| December 8, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF | Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense.
| ADVERTISEMENT  | | ADVERTISEMENT  | TODAY'S TOP 5 1. America's military: A force adrift
(Military Times) After 13 years of war, troops feel burned out and without a sense of mission. More doubt their leaders and their job security.
2. Hagel says U.S. to leave up to 1,000 extra troops in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday confirmed that the Obama administration will leave up to 1,000 more troops than originally planned in Afghanistan beyond year's end, as the United States and NATO nations scramble to ensure that a new international mission to support Afghan forces is launched on time.
3. Backsliding in Afghanistan
(New York Times Editorial Board) No one has sounded more determined to extricate the United States from Afghanistan than President Obama. It is "time to turn the page," he said in May when he announced plans to reduce American forces to 9,800 troops by the end of December, with a full withdrawal by the end of 2016. That goal appeared to be on track - until now. Mr. Obama's recent turnabout and other developments seem to be sucking America back into the Afghan war, a huge mistake.
4. US hands over senior Taliban commander to Pakistan
(Associated Press) The U.S. military in Afghanistan has handed over three Pakistani detainees to Islamabad, including one who Pakistani intelligence officers said is a senior Taliban commander long wanted by the Pakistani government.
5. U.S. Defense Officials: No Policy Review on Tap After Somers Killing
(Wall Street Journal) The Pentagon isn't reviewing the use of special-operation forces to rescue hostages despite a weekend mission that led to the death of two men held by militants in Yemen, defense officials said.
YEMEN RESCUE MISSION Luke Somers Raid in Yemen: How It Went Wrong
(Wall Street Journal) Under the cover of night, U.S. commandos approached the walled compound on foot, hoping to catch unawares the militants holding two hostages, including American Luke Somers.
US Commandos 'Lost the Element of Surprise' in Yemen Raid
(Defense One) About 40 U.S. commandos rushed into a compound in central Yemen to make a second attempt to rescue American journalist Luke Somers on Friday, but the special operators "lost the element of surprise" and Somers and another hostage appeared to be shot and killed by their captors before they could be rescued, defense officials said.
Thirteen killed in failed U.S. hostage rescue bid in Yemen
(Reuters) A woman, a 10-year-old boy and a local al Qaeda leader were among at least 11 people killed alongside two Western hostages when U.S.-led forces fought Islamist militants in a failed rescue mission in Yemen, residents said on Sunday.
Death of American hostage in Yemen renews focus on U.S. policy
(McClatchy) The death of American photojournalist Luke Somers in a special forces rescue operation in Yemen on Saturday was a reminder that such high-risk missions are as likely to fail as to succeed.
US says it was unaware of S. African hostage talks
(Associated Press) The United States did not know about talks on the reportedly imminent release of a South African hostage who died in a U.S. raid on al-Qaida militants in Yemen, the U.S. ambassador in South Africa said Monday.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN Ash Carter: Easy Senate Confirmation?
(Defense News) A roundtable of experts discusses Ash Carter's nomination to be the next Defense secretary. The panel includes Arnold Punaro, John T. Bennett, Thomas Donnelly and Jim Marshall.
White House and DoD Management
(Defense News) This week's roundtable continues its discussion on Ash Carter's nomination to secretary of Defense.
Danish Frigate Nils Juel
(Defense News) Defense News naval warfare staff writer Christopher P. Cavas and mulitmedia producer Lars Schwetje file a report from the HDMS Nils Juel, a Danish Navy frigate.
Vago's Notebook: Ash Carter
(Defense News) Defense secretary nominee Carter has devoted a lifetime to defense, strategy and technology.
ISLAMIC STATE White House Seeks to Clarify Syria Policy
(Wall Street Journal) President Barack Obama is exploring ways to clarify his Syria policy, senior administration officials said, including how to reconcile his opposition to both the Assad regime and the Sunni militants that are its chief foe.
New U.S. military command established for Iraq and Syria operations
(Washington Post) The U.S. military has established a new command that will oversee operations in both Iraq and Syria, military officials said Friday.
Band battles Islamic State over Mount Sinjar in Iraq
(USA Today) Kawa scrambles down the hill at a rapid clip in his ragged, knock-off Adidas Center Court III sneakers. His green kaffiyeh, tied around his head like a bandana, flaps behind him in the wind as he runs through the rocky, desert terrain at the foot of Mount Sinjar. He shrinks into a dot as he runs, hurtling into the distance past the sand dunes, his AK-47 rattling against his back, until he disappears into a cave.
