Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Former CIA officals refute ‘torture’ report, claim interrogations led to bin Laden
Former CIA bosses have put out an open letter spelling out step-by-step how enhanced interrogations after the 9/11 attacks led to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Published December 10, 2014
George Tenet, Michael Hayden — other former CIA chiefs — say enhanced interrogations helped
Former CIA bosses have put out an open letter spelling out step-by-step how enhanced interrogations after the 9-11 terror attacks led to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Published December 10, 2014
Pentagon bureaucracy cut to improve efficiency proves daunting
Just how daunting a battle it can be to reform a bureaucracy as large and as stubborn as the Department of Defense can be seen in the survival of a secretive club whose membership comprises boards that handle security clearances. Published December 7, 2014
Drones in demand: Congress eyes more surveillance aircraft for Islamic State fight
Congress is blocking the Air Force from retiring next year any of its most famous drone assassins, and is increasing procurement of a second bomb-dropping and surveillance unmanned aircraft. Published December 7, 2014
Pentagon: Sexual assault claims drop among military women
A Pentagon-commissioned Internet survey shows a drop in the number of military women who say they were the victims of sexual assault. Published December 4, 2014
A-10 Warthog retirement debated after replacement’s role in ‘friendly fire’ deaths
A large association of battlefield target spotters has written to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to oppose the planned retirement of A-10 Warthog strike jets — a debate that now encompasses the "friendly fire" deaths of five American soldiers in Afghanistan. Published November 30, 2014
Michele Flournoy forgoes defense secretary bid, may wait for President Hillary Clinton
Speculation inside the Pentagon is that Michele Flournoy is waiting for a chance at the job from a President Hillary Rodham Clinton, with whom she has close ties. Published November 26, 2014
Obama’s inner circle seen as awkward fit for Flournoy
Passing muster in President's Obama's protective inner circle could have been daunting for Michele Flournoy, whose ranking as defense secretary frontrunner collapsed in 24 hours. Published November 26, 2014
Chuck Hagel: George W. Bush was the worst commander-in-chief
The sudden fall of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was unexpected because he spent years in Washington getting close to Barack Obama while upbraiding the president's predecessor. Published November 24, 2014
Benghazi: CIA detected no ‘credible threat’ before terror attacks
The CIA's main reason for setting up shop in Benghazi was to uncover the plans of al Qaeda-linked extremists, yet its officers there detected no sign that terrorists were set to launch the deadly Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission and the agency's own compound, a new House Intelligence Committee report shows. Published November 23, 2014
Islamic State seeks weapons consultants to manage its gear
The Islamic State terrorist army, in its rapid arms buildup, is now searching for foreign technicians who can come to Syria and Iraq and show its fighters how to use and maintain their weapons. Published November 19, 2014
Army soldier, war dog reunited after adoption application snafu
Two wartime comrades, an Army soldier and a Czech German shepherd who together hunted buried explosives in Afghanistan, have been reunited after two years. Published November 16, 2014
Discharge pending for combat pilot who tried to halt lesbian officers’ make-out session
The Army is moving to discharge a decorated combat pilot who intervened to stop two lesbian officers from showing what he considered inappropriate affection on the dance floor during a full-dress formal ball at Fort Drum, New York, in 2012. Published November 12, 2014
Pentagon sex assault survey raises doubts of accuracy
A Pentagon-hired pollster asked a record half-million active-duty troops this year to fill out an Internet survey on sexual assault, prompting critics to say the upcoming results will be skewed to show a higher number of victims than actually exist. Published November 9, 2014
Chuck Hagel defends Gen. James Amos over inaccurate resume
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has entered the debate over the conduct of former Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos, vouching for the general's ethics while saying his disputed official resume was not created by him but rather by a data center. Published November 2, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Budget cuts, errant B1 bomber blamed in deadly ‘friendly fire’ accident in Afghan war
The "friendly fire" airstrike that killed five American soldiers in Afghanistan on June 9 is the first known case of a battlefield catastrophe that can be linked to automatic defense spending cuts that greatly curtailed prewar training. Published October 29, 2014
U.S. military ordered to hide identities, change routines to avoid Islamist attacks
The agency in charge of protecting the Pentagon has sent out a warning that "ISIL-linked terrorists" want to attack employees and is urging them to change routines and mask their identities. Published October 29, 2014
Green Berets reveal Afghan National Army soldiers’ incompetence
Elite Army Green Berets are knocking the performance of the Afghan National Army, telling war tales of its soldiers hiding and quitting the fight. The Green Beret criticisms, contained in a U.S. Central Command "friendly fire" investigative file, provide a window into the flaws of a national army more than a decade in the making. Published October 26, 2014
Air Force fires controller who called in ‘friendly fire’ airstrike in Afghanistan
The Air Force has kicked out the air controller who called in the June 9 airstrike from a B-1B bomber in Afghanistan that killed five American soldiers. Published October 22, 2014
Marines engage in tweeting war over TWT report on commandant
A Marine Corps public affairs director is lashing out at The Washington Times on Twitter for a report about the former Marine commandant padding his official resume submitted to the Senate in 2010. Published October 19, 2014
