National Security

Fast and Loose With the Facts

Bush and Cheney will probably leave office with a sad legacy, while two prominent reporters who backed the war have seen their careers flourish.

Petraeus' Ascension

Many military analysts view the general's pending promotion as a mixed blessing.

Torture and the Law

Bush told ABC news he knew administration officials met to discuss the use of torture against detainees. Could a prosecutor charge him with a crime?

Biden Punks Crocker: 'I Would Therefore Pick Al Qaeda on The Afghanistan-Pakistan Border'

There was once a blog called Joe Biden Is Thugged Out. (I swear this is true.) Biden just proved why.

Ensuring Permanence

Bush is forging ahead with a plan to promote sovereignty in Iraq with the presence of thousands of foreign troops.

CIA Largely in the Dark on Interrogation Tactics

CIA turned to countries known for their use of torture including Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to develop program.

The Colonels and 'The Matrix'

A group of young thinkers has triggered a simmering debate about how far the military should go in embracing counterinsurgency.

'I Don't Work For You No More'

Jon Michael Turner's tattoos cover his arms almost entirely. They peeked out under the rolled up sleeves of his crisp blue shirt, on which were the medals and ribbons he earned as an automatic machine gunner with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines in Anbar Province in 2006. One of them is more like a scar.

McConnell: Buckley's Death Inspires Me!

Lillis is on the phone reporting or something, so I'm going to steal his thunder on this press release Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just sent out about the late William F. Buckley.

Bill Buckley inspired us with the passion and conviction of his life.  And when we learned that he had died in his study, he inspired us by his death.

Um, dude. What were you inspired to, you know, do?

 

Bill Nelson Might Have Had the Best Moment So Far

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) just looks tired. His questioning was sharp and incisive, and highlighted how difficult it is for honest people to consider the surge worthwhile.

Clinton Devised Both Pro-war and Anti-war Candidacy

Ten minutes in Hollywood on Thursday could prove to be Clinton's Waterloo -- if not now, then perhaps in November.

Since U Been Gone, I Can Bomb For The First Time

Admiral William Fallon, the bulwark between Bush and a war with Iran, is resigning as head of U.S. Central Command. According to the tidbit I just saw on CNN, apparently Secretary Bob Gates said that Fallon quit for the most postmodern of reasons: Fallon thought a recent, highly-controversial Esquire article portrayed him as in opposition to Bush's bellicosity over Iran. There's been fierce debate over what Fallon's substantive views actually are in the defense community, and I can report that knowledgeable people on military listservs I'm on generally believe that the Esquire piece was overblown but generally accurate. For a good summation of Fallon, the Esquire piece, and the resulting furor, check out this Tom Ricks piece in the Post from last week.

Security Gains From 'Surge' Backsliding

The idea to send an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq was meant to create 'breathing room' to create political stability.

Donald Rumsfeld: Still There

Remember Donald Rumsfeld? He seems like a bad dream. And yet here he is, popping up in Washington to talk about how the U.S. needs a Ministry of Propaganda. Here’s what he told Sharon Weinberger of Wired’s Danger Room:

Civilians Missing From Action

Government experts from Iraq and Afghanistan have largely been left out of counterinsurgency efforts, even though civilians are critical for success.

King David

Gen. David H. Petraeus used the principles of counterinsurgency to lead the surge of U.S. forces in Iraq. In an interview today he talks about the hard road ahead.

Iraq Veterans To Testify at Their Own 'Winter Soldier'

In 1971, 100 veterans gathered in Detroit to speak publicly about war atrocities they witnessed and committed. Iraq veterans will meet in Washington, hoping to hold the military -- not individuals -- responsible for the horrors of war.

Soldiers Testify at Second Winter Soldier

Like their Vietnam predecessors, soldiers and marines described emotionally grueling experiences. But this time they offered a new dimension: photographic and video evidence.

'Bipartisan' Think Tank Attacks Democrats

The neo-conservative non-profit has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State Department.

When Advocate Turns Advisor

Samantha Power's "monster" comment may have undermined her future as a political advisor, but was the result of her success as a journalist.