US military

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Pentagon Will Keep Extending Soldiers' Tours

Military will deny exit to some 12K a month through 2009

(Newser) - 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...

US Strike 'Serious Aggression': Syria
 US Strike 'Serious 
 Aggression': Syria 
updated

US Strike 'Serious Aggression': Syria

US yet to respond to claim

(Newser) - US military helicopters launched an extremely rare attack today on Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as "serious aggression." A US military official said the raid by special forces targeted the foreign fighter network that...

US: Do We Dare Turn Detainees Over to Iraqis?

Security deal could see Iraqi authorities handed thousands of prisoners they can't handle

(Newser) - The new security agreement negotiated with Iraq could leave the US military with 5,000 tough problems, the New York Times reports. US forces currently hold 17,000 Iraqi prisoners—including 5,000 considered dangerous radicals. Under the latest draft of the deal, the US would lose the right to...

Military Opens $15M Dog Hospital

'Canine Walter Reed' will treat pooches wounded in combat

(Newser) - If GI Rover gets injured in Iraq, chances are he'll end up at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where the "Walter Reed of the veterinary world" has just opened. The base has long been training pups for service in all branches of the military, but its old animal...

Soldier Fights to Bring Home Iraq Pup

Sergeant starts petition after Army blocks rescued pup's route home

(Newser) - A sergeant who saved a puppy from a pile of burning trash in Baghdad is fighting to be allowed to bring her beloved pet home, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. An Army officer took 6-month-old Ratchet off a convoy to Baghdad airport where the pooch was to be sent to...

Top General: 'We Will Win' in Afghanistan

McKiernan aims to defuse concerns about region

(Newser) - As concerns mount about the situation in Afghanistan, the top US commander there asserted that America and its allies are winning against the Taliban, the New York Times reports. There have been “too many” reports suggesting the contrary, and “I absolutely reject that idea, I don’t believe...

Booby-Trapped Homes Pose Threat to Troops in Iraq

Insurgents load potential shelters with explosives

(Newser) - For US troops in Iraq’s still-volatile Diyala province, abandoned houses can be a refuge—or a serious threat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Soldiers depend on abandoned houses to provide shelter as combat bases, but insurgents have taken to wiring the buildings with “house-borne improvised explosive devices,”...

American Detainees Faced Gitmo Treatment Inside US

Isolation, sensory deprivation nearly drove one insane

(Newser) - An American detainee held in a US military brig was driven nearly insane by months of punishing isolation and sensory deprivation, documents obtained by the AP show. The Bush administration labeled two citizens and a US resident “enemy combatants” and held them for years without criminal charges at military...

US Airstrike Killed 30 Afghan Civilians: Inquiry

Outraged Afghans still maintain 90 died in controversial Aug. raid

(Newser) - A US military inquiry puts the number of Afghan civilians killed in an August 22 raid at more than 30, the New York Times reports, down from the 90 the Afghan government had claimed. The airstrike on Azizabad, a suspected Taliban stronghold, was condemned by the Afghan government. The US...

Jet Forced Down in Iran Was Private

Military denies Iranian reports that military aircraft deplaned

(Newser) - The US military says it was a business, not military, jet that was forced down after violating Iran's airspace a week ago, denying Iranian reports that any Americans were aboard, CNN reports. An Iranian news agency caused international worry when it reported that the aircraft had five American military officials...

No Clear Favorite for Military Families in Election

Veteran McCain has support, but wars' toll pushes many toward Obama

(Newser) - Members of the US military and their families are looking to the November election to address the hardships of military life, but opinions vary as to which candidate will serve them best, the Boston Globe reports. John McCain’s vows to honor service—and promise of higher pay—have clear...

Army Unit to Handle Threats on US Soil

Deployment sparks concern that military is taking police role

(Newser) - A new US Army combat unit will focus on domestic threats like terrorist attacks and natural disasters, raising questions about the role of the military on American soil, CNN reports. The mission is a new assignment for a combat team that was the first to enter Baghdad in 2003. Based...

Double Copter Crash Kills Soldier in Baghdad

(Newser) - A pair of Black Hawk helicopters crash-landed in northern Baghdad today and killed an Iraqi soldier, AFP reports. Two American soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers were also injured. The US military did not suspect enemy fire and called the situation "under control. Emergency services are on the scene."...

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...

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