Says he'll lose if surge fails—then back pedals
New York Times Feb 26, 08 5:40 AM CST
(Newser)
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John McCain flatly told reporters yesterday that if US policy in Iraq doesn't work, "I'll lose." But then he quickly asked to "retract" his "stark" pronouncement, adding that he hoped voters would also back him for his ability to run the economy as well as his positions on national security, reports the New York Times .
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American politicians, Asian powers fret over missile capability
New York Times Feb 22, 08 11:59 AM CST
(Newser)
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The US Navy's destruction of a spy satellite on Wednesday continues to stir doubts both domestically and internationally, reports the New York Times. China issued an explicit warning yesterday, and Russia has raised questions. “The geopolitical fallout of this intercept could be far greater than any chemical fallout that would have resulted from the wayward satellite,” said House Homeland Security Committee member Edward Markey.
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US says it needed to act before it crashed to Earth with toxic fuel
Associated Press Feb 20, 08 9:55 PM CST
(Newser)
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The Navy tonight struck an errant spy satellite with its first missile shot, the AP reports. A ship in the Pacific hit the satellite as it passed about 130 miles above the ocean. The military says it needed to destroy the satellite before it crashed to Earth because the toxic fuel aboard posed a risk. It will take a day or two to confirm that the fuel tank was destroyed, the AP notes.
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Governor furious as marine denies crime
Reuters Feb 11, 08 5:23 AM CST
(Newser)
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A US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl in Okinawa, where resentment is already running high against American military presence, Reuters reports. The 38-year-old Marine allegedly raped the teen in a car yesterday, officials said. "This kind of crime cannot be forgiven, especially when you remember that the victim is a middle school student," said Okinawa's governor. "I feel extremely angry."
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Long deployments are raising stress levels, experts warn
Reuters Feb 1, 08 4:26 AM CST
(Newser)
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A record number of US soldiers may have killed themselves last year and it's likely linked to the stresses of war, according to the latest figures from the military. The survey found 121 soldiers died in confirmed or suspected suicides last year, a 20% increase over the previous year and the highest number since the Army started keeping records 30 years ago. The number of attempted suicides has also leaped since the Iraq war began.
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Call for 'nukes in the quiver' deterrent
Guardian (UK) Jan 22, 08 4:39 AM CST
(Newser)
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Top military strategists from the US and Europe say that NATO must be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear strike to keep the world safe, the Guardian reports. The five ex-military chiefs have issued a manifesto calling for a sweeping overhaul of NATO to deal with a world where the West faces many threats and nuclear war remains a very real possibility. They consider the "big stick" approach vital.
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City sees dramatic improvement in security from a year ago
USA Today Jan 18, 08 8:37 AM CST
(Newser)
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US and Iraqi forces have secured 75% of Baghdad's neighborhoods, a sharp increase from pre-surge days, USA Today reports. The combined forces "basically own the streets," said a US colonel. Military figures say that 356 of 474 of the city's neighborhoods have returned to some semblance of normalcy, with violence all but eliminated and economic activity returning. A year ago, fewer than 40 of those neighborhoods were deemed secure.
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Allies bicker as US prepares to boost troop levels to 7-year high
Associated Press Jan 15, 08 7:10 AM CST
(Newser)
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Official orders have yet to be signed, but thousands more Marines have been told to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan, the AP reports. The extra 3,200 troops would bring the number of US forces there to some 30,000, its highest level since 2001, to combat a rise in insurgent violence. The move comes as tensions are growing within NATO over the conflict, the Washington Post reports.
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Lance corporal was scheduled to testify about sexual assault; defendant is suspect
CNN Jan 11, 08 12:23 PM CST
(Newser)
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The pregnant Marine missing from Camp Lejune, NC, since Dec. 14 is dead, the local sheriff said today. The search is on for her body and for the suspect in the case, a fellow Marine she had accused of sexual assault, CNN reports. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach disappeared just before she was scheduled to testify in the case; the suspect's whereabouts are unknown.
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Hunt on for young mom-to-be set to testify about incident at base
Dayton Daily News Jan 10, 08 4:50 AM CST
(Newser)
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A pregnant 20-year-old Marine scheduled to testify about an incident that occurred at her North Carolina military base has been missing for nearly a month, reports the Dayton Daily News . Maria Lauterbach's cell phone was found at the camp's gate, and her car at a bus station six miles away. Her mother said Lauterbach typically calls home several times a day. Her baby boy is due next week.
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Drones over Iraq hit 500K hours
Associated Press Jan 2, 08 12:50 PM CST
(Newser)
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The US military's use of unmanned aircraft in surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat missions has climbed to more than 500,000 flight hours. The drones are mostly deployed in Iraq, but they're being flown remotely by Air Force pilots based in the US. And as troops begin to trickle back home, demand for the drones is just gearing up, the AP finds.
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Weapons experts say imports could upgrade military—or be sold
New York Times Jan 2, 08 9:30 AM CST
(Newser)
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Chinese companies linked to the People’s Liberation Army were cleared to import sensitive high-tech equipment from the US after the Bush administration eased restrictions blocking the sale of technology with military applications, the New York Times reports. One company has ties to arms sales to Iran and Syria, claims a report by the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control.
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Lex didn't want to leave dead buddy
CNN Dec 21, 07 2:36 PM CST
(Newser)
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Paramedics had to drag Lex the German shepherd away from the body of Cpl. Dustin Lee when the 20-year-old Marine from Mississippi was killed in a March mortar attack in Fallujah. Now Lex is back in the States and heading for retirement with Lee's family. “Lex was my son’s partner; he was his best friend,” said his dad, Jerome. “He was next to him. He was the last one to see him alive.”
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As security improves, military leaders push
to cut 15-month tours
to 12 by summer
Associated Press Dec 9, 07 1:02 PM CST
(Newser)
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With violence slowing in Iraq, many Army leaders want to drop the 15-month tours of duty imposed on soldiers earlier this year to sustain the surge, the AP reports. “We can’t sustain that,” says Army Chief of Staff George Casey, the former top commander in Iraq who is among generals seeking a return to 12 months by next summer.
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