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GOP Considers Delaying Convention

Dan Eggen and Michael D. Shear — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week.

Experience Is Double-Edged Sword for The Ticket

Jonathan Weisman — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

DENVER, Aug. 24 -- A week after a young state senator named Barack Obama stood in Chicago's Daley Plaza and denounced the move toward a "dumb war," Joseph R. Biden Jr. took to the well of the U.S. Senate to make a much more nuanced argument, both for a resolution that he knew could lead to the...

Homeland Security Comes to Vermont

Keith B. Richburg — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:00:58 EDT

DERBY LINE, Vt. -- The changes started coming slowly to this small town where the U.S. border with Canada runs across sleepy streets, through houses and families, and smack down the middle of the shared local library.

U.S. and Poland Seal Missile Pact

Karen DeYoung — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WARSAW, Aug. 20 -- The United States and Poland signed an agreement here Wednesday to place parts of a U.S. missile defense system on Polish territory, finalizing a long-negotiated deal in the face of Russian warnings that Poland would become a potential target for attack.

Citizens' U.S. Border Crossings Tracked

Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The federal government has been using its system of border checkpoints to greatly expand a database on travelers entering the country by collecting information on all U.S. citizens crossing by land, compiling data that will be stored for 15 years and may be used in criminal and intelligence...

U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules

Spencer S. Hsu and Carrie Johnson — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Justice Department has proposed a new domestic spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years.

Non-Nuclear Warhead Urged for Trident Missile

Walter Pincus — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A National Research Council blue-ribbon panel of defense experts is recommending development and testing of a conventional warhead for submarine-launched intercontinental Trident missiles to give the president an alternative to using nuclear weapons for a prompt strike anywhere in the world.

DHS, Rejecting Advice, Puts Mississippi on Shortlist for Facility

Larry Margasak — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Department of Homeland Security swept aside evaluations by government experts and named Mississippi -- home to powerful U.S. lawmakers with sway over the agency -- as a potential location for a $451 million national laboratory to study some of the world's most virulent biological threats, acc...

FBI Apologizes to Post, Times

Carrie Johnson — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III apologized to two newspaper editors yesterday for what he said was a recently uncovered breach of their reporters' phone records in the course of a national security investigation nearly four years ago.

Bin Laden Driver Gets 51/2 Years; U.S. Sought 30

Jerry Markon and Josh White — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Aug. 7 -- A former driver for Osama bin Laden was sentenced by a military jury Thursday to 5 1/2 years in prison for supporting terrorism, a far shorter term than demanded by government prosecutors. The judge gave Salim Ahmed Hamdan credit for five years and one month of his...

Hamdan Guilty of Terror Support

Jerry Markon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Aug. 6 -- A military jury on Wednesday found a former driver for Osama bin Laden guilty of supporting terrorism but not of conspiring in terrorist attacks, handing the Bush administration a partial victory in the first U.S. war crimes trial in a half a century.

U.S. Convicts Bin Laden's Driver in First Guantanamo Trial

washingtonpost.com — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:32:29 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba - A jury of U.S. military officers convicted Osama bin Laden's driver on charges of providing material support for terrorism Wednesday but acquitted him on charges of providing material support for al Qaeda in the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War Two.

White House Denies Author's Accusations of Document Forgery

Joby Warrick — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Bush administration joined former top CIA officials in denouncing a new book's assertion that White House officials ordered the forgery of Iraqi documents to suggest a link between Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the lead hijacker in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Pakistani Woman Faces Assault Charges

William Branigin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A U.S.-educated Pakistani woman suspected of links to al-Qaeda appeared in federal court in New York yesterday on charges of attempting to kill American military officers and FBI agents in Afghanistan last month.

U.S. May Have Taped Visits to Detainees

Josh White — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Bush administration informed all foreign intelligence and law enforcement teams visiting their citizens held at Guantanamo Bay that video and sound from their interrogation sessions would be recorded, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. The policy suggests that the United ...

Case Against Bin Laden's Driver Goes to the Jury

Jerry Markon — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Aug. 4 -- A military jury began deliberations Monday in the war crimes trial of Osama bin Laden's former driver, a case that poses the first test of the Bush administration's controversial military commission system.

