Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
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
Pentagon may trim IED detector budget
The Pentagon is considering cuts in a war office thought to be untouchable: the organization that devises ways to foil the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Published September 7, 2010
No letup in Iraq for some military forces
As U.S. military forces continue to stream out of Iraq, formally ending combat operations on Tuesday, one of the most effective elements of those forces missed the drawdown completely. Published August 29, 2010
Survey counters backing of gays in military
A group opposed to ending the ban on openly gay troops in the military has released a national survey that challenges earlier independent polls asserting that a wide percentage of Americans favor repealing the ban. Published August 22, 2010
Low al Qaeda count stirs new war debate
With the American public growing more pessimistic about Afghanistan, war proponents are renewing their case in the face of new estimates that say no more than 100 al Qaeda operatives remain in the country. Published August 15, 2010
Military ordered to stay off WikiLeaks
The U.S. armed services are issuing internal messages to all personnel barring them from visiting the WikiLeaks website, which recently posted 77,000 classified diplomatic and military messages on the long war in Afghanistan. Published August 6, 2010