Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Air Force command nominee is 1st woman, non-pilot
The White House has picked the first female general to head the Air Force in the Pacific, which will make her the first non-pilot to command air power in such a large theater of operation. Published July 17, 2014
Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi formerly a U.S. captive
The U.S. held him captive for a time in 2004 before an unconditional release put him back into Iraq's growing Sunni insurgency. Published July 13, 2014
Islamic militants aim to take Baghdad airport
The al Qaeda-inspired terrorist army in Iraq ultimately wants to capture Baghdad International Airport and begin a campaign to destabilize neighboring Jordan, an important U.S. ally, analysts say. Published July 9, 2014
ISIL shows increasing strength and structure, takes war where al Qaeda couldn’t
The al Qaeda offshoot terrorist group conquering parts of Iraq is gaining strength thanks to prisoner releases and its social media magnetism for foreign fighter recruits. Published July 6, 2014
Indictment of suspect in Benghazi attack Ahmed Abu Khatallah debunks the Obama tale
The Obama administration's just-released criminal complaint against the alleged mastermind of the Benghazi terrorist attacks provides a final contradiction to its own evolving explanations for what happened that day. Published July 1, 2014
Air Force secretary gets sick flying with Thunderbirds
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James hitched a ride with the storied Thunderbirds aerial acrobatic team this week — and it didn't go quite as she planned. Published June 28, 2014
ISIL terrorists aim to attack U.S., congressional report says
The al Qaeda-linked army now conquering territory in Syria and Iraq ultimately wants its new Islamic state to be a launching pad for attacking the U.S. homeland, says a new congressional report. Published June 24, 2014
U.S. troops set stunning record in evading capture by Taliban
On June 30, 2009, the day Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked into captivity, American forces in Afghanistan had not allowed a single service member to fall into enemy hands. Published June 22, 2014
For any U.S. airstrike to succeed, the Iraqi army must stand and fight, experts say
As the U.S. masses air power on Iraq's doorstep, analysts are warning that missiles and bombs will have limited impact on Islamic militants unless the Iraqi army stops running and starts fighting. Published June 16, 2014
Obama ignored general’s pleas to keep American forces in Iraq
The last American commander in Iraq recommended to the Obama administration that 23,000 U.S. troops remain to cement the victory, but no deal was ever reached with Baghdad, and all combat forces went home. Published June 15, 2014
Taliban 5 in Bergdahl trade have plenty of time to rejoin fight in Afghanistan
The five Taliban commanders freed by the Obama administration will find an Afghanistan in 2015 that is still home to nearly 10,000 American troops and still in a war that likely will go on for years. Published June 12, 2014
Pentagon believes Bergdahl was drugged in proof-of-life video
A Pentagon agency has concluded that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl showed definite signs of being drugged by his captors for a pivotal December 2013 video that spurred the Obama administration to trade five Taliban commanders for his release. Published June 10, 2014
Bergdahl’s parents got rare access to insiders; data for sympathizer of Gitmo detainees
The Obama administration gave the parents of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl extraordinary insider access to the military's hunt for their son by having them take part in a series of secure video conferences with senior commanders as well as White House and State Department officials. Published June 8, 2014
Haqqani Network, Pakistan terror group, grows into worst enemy for U.S.
The Haqqani Network, the terrorist group that the U.S. command in Afghanistan says is its most formidable enemy — worse than the Taliban or al Qaeda — has operated for a dozen years across the border in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area with little to fear other than sporadic drone strikes. Published June 5, 2014
POW Bergdahl’s haggard look could have been terrorist ploy to free Taliban
The Haqqani terrorist group kept Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in relatively good health the past five years because it was always its goal to trade him, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Published June 3, 2014
Administration mum on Bowe Bergdahl discipline
His former war buddies call him a deserter, but initial statements from President Obama and his aides indicate they don't want a criminal case against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Published June 2, 2014
White House’s release of Taliban follows its criticism of Afghan prisoner release
The White House has released Taliban leaders just four months after condemning Afghan President Hamid Karzai's release of 65 Taliban fighters. Published June 2, 2014
Pentagon wrestles with false climate predictions as military funds shifted to green agenda
Consultants told the military that, by now, California would be flooded by inland seas, The Hague would be unlivable, polar ice would be mostly gone in summer, and global temperatures would rise at an accelerated rate as high as 0.5 degrees a year. None of that has happened. Published June 1, 2014
GOP lawmakers warn of Taliban incentives in freeing American POW
Two Republican defense leaders in Congress warn that trading terrorists for an American POW now gives al Qaeda and the Taliban a bigger incentive to capture U.S. service members. Published June 1, 2014
Sponsors of Pentagon’s alarm-raising climate study could benefit from action
Retired military officers deeply involved in the climate change movement — and some in companies positioned to profit from it — spearheaded an alarmist global warming report this month that calls on the Defense Department to ramp up spending on what it calls a man-made problem. Published May 26, 2014