Defense
Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors backed down from issuing layoff notices to employees on Monday after the Obama administration promised to pick up the tab for severance costs resulting from sequestration. – DEFCON Hill
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says that he will do anything he can to block the Obama administration from reimbursing defense contractors for severance costs if the firms don’t send layoff notices to employees. – DEFCON Hill
Even if Congress somehow averts sequestration, the defense industry is headed for layoffs and, at best, anemic growth, and the much-vaunted surge in foreign military sales won’t turn that around. – AOL Defense
The largest U.S. defense firms have contributed little money to the presidential contest, but the so-called “Big Five” have poured nearly $9 million into congressional races across the nation. – Defense News
The legislative battle to get the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle into the hands of U.S. forces was one of Vice President Biden’s biggest political wins during his career in the Senate. – DEFCON Hill
Data collected from roadside explosions in Afghanistan and Iraq show troops in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected trucks are as much as 14 times more likely to survive the blast than those riding in Humvees, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official told USA Today. – USA Today
The Pentagon on Friday moved toward bringing in other companies to operate and maintain its most expensive weapons program, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a step that could reduce revenues for the current prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp. – Reuters
The War
As head of the multi-agency Terrorist Threat Integration Center in 2003 and 2004, Brennan disseminated to the Bush White House a stream of CIA intelligence from a bogus source, former CIA officials say. Ridiculed by some with the CIA, the bogus intelligence nevertheless led to disruption in the U.S. and abroad, including an orange terror alert and the cancellation of dozens of international flights. – Defense News
Ezra Levant writes: What Omar Khadr will do once he is out of prison is unknowable. But what’s already certain is that the transfer of a Canadian terrorist from Guantanamo Bay is a public-relations coup for al Qaeda. Guantanamo Bay guards told Dr. Welner that Khadr was treated like a “rock star” by other detainees. That rock star may one day be touring the Canadian mosque circuit—just like his father did before him. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Missile Defense
Russia on Friday declared no compromise would be possible over U.S. missile defense plans for Europe should Washington proceed with deployment toward the end of this decade of interceptors capable of defeating intermediate-range ballistic missiles and ICBMs, RIA Novosti reported. – Global Security Newswire
Cybersecurity
The White House is acknowledging an attempt to infiltrate its computer system, but says it thwarted the effort and that no classified networks were threatened. – Associated Press
Child Soldiers
Josh Rogin reports: U.S. President Barack Obama issued a new executive order last week to fight human trafficking, touting his administration’s handling of the issue… But for the third year in a row, Obama has waived almost all U.S. sanctions that would punish certain countries that use child soldiers, upsetting many in the human rights community. – The Cable
