Checkpoint Washington - Diplomacy, intelligence, and military affairs.

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Posted at 07:30 AM ET, 12/01/2011

U.S. sailors buried in Libya will stay there, for now

By Jason Ukman

Senate stalls vote on whether to force repatriation of 13 Americans who died on mission more than two centuries ago.

By Jason Ukman | 07:30 AM ET, 12/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:16 PM ET, 11/28/2011

Image shows Iranian missile site was destroyed

By Jason Ukman

The satellite picture doesn’t provide any clues as to what caused the Nov. 12 explosion in Malard.

By Jason Ukman | 02:16 PM ET, 11/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 11/28/2011

Stage set for fight over detainee legislation

By Jason Ukman

Senators, lawmakers clash over provisions that would mandate military custody for some suspects and prevent the administration from transferring detainees out of Guantanamo Bay.

By Jason Ukman | 10:45 AM ET, 11/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:20 AM ET, 11/23/2011

Intel community marks a decade since the death of Mike Spann, first CIA officer killed in Afghanistan

By Greg Miller

Anniversary being marked by organization benefiting families of fallen officers

By Greg Miller | 10:20 AM ET, 11/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 11/23/2011

Delivering turkey to troops gets a little trickier

By Jason Ukman

Uncertainty over U.S. presence in Iraq made it even trickier to manage deliveries, official says

By Jason Ukman | 07:00 AM ET, 11/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:13 PM ET, 11/22/2011

Intel analyst stripped of clearance settles with DIA, but still doesn’t know why he was fired

By Peter Finn

John Dullahan, a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran and career Army officer, will formally retire from DIA at the end of the month

By Peter Finn | 03:13 PM ET, 11/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:50 PM ET, 11/22/2011

Donilon: Iran facing more pressure under Obama

By Jason Ukman

National security adviser says policy has left the Islamic Republic under tremendous pressure to give up nuclear ambitions.

By Jason Ukman | 02:50 PM ET, 11/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:58 AM ET, 11/22/2011

Pakistani ambassador Husain Haqqani resigns

By Karin Brulliard

Move follows an uproar over confidential memo that requested Washington’s help in forestalling a military coup

By Karin Brulliard | 10:58 AM ET, 11/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:25 AM ET, 11/22/2011

The Pentagon budget war plan, missing in action

By Jason Ukman and Greg Jaffe

Neither Leon Panetta nor congressional leaders have said specifically how they would cope with sequestration

By Jason Ukman and Greg Jaffe | 10:25 AM ET, 11/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:59 AM ET, 11/21/2011

Bradley Manning hearing set for next month

By Jason Ukman

Suspect in WikiLeaks case will appear at Fort Meade for Article 32 hearing.

By Jason Ukman | 11:59 AM ET, 11/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:18 PM ET, 11/18/2011

Navy’s next stop in Asia will set China on edge

By Craig Whitlock

United States, Singapore in the final negotiating stages of an agreement to base Littoral Combat Ships in city-state

By Craig Whitlock | 03:18 PM ET, 11/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:44 PM ET, 11/18/2011

Foreign hackers targeted U.S. water plant in apparent malicious cyber attack, expert says

By Ellen Nakashima

The incident in Springfield, Ill., would mark a departure because it apparently caused physical destruction.

By Ellen Nakashima | 12:44 PM ET, 11/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:43 AM ET, 11/18/2011

In Burma trip, exiles see chance to free prisoners

By William Wan

Clinton’s visit should be use to push junta to release those held on political grounds, groups say

By William Wan | 11:43 AM ET, 11/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:01 AM ET, 11/18/2011

Haqqani training camp purportedly seen in video

By Greg Miller

Camp run by militant group in Pakistan appears to be anything but state of the art

By Greg Miller | 10:01 AM ET, 11/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:23 AM ET, 11/18/2011

Uganda mission is likely to go on until LRA’s Kony is dead or captured, U.S. general says

By Craig Whitlock and Greg Jaffe

Carter Ham, head of Africom, says group “will probably wither” if leader is apprehended.

