Hasan Verdict: The Threat of Homegrown Terrorism Continues
Today, a jury of 13 military officers found Major Nidal Malik Hasan guilty for his shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas nearly four years… Read More
Ghosts of Obama’s Failed Iraq Policy Continue to Haunt
While the world’s attention has been focused on violent clashes in Egypt and reports of chemical weapons use in Syria, Iraq has been sliding back… Read More
Fighting New Terror Threats Requires Defining Them
The way the U.S. President talks about terrorism matters. As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Representative Michael McCaul (R–TX), recently put it, “Great… Read More
SecurityNews
U.S. Fleet Shrinks as China and India Build New Aircraft Carriers
India launched its new aircraft carrier last week, the 37,500-ton INS Vikrant. In response, a state-run Chinese newspaper called for more carriers in the People’s… Read More
Bradley Manning: A Disappointing Sentence
Well, that was disappointing. Military Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel, sentenced 25-year-old Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison, which was more… Read More
Cybersecurity: Snazzy New Chief, Same Old Regulations
On Monday morning, President Obama appointed Phyllis Schneck, a vice president at the cybersecurity firm McAfee, as the next Deputy Under Secretary of Cybersecurity at… Read More
Iran Nuclear Ambitions Remain Unchanged Despite New “Moderate” President
Last week, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that Hassan Rowhani’s election as Iranian president represents “a call by the Iranian people for change”… Read More
SecurityNews
Armed Services Struggle Under Cuts: Defense Review Doesn’t Provide Solutions
The recent Strategic Choices Management Review (SCMR) issued by the Department of Defense makes some alarming predictions about future readiness, such as the possibility of… Read More
Sexual Assault: Armed Services Under Pressure
The Pentagon is scrambling to propose a handful of new regulations to combat sexual assault in the military. The provisions they are making, however, are… Read More
Left Claims 80 Percent of Americans “Economically Insecure”
Eighty percent of U.S. adults are “economically insecure,” according to media reports of a new study. But just what is “economic insecurity”? Are most Americans… Read More
U.S. Embassies Remain Closed: 5 Heritage Must-Reads on Counterterrorism
Twenty U.S. embassies and consulates remain closed throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia this week. The State Department says that “current information suggests that… Read More
Iran’s Covert Cyber War
Over the weekend, Hassan Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, was officially sworn in as Iran’s new president. Unfortunately, there are no indications that he… Read More
Al-Qaeda Hub: East Africa
Four U.S. embassies in sub-Saharan Africa—in Burundi, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Rwanda—remain closed this week in addition to the embassy closures in the Middle East and… Read More
SecurityNews
Senate Majority Leader: “We’re Through” Making Defense a Priority
Senator Harry Reid (D–NV) made it quite clear that he no longer views defense as a priority: “We are not going to be gamed by… Read More
SecurityNews
Defense Department’s Strategic Review Will Leave the Nation Less Safe
“The entire sequester, hitting defense and non-defense, was bad policy when lawmakers passed it, it was bad policy when they let it begin, and it… Read More
Why Ignoring Russian Arms Cheating Leaves the United States Vulnerable
The Obama Administration appears to be ignoring Russian violations of arms control agreements in favor of securing future agreements, which will eventually leave the United… Read More
Morning Bell: Where NOT to Travel This Month
The State Department closed 21 U.S. embassies over the weekend and issued a travel alert for Americans regarding the Middle East and northern Africa, warning… Read More
SecurityNews
War of Tweets: The State Department Takes on Islamists
Twitter and other social media are the new battle ground in the war of ideas between Islamist radicals and the U.S. State Department. Since July… Read More
SecurityNews
Embassy Closings Reflect Benghazi Failure
The closing of 21 U.S. embassies throughout the Middle East grows out of the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attack in at least two ways: The… Read More
Another Flawed Executive Order: Chemical Security and Government Overreach
President Obama issued his latest in a long line of executive orders yesterday. The order, titled “Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security,” is rather inaptly… Read More
White House Report Ignores That We Need a Better Economy, Not Amnesty
The White House yesterday released a report with state-by-state projected impacts from “commonsense immigration reform” that is “like the Senate bill.” It is the latest… Read More
Sustaining the Navy Surface Fleet
The House Armed Services Readiness and Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittees are holding a joint hearing today to discuss the future of the Navy’s surface… Read More
Hacker Ring Taken Down
Last week, prosecutors announced charges against four Russians and one Ukrainian for what is being called the largest-known hacking and data theft operation to be… Read More
SecurityNews
Sexual Assault: Women in Congress, Military Argue for Restraint
Senators Kelly Ayotte (R–NH) and Claire McCaskill (D–MO) and a number of retired female military officers recently urged restraint in changing the military justice system… Read More
SecurityNews
Budget Cuts Force Navy to Neglect SOUTHCOM
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert admitted recently that the Navy currently has no ships in SOUTHCOM due to budget constraints. United States Southern… Read More
Benghazi: The Scandal That Won’t Go Away
Rumors of the disappearance of the Benghazi scandal are vastly premature. This week, Special Forces veterans gathered on Capitol Hill to unveil a 60-foot scroll… Read More
The Case for Strengthening the GMD Program
Following the failure of the July 5 intercept test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile defense system, Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) commented that “this… Read More
Zero Troops in Afghanistan: The Taliban Dream Option
“The zero option is the Taliban dream option. An abrupt drawdown would pave the way for the Taliban to regain influence and cripple the U.S…. Read More
Government Investigation Reveals Inadequate Security at U.S. Embassies
Recent testimony has revealed the fragile nature of the security of many American embassies. State Department officials Gregory B. Starr and Bill A. Miller testified… Read More
SecurityNews
TSA PreCheck Expansion: A Step in the Right Direction
In a welcome move, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced that it is expanding the pre-screening program known as PreCheck to the general public…. Read More
