Required reading from around the web of the best, most interesting, or most though provoking things we’ve read:
Gertz: Bolton: China Continuing Cyberattacks on Government, Private Networks
“China is continuing cyberattacks against government and private sector networks aimed at obtaining intellectual property to support China’s military buildup and economic modernization, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton says. Bolton said that as a result, the United States is going on the attack against Chinese and other foreign hackers using new authorities outlined in a recently signed presidential memorandum. Asked if China has lessened intellectual property theft through cyberattacks, Bolton said: “No. I think this is one of the reasons why one of our priorities here was to replace PPD-20 with what we call NSPM-13, National Security Presidential Memorandum-13, which dramatically changed the oversight and approval process for offensive cyber operations.” The Obama administration directive, Presidential Policy Directive-20, was signed in October 2012 and made public by renegade National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The 20-page order, labeled “top-secret,” created a restrictive approval process for conducting cyberattacks, such as requiring presidential approval and obtaining foreign government approval for operations. Bolton said the new order gives greater authority to operators in the military and intelligence community and will help establish deterrence against foreign cyberattacks. ‘You can’t get to a system of deterrence, in cyberspace or anywhere else, unless you convince your adversaries that they . . .'”
Fordham: Manafort To Avoid Time At Rikers Following Letter From Top DOJ Official
“Federal prison officials said Monday that Manafort, 70, will not be held at notorious Rikers Island after Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen took an interest in where Manafort was held, reported The New York Times. New York prosecutors did not object to Manafort’s attorneys’ proposal that he remain in federal custody and be made available to the state when necessary for health and safety reasons, a senior DOJ official told The Daily Caller News Foundation.”
Showalter: Dictator in exile, Medici edition: Is Obama secretly meeting with Italy’s Renzi to get their stories straight?
“Former President Obama’s weird careening around Europe is starting to have the look of a spygate rationale. Following his earlier meetings, publicly known, with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, he’s now meeting secretly with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, in what might just be a bid for the two of them to get their stories straight. Italy, recall, is the nation that elected a Trump-like new government, following the deep state collaborations of the earlier government, and the new government has fired four Italian intelligence officials, apparently over a spygate bid to pin Russian collusion charges, falsely, on President Trump via planted emails, in a Machiavellian bid to get him thrown out of office. That’s the suggestion from . . .”