Shiite Militias Win Bloody Battles in Iraq, Show No Mercy
(Wall Street Journal) In a makeshift barracks about 40 miles south of Baghdad, Ahmed al-Zamili flipped through pictures on his mobile phone: an Islamic State fighter's corpse hanging from a crude noose, a dead man on the ground clutching an AK-47 and a kneeling, blindfolded man uttering a confession.
Syria accused of using chlorine gas on ISIL
(Al Jazeera) The Syrian government has been accused of using chlorine gas against the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the latest allegations of chemical weapons use in the country's bitter conflict.
INDUSTRY UTC Boss Sails Off After Trip to Yacht
(Wall Street Journal) Shortly before Louis Chenevert abruptly retired as chief executive of United Technologies Corp. , he made a side trip to Taiwan to check on the construction of his 110-foot yacht.
Hyten: Clear Message on RD-180 Replacement as SpaceX Certification Looms
(Defense News) The US Air Force's point man on space acknowledged Friday what he called "clear" direction from Congress to move away from the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine, but warned there are many details to be worked out before a replacement is selected.
India Chooses Sikorsky for $1 Billion Military Helicopter Deal
(Wall Street Journal) India has awarded a helicopter contract estimated at $1 billion to Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., an official at the country's defense ministry said on Saturday.
Congressional Block on Tanker Retirements Could Delay KC-46
(Defense News) The KC-46A Pegasus tanker is one of the three major recapitalization priorities for the Air Force. But with Congress moving to block retirement of older tankers, the Pegasus could find itself short on maintainers as it attempts to come online.
ATK/Orbital merger cleared by US DoJ
(IHS Jane's 360) The merger of Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and Orbital Sciences Corporation has been cleared by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), the companies announced on 4 December.
Pakistan Seeks To Prop Up Exports, Boost Industry
(Defense News) Pakistan aims to deepen existing partnerships, attract new partners and build equipment at home, despite economic instability and insecurity.
Lockheed missile deal with Poland worth $250 million: defense ministry
(Reuters) A contract won by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) to supply Poland's air force with JASSM long-range air-to-surface missiles is worth about $250 million, the Polish defense ministry said.
VETERANS Post-9/11 vet unemployment picture improves in November
(Military Times) The up-and-down unemployment rate for the latest generation of veterans dipped in November, falling to 5.7 percent, government data show. Only two times in the monthly measure's more-than-six-year history has this unemployment rate been lower.
Vegas Navy Cross recipient shot down by VA benefits office
(Las Vegas Review-Journal) Vietnam War veteran Steve Lowery has the scars, the medals and his Marine Corps medical records to prove he was wounded when his 12-man reconnaissance team was attacked on March 5, 1969.
Bill aims to keep cross on Mt. Soledad in San Diego, ending dispute
(Los Angeles Times) An amendment to a bill pending in Congress would permit a 43-foot cross to remain atop Mt. Soledad in San Diego - in hopes of ending an emotional, divisive legal battle that has raged for more than two decades.
Lawmakers set last-ditch push to prevent veteran suicides
(The Hill) House and Senate lawmakers are poised to use the final days of the lame-duck session to pass a bill aimed at preventing veteran suicides.
WWII airman finally laid to rest
(Air Force Times) After 70 years, Charles Gardner has finally come home to his final resting place. He was buried with full military honors Dec. 4 at Arlington National Cemetery after his remains were identified this year by joint prisoner of war/MIA accounting command teams in the South Pacific.
CONGRESS Sen. Corker Fears Panel 'Rushing' Into Crafting, Voting on Islamic State AUMF
(Defense News) The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Republican believes the panel is "rushing" into a measure that would legally approve US strikes in Iraq and Syria.
Sen. Kaine: Eliminating sequester 'unrealistic'
(The Hill) Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a new interview that Congress won't be able to completely eliminate sequestration.
Sen. McCain Sets Sights on 'Disgraceful' Cost-Plus Contracts
(Defense News) Incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain wants to prohibit the Pentagon from award cost-plus contracts, arguing such deals encourage nefariousness.
Key lawmaker defends House Benghazi report
(The Hill) Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) on Sunday defended the House's most recent report on the 2012 Benghazi attack, saying it was not meant to be a wide-ranging judgment of the Obama administration's actions.
