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Pentagon Tech Chief Quits in Frustration, Says U.S. Has No “Fighting Chance” Against China; Ex-Pentagon Official: U.S. Has Lost the Technology Battle to China

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By Futurism. In a blistering new interview with the Financial Times, the Pentagon’s former chief software officer said that he resigned in protest of slow technological innovation in the United States — and, in a provocative twist, opined that China is dominating in the space, particularly at developing advanced artificial intelligence.

“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years,” Nicolas Chaillan, who quit the Defense Department in September, told the newspaper in his first interview since leaving the post. “Right now, it’s already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion.”

Chaillan’s complaints are numerous. He blasted cybersecurity in some parts of the US government as “kindergarten level,” decried lack of cooperation between the US military and its tech sector, and said that he had wasted his time “fixing basic cloud things and laptops.”

Most of all, though, he seems furious that China is pulling ahead in the realms of artificial intelligence, machine learning and cyberattack capability. In a particularly grim critique, he complained that US tech giants like Google have been hesitant to dive into particularly controversial AI research, whereas Beijing isn’t held back by those pesky ethical debates. (Read more from “Pentagon Tech Chief Quits in Frustration, Says U.S. Has No “Fighting Chance” Against China” HERE)

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Ex-Pentagon Official: U.S. Has Lost the Technology Battle to China

By Washington Examiner. The former inaugural chief software officer at the Pentagon said he believes the United States has already lost the technological battle against China.

Nicolas Chaillan, 37, who worked for three years on a Department of Defense-wide effort to enhance cybersecurity and became the first chief software officer of the Air Force , resigned last month in part due to his belief that the U.S. is getting outmaneuvered by foreign powers.

“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it’s already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion,” he told the Financial Times in an article published on Sunday, adding there was “good reason to be angry.”

Chaillan argued that the emerging technological advances and developments pose a much more important aspect to defense than commonly thought of military hardware, such as fighter jets.

Some of the U.S. cyberdefense systems are at a “kindergarten level,” he said, later noting that China is angling to dominate the military sphere in the future. Even though the U.S. still spends more than three times on defense as the Chinese do, Chaillan said much of that funding is being spent on the wrong things and that bureaucracy and regulations play a role in it, too. (Read more from “Ex-Pentagon Official: U.S. Has Lost the Technology Battle to China” HERE)

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Durham Investigates Pentagon Contractors Who Helped Clinton Campaign Plot Russia Hoax

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Cybersecurity experts who held lucrative Pentagon and homeland security contracts and high-level security clearances are under investigation for potentially abusing their government privileges to aid a 2016 Clinton campaign plot to falsely link Donald Trump to Russia and trigger an FBI investigation of him and his campaign, according to several sources familiar with the work of Special Counsel John Durham.

Durham is investigating whether they were involved in a scheme to misuse sensitive, nonpublic internet data, which they had access to through their government contracts, to dredge up derogatory information on Trump on behalf of the Clinton campaign in 2016 and again in 2017, sources say — political dirt that sent FBI investigators on a wild goose chase. Prosecutors are also investigating whether some of the data presented to the FBI was faked or forged.

These sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive law enforcement matter, said Durham’s investigators have subpoenaed the contractors to turn over documents and testify before a federal grand jury hearing the case. The investigators are exploring potential criminal charges including giving false information to federal agents and defrauding the government, the sources said.

The campaign plot was outlined by Durham last month in a 27-page indictment charging former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann with making a false report to the FBI. The document cites eight individuals who allegedly conspired with Sussmann, but does not identify them by name. (Read more from “Durham Investigates Pentagon Contractors Who Helped Clinton Campaign Plot Russia Hoax” HERE)

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GOP Lawmakers Warn Against More Military Coordination With Russia

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Top Republicans in the House and Senate on Monday pushed back on the Pentagon’s recent call to increase coordination between the U.S. and Russian militaries, saying they were “deeply troubled” by the news.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley last week said U.S. and Russian forces should “have an effective means of military-to-military communications in order to clearly understand each other’s positions on very difficult issues” and help “de-escalate any kind of crisis situation.”

