Pentagon
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Lt. General Ronal Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency said yesterday Iran could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a single nuclear bomb within a year. But is that their goal? A top Israeli military analyst says the jury is still out on what Iran is going to do with its nuclear program. Some have suggested even Iran doesn\'t know. One thing\'s for sure. The U.S. And Israel both have warned a military strike on Iran is not out of the question. The question is will it happen before Hezbollah and Hamas strike Israel as some experts warn.
April 19, 2010 -
Israel has banned imports of Apple Inc.\'s hottest new product, the iPad, citing concerns the powerful gadget consumes too much capacity on wireless networks and could disrupt other devices. According to the Associated Press, customs officials said Thursday they have already confiscated about 10 of the lightweight tablet computers since Israel announced the new regulations this week. The ban prevents anyone - even tourists - from bringing iPads into Israel until officials certify that they comply with local transmitter standards.
April 16, 2010 -
My countdown of the three biggest news stories of the week, as chosen by experts on the Federal government
April 16, 2010 -
Last year, Congress passed and sent on to President Obama a bill to reform how the Pentagon acquires large weapons systems. Now, House lawmakers are back with a proposal to reform the other 80 percent of Defense Department procurement that does not have to do with weapons.
April 15, 2010 -
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev says he\'s ready to resign. But Only under certain conditions is ready to resign if he and his kin and kith are granted security guarantees. \"I will resign if they will ensure my and my relatives\' security,\" he has told a news conference in Dzhalal-Abad. The interim government has refused to grant him immunity and warns that he would be detained if did not give up his calls for civil war.
April 14, 2010 -
Ousted Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev says he did not want to believe Russia was behind the protests that chased him from power. Bakiyev also said he had no plans to step down, but offered to talk to the opposition leaders who have claimed control of Kyrgyzstan after Central Asia\'s bloodiest unrest in five years. He adds he believes there was some foreign influence in the coup.
April 09, 2010 -
The United States and Brazil are preparing to sign a new agreement to bolster defense cooperation, the first accord of its kind between the hemisphere\'s two top economies in more than 30 years, officials said Wednesday. Reuters is reporting the agreement, which could be signed as early as Monday, is meant to demonstrate strengthening ties between the two militaries, despite diplomatic tensions over Brazil\'s refusal to back new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. It also comes as Brazil is evaluating bids in a multibillion dollar fighter jet competition, in which U.S.-based Boeing Co is one of three contenders.
April 08, 2010 -
What\'s the difference between Russian intelligence and U.S. intelligence today? A source with knowledge of both CIA and Russia\'s SVR, formerly known as the KGB says the SVR has an unlimited supply of money to recruit spies. The source also says it depends on the quality and amount of information a spy can provide. Still the source says, the SVR tries to save money and says American turncoats Aldrich Aimes, and Robert Hanssen could have gotten ten times more than they got from the Russian intelligence.
April 05, 2010 -
Pakistani officials say a Filipino militant wanted by the United States was killed in an American drone strike earlier this month. Abdul Basit Usman was reportedly killed on Jan. 14 close to the Afghan border. The State Department\'s list of most-wanted terrorists identifies Usman as a bomb-making expert with links to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf militant group and the Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah network.
January 22, 2010 -
France will not send any more troops to Afghanistan and wants instead to see an enlarged Afghan army, President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a newspaper interview released on Thursday. The United States is considering sending up to 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and has urged its NATO allies to do something similar. Britain announced this week that it was ready to send 500 more troops but Sarkozy told Le Figaro daily that he was sticking to a long-standing pledge not to send more forces. He said it is necessary to stay in Afghanistan? And to stay to win. \"But France will not send one more soldier.\"
October 16, 2009 -
German authorities are bracing for the possibility of terror attacks. On Friday they arrested a 25-year-old Turkish man they suspected of posting a video on the internet threatening Germany with an attack after yesterday\'s federal election. German media report pictures of Berlin\'s Brandenburg Gate and the Frankfurt skyline, and photos of top Germany government official were posted on the internet along with a threat the government believe came from the Taliban. The U.S. State Department, in a sign of just how serious this all is, is warning Americans to keep a low profile if they go to Germany.
September 28, 2009 -
The U.S. is watching Damascus very carefully today. Syrian President Bashar al Assad is hosting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez has made no secret of his disdain for the U.S. and Syria and the U.S. don\'t work well together because of their relationship with Iran, North Korea and terrorist organizations. The Presidents and their ministers are meeting to review a series of 11 existing agreements. One of the big worries for the U.S. intelligence community is that relationship give enemies of the US direct access to this hemisphere.
September 04, 2009 -
The intelligence community is buzzing over news that CIA Director Leon Panetta threatened to quit during a shouting match recently at the White House over the news that Attorney General Eric Holder might pursue cases against CIA personnel involved in interrogation. It\'s no secret that there has been tension in the intelligence community, but this is the first crack in the armor, if true. WTOP has not confirmed that the shouting match took place, but Panetta\'s letter to employees at the CIA made clear that he was supporting them regardless of what happens.
August 24, 2009 -
The Pentagon\'s chief information officer is conducting an agency-wide review of the use of popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Officials are trying to balance the benefits of allowing the use of social networking on recruiting, public affairs and troop morale, against the potential security risks. Defense Secretary Gates gets a report on ‘web 2.0\' at the end of this month, and department-wide policy is expected out in late September.
August 10, 2009 -
The post-9/11 GI Bill takes effect on August first, but service members should know that NOW is the time to put in that request to transfer their benefits to spouses and children. Pentagon officials say its one of the most popular aspects of the GI Bill. Experts say its smart to transfer at least a month of benefits to each dependent before your hitch is up, so you can make adjustments later. Once you leave the service, you can\'t make such a change.
July 27, 2009