US military

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Gitmo Was Actually Humane —Until Rumsfeld Took Over

Camp's ills began when Rumsfeld weighed in

(Newser) - If Guantanamo Bay has become a symbol of torture, a place where prisoners' screams echo in our national psyche, it wasn’t always so, writes Karen Greenberg in the Washington Post. Though told the Geneva Conventions wouldn't technically apply, the military officials who set up the camp skirted Bush administration...

US Airstrikes Signal Tough Approach in Pakistan

(Newser) - US airstrikes on suspected terrorist camps in Pakistan yesterday signal that the Obama administration will continue the aggressive US strategy against extremists in the region, the Washington Post reports. In fact, early signs suggest a tougher approach—and less patience—with the Pakistani government. The attacks, carried out by Predator...

China Military Welcomes Obama Era
China Military Welcomes Obama Era
Jan 20, 2009 4:57 PM CST

China Military Welcomes Obama Era

Timed with inaugural, Beijing defense report urges cooperation

(Newser) - China has called for better military relations with the US in its biannual report, whose release analysts say was timed with President Obama’s inauguration, the Financial Times reports. The relationship between the two was strained by the US decision to sell $6.5 billion in arms to Taiwan. “...

9/11 Accused Admit Guilt at Tribunal

(Newser) - Two suspected Sept. 11 planners calmly declared their guilt today at what could be the final military tribunal session at Guantanamo Bay, the Miami Herald reports. "We are proud of 9/11," said Ramzi bin al Shibh, who announced his plan to plead guilty, the AP reports. Another...

Army Recruiting Soars as Job Dry Up

Recruitment soars with unemployment

(Newser) - The recession has swelled military recruitment, bumping the forces past their goals for the first time since 2004, reports the New York Times. Many Americans are being enticed from a flagging job market by the promised stability and benefits. The Army—whose recruiting has struggled most under the shadow of...

Obama Will Ban Torture— But Considers a Loophole

(Newser) - Barack Obama is set to prohibit waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques by mandating the CIA follow the US Army Field Manual when questioning suspects, the AP reports. But as the president-elect debates whether to make the changes through legislation or presidential fiat, the incoming administration is also considering a...

Obama Will End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Former supporters turned against Clinton-era policy

(Newser) - The end is near for “don’t ask, don’t tell,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Rolling back the 1993 policy keeping gay, lesbian, and bisexual members of the military from serving openly was one of Barack Obama's campaign pledges, but some feared he was backing off. But...

Bush's Top 10 Successes
 Bush's Top 10 Successes 
Jan 13, 2009 1:06 PM CST

Bush's Top 10 Successes

From rejecting the Kyoto Protocol to the surge

(Newser) - Forget what you’ve heard about W’s presidency, writes Fred Barnes in the Weekly Standard. His decisive courage gave his term many successes:
  • Rejecting the Kyoto Protocol: The treaty was broken—it exempted India and China from carbon emissions responsibility—but only Bush had the courage to say so.
...

Skirting Laws, Iran Buys Bomb Parts From US Firms

Materials used to make top weapon against US troops

(Newser) - Through front firms and complex maneuvering, Iran skirts trading laws to buy bomb parts from US companies, the Washington Post reports. The equipment allows production of improvised explosive devices, or IEDS, bombs that are the leading killer of US troops in Iraq, according to Justice Department documents and a new...

Canada to Deport US Deserter

Mother who fled to avoid Iraq could face years in jail on return to US

(Newser) - The first woman soldier to flee to Canada to avoid serving in Iraq has been denied asylum, the Globe & Mail reports. Immigration officials told Kimberly Rivera, a mother of three, that she has until January 27 to leave the country or face deportation. Rivera served in Iraq in...

