Topic: National Defense University

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Obama to detail terrorism policy including drone attacks and Guantánamo Bay prison

In a national security speech, President Obama will explain his policies dealing with terrorism, the use of drone aircraft, Al Qaeda, and the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Air Force general, his wife die in small plane crash in Virginia

Major General Joseph D. Brown IV and his wife Susan D. Brown died Friday when the Cessna plane he was flying crashed near the Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport in Virginia.
Why Indonesia's farmers have begun to guard their crops like gold

The price of staple crops has skyrocketed in Indonesia - shallots have gone from $1.20 a kilogram to as much as $7 - prompting farmers to take new measures to guard their fields against looters.
U.S. readies for 'real and clear danger' from North Korea

North Korea has threatened the United States with a nuclear attack. In response, Washington has made plans to send a missile defense system to Guam, officials said Wednesday.
Hagel invokes Eisenhower as he signals era of austerity at Pentagon (+video)

In his first major policy speech, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks of employing military power 'judiciously' and using resources 'with a minimum of waste.'
Cybersecurity: how preemptive cyberwar is entering the nation's arsenal

In addition to authorizing the use of cyberweapons, the White House is preparing an executive order to beef up cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, such as the electric grid, refineries, and telecommunications.
US: Syria fires Scud missiles at rebels in 'desperate' military escalation

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two officials said forces of President Bashar Assad have fired the missiles from the Damascus area into northern Syria.
How will the US deal with Syrian use of WMDs? (+video)

President Barack Obama, in a speech at the National Defense University on Monday, pointedly warned Syrian President Bashar Assad not to use his arsenal.
U.N. pulls staff from Damascus, as fighting in Syria escalates (+video)

Over the past few weeks the fighting in the Syrian capital of Damascus has steadily grown worse as the rebels continue their assaults on the government-held city.
Can Syria's opposition groups figure out how to pull together? (+video)

At a gathering in Qatar, Syria's opposition groups have been trying to overcome disarray in their ranks – and lay the foundation for eventual post-dictator leadership.
Afghanistan: Why don't we leave now?

The rise in attacks by Afghan forces against Western troops is threatening US-Afghan military cooperation – a key reason to stay until 2014. The trend could affect the US exit strategy.
Terrorism & Security Beijing responds calmly to India missile test

The Chinese government has underscored its desire for cooperation with India, rather than an arms race.
Indonesia backs off plans to hike price of gas after protests

But pressure continues to mount to increase prices from their current, government-subsidized $2 per gallon, as the subsidies sap resources from education, health care, and other programs.
Why Syria's Assad could hang on for a decade or more (+video)

Despite defiant talk from fighters vowing to oust him, Syria's Assad is in a much stronger position than was Libya's Qaddafi.
Opinion: Iraq after US pullout – not a doomsday scenario

President Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today in Washington to discuss the US-Iraq relationship after the final US combat troop pullout this December. Worried pundits foresee the return of rampant terrorism and insurgency, and an Iranian takeover. They're wrong.
Opinion: Obama must learn from past mistakes in fight against Uganda's LRA

Obama’s deployment of 100 American military advisers to Uganda could help defeat Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army. But things could also go horribly wrong. That's what happened before. Still, the factors that led to past failure can be clearly identified – and hopefully avoided.
Pentagon unveils its new cyberstrategy. Well, some of it, anyway.

The Pentagon – belatedly, perhaps – outlines its 'Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace.' A slim unclassified document emphasizes a defensive posture, leaving many questions unanswered.
A US cyberwar doctrine? Pentagon document seen as first step, and a warning.

A yet-to-be-released Pentagon document on cyberwar reportedly lays out when the US would respond with conventional force to a cyberattack: when infrastructure or military readiness is damaged.
Bin Laden raid: A model for how US should fight Afghanistan war?

The US is now waging a troop-heavy counterinsurgency to win Afghan hearts and minds. But the bin Laden raid has boosted critics, who say the Afghanistan war should involve smaller forces and a greater reliance on targeted strikes.
Opinion: Democracy pushback in Egypt: revolution was the starting point, not finish line

Democracy activists in Egypt are on the defensive after a series of authoritarian crackdowns. Pushback is a common trait of democratic transitions. Yet democratic reforms are vital if Egypt is to achieve real social and economic progress. Reformers must organize quickly, for the long-term.
Opinion: The Obama Doctrine is bad foreign policy

In his speech about Libya last night, President Obama articulated his thinking about intervention quite clearly – and it's quite clearly unacceptable.
Obama's Libya speech: Did it outline where intervention is headed?

President Obama emphasized humanitarian goals in Libya and made it clear he wants the Qaddafi regime to fall. But he also insisted that regime change was not a goal of the coalition action, per se.
Obama lays out rationale for war in Libya

Until now, President Obama has been reluctant to make a major speech on Libya. Now, he's scheduled to speak on the Libya mission Monday, previewed in his Saturday radio address.
The Monitor's View: America's best agents in Cairo: US-trained Egyptian officers

Pentagon training of foreign military officers in the US may be the best investment in democracy. Thousands of Egyptian officers have been exposed to US democratic values, Will those officers now stick with Mubarak?
US State Department tells employees not to read WikiLeaks

The US State Department has pushed employees toward "digital diplomacy" with Twitter and iPhone apps, but the department has banned all employees from using WikiLeaks.