Modest Gains Against Ever-Present Bioterrorism Threat

Spencer S. Hsu — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the past seven years, the federal government has spent more than $57 billion to shore up the nation's bioterrorism defenses, stockpiling drugs, ringing more than 30 American cities in a network of detectors and boosting preparedness at hospitals.

Bush Orders Revamping Of Intelligence Gathering

Joby Warrick — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

President Bush ordered a major restructuring of the nation's intelligence-gathering community yesterday, approving new guidelines aimed at bolstering the authority of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as the leader of the nation's 16 spy agencies.

U.S. Wary of Pakistani Appeal for More Cooperation

Karen DeYoung — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Bush administration officials have responded with skepticism to an appeal by visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani for increased intelligence cooperation, which he said would help his country attack militant groups and terrorist encampments near its border with Afghanistan.

U.S. Strike May Have Killed Al-Qaeda Aide

Joby Warrick and Dan Eggen — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An apparent U.S. missile strike on a compound in northwestern Pakistan killed six people early yesterday, including a man believed to be a top al-Qaeda operative and key figure in the terrorist group's production of chemical weapons and conventional explosives, U.S. and Pakistani sources said.

U.S. Strike May Have Killed Al-Qaeda Aide

Joby Warrick and Dan Eggen — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Anti-Terror Funds Questioned

Spencer S. Hsu — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Department of Homeland Security announced $1.8 billion in anti-terrorism grants yesterday, stirring a growing debate among state and local officials nationwide over whether such funds are coming at the expense of other law enforcement priorities that some say are more urgent, such as fighting...

Terrorism Funds May Let Brass Fly in Style

R. Jeffrey Smith — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Air Force's top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on "comfort capsules" to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the caps...

Ashcroft Testifies on Interrogation Policy

Carrie Johnson — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Former attorney general John D. Ashcroft defended his approach to forestalling terrorist attacks but told lawmakers yesterday that he moved quickly to respond to concerns that some Justice Department memos employed shoddy reasoning.

Guard's Status Rising With Leader's Rank

Josh White — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday made the first nomination for a four-star general to lead the National Guard, a move that should give the reserve force a significant boost in influence inside the Pentagon during an era when the Guard has played a critical role in the nation's wars...

House Passes Intelligence Authorization Bill

Walter Pincus — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The House yesterday passed by voice vote the fiscal 2009 intelligence authorization bill, which limits the funds available for covert actions next year until all members of the House intelligence panel are briefed on the most sensitive ones already underway.

U.S. to Give Czechs Ballistic Missile Defense

Walter Pincus — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean will provide ballistic missile defense to the Czech Republic under a commitment contained in the agreement to place a U.S. radar site in that country, according to State and Defense Department officials.

Costly Weapon-Detection Plans Are in Disarray, Investigators Say

Spencer S. Hsu — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Bush administration initiatives to defend the nation against a smuggled nuclear bomb or a biological outbreak or attack remain poorly coordinated, costing billions of tax dollars while basic goals and policies remain incomplete, according to new reports by congressional investigators.

Lawyers Want Detainees To Testify in Terror Trial

Jerry Markon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, July 14 -- Attorneys for Salim Ahmed Hamdan said Monday that they intend to call other detainees to testify at his upcoming military trial here, entangling the landmark proceeding in yet another difficult legal issue.

Obama Joins Fellow Senators in Passing New Wiretapping Measure

Shailagh Murray — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Senate easily approved legislation to overhaul government eavesdropping rules in terrorism and espionage cases and effectively granted immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in a secret domestic spying program, ending a contentious debate that has raged for more than two...

Mukasey Vows Smooth Transition At Justice for Next Administration

Carrie Johnson — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey yesterday pledged to use the final six months of his tenure to guard against political interference in Justice Department operations and ensure a smooth transition to the next administration.

Secretive Agency Under the Spotlight

Joby Warrick — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Soon after accepting the post of CIA director two years ago, Michael V. Hayden set an unusual goal for his scandal-beset agency: virtual invisibility.

Air Force Finds Lax Nuclear Security

Walter Pincus — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Most overseas storage sites for U.S. nuclear weapons, particularly in Europe, need substantial improvements in physical security measures and the personnel who guard the weapons, according to a newly available Air Force report.

