All Security
Monitor BreakfastA no-fly zone over Syria? Harder to do than in Libya, warns top US generalSome US lawmakers want the US to establish a no-fly zone over Syria. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, questioned Tuesday whether that would do much to reduce Syrian attacks on civilians, never mind that it won't be easy.
Pentagon budget woes: furlough civilians, buy tanks you don't wantOnce again, the Pentagon wants to scrap a weapon 鈥� in this case, the Abrams tank 鈥� that Congress has an interest in preserving. But with 'sequester' cuts, the tradeoff will be civilian furloughs.
Syria chemical weapons: Pentagon weighs evidence, plans responsePentagon officials say they are still trying to confirm reports that Syria has used chemical weapons against civilians, but that they are preparing a military option for any outcome.
Top US general foresees 'prolonged provocation' by North KoreaBelligerence by North Korea, coinciding with Kim Jong-un's ascent as leader, is likely to continue for a 'prolonged' period, Gen. Martin Dempsey said Wednesday after a trip to China. He believes China's military to be as 'concerned' as the US about North Korea's actions.
US general aims to ease China's concerns over Obama 'pivot' to AsiaChina is deeply suspicious of US intent in its 'pivot' to Asia, and US Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Beijing this week to try to reassure China's military 鈥� and its people.
In US-China talks on cyber conflict, a top Chinese general owns to dangersAt a press briefing in Beijing with Martin Dempsey, chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Fang Fenghui offered some agreement on the damage of cyberattacks, a 'friction point' in US-China relations.
North Korea: US military braces for heightened readinessChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey says 'we鈥檙e in a period of prolonged provocation' with North Korea and its young dictator, Kim Jong-un. The US will continue holding military exercises with South Korea, Dempsey says.
Pentagon sends troops to Jordan to counter Syria chemical weapons threatThe Pentagon said this week it would send a small number of troops to Jordan to help forces there deal with Syria's chemical weapons threat and to prevent the civil war from spilling over.
Afghanistan war can yet be won, US general tells CongressThe commander of US forces in Afghanistan outlined three achievements that would secure a 'win' after 11 years of combat 鈥� acknowledging none is yet in hand. He gave Congress a report Tuesday on the war's progress.聽
Time for a preemptive strike against North Korea? Some say yes.A University of Texas professor argues for a strike against North Korea in a New York Times op-ed. Some US military planners are sympathetic to the idea, while others accuse him of being a warmonger.
Lawmaker drops bombshell: North Korea may have nuclear missilesAn unclassified Pentagon report not yet released to the public suggests that North Korea can arm missiles with nuclear warheads, a lawmaker revealed Thursday.
Pentagon warns North Korea: You are 'very close to a dangerous line'North Korea is unpredictable, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says. That's why the Pentagon aims to ratchet down tensions, even as it tries to 'prepare for every contingency.'
Top admiral worries North Korea crisis could escalate 'pretty quickly'In congressional testimony, the head of US Pacific Command said tensions stoked by North Korea mean that one miscalculation could lead to 'significant combat activity from the North.'
Amid North Korea crisis, US scrubs missile test to avoid 'misperception'Calling off the missile test 鈥� which had nothing to do with North Korea 鈥� is just one way the US is quietly trying to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Hagel invokes Eisenhower as he signals era of austerity at PentagonIn his first major policy speech, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks of employing military power 'judiciously' and using resources 'with a minimum of waste.'
Kim Jong-un: Can US trust North Korean leader to act rationally?Kim Jong-un isn't the first North Korean leader to use threats for political gain. But the West doesn't really know what to make of him because of his youth and the uncertainty that shrouds the country.
North Korea: What happens if Kim Jong-un acts on his threats?In the event that the 'bellicose rhetoric' of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un turns into something more serious, the opening hours of conflict could be 'pretty ugly,' defense analysts warn.
US stealth bomber as messenger: what it says to China, North KoreaThe B-2 stealth bomber's history of hitting China's Belgrade embassy in 1999 makes its training mission over South Korea an even more pointed message to North Korea's Kim Jong-un.
The ExplainerWhy is the US shifting its missile defense out of Europe?US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently announced plans to cancel a planned US missile defense network in Europe, and instead beef up its interceptors in the Pacific.
Did David Petraeus drop hint about future plans in speech?Retired Gen. David Petraeus returned to the public eye with a speech about veterans affairs Tuesday. The topic of the speech could offer clues about his next public role, a friend says.