By Craig Whitlock and Greg Jaffe | 08:23 AM ET, 11/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:43 PM ET, 11/17/2011

Senators call out Karzai on night raid demands

By Walter Pincus

Senators say that controversial night raids in Afghanistan are carried out with Afghan support and have removed “thousands” of insurgents from the battlefield

By Walter Pincus | 05:43 PM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:26 PM ET, 11/17/2011

Without large U.S. force after 2014, Afghanistan is headed for civil war, opposition leader warns

By Karen DeYoung

Mohammad Hanif Aftar, a former minister in the Karzai government, says country will need a residual force of 20,000 to 30,000 troops, as well as continued significant economic aid

By Karen DeYoung | 04:26 PM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:19 PM ET, 11/17/2011

Pentagon seeks flexibility in case of ‘doomsday’

By Walter Pincus

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta suggests lawmakers could help ease the blow

By Walter Pincus | 04:19 PM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:41 PM ET, 11/17/2011

Veto threatened over detention provisions

By Peter Finn

Administration objects to provision that mandate military custody for some terrorism suspects and prevent it from transferring detainees out of Guantanamo Bay

By Peter Finn | 01:41 PM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:44 AM ET, 11/17/2011

Whistleblower Franz Gayl gets his job back

By Jason Ukman

Franz Gayl, who criticized military leaders for not fielding MRAPs, had been threatened with indefinite suspension from job.

By Jason Ukman | 09:44 AM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011

Clinton’s convoy targeted by Filipino protesters

By Joby Warrick

By Joby Warrick | 05:30 PM ET, 11/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:27 AM ET, 11/16/2011

Naval ship faces chronic toilet outages at sea

By Jason Ukman

The $6.2B USS George H.W. Bush, deployed on its first combat mission only last spring, has experienced plumbing problems for months

By Jason Ukman | 08:27 AM ET, 11/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:31 PM ET, 11/15/2011

On Iraq pullout, Panetta faces skeptical lawmakers

By Jason Ukman

Members of Armed Services Committee express deep misgivings over decision to withdrawal troops

By Jason Ukman | 02:31 PM ET, 11/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 11/15/2011

Pentagon: Offensive cyber attacks fair game

By Ellen Nakashima

Defense Department lays out explicit policy for cyberwar

By Ellen Nakashima | 10:00 AM ET, 11/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:25 PM ET, 11/14/2011

Senators press for answers on Syria’s use of American-made Internet technology

By Jason Ukman

U.S.-made products of Blue Coat Systems and NetApp are reportedly helping to crush dissent.

By Jason Ukman | 04:25 PM ET, 11/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:35 PM ET, 11/14/2011

Fleet of U.S. drones now based in Turkey

By Greg Jaffe

Military forced to shift UAVs from Iraq with impending withdrawal of American troops

By Greg Jaffe | 12:35 PM ET, 11/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:39 PM ET, 11/11/2011

Russians said to call off U.S. trip after backlash

By Jason Ukman

Generals alleged to have been involved in coverup in death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky

By Jason Ukman | 03:39 PM ET, 11/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:19 PM ET, 11/11/2011

Richard Carmona, picked to lead probe at Dover, quits to run for Senate days after selection

By Craig Whitlock

Richard Carmona, head of a Pentagon panel asked to inspect operations at Dover Air Force Base, abruptly resigned to run for Congress.

By Craig Whitlock | 03:19 PM ET, 11/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:28 AM ET, 11/11/2011

On Veterans Day, a reflection on leadership

By Jason Ukman

A handful of current and former military officials weigh how the force can create better leaders.

By Jason Ukman | 09:28 AM ET, 11/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:09 PM ET, 11/10/2011

At CIA, the glass ceiling shows its cracks

By Greg Miller

Women increasingly part of the upper echelons at agency

By Greg Miller | 01:09 PM ET, 11/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:44 PM ET, 11/10/2011

Sen. McCaskill seeks review of Air Force IG

By Jason Ukman

Independent government watchdog group said service had managed to “stop just short of accepting accountability.”

By Jason Ukman | 12:44 PM ET, 11/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:16 AM ET, 11/10/2011

Top Air Force official keeping a low profile after reports on mishandling of remains

By Craig Whitlock

Secretary Michael Donley keeps low profile after allegations at mortuary at Dover

By Craig Whitlock | 08:16 AM ET, 11/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:45 PM ET, 11/09/2011

Syria’s Assad banking on violence, U.S. official says

By Jason Ukman

Jeffrey Feltman, assistant secretary of state, says insurgency could be used by Damascus for propaganda purposes

By Jason Ukman | 04:45 PM ET, 11/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:18 PM ET, 11/09/2011

Families of airmen grapple with remains mix-up

By Christian Davenport

A bag with a 4-inch piece of flesh disappeared from the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, which handles the remains of the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Christian Davenport | 03:18 PM ET, 11/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:02 AM ET, 11/09/2011

A glimpse of the military’s vision for the future

By Walter Pincus

Gen. Martin Dempsey offers preview of where the Pentagon is going in terms of a new strategy

By Walter Pincus | 08:02 AM ET, 11/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:29 PM ET, 11/08/2011

Mishandling of remains sparks anger

By Christian Davenport

“It is shocking to hear that our fallen warriors were not returned to their families with dignity and respect,” said Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

By Christian Davenport | 02:29 PM ET, 11/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:53 PM ET, 11/08/2011

In Dover scandal, questions of accountability

By Greg Jaffe

The Pentagon has disciplined three senior officials, but fired none, following investigation that found “gross mismanagement” at the mortuary handling remains of fallen troops

By Greg Jaffe | 12:53 PM ET, 11/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:51 AM ET, 11/08/2011

In Iraq, U.S. turns to more private contractors

By Walter Pincus

The withdrawal of the remaining troops from Iraq — 33,000 at last count — has caused officials to move quickly to fill a series of security gaps

By Walter Pincus | 11:51 AM ET, 11/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:19 AM ET, 11/08/2011

Sarkozy to Obama: Netanyahu is a ‘liar’

By Jason Ukman

Private conversation about Israeli prime minister was picked up by open microphone

By Jason Ukman | 09:19 AM ET, 11/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:13 PM ET, 11/07/2011

Probe traces bogus military parts to China

By Jason Ukman

Lawmakers on Armed Services Committee say counterfeit goods poses risk to reliability of weapons systems, results in huge costs for taxpayers.

By Jason Ukman | 02:13 PM ET, 11/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:34 AM ET, 11/07/2011

USAID touts role in blunting Islamic extremism

By Greg Jaffe

With the budget axe looming, the agency is betting that the closer ties to the military will help it win backers in Congress

By Greg Jaffe | 08:34 AM ET, 11/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:09 PM ET, 11/04/2011

Proposed restrictions on aid to Egypt come at ‘worst possible moment,’ U.S. official says

By Walter Pincus

Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary of state, urges lawmakers not to hold up funds

By Walter Pincus | 07:09 PM ET, 11/04/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:27 PM ET, 11/04/2011

That secret nuclear facility in Syria? It’s a textile factory, researchers say in new report

By Joby Warrick

Experts dismiss reports that plant is part of clandestine program

By Joby Warrick | 04:27 PM ET, 11/04/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:28 PM ET, 11/04/2011

Some in Congress balk at arms sale to Turkey

By Craig Whitlock

Congress has limited window to block or modify package including AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters

By Craig Whitlock | 02:28 PM ET, 11/04/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:41 AM ET, 11/04/2011

As nation’s jobless rate dips, veterans’ unemployment rises for second straight month

By Jason Ukman

Despite high-level efforts to get returning troops back to work, the numbers are headed in the wrong direction.

By Jason Ukman | 11:41 AM ET, 11/04/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:43 PM ET, 11/03/2011

Bulk of U.S. troops out of Iraq by mid-December

By Jason Ukman

With just under two months before American forces must leave Iraq, the U.S. military still has 33,000 service members, 12 bases and 600,000 pieces of equipment in the country.

By Jason Ukman | 02:43 PM ET, 11/03/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:22 AM ET, 11/03/2011

Foreign spies seeking data on underwater drones

By Jason Ukman

The Navy has made unmanned systems a priority in recent years, and the retired chief of naval operations made them a bedrock of his vision for the fleet’s future.

By Jason Ukman | 11:22 AM ET, 11/03/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 11/02/2011

Military chiefs warn against cuts

By Walter Pincus

The military chiefs of staffs told Congress Wednesday that all four services will have to shrink their forces to meet the planned ten-year cut of $450 billion in defense spending.

By Walter Pincus | 02:45 PM ET, 11/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)