BREAKING: Treasury will unveil sanctions today on General Ahmed al-Asiri, former deputy head of the Saudi intelligence services, and the Saudi Rapid Intervention Force for their involvement in the Khashoggi assassination. Crown Prince MBS will NOT be sanctioned, per officials.
A new State Department policy named the Khashoggi Ban will also be unveiled today, which will allow State to restrict and revoke visas to any individual believed to be involved in targeting/harassing/surveilling dissidents and journalists extraterritorially.
Then White House chose not to penalize the crown prince directly despite intel report concluding he approved the operation that led to Khashoggi's murder. One senior administration official said that to do so would put the U.S. in an extremely “hostile” position wrt KSA.
"The aim is recalibration, not a rupture, because of the important interests that we do share" with Saudi Arabia, the senior admin official said. U.S. officials and departments will continue to deal with MBS at the appropriate levels.
More from SAO on why MBS was not sanctioned: "The United States as a matter of practice has not generally applied sanctions on the highest leadership of countries with whom the US has diplomatic relations. Nor even generally speaking on the leaders of countries with which 1/
the US has no relations. And having looked at this extremely closely over the last 5 weeks, there was unanimous conclusion that there were other more effective means to dealing with these issues going forward."

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More from @NatashaBertrand

19 Feb
POTUS reiterates full commitment to NATO and Article 5, and says "we are at an inflection point" between those who argue that autocracy is best way forward, "and those that understand that democracy is essential" to meeting challenges. "I believe ...that democracy will prevail."
"We must prepare together for long-term strategic competition with China," POTUS says. "Competition with China is going to be stiff. That's what I believe, and that's what I welcome."
But, Biden says, "everyone must play by the same rules." Turning to Russia, POTUS says "Putin seeks to weaken the European project and our NATO alliance...because it's easier for the Kremlin to bully individual states." Reiterates it is "vital" to defend Ukraine's sovereignty.
Read 5 tweets
18 Feb
ATTN DC folks: this sweet little boy needs a home, urgently. If you have any leads on someone who would be willing to adopt him, please DM me and I will connect you with the poster below.
We would take him but he is not good with other dogs and neither is our dog Wally :( but he’s very loving with people!
Thank you so much everyone who has reached out! The original poster is working on getting him out of the shelter before tomorrow so that he at least is safe until he finds a forever home. Lots of folks have called/emailed expressing interest in adopting. THANK YOU!
Read 4 tweets
17 Feb
Deputy national security adviser for cyber Anne Neuberger is giving an update now on the Solarwinds hack. Says actor "likely of Russian origin" was responsible.
Next steps:
Finding and expelling adversary: coordinating interagency response from NSC, and coordinating with Congress
Building back better to modernize federal defenses: need more integrated response, upcoming executive action to address gaps
Potential response options
9 federal agencies and about 100 companies were compromised in the breach, which likely took perpetrators months to plan, Neuberger says
Read 4 tweets
12 Jan
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin and FBI Washington Field Office ADIC Steven D'Antuono providing an update now on charges related to the Capitol attack: justice.gov/live
"In 6 days, we have opened over 160 case files, and that's just the tip of the iceberg," D'Antuono says. "Even if you've left DC, agents from our local field offices will be knocking on your door if we found out that you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol."
D'Antuono says FBI developed and "immediately shared" information regarding potential violence at rally beforehand, "as evidenced by arrest of [Proud Boy] Enrique Tarrio the night before the rally."
Read 6 tweets
7 Jan
New: “National security equities” may have been among the records stolen from the Capitol on Wednesday when pro-Trump insurgents looted several congressional offices—but it’s still unclear what exactly was taken, per DOJ.
politico.com/news/2021/01/0…
Meanwhile, a current Metro D.C. police officer on the scene yesterday said in a public Facebook post that off-duty police officers and members of the military, who were among the rioters, flashed their badges and I.D. cards as they attempted to overrun the Capitol.
“If these people can storm the Capitol building with no regard to punishment, you have to wonder how much they abuse their powers when they put on their uniforms,” the officer wrote. politico.com/news/2021/01/0…
Read 4 tweets
24 Nov 20
Biden introducing some top members of his national security team now. SecState @ABlinken, NSA @jakejsullivan, DHS sec @AliMayorkas, Climate czar @JohnKerry, USUN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and DNI Avril Haines.
Avril Haines to Biden: "I will represent to you, Congress, and the American public the patriots who comprise our intelligence community. I will never shy away from speaking truth to power." Adds pointedly that she knows cabinet was not selected to serve Biden, but the country.
Haines, addressing the IC: "The work you do is indispensable. It will become even more complex because you will be critical to help this administration position itself against challenges that will define the next generation."
Read 4 tweets

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