Ex-Agent Says CIA Ignored Iran Facts

Joby Warrick — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former CIA operative who says he tried to warn the agency about faulty intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs now contends that CIA officials also ignored evidence that Iran had suspended work on a nuclear bomb.

Charges Are Filed In Cole Bombing

Josh White — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

U.S. military prosecutors yesterday charged a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison with murder and other crimes for allegedly planning the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole warship, a bombing that killed 17 U.S. service members and injured nearly 50 others.

Guantanamo Detainee to File Habeas Petition

Josh White and Del Quentin Wilber — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Mohammed Sulaymon Barre fled his native Somalia as civil war raged in the early 1990s, receiving U.N. refugee status and landing in Pakistan, where he settled his family and worked for a financial services company. In a nighttime raid in November 2001, Pakistani authorities arrested Barre, holding...

DHS Lags in Preparations for Transition of Power, Study Says

Spencer S. Hsu — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Department of Homeland Security is moving too slowly to prepare for the risks that will accompany the first presidential transition for U.S. counterterrorism agencies formed after the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to a study scheduled for release today.

High Court to Review Naval Sonar Dispute

Robert Barnes — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to the Bush administration's request that it review a dispute between environmentalists and the Navy about whether training exercises off the Southern California coast endanger whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.

House Passes Spy Bill; Senate Expected to Follow

Paul Kane — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The House, in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, yesterday approved a sweeping new surveillance law that extends the government's eavesdropping capability and effectively would shield telecommunications companies from lawsuits for cooperating with the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping...

Candidates Clash on Terrorism

Anne E. Kornblut and Karen DeYoung — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

TAYLOR, Mich., June 17 -- The campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama on Tuesday engaged in a heated exchange over the rights of terrorism suspects, with each side accusing the other of embracing a policy that would put the country at risk of more attacks in the future.

Report Questions Pentagon Accounts

Joby Warrick — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A Senate investigation has concluded that top Pentagon officials began assembling lists of harsh interrogation techniques in the summer of 2002 for use on detainees at Guantanamo Bay and that those officials later cited memos from field commanders to suggest that the proposals originated far down...

Parties Do Battle Over U.S. Forces' Future in Iraq

Jonathan Weisman — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Congressional Democrats yesterday opened fire on comments from Republicans -- including presumptive GOP nominee John McCain -- that equate the U.S. military's future in Iraq to the presence of U.S. bases in Germany, Japan and South Korea.

Mullen Urges Pakistan to Act on Al-Qaeda

Ann Scott Tyson and Robin Wright — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The top U.S. military officer warned yesterday that al-Qaeda leaders operating in Pakistan's tribal areas are planning new terrorist attacks against the United States, making it imperative that Pakistan's new government take action to eliminate their sanctuary there.

9/11 Architect Tells Court He Hopes for Martyrdom

Josh White — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, June 5 -- Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, appeared publicly Thursday for the first time since his capture five years ago and calmly told a U.S. military court that he hopes for a death sentence that will allow h...

Bush Inflated Threat From Iraq's Banned Weapons, Report Says

Joby Warrick and Walter Pincus — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

President Bush and top administration officials repeatedly exaggerated what they knew about Iraq's weapons and its ties to terrorist groups as the White House pressed its case for war against Iraq, the Senate intelligence committee said yesterday in a long-awaited report.

DHS to Reopen Inquiry Into Suspect's Expulsion to Syria

Spencer S. Hsu — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office has reopened its investigation of the government's treatment of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who, after being falsely named as a terrorist, was seized in September 2002 and sent to Syria, where he was tortured.

U.S. to Make Foreign Visitors Register Online

Spencer S. Hsu and Sholnn Freeman — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Residents of 27 friendly nations who can travel to the United States without a visa will be required to register online with the U.S. government at least 72 hours before departure starting in January, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

Immigration Prosecutions Hit New High

Spencer S. Hsu — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Federal law enforcement agencies have increased criminal prosecutions of immigration violators to record levels, in part by filing minor charges against virtually every person caught illegally crossing some stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to new U.S. data.

Air Force Unit's Nuclear Weapons Security Is 'Unacceptable'

Walter Pincus — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The same Air Force unit at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota that was responsible for mishandling six nuclear cruise missiles last August failed key parts of a nuclear safety inspection this past weekend, according to a Defense Department report.