Morning Brief: Trump Names Terry Cole as Interim D.C. Police Commissioner, Japan Marks 80 Years Since World War II Surrender

· Guy D. McCardle

DEA Chief Terry Cole appointed interim D.C. police commissioner. (Wikimedia Commons, DVIDS)

Good morning, it’s Friday, August 15, 2025. Here’s a quick rundown of today’s morning brief: Washington’s police get a new boss as Trump puts the DEA chief in charge, the US Army speeds up 3D printing for drones, and Russia edges forward in Donetsk before the Alaska summit. Germany steps up Ukraine’s air defenses, Mali’s junta jails top generals, and Erik Prince sends contractors to Haiti. In the Middle East, Lebanon rejects foreign meddling, Turkey arms Syria, and Israel faces war crime claims.

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Trump Names DEA Chief as D.C. Police Commissioner in Sweeping Federal Takeover

The Trump administration escalated its federal law enforcement takeover of Washington, D.C., by appointing Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner” with full authority over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s directive requires MPD to obtain Cole’s approval before issuing orders and rescinds city policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

D.C. officials, including Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Mayor Muriel Bowser, called the move unlawful, setting up a potential legal battle.

The announcement came amid a visible surge in federal forces and National Guard patrols across the city, along with heightened immigration arrests and the clearing of homeless encampments.

Trump framed the takeover as part of his broader crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, while critics warned it represented an unprecedented assertion of federal power over local government.

 

US Army to Ramp Up 3D Printing for Parts, Drones, and Supply Chain Resilience

The US Army plans to accelerate and expand its use of 3D printing to improve logistics, sustainment, and production capacity, officials said at the recent GVSETS Conference.

Rock Island Arsenal has already printed over 1,500 components for various Army systems, and efforts are underway to shift from battle damage repairs to fully certified parts.

The Army aims to scale production, including up to 10,000 drone bodies per month, and is seeking industry collaboration for prototyping and testing large, complex parts in multiple alloys.

Officials are also developing certification standards and “digital IDs” for parts to ensure long-term supply chain resilience and eliminate tooling and obsolescence issues.

 

USS Carl Vinson Returns After 269-Day, Multi-theater Deployment

The USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group returned Thursday to San Diego after a 269-day deployment, reflecting a trend of extended missions for West Coast carriers.

Initially deployed to the Western Pacific, the strike group was redirected in March to the Middle East for Operation Rough Rider, conducting strikes against Yemen’s Houthis and supporting regional deterrence.

Over the course of the deployment, the CSG operated in the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Sea of Japan, and Arabian Sea, participating in multinational exercises with allies including Japan, South Korea, France, and the Philippines.

The group sailed over 275,000 nautical miles, with its air wing completing more than 10,000 sorties before returning home.

 

US Navy KC-130T Serves as Surrogate Missile in Army Typhon Test During Talisman Sabre

During Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in Australia, a US Navy KC-130T from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 was modified to act as a surrogate missile for the US Army’s Typhon mid-range capability launcher test.

The aircraft simulated the flight path of a Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), enabling ground systems to validate communications, telemetry, and tracking before the first live SM-6 firing outside the continental US, which successfully hit an at-sea target.

The mission leveraged the Satellite Communications Range Extension Aircraft Modification (SCREAM) satellite communications system for real-time tracking and showcased rapid aircraft modification and joint force integration.

KC-130T Hercules
KC-130T Hercules from VX-30 on the tarmac at Naval Base Ventura County, August 6, 2025. (DVIDS)

The exercise also featured extensive US Marine Rotational Force Darwin (MRF-D) operations with the Australian Defence Force, including mobile command and control, combined maneuvers, live-fire artillery training, and logistical sustainment.

Following the exercise, MRF-D forces pivoted to real-world disaster relief in the Philippines, delivering thousands of food packs and emergency supplies to typhoon-affected communities.

 

USS Iwo Jima Deploys With 22nd MEU, Ending Eight-Month Amphibious Gap

USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) departed Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, marking the first US-based Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) deployment since December.

The Iwo Jima ARG, which also includes USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and USS San Antonio (LPD-17), will conduct global missions to support US strategic goals and maintain freedom of the seas.

The deployment follows an eight-month gap in ARG/MEU presence, driven by chronic readiness and maintenance delays that have plagued the amphibious fleet, as highlighted by last year’s troubled USS Boxer (LHD-4) deployment.

Navy leaders have acknowledged the need for more ships, better maintenance, and improved scheduling to meet operational demands, with a pilot program underway to reduce overhaul delays.

 

Russia Breaches Donetsk Front as Putin Eyes Leverage Before Trump Summit

Days before the planned Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Russian forces breached Ukrainian lines near Dobropillia in the Donetsk region, advancing about 10 kilometers (6 miles) through gaps in Ukraine’s defenses.

Analysts call the gains limited but warn they could be leveraged by Moscow as negotiating pressure.

Ukraine has deployed reinforcements, including the Azov brigade, to stabilize the front, but troop shortages and stalled mobilization leave defenses vulnerable.

Russia’s strategy appears aimed at cutting supply routes and bypassing fortified cities to threaten key urban centers like Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected Putin’s reported demand for Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 percent of Donetsk it controls as part of a ceasefire deal.

 

Germany Joins NATO Effort to Send $500M in Air Defenses and Arms to Ukraine

Germany will join a coalition of Ukraine’s Western allies to deliver up to $500 million in military aid through NATO’s new coordinated supply line.

The package will prioritize critical air defense systems and other battlefield needs to counter ongoing Russian airstrikes that have killed more than 12,000 civilians, according to the UN.

