Trump cancels his military parade Presented by Northrop Grumman

With Eleanor Mueller, Jacqueline Klimas and Wesley Morgan

TOP NEWS: Trump cancels his military parade, blames local pols for its soaring costs — Former senior intelligence officials back former CIA Director John Brennan — Children poisoned by lead on U.S. Army bases as hazards are ignored


ON THE HILL: The Senate kicks off debate on a massive defense, labor, health and education spending package and sets up the first amendment votes for Monday

ON POLITICO: The director pulls back the curtain on the NRO — Air Force space systems reported at risk of sabotage

TRUMP CANCELS HIS MILITARY PARARE, BLAMES ‘LOCAL POLITICICIANS’ FOR SOARING COSTS, via POLITICO’s Louis Nelson and Stephanie Murray: “President Donald Trump announced today he has canceled a planned military parade in Washington, accusing ‘local politicians’ of price gouging and announcing that the government will redirect funds from the parade to the purchase of additional fighter jets.

“‘The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it,’ Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning. ‘When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up!’”

— EARLIER, THURSDAY NIGHT, THE PENTAGON HAD ANNOUNCED THE PARADE WAS BEING DELAYED: "The controversial military parade ordered by President Donald Trump originally scheduled for Veterans Day will be delayed until 2019, the Pentagon announced Thursday night,” reports our colleague Jacqueline Klimas.

"The Defense Department, which first planned the parade for November to coincide with Veterans Day weekend and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, did not give a reason for abrupt change of plan, simply issuing a statement that said it has 'agreed to explore opportunities in 2019.'

"The announcement came only hours after a report by CNBC that the estimated cost of the parade is now as much as $92 million — far more than previous estimates of between $12 million and $30 million."

— COST ESTIMATES SPIKE, CNBC reported: "The Department of Defense and its interagency partners have updated their perspective cost estimates for the parade, according to a U.S. defense official with firsthand knowledge of the assessment. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"The parade, slated for Nov. 10, is estimated to cost $92 million, the official said. The figure consists of $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from interagency partners such as the Department of Homeland Security. An initial estimate last month pegged the prospective cost for the parade at $12 million."

— RAINING ON THE PARADE: News of the eye-popping price tag for the parade drew criticism from, among others, top Senate Armed Services Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who tweeted it was "beyond wasteful and more about [President] Trump’s whims than our troops."

American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan added that while the veterans group "appreciates" the event, the money could be better spent elsewhere.

"Until such time as we can celebrate victory in the War on Terrorism and bring our military home, we think the parade money would be better spent fully funding the Department of Veteran Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible,” she said.

And the soaring costs of the military parade could fund four and a half years of the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, via The Washington Post.

TOP FORMER INTEL CHIEFS BACK BRENNAN, via CBS news: "Twelve former directors and deputy directors of the Central Intelligence Agency and a former Director of National Intelligence signed a letter of support for former CIA director John Brennan, calling the signal sent by the White House's decision to strip him of his security clearance 'inappropriate' and 'deeply regrettable.'

"'We feel compelled to respond in the wake of the ill-considered and unprecedented remarks and actions by the White House,' the senior officials wrote. 'We know John to be an enormously talented, capable and patriotic individual who devoted his entire adult life to the service of this nation.'

"The letter's signees include former Directors of Central Intelligence William Webster, George Tenet and Porter Goss; former CIA directors Gen. Michael Hayden, Leon Panetta and Gen. David Petraeus; former director of national intelligence James Clapper; and former deputy CIA directors John McLaughlin, Stephen Kappes, Avril Haines, David Cohen and Michael Morell."

Their full statement is here.

— TRUMP EYES YANKING MORE CLEARANCES, reports The Washington Post: "President Trump has told advisers that he is eager to strip more security clearances as part of an escalating attack against people who have criticized him or played a role in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, two White House officials said.”

— MCCRAVEN TO TRUMP: “REVOKE MY SECURITY CLEARANCE, TOO”, via POLITICO's Rebecca Morin: "The former commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, who also oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, has a request for President Donald Trump: Revoke his security clearance.

