by David Uberti | Mar 14, 2012 | National Security
Afghanistan: 2015 from Medill Washington on Vimeo. WASHINGTON – The U.S. soldier who shot and killed 16 Afghani civilians Sunday didn’t just burn their corpses afterward – he also set fire to the cornerstone of American success in the country: Afghan trust. The attack...
by David Uberti | Mar 6, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – An emerging Islamist organization – largely overlooked by U.S. officials – could give al-Qaida a foothold in central Africa, according to remarks by experts and a freshman lawmaker Tuesday. Boko Haram, a Nigerian group that bombs churches, targets...
by David Uberti | Feb 29, 2012 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON— Middle East experts expressed doubt Wednesday that either Israel or United States is on the brink of conflict with Iran, despite hawkish headlines and aggressive rhetoric from all three countries. Their skepticism, they said, stems from the political...
by David Uberti | Feb 28, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – The September attack in Yemen that used Predator drones to kill al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki was the latest high-profile strike showing that future wars could be remote-controlled. The key to the airstrike wasn’t the Hellfire missiles that took out...
by David Uberti | Feb 22, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – Experts Wednesday called the situation in Iran a “budding crisis,” but they warned against military action to stop the country’s fledgling nuclear programs. A strike against Iranian nuclear facilities could not only increase regional sympathy for the...
by David Uberti | Feb 14, 2012 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Senators Tuesday that a failure to compromise on deficit reduction plans could jeopardize national security, leaving a “hollow” military in its wake. Panetta defended a Pentagon budget that requires $487 billion in...
by David Uberti | Feb 8, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – A top U.S. general highlighted Wednesday the NATO-led coalition’s successes in Afghanistan, but he didn’t directly refute claims made in a high-profile military journal article that openly criticized the current strategy. Lt. Gen. Curtis...
by David Uberti | Feb 1, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – The March 2011 attack in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province that left two American soldiers dead and four wounded was carried out by an Afghan security contractor – a hired gun paid for by the U.S.-led coalition. The deadly attack at Forward Operating Base...
by David Uberti | Jan 25, 2012 | Politics
WASHINGTON – Following a night of civility Tuesday at the State of the Union address, lawmakers returned to their partisan ways the following morning. Many labeled the address as an unofficial start to the campaign season, and both Democrats and Republicans...
by David Uberti | Jan 25, 2012 | Politics
WASHINGTON – Republican leaders Tuesday night denounced President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address as a campaign stunt, saying Obama put his push for 2012 re-election ahead of the country’s more pressing issues. Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind., gave the official...
by David Uberti | Jan 18, 2012 | National Security
WASHINGTON – President Obama’s announcement that U.S. defense interests will shift to the Western Pacific raised eyebrows among many policy experts, several of whom warned that losing focus on South Asia could have drastic consequences for national security....
by David Uberti | Jan 17, 2012 | Politics
WASHINGTON – With election year politics now added to lingering partisan battles, the so-called “do-nothing” Congress will be hard-pressed to lose its nickname this year. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the situation in the Republican-controlled...
