Oct 15 Watch 2:32 U.S. reverses plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan By PBS News Hour In a policy reversal, President Obama announced that U.S. forces will keep nearly 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through most of 2016, drawing down to 5,500 in 2017. Despite plans to leave the country completely by the end of next year,… Continue watching
Jun 09 More labs got shipments of live anthrax samples By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says the number of laboratories that received shipments of live anthrax samples has grown to 68, including one in the United Kingdom. Continue reading
Jun 03 Watch 4:09 Number of labs mistakenly shipped live anthrax by the military grows By PBS News Hour Live anthrax was shipped to 51 labs across the country and to three foreign nations. That's a larger number than previously disclosed by the Pentagon, and there could be more. Judy Woodruff talks to Nancy Youssef of The Daily Beast. Continue watching
Apr 14 Ex-guards sentenced for Iraq shootings plan appeal By Sam Hananel, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Defense lawyers are vowing to appeal the convictions of four former Blackwater security guards after a federal judge handed down lengthy prison terms for their roles in a 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq. Continue reading
Jan 27 Obama to request hefty budget boost for the Pentagon By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press President Barack Obama will ask Congress for a hefty, almost 8 percent boost for the Pentagon, including $5.3 billion to equip and train Iraqi soldiers and moderate Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State militants in the Middle East. Continue reading
Dec 19 Obama signs massive defense spending bill By Darlene Superville, Associated Press President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a massive defense policy bill that endorses his plan to fight Islamic State militants, including air strikes and training Iraqis and moderate Syrian rebels. Continue reading
Dec 05 Obama picks Ashton Carter to be next Secretary of Defense By Robert Burns, Associated Press The experiences that Ashton Carter would bring to the job of defense secretary are vastly different from Chuck Hagel's in several important ways, starting with the fact that Carter is an academic and a policy wonk. Continue reading
Dec 02 Meet Ashton Carter, likely defense secretary nominee By News Desk Ashton Carter has emerged as President Obama's likely nominee for defense secretary to replace Chuck Hagel. In the past three years, the NewsHour interviewed the former deputy defense secretary several times, mostly about budget cuts imposed on defense spending. Continue reading
Sep 25 Watch News Wrap: Airstrikes damage key income source for Islamic State By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Thursday, the Pentagon reported that U.S. and Arab airstrikes blasted oil installations that help fund the Islamic State up to $2 million a day in black market sales. Also, Iraq’s prime minister said he has credible… Continue watching
Jun 16 Pentagon rules out U.S. military cooperation with Iran in Iraq crisis By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The Pentagon's press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, told reporters Monday that while there may be discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials in Vienna about security in the region, it will not include any military coordination. Continue reading