Petraeus Could Be Tapped to Head NATO

General's views may not gel with brass' assessment

(NEWSER) - When David Petraeus next comes to Washington, he won’t be speaking on Capitol Hill, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Pentagon officials have denied requests for more hearings with the Iraq commander because they’re not sure they’ll agree with his recommendations. Petraeus has been criticized for being too cautious about Iraq withdrawals, while Afghanistan needs more troops. More»

Commander calls for lead Afghan role instead

(NEWSER) - The US Marine Corps is lobbying to be withdrawn from Iraq and instead be given the lead role in Afghanistan, reports the New York Times. The move would leave the Army with primary responsibility for the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq. Supporters believe it would allow the branches to operate more efficiently in operations that are straining resources. More»

(NEWSER) - Some of the most riveting reporting about the war in Iraq is coming from the soldiers fighting it. As blogs from deployed soldiers proliferate, higher-ups are biting their nails over the ensuing transparency. Bloggers like Capt. Danjel Bout say posting provides "online therapy" and helps keep friends and the public apprised of developments. More»

Bradley Manning only worked on Iraq war

(NEWSER) - Who could've given nearly 1 million classified Afghanistan war documents to WikiLeaks? The military is taking a close look at Bradley Manning, an intelligence analyst already charged with leaking documents to the site. Manning would be a perfect suspect, except for one fact: He was stationed in Iraq and had no access to Afghanistan documents. Nonetheless, investigators are examining his computers to see if he could have hacked other military computers to gain the files, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

In Afghanistan, meanwhile, Petraeus calls for unity

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden and his wife will be spending the Fourth of July weekend with the troops in Iraq. The vice president landed in Baghdad today for the surprise visit, where he will also meet with Iraqi leaders. It's likely an attempt to reassure Iraqis that the US is still engaged, despite the growing attention to the war in Afghanistan, reports the Washington Post . More»