote in a June 6 response, adding that Boyd "relies on improper excuses in refusing to provide the requested information."

Grassley noted that he and the rest of the committee waited for more than a year for the Flynn criminal inquiry to conclude. "It has been more than five months since his guilty plea," Grassley wrote. "Thus, there is no longer any legitimate reason to withhold facts from the Senate about the circumstances of his conversations with the Russian ambassador and his FBI interview."

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/a-skeptical-chairman-grassley-really-really-wants-to-see-the-michael-flynn-302

>>1693620

I agree with you and in addition to that I get the feeling if there are any wars to be had they will be cyber/digital, and we need experts to be able to thwart that, just as they would with any weapon. Lets face it tech has become a weapon whether we like it or not, it's here to stay.

Trump tore up letter from Schumer into 'tiny pieces': Report

President Trump's habit of ripping papers after reading them led to the demise of a letter sent by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to a report.

“I had a letter from Schumer — he tore it up,” Soloman Lartey, who formerly was tasked with records management for the White House, told Politico. “It was the craziest thing ever. He ripped papers into tiny pieces.”

Which letter from the New York Democrat was torn up was not identified.

The Politico report delved into how Lartey and his colleagues would use Scotch tape to piece back together papers torn up by Trump to fulfill legal requirements to preserve White House records as stipulated by the Presidential Records Act.

“We got Scotch tape, the clear kind,” Lartey noted. “You found pieces and taped them back together and then you gave it back to the supervisor.”

All papers that were mended were then sent to the National Archives for filing.

Lartey, along with his former colleague, Reginald Young, Jr., told the news outlet that this routine, which marked a departure from their time working under the Obama administration, was happening at least up until the Spring, when they were abruptly fired without an explanation.

Neither the White House nor Irene Porada, the head of human resources who personally fired both men, did not respond to Politico's requests for comment on their terminations.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-tore-up-letter-from-schumer-into-tiny-pieces-report

>>1693702

Anon's I believe that this is a message to watch this publication for news.. Many of the reports on the summit I have posted here are from it.

https:// www.straitstimes.com/global

Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump will discuss peace, denuclearisation at Singapore summit: KCNA

SEOUL (REUTERS, WASHINGTON POST) - North Korea's state media said on Monday (June 11) that its leader Kim Jong Un and United States President Donald Trump will discuss a "permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism" on the Korean peninsula, denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern.

Mr Kim and Mr Trump arrived in Singapore on Sunday for what will be the first-ever summit, set to held on Tuesday (June 12), between a leader of North Korea and a sitting US president.

"Wide-ranging and profound views on the issue of establishing new DPRK-US relations, the issue of building a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean peninsula, the issue of realising the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, as required by the changed era, will be exchanged at the DPRK-US summit talks," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported in English.

DPRK stands for the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The report also said Mr Kim was accompanied by his foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, defence minister No Kwang Chol and sister Ms Kim Yo Jong.

KCNA noted that the summit meeting is the first in history between the two countries and will be held "under the great attention and expectation of the whole world".

Mr Kim's itinerary was reported in detail, which is a rarity for the state's media, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the Workers’ Party, also featured his departure in a full-color two-page spread, declaring on the front page that he was leaving in a Chinese plane for a “historic summit” with the US president.

Mr Kim was sent off in a ceremony at the Pyongyang airport joined by a group of senior officials, such as Mr Kim Yong Nam, the North's nominal head of state, Mr Choe Ryong Hae, vice-chairman of the North's State Affairs Commission, and Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju.

"The senior officials of the party and government sincerely wished Kim Jong Un good successes in the first summit meeting and talks between the DPRK and the US and his safe return," the KCNA said.

https:// www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/trump-kim-summit-kim-jong-un-and-trump-will-discuss-peace-denuclearisation-says-kcna

>>1693741

I pulled it from the Washington Examiner, but it is the first time I have seen a reference to Politico, I was hoping someone would know why it would be there.

>>1693789

I would seem that way, however there is very little reporting if any in North Korea on Kim being in Singapore in the first place. Not sure why they would take that approach.

Pulled from the blog here:

More to come

https:// graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-summit/index.html

>>1693968

https:// graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-summit/index.html