Ex-Prostitutes: S. Korea Pimped Us to US GIs

Seoul, US military encouraged a thriving sex trade for decades

(Newser) - Even as Seoul railed against Japan's WWII-era enslavement of "comfort women," it systematically pimped Korean women to US soldiers stationed there for decades after the Korean War, say a group of former prostitutes. Working with the US military, the South Korean government encouraged a thriving sex trade—giving...

Pakistan Cracks Open Afghan Supply Route

Crucial Khyber Pass has been shut for anti-Taliban campaign

(Newser) - Pakistan allowed traffic to cross the Khyber Pass today for 6 hours after closing it to help fight the Taliban, the New York Times reports. But analysts say that once the offensive is over, guerrillas who fled the area will simply return to the pass, a crucial supply route for...

Green Zone Turned Over to Iraqis

US transfers control of Baghdad's fortified enclave

(Newser) - The heart of the US occupation in Iraq was returned to Iraqi control at midnight last night, the Washington Post reports. Iraqi soldiers now control checkpoints leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone enclave in Baghdad. American troops and workers have moved out of many buildings, including the former palace...

US Troop Deaths at New Low
 US Troop Deaths at New Low 
Dec 31, 2008 2:09 AM CST

US Troop Deaths at New Low

Fewest troops killed since Iraq war began

(Newser) - The US military lost 467 service members in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, the lowest annual death toll since the Iraq war began in 2003, reports USA Today. But the coming year could be more challenging. Up to 30,000 extra troops are being sent to Afghanistan and upcoming elections...

Who's Still at Guantanamo?
 Who's Still at Guantanamo? 
Dec 30, 2008 1:21 PM CST

Who's Still at Guantanamo?

A significant portion of the final 110 have combat, recruiting experience

(Newser) - Before he can close Guantanamo, Barack Obama must decide what to do with the 250 detainees still there. About 80 are scheduled to be tried and will serve their sentences in their home countries, USA Today reports. The Pentagon has approved the release of 60 more, but has not found...

Pakistani Offensive Shuts US Supply Line to Afghanistan

Crackdown targets Khyber Pass militants

(Newser) - Pakistan closed the main route used to ferry supplies to US and allied troops in Afghanistan today after launching a fresh offensive against militants in the area. The road through the Khyber Pass in the northwest of Pakistan has faced increasing attacks by militants seeking to squeeze Western forces fighting...

War on Terror Nears $1 Trillion
 War on Terror Nears $1 Trillion 
analysis
Dec 27, 2008 9:02 AM CST

War on Terror Nears $1 Trillion

And that doesn't count long-term costs

(Newser) - Washington's war on terror is about to cost $1 trillion, and even that is just the beginning, Mark Thompson writes in Time. Three recent government reports racked up the bills, showing that long-term costs like veterans health care and interest on loans are yet to come in. The trillion-dollar figure...

Afghans Uneasy With US Plan to Fund Militias

Strategy imported from Iraq prompts local fears of civil war

(Newser) - As the US military and Afghan government prepare to arm local militias against the resurgent Taliban, many Afghans are uneasy, fearing that militias formed along ethnic lines could spiral out of control and turn on citizens, reports the New York Times. The plan, which steals a page from the Awakening...

US Drone Strike Kills 7 in Pakistan
US Drone Strike Kills
7 in Pakistan
Dec 22, 2008 6:48 AM CST

US Drone Strike Kills 7 in Pakistan

Attack mounts pressure for government to act

(Newser) - An unmanned US drone is suspected of firing two missiles in Pakistan that killed seven people, the BBC reports. Taliban were seen pulling bodies from a fort-like house afterward as tribesmen fired at the aircraft. Since August, American-operated drones have launched more than 20 missiles in the tribal areas near...

US May Double Forces in Afghanistan to 60K

(Newser) - The US could double the number of its troops in Afghanistan to about 60,000 by next summer, the highest such estimate to date, Reuters reports. American troops currently number 31,000, but joint chiefs chairman Mike Mullen said today that an additional 20,000 to 30,000 will be...

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