Sen. Grassley: Pentagon officials botched investigation of bin Laden raid leak
(McClatchy) Two top officials in the Pentagon Inspector General's Office bungled an investigation into allegations that former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other defense officials leaked classified information to Hollywood filmmakers, a senior Republican senator is charging.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Next SecDef: Familiar face, familiar problems
(Military Times) The White House on Friday formally announced its nominee to run the Pentagon during the final months of the Obama administration, tapping Ash Carter, a well-known technocrat who is expected to "hit the ground running."
Carter Faces 'Big Affordability Problem' in Budget, Kendall Says
(Bloomberg) Ashton Carter, if confirmed as Defense secretary, faces fiscal 2016, 2017 budgets complicated by possible new programs in Pentagon's nuclear weapons arsenal, says Frank Kendall, undersecretary for acquisition.
'Enormously Energetic' Carter May Replace A Weary Hagel
(Breaking Defense) The rational and mild-mannered Jamie Morin, the Pentagon's director of cost assessment and program evaluation (CAPE), of course put it more politely than that in his remarks this afternoon at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Sec. Hagel has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I think he's been a steady hand in a trying time," Morin said. "If he's confirmed, Dr. Carter will bring an even more energetic perspective."
Obama: Pentagon nominee Carter must improve cyber defenses
(Inside Cybersecurity) The improvement of cyber defenses is among the challenges awaiting Ashton Carter, President Obama's nominee to be the next defense secretary, Obama said today at the White House.
The Pentagon's 2016 Budget Will Focus on the Pacific
(Defense One) The Pentagon's 2016 budget proposal will focus investments heavily on pivoting the military to the Pacific and continuing security operations in the Middle East, according to defense officials and experts.
U.S. sends 6 Guantanamo captives to new lives in Uruguay
(Miami Herald) The U.S. military dropped off six long-ago cleared Guantanamo captives in Uruguay on Sunday - culminating a complex, on-again, off-again year-long deal to resettle the men in the nation of President Jose Mujica, himself a long-held political prisoner.
Pentagon Watchdog: DOD Stumbles in Cloud Computing Plan
(NextGov) According to the IG, the DOD chief information officer "did not develop an implementation plan that assigned roles and responsibilities as well as associated tasks, resources and milestones," despite promises an implementation plan would directly follow the cloud strategy's release.
ARMY Medal of Honor campaign continues for black sergeant who saved troops
(Los Angeles Times) If he had known in 2005 what he knows today, Brig. Gen. Gary Brito would have nominated Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe for the Medal of Honor.
Army sets 160 seats for female Ranger School volunteers
(Army Times) So many women volunteered to attend Ranger School that the Army is now asking its commands and units to whittle down the list to 160 candidates.
Soldier from Grove City laid to rest
(Columbus Dispatch) Even the Army chaplain cried.
Lewis-McChord soldier faces rape, assault charges
(Army Times) A specialist stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, faces rape, assault, kidnapping and burglary charges after police say he broke into the home of a fellow soldier Nov. 29 and physically and sexually abused her for hours in her bedroom before the woman called 911.
Fort Bliss soldier killed in El Paso apartment, husband arrested
(El Paso Times) The Fort Bliss soldier found dead Thursday afternoon in a North Central El Paso apartment was slain, and her husband has been arrested, officials said.
What smells? Army launches hygiene study
(Army Times) Antimicrobial fabrics can help soldiers in the field fend off fungus and battle body odor. But it can be tricky to track the gear's use and effectiveness - soldiers aren't exactly rushing to admit such problems, despite the silent prayers of their battle buddies.
Hero' soldier surprises Afghan boy at school
(Times Tribune; Scranton, Pa.) A special visitor waited in the hallway outside Terry Kline's classroom on Friday.
NAVY Two spec ops helo squadrons imperiled by budget battle
(Navy Times) The Navy has two secretive helicopter squadrons devoted to special operations forces support, but thanks to tightening budgets, they're at risk of being shut down next year.
US Navy Engineer Indicted For Trying To Sell Secrets
(Defense News) A naturalized American citizen working for the US Navy was arrested Friday for attempting to sell technical information about the nuclear aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford to an agent of the Egyptian government.
Court-martial set for Bush sailor in sex-assault case
(Virginian-Pilot) A sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier Bush will face a court-martial next week on charges he sexually assaulted two girls. The charges include raping a child under 12 years old.
Widows oppose selection of CO cited for role in fatal helo mishap
(Navy Times) Last year, two pilots were killed when high seas swept a chained helicopter off the flight deck of the destroyer William P. Lawrence.
Navy's fired skippers often maintain their rank
(Stars & Stripes) In the past five years, 90 Navy skippers have been relieved of duty for indiscretions ranging from driving under the influence to having inappropriate relationships.