Milley’s comments come as the U.S. government is hoping to make inroads with Russia to gain Moscow’s help in fighting extremist groups in Afghanistan.

With the U.S. military completely out of Afghanistan as of Aug. 31, Biden administration officials want to secure basing rights and counterterrorism support in the nations that border the country.

But such interactions could have negative consequences, according to the ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Armed Services Committee. (Read more from “GOP Lawmakers Warn Against More Military Coordination With Russia” HERE)

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Navy Assistant Football Coach Fired for Refusing COVID Vaccine

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Navy has fired assistant coach Billy Ray Stutzmann after he failed to abide by the Naval Academy Athletic Association’s policy regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. The policy requires all coaches and staff to be vaccinated against the virus. Stutzmann says he failed to receive a religious exemption that would have allowed him to stay unvaccinated.

The Pentagon announced in August that members of the United States military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Based on my religious convictions, and after much thought and prayer, I am unable to follow the requirements of the Naval Academy’s COVID-19 policy, as it has changed these last few months,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “After applying for a religious exemption and attempting to further negotiate alternative working arrangements, I was ultimately relieved of my duties here at Navy. I continue to stand firm in my conviction of faith, but I understand and respect that each individual and institution has a choice on how they wish to manage these issues. I wish Navy football nothing by the best in the future.” (Read more from “Navy Assistant Football Coach Fired for Refusing COVID Vaccine” HERE)

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Pentagon Changes Story in Afghan Airport Suicide Bombing

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The Pentagon now says only one bomb — and not two like previously reported — was detonated outside Kabul airport Thursday that killed 13 US service members and at least 169 Afghans.

Army Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor admitted during a press briefing Friday that there was only one ISIS-affiliated explosion at the Abbey gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

US officials had previously said a second explosion – believed to be a car bomb — occurred outside the nearby Baron Hotel.

“I can confirm for you that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, that it was one suicide bomber. We’re not sure how that report was provided incorrectly,” he said.

US officials are still trying to determine exact details of the attack, including how the ISIS-K bomber was able to get so close to the airport gate and detonate his suicide vest where US service members and Afghans were gathered. (Read more from “Pentagon Changes Story in Afghan Airport Suicide Bombing” HERE)

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Pentagon: Speed Taliban is Taking Over Afghanistan ‘Deeply Concerning’

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The U.S. military has been alarmed by the speed with which the Taliban has managed to seize control of much of Afghanistan, as the United States works to wind down a war that has spanned nearly two decades and remove its troop presence from the country.

“We’re certainly concerned by the speed with which the Taliban has been moving,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday afternoon. “It’s deeply concerning.”

President Joe Biden, who is spending the weekend at Camp David, was briefed on the situation in Afghanistan on Friday, according to the White House. He last spoke publicly about the troop withdrawal Tuesday, telling reporters he didn’t regret his decision have all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by September 11.

“We spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years—we trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces,” Biden said. “Afghan leaders have to come together … They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation.” (Read more from “Pentagon: Speed Taliban is Taking Over Afghanistan ‘Deeply Concerning'” HERE)

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U.S. Officials Express Shock Over Report of Thousands of AWOL Military Weapons

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The Pentagon is looking at how to prevent weapons from being taken from bases to the streets after a bombshell report found almost 2,000 guns have been lost or stolen over the past decade, some of which were used to commit violent crimes.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley was “shocked” by an Associated Press investigation that found at least 1,900 firearms have been lost or stolen from the military in the past 10 years, he told lawmakers Thursday at a hearing held by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senators like Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) expressed concern over the report, especially an anecdote about gang members in her home state purchasing stolen automatic assault rifles, and pressed Milley for a solution.

