Operations

A new Defense Department spy service was authorized in a Thursday House vote in favor of a bill authorizing U.S. intelligence operations for fiscal year 2013.

The House approved the Intelligence Authorization Act, H.R. 5743, in a 386-28 vote. The bill was broadly bipartisan, as it has been in the last few years, and reflects cooperation on the part of the Intelligence Committee on reaching funding priorities for the next year.

Rep. Conyers is pushing agencies to release information about the number of Americans who have their communications monitored under FISA.

The Defense Department on Thursday confirmed that elements of al Qaeda's Iraqi faction are on the ground in Syria, but have no proof that members have infiltrated the ranks of Syrian rebel forces. 

U.S. military officials are denying claims troops have been carrying out covert special reconnaissance operations inside North Korea.

"We’ve seen levels of violence going down, So, we’re on the right track," Panetta said.

A bipartisan group of senators praised the contribution of American women who volunteered with American Red Cross.

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boall had no interaction with special operations command, said Adm. William McRaven.

New York — White House officials will have a new way to travel when the V-22 Osprey officially becomes part of the presidential helicopter fleet in 2013.

American drones launched an airstrike against a suspected terror targets along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border Wednesday, further inflaming tensions between Washington and Islamabad over the controversial counterterrorism tactic. 

Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) are pushing legislation that would roll back a recent White House decision to expand drone strikes against terrorist targets around the world.