Navy encouraged by performance of laser system on USS Ponce
(Stars & Stripes) The U.S. Navy is one step closer to outfitting ships with lasers that officials say can hit air and surface targets with precision.
NASA legend Jim Lovell talks about the space program
(Navy Times) Few know more about the hazards of space flight than distinguished naval aviator and NASA veteran astronaut retired Capt. Jim Lovell. Lovell logged more than 7,000 flight hours during his naval career and more than 715 hours in space.
Navy bans Newport News restaurant after sailor shot
(Virginian-Pilot) The Navy has placed the Deja Vu restaurant in Newport News off limits to all personnel after a sailor was among five people shot in the restaurant's parking lot during a fight earlier this week.
USS Arizona: The attack that changed the world
(Arizona Republic) Reveille sounded at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, same time as every day. But on a Sunday, the USS Arizona was slower to awaken.
AIR FORCE F-16 pilot remembered as a hero
(Air Force Times) Capt. Will DuBois was not afraid to try anything. DuBois, 30, was killed Nov. 30 when his F-16 crashed shortly after takeoff as he was headed out on a mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the military's battle against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. "He was the best man I ever knew," DuBois' father William DuBois Sr. said. "He had a short life that was so well-lived. He lived life to the fullest. He was so much more."
Air Force confirms human remains found are those of missing airman
(Pacific Daily News) U.S. Air Force officials from Andersen Air Force Base have confirmed that the human remains found at Tarague Beach on Thursday belonged to the missing airman military personnel have been searching for since Monday.
Bronze Stars awarded for 5-hour fire fight
(Air Force Times) It was 4 a.m. on July 17 when Tech Sgts. Matthew Treadwell and Randy Sampson awoke to sounds of gunfire close to their deployment site.
China Reaches Out To US For Space Data: Air Force Space Commander
(Breaking Defense) China has taken the unprecedented step of asking Air Force Space Command to share information about possible satellite and satellite debris collisions. The United States had been sharing so-called conjunction warnings with China through the State Department, but no one knew if China actually paid any attention because the data was never acknowledged.
Watch the A-10 Movie the U.S. Air Force Doesn't Want You to See
(War Is Boring) The U.S. Air Force has practically begged Congress to allow it to retire its roughly 300 A-10 Warthogs, those venerable twin-jet attackers that saved countless soldiers' lives in Iraq and Afghanistan-and which recently returned to Iraq to help battle Islamic State.
What's Next for CAS?
(Air Force Magazine) The Air Force's 2015 budget proposal to retire the A-10 Warthog-famed for its fearsome 30 mm gun and rugged survivability-elicited a firestorm of protest from A-10 fans and some ground troop supporters-many of whom seem unwilling to accept any other USAF platform for delivering close air support.
Military appeals court to hear Kansas HIV case
(Associated Press) The nation's highest military court will hear oral arguments this week in the case of a Kansas airman of aggravated assault for exposing multiple sex partners to HIV at swinger parties in Wichita.
Airman faces retrial in high-speed car crash that killed 2 fellow airmen
(Stars & Stripes) The new trial begins Monday of a Spangdahlem airman whose conviction and prison sentence for negligent homicide were tossed out on a technicality on appeal.
MARINE CORPS Marines grapple with combat integration test challenges
(Marine Corps Times) Early into weapons training at the Ground Combat Integrated Task Force, Marines with the provisional rifle platoon encountered a very gender-specific problem.
Marines to invade L.A.: Don't know where or when. But don't panic
(Los Angeles Times) Downtown Los Angeles might look like a scene out of the video game "Call of Duty" next week, but military officials say do not be alarmed. It's training.
Marines, soldiers could soon carry 'flash bang' mortars
(Marine Corps Times) A new 81mm mortar can deliver a terrifying barrage of flash bangs to distances beyond a mile while minimizing collateral damage.
U.S. marine suspected in Okinawa hit-and-run
(Kyodo News Agency) A U.S. Marine is suspected in a hit-and-run incident that seriously injured a 67-year-old man in Okinawa Prefecture last week, according to prefectural government sources.
Questions about PME checklist prompt officials to restate tattoo rules
(Marine Corps Times) In an apparent move to clear up confusion over tattoo regulations, Corps officials released new guidance for Marines enrolling in resident professional military education courses.
