Aug 04 Obama warns of lone-wolf attacks and says U.S. didn’t pay ransom to Iran By Associated Press President Barack Obama said Thursday that Islamic State militants will probably continue to be a threat to the U.S. even after the group is ousted from key strongholds in Iraq and Syria. But he stressed that the U.S. and its… Continue reading
Jul 12 Pentagon chief seeks better use of U.S. forces in Afghanistan By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that the decision to give U.S. commanders more authority to work with Afghan troops and strike the Taliban will maximize the use and effectiveness of American forces in… Continue reading
Jun 30 Watch 3:21 How will lifting the ban on transgender soldiers affect the military? By PBS News Hour The Pentagon has lifted its ban on transgender troops. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the move Thursday and officials said health services for trans soldiers, including sexual reassignment surgery, will be covered in 90 days. Of the military’s 1.5 million… Continue watching
May 21 U.S. airstrike targets Taliban leader Mullah Mansour By Alan Fram, Associated Press The Pentagon has announced that the U.S. has conducted an airstrike targeting Taliban leader Mullah Mansour. One American official says the U.S. believes Mansour was killed in what was a drone strike authorized by President Barack Obama. Continue reading
May 13 China has reclaimed 3,200 acres in South China Sea, Pentagon says By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A new Pentagon report says China has reclaimed more than 3,200 acres of land in the southeastern South China Sea. But the country's focus has shifted to developing and weaponizing those man-made islands. Continue reading
May 05 Pentagon says fewer sex-assault victims faced retaliation By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is lowering its estimate of the number of people it believes have faced retaliation for making claims of sexual assault, arguing that what might sometimes feel like revenge may actually be an attempt to help. Continue reading
May 01 Watch 3:08 Are airstrikes successfully weakening ISIS? By PBS News Hour The Islamic State insurgency in Iraq and Syria has drawn an estimated 38,000 recruits from all over the world, including the U.S. But the Pentagon recently said recruits have dropped from 2,000 a month to 500, in part because of… Continue watching
Apr 29 16 blamed for mistakes in deadly U.S. attack on Afghan clinic By Robert Burns, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A U.S. aerial gunship attack on a hospital in Afghanistan that killed 42 people occurred because of human errors, process mistakes and equipment failures, and none of the aircrew or U.S. ground troops knew the target was a… Continue reading
Apr 16 U.S. sends nine Yemeni prisoners to Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo By News Desk The Pentagon has sent nine Yemeni men to Saudi Arabia from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Continue reading
Apr 16 Carter: U.S. to identify new ways to intensify fight against ISIS By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he will talk with his commanders in the coming days to identify additional ways the U.S. can intensify the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, including more airstrikes, cyberattacks and American… Continue reading