Topic: Dave Lapan

Bin Laden movie consult has White House under fire

Bin Laden movie meeting causes stir: Washington helping Hollywood produce realistic movies isn't new. But talking to filmmakers about the Osama bin Laden raid discomfits some Americans, including Rep. Peter King (R) of New York.

Afghanistan helicopter crash: Why Army has used Chinook for half a century

The rugged CH-47 Chinook helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan flies fast and has double the lift capacity of its Vietnam-era forebears. But it is loud, and vulnerable, while preparing to land.

Ali Abdullah Saleh may be hurt worse than previously thought: Sources

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, may be injured more critically than US officials originally thought, complicating the US response to increased instability in a key battleground in the war against al-Qaida.

Osama bin Laden raid: Four fresh twists in the story

Figuring out precisely what took place at the Osama bin Laden compound in the early hours of the US commando team strike has led to some bracing twists and turns in the narrative. At a Pentagon briefing Friday, reporters ribbed military officials, saying they were looking forward to hearing the fifth and newest version of how the operation to strike the terrorist mastermind unfolded.

Here are the four latest plot turns in the bin Laden story:

US Navy poised to help Japan earthquake relief effort

Japan earthquake relief efforts are underway, with one US Navy ship already loading humanitarian supplies. The Pentagon's first priority Friday, however, was to make sure all its personnel and equipment in Japan and the Pacific were safe.

China's stealth jet is no cause for alarm: US

The day after a Chinese newspaper published photos of what is supposedly a prototype of China's first stealth jet, US officials said they are not worried about the development.

J-20 stealth fighter photos: Did China leak them intentionally?

J-20 stealth fighter photos have appeared on Chinese websites, suggesting that the leaks of images of what could be China's first stealth fighter jet are a calculated moved by the traditionally secretive People's Liberation Army.

Bradley Manning in 'isolation'? US defends treatment of WikiLeaks suspect

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is not in solitary confinement but is being held alone in a cell, the Pentagon says. He is suspected of stealing classified US documents and giving them to WikiLeaks.

Pentagon scrambles to prep for 'thermonuclear' Wikileaks release

The Pentagon is trying to anticipate what Julian Assange's 'thermonuclear' file might contain. The Wikileaks founder has promised to release the file if anything happens to him.

With US-South Korea war games, a signal to North Korea

US naval exercises Sunday off the Korean peninsula take on added significance, after North Korean attack on a South Korean island. Pyongyang rails against the US-South Korea war games.

When would a North Korean attack provoke US military response?

Pentagon officials wonder if and when North Korean aggression will require a US military response. It's 'premature' to say that is being considered after the North Korean attack on South Korea Tuesday, says a Pentagon spokesman.

Mystery missile? Pentagon, NASA experts say it was a plane

Mystery missile: Pentagon and NASA experts say the mysterious plume off southern California Monday was probably made by a jetliner and not by some mystery missile.

Wikileaks Iraq documents not as damaging as Pentagon feared – yet

The main Pentagon concern – that the Wikileaks documents would endanger Iraqis who worked with US forces – proved unfounded. But officials caution that dangers remain.

Pentagon pans new WikiLeaks release, but expects few surprises

WikiLeaks is expected to post imminently some 400,000 classified documents from the Iraq war. The WikiLeaks release could put both US troops and some Iraqis at risk, the Pentagon says.

Pentagon to federal court: Give us time to end 'don't ask, don't tell'

Its lawyers warned that the military could be 'irreparably' harmed by a court order to stop enforcing the ban on openly gay troops. Still, around Pentagon halls, it's clear an end to 'don't ask, don't tell' is coming.

How long can US troops withstand rupture of Pakistan supply lines?

Latest attack in Pakistan Wednesday burns at least two dozen fuel tankers bound for US military bases in Afghanistan. Pentagon is warily watching its vital supply lines.

Pentagon not worried about closure of Pakistani supply line - yet

A Pentagon official says Thursday that there are other ways of supplying US troops in Afghanistan – at least in the short term. Pakistan closed a key border crossing after a US raid entered Pakistan, reportedly killing three Pakistani troops.

Operation Dark Heart joins list of banned books

Operation Dark Heart an Afghanistan war memoir penned by an Army intelligence officer and approved by the Army, was subsequently deemed too sensitive by the Defense Department, who purchased 9,500 copies of the book to have them destroyed.

WikiLeaks: Facing 90,000 documents, US officials take go-slow approach

WikiLeaks documents didn’t undermine Congress's plan to pass a war-funding bill. And the Pentagon is rejecting calls for changes in how the military shares information with uniformed members.

Top Secret America: Counter-terrorism apparatus is hidden, lacks oversight

Top Secret America, intelligence gathering by the government, has grown so unwieldy and expensive that no one really knows what it costs and how many are involved.

Haiti earthquake: despite fears of rioting, US starts airdrops

The US military has held off on doing airdrops of food and water to victims of the Haiti earthquake, fearing they could set off riots. But it now has troops in place to secure airdrop zones.