Today’s Headlines and Commentary

President Biden formally approved the deployment of an additional 3,000 American troops to Eastern Europe, reports the New York Times. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense reported that the troops will be sent to Poland and Romania. The purpose of the deployment will be to reassure NATO allies that the United States will protect them from any Russian military aggression. Biden reportedly has no intention of deploying troops to Ukraine despite Russia's buildup of troops along the border. 

The Biden administration sent its top cybersecurity official to NATO headquarters to prepare allies for potential Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine, Europe and the United States, according to the New York Times. The visit by the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology was prompted by intelligence that an invasion of Ukraine would likely be preceded by Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine’s electric grid, communications systems and government ministries. Intelligence also indicates that if the U.S. were to impose sanctions on Moscow following an invasion of Ukraine, Russia may retaliate with cyberattacks on the West. The deputy national security advisor will meet with the North Atlantic Council in Brussels and then will travel to Poland to meet with Baltic officials responsible for cyberdefense. 

At a press conference in Moscow, Putin accused the U.S. and NATO of ignoring the Kremlin’s security concerns and using Ukraine as a pawn in the West’s diplomatic strategy with Russia, writes the Washington Post. Putin told reporters that “it is already clear that Russia’s fundamental concerns have been ignored.” Putin continued, “NATO refers to the right of countries to choose freely, but you cannot strengthen someone’s security at the expense of others.” The comments come amidst rising tensions along the Ukrainian border. 

Six people were killed in a failed military coup d’etat in Guinea-Bissau, reports Reuters. Mutinous soldiers stormed the main government compound while President Umaro Sissoco Embalo held a cabinet meeting. Witnesses reported that the attackers and presidential guard exchanged gunfire for over five hours. Those killed include two members of the presidential guard and four attackers. Following the attempted coup, Embalo tweeted that he was “fine” and that “the situation is under control,” according to the Washington Post. 

Israel’s national police force reported that it discovered evidence of improper use of spyware by its own investigators to spy on Israeli citizens, writes the Associated Press. Israeli investigators allegedly used the spyware to snoop through personal cell phones belonging to Israeli citizens. The statement made by Israeli police comes just two weeks after an Israeli business newspaper reported that the police were illegally using NSO’s Pegasus spyware to surveil protestors, politicians and criminal suspects. It is not yet determined if the spyware used by police on Israeli citizens’s phones was NSO software. 

The U.S. is sending fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates to assist with fighting Houthi rebels following missile attacks, according to Reuters. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also told the crown prince of Abu Dhabi that the U.S. would send over the guided missile destroyer known as the U.S.S. Cole. The Department of Defense released a statement that said, “[Austin]  also informed the Crown Prince of his decision to deploy 5th generation fighter aircrafts to assist the U.A.E. against the current threat and as a clear signal that the United States stands with the U.A.E. as a long-standing strategic partner.”

A Chinese drone company that supplies drones to U.S. law enforcement allegedly received funding from Chinese state-backed investors despite claims it has not taken money from Beijing, writes the Washington Post. DJI is the leading supplier of drones to law enforcement in the U.S.. Evidence shows that four investment bodies owned or administered by the Chinese government invested in the company in recent years.  

The U.S. national debt exceeded $30 trillion for the first time, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Treasury Department released data that the public debt outstanding was $30.01 trillion as of Jan. 31, 2022. This is a $7 trillion increase from January 2020, which marks the period just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The sharp increase in debt is a reflection of the uptick in federal borrowing throughout the pandemic. To address the issue, the Federal Reserve indicated that it may begin to raise short-term interest rates from near zero in an attempt to curb inflation. 

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast in which Scott R. Anderson sat down with a panel of experts: Laurel Miller, director of the International Crisis Group’s Asia Program; Andrew Watkins, senior expert on Afghanistan at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and Obaidullah Baheer, lecturer at the American University in Afghanistan and a visiting scholar at The New School. They discussed Taliban's approach to governing, its changing relationships with the outside world and what it all means for Afghanistan's future.

Matthew Waxman analyzed a recent State Department legal analysis that highlights the unique role that the United States plays in interpreting and enforcing maritime law in the South China Sea.

Stewart Baker shared an episode of the Cyberlaw Podcast that covered current issues ranging from the Biden administrations regulations of Big Tech, to how Israel used NSO’s hacking capabilities in a campaign to break out of years of diplomatic isolation.

Claudia Swain announced this week’s Lawfare Live which will feature a live taping of the Lawfare Podcast with guests Susan A. Thornton and Jordan Schneider to talk about the latest proposed legislation in Congress regarding China. 

Jed Handelsman Shugerman published a book review of David M. Driesen, “The Specter of Dictatorship: Judicial Enabling of Presidential Power” (Stanford University Press, 2021).

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