This follows recent pledges from the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway totaling over $1 billion in combined military support.

Germany has provided or committed roughly 40 billion euros ($47 billion) in aid to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

 

Mali Junta Arrests Generals, Alleged French Agent Over Suspected Coup Plot

Mali’s junta announced Thursday the arrest of two Malian generals, a suspected French intelligence agent, and other military and civilian figures accused of plotting to destabilize the country.

Security Minister Gen. Daoud Aly Mohammedine said the alleged conspiracy, which began on August 1, has been foiled and the situation is under control.

The French national, identified as Yann Vezilier, is accused of acting on behalf of France’s intelligence services to mobilize political, civil, and military actors.

Analysts say the arrests appear aimed at intimidating dissent rather than stopping a legitimate coup attempt, continuing a pattern of crackdowns since the May dissolution of political parties and pro-democracy protests.

The junta, in power since two coups in 2020 and 2021, has expelled French forces, turned to Russia for security aid, and extended its rule by five years despite worsening militant violence.

 

Erik Prince’s Security Firm to Send 200 Contractors to Combat Haiti Gangs

Vectus Global, a security firm run by former US Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince, will deploy nearly 200 private contractors from multiple countries to Haiti under a one-year deal to help the government reclaim gang-controlled territory.

The contractors will advise and support Haiti’s National Police and the understrength UN-backed Kenyan-led mission, which has fewer than 1,000 personnel.

Critics warn the operation could violate US law without government approval and risk worsening instability.

The move comes amid escalating violence by the powerful Viv Ansanm gang federation, which has carried out mass prison breaks, shut down the main airport, and displaced 1.3 million people.

 

Lebanon Rejects Foreign Interference as Iran Slams Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told visiting Iranian security chief Ali Larijani that Lebanon rejects foreign interference and seeks stability for all its people, days after Beirut approved a US-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah by year’s end and secure a ceasefire with Israel.

Iran and Hezbollah have rejected the plan, with Larijani insisting any disarmament must come from internal dialogue and pledging Tehran’s support against Israeli escalation.

The recent visit drew large crowds of Hezbollah supporters at Beirut’s airport.

Hezbollah, long funded and armed by Iran, has been severely weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that killed over 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced more than a million, and caused $11 billion in damage.

 

Turkey to Arm and Support Syria Under New Defense Pact

Turkey will supply weapons, military equipment, and logistical support to Syria under a new defense cooperation agreement signed by their defense ministers.

The deal includes military training, consultancy, and sharing of expertise to strengthen Syria’s interim government, formed largely by Ankara-backed rebels after Bashar Assad’s ouster last year.

The agreement follows Syria’s request for Turkish assistance amid sectarian violence and Israeli intervention.

Turkey also warned Israel and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against actions destabilizing Syria, accusing the SDF of stalling a planned merger with the Syrian army.

Recent clashes in Sweida and tensions over a conference in SDF-controlled Hassakeh have further complicated Syria’s fragile stability.

 

Israeli Strike on Iran’s Evin Prison Likely War Crime, Prisoners Abused Afterward: Human Rights Report

Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing an “apparent war crime” in a June 23 airstrike on Tehran’s Evin Prison during its 12-day war with Iran, which killed at least 80 people, including inmates, visitors, and staff.

The group said Thursday that the attack was unlawfully indiscriminate, lacked warning, and had no clear military target, endangering over 1,500 detainees.

It also accused Iranian authorities of beating and abusing prisoners during transfers after the strike, with some, including Swedish-Iranian doctor Ahmadreza Djalali, now missing.

Both Israel and Iran have not commented on the allegations.

 

Japan Marks 80 Years Since WWII Surrender as Survivors Recall Relief and Loss

Japan marks the 80th anniversary of Emperor Hirohito’s announcement of surrender in World War II, a moment that ended the conflict but remains controversial due to debates over Hirohito’s wartime responsibility and how Japan should teach its history.

In a Thursday report by The Associated Press, some of the remaining survivors of the atomic bombings, firebombing, and wartime hardship recalled the mixed emotions of hearing the muffled, formal broadcast on August 15, 1945. While many felt relief, others wished the war had ended sooner.

Current Emperor Naruhito continues to stress preserving the memory of the war’s tragedies, while Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces political challenges amid growing revisionist sentiment.

 

South Korea’s Lee Offers to Restore 2018 Border Pact as North Korea Rejects Talks

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung marked the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation by pledging to restore the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing border tensions.

Lee assured Pyongyang that Seoul respects its system, will not seek unification by absorption, and remains committed to denuclearization through dialogue. He also called for improved relations with Japan ahead of upcoming summits with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump.

North Korea has dismissed Lee’s overtures, with Kim Jong Un’s sister mocking his diplomacy and reiterating Pyongyang’s disinterest in talks, instead emphasizing its growing alliance with Russia.

 

Modi Warns Pakistan Against ‘Nuclear Blackmail,’ Vows Stronger Retaliation for Future Attacks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan of severe retaliation for any future attacks, declaring India will no longer tolerate “nuclear blackmail.”

Speaking on Independence Day, three months after the two countries’ worst fighting in decades, Modi said India has set a “new normal” against terrorism and those who support it.

The May clashes, sparked by an April massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir, left dozens dead before a US-brokered ceasefire.

Modi also vowed to maintain India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, warning “blood and water will not flow together,” and announced a “high-powered demographic mission” to curb illegal migration, particularly from Bangladesh. He pledged to protect farmers’ interests amid US trade pressure and tariffs.

 

Sources: News Agencies