"Retired Navy Adm. William McRaven on Thursday wrote in an op-ed that he would “consider it an honor” to have his clearance revoked so that he could add his 'name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.'"

SENATE KICKS OFF DEFENSE SPENDING DEBATE: The Senate officially launched floor debate on its version of annual defense spending legislation Thursday before calling it quits for the week. The bill has been bundled with Labor-HHS appropriations into the chamber's third minibus spending measure H.R. 6157 (115).

Amendment action next week: The first two amendment votes are now lined up for Monday evening. The one defense proposal slated for a vote is an amendment from Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) regarding POW/MIA identification.

As the Senate slogs forward on the minibus, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) requested senators limit their amendments to avoid a "free-for-all" that could jam things up.

"This process is not easy," he said on the floor. "We need cooperation from both sides to process amendments while resisting the temptation to turn the appropriations process into a free-for-fall on all matter on policy issues."

IT’S FRIDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we're always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at [email protected], and follow on Twitter @greg_hellman, @morningdefense and @politicopro.

MD TRIVIA: The U.S. held its last national military parade in 1991 following the Gulf War. Approximately how much did that parade reportedly cost, unadjusted for inflation?

The first to email the correct answer to Morning D ([email protected]) wins a mention in Monday’s edition.

ON POLITICO — DIRECTOR PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN ON THE NRO: “Betty Sapp was first assigned to the Pentagon's highly secretive National Reconnaissance Office as an Air Force major more than two decades ago,” she tells our colleague Bryan Bender in a POLITICO Pro Q&A.

“‘I got to the NRO and I thought, 'where has this been all my life?'’ she recalled in an interview. ‘They were paying attention to mission outcomes and they were all committed.’

“Sapp, 63, now runs the Pentagon agency responsible for building and operating the military's spy satellites that spent its first 30 years shrouded in nearly total secrecy before its existence was even publicly acknowledged.”

TOP DOC — AIR FORCE SPACE SYSTEMS AT RISK OF SABOTAGE: “The Air Force Space Command didn’t fully follow procedures to protect a new space-based surveillance system from being sabotaged by foreign actors during manufacturing, the Pentagon inspector general has concluded,” via our colleague Wesley Morgan.

“In a newly released report, the watchdog agency describes its review of the Space-Based Infrared System, a family of satellite-mounted sensors meant to detect missile and rocket launches and nuclear explosions.”

AMBUSHED AT HOME — CHILDREN SUFFER LEAD POISONING ON U.S. ARMY BASES: “Army Colonel J. Cale Brown put his life on the line in two tours of duty in Afghanistan, earning a pair of Bronze Stars for his service. In between those deployments, Brown received orders to report to Fort Benning, the sprawling Georgia base that proudly describes itself as the century-old home of the U.S. infantry,” writes Reuters.

“Their 10-month-old son, John Cale Jr, was a precocious baby, babbling a dozen words and exploring solid foods...The heavy metal had stunted JC’s brain, medical records reviewed by Reuters show. At age two, he was diagnosed with a developmental disorder caused by lead. Now eight, JC has undergone years of costly therapy. He excels at reading and swimming, but still struggles with speech, hyperactivity and social interactions…”

“The Browns’ story and others, told publicly for the first time here, reveal a toxic scourge inside homes on military bases. Previously undisclosed military and state health records, and testing by Reuters for lead in soldiers’ homes, show problems at some of America’s largest military installations.”

DOD REPORT: CHINA "LIKELY TRAINING FOR STRIKES" ON U.S. TARGETS, reports Reuters: "China's military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while 'likely training for strikes' against the United States and its allies, a Pentagon report released on Thursday said.

"The assessment, which comes at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China’s efforts to increase its global influence, with defense spending that the Pentagon estimates exceeded $190 billion in 2017."

— CHINA TO THE U.S.: WE’RE NOT THAT GREAT, REALLY: “By President Trump’s account, China is an economic behemoth, out to destroy the United States,” writes The Washington Post. “China has a different message: We’re not that great. Really.”

