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With help from Phelim Kine, Lara Seligman, Lee Hudson and Erin Banco

Rep. MIKE TURNER (R-Ohio), the incoming chair of the House Intelligence Committee, would consider subpoenaing the office of the director of national intelligence if it doesn’t provide information on Covid-19’s origins and the IC’s domestic activities unrelated to foreign intelligence.

In a Monday afternoon interview with NatSec Daily, the panel’s current ranking member said the broader intelligence community hasn’t provided adequate briefings or answers to 27 letters from Republicans on Covid-19’s beginnings in Wuhan, China, and 19 letters on how the IC tracks extremists in the U.S. The ODNI also hasn’t delivered a congressionally mandated report on domestic activities of the intelligence community that was due on June 13.

House Republicans have homed in on the two issues because of what they allege are infractions by the Biden administration.

They say that the IC’s unclassified report on Covid-19’s origins is missing important context found in the classified version, though they cite an inability to discuss intelligence with reporters when asked for specifics. And they say that a March 2021 ODNI report on domestic violent extremism indicated that intel agencies charged with spying abroad might be using their tools on American citizens.

To show their displeasure, Republicans invoked a special measure that forces a vote on “resolutions of inquiry,” which compels executive-branch leaders to hand over information lawmakers want. However, more procedural hurdles need to be cleared before it can be enforced, and they won’t be as long as Democrats are in charge of the House.

The GOP says the unanimous passage of resolutions of inquiry last week on Covid-19 and domestic extremism in HPSCI shows bipartisan outrage, though some House Democrats told NatSec Daily it was a throwaway vote to them. The special parliamentary rules for the resolutions meant Democrats had to vote on it. Passing it and letting it die procedurally provided the least amount of drama.

For Turner, though, the vote is a clear signal to the Biden administration of what Republicans will dig into once he takes the gavel in January. He and his colleagues have multiple tools at their disposal to obtain the intel they want. But if those don’t compel ODNI to play ball, then Turner said it would prompt an “unfortunate” situation where he would weigh subpoenaing Director of National Intelligence AVRIL HAINES’ office.

“As we're looking to a shift in power here in Congress, these are areas that are absolutely our targets for subpoenas,” he said. “And this is our attempt to give the administration an opportunity to comply before we're in a situation where the conversation has to turn to an adversarial relationship.”

A spokesperson for the ODNI declined to comment for this story.

U.S.-AFRICA LEADERS’ SUMMIT: President JOE BIDEN will need more than his folksy charm to convince visiting African leaders that the U.S. is a better bet than China for reliable investment and development aid, our own PHELIM KINE writes.

Biden has invited 49 African heads of state to the second-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, which kicks off Tuesday. The president’s task: convince those leaders that his administration is ready to deliver robust diplomatic and economic engagement on the continent, and that he’ll commit the necessary resources to rival China as Africa’s superpower of choice.

That’s a hard sell given that Beijing has made cultivating close diplomatic and economic ties with Africa a top priority for decades. “China-Africa relations are the bedrock of China’s foreign policy,” the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., QIN GANG, said at the Semafor Africa Summit on Monday.

In an oopsie, the U.S. embassy in Niger posted talking points for the president during the summit on its website — and removed the page after Foreign Policy's ROBBIE GRAMER tweeted screenshots that included the question “Why are you inviting [XYZ leader] given everything bad s/he has done?” While the embassy deleted the documents from its site, we found the cached version, for your reading pleasure.

ISIS RAID: U.S. military forces killed two ISIS officials in eastern Syria in a helicopter raid over the weekend, including a terrorist known as Anas who was involved in the group’s deadly plotting and facilitation operations in the area, our own LARA SELIGMAN reports.

Initial assessments indicate no civilians were killed or injured in the operation, according to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Lt. Col. JOE BUCCINO.

“The death of these ISIS officials will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out destabilizing attacks in the Middle East,” Buccino said. It’s the latest in a series of successful U.S. military strikes against senior ISIS members in Syria this year.

The news comes as Turkey continues to threaten a ground offensive into northern Syria, leading the U.S. military’s regional partner, the Syrian Kurdish militia, to halt its operations against ISIS. It follows the death of leader ABU AL-HASAN AL-HASHIMI AL-QURAYSHI, who was killed in mid-October by the Free Syrian Army.

BIDEN AND ZELENSKYY SPEAK: Biden and Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY discussed ongoing U.S. support of the war-torn country in a phone call on Sunday, CNN’s SAM FOSSUM and JACK FORREST reported.

During the chat, the Ukrainian leader expressed his gratitude for the $275 million defense package last week that included weapons, artillery rounds and air defense systems. For his part, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to helping Ukraine throughout its war and holding Russia accountable for war crimes.

The call between the leaders was part of Zelenskyy’s diplomatic rounds this weekend to ensure strict sanctions on Moscow ahead of the Group of Seven and European Union meetings on Monday. Last week, European Union officials proposed a new set of sanctions, including banning exports of drone engines to Russia.

WAHL’S BODY IN U.S.: The body of U.S. soccer journalist GRANT WAHL has been repatriated to the U.S., the State Department confirmed Monday.

In a statement, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said “I so appreciated Grant Wahl, whose writing captured not only the essence of the beautiful game but also the world around it.”

Days ahead of his collapse in a stadium, Wahl had complained of feeling sick and having chest pains. He wrote that he’d gone to a medical clinic, was told he may have bronchitis, and was given antibiotics and cough syrup. Wahl, who was covering the World Cup for his own website, also noted that he’d had weeks of little sleep and high stress.

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RUSSIAN TROOPS KILLED IN HOTEL STRIKE: Ukrainian troops destroyed a hotel complex housing dozens of Russian military personnel with U.S.-supplied long-range artillery Saturday night, The Wall Street Journal’s IAN LOVETT and ALAN CULLISON reported.

It’s unclear how many troops were killed in the strike on the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, though Ukrainian and Russian officials estimated that the death toll could range from dozens to up to 200. On the same day, Ukrainian troops killed members of the paramilitary Wagner Group in a hotel in the town of Kadiivka, Reuters’ RON POPESKI reported, citing a senior official in the region.

The attacks follow persistent attacks from Russian troops on Ukraine’s energy systems over the weekend. About 1.5 million people were without power in the southern Odessa region, leaving only critical infrastructure connected to power, Zelenskyy said.

IRAN EXECUTION: Iran executed MAJIDREZA RAHNAVARD, a man who participated in nationwide protests, by hanging him atop a construction crane, the Associated Press' JON GAMBRELL reports.

Rahnavard allegedly fatally stabbed two members of Iran's paramilitary force and was taken into custody as a prisoner before the execution.

Iran state media published images of Rahnavard hanging from the crane, likely a sign that the regime is tightening its grip on dissent to deter future demonstrations.

Nearly 500 Iranians have died since protests began following the death of MAHSA AMINI in September.

WATCH OUT, THINK TANKERS: North Korea’s cyber spies are tricking experts into writing papers for them, seemingly to better understand what they think about current security issues involving Pyongyang.

In one such instance, a spy pretending to be the 38 North website’s JENNY TOWN contacted DANIEL DePETRIS commissioning an article — only it wasn’t her. He only found out the request was fake after reaching out to Town via Twitter DM.

“She confirmed it wasn’t her. She suggested I report it to CISA, which I promptly did,” DePetris, a fellow at the Defense Priorities think tank, told NatSec Daily. “I don’t know why they would be targeting me, to be completely honest. My hunch is the North Koreans are throwing a wide net into the U.S. policy community in order to solicit as many opinions as possible,” he said, adding there was no hacking involved in the contact.

This is an everyday style of operation for North Korea. “This is daily life for us,” Town said in a brief text exchange. It makes sense: While Pyongyang reads pretty much anything a U.S.-based expert writes on North Korea, it has nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying to get info directly from the source.

Town shared some tips on Twitter about how to identify and protect against such scams.

Reuters’ JOSH SMITH first reported the story.

HYPER ACTIVITY: The Air Force announced Monday that it conducted the first operational prototype test of an air-launched hypersonic weapon, signaling it may be ready to enter production, our own LEE HUDSON writes in.

The AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon was shot from a B-52H Stratofortress off the southern California coast on Friday. The weapon was supposed to be fielded this year, but Air Force Secretary FRANK KENDALL told lawmakers in May that the outcome of two scheduled flight tests this year would determine whether the project is canceled or enters production.

The service also conducted a successful test in July. The Air Force has invested more than $1.9 billion in the program since fiscal 2019. It is seeking $114 million in fiscal 2023 to continue the test program but has not set aside funding for production.

JAPAN WANTS TOMAHAWKS: Japan is continuing its military buildup by moving to acquire around 400 to 500 U.S.-built Tomahawk missiles, The Washington Post’s MICHELLE YE HEE LEE and ELLEN NAKASHIMA report.

“The missile buy would boost Japan’s long-range strike capability and mark a stunning break with a long tradition of eschewing offensive weapons,” they wrote.

Japan will reveal its new national security and defense strategies this week that will stick to the trend of the country shedding its post-World War II pacifism. Tokyo plans to boost defense spending to the 2-percent-of-GDP NATO standard, which would give it the world’s third-largest defense budget.

