Topic: Robert Gates

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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.
Pentagon budget: top 3 winners and losers

In Pentagon parlance, the word “cut” is a relative term. The Defense Department’s base budget decreases from $553 billion this year to $525 billion in 2013, but it rebounds steadily to $567 billion in 2017. With this in mind, here are the top three winners and losers:
Five ways 9/11 has transformed the US military
Who will carry out Obama's Afghanistan exit plan? Three new guys.
In Pictures: Leon Panetta's career

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Why US silence on Bahrain's crackdown could backfire

For the fourth time in two weeks, a detainee died in police custody. Witnesses say his body, like the others, bore signs of abuse.
With Obama's speech, momentum gathering to cut defense spending

Like Medicare and Social Security, cutting defense spending has been something of a 'do not enter' zone for many lawmakers. But that may be changing.
On anniversary of Saddam's fall, Iraq's Sadr issues warning on US presence

Hardline Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rallied thousands of followers Saturday. Their message: United States civilians as well as troops must leave by the end of the year.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 04/07
Gates to meet with Saudi king to discuss Yemen, Iran: April 6 Mideast update

Secretary Gates and King Abdullah share concerns about Al Qaeda in Yemen and Iranian influence in the region. Meanwhile, Libya's rebels demand more of NATO, and Syria's unrest simmers.
Pentagon: 'Don't ask, don't tell' could be gone by September

Pentagon officials told Congress on Friday that 'don't ask don't tell' – regulations prohibiting the service of openly gay or lesbian troops – could cease being military policy within six months.
US officials weigh how to fight terrorism in a post-Saleh Yemen

Reports that US support for Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is waning raises the question of whether a new leader would continue helping the US fight the local Al Qaeda franchise.
Hillary Clinton now most popular figure in Obama administration

As war rages on several fronts and much of the Middle East and northern Africa is in turmoil, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton enjoys a favorable rating higher than President Obama, Vice President Biden, or Secretary of Defense Gates.
Terry Jones: How free speech and Quran burning can lead to violence

The violent reaction to Terry Jones burning the Quran at his tiny Florida church continued to spread Saturday, and with it questions about freedom of expression with murderous results.
Libya's opposition says it would consider ceasefire: April 1 Mideast update

The opposition would maintain its insistence on Qaddafi's removal from power. Friday protests are sweeping through Syria, while Egyptians are demonstrating against a new law criminalizing protests.
Pentagon: Libyan rebels desperately need help, but don't look to US

Libyan opposition forces need training and organization to oust Muammar Qaddafi, but the US military shouldn't be involved, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress Thursday.
Arab revolutions will boost Al Qaeda, says radical US cleric Awlaki

Anwar al-Awlaki trumpeted his 'glee' about recent Arab revolutions in the latest issue of Inspire, the English-language magazine put out by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
ROTC returns to Harvard: Does officer training program need Ivy League?

Harvard's ROTC re-embrace may herald a more representative military – if such programs multiply in the Ivy League and beyond.
How Libya's Qaddafi brought humanitarian intervention back in vogue

The notion of humanitarian intervention went dormant after the Iraq war, but has now returned, championed by many of the same countries that were the greatest opponents of invading Baghdad.
Costliest government 'program' of all? Undeclared wars

Congress's habit of ignoring Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution has arguably cost taxpayers trillions. And now it seems to be happening again, with Obama's military action in Libya.
Gates, Clinton: Libya not a 'vital interest,' but US could be there for months

Secretary of Defense Gates and Secretary of State Clinton say the US-led military action in Libya is going well. But while Libya is not a 'vital interest,' the US could be there for months.
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.
Libya coalition: a unity of purpose, a multitude of opinions

The coalition of nations working to enforce the Libya no-fly zone are finding it difficult to balance their different political, military, and social concerns for the future of Libya.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 03/25
Why Israel is wary of getting into another Gaza war

Despite pledges by Israel and Hamas to restore calm amid the worst violence since the 2009 Gaza war, Israeli aircraft fired on the Gaza Strip as militants launched rockets within 16 miles of to Tel Aviv.
Obama vows a lesser US role in Libya, but new plan yet to be sealed

The Obama administration has hammered out a plan that puts NATO in the driver’s seat and gives a broader range of countries, including some Arab states, ‘political leadership’ of the Libya mission.
Libya timeline: Rebels and Qaddafi's troops still battling for Brega

Now into the eighth week of Libya's conflict, Qaddafi's troops pushed the rebels to the outskirts of Brega just as the rebels had been preparing their first oil shipment to Qatar.
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.
Splits widen among Western leaders over way forward in Libya

As the US moves to transfer command of Libya operations to Western allies, Europe is grappling with who should take the lead to enforce UN Resolution 1973.
Gates visits Russia as Putin decries UN action on Libya

Russian Prime Minister Putin said the Western assault on Qaddafi's offensive capabilities resembles a medieval crusade.