Threats
Trump Reverses, Says He’ll Keep US Troops in Syria
The president officially walked back last week’s off-the-cuff remark that the U.S. would leave Syria ‘very soon,’ leaving even more questions about the mission.
Threats
Denied Wall Funding, Trump Sends National Guard to Southern Border
Details are still being hashed out, but previous presidents’ decisions to do the same offer clues about what’s to come.
Policy
A Day of Whiplash in the US’s Syria Policy
At simultaneous live events, the president and military leaders offered conflicting views about America’s involvement.
Policy
Top Marine General: ‘I’ve Never Told a Marine They Could or Couldn’t Speak’ to the Press
While one service cracks down on media engagement, the Corps’ top officer strikes a different tone.
Policy
Where’s the New Transgender Troops Ban Headed? Look at the Travel Ban Fight
Like Trump’s effort to bar visitors from several Mideast countries, a long legal battle awaits the newest limits on who can serve in uniform.
Policy
Defense Hawks Soak Up Defense Spending Win. Now What?
The backs of the men and women in uniform — which defense hawks say have so long borne the weight of Congress’s fiscal stumbles — helped carry the $1.3-trillion 2018 spending bill over a key hurdle on Thursday.
Policy
Senators Signal Resistance to Proposed Low-Yield Nukes
Several Democratic lawmakers on a key committee are pushing back on the given rationale for a new warhead and cruise missile.
Policy
Trump Calls for a Space Force, a Concept His Pentagon Opposes
The president’s words could reanimate a legislative proposal that the defense secretary and others thought they had killed.
Policy
Here’s What the Services Want from Congress This Year
After lawmakers pass the budget promised by February’s bipartisan deal, the three secretaries have other priorities for legislative action.
Threats
‘We're Finding It Difficult to Hold’ Territory in Somalia: Senator
Somali government forces, African partner nations, and half a thousand U.S. troops are having trouble holding off the extremists of al Shabaab.
Policy
Space Corps Is At Least ‘Three to Five Years Away,’ Its Congressional Champion Says
A bipartisan team of House lawmakers slams the Air Force for pushing back on the idea of a separate service for space operations.
Threats
Russia ‘Incredibly Destabilizing’ as Syrian Conflict Threatens Region, Top US General Warns
Weeks after Tillerson said the U.S. and Russia share a postwar vision, Votel says Moscow is playing both “arsonist and firefighter.”
Threats
New Report Notes Erosion of Pentagon’s Technological Advantage
The evidence ranges from a new long-range Chinese missile to ramped-up European defense spending, an annual assessment of the world’s militaries finds.
Policy
It Could Get Harder to Track US War Spending
The administration plans to push “enduring” costs from the Overseas Contingency Operations war fund back into the base budget in future years.
Threats
Beijing Has Started Giving Latin American Generals ‘Lavish,’ All-Expenses-Paid Trips to China
Inspired by the U.S.’s own programs to train and befriend foreign officers at American military institutions, Beijing is wooing the militaries of the U.S.’s neighbors.
Policy
Trump Proposes 10% Bump for the Pentagon — Then Four Flat Years
The coming military buildup is looking smaller than promised.
Policy
Two-Year Budget Deal Would Raise Caps, Give Pentagon $700B in 2018
The deal comes with a new continuing resolution to give House and Senate lawmakers time to work out details.
Threats
Mattis: New Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Is a Bargaining Chip
But don’t call the low-yield option a ‘tactical nuclear weapon’ — it’s still strategic, he says.
Business
What ‘Buy America’ Looks Like at an Overseas Air Show
State Department officials say they’re upping their presence at the Singapore Airshow this week as part of the administration’s push to sell more arms abroad.
Threats