“Japan wanted to limit its defense spending and try not to acquire second-strike capability. But the situation surrounding us does not permit us to do that,” ICHIRO FUJISAKI, a former Japanese ambassador to the United States, told the Post in a clear reference to China’s military moves. “Many people thought [war] was a 20th-century issue, but we are now seeing that again.”

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– FORMERS: BOOST CHINA FUNDING: Twenty former senior civilian and military leaders are calling on Congress to pass supplemental emergency appropriations to better compete against China.

They want lawmakers to authorize “an initial infusion of funds” to implement new initiatives such as the $10 billion Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act and the CHIPS bill. Only by fully funding those and other national security, diplomacy and science programs can the United States have a chance of outdueling China in those areas, they say

The open letter to Congress was signed by CHARLES BOLDEN, the former NASA chief; retired Lt. Gen. JAMES CLAPPER, the former director of national intelligence; and LEON PANETTA, the former secretary of Defense, among others.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– MURPHY BACKS WPR: Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.), a longtime critic of the Saudi-led war in Yemen, will support the War Powers Resolution that Sen. BERNIESANDERS (I-Vt.) intends to bring to the floor as soon as this week, NatSec Daily has learned.

Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) has also come out in favor of the measure.

UKRAINE CODEL: Five House Armed Services Committee members traveled to Kyiv over the weekend, the latest bipartisan grouping to visit the country in a show of congressional support for its fight against Russia.

Reps. SETH MOULTON (D-Mass.), RUBEN GALLEGO (D-Ariz.), SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.), SALUD CARBAJAL (D-Calif.) and JOE WILSON (R-S.C.) first went to Poland to meet with officials and visit U.S. troops stationed there. Then they went to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials. All but Jacobs traveled to Ukraine in a similar CODEL almost exactly a year ago.

The CODEL comes as Congress is debating Biden's $38 billion Ukraine aid package that lawmakers want to pass during the lame duck session.

CUBA CODEL: Three Democratic House members traveled to Cuba over the weekend to meet with government officials, including President MIGUEL DÍAZ-CANEL.

Reps. JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.), MARK POCAN (D-Wisc.) and TROY CARTER (D-La.) have been on the island since Friday, Dec. 9., a Democratic congressional aide told NatSec Daily. The Cuban leader tweeted a photo of him greeting the lawmakers.

Biden administration officials have traveled to Cuba in recent months to discuss migration issues. Democrats, far more open to normalizing relations with the island than Republicans, argue the Biden administration can be friendlier with Cuba now that Florida is a red state.

It’s unclear what message the three representatives conveyed to Cuban officials.

TURKEY MISSILE THREAT: Greece's government slammed Turkish President RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN over his threat to strike Athens with ballistic missiles over the weekend, the Associated Press' ELENA BECATOROS and SUZAN FRASER report.

Relations between the two NATO members have deteriorated over to territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and energy exploration rights, bringing both sides to the brink of conflict on multiple occasions.

Tensions between both sides represent a growing rift in NATO's strengthened unity since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

SONER CAGAPTAY, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, believes that there isn’t an imminent threat of conflict between Greece and Turkey, noting the domestic incentive for both sides to use threatening rhetoric ahead of upcoming elections.

“I'd say there's near zero risk of Turkish-Greek war, it's just escalation, tension-filled rhetoric,” Cagaptay told NatSec Daily. “It fits into the electoral agendas of leaders on both sides of the Aegean.”

— DEMRI SCOTT is joining research company ANSER’s team at the Pentagon as a legislative analyst in the office of the secretary of Defense. She previously was military legislative assistant for Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.).

— Retired Army Lt. Gen. STEPHEN FOGARTY has joined Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior executive adviser to lead on offense and defense cyber strategies. Fogarty was most recently the commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command.

— ELAINE SHANNON, POLITICO: ‘The Merchant of Death Is Back in Action’

— KARIM SADJADPOUR, The New York Times: Can the Iranians Topple the Ayatollah?

— JAMES BANDLER, ProPublica: Inside Google’s Quest to Digitize Troops’ Tissue Samples

— Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: A Conversation with Ambassador JULIANNE SMITH, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO

— House Homeland Security Committee, 10 a.m.:Examining The Operations Of The Office Of Intelligence And Analysis

— Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.:Strengthening Defense in an Unstable World

— Cyber Initiatives Group, 11 a.m.:Cyber Initiatives Group Winter Summit 2022

— Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 12 p.m.:What’s next for Russia: Does Putin Matter?

Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot me an email at [email protected] to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter.

Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who never responds to our requests for more information.

And we thank our producer, Jeffrey Horst, who is a font of knowledge.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this newsletter misstated Mark Pocan's party affiliation.