Patriot Profiles: 'You wouldn't last five minutes in the Marine Corps'
(Del Mar Times; Calif.) First sergeant went from 'small and wimpy' to becoming senior enlisted adviser in a supply battalion
Former Marine allegedly stole from Toys for Tots
(Marine Corps Times) A former Marine and his son allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from the Kentucky arm of the Marine Corps League, including donations intended for the national Toys for Tots program.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN In Afghanistan, a tight timeline for new U.S.-led training and support mission
(Washington Post) Almost as soon as U.S. commanders begin a new support mission in Afghanistan on Jan. 1, anchored by four training hubs, they will start a year-long sprint to make the most of their time advising Afghan forces before the hubs are shuttered 12 months later.
Afghan Leader Seeks to Slow U.S. Troop Drawdown
(Wall Street Journal) President Ashraf Ghani is pushing the U.S. to slow its drawdown of forces in the next two years, an effort that threatens to put the Obama administration in a bind as it seeks to end large-scale military involvement in Afghanistan.
In Kabul's Valley of Death, hints of Afghanistan's security woes
(Washington Post) At an intersection of a deadly road, Afghan security forces stand watch. They peek into vehicles, stare suspiciously at anyone running across the street. They are on alert for suicide bombers, the sort that have inspired Afghans to dub the road and the surrounding area "The Valley of Death."
With the Troops: Bittersweet farewell for 18th Airborne Corps
(Fayetteville Observer) Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson's office overlooking the Kabul International Airport is almost empty. The shelves are bare, the walls pocked with nails.
Afghan official: US drone kills 9 Taliban fighters
(Associated Press) A suspected U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed nine alleged Pakistani Taliban fighters in a rural village near the mountainous border between the two countries, a local official said Sunday.
Pakistani army kills senior al Qaeda commander tasked with attacking the West
(Long War Journal) The Pakistani military said it killed Adnan Shukrijumah, a senior al Qaeda leader who was tasked with plotting attacks in North America, during a raid in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of South Waziristan. Shukrijumah was a member of al Qaeda's external operations council and was involved with the 2008 plot to bomb subways in New York City and another plot to detonate fuel pipelines at JFK International Airport.
MIDDLE EAST Israel bombs Syria in attacks probably aimed at Hezbollah
(Washington Post) Israeli warplanes bombed targets in territory held by the Syrian government near Damascus on Sunday, underscoring the deepening complexity of the war raging on multiple fronts in Syria and beyond.
Israel opens new criminal probes into civilian deaths in Gaza
(McClatchy) The Israeli army has announced eight new criminal investigations into operations during last summer's war in the Gaza Strip, including one of its deadliest airstrikes that killed more than two dozen Palestinians, including 19 children, in a family home.
U.S. mulls harsher action against settlement construction
(Haaretz) It isn't clear how the early election will affect the White House's decision, as they are looking into the effect penalizing Israel would have on Netanyahu's prospects at the polls.
Representative of Ayman al Zawahiri reportedly captured in Turkey
(Lonng War Journal) An operative who was dispatched to Libya by al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri was reportedly captured in Turkey and is now being held in Jordan.
Four years on, something of an Arab Winter
(Associated Press) It began with a spark, four years ago: An itinerant fruit seller, despairing of life in authoritarian Tunisia, set himself on fire and burned to death. It provoked a revolution, and the flames caught swiftly across a region that had known little but despotism since the day colonial rulers went home.
EUROPE U.S. sanctions aimed at changing power in Russia - deputy minister
(Reuters) A Russian deputy foreign minister accused the United States on Monday of trying to bring down President Vladimir Putin by imposing sanctions on Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine, TASS news agency reported.
Now Hiring: Georgians for Ukraine
(Eurasianet) With one Georgian already in as Ukraine's health minister, more Georgians reportedly now also are expected to take up jobs with the new Ukrainian government as Kyiv continues its international search for officials.
Former Soviet military base in Hungary may have once stored nuclear weapons
(Associated Press) Little Moscow lies in ruins. Once a Soviet base where the Red Army may have kept a stockpile of nuclear weapons, the abandoned facility today looks like a set for a post-apocalyptic film.
ASIA-PACIFIC China's Checkmate: S-400 Looms Large Over Taiwan
(Defense News) Taiwan's F-16s face a growing threat from China's arsenal of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). The latest and gravest is the Russian sale of 400-kilometer-range S-400 Triumf road-mobile SAM systems to China.
China Arrests Ex-Chief of Domestic Security in Graft Case
(New York Times) Zhou Yongkang, the once-feared head of China's domestic security, has been expelled from the Communist Party and arrested, the official state news agency announced early Saturday, disclosing a barrage of charges that included taking bribes, helping family members and cronies plunder government assets and leaking official secrets.
