Overnight Defense: Pentagon details flawed security clearance vetting | Trump urges Turkey to pull back in Syria | Military investigating photos purportedly of Niger ambush

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: A Pentagon agency gave preliminary security clearances that were later revoked to contractors with criminal or otherwise problematic histories, according to a new report. The Hill's Olivia Beavers has the story: The Defense Department released a report on Wednesday detailing how government contractors continued to access sensitive government data after going through a vetting process, despite prior criminal records or other questionable past activity. The government revoked the security clearances of 165 defense contractors in 2017 and in most cases further investigations revealed that they had been previously linked to troublesome or unlawful activity, according to a copy of the report obtained by The Hill. "Of those 165 cases, 151 people had pre-existing issues that they did not disclose and were not discovered during initial checks; the issues were not identified until the investigation was completed," the report reads. NBC News first reported the DOD data, provided to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in mid-October in response to an inquiry about their vetting processes. Read the rest here.   TRUMP TELLS ERDOGAN TO 'DEESCALATE' IN SYRIA: President Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Ankara's ongoing offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. The Hill's Max Greenwood reports: Trump urged Erdogan to scale back military operations in a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria during a phone call Wednesday. Trump cautioned Erdogan against taking any actions that could risk a potential clash between Turkish and American forces, according to the White House. Trump also said Ankara and Washington should instead keep their focus on defeating ISIS militants. The call came four days after Turkish forces launched an attack into Afrin, a city in northwestern Syria which is controlled by a Kurdish group known as the YPG. Read more here.   MILITARY EXAMINING PHOTOS CLAIMING TO SHOW SOLDIERS KILLED IN NIGER: The U.S. military is investigating the authenticity of photos posted online claiming to show soldiers killed in the October ambush in Niger. The Hill's Ellen Mitchell reports: One author and researcher posted on Twitter that a video broadcast by an affiliate of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) lasted more than 10 minutes and included scenes of a wounded soldier and the bodies of three other U.S. soldiers killed in the ambush. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement it is aware of the images on Twitter and is investigating the claims. "USAFRICOM is aware of a post on Twitter purporting to show a US Soldier from the Oct. 4 ambush in Tongo Tongo, Niger," AFRICOM said in a release. "We are reviewing the post and determining the veracity of the tweet and the assertions that there is an associated video," officials continued. Read more here.   MATTIS THANKS VIETNAM FOR ENFORCING NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS: Defense Secretary James Mattis' overseas trip continued Wednesday with a stop in Hanoi, Vietnam, that comes just before the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive. En route to the capital city, Mattis told reporters that Vietnam deserves credit for enforcing sanctions against North Korea despite costs to it from lost trade. "I have to pay my respects there and thank them for their support on the DPRK issue," he said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name. "They have been supporting the United Nations sanctions, at some cost to them, and so we appreciate the leadership on that leading by example and stepping up." Read more on Mattis' comments here.   Mattis' trip also lit up the internet Wednesday as his stop in Jakarta included a splashy show by Indonesian special forces that featured the troops decapitating snakes and drinking their blood. The Washington Post, which is traveling with him, has video and pictures.   ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller will speak at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) at 9 a.m. http://bit.ly/2reLhYW Former secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, and former deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the U.S. national security strategy at 10 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room G-50. http://bit.ly/2DkUT5S Gen. James Holmes, the commander of the Air Force's Air Combat Command, will speak at the Brookings Institution on the future of warfare and multi-domain battle spaces at 10 a.m. http://brook.gs/2rmRu55 CSIS will hear from military officials on new operational concepts for integrated air and missile defense at 2 p.m. Thursday in Washington. http://bit.ly/2DaFEMK   ICYMI: -- The Hill: Armed Services Dem: US nuclear policy shouldn't reflect Trump tweet -- The Hill: US slaps new sanctions on North Korea over weapons program -- The Hill: State Dept: Four US citizens killed, two injured in Kabul attack -- Defense News: Interview: Nuke warhead chief talks risk of nuclear war -- Fayetteville Observer: At Fort Bragg, six women become 1st in Army to earn Expert Infantryman Badge -- Washington Post: Judge orders US to give notice before transferring American ISIS suspect held in Iraq     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. 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