US renews alarm over potential deal to bring #Russia's #Wagner mercenaries to #Mali
"The reported deal -costing $10 million per month- diverts money that could be used to support the Malian Armed Forces & public services" per @StateDept
MORE: "Countries that experience #Wagner group deployments within their borders soon find themselves poorer, weaker, & less secure" per @StateDept re #Mali
"The cases of #Libya, #CAR, #Ukraine, & #Syria are examples of the detrimental impact of Wagner Group deployments..."
"We urge the transitional government in #Mali not to divert scarce budgetary resources away from the Malian Armed Forces’ fight against terrorism" per @StateDept
NEW: #Log4j vulnerability "extremely concerning" per @CISAgov Exec Asst Director for Cybersecurity Eric Goldstein
Log4j library "widely used in a variety of devices & products, both consumer & enterprise, across sectors & across functions" he says
#Log4j vulnerability "extremely easy to exploit & new ways to exploit it are being reported continuously over the last several days" per @CISAgov's Goldstein "Exploiting this vulnerability gives an adversary potentially deep access into a target"
"We have seen a wide range of threat activity" due to #Log4j, per @CISAgov's Goldstein "It has largely been low level activity such as crypto miners. But we do expect that adversaries of all sorts will utilize this vulnerability to achieve their strategic goals"
"I don't think we there yet" @DHSgov@SecMayorkas tells @business's Technology Summit has to remain on an incredibly high level
CORRECTION: "I don't think we there yet" @DHSgov@SecMayorkas tells @business's Technology Summit re #ransomeware "Vigilance has to remain on an incredibly high level"
"We've made strides...I think we have a long ways to go" per @SecMayorkas on gvt working w/pvt sector on #cyber security
Final military recommendations on what to do about the August 29 strike in #Kabul that killed 10 civilians-"None of their recommendations dealt specifically with...personal accountability" per @PentagonPresSec
"The recommendations were more about procedure & process" per @PentagonPresSec on review of August 29 strike in #Kabul that killed civilians, saying most of them are classified
@SecDef Lloyd Austin has approved the recommendations, he adds
"The United States is committed...to helping #Ukraine w/their self-defense needs" per @PentagonPresSec
"We just completed a $60 million package" of patrol boats, javelin missiles, ammo, etc, he says, adding the conversation w/#Kyiv is ongoing
NEW: @POTUS was speaking w/#Ukraine's @ZelenskyyUa as WH briefing began "to provide an update [on his call w/#Putin] ....& underscore our support for Ukraine sovereignty & territorial integrity" per @PressSec Jen Psaki
.@POTUS also conveyed to @ZelenskyyUa "his deep concerns w/#Russia's buildup on #Ukraine's borders & his commitment to respond w/strong measures in the event of a #Russia|n military engagement" per @PressSec
#Iran: "Given the ongoing advances in Iran's nuclear program, the president has asked him team to be prepared in the event that diplomacy fails" per @PressSec "That requires preparations..."
#Russia-#Ukraine: #Moscow still has "very sizable military presence..." along border w/Ukraine, per @PentagonPresSec "There's been no major changes to that posture"