Today's Headlines and Commentary

Victory is in sight for the Syrian government as regime forces close in on the last remaining rebel outposts in Aleppo, Reuters reports. Though government efforts have been slowed somewhat by fierce resistance from rebel fighters, the slow grind toward a complete recapture of the besieged city continues, and President Bashar al-Assad has stated that a victory in Aleppo would mark a landmark achievement for the regime. In Damascus, Assad’s supporters agree that the besieged city’s fall will be a turning point for the civil war. The AP has more.

After a meeting with his Russian counterpart yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that he was “hopeful” about the possibility for a potential ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal writes that Syrian rebels are now desperately pinning their hopes to none other than Donald Trump, on the grounds that the President-elect’s hostile view of Iran will sour him on the Assad regime despite his ties to the Kremlin. Moderate Syrian rebels have reached out to Trump’s transition team in an effort to establish a relationship.

In Mosul, Iraqi troops have retreated after seizing a hospital reportedly used by ISIS as a base of operations, Reuters tells us. Iraqi fighters were forced to withdraw from the hospital under a heavy onslaught of fire and several car bombs, despite support from United States warplanes, which conducted an airstrike on the medical complex. The Guardian writes that the Pentagon did not indicate whether patients were still present in the hospital and whether any civilians were killed or wounded in the strike.

Reuters also takes a look at Iran’s role in shaping the coalition strategy at Mosul. While the original strategy had called for troops to surround the city in a “horseshoe” shape, leaving a pathway open for ISIS fighters to escape into Syria from Mosul’s west, Iran successfully pushed for a change out of anxiety over the potential for ISIS forces to flood into Syria and counteract the Assad regime’s recent gains. Coalition forces, including the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization fighters, now aim to surround the city entirely, cutting off the western escape route that might have led to a quicker battle with fewer civilian casualties.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency warned on Thursday that Russia is actively attempting to influence the country’s upcoming national elections through espionage and disinformation campaigns, Al Jazeera reports. In an echo of American concerns over fake news in the wake of the presidential election, the agency’s head cautioned against the use of social media and online efforts to “weaken or destabilise the Federal Republic of Germany.”

On that note, lawmakers in the United States are strengthening their calls for an investigation into reports of Russian attempts to influence the U.S. election. Two Democratic Congressmen have introduced legislation to create a bipartisan independent commission to examine the subject, while Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Bob Corker have also suggested that inquiries might be conducted by the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. But any efforts will face resistance from President-elect Trump, who recently reiterated his belief that Russia played no untoward role in the election. The Journal has more.

The Philippines will likely no longer allow the U.S. to use military bases in the country to conduct freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea in order to “avoid any provocative actions that can escalate tensions,” the AP tells us. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed hostility toward the United States and indicated a desire to recalibrate his country’s foreign policy toward a warmer relationship with China, despite his recent rapport with President-elect Trump.

Reuters reports that Vietnam has begun dredging a reef in the South China Sea, risking Beijing’s anger in effort to establish a firmer foothold in the disputed Spratly Islands. It remains unclear whether Hanoi aims to construct a base or simply a stop for fishing boats, though the location of the reef suggests that Vietnam may also hope to use the reclaimed reef to defend its claims elsewhere in the Spratlys.

The Journal profiles Trump’s pick for Ambassador to China, Governor of Iowa Terry Branstad. Branstad has close ties to Beijing and has long known President Xi Jinping, but the President-elect’s inflammatory comments and behavior toward Beijing will make Branstad’s connections more important than ever in navigating the U.S.-China relationship.

The Miami Herald takes a look at the tenure of soon-to-be Secretary of Homeland Security General John Kelly as the leader of U.S. Southern Command. In that capacity, Kelly oversaw operations at Guantanamo Bay, which he often defended against criticism from human rights activists. In response to a widespread hunger strike at the detention center in 2013, Kelly notably ordered that the number of hunger strikers be kept secret.

The Herald also reports from Guantanamo on yesterday’s pretrial hearing in the 9/11 case, where defense attorneys asked the military judge to take steps to preserve the Senate “Torture Report” before Donald Trump takes office. Trump has called for a return to waterboarding and “a hell of a lot worse,” though he would face many legal and political hurdles in doing so.

The “Pizzagate” gunman who brought an assault rifle to a Washington pizza parlor to investigate an online conspiracy theory promoted by supporters of Donald Trump admitted that “the intel on this wasn’t 100 percent” in an interview with the New York Times. Edgar Welch, who drove to Washington from North Carolina in an effort to rescue the young children whom he believed were being abused in a sex trafficking ring being carried out at the pizzeria, refused to disavow the false claims entirely. His case has been discussed as an example of how viral falsehoods on the internet, which gained prominence during the election, can pose a serious danger.

An Indiana union leader who criticized the President-elect in the Washington Post was targeted with death threats after Donald Trump tweeted disapprovingly about him yesterday evening, the Post writes. Chuck Jones had argued that Trump “lied his ass off” about the much-publicized deal to ostensibly prevent a Carrier manufacturing plant in Indianapolis from moving jobs to Mexico

Democrats will not move to block a stopgap government funding bill despite the addition of an amendment by Congressional Republicans to ease the path for confirmation of General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, The Hill reports. The amendment would cut through the procedural thicket to allow a relatively swift vote waiving the statutory ban on Mattis's serving as Secretary despite the fact that Mattis has yet to reach the requisite seven years of retirement from active duty.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Susan Landau and Cathy O’Neil responded to Walter Haydock’s post arguing for FBI use of artificial intelligence to track radicalization online.

Stewart Baker posted the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podcast.

Quinta Jurecic posted a transcript of President Obama’s remarks on counterterrorism at MacDill Air Force Base.

Quinta also invited readers to participate in our survey on Today’s Headlines & Commentary.

Vanda Felbab-Brown examined U.S. strategy on building partner capacity and militias.

Chris Mirasola updated us on Trump’s most recent national security-related appointments.

Bobby Chesney noted the amendment that would help clear the way for Mattis's confirmation.

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