News for 'Pentagon'

Overhauled: Obama's national security team

Overhauled: Obama's national security team

Rediff.com28 Apr 2011

Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta will move to Pentagon to become new US Defence Secretary to replace Robert Gates while his top military commander in Afghanistan Gen David Petraeus is to takeover as the new CIA Director.

Difficult times for US-Pak military ties: Mullen

Difficult times for US-Pak military ties: Mullen

Rediff.com26 Jul 2011

The US-Pak military ties are going through a 'very difficult time,' a top Pentagon official has conceded, but Washington is nowhere close to severing its ties with its longstanding ally.

Onus for ceasefire on Gaddafi's forces, says US

Onus for ceasefire on Gaddafi's forces, says US

Rediff.com24 Mar 2011

With BRIC nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, calling for ceasefire in Libya, a top Pentagon official on Wednesday said that the onus for this lies with the Gaddafi forces, which needs to pull back its troops from cities and stop attacking civilians.

US readies for relief mission in tsunami-hit Japan

US readies for relief mission in tsunami-hit Japan

Rediff.com12 Mar 2011

United States President Barack Obama on Friday telephoned Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to discuss the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and killed over 360 people, as the Pentagon geared up for a possible relief and rescue operation in affected areas.

WikiLeaks founder may be charged under spying law

WikiLeaks founder may be charged under spying law

Rediff.com30 Nov 2010

Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks that released thousands of United States state department's secret documents on Sunday, is under the scanner of investigators who are trying to figure out whether or not he had violated criminal laws, and could even be charged under the Espionage Act.

Will the next Wikileaks expose India's corrupt?

Will the next Wikileaks expose India's corrupt?

Rediff.com28 Nov 2010

While Wikileaks did not say in its message what the third instalment of their release would cover. However, a Reuters despatch from Washington DC said that classified US diplomatic cables reporting corruption allegations against foreign governments and leaders are expected to feature in the official documents that Wikileaks plans to release.

Two US troopers killed near Frankfurt airport

Two US troopers killed near Frankfurt airport

Rediff.com2 Mar 2011

Two United States troopers were killed in a shooting incident near Frankfurt International Airport on Wednesday, according to media reports.Some reports claimed that two others were seriously injured in the incident which reportedly took place on board a US military shuttle bus.The two troopers were members of US Air Force stationed at Lakenheath base in the United Kingdom, said the reports.

No impact on military ties with Pakistan: US

No "impact" on military ties with Pakistan: US

Rediff.com10 Feb 2011

The US said that there has been no "significant impact" on its military to military relationship with Pakistan after Islamabad refused to release an American diplomat detained on possible murder charges.

US stealth fighter for India? They are ready to sell

US stealth fighter for India? They are ready to sell

Rediff.com28 Jan 2011

The United States is open to Indian participation in its Joint Strike Fighter programme that would finally lead to its purchase of fifth generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, a top Pentagon official has said.

US air force hit by biggest cheating scandal ever

US air force hit by biggest cheating scandal ever

Rediff.com16 Jan 2014

The United States air force nuclear command has been rocked by the worst cheating scandal in proficiency exam involving 34 officers at the inter-continental missile launch of the global strike command, the Pentagon has said.

Is India the American buffer against China?

Is India the American buffer against China?

Rediff.com4 Oct 2010

Aziz Haniffa reports from Washington, DC on how the American Enterprise Institute, a leading neo-conservative DC think-tank, wants the US to boost its military relationship with India.

Revealed: Afghanistan, the mineral goldmine

Revealed: Afghanistan, the mineral goldmine

Rediff.com14 Jun 2010

According to a New York Times report, senior American government officials said the discovery include huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium.

US dismisses Pak's protests over NATO strike

US dismisses Pak's protests over NATO strike

Rediff.com28 Sep 2010

As Pakistan fumed over aerial attacks by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's forces inside its territory that killed nearly 50 militants, the Pentagon has asserted that armed forces have the right to self defence and the United States followed the appropriate protocol in the situation. "The armed forces have the right to self defence. They have been attacked and they respond and they notify the Pakistani government about it," said the Pentagon.