Even so, the State Department is touting arms sales in China’s backyard, reports Wesley: “The United States and Vietnam enjoy a burgeoning security partnership that includes growing arms sales and military assistance, according to a new fact sheet the State Department released [Thursday] touting the security partnership with its former adversary.

“The fact sheet, citing recent visits to Hanoi by President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a rare port call by a U.S. aircraft carrier, lays out a three-year plan to increase security cooperation.”

And Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hits Chinese aggression during his South American tour, via VOA Cambodia.

U.S.-TURKEY SPAT — U.S. PREPS MORE ACTION: “The United States is prepared to take more action against the Turkish government if it does not move to release a detained American pastor, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday,” via POLITICO's Caitlin Oprysko.

“At a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Mnuchin noted recent sanctions imposed on members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration over its refusal to release Rev. Andrew Brunson and added that ‘we have more that we're planning to do if they don't release him quickly,’ according to a pool report.”

Challenged by the U.S. and the market, Turkey turns to Europe, writes The Associated Press.

That includes France, with which Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to boost economic ties, adds Reuters.

MAKING MOVES — MATTIS AIDE TO BE TAPPED FOR SOUTHCOM CHIEF: “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday that his senior military assistant, Navy Vice Adm. Craig Faller, will be nominated to serve as the next head of U.S. Southern Command,” reports the AP.

“Faller, a native of Fryburg, Pennsylvania, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He has served as an officer on various U.S. warships, including as commander of a carrier strike group that was deployed to the Middle East supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ashore, his past positions include commander of Navy Recruiting Command and director of operations, U.S. Central Command. He has been senior military assistant to the defense secretary since January 2017.

“Faller would need to be confirmed by the Senate. He would succeed Navy Adm. Kurt Tidd.”

— POMPEO ANNOUNCES NEW IRAN TEAM: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday unveiled a new team to coordinate the Trump administration’s post-nuclear deal approach to Iran and bolster support for the strategy abroad," via Caitlin.

“The Iran Action Group will be helmed by Brian Hook, who will receive the title of special representative for Iran. Pompeo told reporters that the coalition is charged with “directing, reviewing and coordinating all aspects of the State Department’s Iran-related activity" and will report directly to him.”

AFGHANISTAN REPORT — ISIS BRANCH CLAIMS DEADLY ATTACK ON SHIITES: “As Afghanistan’s Shiites mourned their dead and held funeral services Thursday, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the horrific suicide bombing in Kabul that targeted a Shiite neighborhood the previous day, killing 34 students,” reports the AP.

And Amnesty International calls the deadly bombing a “war crime,” also via the AP.

WEEKEND DEFENSE WEDDING: Morning D sends its congrats to Senate aides Tony Samp and Scarlet Doyle, who are getting married Saturday. Samp is a senior policy adviser to Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a Senate Armed Services member. And Doyle is a senior legislative assistant for Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.). The couple first met while working on veterans issues in the Senate.

SPEED READ

— U.S. digital enemies take a "wait and see" approach to Trump policies: POLITICO Pro

— The endgame begins for Germany’s anti-missile program: Defense News

— Elon Musk's SpaceX could help fund a bid to take electric car maker Tesla private: Reuters

— The Navy is slowly making progress in restoring the fighting condition of its fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters: Defense News

— From Norway to Spain, fifth-generation fighters fly for the defense of Europe: Stars and Stripes

— Al Qaeda's master bomb maker may be dead, according to a new U.N. report: CNN

— An Iraqi man and suspected ex-Islamic State fighter entered the U.S. as a refugee: AP

— Iraq bombs an ISIS “operations room” in Syria: Reuters

— As Syria looks to rebuild, its finance minister sees a trade boost from foreign currency deposits: Reuters

— Russia says drone attacks on its Syria base have increased: AP

— A judge in Malaysia finds a likely conspiracy to kill the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: AP

— Egypt is finalizing the details of a long-term Hamas-Israel truce: Reuters

— Melting ice uncovers the 1946 wreckage of U.S. plane in a Swiss glacier: NYT

Follow us on Twitter Dave Brown @dave_brown24



Bryan Bender @bryandbender



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Jacqueline Feldscher @jacqklimas



Lara Seligman @laraseligman