Department of Defense

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Marines Demand Probe Into Armor Delay

Blast resistant vehicles 'could have cut deaths in half'

(Newser) - The US Marine Corps has asked the Department of Defense to investigate delays obtaining vehicles with blast-resistant armor for combat units in Iraq. An internal USMC memo claims the money needed for the vehicles, which could have cut deaths from roadside bombings by 50%, was diverted to other projects, reports...

Satellite Shot Destroyed Toxic Fuel
Satellite Shot Destroyed
Toxic Fuel
Feb 25, 2008 12:10 PM CST

Satellite Shot Destroyed Toxic Fuel

General: 'By all accounts this was a successful mission'

(Newser) - The missile fired at the errant spy satellite on Wednesday succeeded in destroying a tank full of toxic fuel, the Defense Department has concluded after analyzing the debris from the shootdown. The tank was said to have held 1,000 pounds of toxic hydrazine, which could have been released into...

Blackwater Probers Return to Baghdad

Feds investigate massacre that killed 17, seek trial in US

(Newser) - Federal authorities investigating the Blackwater shootings that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead will revisit the scene of the massacre this week. Prosecutors from the Justice Department have already arrived in Baghdad, to be joined by inspectors from the FBI. But the inquiry has been hamstrung by the American government's promise...

3Com Buyout Doesn't Pass Security Review

US leery of giving Chinese telecom access to networks

(Newser) - National security concerns have scuttled the buyout deal for 3Com by private equity firm Bain Capital and a Chinese telecom, the Wall Street Journal reports. 3Com, which supplies networking services to the Defense Department, withdrew its application from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, having been unable to...

Separate FBI Raids Net 4 Alleged Spies

DoD analyst, ex-Boeing engineer accused of selling secrets to China

(Newser) - The FBI arrested a Defense Department employee and three others today on charges of spying for China, the Washington Post reports. The Virginia-based  DoD weapons analyst and two accomplices in New Orleans were coincidentally busted on the same day as an ex-Boeing engineer in Southern California, Justice Department officials in...

Army Buried Report Critical of Iraq Planning

Study rips Bush, agencies on poorly managed rebuilding

(Newser) - A federally funded report harshly critical of President Bush's management of rebuilding efforts in Iraq was deliberately buried by the Army, reports the New York Times. The 2005 assessment by the RAND Corp. accused Bush of failing to smooth over interagency rivalries. It criticized the "uneven quality" of a...

US Seeks Death for 6 in 9/11 Case
US Seeks Death for 6
in 9/11 Case
Feb 11, 2008 9:00 AM CST

US Seeks Death for 6 in 9/11 Case

Capital punishment could put new burden on untested military tribunal system

(Newser) - US authorities are preparing to ask for the death penalty for six suspects in the 9/11 attacks who are detainees at Guantanamo. “If any case warrants it, it would be for individuals who were parties to a crime of that scale,” a Defense Department official told the New ...

Petraeus Could Be Tapped to Head NATO

Pentagon mulls Iraq commander's next assignment

(Newser) - Iraq’s top commander could be at the helm of NATO by the start of next year, the New York Times reports. While no final decisions have been made, the Pentagon is considering nominating Gen. Petraeus in September, installing him before the election dust settles in a new, highly prestigious,...

US May Send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan

Pentagon considers more troops to ward off Taliban offensive

(Newser) - Afghanistan may receive its own troop surge this April, the AP reports. To fend off a resurgent Taliban, the Pentagon will consider deploying another 3,000 Marines for 7 months. Military commanders say they actually need another 7,500 troops to fend off the expected offensive, and defense chief Robert...

Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House
Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House
Dec 18, 2007 4:37 AM CST

Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House

Bush pleased with spending levels, could veto over Iraq

(Newser) - After months of wrangling over details, the House has passed a huge $515.7 billion domestic spending bill, the Washington Post reports. Lawmakers finally managed to hammer out a compromise that makes just about nobody happy. Conservatives and interest groups of all sides blasted the bill, and even Democrats could...

