OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: White House rejects Panetta criticism

THE TOPLINE: Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s new memoir Worthy Fights is due to be released on Tuesday, but the book is already causing headaches for the Obama administration. 

On Monday, the White House rejected Panetta’s criticisms that President Obama’s decisions made the current U.S. fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) harder.

{mosads}White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Panetta’s criticisms were not legitimate.

“The president has demonstrated, I think, in a rather public fashion over the last several weeks his success in leading the international community to confront some of the very difficult challenges of our time,” Earnest said.

Panetta told USA Today in his first interview about the book that the president did not push the Iraqi government harder to allow a residual U.S. troops to remain after 2011, creating a “vacuum” for ISIS to breed. 

Panetta also cited Obama’s warning to Syrian leader Bashar Assad not to use chemical weapons against his own people, but then failing to act when the “red line” was crossed in 2013.

He also cited Obama’s rejection of advice from top aides — including Panetta and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — to begin arming Syrian rebels in 2012.

However, Panetta also said showing leadership in the fight against ISIS is Obama’s to get a fresh start after having “lost his way.”

“He may have found himself again with regards to this ISIS crisis. I hope that’s the case,” he said.

HILLARY CLINTON SEES ‘LONG-TERM STRUGGLE’ AGAINST ISIS: Former Secretary of State and possible 2016 presidential contender Hillary Clinton said Monday that military force is a necessary part of the “long term” struggle against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. 

Clinton said at an event in Ottawa on Monday that she supports military action against ISIS because the terrorist group’s mission is “expansionary” in nature and working to embed militants in countries. 

She added that she advocated early on arming and training moderate rebels in Syria, but that the president ultimately disagreed — a line echoed by former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in his new memoir. 

NO MEDAL YET FOR TROOPS FIGHTING ISIS: The Pentagon still has not found a way to award deployment or campaign medals to troops who are fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), officials said Monday.

Media outlets last week reported that the Pentagon was going to make troops eligible for the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) medal, which is given to troops supporting the Operation Enduring Freedom, usually associated with Afghanistan.

But the Pentagon on Monday said those reports were premature.

“The Department is working closely with U.S. Central Command to determine the most appropriate means to recognize participation in ongoing operations in Iraq and Syria. No decisions have been made yet,” Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen said Monday.

The Hill first reported last week that there were no campaign or deployment medals available to troops fighting ISIS, primarily because the mission has not yet been designated an official military campaign.

The medal eligibility issue has riled lawmakers, with several demanding that the Pentagon find a solution.

VA FIRES TWO OFFICIALS: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it is moving to fire two key officials following a summer scandal over falsified appointment wait times. 

The Washington Post identified VA Deputy Chief Procurement Officer Susan Taylor and Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System Director James Talton as the officials to be terminated.

The agency issued a statement Monday on Taylor’s removal, noting that, “The proposed removal of the DCPO underscores VA’s commitment to hold leaders accountable and get Veterans the care they need.” 

The firings are among the first after the scandal broke this summer. The uproar over delayed care for veterans led to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation.

Congress has passed legislation that granted the VA chief greater authority to remove senior executives. 

A Central Alabama network employee allegedly drove a patient to a crack house, left him there overnight, and helped him buy narcotics, according to the Post. Also, a doctor in the network falsified more than 1,200 patient records despite being repeatedly caught. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

— UK’s ISIS campaign gets a name

— FBI accuses Chicago man of trying to join ISIS

— Jindal slams defense cuts in security speech

— No medal yet for troops fighting ISIS

— Veterans group unveils $800K ad buy

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