US in denial over Clinton's warning to Pak

US in denial over Clinton's warning to Pak

Rediff.com11 May 2010

The Pentagon leadership has strongly denied reports that it has pressurised Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani to extend the military's anti-Taliban operations into North Waziristan, in the wake of the botched Times Square bombing attempt by Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad, who received terror training in that region.

'We will hunt down and kill new Al Qaeda chief'

'We will hunt down and kill new Al Qaeda chief'

Rediff.com17 Jun 2011

"He (Zawahiri) and his organisation still threaten us. As we did both seek to capture and kill and succeed in killing bin Laden, we certainly do or will do the same thing with Zawahiri," Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told media persons at a Pentagon news conference.

'Walking away from Pak would be counterproductive'

'Walking away from Pak would be counterproductive'

Rediff.com16 Jun 2011

Amidst growing demand from United States lawmakers about becoming tough with Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden in the country, a top Pentagon official on Wednesday warned that walking away from Islamabad at this point of time could backfire.

China working on a major military build-up: US

China working on a major military build-up: US

Rediff.com17 Aug 2010

China is pursuing a major military build up in a "secretive manner" developing survivable nuclear delivery system, a 1,500-km range anti-ship missile to hit aircraft carriers and has the most active land based ballistic and cruise missile programme in the world, Pentagon has said.

PHOTOS: US President's $223 mn 'doomsday plane'

PHOTOS: US President's $223 mn 'doomsday plane'

Rediff.com8 Jun 2011

The 'doomsday plane' was mobilised in the tumultuous hours after planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania on 9/11.

US frustrated with Pakistan's double game?

US frustrated with Pakistan's double game?

Rediff.com28 Jul 2010

"Given the continuing challenges posed by Pakistan's ambiguous policy toward terrorism in the region, the Obama administration must consider carefully whether its current Pakistan policy is providing sufficient dividends or whether it needs to be recalibrated in ways that convince the Pakistanis to shift their strategy toward the Taliban in more fundamental ways," noted South Asian expert, Lisa Curtis, of the Heritage Foundation said.

What connects '2G' Raja and 'skirt-chaser' Berlusconi?

What connects '2G' Raja and 'skirt-chaser' Berlusconi?

Rediff.com20 May 2011

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, at the centre of the 2G spectrum allocation scam, has earned the dubious distinction of figuring in the list of Time Magazine's "an ignominious club of privileged leaders who stepped too far".

India's Dilemma in Sri Lanka

India's Dilemma in Sri Lanka

Rediff.com21 Sep 2020

Both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Modi have learnt from their past mistakes. Modi has understood that Rajapaksa is a 'forever politician' that India has to live with, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

US Apache chopper pilots guilty of war crimes?

US Apache chopper pilots guilty of war crimes?

Rediff.com26 Oct 2010

The latest WikiLeaks submission reveals a number of dubious attacks by Apache helicopters and raise the question of whether US pilots committed war crimes.

IMAGES: Stealth choppers used exclusively for Osama hunt!

IMAGES: Stealth choppers used exclusively for Osama hunt!

Rediff.com5 May 2011

United States elite Navy SEALs team used top secret, never-before-seen stealth helicopters to swoop down on an unsuspecting Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad safe haven and shoot him dead.

WikiLeaks bomb: Rights abuses galore in Iraq

WikiLeaks bomb: Rights abuses galore in Iraq

Rediff.com23 Oct 2010

Whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has released nearly 400,000 secret American documents on Iraq war, calling it the "largest classified military leak in history", despite Pentagon's warning that it could endanger informants and reveal war strategy.

'US planning unilateral strike on Pakistan'

'US planning unilateral strike on Pakistan'

Rediff.com29 May 2010

US military is looking at options for a unilateral strike in Pakistan if a successful terrorist strike on US soil is traced back to the country, senior Pentagon officials were quoted as saying on Saturday.

Trump plans to end birthright citizenship

Trump plans to end birthright citizenship

Rediff.com30 Oct 2018

Under the current laws, anyone born in the US irrespective of the nationality of parents, automatically becomes an American citizen.

Trump says US should let China keep the drone

Trump says US should let China keep the drone

Rediff.com18 Dec 2016

Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.