Typhoon lashes Philippines; Manila braces for hit
(USA Today) Schools, government offices and stock markets closed Monday as a weakened Typhoon Hagupit approached the Philippines capital after lashing outer provinces.
Response to Typhoon in Philippines Shows Lessons Learned From a Year Ago
(New York Times) As Typhoon Hagupit churned across the Philippines on Sunday, residents of the eastern part of the island nation expressed relief that they had joined the hundreds of thousands who had evacuated to safer ground.
AFRICA A day trip to Derna
(Libya Herald) One of the Libya Herald's Benghazi reporters went to Derna this week for 24 hours. He found it full of life, but did not feel he was in Libya. He writes about the experience.
Nigeria seizes aircraft, weapons bound for Chad
(Associated Press) Nigeria has seized an aircraft loaded with at least one military helicopter and heavy weapons bound for Chad that made an unscheduled landing at Kano airport in northern Nigeria, airport and security officials said Sunday.
U.S. Probes Och-Ziff Fee Paid in Libyan Dealings
(Wall Street Journal) U.S. investigators probing Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC's dealings in Libya are focused on a multimillion-dollar payment by the big hedge-fund firm they believe was funneled in part to a friend of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's son, said people briefed on the inquiry.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS Column: Will Carter Nomination As SecDef 'Sail Through'?
(John T. Bennett in Defense News) For eight hours I sat there, maybe 15 feet from Chuck Hagel. I tweeted. I filed. And like everyone present that January 2013 day, I grimaced. Frequently.
Choosing Between Strategic and Conventional Forces
(Daniel Goure in Real Clear Defense) How does a parent choose which one of her two children to sacrifice in order that the other will live? This is the choice that confronts Sophie in William Styron's eponymous novel. If this seems like a dilemma fit only for novels and not real life, not true. It is a choice that confronts the Department of Defense and, more broadly, the United States today. Simply put, under projected defense budgets the Pentagon will not be able to maintain both adequate strategic forces and conventional capabilities. One will have to be sacrificed to preserve the other.
An Armed Services Chairman's Final Plea: Stop Failing the Military, End Sequestration
(Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif.) Editor's Note: As the House moved to pass the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon delivered his farewell address to the House of Representatives. The retiring Armed Services Committee chairman's remarks featured an emotional plea to the President and Congress to end sequestration and the steep defense budget cuts imposed on the military since 2011. A portion of McKeon's speech is excerpted here.
The sloppy thinking of 'no military solution'
(Jackson Diehl in The Washington Post) The epigram often connected to Barack Obama's foreign policy is "don't do stupid [stuff]." That's inaccurate. The real mantra of this administration, enunciated over and over by the president and his top aides since he took office in 2009, is "there is no military solution."
A Calibrated Response To ISIL
(Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake in Breaking Defense) The ISIL-induced crisis in the Middle East is a major one with regional implications. With several years of dynamic change in the region, and the failure to create a stable Iraq during the period after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, ISIL has functioned like a match thrown into a gas can. What should we do?
A "Buffer Zone" Inside Syria, and Its Complications
(Ashley Deeks in Lawfare) The United States and Turkey seem to be having increasingly detailed discussions about establishing a no-fly zone (or "buffer zone") inside the northern Syrian border adjacent to Turkey. The press reports that Turkey is conditioning the U.S. use of Turkey's Incirlik air base for armed flights on the U.S. willingness to establish such a zone. The Administration has been coy about its plans, but the topic surely is the subject of internal U.S. consideration right now.
Obama's Dangerous Missile Omission
(Jonathan Bergner in Real Clear Defense) In the wake of the announced extension of the deadline for the Iranian nuclear negotiations, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius explained, "As long as everything is not solved, nothing is solved." This is true enough, as far as it goes. Unfortunately, it appears that the talks are leading toward a "comprehensive" deal that completely omits a crucial element: Iran's ballistic missile program. It is past time for the Obama Administration to take this threat seriously, and any resolution of the Iranian nuclear talks must address it as part of a broader strategy.
The Return of Africa's Strongmen
(Drew Hinshaw and Patrick McGroarty in The Wall Street Journal) On the same November morning when Boko Haram seized yet another village in Nigeria's north, police in riot gear surrounded the country's House of Representatives in the capital city of Abuja. But they weren't guarding the country's parliament against an assault by the notorious Islamist insurgency; they were there to block a politician from casting his vote.
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