Bush Blasts Lawmakers for Neglecting Bills

Prez demands funding for Iraq; Reid slams ultimatum

(Newser) - Lawmakers returned from Thanksgiving break today to face a scolding from President Bush over a number of unfinished bills, the Washington Post reports. Chiefly, Bush blasted them for stalling on Iraq funding—he wants $50 billion—as he cited “surge” success and warned of defense department layoffs if Congress...

Hpy Thxgvng: Text Your Troops
Hpy Thxgvng: Text Your Troops
Nov 22, 2007 7:06 AM CST

Hpy Thxgvng: Text Your Troops

Project allows free messages of support for the holiday

(Newser) - A college freshman has helped the Department of Defense launch a project to send text messages of support to US troops, reports ABC. Cell companies are backing the "Giving Thanks" initiative, allowing participants to send free messages to the number 8-9-2-7-9 until midnight Thanksgiving Day.

Showdown Looms on War Funds
Showdown Looms on War Funds
Nov 21, 2007 3:45 AM CST

Showdown Looms on War Funds

Pentagon warns of 200,000 layoffs without bucks

(Newser) - A showdown is rapidly approaching between Congress and the White House over funding for the Iraq war. The Pentagon has warned that up to 200,000 contractors and civilian employees may be laid off by Christmas unless Congress acts on a $196 billion request for war funds, reports the Washington ...

Rumsfeld Memos: 'Keep Elevating the Threat'

'Snowflakes' urge linking Iraq and Iran

(Newser) - During his six years as defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld told staffers to “keep elevating the threat” and develop “bumper sticker statements” to sell administration war policies. Internal memos obtained by the Washington Post depict a media- and politics-obsessed Rumsfeld who instructed staffers to link Iraq and Iran, contemplated...

US Military to Oversee Blackwater Convoys

Defense Dept. wins tug of war with State for control of contractors

(Newser) - The military is taking control of State Department security convoys in Iraq, supervising Blackwater and other contractors, the New York Times reports. State had fought a losing battle to keep control of Blackwater after it was involved in a September incident that left 17 Iraqis dead. Now, the military will...

Rice Sets New Rules for Guards
Rice Sets New Rules for Guards
Oct 24, 2007 3:11 AM CDT

Rice Sets New Rules for Guards

But Blackwater may still get the ax

(Newser) - Private security contractors in Iraq will operate under tougher controls and tighter supervision, according to new State Department rules approved by Condoleezza Rice today, but they won't be supervised by the military, as Defense's Robert Gates had proposed. Measures include investigative "go teams"' that will respond quickly to...

Military Flying Saucers Coming
Military Flying Saucers Coming
Oct 13, 2007 12:10 AM CDT

Military Flying Saucers Coming

(Newser) - They’re not science fiction anymore. Researchers have built a real life flying saucer that looks and flies like a B-movie dream. The unmanned craft takes off vertically, maneuvers well, and can land almost anywhere. Cheaper and safer than a helicopter, the Defense Department thinks the saucer could become a...

Black Enlistees Plummet 58%
Black Enlistees Plummet 58%
Oct 8, 2007 4:25 AM CDT

Black Enlistees Plummet 58%

Lack of support for Iraq war, distrust of Bush, perceived racism cited as reasons

(Newser) - The number of black enlistees in the US military has dropped by 58% since 2000, Defense Department statistics show—a decline dramatically sharper than any other demographic group. In the same period, white applicants are down 10% and Hispanics 7%. The Boston Globe cites lack of support for the Iraq...

House Bids to Put Contractors Under US Law

Landslide passage for bill to bring private firms into civilian courts

(Newser) - The House of Representatives passed a bill today that would make private security firms accountable to US civilian courts; the vote was 389 to 30, with opposition coming only from Republicans. The White House and Pentagon want contractors kept under military jurisdiction, but if the Senate passes similar legislation by...

After Sputnik: Satellites Today
After Sputnik: Satellites Today
Oct 4, 2007 4:47 PM CDT

After Sputnik: Satellites Today

Fifty years later, thousands of descendants have made a home in space

(Newser) - Satellites have lost a bit of their star power since Sputnik blasted into orbit. But 50 years later, its grandkids continue to look down at the Earth and out into deep, deep space. Here are some of the coolest, according to Wired:
  • James Webb Space Telescope: Putting the Hubble to
...

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