-
Pick to Lead Afghan War Unlikely to Alter Strategy
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2012 CommentThe man President Obama is expected to tap as the next commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is seen as a loyal officer who will not rock the boat.
-
Report: Military Drones Only 'Slightly' Cheaper Than Piloted Jets
Tweet Share on Facebook August 21, 2012 CommentMilitary drones are only slightly cheaper than manned warplanes, and data indicates the remotely piloted aircraft also are more prone to mishaps, a new report says.
-
Source: No Evidence Afghan Forces Helped Attack U.S. General's Plane
Tweet Share on Facebook August 21, 2012 CommentThere is no evidence that Afghan forces assisted Taliban forces with an attack that damaged Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey's plane, a senior Pentagon official tells U.S. News & World Report.
-
Little U.S., NATO Leaders Can Do About 'Insider Attacks'
Tweet Share on Facebook August 20, 2012 CommentA number of recent fatal attacks on U.S. and Nato forces by Afghan security forces reveals there are few ways for U.S. and NATO officials to prevent similar attacks in the future.
On 32 occasions during the first eight months of this year, individuals wearing Afghan security uniforms have attacked U.S. or other Western troops. With four months to go in 2012, a figure that is already 11 above last year could climb even higher.
-
Loathed Continuing Resolution Might Be Way Out of Defense Cuts
Tweet Share on Facebook August 10, 2012 CommentWashington insiders often lament lawmakers' newfound use of governmentwide spending measures each year to keep all federal agencies operating. But one budget guru says this newfound ritual might be the lone way to avoid the thing feared most in defense circles: sequestration.
-
U.S., Saudis Step Up Efforts to Find Syria Solution
Tweet Share on Facebook August 10, 2012 CommentThe U.S. and Saudi Arabia are stepping up diplomatic efforts to find a solution in Syria, eager to prevent Russia and Iran from deciding who rules that nation if Bashar al-Assad is driven from office.
-
Embattled F-35 Program Scores A Key Victory
Tweet Share on Facebook August 9, 2012 CommentThe embattled F-35 fighter program, amid a myriad technical problems, quietly keeps racking up wins as Pentagon officials try to protect America's lone active tactical jet program from big cuts.
The variant of the fighter being developed for the Marine Corps released a 1,000-pound bomb over the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday, Lockheed Martin and the Navy announced Thursday. Navy Capt. Erik Etz, a top F-35 program official, called the dropping of a GBU-3 Joint Direct Attack Munition "a significant entry into a new phase of testing for the F-35 program."
The bomb drop from the fighter jet marked the first time any of the three F-35 variants successfully completed what the military calls an "airborne weapon separation." The successful test comes after several others last year.
-
Why Yemen Isn't Afghanistan or Iraq
Tweet Share on Facebook August 9, 2012 CommentA senior U.S. counterterrorism official spoke before a packed room at a prominent Washington think tank Wednesday, touting the White House's "comprehensive approach" that emphasizes "governance and development" in a faraway land.
Yes, you have heard these buzzwords before. But John Brennan wasn't talking about Washington's policy for Iraq or Afghanistan. He was describing the Obama administration's approach to Yemen, the newest front in the war against al Qaeda.
-
Top Obama Aide: National Security Leaks 'Absolutely' Have Caused Damage
Tweet Share on Facebook August 8, 2012 CommentA senior aide to President Obama is calling for any White House official who knowingly leaked details about classified national security programs to be prosecuted.
Details of national security programs that have been made public in recent months have been "unconscionable," John Brennan, Obama's chief homeland security and counterterrorism official, said Wednesday.
Asked during a forum in Washington whether those leaks have damaged sensitive programs and operations, Brennan responded, "Absolutely."
-
White House Official: Obama Yet to Rule Out Syrian Intervention
Tweet Share on Facebook August 8, 2012 CommentA senior White House official says President Barack Obama has yet to rule out sending U.S. military forces to quell Syria's bloody civil war.
John Brennan, the White House's top homeland security and counterterrorism official, also says Syria is "awash" in weapons despite rebel leaders' claims that Washington and its allies aren't doing enough to aid their violent struggle against Bashar al-Assad's military.
