ON THE FIGHT
The United Nations is warning that the conflict in Mali may be spilling over into the east — into Algeria and, ultimately, Libya.
French forces have pushed farther beyond Timbuktu and into Kidal, knocking out several Islamic militant strongholds along the way.
Daniel Trombly examines how — and, more importantly, why — the French have been so successful in their quest to oust Islamic militants from Mali.
ON THE FORCE
Former Senator and Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel believes that sequestration could turn out to be a whole lot worse than it sounds.
The Marine Corps is in the early stages of developing a new crisis response unit — not be confused with a crisis response element — that would address and respond to the needs of the global combatant commanders.
“The new crisis-response unit would be considered a special purpose Marine air-ground task force, with personnel from the Corps’ ground combat, aviation and logistics communities. It would be a separate entity from SPMAGTF-Africa, Amos said. That unit is based out of Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, frequently deploying in 15- or 20-man teams to advise, assist and train friendly militaries in Africa. The most recent iteration deployed from Camp Lejeune, N.C., in January with about 130 Marines.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Meet Lisa Monaco, the former top Justice Department deputy turned counterrorism and homeland security czar to President Obama.
Foreign Affairs magazine looks back at the legacy of Hillary Clinton.
The Washington Post does the math, and it turns out there have been 11 commanders of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan…since 2011.
ON SECRECY – OR LACK THEREOF
The citizens of Afghanistan are up in arms over a controversial ban on a favored airline — an airline that shuttles in heroin and money by the cargohold.
Despite being privy to the details of the Central Intelligence Agency’s “RDI”, or rendition, detention & interrogation program, John Brennan isn’t sharing.
Three former Central Intelligence Agency officers weigh in with an argument on why they think we should begin capturing detainees again.
Two Norfolk, Virginia-area sailors have been arrested by NCIS for selling body armor, with plates, to an undercover agent.
Robert Caruso is a veteran of the United States Navy, and has worked for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Business Transformation Agency and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
