Topic: U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

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Cuban Missile Crisis: the 3 most surprising things you didn't know

Fifty years ago, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union within a hair’s breadth of nuclear war. Here are three things that many Americans don’t know about what historians routinely call “the most dangerous moment in human history.”

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Military brass, senators united against sexual assault but at odds on remedy (+video)

Top military leaders received a dressing down from lawmakers Tuesday for failing to curb sexual assault within the ranks. The brass, however, opposed changes to the military justice system.
Netanyahu: Israel will take action to prevent Syrian 'weapons leakage' to Hezbollah

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel would prevent the movement of weapons from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. He made no mention of past or future air strikes.
North Korea pops off another projectile into the Pacific

It's not clear if North Korea fired a short-range missile or an artillery round. The isolated regime also launched three missiles on Saturday, causing no damage.
Opinion As North Korea heats up, South Korea and Japan should warm ties

Cooperation on missile defense between South Korea and Japan would help blunt threats from North Korea. But Japanese officials' recent insensitivity to Imperial Japan's painful role in World War II, including forcing South Koreans to become 'comfort women,' works against cooperation.
Robert Gates: Obama made right decisions night of Benghazi attack

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says those urging a military response the night of the Benghazi attack have 'a cartoonish impression of military capabilities.' Republicans in Congress want to grill former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of a special inquiry.
Emotional Benghazi testimony revives disputes

On Wednesday, a House panel heard from Gregory Hicks who was stationed in Tripoli at the time of the 2012 Benghazi attack which left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others dead. The hearing demonstrated a partisan divide between the two parties over how to interpret the attack and the U.S. government's response.
Sexual assault in military: Pentagon report, scandal deal a double blow (+video)

Even as the Pentagon prepared to report a dramatic increase in sexual assaults in the military, the officer in charge of the Air Force prevention program was alleged to have groped a woman.
Monitor Breakfast Why America's top general is wary of US military intervention in Syria

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Monitor-sponsored breakfast he has doubts about whether US military action in Syria would achieve three key aims.

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US considering arming Syrian rebels, says Hagel

The Obama administration is rethinking its decision not to arm Syrian rebels, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today, while emphasizing that 'rethinking' mean no decision has been made.
USA Update Top general: 5 bad habits for the Pentagon to fix (+video)

The Pentagon has not had to do any serious belt-tightening for years, and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the nation's top military officer, says some budget discipline could be beneficial.
Obama 'red line' on Syrian chemical weapons gets a bit grayer

President Obama has said Syria's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line.' Evidence is mounting, but Obama's desire for an international response throws prospects for action into doubt.
Monitor Breakfast 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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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.
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.
US military chief in Beijing warns of North Korea 'miscalculation'

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey is in China looking for help on North Korea. Though Beijing indicated it was 'working on' it, there are a number of reasons why China might be reluctant to push the North too hard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Suspect arrested in ricin-laced letters case

According to the FBI, a Mississippi man was arrested for sending possibly poisonous letters to President Barack Obama and Senator Roger Wicker. There were other reports of mysterious packages in Senate office buildings and in senators' offices in their home states. Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspicious materials.
Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, leaves a mixed legacy on women

Though no feminist, and indeed largely opposed to promoting women even in her own party, Margaret Thatcher nonetheless set a new high-water mark for women in British politics.
Lawmaker drops bombshell: North Korea may have nuclear missiles

An unclassified Pentagon report not yet released to the public suggests that North Korea can arm missiles with nuclear warheads, a lawmaker revealed Thursday.
Pentagon warns North Korea: You are 'very close to a dangerous line'

North Korea is unpredictable, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says. That's why the Pentagon aims to ratchet down tensions, even as it tries to 'prepare for every contingency.'
Dempsey: Pentagon prepared for potential North Korean action

Though he doesn't foresee North Korea taking serious military action, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon has bolstered its missile defenses to be prepared.
6 Americans and Afghan doctor killed in attacks

In two attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan three US service members, three US civilians, and an Afghan doctor were killed Saturday, the same day the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrives in Afghanistan.