Policy

Can Iraq Be Trusted with U.S. Attack Helicopters?

Congressional leaders are uneasy about putting Apache helicopters under the control of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

Congress Targets Four Firms That Did Business with Iran

The Government Accountability Office identified four companies that did deals with Iran’s energy sector, despite global sanctions. By Diane Barnes

Policy

In Congress, Military Benefits Are Still Sacred

Several members of Congress have proposed bills to repeal the cuts - a strong signal that military benefits are likely to remain virtually untouchable in the near future. By Sara Sorcher

Policy

How the Fall of Fallujah Could Be Good For the U.S.

For the first time since U.S. troops left Iraq, Washington has leverage with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. By Michael Hirsh

Ideas

Hagel’s Nuclear Site Tour Is a Good Start

Perhaps Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has come around on nuclear disarmament in visiting the troops this week. It’s a good bet he won’t like what he hears. By Rep. Mike Rogers

Business

Gates’ Love-Hate Relationship with Bureaucracy

“Up close, Congress is truly ugly,” former Defense Secretary Bob Gates writes in his new memoir. By Tom Shoop

Policy

The Egyptian Revolution Has Failed

Recent press crackdowns by the government mirror the tactics used by Mubarak’s authoritarian regime. By Shaheen Pasha

Threats

Why Al-Qaeda in Iraq Is Maliki’s Problem, Not America’s

Arming Iraq’s civil war will do little to solve Iraq’s political dysfunction. Unless Maliki agrees to power sharing in his own country, Maliki is on his own. By Peter Mansoor

Policy

Iran Sanctions Bill Gains Steam in the Senate

The Nuclear Weapon-Free Iran Act now has 48 sponsors, according to Senate staffers. By Global Security Newswire

Threats

Iraq’s Best Hope for Peace Is Replacing Maliki

The United States may have made a mess in Iraq, but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s reign has only made things worse. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

The Next Fight Over Military Sexual Assault Is Already Here

Senators Claire McCaskill and Kirsten Gillibrand are set to clash over competing proposals to reform military justice once the Senate returns. By Stacy Kaper

Policy

It's Time to Cut Military Health and Pension Benefits

In a new poll, a majority of defense and national security experts say it's time to cut military health and pension benefits. By Sara Sorcher

Business

How Sequestration Weakened the Defense Lobby

Warnings that sequestration would be Armageddon for the defense industry only hurt its credibility. By Sara Sorcher

Policy

The 600 Doomed Defense Bills of 2013

Believe it not, members of Congress introduced 600 defense-related bills last year. More than two-thirds went absolutely nowhere. By Jordain Carney

Business

Senate Backs NDAA With 1 Percent Pay Raise for Troops

The measure also extends the Pentagon's ability to provide housing allowances, reenlistment bonuses and foreign language incentives. By Eric Katz

Ideas

Get the Message: Military Compensation Reform Is Sacred No More

That Congress was willing to touch the third rail of military retirement pay shows times are changing, as they should. By Maren Leed

Policy

Feinstein’s NSA Bill Is Officially on Life Support

Civil liberties groups have strongly pushed back against the bill, claiming that it "entrenches" the agency's surveillance programs. By Dustin Volz

Policy

Senate Passes Budget Bill Cutting Pension Benefits for New Feds and Military Retirees

The $85 billion savings package would fund the government well past mid-January 2014, and sets spending levels through fiscal 2015. By Kellie Lunney

Policy

NDAA Clears Key Hurdle, Final Passage Expected This Week

Wednesday's vote ran over Republican objections that prohibited additional amendments to the defense authorization bill. By Stacy Kaper