Thousands of more classified documents missing: US

Thousands of more classified documents missing: US

Rediff.com30 Jul 2010

Days after the WikiLeaks went onto release more than 92,000 classified documents pertaining to the war against terrorism, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged that thousands of such classified papers are missing from the department of defence.

Afghan war document leak could affect Obama's re-election

Afghan war document leak could affect Obama's re-election

Rediff.com27 Jul 2010

The US president and his advisers in the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon cannot claim that they too were unaware of the shocking facts in the leaked documents, says B Raman

US eyes missile that can hit anywhere in an hour

US eyes missile that can hit anywhere in an hour

Rediff.com8 Apr 2010

According to the Washington Post, American military officials say the intercontinental ballistic missiles, known as Prompt Global Strike weapons, are a necessary new form of deterrence against terrorist networks and other adversaries.

'China's military build-up is alarming'

'China's military build-up is alarming'

Rediff.com24 Jul 2010

Expressing alarm over rapid Chinese military build up which they say threatens to challenge US freedom of action in space, cyberspace, at sea and in the air, influential US lawmakers want Pentagon to file a report to the US Congress on Beijing's growing military might.

US supports India training Afghan forces

US supports India training Afghan forces

Rediff.com2 Jul 2010

The Obama Administration has indicated that it apparently has no problem with India training Afghan security forces but that is a sovereign decision to be taken by the government in Kabul, Washington is aware that such training of Afghans by India is already taking place.

Obama to give McChrystal a final hearing

Obama to give McChrystal a final hearing

Rediff.com23 Jun 2010

In the story, one top McChrystal adviser refers to Vice President Biden as 'Bite Me'. A McChrystal adviser says that in his first meeting with the general, President Obama 'clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his f---ing war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed.'

To My Biden-Supporting Friends

To My Biden-Supporting Friends

Rediff.com25 Nov 2020

'On Saturday, I drove my wife over to Beverly Hills for sushi.' 'Two blocks before Rodeo, we turned the car around, because we saw hundreds driving pickup trucks and marching down sidewalks, yelling, donning MAGA gear, and waving huge Trump flags.' I tell you... It was scary.' 'And this didn't look like a defeated throng.' 'These folks looked like they knew something we didn't,' notes Rajiv Satyal, the Los Angeles-based comedian and host.

Lanka seeks to repair strained ties with US

Lanka seeks to repair strained ties with US

Rediff.com26 May 2010

The prime mission behind the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Professor Gamini Lakshman Peiris' meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is to repair the strained relations between the US and Sri Lanka, which took a beating last year when the Sri Lankan forces were crushing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The US had alleged that there were large scale human rights violations during the military offensive against the tigers.

Amid looming threats, US forms cyber command

Amid looming threats, US forms cyber command

Rediff.com24 May 2010

The US army has appointed a senior general to direct and oversee its cyber warfare division. General Keith B Alexander has been entrusted with the Pentagon's new Cyber Command, the Guardian reported.

No evidence of ISI, Pak Army links to Osama: US

No evidence of ISI, Pak Army links to Osama: US

Rediff.com15 Jun 2011

There is no evidence so far that anybody in a senior position in Pakistan Army or the Inter-Services Intelligence had any knowledge about the presence of Osama bin Laden at a safe house in an Islamabad suburb, a top Pentagon official has said.

Taliban trying to overthrow Pak govt: Gates

Taliban trying to overthrow Pak govt: Gates

Rediff.com21 May 2010

Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban is not only trying to overthrow the government in Islamabad, but is also launching attack against other countries, including the US, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday.

Agni-II missile to be deployed near China border?

Agni-II missile to be deployed near China border?

Rediff.com24 Aug 2010

The move comes close on the release of a report by Pentagon, which suggested that China has moved its new advanced longer range CSS-5 missiles close to its border with India and developed contingency plans to shift airborne forces to the region at short notice.

Why Pak troops may storm North Waziristan soon

Why Pak troops may storm North Waziristan soon

Rediff.com30 Apr 2010

Having steered clear of North Waziristan for years, Pakistan army is contemplating an offensive into the restive area fearing that it may have become a "witches brew of jihadi groups".