Now that we’re out of Iraq, the CIA has come clean on how it came to be bamboozled about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ferrets over at the National Security Archive (NSA) …
Military
Tunnel Vision
The U.S. is eager to rebuild the Salang Pass tunnel in Afghanistan. It’s a vital conduit linking Kabul to everything north of the capital. Just how important is it?
The site is located at high altitude and is a critical part of the infrastructure of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA); and as such shall
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Army Life: The Waiting Never Ends
They say war is long stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror – or maybe excitement. Two recent military photos illustrate the point. In one, a lonely soldier awaits attack by the enemy. In the second, …
Wars? What Wars?
Wednesday night was supposed to be “foreign policy night” at the Republican convention in Tampa, and it was: the speeches were conventional.
Neither GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney nor his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan …
“We actually have a distinction between `lessons identified' and `lessons learned' – sometimes you can identify the lesson, but you don't learn.”
Getting Bin Laden: Who Cares If He Fought Back?
So this is what it comes down to: a former SEAL who participated in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden charges in his new book that the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people was simply killed when he …
“I make no apologies for being on the ground in the Anbar province. We settled right in next door to our allies; more specifically, the United States Army. (Laughter.) And we fought there pretty hard. [Army chief of staff and General] Ray [Odierno], I didn't mean it to come out that way.”
Training the Afghan Military
Army Major Christopher Miller was in Afghanistan in 2006-2007 helping to train up its security forces. An infantryman, he was there as part of a four-man embedded tactical trainer – ETT – with the 41st Brigade Combat Team, …
The U.S.: Arms Merchant to the Developing World
The Congressional Research Service’s latest annual compendium of global arms sales shows the U.S. to be the behemoth when it comes to such commerce. Some highlights:
— Per the pie chart, the U.S. accounted for 79% of the
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Who Do You Think Is Right?
There are growing doubts about the chances of success for the U.S.-initiated war in Afghanistan. Rarely are opposing views crystallized as sharply as they were over the weekend: Marine General John Allen, the top U.S. commander …
Death in 11 Seconds: When Headlights Become Stars
You can fly the nation’s hottest warplanes flawlessly for 1,462.6 hours. But modern warfare is unforgiving. So in your final 11 seconds of flight, and life – when night and dust storms blind you, turn headlights into stars, and …
Of Blowouts and Beards…
Probably makes sense that the military judge overseeing the court proceedings against five alleged terrorists – including purported 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – put them on hold Thursday as tropical storm – and …
