analysis
Defense secretary wants to close Gitmo, focus on Afghanistan
New York Times Nov 27, 08 11:16 AM CST
(Newser)
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Assuming he keeps his job, Robert Gates will have a transformed set of instructions come Jan. 20: Once charged with winning the war in Iraq, the defense secretary will now have to end it. But Gates and Barack Obama have substantial agreements about the nation's military strategy, the New York Times reports, from shifting more troops to Afghanistan to shutting down Guantanamo.
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'Done deal' that Bush appointee will stay at least 1 year under Obama
ABC News Nov 25, 08 3:49 PM CST
(Newser)
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Robert Gates will remain in his post as defense secretary at least through the first year of Barack Obama’s administration, reports ABC News. “It’s a done deal,” an anonymous source told the network today. Obama will reportedly unveil his choice of Gates shortly after Thanksgiving, along with a national-security team that includes Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.
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OPINION
SecDef is rock of honesty and competence in chaos
Wall Street Journal Nov 21, 08 9:38 AM CST
(Newser)
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The will-he-won’t-she dance of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is drawing all the attention, but, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal , that’s not the most important Cabinet pick. Instead we ought to watch whether Obama does the right thing and asks Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stick around. “He is a bipartisan figure of respect—truly an object of across-the-board admiration,” Noonan writes.
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But Bush secretary opposes setting a timeline to leave Iraq
Wall Street Journal Nov 11, 08 10:10 AM CST
(Newser)
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Barack Obama is considering asking Robert Gates to stay on as defense secretary, advisers tell the Wall Street Journal . Gates, considered a competent and nonpartisan pragmatist, was brought on to patch things up after Donald Rumsfeld’s tenure at the Pentagon. But while Gates, like Obama, supports an increased presence in Afghanistan, he opposes a commitment to withdraw from Iraq by 2010—a key campaign promise.
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Military will deny exit to some 12K a month through 2009
USA Today Oct 27, 08 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Soldiers are likely to face involuntary extensions of combat duty throughout 2009, USA Today reports, despite repeated Pentagon promises to rely less on the practice. Roughly 12,000 soldiers are hit with “stop loss”—which forces them to stay in the Army after their commitment has expired—each month, and that number is likely to remain constant throughout 2009, assuming the demand for troops remains constant. More than 140,000 have been affected since 2002.
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Post Traumatic Stress a 'bigger problem than we realize,' says chief
USA Today Oct 13, 08 4:03 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Every member of the US military should undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder upon returning from combat in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has recommended. As many as 1 of every 5 returning combat vets suffers from mental health problems, USA Today reports. "I think it's a bigger problem than we know," said Michael Mullen, an admiral whose post gives him authority over all four service branches.
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He may also leave
any Afghan buildup
to his successor
Associated Press Sep 5, 08 10:47 AM CDT
(AP)
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President Bush's top defense advisers have recommended he maintain 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year—contrary to expectations that the improved security in Iraq would allow for quicker cuts, the AP has learned. If Bush follows the recommendations, he would delay any additional buildup in Afghanistan until early next year.
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General's views may not gel with brass' assessment
Christian Science Monitor Sep 4, 08 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser)
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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.
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Lawyers struggle to find interpreters for cascade of cases
Washington Post Aug 20, 08 3:29 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Hundreds of cases filed by Guantanamo prisoners will be delayed by a shortage of qualified interpreters, reports the Washington Post . Lawyers are swamped with work since the Supreme Court ruled that terror suspects have the right to seek release in federal court—and they desperately need translators. Interpreters who can earn the trust of detainees, navigate cultural nuances and speak obscure dialects are rare.
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But acknowledges 'spore on a grassy knoll' sentiment
Baltimore Sun Aug 19, 08 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The FBI revealed unprecedented details about its investigation of army scientist Bruce Ivins yesterday in a move to counter skepticism in the scientific community. The agency laid out how it brought together top scientists from the public and private sector to trace samples of the deadly anthrax of 2001 to Ivins, who killed himself before being indicted, the Baltimore Sun reports. Ivins' attorney again disputed the government account.
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Georgia action prompts US to reconsider Moscow ties
New York Times Aug 15, 08 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Russia's military action in Georgia was a rude awakening for the White House, forcing the Bush administration to reconsider the relationship it thought they had, the New York Times reports. President Bush has famously touted Vladimir Putin a reliable friend and diplomatic partner, despite policy differences, but cooperation across a wide range of spheres—what Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls the “ongoing and long-term strategic dialogue”—now looks to be in jeopardy.
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Bidding changes seen to justify previous decision
Bloomberg Aug 7, 08 11:41 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The Pentagon issued new criteria yesterday for the second round of bidding on its lucrative fuel-tanker contract, Bloomberg reports, and Boeing backers immediately cried foul. The new terms give bonus points to a plane that carries more fuel than the earlier guidelines, which Boeing officials and congressional allies claim favors its European-backed rival, Northrop Grumman.
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