US military

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US Kills Mastermind of Baghdad Bombings

Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader also in execution video

(Newser) - The US has killed a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq suspected of masterminding one of the deadliest bombings in Baghdad, the AP reports. Mahir Ahmad Mahmud al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Assad or Abu Rami, allegedly directed the cell responsible for a  series of blasts that killed more than...

Afghanistan Commander Calls for More Troops, Now

US General appeals for political support, manpower

(Newser) - The top US commander in Afghanistan today asked for more troops, as well as additional political and economic aid, "as quickly as possible" to combat a growing influx of foreign insurgents in the country, the AP reports. The fight against Islamic militants is going to get harder before it...

US Bombs Pakistani Village, Kills 6

(Newser) - Missiles launched by the US military struck a village in Pakistan's border region this morning killing at least six people, Pakistani officials told the Guardian. Two missiles were fired by a pilotless drone after it was shot at by tribesmen, reportedly striking the home of a local Taliban commander. The...

Japanese Protesters Greet US Nuke Ship

Huge carrier arrives near Tokyo amid radiation fears

(Newser) - Japanese protesters greeted a nuclear-powered American warship at its new home port near Tokyo today, Reuters reports. The USS George Washington drew criticism after reports last month than a US submarine had leaked radioactive material at Japanese ports for 2 years —underscoring the tense relationship between Japanese citizens and...

3 Soldiers Charged in Iraqis' Murder

Killings were retribution for American casualties

(Newser) - Three soldiers have been charged with murder for their alleged role in the killing of four Iraqis last year, the US Army said today. The Iraqi men were blindfolded, shot in the head, and dumped in a Baghdad canal around April 2007 in retribution for casualties suffered by the 1st...

US Arms Sales Skyrocket
 US Arms Sales Skyrocket 

US Arms Sales Skyrocket

Some fear sparking 'arms race'

(Newser) - Seeking to arm allies and contain countries like Iran and North Korea, the Bush Administration has significantly stepped up international weapons sales, the New York Times reports. The Defense Department will sell or transfer $32 billion in arms this year, particularly in the Middle East, compared to $12 billion two...

Bush Ordered Raids Without Pakistan OK

White House suspicious of Pakistan intelligence ties to militants

(Newser) - President Bush green-lighted orders allowing American special forces to conduct raids inside Pakistan without the approval of the Pakistani government, senior US officials told the New York Times. One raid took place last week and more are expected as the US steps up its actions against al-Qaeda militants—despite the...

After 7 Years, New Tactics to Find bin Laden

Shift to targeting other al-Qaeda leaders in hopes of picking up trail

(Newser) - Seven years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the US has no bead on Osama bin Laden, believed to be hiding out in Pakistan's lawless northwest. Frustrated by the lack of progress, American and Pakistani officials have shifted their strategy to target other top al-Qaeda...

Iraq Troop Levels to Hold Steady Under Bush

But numbers will increase in Afghanistan

(Newser) - Troop levels in Iraq won't change until after George Bush leaves office, the president will announce in a speech today, leaving further withdrawals as an immediate matter for his successor —although Bush will oversee what amounts to a transfer of US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. The announcement likely...

Pentagon Ponders Cyberspace Offensives

Electronic attacks on Georgia add impetus to military's cyberwarfare efforts

(Newser) - US military commanders, hoping to add a page to their offensive capabilities, are pushing for the development of strategies that will allow them to assault and control an enemy’s cyberspace, the Los Angeles Times reports. An aggressive cyber-campaign could allow the Pentagon to disrupt a foe’s command-and-control center,...

Strike Kills at Least 9 in Pakistan Militant Stronghold

US missiles thought to have hit both terrorists and children

(Newser) - Explosions reportedly caused by missiles fired from drone aircraft hit a house and seminary linked to a key Taliban commander in northwest Pakistan today, killing at least nine people, officials and witnesses said. The blasts took place in a militant stronghold in Pakistan's wild tribal belt, a possible hiding place...

US Opens Probe in Deadly Afghan Strike

Strike on Azizabad seems far deadlier than military admits

(Newser) - Two weeks after it launched a major airstrike in Azizabad, the American military is still insisting that only 5 to 7 civilians died in the raid. But the villagers, the Afghan government, the UN and human rights groups all say that the civilian death toll was much higher—that more...

Petraeus Hands Off Iraq Reins Next Week

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to take commander's place

(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus will step down as the top US commander in Iraq on Sept. 16, handing the reins to Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 commander there until recently, Reuters reports. Petraeus, who led the troop surge that ushered in a major decline in Iraq violence, will become...

Analysts: Mac Win Likely to Hit Defense Firms Harder

He's got the clout and the will to slash budgets

(Newser) - The defense industry is generally wary of Democratic wins, but this time around it's a Republican victory that may give military industries—and their investors—a complex, MarketWatch reports. A President Obama would be unlikely to give critics of his foreign policy cred ammunition by slashing defense spending, analysts say,...

Iraq Looks to Buy F-16s From US

Advanced weaponry could speed American pullout

(Newser) - Iraq’s military wants to buy 36 F-16 fighter planes from the US in an effort to cut its dependence on American air power, the Wall Street Journal reports. The multi-billion-dollar purchase could speed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, but neighboring nations may worry about the presence of...

Pentagon May Prevent Petraeus From Testifying

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...

US Ground Forces Raid Pakistan Outposts

Angry Pakistan protests first incursion by American commandos

(Newser) - American commandos raided al-Qaeda encampments inside Pakistan yesterday, the New York Times reports. The US has carried out air strikes in the region before but this is the first acknowledged ground raid inside Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, long suspected of being the hideout of Osama Bin Laden. The commandos were...

US Hands Anbar Province to Iraqis

Military cedes control of largest region in Iraq

(Newser) - The American military is finally handing over control of Anbar province, once the center of the Sunni insurgency, to Iraqi forces today. Once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, Anbar was transformed as Sunni militants allied themselves with the US. The transfer of Anbar, delayed several times, brings the number...

Bush Ordered Troop Surge Over Internal Opposition

State Dept., Pentagon, military leaders were split over plan

(Newser) - President Bush’s 2007 addition of 20,000 troops in Iraq helped stabilize the country —but advisers didn’t support the idea until the situation there looked like “civil war,” in the CIA’s words. Instead, the Pentagon wanted to shift responsibilities to Iraqi troops; the State...

US, Pakistan Hold Secret Security Meet

Army officials hash out border problems

(Newser) - A group of top US and Pakistani military officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and David Petraeus, met in secret aboard an aircraft carrier Tuesday to discuss the deteriorating situation along the Afghan border, the New York Times reports. The US has been frustrated lately by the Taliban’...

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