In response to the AP report, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) requested the Department of the Defense review safety policies regarding military weapons in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week, adding he would pursue a mandatory reporting requirement when Congress drafts the new defense budget in the coming months. (Read more from “U.S. Officials Express Shock Over Report of Thousands of AWOL Military Weapons” HERE)

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Pentagon: Diversity Training Essential In ‘Defending the Nation’; Dan Crenshaw Launches ‘Whistleblower’ Page Over Woke Ideology in Military

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By New York Post. The Pentagon defended the military’s diversity and inclusion training programs amid a torrent of criticism, saying they are essential for recruiting the “right people” in its duty to defend the nation.​

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby was asked during Tuesday’s briefing about GOP lawmakers creating sites urging whistleblowers in the armed services to expose progressive diversity training programs, some of which have reportedly deemed white people “inherently evil.”

“We certainly respect the oversight that Congress provides. I’m not going to comment on any specific one initiative that members of Congress might be doing​,” Kirby said. “What I can speak to is what we’re really focused on here at the department and that’s defending the nation. And that means putting in place the right resources, the right strategies, the right operational concepts to do that, around the world.​”

Kirby said the military needs “good people” to keep warships, aircraft and other military systems operating efficiently. (Read more from “Pentagon: Diversity Training Essential In ‘Defending the Nation’” HERE)

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Dan Crenshaw Launches ‘Whistleblower’ Page Over Woke Ideology in Military

By Newsweek. Representative Dan Crenshaw has launched a webpage for whistleblowers to report instances of what he called “woke ideology” in the U.S. military with the protection of anonymity.

Crenshaw, a Republican who represents Texas’ 2nd congressional district, has set up the facility along with Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) and announced the move on Twitter on Friday.

“Enough is enough. We won’t let our military fall to woke ideology. We have just launched a whistleblower webpage where you can submit your story,” Crenshaw wrote.

“Your complaint will be legally protected, and go to my office and @SenTomCotton,” he said, sharing a link to the form on his website. (Read more from “Dan Crenshaw Launches ‘Whistleblower’ Page Over Woke Ideology in Military” HERE)

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Biden’s First Defense Budget Would Emphasize Taking on China

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Defense Department leadership told lawmakers Thursday the Pentagon’s first budget request under President Joe Biden will emphasize taking on China, with a proposal to increase research funding sharply.

The White House is slated to roll out its first federal spending blueprint on Friday, meaning lawmakers are still waiting to get hard numbers from the administration. Still, members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense worried the Chinese military would grow faster than the United States’s. They also made clear they see no clear direction from the Defense Department for divesting from expensive, older systems that often benefit political interests over strategic ones.

“It funds the right mix of capabilities that we need most to defend this nation now and in the future,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin highlighted proposed investments in hypersonic weapons, long-range fires, artificial intelligence, microelectronics, 5G technology, cyber capabilities, shipbuilding, and nuclear modernization. (Read more from “Biden’s First Defense Budget Would Emphasize Taking on China” HERE)

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Ex-Pentagon Whistleblower: UFOs Are Real, Feds’ Cover-up Fueled by Fear (VIDEO)

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UFOs exist — but the government doesn’t want you to know it, according to the ex-Pentagon official who says he ran the program investigating “unidentified aerial phenomena” or UAP.

Recalling the revelatory instant when he recognized that UFOs were bona fide, controversial whistleblower Luis “Lue” Elizondo exclusively told The Post, “It was a holy-s–t moment: ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s real. Well, crap, now we have to do something about it.’ ”

However, Elizondo has not been able to get the feds to act on what he describes as a serious national security risk due to a litany of roadblocks — including a cover-up of the existence of UFOs because of religious objections, concerns over tarnishing its own reputation and fears of inciting public panic.

With a bombshell government report on UFOs set to be released before the end of June, Elizondo — who says he came into the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program in 2008, and headed it from 2010 until 2017 — has revealed the shocking things he alleges to have learned, and the chilling reason why some in the Pentagon don’t want this information made public.

(Read more from “Ex-Pentagon Whistleblower: UFOs Are Real, Feds’ Cover-up Fueled by Fear (VIDEO)” HERE)

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