Thread by @ericgeller

As State begins setting up its cyber bureau, a top department official defended its plan from criticism in an interview with me today.

Marshall Billingslea, outgoing undersec for arms control & intl security, rebutted criticism about bureau's structure.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2021/0…

Some critics wanted bureau in political-affairs wing, not arms-control wing, to avoid militarizing policymaking.

Billingslea called that "completely unfounded" & said "P" wing is "focused on the regional bureaus" & cyber would become "subservient" to "broader" bilateral issues.

In the arms control or “T” wing, Billingslea told me, it will be easier for the cyber bureau to do foreign capacity building work.

“This puts them alongside the part of the Department of State that makes those security assistance decisions," he said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that T is the right place" for the new cyber bureau, said Billingslea, who — per Trump administration tradition — has technically just been delegated the duties of the undersecretary for arms control.

He was Trump's nominee for that job, but, well.

State and the Hill have spent years arguing over what the new bureau should look like. On 1/7, as part of his parade of late-stage decisions, Pompeo went ahead and told State to start building the bureau using its existing plan.

Hill Dems weren't happy: foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-releases…

Billingslea said new bureau would let State not only tackle longtime cyber issues but also grapple w/ emerging challenges like China's militarization of AI.

It “will give us...a focal point & much more manpower & technical expertise to deal w/ this massive & concerted...push."

As of today, Billingslea told me, State has finished designing the bureau's org chart & identified ~80 staffers who will be transferred to it from elsewhere.

State is in process of updating its Foreign Affairs Manual to reflect the bureau’s “authorities and responsibilities.”

Of course, the Biden team can pause and modify this work beginning tomorrow, if it wants to.

But, Billingslea said, “We believe that we’re leaving them with a very strong and robustly staffed and funded organizational structure.”