Operations

Several Senate Republicans are slamming the administration's to move its latest terror suspect through the federal court system, bypassing the military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

The Pentagon is considering stationing over 13,000 American troops in Afghanistan after U.S. and allied commanders officially end combat operations in the county next year, a top U.S. commander told Congress on Tuesday. 

Recent bombings in the Pakistani port city of Karachi will not deter the Pentagon's ongoing effort to move the mountains of weapons and equipment out of Afghanistan, in preparation for the pending American withdrawal from the country next year. 

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has given American and NATO commanders three months to cede control of U.S.-backed local militias to Kabul, as the central government looks to solidify its grip over the country ahead of the 2014 allied withdrawal. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committee's chairwoman, delayed the panel's vote on Brennan's nomination for CIA director until Tuesday.

On Monday, the White House pushed back against claims DOD oversold progress being made by U.S. and Afghan against the Taliban, saying the country is still on track to  take over security for the country once U.S. troops leave in 2014. 

"Afghanistan is increasingly capable of taking care of its own security and ultimately will be responsible for its own security," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Tuesday. 

The recenrt ouster of a several U.S. special operations teams from Afghanistan could be the beginning of increased restrictions against American troops that may end up putting U.S. lives at risk, according to a top House Republican. 

For the second time in as many months, Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers launched a string of attacks against Afghanistan's fledgling intelligence directorate in an attempt to crush the nascent agency before U.S. and NATO combat forces leave the country next year. 

An effort to bolster Afghanistan's military and national police ahead of the American troop drawdown could fall apart.

Civilian employees could face up to 22 days of furlough through the end of the fiscal year in September.