News : A breathtaking account from inside the Pentagon

Monday, August 30, 2021

A breathtaking account from inside the Pentagon

Aug 30, 2021

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By Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Tara Palmeri

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DRIVING THE DAY

BREAKING — "Pentagon prepared for 'mass casualty' attack at Kabul Airport hours before explosion," by Lara Seligman: "Pentagon officials knew of imminent threat, but struggled to close Abbey Gate."

Our Lara Seligman has a breathtaking account from inside the Pentagon that is based on detailed notes of three classified calls in the hours leading up to Thursday's terrorist attack outside Abbey Gate at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed almost 200 people.

Lara documents the Pentagon's deepening frustration with reliance on the Taliban to provide security in Kabul (and even drive buses for evacuees), as well as Biden officials' growing conviction that an attack was coming and a fateful decision to keep the airport's Abbey Gate open in order to process British evacuees.

One key excerpt among many in the story:

"Just 24 hours before a suicide bomber detonated an explosive outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, senior military leaders gathered for the Pentagon's daily morning update on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Speaking from a secure video conference room on the third floor of the Pentagon at 8 a.m. Wednesday — or 4:30 p.m. in Kabul — Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN instructed more than a dozen of the department's top leaders around the world to make preparations for an imminent 'mass casualty event,' according to classified detailed notes of the gathering shared with POLITICO.

"During the meeting, Gen. MARK MILLEY, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of 'significant' intelligence indicating that the Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate, ISIS-K, was planning a 'complex attack,' the notes quoted him as saying. Commanders calling in from Kabul relayed that the Abbey Gate, where American citizens had been told to gather in order to gain entrance to the airport, was 'highest risk,' and detailed their plans to protect the airport.

"'I don't believe people get the incredible amount of risk on the ground,' Austin said, according to the classified notes." Read the full piece here

AUGUST CRISES OVERWHELM WHITE HOUSE PLANS — Add Hurricane Ida and North Korea to the list of crises President JOE BIDEN is facing this week.

IDA LATEST — "Tropical Storm Ida updates: At least 1 death in Louisiana as New Orleans loses power; Biden approves major disaster declaration," by USA Today's John Bacon, Andrew Yawn, Jorge Ortiz and Trevor Hughes in New Orleans: "After slamming into Louisiana's coast as a Category 4 storm Sunday, Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane was blamed for at least one death. …

"[Gov. JOHN BEL] EDWARDS said President Joe Biden officially declared Ida a disaster, releasing federal funds to assist with rescue and recovery efforts, which will begin in earnest Monday morning. Ida's winds when it came ashore — it's tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. mainland — also snapped trees and flipped over trucks. Its storm surge submerged cars, flooded streets and temporarily reversed the Mississippi River's flow near Belle Chase, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey."

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Meanwhile, the WSJ scoops that a new report from the IAEA has found evidence that North Korea "appears to have resumed operation of its plutonium-producing reactor at Yongbyon in a move that could enable the reclusive country to expand its nuclear-weapons arsenal."

August was supposed to be devoted to highlighting pieces of the Biden economic agenda that is now being assembled by congressional committees into a $3.5 trillion bill.

Biden hasn't held an event devoted to a piece of that mammoth bill since the evacuation crisis began. His schedule this week is dominated by briefings and remarks related to Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida and the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit another grim milestone as the seven-day average of hospitalizations has again topped 100,000 a day.

In Congress and at the White House, lawmakers and Biden officials remain seized by the chaotic situation in Afghanistan.

The AP reports : "Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers, flooded with requests for help getting people onto one of the last flights leaving the Kabul airport before President Joe Biden's Tuesday deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. military forces out of Afghanistan."

Four administration officials tell us they have been similarly bombarded with requests. Even members of the media, at POLITICO and across the D.C. foreign policy reporting landscape, have been sucked into the evacuation effort as Americans and Afghans continue to contact anyone who might be able to help.

In early August, a White House official touted to us "a massive push throughout the month to promote President Biden's Build Back Better agenda and highlight the success of the President's first six months in office." Cabinet officials would be fanning out across the country to sell the plan.

Over the last two weeks that's gone as one would expect, with high-profile visits knocked off front pages and TV news coverage of the events reframed around Afghanistan coverage.

Take Commerce Secretary GINA RAIMONDO's BBB visit to her home state of Rhode Island on Friday to tout Biden's care economy policies. That day she was greeted with the front page of the Providence Journal reporting, "BLASTS ROCK KABUL AIRPORT." One local TV network featured an RNC statement attacking the timing of the visit. The NBC affiliate showed a reporter asking her to respond to critics who say "that this withdrawal has been mismanaged significantly." The following day her visit was absent from the Journal's front page.

Good Monday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.

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BIDEN'S MONDAY:

— 9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President's Daily Brief.

— 10 a.m.: Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will meet with their national security team on Afghanistan in the Situation Room.

— Throughout the day: Biden will get updates from his homeland security team on Hurricane Ida.

Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 1:30 p.m.

THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.

THE WEEK AHEAD — Biden and Harris' meetings with their national security team on Afghanistan and Biden's briefings from his homeland security team on Hurricane Ida will continue every day. Also:

— Wednesday: Biden will welcome Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY to the White House.

— Friday: Biden will deliver remarks about the August jobs report.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

PLAYBOOK READS

Transfer cases for fallen U.S. troops are pictured. | Getty Images

DOVER, DELAWARE - AUGUST 29: In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, flag-draped transfer cases line the inside of a C-17 Globemaster II Aug. 29, 2021, prior to a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. The fallen service members died while supporting non-combat operations in Kabul. (Photo by Jason Minto/U.S. Air Force via Getty Images) | Jason Minto/U.S. Air Force via Getty Images

MEDIAWATCH

THE BACKSTORY OF POLITICO'S SALE — The NYT's Ben Smith, who was among the first batch of hires when POLITICO launched in 2007, has a juicy look at how owner ROBERT ALLBRITTON "pulled off what is probably the most successful exit in its generation of new media, in pure business terms." Smith traces POLITICO's arc from startup that Allbritton poured tens of millions of family money into, to fetching a reported billion dollars with the sale to German media conglomerate Axel Springer announced last week — with enough twists and turns in the interim to propel an HBO series.

A few nuggets from the piece, headlined "Inside Politico's Billion-Dollar Drama":

— An Axel Springer offer to buy POLITICO was behind the 2015 split with co-founder JIM VANDEHEI, who left to start Axios: "That year, Axel Springer — already a partner in Politico Europe — offered to buy the publication in a deal valued at around $250 million, Mr. Allbritton confirmed. Mr. VandeHei, by then Politico's chief executive … wanted to go ahead with the deal. Mr. Allbritton refused, just as he had rebuffed earlier overtures from CNN and Reuters, he said."

— Allbritton's negotiations with Axel Springer got serious after word broke that the company was in talks to buy Axios: "In May, Mr. Allbritton said he caught wind that Mr. VandeHei was in talks to sell Axios to Axel Springer. Did he start negotiating with the Germans to spoil Mr. VandeHei's deal? I supposed that might have been part of the attraction. And in Politico's news release announcing the planned sale, a quote from Mr. Allbritton suggested as much: 'Particularly in recent years,' he said, 'we have put the emphasis on doing rather than boasting.'

"A spokesman denied that the line was aimed at his former colleagues, and Mr. Allbritton said he was simply, after years of flirtation with Axel Springer, ready to acknowledge that his family business didn't have the 'horse power' necessary to keep growing. 'We're better off with this publication going to a big global company,' he said."

— "Asked why he had chosen Politico over Axios, [Axel Springer chief executive MATHIAS] DÖPFNER told me in a telephone interview, 'It's an easy decision that you go for the No. 1.'"

CONGRESS

SCHUMER DARES MCCONNELL RIGHT BACK — Just weeks after Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL signaled his members won't vote to increase the debt ceiling as they did under DONALD TRUMP, Democrats are preparing to ram them anyway. The latest on the Dem thinking from Burgess Everett and Jen Scholtes this morning : "Republicans will have to actually block a debt ceiling increase instead of just talking about it …

"The smart money is still on Democrats tying a short-term debt ceiling lift to a stopgap funding bill in late September, challenging Republicans to vote to shut down the government and bring the nation to the cusp of default. If that strategy falls through, Democrats could uncouple the debt ceiling from government funding and try a standalone vote closer to the default deadline, which is likely in October or November, according to aides."

"Democrats are holding firm and betting the GOP will flinch before the U.S. defaults on its loans, a doomsday point expected to hit anytime between September and November."

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TALIBAN TAKEOVER

BREAKING OVERNIGHT — "U.S. shoots down rockets aimed at Kabul's airport," by NYT's Eric Schmitt and Dan Bilefsky: "The U.S. military shot down rockets aimed at the Kabul airport on Monday morning as violence near the field threatened efforts by the United States to meet Tuesday's deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan and end America's longest war.

"A U.S. official said the rockets were brought down by a counter-rocket system after five were fired at the airport, and that there were no initial reports of casualties. The airport remained open, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details."

A WH statement released around 12:40 a.m.: "National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chief of Staff Ron Klain have briefed the President on the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport. The President was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground."

And about Sunday's strike: "Nine family members killed in U.S. airstrike in Kabul targeting suspected ISIS-K bomber, relative says," by CNN's Laura Smith-Spark, Saskya Vandoorne, Oren Liebermann, Nick Paton Walsh and Sandi Sidhu: "The youngest killed was a 2-year-old girl...

"The US military acknowledged later Sunday that there are reports of civilian casualties following the strike. 'We know that there were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the vehicle, indicating a large amount of explosive material inside that may have caused additional casualties. It is unclear what may have happened, and we are investigating further,' Capt. BILL URBAN, spokesman for US Central Command, said in a statement.

"'We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,' he added. The statement followed CNN's reporting that nine members of one family, including six children, were killed in the drone strike, according to a brother of one of those killed, who spoke to a local journalist working with CNN. US Central Command said earlier they were assessing the possibility of civilian casualties."

AND ON THE HOMEFRONT — "As Biden winds down Afghanistan, a refugee backlash looms at home," by Anita Kumar: "An increasingly vocal group of Republicans — led by Donald Trump, who made immigration restrictions a hallmark of his presidency — oppose the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S., claiming that they could be dangerous, or will change the make-up of the country. And they plan to make it an issue in next year's midterm elections, along with broader attacks about Biden's messy withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"The White House is moving swiftly to try and tamp down any backlash, and avoid the sort of politicization and outrage that plagued efforts to resettle Syrian refugees in 2015 and created havoc in the federal refugee program. … Administration officials say they have been working behind the scenes to brief local and state leaders on how extensively refugees are vetted before they step foot on American soil. Refugee organizations, which are working with the administration, are doing the same in communities. And both are conducting media outreach to try and dispel myths on the resettlement process."

MORE HEADLINES — "American University of Afghanistan students and relatives trying to flee were sent home," NYT … "Trapped in Afghanistan, Rescued by Volunteers: How a Handful of Americans Freed 5,000 Afghans," WSJ … "In evacuation mission's 11th hour, hope dims for Afghans seeking escape," WaPo ... "Biden pays respects to US troops killed in Afghanistan," AP… "98 Countries Pledge to Accept Afghans After U.S. Military Departs," NYT

MORE ON HURRICANE IDA

GOING DARK — "All of New Orleans without power after Hurricane Ida leaves 'catastrophic transmission damage,'" by The Times-Picayune/The Advocate's Amie Just: "A slow-moving Hurricane Ida has left all of Orleans Parish customers without power due to 'catastrophic transmission damage,' according to Entergy New Orleans. A company spokesperson said the storm had caused a 'load imbalance to the company's transmission and generation' and that Entergy is 'making every effort to identify and rectify.'

"The only power in the city is coming from generators, according to Homeland Security. No further information was immediately available. In 2008's Hurricane Gustav, nearly all of Entergy's transmission lines into the city failed, and regulators and elected officials ripped the company for the poor condition of its grid. Of the 14 lines that brought power to New Orleans at the time, 13 failed."

MORE — "Ida vexes Louisiana hospitals brimming with virus patients," AP … "Ida Path Through 'Cancer Alley' Raises Risks at Chemical Plants," Bloomberg … "How climate change helped make Hurricane Ida one of Louisiana's worst," WaPo

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

HAITI HELP — "U.S. airlifts aid to Haiti to reach areas hardest hit by quake," by AP's Ben Fox

ZELENSKYY (FINALLY!) GETS HIS WHITE HOUSE MEETING … "Biden to welcome Zelenskiy to White House on Wednesday," by Reuters' Trevor Hunnicutt: "Biden will meet with Ukraine President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity between the two countries. The meeting is taking place two days later than originally scheduled, as Biden oversees the response to Hurricane Ida and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan."

THE PANDEMIC

RESTRICTIONS ON THE HORIZON — "E.U. Set to Propose Travel Restrictions on U.S. Visitors," by NYT's Elian Peltier and Steven Erlanger: "Starting Monday, the officials said, the U.S. will be removed from a 'safe list' of countries whose residents can travel to the 27-nation bloc without additional restrictions, such as quarantine and testing requirements. The suggested restrictions, made by the European Council, will not be mandatory for member countries, and it will remain up to those countries to decide whether or not to impose them."

TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES — "States press forward on vax passports without Biden's guidance," by Ben Leonard: "California, New York and Louisiana are deploying SMART Health Cards developed by the Vaccination Credential Initiative, a consortium of health and technology companies that includes Apple, Microsoft and the Mayo Clinic. At least a half dozen other states are considering adopting the credentials …

"If enough states embrace the technology, it could become a de facto nationwide standard … But experts worry that a lack of federal guard rails will result in a confusing patchwork of unregulated and unreliable tools for verifying vaccination status — further complicated by regions where they're off limits."

MASS TESTING IN ACTION — "In Los Angeles, price for admission at nation's second-largest school district is a negative covid test — every single week," by WaPo's great Erica Werner , reporting from her new home state: "As hundreds of thousands of kids return to class in the nation's second-largest school district, they're participating in what amounts to a massive public health experiment unfolding in real time: Every single student, teacher and administrator in the Los Angeles public schools must get tested for the coronavirus every single week — indefinitely. Even the fully vaccinated are required to get tested. Those who test positive stay home for at least 10 days. And those who decline to get tested can't come at all. … [I]t amounts to by far the most aggressive anti-coronavirus campaign undertaken or announced by a major school district in the United States."

THE WHITE HOUSE

TOP-ED — "When Will Biden Join the Fight for Voting Rights?" by Adam Jentleson, who worked for former Majority Leader Harry Reid, for the NYT

SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

PLAYBOOKERS

NEW GOP CONGRESSWOMAN BECOMES 2024 BELLWEATHER — Former reporter-turned-Rep. ASHLEY HINSON has already shown herself to be a standout in the House GOP's historically large and female freshman class. Now the Iowa Republican is getting even more attention from 2024 hopefuls eager to get to know her — and, more aptly, her Iowa constituents — before the next presidential primary.

Over the weekend, Hinson hosted the first of what's expected to be a new tradition she's beginning: "Hinson's annual BBQ bash," where she unsurprisingly announced that she would seek re-election. More impressive than the 700 people who attended were some of the high-profile names who also joined, including none other than Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas), who won Iowa in 2016. That comes after Hinson recently did a local fundraiser with Sen. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.), and she'll be doing an event with Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) in Cedar Rapids this week as well, we hear.

Expect Republicans who could use her Iowa endorsement and support in a would-be primary to continue to reach out. Democrats did the same with ABBY FINKENAUER, the Democrat Hinson narrowly defeated last cycle.

Also spotted at Saturday's event: GOP Chair RONNA MCDANIEL, who lavished praise on Hinson as a rising star, Sen. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa) and Hawkeye state Gov. KIM REYNOLDS.

MEDIA MOVE — Simone Swink has been tapped as the new executive producer of ABC's "Good Morning America." She first joined the show in 2010. Announcement

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Ghida Dagher will be the next president of New American Leaders and New American Leaders Action Fund. She most recently was director of appointments for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

— Marie Harf has been named executive director of external relations and marketing at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She's an Obama State Department, CIA and Seth Moulton alum.

TRANSITIONS — Dominic Cussatt is now CIO and head of technology innovation for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the State Department. He previously was acting CIO at the VA. … Charlie Schreiber is now a director at Mindset. He most recently was senior counsel for the House Financial Services GOP. …

… Grant Hannah is now head of public policy at BlueVine. He previously was director of government relations at the Innovative Payments Association. … Ari Isaacman is joining Finsbury Glover Hering as a managing director in the strategic comms division. She previously was a spokesperson and growth strategy editor at the NYT, and is an Obama White House alum.

ENGAGED — Marshall Cohen, a reporter at CNN, proposed to Christina Won, a senior program manager at Workday, on Sunday at CityCenter. The couple then went to celebrate on a rooftop with a group of friends, who were in on the surprise. Pic … Another pic

WEEKEND WEDDING — Sarah Ferris, a congressional reporter at POLITICO, and Mike Sullivan, director of government relations at Berkshire Hathaway Energy, got married Saturday in Holyoke, Mass. They met through a mutual friend in 2014. Pic … Another pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) … Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) … Warren Buffett (91) … CNN's John King and Christi Parsons … WaPo's Martine Powers … Patrick Kerley … Gary Ginsberg … Ginny Hunt … POLITICO's Mitch Schuler and Jen Dreyer ... Margy Levinson … Bryan Rich … Tom Countryman … Terry Bish … Lia Albini … Ariana Berengaut … George Riccardo … Alec Camhi … Eric Pooley of the Environmental Defense Fund … Karl Russo … Rachel Harris … Elliot Bell-Krasner … Caitlin Girouard … Julia Hoffman … Laura Moser … Justin Paschal … Rose Arntsen … Elizabeth Harball … Eldad Yaron … CBS' Murray Weiss … Cheryl Mills … Peter Ramjug … Cristine Russell … NBC's Brandy Zadrozny … Corley Kenna

Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.

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