Feb 08 U.S. faces shortcomings in global, anti-ISIS coalition By Robert Burns, Associated Press WASHINGTON — To doubters of its strategy for defeating the Islamic State, the Obama administration likes to tout its coalition of 66 nations and claim strength in numbers. But a year and a half into the war, some administration officials… Continue reading
Jan 04 Pentagon data on child sex crimes in the military doesn't show full picture By Richard Lardner, Eileen Sullivan and Meghan Hoyer, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Cpl. Aaron C. Masa befriended a fellow Marine during field training in North Carolina. But behind his buddy's back, Masa sexually abused his 3-year-old stepdaughter and took sexually explicit photos of her and the Marine's baby girl. A… Continue reading
Dec 01 Watch U.S. 'step-by-step' strategy against Islamic State questioned in Congress By PBS News Hour Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that the U.S. will be deploying more special forces to assist Iraqi and Peshmerga forces targeting the Islamic State, and will be authorized to take direct action. Some lawmakers questioned whether the U.S. is making… Continue watching
Oct 15 Watch 4:11 What influenced Obama's decision to keep troops in Afghanistan By PBS News Hour The longest-running war in American history will go on even longer than expected. Hari Sreenivasan speaks to the Washington Post’s Greg Jaffe about what prompted President Obama to change course and decide to leave troops in Afghanistan. Continue watching
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