Topic: John Brennan
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Briefing
Petraeus scandal: Did anything illegal happen? Five questions so far.
An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation has now called into question the private lives and careers of two of the nation’s top national-security officials. Here is an accounting of what is known so far.
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'Extensive' porn stash: Three ways US has tried to sully bin Laden's image
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WikiLeaks: The five strangest stories...so far
All Content
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9/11 lessons not learned: three failed reforms
Most of the 9/11 commission's recommendations have been implemented, but three reforms, in particular, have failed to fully take shape since 2001.
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US unveils new counterterrorism strategy: three key parts
The new counterterrorism strategy replaces one from 2006 and calls for pursuing with ‘laser focus’ the approach that the Obama administration has already been taking.
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Yemen, Sudan, Libya: Can US douse flames of Middle East hot spots?
With the euphoria over the Arab Spring wearing off, President Obama is sending top aides to the Middle East to address worsening violence in Yemen and fears of renewed civil strife in Sudan.
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'Extensive' porn stash: Three ways US has tried to sully bin Laden's image
For years, Osama bin Laden has been portrayed as the world’s worst terrorist – mastermind of the deaths of thousands of people, including nearly 3,000 on US soil in 9/11. Since US Navy SEALs killed him last week, however, the image of the Al Qaeda leader – now a martyr to his followers – has taken several calculated hits. Here are three attempts by the Obama administration to recast the perception of Mr. bin Laden.
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Why an accurate US account of the bin Laden attack is so important
The fumbled recountings of the attack on the bin Laden compound undermine the operation itself and the credibility of the US government, analysts say. It also helped to fuel conspiracy theories.
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Debunking 4 myths around bin Laden killing: torture, cowering, CIA, and Pakistan's involvement
A few things that caught my attention.
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Did harsh interrogation tactics help US find Osama bin Laden?
Many Bush administration officials say yes. Obama officials say there was a 'mosaic of sources' that led to Osama bin Laden – no single confession. Documents offer some insight into who said what – and how they were treated.
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US won't release bin Laden photo: 'We're not interested in ... trophies.'
Concerns that release of a 'gruesome' bin Laden photo could spark a backlash in the Muslim world won out over a desire to defuse conspiracy theories that Al Qaeda's leader was still alive.
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How long will Al Qaeda live beyond bin Laden? Lessons from Latin America.
A real-world example of why Al Qaeda could live well beyond Osama bin Laden, Latin America has found limited results from taking out leaders of deadly ideological insurgencies.
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Opinion: On Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, US and Pakistan really are on the same team
US and Pakistani interests do diverge in some areas, but combating Al Qeada isn't one of them. In fact, the speculation around Pakistan's complicity following the killing of Osama bin Laden is misplaced and harmful to our future cooperation with Pakistan, making us less safe.
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Obama doubles down on refusal to release bin Laden photos
The White House seems to have decided that satisfying skeptics is not worth the risk of releasing 'gruesome' photos of Osama bin Laden, which could enrage radicals.
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Bin Laden alive? To debunk latest myth, White House near release of photo.
The US had reasons to bury Osama bin Laden at sea. But now conspiracy theories are cropping up that he is not dead, adding to domestic pressure on the US to release a photo of his body.
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Were Navy SEALs justified in shooting an unarmed Osama bin Laden?
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday that Osama bin Laden was unarmed when shot by Navy SEALs. But under the law of war, the Al Qaeda leader was a legitimate military target, say legal experts.
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Can US and Taliban cut a deal in Afghanistan?
Even before Osama bin Laden's killing, the Taliban were softening their image while the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan set the stage for talks. Now the US must decide if it's worth years of further military and diplomatic effort to hammer out an agreement.
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Bin Laden tape, photos release weighed by US
Bin Laden tape: White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said in a series of appearances on morning television: 'This needs to be done thoughtfully,' with careful consideration given to what kind of reaction the images might provoke.
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Osama bin Laden's burial at sea: critics range from 9/11 families to militants.
Criticism about bin Laden's sea burial comes for various reasons: failure to comply with Islamic law, a lack of closure, and the proliferation of conspiracy theories.
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Bin Laden wives found in compound, one used as human shield
Bin Laden wives: During the night attack on Osama bin Laden, one of his wives was reportedly used as a human shield to protect bin Laden from US commandos' fire.
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Why Obama isn't pushing for Yemen president to go: Al Qaeda
Obama wants Libya's Qaddafi out, and he pushed hard for Egypt's Mubarak to exit. Not so Yemen's Saleh, president for 33 years. The difference: US concern about Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula.
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With Libya, is 'Obama doctrine' on war emerging?
Barack Obama entered the White House responsible for two wars he had inherited. Now, as Iraq winds down and Afghanistan drags on, he finds himself at the outset of possible US combat in Libya.
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Yemen protest violence seen as start of more intense confrontation
Two were killed and hundreds injured Saturday after security forces loyal to Yemen's 32-year President Ali Abdullah Saleh confronted protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition.
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Thermoses, coffee cups added to list of possible terrorist weapons
During the busiest travel season of the year, travelers carrying thermoses or beverage cups – which could be used to conceal explosive materials – may be subject to extra scrutiny.
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Holiday season prompts stepped-up security against terrorist attack
Officials say security is tighter since last year's Christmas Day bombing attempt aboard an airliner. But there's heightened concern about a terrorist attack during the holidays.
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Yemen diverted US counterrorism aid meant to tackle Al Qaeda, WikiLeaks reveals
A December 2009 cable, published by WikiLeaks, shows that Yemen deployed a US-funded counterterrorism unit to fight domestic rebels instead of Al Qaeda.
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WikiLeaks: The five strangest stories...so far
The release of US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks contains some serious stuff: US diplomats have been trying to steal the credit card numbers of top UN officials, Saudi Arabia is putting pressure on the US to attack Iran, Iran has obtained advanced long-range missiles from North Korea. Other cables are not so earth-shaking, but they nonetheless reveal personalities and events that are comical, surprising, or just plain weird. Here's our top five.
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The Next Three Days: movie review
Russell Crowe stars in this implausible thriller, 'The Next Three Days,' about a college professor whose wife is wrongly jailed for murder and his plan to spring her.
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