Military

‘Leave the Shooters Until Last,’ Gates Urges

Staff / Truthdig Jun 6, 2011 Ahead of policy deliberations in Washington, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates argued for a modest approach to the U troop drawdown in Afghanistan that will begin next month He favors the removal of support forces in a strategy that would leave as much "combat power" in place as possible until the war's end . Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Obama Nearly Triples Bagram Detainee Population

Staff / Truthdig Jun 6, 2011 The number of detainees held at a Guantanamo-like military detention center in Afghanistan has almost tripled in the three years since President Obama took office. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Hack Us and We’ll Bomb You

Staff / Truthdig Jun 1, 2011 The Pentagon has decided to treat Internet-borne attacks on the United States as acts of war. The change is motivated in part by a brewing leet arms race with China and Russia. Essentially the U.S. is playing catch-up in what someone from the 1990s would call "cyberspace" and the military is buying time by creating, it hopes, a deterrent. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

General Passed Over for Giving Obama Advice

Staff / Truthdig May 31, 2011 President Obama nominated Gen Martin Dempsey on Monday to take over as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top military adviser to the president Obama's first choice for the job, according to The Washington Post, was Marine Gen James Cartwright, who was reportedly denied the promotion for (more). Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Another Suicide Reported at Guantanamo

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2011 A detainee accused of being an al-Qaida operative committed suicide in a Guantanamo Bay prison yard, US officials say His death brings the total number of Guantanamo "suicides" to six since the U began sending foreign captives there in 2002 (more). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The New Story: Bin Laden Was Unarmed, Was Shot Quickly

Staff / Truthdig May 6, 2011 The latest version of events disagrees with our initial understanding of the raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout. Most significantly, it appears that the al-Qaida leader was shot very quickly and without provocation (other than his terror résumé). So much for human shields. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

How Bin Laden Got Away in 2001

Staff / Truthdig May 4, 2011 In all the excitement surrounding Osama bin Laden's death almost 10 years after the attacks on the Twin Towers, history reminds us that he was hardly a target for the Bush administration when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Plan: Maps, Photos and Diagrams of bin Laden’s Compound

Staff / Truthdig May 2, 2011 Talking Points Memo reprints some of the maps, diagrams and satellite images of Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan released by the U.S. Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Osama bin Laden Is Dead (Updated)

Staff / Truthdig May 2, 2011 President Obama has confirmed that a US-led operation has killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and his body is in U custody Update: In a related development, early Monday the State Department issued a worldwide warning to American travelers. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Politicians Calling for Assassination of Gadhafi

Staff / Truthdig Apr 26, 2011 With the battle for control of Libya nearing a stalemate, some Western politicians are calling on NATO to score a decisive victory by targeting Moammar Gadhafi from the sky and taking him out. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

WikiLeaks’ Guantanamo Files Released

Staff / Truthdig Apr 25, 2011 A large cache of military documents, obtained by WikiLeaks, reveals what many Guantanamo critics have alleged for years: The U.S. government detained and tortured suspects who it knew had no legitimate intel value. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Reportedly Gives Up Pakistan Drone Base

Staff / Truthdig Apr 22, 2011 Following a suspected US drone attack that slaughtered 25 people – including eight civilians – in northwest Pakistan, American military personnel have allegedly vacated the Pakistani Shamsi Air Base, a key hub for U drone activity. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )