Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Marine Corps drops Taliban urination desecration case; commandant saves face
The Marine Corps has suddenly dropped criminal charges against an officer in the infamous Taliban urination video case, heading off what promised to be an embarrassing pretrial hearing for the Corps’ commandant Wednesday. Published September 7, 2013
Proxy war: A U.S. strike on Syria is a haymaker at Iran
In the 22-year history of the U.S. launching precision airstrikes against a list of foes, its anticipated attack on Syria would be its first against a staunch ally of Iran. Published September 5, 2013
Bashar Assad loses U.S. friends as Kerry, Hagel and Biden take Bush’s stance on Syria
The Obama national security team that wants to go to war with Syria and demonizes President Bashar Assad is the same group that, as senators, urged reaching out to the dictator. Published September 1, 2013
Take your pick: Syria is a target-rich environment for U.S. missiles
The Assad dynasty significantly militarized Syria over the past few decades, thus providing the Obama administration a rich list of targets should it order punitive airstrikes against the regime. Published August 29, 2013
U.S. bombing in Syria would benefit jihadists
Islamist rebels in Syria, the lead force in the armed opposition, would benefit from a U.S. bombing campaign against the Syrian regime and advance their goal of seizing power in Damascus, analysts said Wednesday. Published August 28, 2013
U.S. readies for possible air strikes on Syria
The United States is ready to strike Syria's air force and suspected munition sites to blunt the regime's ability to fight off the various rebel groups fighting to bring down President Bashar al Assad. Published August 26, 2013
Bradley Manning’s files are filled with fits and odd behavior
Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, convicted last month of leaking thousands of classified files in 2009 and 2010, had long erupted in angry outbursts and collapsed in fits that his supervisors hoped would be controlled by therapy sessions, court-martial documents show. Published August 20, 2013
Al Qaeda ‘rat line’ from Syria to Iraq turns back against Assad
Syrian President Bashar Assad's anti-U.S. strategy during the 2003-11 Iraq War has come back to bite him. Published August 19, 2013
In classified cyberwar against Iran, trail of Stuxnet leak leads to White House
The Obama administration provided a New York Times reporter exclusive access to a range of high-level national security officials for a book that divulged highly classified information on a U.S. cyberwar on Iran's nuclear program, internal State Department emails show. Published August 18, 2013
Army colonel: Physical strength not the end-all, be-all of combat service
An Army officer writing in a prestigious journal says the services should not overemphasize physical strength when deciding whether a woman qualifies for direct ground combat. Published August 12, 2013
Pentagon hints at changes to allow more women in ground combat
Public statements from the Pentagon since it removed the ban on direct ground combat jobs for women signal that the armed services plan to change their physical standards to ensure integration of the sexes, analysts say. Published August 5, 2013
Christians are in the crosshairs of bloody Muslim wars in Mideast
The Arab Spring has not been kind to Christians, and Syria is a good example: The nation's 2 million-plus Christians are caught in the middle of a Muslim war. Published August 1, 2013
Top Marine Gen. James Amos is accused of interfering in sex assault, desecration cases
A military judge did something extraordinary last summer when he ordered the Marine Corps' top officer to submit sworn statements in a sexual assault case. The answers from the commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, have some in Marine legal circles wondering whether he told the full truth. Published July 28, 2013
Military considers separate combat training for men and women
The military is looking at ways to modify its training for women to help them qualify for direct ground combat roles in the infantry, tank units and special operations. Published July 25, 2013
Pentagon mulling separate combat training for men, women
The military is looking at ways to modify its training for women to help them qualify for direct ground combat roles in the infantry, tanks and special operations. Published July 25, 2013
An eavesdropping phoenix, NSA arose from ashes of 9/11
The start of the National Security Agency's rise in power can be traced to the first years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when new laws, secret presidential orders and lots of cash emboldened it to sweep up billions of communications. Published July 23, 2013
Al Jazeera coming to America: Controversial network ready to hit U.S. TV markets
Al Jazeera, the Arab news network that has provided a venue for Osama bin Laden videos, the Muslim Brotherhood and a birthday bash for a convicted murderer, is coming to America. Published July 23, 2013
Emails reveal how accuracy was scrubbed out of Benghazi ‘talking points’
As the hour grew late on the night of Sept. 14, the White House wanted to make one thing clear to the State Department and the CIA as the three collaborated on what would come to be known as the Benghazi "talking points," designed to be used by Congress and administration officials to explain what had happened three days earlier at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Published July 16, 2013
The (spy) game’s afoot in hunt for NSA leaker Snowden
One twist in the fugitive hunt for asylum-seeking Edward Snowden is that the man who has revealed the most secrets about the National Security Agency in history now is undoubtedly one of its chief targets. Published July 13, 2013
Granddaughter qualifies to follow in boot steps of Delta Force founder
A descendant of Col. Charles Beckwith, who in 1977 founded the Army's Delta Force that today hunts and kills Islamic terrorists, passed the test in May to become a member of the elite special operations forces. Published July 9, 2013
