US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta began a visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday, just hours after being questioned over why the soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers was returned to combat despite sustaining a brain injury.
The Pentagon's 2013 budget, released Thursday, would eliminate nearly 100,000 ground troops from the U.S. military as part of cuts to reduce spending by $487 billion over the next decade. Republicans criticised the plan.
Does leaner mean weaker? That's the question after US President Barack Obama announces a shift in military objectives and Pentagon budget cuts. We also look at the stand-off with Iran, changes in Burma and er...memory loss...er, I can't remember...oh yes, it begins at 45. That's the focus for this press review for Friday 6th January, 2012.
The world papers look at the crisis with Iran as efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions inches towards a stand-off. Is this just a question of psychological warfare or the real thing? Also, China's mounting military might and astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says women are the real mystery of the universe. That's the focus for this Thursday 5th January 2012.
The Pentagon says it will consider a major hack attack on the United States' population or its infrastructure as an act of war. However, the US military's new policy on cyber war is prompting a sceptical response given how difficult it would be to identify the country of origin of any online assault.
The US government's top information technology provider, Lockheed Martin Corp., confirmed on Saturday it had successfully countered "a significant and tenacious attack" on its information systems network last week.
The US soldier detained over accusations he leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks will be transferred to a military facility suitable for long-term stays, the Pentagon said Tuesday, while denying the move was linked to criticism of his treatment.
US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley has resigned on Sunday after publicly criticising the Pentagon's treatment of Bradley Manning (pictured), a former US army intelligence analyst accused of leaking classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.
The Pentagon is to announce whether Chicago-based Boeing or the European aerospace giant EADS will be handed a €25 billion($35 billion) US Air Force aerial refuelling tanker contract Thursday after a decade of competitions for the deal.
Anne Mailliet meets Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a former WikiLeaks spokesman and author of "Inside WikiLeaks". He tells us about his time with Julian Assange at "the world’s most dangerous website" and his disillusionment with a leader he describes as delusional and power-crazy.
