United States is still facing some severe challenges like terrorism and cyber security and needs to be prepared to confront them wherever they are, outgoing US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday.
United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta on Sunday defended the administration's response to last year's terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that claimed the life of the US ambassador to Libya.
The United States military is "fully prepared" for any confrontation with Iran over moves to close the strategic Gulf of Hormuz, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said, as the White House indicated that the option of diplomatic negotiations was still open for Tehran. "We always continue to make preparations to be prepared for any contingency," Panetta told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. Panetta was asked whether Washington was adjusting American forces.
The United States Senate has unanimously approved the nomination of Leon Panetta, the Central Investigation Agency director, to be the next Pentagon chief. He would succeed Robert Gates, who is one of longest serving US Defence Secretary.
The United States now faces new array of security challenges from across the globe, including the rise of new powers in Asia; behaviour of countries like Iran and North Korea and proliferation of lethal weapons, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday.
Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta has confronted Pakistan's military leadership with evidence of collusion between militants and security officials in the country, causing fresh strains in the troubled United States-Pak ties.
United States should place conditions on release of about $3.5 billion aid to Pakistan based on "what we expect them to do", Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has told the Congress.
Pakistan has described as "disquieting" Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta's revelation that no intelligence about the United States raid that killed Osama bin Laden was shared with Islamabad for fear that the operation would be jeopardised.
Soon after Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta provided a classified briefing to the House leadership in the US Congress on the covert mission inside Pakistan that killed Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden, he was peppered with a volley of questions. He was quizzed about Pakistani duplicity, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence's perfidy about how it could have not known about bin Laden living right under their nose in Abbottabad.
Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta will become the new United States defence secretary, replacing Robert Gates, in a major shake-up of President Barack Obama's security team, according to a media report.The top US military commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus is set to take over as the new CIA Director. The television network said Petraeus will be replaced as the US commander in Afghanistan by Lieutenant General John Allen.
The US has decided to give top priority to its ties with India, which is reflected in an unprecedented series of high-level exchange of visits between the two countries this month aimed at taking forward their cooperation in areas like defence, trade and education.
The India trip, the first to the country by Panetta in his capacity as the Defence Secretary, is part of his week-long Asia trip during which he will participate in the Shangri-la Dialogues and travel to Vietnam.
Inter-Services Intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, during his meeting with Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta, has reportedly presented evidence regarding India's hand in fanning terrorism in Balochistan and Waziristan.
The most nail biting moment in the Abbottabad raid that killed former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden came when the helicopters carrying the Navy Seals left Afghan airspace to enter Pakistan's territory, United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said.
Noting that its relationship with Pakistan was "complex", United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said "the problem" lies with Islamabad's perception of being "threatened by India".
The United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said that he did not discuss specifically the Indo-American ties with China, during his recent visit to that country.
After intense pressure from the United States, Pakistan has reportedly agreed to launch a full-scale offensive against the Taliban and other extremist organisations in their stronghold North Waziristan, but has also clarified to the Obama administration that the timing of the military offensive would be decided by it.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pointed out that Washington's current difficulties with Islamabad are nothing new and a repeat of earlier disagreements.
Two top United States security officials are traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday to meet the country's civil and military leadership and press for more aggressive action against Al Qaeda-allied groups. Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta and the National Security Advisor General James Jones, who are embarking on a visit to Islamabad, will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, Army Chief General Ashfaq Kiyani.
Pakistan is yet to decide the charges it would slap against the doctor who provided crucial information to the US that led to Osama bin Laden's killing, three months after a commission recommended that he be tried for treason.
Faced with a $487 billion slash in its budget over the next 10 years, the Pentagon has announced that it will downsize its military forces by 100,000, even as Defence Secretary Leon Panetta asserted that United States will remain a force to contend with anytime and anywhere.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to make announcements in this regard on Thursday unveiling the annual budget of the Pentagon and the new defence strategy for the US to meet the needs of the time within the financial constraints.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday joined Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in deploring the video in which US marines are seen urinating on the dead bodies of the Taliban fighters.
India needs a helping hand and the country best placed to provide it, in every way, military, political and economic, is the US, says Premvir Das.
It was one thing to hold India to ransom and periodically threaten nuclear blackmail. But it was not going to work against the US. The US, as always, learned the hard way that it was not or need not be all that dependent on Pakistani cooperation and generosity, says Vikram Sood.
Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta has held a series of meetings with senior government officials in New Delhi. Official sources said Panetta, who also met with Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur and Research and Analysis Wing chief A K Verma, discussed various areas of cooperation. This is the first high-profile visit by any American official after a team of the Indian National Investigation Agency had questioned terrorist David Coleman Headley in May.
Amid a dramatic increase in drone attacks on militants in the Waziristan tribal region, CIA chief Leon Panetta arrived here today for talks with Pakistan's civil and military leadership.
On his maiden visit to India as the United States Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta would focus on taking the Indo-US defence ties to the next level, besides discussing the situation in the region and the 'rebalancing' of his country's posturing in the Asia Pacific region.
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.
In a major goof-up, new US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta clubbed India and China, describing them as emerging "threats", but his office quickly retracted the remarks, saying Washington strongly values close ties with New Delhi.
United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who places much importance to America's relationship with India, is looking forward to his maiden visit to India in his capacity as head of the Pentagon, a senior US official has said.
A hand-written memo in which United States President Barack Obama authorised the Navy SEALs team to "go in and get (Osama) bin Laden" at his hideout in Pakistan one year ago has been made public.
Distancing himself from former United States Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Mike Mullen's remark about the Inter-Services Intelligence-Haqqani network links, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Pakistan has been asked to take action against the Haqqani network.
The United States has told Pakistan in clear terms that it has to act against all militants operating inside its territory and Islamabad cannot 'pick and choose' among terror groups, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said.
Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday said the potential for another attack by al Qaeda in the country "remains very real".
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency has categorically denied any links with the Taliban.The Daily Times quoted ISI Director General Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha as saying that the ISI is a professional agency and does not have links with any militant outfit, including the Taliban. Pasha's remarks came during a meeting with Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Panetta, National Security Adviser Lieutenant General James Jones and other officials.
Pakistan has agreed in principle to launch a full-fledged military operation against Taliban militants in North Waziristan. But it will be a tough task for the country's army, as the terrain is believed to be the stronghold of numerous Arab, central Asian, Pashtun and Punjabi militants.The military operation may increase the flow of US aid to Pakistan, but the consequences might be unaffordable for the beleaguered country.
Top US security officials briefed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday, on the probe into the botched car bombing in New York by a Pakistani-American and discussed measures to prevent "potential attacks."
What needs to be understood is that not one, but three cancers afflict Pakistan
United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said that Al Qaeda is the primary enemy of United States in the Af-Pak region and those parts of the Taliban who support Al Qaeda is also American target.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances