Mediaboss Marketing

Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster / AP

BY: Adam Kredo February 24, 2017 1:25 pm

Incoming White House National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster sought to reassure senior Trump administration officials during his first "all hands" staff meeting Thursday, according to those who attended the get together and told the Washington Free Beacon that McMaster informed staffers he does not intend to pursue a major shakeup of President Donald Trump's national security team.

McMaster, who replaced Michael Flynn following his resignation last week, plans to navigate a vast departure from the Obama administration's foreign policy vision, according to senior White House officials who described the meeting as "reassuring." McMaster emphasized that he will not dismantle the team that Flynn had built.

As part of his discussion with White House national security staff, McMaster recommended a comprehensive reading list that included President Trump's book, "The Art of the Deal," and several other tomes by leading historians about how to get the upper hand on America's enemies. White House staff are said to have been mostly "thrilled" when hearing about the book list.

Sources who spoke to the Free Beacon about McMaster's vision, as laid out in the Thursday meeting, expressed optimism about his appointment and pushed back on what they described as false media narratives centered around White House disarray following Flynn's departure.

"It's no secret we've had a few more all-hands meetings than we intended in our first monthbut General McMaster used this event to both reassure the NSC staff and to give us the tools to continue the mission," said one senior White House National Security Council official who requested anonymity while discussing internal White House meetings.

McMaster explicitly told White House officials that he does not aim to dismantle Trump's foreign policy team or push out those perceived as still loyal to Flynn. These comments run counter to a recent New York Times report claiming that McMaster is pursuing a massive reorganization of the president's national security team.

"He made it clear he wasn't there to grind a political axe or engage in a witch hunt," the senior White House official said. "He was there to provide leadership, including direction on how to think about the task in front of us."

To help with this effort, McMaster recommended several books meant to help current White House officials understand his own foreign policy vision.

One senior White House official who spoke to the Free Beacon described the reading list as pleasantly surprising and a vast departure from the former Obama administration's own national security vision.

In addition to Trump's "Art of the Deal," McMaster recommended reading his own book, "Dereliction of Duty," which catalogues the mistakes that led the United States into a quagmire in Vietnam.

He also suggestedthat White House staffers read Peter Rodman's "Presidential Command," which McMaster reportedly referred to as the "gold standard" in foreign policy history. Rodman was a top official in the Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and both Bush administrations.

Senior White House staff are said to have found the mention of the book "very reassuring."

"It's certainly encouraging to see General McMaster highlighting his legacy," one source said.

McMaster went on to further recommend two books by Zachary Shore, a historian and international conflict expert who teaches at the Naval Postgraduate School.

One Shore book, "Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions," was described as "a cautionary tale for the staff" at the White House. The other, "A Sense of the Enemy," examines methods to overtake rival forces.

Lastly, McMaster recommended staff read an essay by Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan titled, "The Rhyme of History," which tackles lessons from World War I.

Senior White House officials who took part in the meeting described the reading list as encouraging and part of an effort to restore conservative principals focused primarily on defending the U.S.'s best interests.

The mention of MacMillan's essay in particular "suggests General McMaster does not consider the 21st century a sort of post-historical bubble, but rather that there is a great deal to be learned from history as we chart our path forward," said one official who described McMaster as advocating a wholesale reversal from the Obama administration's vision.

Several historians currently serve on the White House's national security team, including Col. Derek Harvey, a former advisor to Gen. David Petraeus; Michael Anton, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, and Victoria Coates, a former top aide to Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and art historian.

See the rest here:
Newly Installed NSA McMaster Reassures National Security Staff: No Witch Hunts Coming - Washington Free Beacon

Adm. Michael S. Rogers, commander, U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and head of the National Security Agency. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif. The head of the National Security Agency reiterated that Russia engaged in cyber actions to influence the result of the U.S. presidential election and said the Moscow-directed interference is changing the way the NSA thinks about U.S. critical infrastructure.

We have been very public particularly if I put on my NSA hat in categorizing the behaviors we saw, from a cyber perspective, the Russians engaged in terms of our election process. We were very confident that, hey, this happened. What does that mean? said Adm. Rogers, who also heads U.S. Cyber Command, said on Thursday at the West 2017 conference.

It highlights to us that we need to rethink what critical infrastructure means in the digital age. We tended to view historically critical infrastructure as something associated with an output. Hey, air traffic. Hey, pipelines. The financial world. Power distribution. Generally, we thought a very industrial set of processes that generated some sort of output.

What the Russians did to influence the U.S. election adds a new dimension to what the U.S. should work to protect from influence from a cyber action or attack, he said.

What about information, data and fundamental processes like the ability to ensure high confidence that in a Western democracy the electoral outcome is actually reflective of the majority of our citizens, which is at the heart of the democratic system? he said. We have to think of it in a different way, and data increasingly has a value all of its own.

Rogers cited the attacks on the Office of Personnel Management in which the personal data of more than 21. 5 million people who had undergone the U.S. security clearance process was breached and the Russias hack of Democratic National Committee emails and subsequent distribution on Wikileaks as new types of threats.

You saw that in OPM, you saw that with the Russians the way they penetrated systems, moved data and then provided that in very public, unaltered format, he said. So we have to work through that. We need to work with a broader set of nations to clearly signal that this is unacceptable, and we need to drive the calculus in a different way.

Separately during the conference event, Rogers said the Trump administration has made cyber security a priority and predicted administration-level action soon.

The discussions moderator, retired Adm. James Stavridis, former NATO supreme commander and U.S. Naval Institute chairman, said that a Trump executive order on cyber was in the works and asked Rogers on the status.

Theres an ongoing dialogue that the administration I dont want to speak for them but if you take their statements, theyve been very upfront about the desire to make this a priority and a focus area in the early stages of the administration, Rogers said. I expect it to play out sometime in the immediate near term. The process always takes longer than you would like, but I think this would play out. The biggest input Ive tried to provide and Im just one voice take this opportunity to step back and look at this with a new set of eyes and say, if you were creating this from the ground up, how would you do this?

Originally posted here:
NSA Head: Russian Interference in US Election, 'Hey, This Happened' - USNI News

The headquarters of the NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland.Courtesy of the NSA

Ideas

Ledgett is the deputy director of the National Security Agency

In 1977 I was finishing my sophomore year of college, working two jobs to put myself through school, and thought, There has to be a better way. So I enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Morse Intercept Operator, which didnt tell me much but would let me earn money toward college through the GI Bill . My plan was to do my 3 years, get out, and finish college. That plan didnt work out; I ended up staying in the Army almost eleven years and then transitioned to the National Security Agency as a civilian for 29 more, and am retiring this April after 40 years in the business. I did end up finishing my degree after hours, and went on to get a masters degree, just not in the way Id planned. What happened along the way was that I discovered the fulfillment that comes from serving the nation and its allies, working with some of the most amazing people on the planet, on the most challenging problems we face.

For someone like me who is motivated by understanding how things work, the signals intelligence business is fascinating. Theres the challenge of understanding the communications technology that the target (in my early days, principally the Soviet Union ) uses, and how to intercept those communications. Then theres the need to understand the internal plumbing of how the intercepted data flows through our complicated architecture, and the multiple transformations that happen along the way. After that, analysts need to figure out what the data actually means the so what? of the intercept. Thats not as easy as it sounds, as the targets will work to hide their activities through cover names, and make references to shared information and experience that we dont have. And they rarely communicate in English, which requires a very high degree of expertise in the relevant foreign languages, to include slang and argot specific to functions and sub-cultures. This one is especially important to get right the difference between launch at noon and lunch at noon is consequential.

Its a complicated puzzle that requires multiple domains of expertise, all applied in the right way at the right time, to achieve success. But success in what we do isnt enough success has to translate into a good outcome for the users of our material, whether thats a policy maker planning a diplomatic negotiation with a foreign country, or a military commander assessing the threat to our forces. That means we need to understand their plans, and the way they work, well enough to know the best place for us to inject our information yet another level of complexity. But a successful outcome whether thats providing key information at the right point in a negotiation, or warning a military unit of an ambush so they can avoid it is hugely motivating, because we can see how the application of our hard-earned technical and operational knowledge resulted in a good outcome for the nation, and in those cases where we actually save lives, the individuals. There is a satisfaction that comes from knowing the story behind the headlines, and the fact that we had a part in how that played out even if we cant tell anyone about it.

The cyber domain is relatively new, adding some layers of complexity, but having the same foundational characteristics. In fact, the principal reason NSA is so skilled in the cyber domain is that weve been operating in it since its inception. The global telecommunications environment, where NSA works its signals intelligence mission to produce foreign intelligence, is also cyberspace, and we are expert denizens. Our complementary mission of information assurance, where we protect national security-related networks and information, requires us to have detailed insights into U.S. government networks. In both domains, our people need to have extraordinarily deep technical knowledge of networks, devices, and software, which quite often exceeds that of the people who built or programmed those products. When applied to the cybersecurity mission, it gives the nation a strategic advantage. And from a motivational point of view, what could be more satisfying than using ones expertise to defeat a foreign hacker threat to the country?

The personal and professional rewards of working in the intelligence business have been remarkable. Ive had the opportunity to travel to 39 different countries, and made lifelong friends in some of them. Ive seen what went on behind the headlines of everything from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , to the North Korean destructive attack on Sony , to the Russian cyber exploitation of the Democratic National Committee. More importantly, Ive seen the unsung heroes of the intelligence community, and especially at NSA, who work incredibly hard applying their formidable intellects and energy to protect us. They work countless hours at great personal cost, from missing milestones in their childrens lives to turning down lucrative jobs outside government because of their deep love for the mission. They deploy with our forces forward in war zones to ensure our military is protected, sacrificing time with their loved ones. Unfortunately, some of them have made an even greater sacrifice. The NSA/CSS Cryptologic Memorial Wall names the 176 individuals who have given their lives performing signals intelligence and information assurance missions around the globe.

Thats what kept me in this business for 40 years the combination of the intellectual challenge, the chance to develop and apply technical and operational expertise to things that matter, the joy of working with incredibly intelligent and motivated people, and the feeling that Im part of something bigger than myself. Im a little envious of the people coming into the workforce right now, as they have limitless opportunities to contribute, to serve, and to get the same kind of satisfaction from working in this completely digital, connected world. In 25 years or so, one of them will be sitting in the seat that I am now, and I hope she gets as much enjoyment from the journey as I have.

Ledgett is the Deputy Director of the National Security Agency. He will retire in April.

See the article here:
NSA Deputy Director: Why I Spent the Last 40 Years In National Security - TIME

Archives: By Topic Select a Topic 113th Congress 114th Congress 1267 terrorist sanctions 1997 Mine Ban Treaty 2001 AUMF 2002 AUMF 2016 Presidential Electio 9/11 Commission Review Aamer v. Obama Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud Abdullah al-Shami Abu Ghaith Abu Ghraib Abu Khattala Abu Omar Abu Wa'el Dhiab Abu Zubaydah v. Poland Accountability ACLU ACLU v. CIA ACLU v. Clapper ACLU v. DOJ act of state Adam Schiff Additional protocol I Adnan Syed Adobe Afghanistan Africa African Commission on Hum African Court of Human an African Court of Justice African Union African Union Mission in African Union Regional Ta Aggression Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi Ahmed Ghailani Ahmed Godane Ahmed Warsame Airstrikes Ajam v. Butler Akbar Akhtar Muhammad Mansur Al Bahlul IV Symposium Al Qaeda Al Shabaab Al Shumrani Al-Bahlul al-Iraqi Al-Janko v. Gates Al-Libi Al-Maqaleh v. Hagel Al-Nashiri Al-Nashiri v. Poland Al-Shimari v Caci et al. Al-Skeini v. United Kingd Al-Zahrani v. Rodriguez Alexander Litvinenko Algeria Ali v. Obama Alien Tort Statute All Writs Act Ambassador Robert Ford Ambassador Stephen Rapp Amends Amerada Hess American Law Institute American Samoa American Society of Inter Americans Amicus Brief amnesty Amnesty International Amos Guiora and Ibrahim al-Qosi Andrew Kleinfeld Andy Wright Angela Merkel Anonymity Ansar Dine Anthony Kennedy Anti-Muslim discriminatio Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) Anti-Torture Amendment Antonin Scalia Anwar al-Awlaki AP I AP II APA Appellate Jurisdiction Apple AQAP AQIM Arab Spring armed attack armed conflict Armed Opposition Groups Arms Control army field manual Artesia Article 51 Article II Article III Ash Carter Ashraf Ghani Aspen Publishers Assad Assassination Ban Associated Forces asylum Atomic Energy Act atrocities prevention Attacks on Cultural Herit Attorney General attribution Auden AUMF AUMFs Australia authorization for the use Automated Searches Automated Weapons Autonomous Weapons Autonomous Weapons System Avril Haines Ba Odah v. Obama back doors Bagram Air Force Base Bankovic v. Belgium Baraawe Barack Obama Barbara Tuchman Barrel Bombs Barton Gellman Bashar al-Assad Bashir Belfast Peace Agreement Belgium Belhaj v. Straw Bemba Ben Emmerson Ben Wittes Benghazi Bernand Kleinman Bill Banks Bimenyimana Biodefense Bioterror Bivens Suit Black Sites Blackwater Blue Ribbon Study Panel o BND Boasberg body cameras Boim v. Holy Land Foundat Boko Haram Bond v. US Book Reviews Books We've Read Bosnia-Herzegovina Botnets Boumediene v. Bush Brad Heath Brazil Brett Kavanaugh Brexit Brian Egan British Library Bruce Ackerman Brussels Attacks BSA bulk collection Burkina Faso Burundi Bush Administration CAAF CALEA California Call for Papers Cambodia Cameron Munter Canada Canadian Security Intelli Canadian Supreme Court Cardozo Law Review Carly Fiorina Carnegie Mellon Universit Castro v. DHS CAT Ceasefire Cell Site Location Inform cell tracking Censorship Center for Civilians in C Center for Constitutional Center for Democracy and Center for National Secur Center for Naval Analysis Central African Republic Central District of Calif cert petitions Cessation of Hostilities Chad Chapter VII Charles Taylor Charleston Church Shootin Charlie Hebdo Charlie Savage Chatham House mini forum Chelsea Manning Chemical Weapons Chilcot Report Chile China Chivalry Chris Jenks Church Commission CIA CIDT CISA Civil Liberties Civil service Civilian Casualties Civilian-Military divide Civilian-Military relatio Claire McCaskill Clapper Clapper v. Amnesty Intern Clarence Thomas Classified Information Clipper Chip Cluster Munitions CMCR collective self-defense Colombia Colvin v. Syria combat troops Comey Commission on the Wartime Committee Against Torture Committee on the Eliminat Common Article 1 Common Article 3 Community Outreach Compliance with Court Ord Complicity Computer Security Inciden Congress congressional authorizati Congressional Hearing Congressional Hearings Congressional Investigati Congressional Oversight Consolidated Appropriatio Conspiracy Constitution constitutional law Contempt Content Continuous Combat Functio Convention Against Tortur Convention on Cluster Mun Convention on Conventiona Corporate Liability corporations Council of Europe Council on Foreign Relati Countering Violent Extrem Counterinsurgency counterintelligence Counterterrorism court Court of Appeals for the Court of Military Commiss Courts Martial Couture-Rouleau Covert Action CQ Roll Call crime crime of aggression Crimea Crimes Against Humanity criminal trial Critical Infrastructure Cross-Border Data Request cross-ruffing Cruel cryptography CSIS Cuba Cully Stimson Customary International L CVE CWC Cy Vance Cyber Cyber Bonds Cyber Warfare Cyberattacks Cybersecurity Cybersecurity Act of 2015 Daily News Daily News Roundup Dan Markel Data Data Localization Data Protection Data Sharing David Barron David Ellis David Golove David Hicks David Kaye David Kris David Medine David Miranda David Sentelle David Tatel DC Circuit DC District Court DDoS DEA Deborah Pearlstein Deep Web Defense Directive 2310.01 Defense Select Committee Democracy Democratic Republic of Co Denmark Department of Defense Department of Homeland Se Department of Justice Department of State deradicalization detainee treatment Detention Detention Review Boards development Device Encryption DHS DIA Dianne Feinstein Diarmuid O'Scannlain Diplomacy diplomatic assurances Direct Participation in H Disinformation Dissent Dissent Channel Cable Distinction Division 30 Djibouti DNC DNC Hack DOD DoD Directive 2310.01E DOD Directive 5230.09 DOD Instruction 5230.29 DOJ Domestic Surveillance Dominic Ongwen Donald Trump Dreyer drone court Drone Papers Drones Drones Report due process Duncan Hunter Dustin Heard Dylann Roof Early Edition Ebola ECHR Economic Espionage ECPA ECPA Reform Editors' Picks EDNY Edward Snowden EFF v. DoJ Effective Control Egypt el salvador Electronic Frontier Found Elena Kagan Email Privacy Act Emergency Powers Empirical Research Encryption End-to-End Encryption Enemy Belligerents Engines of Liberty EO 12333 EPIC Eric Garner Eric Holder Espionage Act Ethics EU Data Retention Directi Europe European Commission European Convention on Hu European Convention on Na European Court of Human R European Court of Justice European Parliament European Union Evan Liberty event Events evidence Executive Order 12333 Executive Order 13470 Executive Order 13567 Executive Orders Executive Power Executive Privilege extradition Extrajudicial Release Extraordinary African Cha Extraordinary Renditions Extraterritoriality F Facebook FARC Fast & Furious Fatou Bensouda FBI FBI Director FBI v. Apple Featured Federal Communications Co Federal Courts federal program Federal Trade Commission federalism Feminism Ferguson Fifth Amendment Filartiga financing First Amendment FISA FISA Amendments Act of 20 FISA Improvements Act FISA Reform FISC Five Eyes Florence Hartmann FOIA force-feeding Foreign Affairs Foreign Claims Act Foreign Fighters Foreign Law Foreign Policy Foreign Sovereign Immunit foreign sovereign immunit Foreign Surveillance foreign terrorist fighter Foreign Terrorist Organiz Forever War Fourth Amendment Fourth Circuit France Frank Wolf Fred Korematsu Freedom of Association freedom of expression Freedom of the Press FSIA FTC fugitive Gabor Rona Gabriel Schoenfeld Gag Order Garcetti v. Ceballos Gaza GCHQ Gender General Warrants Geneva Conventions genocide Geoff Corn George W. Bush Georgia Gerald Seib Germany Gideon v. Wainwright GJIL Summit Glenn Greenwald Going Dark golden key golden number Google Goran Hadi Government Shutdown Greece Group of Governmental Exp Guantanamo Guardian Guatemala Guest Post Guide to Torture Report Gulf War Guns of August Guns of September Habeas Habre hacking Hae Min Lee Hagel Haiti Hamdan Hamdi v. Rumsfeld Hamid Karzai Handschu Agreement Harold Koh Harvard Law Review Harvard Law School Hassan v. City of New Yor Hate Crimes Hate Speech Hatim v. Obama Heikkila v. Barber Helms Amendment Hernandez v. United State Hezbollah Hicks High commissioner for hum High-Value Detainee Inter Hillary Clinton Hoffman report Holder v. Humanitarian La Holidays Holocaust Holy See Hossam Bahgat Hostage Act Hostile Intent House Armed Forces Commit House Committee on Foreig House Demolitions House Judiciary House lawsuit House Permanent Select Co House Un-American Activit HPSCI HTTPS Huawei Human Right Law human rights Human Rights Committee Human Rights Council Human Rights First Human Rights Law Human Rights Watch Human Shields human trafficking Humanitarian Intervention Humanitarian Law Humanitarian relief opera Hussain v. Obama Hybrid Justice IACHR Ibrahim v. DHS Ibrahim v. US ICC ICCPR ICRAC ICRC ictr ICTY IDF IHL IHR immigration Imminent Threat Immunity immunity for official act Imran Khan Incendiary Weapons India individual self-defense Information Sharing inhuman and degrading tre injury in fact INS v. St. Cyr Inspector General Insular Cases Insurance Intelligence activities Intelligence and Security intelligence community Intelligence Community Di Intelligence Reform International Arm International Armed Confl International Convention international court International Court of Ju International Courts International Criminal Co International Criminal La International Law International Law Commiss International Right to En International Right to Pr internet Internet freedom Internet of Things Interrogation Investigatory Powers Bill Investigatory Powers Trib Iqbal Iran Iran Negotiations Act Iran Nuclear Agreement Re Iran nuclear deal Iran nuclear negotiations Iran Nuclear Negotiations Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan Irek Hamidullan Ireland ISAF ISIL ISIL AUMF Islam Islamic Islamic State Israel Italy Jack Goldsmith James Clapper James Comey James Foley James Risen Jamie Orenstein Jamshid Muhtorov Janice Rogers Brown Jason Smith Jean Pierre Bemba Jeffrey Brand Jeh Johnson Jennifer Granick Jeremy Ridgeway Jerry Brown Jim Sensenbrenner Joe Biden John Bellinger John Brennan John Gleeson John Kerry John McCain John Reed John Walker Lindh John Yoo Joint Committee on Human joint criminal enterprise Jon Cornyn Jonathan Horowitz Jones v. UK Jordan Joseph McCarthy Joshua Arap Sang Journalist journalists JSOC Judge Bates Judge Raymond Randolph Judicial Appointments Judicial Review Judith Rogers Junaid Hussain Jus ad Bellum jus cogens violations jus in bello Just Security Just Security anniversary Just Security Candidates Just Security interns Just Security internship Just security jobs Just War Justice Against Sponsors Justin Raimondo Karen Greenberg Karen LeCraft Henderson Katz v. United States Kazemi v. Iran Keith Alexander Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martin Kenneth Dahl Kenya Kevin Heller Khadr Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Khouzam Killer Robots Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Pet Kiyemba v. Obama Klayman v. Obama Korean landmines Korematsu Korematsu v. United State Kristen Gillibrand KSM Kunduz Kyrgyzstan Laird vs Tatum Lakhdar Brahimi landmines Latif v. Holder Laurence Silberman Lavabit Law enforcement Law Enforcement Hacking Law of Armed Conflict Law of War Manual Law of War Manual Forum Law of War Manual. ICRC Lawfare Lawful Hacking Laws of War Leak Investigations Lebanon Legal Adviser Legal Adviser, DoS legal offices Legal Services Corp. v. V Letters to the Editor Lewis Kaplan Lex Specialis LGBT Libertarianism Libya Limburg Lindsey Graham Lithuania Livestream Logan Act Lord Peter Goldsmith Lords Resistance Army LTTE Luban Lujan v. Defenders of Wil Luther v. Borden Mac Thornberry Magistrate Judges Maher Arar Mahmoud Abbas Majid Khan Mali Manmohan Singh Marco Rubio Marcy Wheeler Margo Brodie Marine Corps Mark Martins Mark VIsger Marketplace of Ideas Marne Marsha Berzon Martin Luther King Jr. Marty Lederman Material Support Matt Blaze Matthew Waxman Mauritania Mavi Marmara MCA McCain-Feinstein Amendmen McCarthyism McClatchy Mdecins Sans Frontire Media Media Shield Law Medical Personnel membership Memorial Day Mercenaries Merrick Garland Meshal v. Higgenbotham Metadata Mexico Michael Brown Michael Flynn Michael Ratner Michael Weiss Michel Foucault Microsoft Microsoft v. DOJ Microsoft Warrants Case Middle East midterm elections midterms Migrant migration Mike Rogers Military Military aid Military Commissions Military Extraterritorial Military Justice Review G military justice system Military Objective Minimization Procedures Ministry of Defense v. Ra Mitch McConnell MLAT Mohamed v. Jeppesen Datap Mohammed v. MOD Monday Reflection Money Monsanto Montreaux Document Mootness Mosaic Theory Mosul Munitions murder Muslim ban Muslim Brotherhood Mustafa al-Shamiri Mutual Legal Assistance namibia narco-trafficking Nasr v. Italy Nathalie Weizmann National Archives National Institute of Sta national security National Security Council National Security Lawyeri National Security Letters NATO Nawaz Sharif NCIS NCTC NDAA NDU Speech negotiations Network Investigative Tec New York Times New York Times v. DOJ Nicholas Lewin Nicholas Merrill Nicholas Slatten Niger Nigeria No-Fly List Non-international Armed C non-refoulement non-self-executing treati Nonproliferation Treaty Noor Uthman Muhammed Norms Watch North Korea Northern Ireland Notice NSA NSA Reform NSLs Nuclear Nuclear Weapons Nuremberg NYPD Obama administration occupation October Office of Legal Counsel Office of the Director of official act immunity OLC Drone Memo Oman Omar al-Bashir Omar Khadr Oona Hathaway Operation Operation Barkhane Operation Inherent Resolv Operation Protective Edge Operation Storm of Resolv Opinion Poll OPM Organization for Security Organization for the Proh Orin Kerr Osama bin Laden OTP Strategic Plan Ottawa Convention Ottawa shootings Oversight Oversight v. Holder Pakistan Palestine Palmer Raids Panetta Panetta Review Paris Attacks Paris Climate Accord parli Particularity Partition Parwan Patrick Leahy Patrio Patriot Act Paul Slough Paul Wolfson PCLOB Peace Talks Peacekeeping Pen Registers Pentagon Pentagon Papers perfidy Periodic Review Boards Periodic Review Boards (P persecution Peter Burke Peter Margulies Peter Raven-Hansen Philippines Pinochet Plea Agreement PMC PNSDA Poland Police militarization political question doctri Posse Comitatus Power Wars Symposium PPD-28 PPD-30 PPG PRB Pre-publication Review Pr President Obama President's NDU Spee President's Review G Presidential Campaign 201 Presidential Policy Guida Presidential Powers Presidential Review Board Presidents Day PRISM Privacy Private Military and Secu private military contract proportionality protected persons Public Surveys Q+A Qualified Immunity Queen's Speech R2P Rachel Kleinfeld racial discrimination Radovan Karadi Ramzi Bin al-Shibh Rand Paul Raner Collins Ranger School Ransomware rape Rasul v. Bush Ray Mabus Raza v. City of New York Readers' Guide Reagan Recusal Red Scare reddit Reengagement Assessment refugee Refugee Crisis Religion remedies Rendition Rep. Adam Schiff Republic of Korea Resolution 2170 Responsibility to Protect Restis Restis v. United Against Rewards for Justice Reyaad Khan Rhetoric Richard Burr Richard Leon Right to Be Forgotten Right to Life Right to Privacy Right to Truth Riley v. California Robert Gates Robert H. Jackson Robert Litt Robert Sack Rodriguez v. Swartz Rogue Justice Rome Statute Ron Wyden Roof Knocking Rosenberg vs Pasha Rothstein v. UBS AG Roy Cohn Royce Lamberth Rule 41 Rules of Engagement Rumsfeld v. Padilla Russia Rwanda Ryan Vogel Saddam Hussein SAFE Act of 2015 Safe Harbor safe zones Sahel Salahi Saleh v. Titan Corp Salim v. Mitchell Samantar v. Yousuf San Bernardino Shooting sanctions Sarah Cleveland Sarah Koenig SASC Saudi Arabia Schengen Zone Schlesinger v. Councilman Schrems Scotland Scott Shane SCOTUS SDNY Second Circuit Secrecy Secret Law Secret Service Section 215 Section 702 Security security agreement Security Assistance security clearance self-defense Senate Senate Armed Services Com Senate Foreign Relations Senate HSGAC Senate Intelligence Commi Senate Judiciary Committe Senegal Separation of powers Serdar Mohammed v. SSD Serial Service Providers Sexual Assault Sexual Violence Seymour Hersh SFRC SGBV Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Sharia shooting Siege Warfare signals collection Silicon Valley Sir John Chilcot SJC Slahi slavery Smith v. Maryland Smith v. Obama Snooper's Charter Snowden Snowden Treaty social Social Media Solicitor General Somalia Sonia Sotomayor Sony South Africa South Ossetia South Sudan Special Forces special rapporteur Spying Sri Lanka SSCI SSCI Report SSCI Torture Report standing Stanley McChrystal Starvation state immunity State of the Union State Responsibility state secrets state secrets privilege State v. Andrews Statehood Staten Island Status of Forces Agreemen status-based immunity statute of limitations StellarWind Stephen Williams Steve Dycus Stimson Center StingRays Stored Communications Act Sudan Sunshine Week superior responsibility Supreme Court Supreme Court of Canada Surveillance Suspension Clause Sustainable Development G Syria Syrian opposition Syrian refugees Szabo v. Hungary TACT 2000 Tadic Tahir-ul-Qadri Taliban Taliban Sources Project Tallinn Manual target Targeted Killing Targeting Decisions Taylor v. KBR Teaching Technology Ted Cruz term limits terrorism terrorist Terrorist Expatriation Ac Third Circuit Thomas Ambro Thomas Griffith Thomas Lubanga Dyilo Tim Kaine Tim Starks Title III Tony Blair Tor Tor Browser torture Torture Report trafficking transitional justice Transparency transparency reports Treasury Department Treaties Treaty Implementation Treaty Law Trump Trump Administration Trump Administrations truth commission Tuaua Tunisia Turkey Turkmen Turkmenv.Hasty Turner v. Safley Tweet Roll Twitter UANI UDHR Uganda Uhuru Kenyatta Uighurs UK UK Elections UK High Court UK Parliament UK Supreme Court UK Terrorism Act 2000 Ukraine Umm Sayyaf UN Assistance Mission in UN Charter UN High Commissioner for UN High Commissioner on H UN Human Rights Committee UN Security Council Uniform Code of Military United Kingdom United Nations United Nations General As United Nations Human Righ United Nations Human Righ United States ex rel. Acc United States v. Graham United States v. Moalin Universal Declaration of Universal Jurisdiction Universal Periodic Review Unlawful Combatants UNSC UNSC Resolution 1441 UNSC Resolution 2178 UNSC Resolution 2249 unwilling or unable US AID US Army US Holocaust Museum and M US v. al-Darbi US v. al-Shibh US v. Garcia US v. Khadr US v. Mehanna US v. Mohammed US v. Warshak USA Freedom USA Freedom Act Use of Force USS Cole Vance v. Terrazas Verdugo-Urquidez Veterans Veterans Day Veto Victor Restis Video Vietnam Vladimir Putin Vojislav eelj voluntary manslaughter Vulnerabilities Equities war War Crimes War Crimes Act war memorial War on Drugs War on Terror War Powers War Powers Resolution Warafi warrant canary Warsame Wartime Contracts Washington Post Wassenaar Arrangement Waziristan weapons Weapons of Mass Destructi Weekly Recap West Bank Westgate WhatsApp Whistleblowing White House Wikimedia v. NSA William Bradford William Ruto William Samoei Ruto Wiretap Women Women in combat Women's Rights Wong Kim Ark Yahoo Year End 2015 Year End 2016 Yemen Yezidis Yugoslavia Zakharov v. Russia Zehalf-Bibeau Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Zimbabwe Zivotofsky v. Clinton Zivotofsky v. Kerry

In a case that has been closely followed as a test for new whistleblower protections put in place by President Obama, it can now be reported that the whistleblower received restitution for his complaint, according to information provided to Just Security by a government official familiar with the case.

The whistleblower, who requested anonymity in communicating with Just Security, said that he suffered a reprisal for reporting a lack of action in investigating possible misconduct by Senior NSA Officials with respect to a funding of a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The whistleblower, an Intelligence Community employee, was denied an assignment within the National Security Agencys Inspector Generals Office of Investigations.

Thanks to a set of procedures put in place by the Presidential Directive in 2012 the whistleblower was able to file an allegation of reprisal. His complaint was initially rejected by the Department of Defenses Inspector General. It then became the first case to be reviewed by another mechanism put in place by the Presidential Directivean External Review Panel composed of three inspector generals, including CIA, the Justice Department, and Treasury.

In its most recent report to Congress, the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community explained that the Review Panels report, which has not yet been made public, detailed that the employee was entitled to appropriate relief from the agency but that the recommendations were still being implemented. For his part, the whistleblower told Just Security, that the process created by the Presidential Directive was critical to my success personally and professionally. Without it, he said, an IC whistleblower does not really have a chance. This process now places some genuine oversight.

Just Security can now report that the whistleblower has been reinstated in the NSAs Inspector Generals Office of Investigations, according to a government official familiar with the case.

On Thursday, Andrew Bakaj and Mark Zaid wrote about the case, focusing on procedures involvingthe individual accused of engaging in reprisal against the whistleblower.

[Editors Note: If interested in the topic of whistleblowing, read Just Securitys coverage includingNick Schwellenbachs Survivors Guide to Being a Successful Whistleblower in the Federal Government.]

Go here to read the rest:
Whistleblower Reinstated in Job in Test Case for NSA and Intelligence Community - Just Security

The growth needle is once again shifting into high gear at National Storage Affiliates (NYSE: NSA).

Source: image - 123RF

The newest publicly traded self-storage REIT continues to demonstrate that its unique business model resonates with large private self-storage operators.

This is especially true when it comes to family-run businesses, where management is looking to stay active and continue building upon a life's work.

After the bell, on Feb. 23, 2017, NSA announced the latest PRO to join its ranks, Personal Mini Storage of Orlando, a brand the Shader family has used to grow its self-storage business in Central Florida for several decades. NSA typically targets top industry operators with 20 or more properties located in larger US markets.

The Shader Brothers Corp. owned and operated portfolio contains 36 properties in a high-growth region of Florida. In the case of Personal Mini Storage, the Shader family has been an industry leader in Central Florida since the early 1980s. This acquisition will bring a portfolio of 36 well-seasoned self-storage properties to the table for NSA.

While the terms of the deal were not announced, (NSA reports Q4/FY'16 results on February 28th), NSA has the flexibility to issue OP/SP units in addition to cash for acquisitions. The OP units eventually convert 1:1 to NSA common shares. However, the SP units incentivize the new PRO with a formula that rewards strong performance, and protects existing shareholders in the event operating results are below par.

This optionality can give NSA a leg up versus its larger and better-known peer group, which includes: REIT blue-chip Public Storage (NYSE: PSA), Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR), CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE) and Life Storage (NYSE: LSI).

The chart shows that National Storage delivered solid results compared with its peer group and the broader equity REIT sector.

Read more: Why Self-Storage REIT NSA's $630 Million iStorage JV Is A Big Deal

If you are not familiar with NSA, the article above provides background and links to previous articles.

Self-Storage - Bigger Picture

The recent self-storage sector underperformance is an anomaly. However, self-storage REITs had become a victim of their own success over the past few years. After piling up a couple of years of record high occupancy and blistering same-store NOI growth each quarter, same period result comparisons get tougher.

After the Great Recession, there were about five or so years of muted new supply, which contributed to the strong industry fundamentals and record performance. Notably, during the past few quarters, some local markets have seen notable increases in new supply. This can create a headwind for both street rates and occupancy. Since new self-storage properties open 100% vacant, operators typically use incentives to attract customers until occupancy becomes stabilized.

By late January, the pendulum of pessimism appeared to have swung too far, which I pointed out last month for SA readers in Self-Storage REITs In Full Retreat - Time To Buy?

Mr. Market's relentless selloff created an opportunity for investors to once again initiate positions in the desirable self-storage REIT sector.

During the past month, the sector has slowly begun to come out of its funk. Recent results by CubeSmart seemed to trigger a bit of optimism and helped bring buyers back. Extra Space Storage also has led the February upswing.

Adding PROs Pays Dividends

CEO Arlen Nordhagen has assured analysts and investors that NSA will only bring a new PRO aboard if it makes sense strategically, culturally, and adds to the bottom line. This discipline may have slowed the growth a bit, but it has resulted in a steadily rising dividend since the NSA IPO in 2015.

It is in both the NSA shareholders' and OP unit holders' (NSA PROs) interest that any major acquisition is immediately accretive to earnings. Management incentives are clearly aligned with shareholders.

Source: NSA irwebsite - Feb. 23, 2017

Once a new PRO joins National Storage, implementing a revenue management program, the national call center, and an advertising program, can help drive better operating results. It is also a given that NSA as a publicly traded REIT has a much lower cost of capital.

New PROs are a source of local market knowledge, and they can sharpshoot one-off "bolt-on" acquisitions for NSA. PROs can also be instrumental in convincing other privately owned self-storage operators to take a long look at the NSA value proposition. The industry profile of Marc Smith of Personal Mini Storage, is a perfect example:

"Marc M. Smith, President of Personal Mini, is currently completing a six-year term on the national Self Storage Association ("SSA") board, where he has served in various executive roles, including Board Chairman for the 2016 term. Marc has also served as past President and National Board Member of the Southeast Region of the SSA. He is a licensed Florida real estate broker and a licensed Florida building contractor. Marc has a B.S. in real estate and finance from The University of Texas, a M.S. in building construction from The University of Florida and is a graduate of the Owner President Management Program at Harvard Business School."

NSA will be able to leverage the relationships of a veteran self-storage industry team, Marc Smith and his wife Laurie Shader Smith, who grew up with the business in Orlando. On a personal note, I was privileged to get to know Laurie and her family back in the mid-1980s, and they are top-notch folks.

FAST Graph - Valuation Analysis

It's time to use the F.A.S.T. Graphs tool to check under the hood. The black line is price. It is a visual comparison relative to the blue line, which is "normal" P/FFO for the selected number of years. The red line corresponds to the dividend yield on the far right of the chart.

The NSA double-digit FFO growth potential can support the current valuation. In fact, the lack of consensus 2019 estimates for this relatively young REIT actually understates the growth. Meanwhile, investors are being paid an attractive 4% yield, backed by a solid history of dividend increases since the National Storage IPO.

Investor Takeaway

National Storage has been one of my top picks since the end of 2015. Last year, NSA shares returned over 30% to shareholders.

Read more: My REIT Small-Cap Gems 2016 Performance Update: 30%-Plus Returns

Notably, NSA shares are trading near their all-time high. However, that is not unusual for this top performer.

During the past 52 weeks, NSA shares have traded in a range of $17.10-$24.32 per share.

The challenge with most REITs which are fully valued is to find a catalyst to send the shares on the next leg up. However, the unique NSA business model has accretive portfolio acquisitions baked into the cake. Self-storage operators can cash in on high current valuations for their stabilized storage properties and remain active running the business. It is a way for them to diversify and obtain liquidity, to essentially have their cake and eat it too.

I fully expect management to raise FY 2017 guidance metrics to reflect the latest PRO acquisition. Additionally, NSA has been rolling out its revenue management program across the portfolio and this should bode well for same-store NOI results.

These "PROs," or preferred regional operators, can diversify and achieve some liquidity while still being able to participate in the upside of their life's work. NSA gives shareholders the opportunity to invest side by side with entrepreneurs who have a vested interest in the continued success of their legacy businesses.

If NSA does a secondary share offering in conjunction with the acquisition of the Central Florida portfolio, it could provide an opportunity for investors to initiate a position. I previously have suggested ~$20.00 as an acquisition target price. I think bumping that up closer to $22.00 per share would now be reasonable for new investors looking for an entry point.

I am contemplating whether to launch a Seeking Alpha Marketplace Premium subscription service. I would appreciate any feedback from readers who may be interested. Feel free to share them in the comment thread below, or send me an Inbox message.

I relentlessly hunt for diamonds in the rough and rising stars, in addition to closely following data centers, covering REIT blue-chips, and breaking news. Please consider following me as a Seeking Alpha author if you would like to be notified when my future articles are published.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in NSA, EXR, CUBE, LSI, PSA over the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: Members of my household are long NSA.

Read more:
Self-Storage REIT: National Storage Announces 8th 'PRO' Prior To Earnings - Seeking Alpha