No “Islamist Terrorism”? | “Wild West” of Cybersecurity | Venice Sinking, and more

We’ve Briefed Many Presidents. Uncertainty Comes with the Job (Michael Leiter, Michael Hayden, and Robert Cardillo, Washington Post)

·  “We had the easy job. We only had to present intelligence, which was almost by definition imperfect in countless ways, and advise. The harder job—making the ultimate choice—was, of course, the president’s. And the big decisions, the ones that could have lasting effects on people across the globe, were far from easy. In fact, most often, they forced the president to tackle uncertainty in ways few of us can imagine.”

·  “It is with this background that we find the Trump administration’s response to reports of Russian bounty programs targeting U.S. troops in Afghanistan so deeply disturbing. Although the administration’s statements are anything but clear, the sum total seems to be that the president was not briefed because the reports were ‘unverified,’ or lacked intelligence community ‘consensus’ or—in the president’s own words—were a ‘hoax.’”

·  “At the same time, national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien has said that the National Security Council had convened at least one meeting to prepare ‘options’ for the president. And finally, the administration has stated that it plans no immediate action in response to the reports. In our view, this makes no sense.”

·  “First, intelligence on critical issues is almost always unclear. … Second, it was often the very uncertainty of the intelligence … that demanded presidential attention. … Third, the White House argument that it was preparing options, but had not yet decided to act, fails to recognize that the president has already acted—just not in a way that protects U.S. interests.”

·  “We know well that if the commander in chief deflects or rejects intelligence that challenges his skewed worldview, the threat to our armed forces will be stronger and our nation will be weaker.”

Qatar Finances Hezbollah Terrorism, Declares “Jews Are Enemies” – Report (Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post)
Doha sought to silence whistleblower with 750,000 euros

Why E-Mobility Is the “Wild West” of Cybersecurity (Sooraj Shah, Financial Times)
Experts accelerate efforts to prevent criminals targeting electric vehicles in cyber attacks

Drop the Term “Islamist Terrorism,” U.K. police urged (Anne Barrowclough, The Australian)
British police are reportedly considering dropping the terms ‘Islamist terrorism’ and ‘jihadi” when describing acts of terrorism by Islamists because of negative connotations. Instead, the terrorists behind the 2005 London Underground bombing could be called “adherents of Osama bin Laden’s ideology,” while the men behind the 2017 London Bridge attack might be described as “terrorists abusing religious motivations,” in alternatives suggested for consideration. The issue was discussed at an online event last month addressed by Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the national head of counter-terrorism policing, and attended by more than 70 attack survivors, victims’ relatives, academics, experts and advocacy groups, according to The Times of London.

Which Country Will Triumph in the Post-Pandemic World? (Ruchir Sharma, New York Times)
Hint: It’s not the United States or China.

Donald Trump Must Call for a New Civil Disorder Commission (Robert Wells, National Interest)
During similar periods of disruption, the federal government has relied on the use of a national commission construct designed to be independent and free to unearth facts, develop findings and make fact-informed recommendations for America’s local, state and federal governments.

Venice Has Been Fighting Floods for Centuries. It’s Losing (Daniel Van Book, CNet)
Italy has been working for 40 years on a plan to save the iconic city. Corruption, scandal and politics have held everything back — except the floodwater.