Defense Drumbeats

Mar 7, 2011 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (March 7, 2011)—On his thirteenth visit to Afghanistan as Defense Secretary, Robert Gates voiced support for a long-term commitment to the American mission in Afghanistan. As reported by the Washington Post, Gates told soldiers at U.S. and NATO headquarters, “Obviously it would be a small fraction of the presence that we have today, but I think we’re willing to do that…My sense is [Afghan officials] are interested in having us do that.” He also noted negotiations with the Afghan government for a security partnership extending into the future.
Dec 27, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
On December 21, incoming Chairman Buck McKeon issued a statement announcing the chairmen of the Armed Services subcommittees for the 112th Congress. Compiled of experienced lawmakers, McKeon indicated that his new leadership team will allow the Armed Services Committee to hit the ground running when the gavel opens the 112th Congress.
Dec 21, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (October 6, 2010)—The leaders of three conservative public policy groups recently penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that defense spending is not the cause for the nation’s soaring deficits and is not “an appropriate target for indiscriminate budget-slashing in a still-dangerous world.” Instead, they argue that the government’s investment in defense, which only accounts for 4.9 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, is not “an appropriate target for indiscriminate budget-slashing in a still-dangerous world.”
Dec 21, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (December 14, 2010)—Ignoring the concerns raised by the top officers in the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are pushing ahead with plans to overturn the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. This renewed effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is gaining momentum even as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which authorizes the Department of Defense and national security programs in the Department of Energy, moves into “uncharted territory.”
Dec 21, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (December 15, 2010)—Proponents of repealing the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law yesterday demanded that the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps either “fall in line and salute” or “resign now” after the nation’s top Marine “expressed concern that repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell; could cost Marine lives.”
Dec 13, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (October 7, 2010)—In a setback for the Administration’s trial-by-error terrorist prosecution program, a federal judge in New York yesterday barred the testimony of a key government witness in the case against Ahmed Ghailani—who has been accused of playing a role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
Dec 13, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2010)—According to a report in the Washington Times, Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States is concerned that her country could be “the first casualty of a nuclear-armed Iran.” Bahrain—strategically located in the Persian Gulf and a long-standing ally of the United States—hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and its sailors.
Dec 13, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (November 8, 2010)—According to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Marine Corps’ top officer, speaking in San Diego over the weekend, told reporters that “now is not the time to lift the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ ban.” The warning by General James Amos arrives as proponents of repealing the law are exploring options to undo the law before Republicans take control of Congress in January.
Dec 13, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (November 17, 2010)—Speaking at the Foreign Policy Initiative’s leadership forum on Monday, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee outlined his priorities for the committee in the 112th Congress and discussed the national security challenges facing our country’s leaders in the coming year. To view a copy of Rep. McKeon’s remarks, please click here.
Dec 13, 2010 Defense Drumbeat
Washington, D.C. (December 8, 2010)—Nearly two years after President Obama announced his intention to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Congressional Democrats have finally conceded to public will and included a straight prohibition on importing terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into the United States. However, House Republicans raised concerns that the Democratic Majority’s Full-Year Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2011 “is silent regarding transfers to other countries.”

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