
The governments of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan have all condemned China for landing a plane on an artificial island in the South China Sea, constructed in what is widely regarded as sovereign Vietnamese territory. China rejects international claims in the sea and has begun constructing military facilities in the Spratly Islands.
by Frances Martel4 Jan 2016, 7:57 AM PST0

Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki failed to acknowledge the U.S.-led coalition air support in a statement about the liberation of Ramadi, although it was an integral part of the offensive to wrest control of the Iraqi city from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
by Edwin Mora28 Dec 2015, 8:53 PM PST0

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi demanded Secretary of State John Kerry “respect China’s core interests” in the South China Sea following the presence of a B-52 bomber within 12 nautical miles of the Spratly Islands, a passage the Pentagon has branded unintentional.
by Frances Martel22 Dec 2015, 1:57 PM PST0

The Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper has issued a threat to the Australian government to stay out of the international waters of the South China Sea or face the possibility of having its jets shot down by the Chinese government.
by Frances Martel17 Dec 2015, 9:43 AM PST0

Three House panels will join forces to investigate allegations that senior U.S. Central Command officers altered intelligence assessments to make it appear that President Obama is winning the war against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), according to their chairmen.
by Edwin Mora13 Dec 2015, 6:26 PM PST0

The Chinese government is paying “close attention” to the new deployment of an American spy plane off the island of Singapore
by Frances Martel9 Dec 2015, 11:32 AM PST0

US NAVAL STATION GUANTÁNAMO BAY, CUBA—The primary debate during pre-trial proceedings here at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base on Tuesday will revolve around whether female guards are allowed to make contact with detainees.
by Jordan Schachtel7 Dec 2015, 6:16 PM PST0

Satellite images of construction in the South China Sea indicate the Chinese government has begun construction on three new airstrikes near the Spratly and Paracel Islands, quadrupling its presence in the highly-contested maritime territory.
by Frances Martel7 Dec 2015, 9:10 AM PST0

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), who also happens to be vice-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, expressed concern that President Barack Obama’s approach to the civil war in Syria may lead to nuclear war during an exchange with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at a House Armed Services hearing on Tuesday.
by John Hayward2 Dec 2015, 10:28 PM PST0

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States is expected to deploy up to 200 special operation forces to combat the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, including some who will participate in ground combat operations, U.S. defense officials have said.
by Edwin Mora2 Dec 2015, 9:25 PM PST0

Maj. Jason Brezler is being kicked out of the military after more than 15 years of service for warning fellow Marines in 2012 that a Taliban-linked Afghan police commander working at their post in southern Afghanistan was corrupt and sexually abusing boys, the Washington Post recently reported.
by Edwin Mora2 Dec 2015, 8:09 PM PST0

Shiite groups in Iraq have issued a statement vowing to fight any American troops on the ground following the announcement of a new deployment of special operations forces to fight the Islamic State in the war-torn nation.
by John Hayward1 Dec 2015, 10:08 PM PST0

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter contradicted President Obama when pressed by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) during a House panel hearing on Tuesday, declaring that the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and other radical Islamic terrorist groups are a greater threat than climate change.
by Edwin Mora1 Dec 2015, 8:21 PM PST0

Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. would establish a special operations “targeting force” in Iraq as part of the intensified military effort to fight ISIS.
by Breitbart News1 Dec 2015, 10:14 AM PST0

Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter acknowledged to co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski that the United States is indeed at war with ISIS. Partial transcript as follows: BRZEZINSKI: How can you assure the American public
by Jeff Poor19 Nov 2015, 6:24 AM PST0

The United States needs Europe to take bolder action to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), said U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
by Edwin Mora17 Nov 2015, 7:56 PM PST0

(Reuters) China has shown “great restraint” in the South China Sea by not seizing islands occupied by other countries even though it could have, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday ahead of two regional summits where the disputed waterway is likely to be a hot topic.
by Reuters17 Nov 2015, 6:16 AM PST0

Indonesia’s defense chief told reporters Wednesday that it, too, may take China to court over its outrageous territorial claims in the South China Sea, following the Philippines’ request for the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague to address the matter. The Hague has accepted the petition.
by Frances Martel12 Nov 2015, 10:02 AM PST0

The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) launched a relatively rare attack behind Kurdish lines in northern Iraq, briefly occupying a local government compound located in the vicinity of several oil-producing fields.
by Edwin Mora5 Nov 2015, 5:40 PM PST0

After stating last week that, despite Chinese objections, American naval ships will “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter personally made good on that promise by joining the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea today.
by Frances Martel5 Nov 2015, 7:58 AM PST0

WASHINGTON D.C.—The Pentagon has denied claims by Vladimir Putin’s defense ministry that the Russian air force held an air space cooperation exercise with its U.S. counterpart in Syria, aimed at staving off dangerous encounters between their warplanes.
by Edwin Mora3 Nov 2015, 9:26 PM PST0

The White House officially “announced” on Friday that small teams of U.S. special forces would be deployed in Syria, totaling up to 50 commandos on the ground.
by John Hayward30 Oct 2015, 8:36 AM PST0

Reuters, citing two Obama Administration officials, reports that U.S. special operations in Iraq and Syria may occur in the near future.
by John Hayward28 Oct 2015, 7:04 PM PST0

While being questioned by Lindsey Graham about the means through which the Obama administration intended to secure the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter conceded that such efforts were “principally political.”
by Robert Kraychik28 Oct 2015, 5:59 AM PST0

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter insisted in a press conference on Friday that the anti-ISIS raid in which Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler was killed does not mean American troops have a “combat role” in Iraq.
by John Hayward26 Oct 2015, 12:37 PM PST0