Policy & Strategy

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the potential for another war breaking out remains high in places like North Korea.

Forty-eight percent view Iran as a “very serious threat,” with 43 percent describing North Korea that way. 

The Senate Armed Services chairman rebuffed Kabul's demand that the White House commit to future funds in a postwar pact.

U.S. defense and intelligence institutions must step up their efforts against China as the Asian powerhouse continues to flex its military might in the Pacific. 

In a rare move for the cloistered group, Taliban leaders are appealing to Muslims worldwide for financial support.

Senate Republicans said they were unimpressed by the Iranian nuclear negotiations over the weekend.

The former head of military intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan and outspoken critic of U.S. intel operations has been tapped to head the Pentagon's premiere intelligence agency. 

Despite promises of support from the Pentagon and the White House in recent weeks, Afghan leaders want written guarantees that the United States will help foot the bill for the country's fledgling security forces. 

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), one of four remaining members of the House who are veterans of the Korean War, introduced a resolution marking the 60th anniversary of the war, and noting the contributions of Korean War veterans.

The resolution would make 2012-2013 the "Year of the Korean War Veteran," and mark the end of the war on July 27, 1953.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey announced new steps the Pentagon is taking to prevent sexual assault Monday as he traveled to Capitol Hill to talk about the issue with members of Congress.

Panetta said that the Defense Department would issue a directive elevating the most serious sexual assault cases to be investigated by a special court martial through a directive. 

He also listed several additional measures — including establishing a “Special Victims Unit” within each of the services, tracking the outcome of sexual assault cases, requiring annual climate assessments from commanders and training new active duty members within 14 days — that the Pentagon wants to pass Congress.

Panetta met with House members in a closed-door discussion on sexual assault prevention, which was organized by Reps. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.).

Sanchez said the Pentagon’s proposals would be included in this year’s Defense authorization bill. Read more...