Topic: U.S. Armed Forces
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Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile
Word from the White House that Syria probably resorted to small-scale use of chemical weapons against rebel forces in the country's civil war draws new attention to the internationally-banned nerve agent sarin.Perhaps the best-known recent use of sarin previously was in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack, in which at least 13 people died. But sarin’s legacy is about to get an update and henceforth seems likely to be associated with Syria and its besieged president, Bashar al-Assad.
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CSMonitor editors share their favorite people to follow on Twitter
Twitter turned 7 this week. In celebration of the social network's birthday, The Christian Science Monitor compiled a list of favorite Twitter accounts. Each is informative and useful in its own way. Find out what each section recommends for you.
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Top 3 threats to the United States: the good and bad news
The annual Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community is out this week, a widely-anticipated report compiled by the nation’s intelligence agencies. Here is the good and bad news about the top three threats facing the United States, according to an unclassified version of the report.
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Bestselling books the week of 3/10/13, according to IndieBound*
See what's selling in bookstores across America.
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North Korea abandons armistice: 4 key questions answered
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are ratcheting up. The US has started its annual war games with South Korean forces, and North Korea has used that fact to declare that it is invalidating the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. What really has North Korea upset, though, is the tough, new sanctions passed by the United Nations in response to the North's nuclear test last month.Here are the top four questions analysts are wrestling with on the heels of these developments.
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In time of trans-Atlantic austerity, US opens another military base in Spain
With its already small defense budget hit hard by the economic crisis Spain is leasing several bases to the US in exchange for access to better technology, intelligence, and training.
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Opinion: America can't afford the real cost of Guantánamo
The consequences of ignoring Guantánamo, its abuses, and its hunger strikers are foreboding – for the prisoners and for America. President Obama must release prisoners with no case against them, move the rest to US courts to be charged and tried, and finally close the detention facility.
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Bolivia's Evo Morales says 'adiós' to USAID
Morales has made other important policy announcements on May Day in the past, like nationalizing Bolivia's oil and gas industry. This is not the first time tensions have run high with the US.
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A no-fly zone over Syria? Harder to do than in Libya, warns top US general (+video)
Some US lawmakers want the US to establish a no-fly zone over Syria. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, questioned Tuesday whether that would do much to reduce Syrian attacks on civilians, never mind that it won't be easy.
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Focus
Was Shane Todd murdered over high-tech secrets?Shane Todd, a US citizen working in Singapore, believed he had access to restricted tech. His death in 2012 was by suicide, say local authorities. But his family, suspecting murder, wants the FBI to take part in the investigation.
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Pentagon budget woes: furlough civilians, buy tanks you don't want
Once again, the Pentagon wants to scrap a weapon – in this case, the Abrams tank – that Congress has an interest in preserving. But with 'sequester' cuts, the tradeoff will be civilian furloughs.
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USA Update Alan Wood dies, leaves legacy of Iwo Jima flag
Alan Wood dies: The US Navy veteran brought a flag from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Iwo Jima. Alan Wood later served as the Jet Propulsion Lab spokesman.
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Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
Including failed terror plots in US terrorism databases would make the US terror-threat picture more complete and provide important information for law enforcement, researchers suggest.
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Obama’s 'red line' on Syria: An Iraq-like 'slam dunk' moment? (+video)
President Obama said a 'red line' would be crossed if the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against rebels. Might that propel the US into war, as those elusive 'weapons of mass destruction' did in Iraq?
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Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile
Word from the White House that Syria probably resorted to small-scale use of chemical weapons against rebel forces in the country's civil war draws new attention to the internationally-banned nerve agent sarin.Perhaps the best-known recent use of sarin previously was in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack, in which at least 13 people died. But sarin’s legacy is about to get an update and henceforth seems likely to be associated with Syria and its besieged president, Bashar al-Assad.
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Syria chemical weapons: Pentagon weighs evidence, plans response
Pentagon officials say they are still trying to confirm reports that Syria has used chemical weapons against civilians, but that they are preparing a military option for any outcome.
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Top US general foresees 'prolonged provocation' by North Korea
Belligerence by North Korea, coinciding with Kim Jong-un's ascent as leader, is likely to continue for a 'prolonged' period, Gen. Martin Dempsey said Wednesday after a trip to China. He believes China's military to be as 'concerned' as the US about North Korea's actions.
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US general aims to ease China's concerns over Obama 'pivot' to Asia
China is deeply suspicious of US intent in its 'pivot' to Asia, and US Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Beijing this week to try to reassure China's military – and its people.
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Canada alleges Al Qaeda plot from Iran, but Tehran's involvement unlikely (+video)
Shiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda have long had a hostile relationship. While state involvement appears unlikely, Tehran has less control over the country's far east.
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US charges against Boston bombing suspect allow for death penalty (+video)
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Boston Marathon bombing suspect, was charged Monday with using an IED to destroy lives and property, a federal crime that carries a potential death sentence. The affidavit outlines why the FBI believes it has the right man.
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In US-China talks on cyber conflict, a top Chinese general owns to dangers
At a press briefing in Beijing with Martin Dempsey, chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Fang Fenghui offered some agreement on the damage of cyberattacks, a 'friction point' in US-China relations.
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Terrorism & Security Taliban seize international hostages from helicopter
A helicopter carrying foreign nationals made an emergency landing due to poor weather conditions in Afghanistan, where they were seized by the Taliban.
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North Korea: US military braces for heightened readiness
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey says 'we’re in a period of prolonged provocation' with North Korea and its young dictator, Kim Jong-un. The US will continue holding military exercises with South Korea, Dempsey says.
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Energy Voices The many empty meanings of 'energy security'
We have talked about the concept of ‘energy security’ so much that it no longer means anything, Holland writes. It is time to retire the term.
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Pentagon sends troops to Jordan to counter Syria chemical weapons threat
The Pentagon said this week it would send a small number of troops to Jordan to help forces there deal with Syria's chemical weapons threat and to prevent the civil war from spilling over.
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Opinion: Talks with North Korea? Better to apply financial pressure (+video)
South Korea and the US must be skeptical about future talks, not least because North Korea has no incentive to change. However, the North is vulnerable to financial pressure, as seen when the US once sanctioned an Asian bank that handled North Korean money.
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Afghanistan war can yet be won, US general tells Congress
The commander of US forces in Afghanistan outlined three achievements that would secure a 'win' after 11 years of combat – acknowledging none is yet in hand. He gave Congress a report Tuesday on the war's progress.
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Time for a preemptive strike against North Korea? Some say yes.
A University of Texas professor argues for a strike against North Korea in a New York Times op-ed. Some US military planners are sympathetic to the idea, while others accuse him of being a warmonger.
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Terrorism & Security Global defense spending dips for first time in 15 years
Defense budget cuts in the US and Europe were more than enough to offset an increase in spending by rising powers like Russia and China.
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Global News Blog Deadly Taliban attack targets elite unit in Afghanistan
The 13 soldiers killed were members of Afghanistan's Third Battalion, one of only a small number of Afghan Army units rated as fully self-sufficient by the US military.
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