Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Ex-pilots shoot down timeline of Navy
A foundation set up to celebrate Navy aviation's 100th birthday has disavowed an official history on its website, after former combat pilots complained of inaccuracies and political correctness. Published February 20, 2011
Mubarak’s military vital to free elections
Deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak spent three decades in office hand-picking his military generals on the basis of absolute loyalty to his regime, not to any Islamic or democracy movement, analysts on one of the world's largest armies say. Published February 13, 2011
Reagan the commander in chief of rearming
When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, he inherited a broken all-volunteer military force, still reeling from the traumas of the post-Vietnam era. When he left the White House eight years later, he left the nation a well-equipped, highly professional military on which the country has depended for three decades. Published February 3, 2011
Key military, intelligence assets imperiled in Egypt
U.S. military and intelligence agencies would lose vital air, land and sea assets if Egypt falls into the hands of radical Islamists, as Iran did in 1979, foreign policy analysts say. Published January 31, 2011
Some Democrats seek to dial back overheated rhetoric on shootings
ANALYSIS: Some Democrats are calling for a cease-fire in a heated liberal campaign to pin blame for the Tucson, Ariz., massacre on conservative speech and specifically on former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Published January 12, 2011
Army will evaluate mental state of suspect in WikiLeaks
The Army is assembling a special board to evaluate the mental state of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who is being held on charges that he illegally obtained thousands of classified documents and turned them over to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks in what might be the biggest security breach in U.S. history. Published January 3, 2011
Special forces wary of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal
Special-operations troops think the elite force is facing difficulties by accepting open gays into one of the military's more politically conservative communities. Published December 27, 2010
Gay troops advised to wait before coming out
Advocates are advising military gays to stay in the closet for now, as the Pentagon begins months of scene-setting to make sure removing the ban does not hurt combat readiness. Published December 20, 2010
Pakistani forces ‘hamper’ U.S. Embassy
Pakistan's military and intelligence service took the extraordinary action of going to war against the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad this year, harassing employees, sabotaging contracts and denying the purchase of protective gear. Published December 12, 2010
Outlook glum for ‘porous’ Pakistan border
The State Department has stated in a cable from Peshawar, Pakistan, that it is skeptical about eventually winning the military struggle in Pakistan's badlands, saying peace talks go nowhere and murderous militants control key towns. Published December 5, 2010
Front-line fighters wary of repealing ‘don’t ask’
U.S. combat forces have voiced strong reservations about the effects on readiness of allowing open gays in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday in a report that is likely to influence a Senate vote on whether to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Published November 30, 2010
WikiLeaks cables show U.S. government trying to make world safer
State Department cables reveal that, despite its public silence, the U.S. government is aggressively working behind the scenes to make the world safer. Published November 29, 2010
Under Panetta, morale up at CIA
CIA Director Leon E. Panetta, after nearly two years in office, has emerged as a fierce protector of the agency's people and its role in capturing or killing terrorists under an administration that shuns the words "war" and "Islamic terrorist." Published November 17, 2010
New top Marine backs gay ban
President Obama's first appointment to the Joint Chiefs of Staff is continuing, rather than settling, the divisive debate among the nation's top military officers on gays in the military. Published November 10, 2010
Military advocates don’t want judges making Pentagon rules
Pro-military advocates are warning against the dangers of letting federal district court judges start making significant Pentagon policy, saying it would essentially turn the military over to a network of political appointees who could be swayed by various pressure groups. Published October 27, 2010
Obama may opt for new military advisers
President Obama, who has clashed with the military top brass over war and gays, will soon have a chance to reshape the Joint Chiefs of Staff as he faces contentious decisions next year on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and on ending some weapons systems. Published October 18, 2010
Payoff seen in Afghan surge
The U.S. military is starting to see signs that the troop surge in Afghanistan is working on a timetable similar to the Iraq reinforcement campaign in 2007, according to an outside adviser and military sources. Published October 11, 2010
GOP lawmakers say troop cap in Afghanistan invites attacks
Republican lawmakers say the White House's firm cap on the now-completed troop surge in Afghanistan is leaving forces more vulnerable to Taliban attacks. Published October 3, 2010
General denies equating gays, blacks in military
An Army general playing a prominent role in readying the military for open gays in the ranks has equated those who resist the plan to racists who opposed racial integration after World War II, according to two service members and a civilian who heard his remarks. Published September 26, 2010
Hunter lauds tactic to snuff IEDs
In a shift in tactics, the U.S. military in Afghanistan plans to rely more on old-fashioned surveillance, as compared with new-age technology, to stop the biggest killer of American service members in the field. Published September 16, 2010
