Policy

Gates: I Was More Loyal to Obama Than His Own Staff

The former defense secretary says he got along well with Tom Donilon, President Obama's former National Security Advisor, but questions the loyalty of other White House staffers. By Michael Hirsh

Policy

Obama's NSA Proposals Fall Far Short of Real Change

The White House's tepid plan aims to calm the public, not curtail the government's surveillance programs. By James Oliphant

Policy

Congressional Intel Leaders Want Little Changed Ahead of Obama Speech

House and Senate intelligence committee bosses hope that whatever NSA and other reforms President Obama wants, he can do with executive authority and without legislation. By Stacy Kaper and Michael Catalini

Policy

Sen. Gillibrand Is Still Optimistic on Military Sexual Assault Reform

Sen. Gillibrand is looking longer-term, hoping to build off her first try to gather support for a future attempt to take the chain of command out of military sexual assault cases. By Stacy Kaper

Policy

Democrats Could Wreck Obama's Biggest National Security Success

Derailing Iran negotiations means risking another military conflict in the Middle East. By David Rohde

Policy

HASC Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon to Retire

The longtime chairman of the House Armed Services Committee will not seek re-election. By Kevin Baron

Business

Military Pension Fight Rages On

The omnibus spending bill would repeal cuts to military pensions for some working-age retirees. The fight for a full repeal, however, goes on. By Eric Katz

Policy

U.S. Increases Humanitarian Aid for Syria

The latest round of funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Syrian conflict to more than $1.7 billion. By Jordain Carney

Policy

The U.S. Is Still Officially At War in Iraq

Two years after U.S. troops withdrew, a group of bi-partisan senators want to repeal the authorization of the use of military force in Iraq, officially ending the war. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

Cyber Command Budget More Than Doubles

The House fiscal 2014 spending package includes $447 million for U.S. Cyber Command -- more than double last year’s budget. By Aliya Sternstein

Policy

What's Driving Democrats to Defy Obama on Iran?

Is it domestic politics? Or something else? The stakes are high with the Iran deal, but for some Senate Democrats, apparently not high enough. By Ron Fournier

Policy

Forget the Feds: States Are Trying to Rein in the NSA

Legislators in statehouses around the country are seeking to take the battle over government surveillance into their own hands. By Dustin Volz

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