Carlo Muñoz

Pentagon’s reduced spending plan could affect military readiness, officials warn

Pentagon budget officials next month will deliver to the White House its plans for a reduced defense spending blueprint for the coming fiscal year, weeks after a scathing report claims such reductions would put the U.S. defense posture at risk.

November 15, 2018

U.S. military, intel officials preparing allies for American pullout from Cold War missile treaty

Interagency teams with members from the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence community have held a series of bilateral meetings with key European allies, preparing partner nations for Washington's eventual withdrawal from a key non-proliferation pact with Russia.

November 15, 2018

U.S. cannot compete militarily with China, Russia without budget increases: Commission

Current fiscal instabilities within U.S. defense spending, exacerbated by the Trump administration's call for a five percent decrease in the Pentagon's spending blueprint for the coming fiscal year, will leave Washington unable to confront near-peer competitors like Russia and China in any future conflict.

November 14, 2018

U.S., allied commanders investigating claims of mass civilian casualties during coalition airstrikes

U.S. and allied commanders are investigating reports that between 30 to 60 civilians were killed during a series of coalition airstrikes against Islamic State targets in eastern Syria.

November 14, 2018

James Mattis indicates support for ‘Arab NATO’ concept, despite regional challenges

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis on Tuesday voiced his implicit support for a so-called "Arab NATO" that would include the small, oil-rich nation of Qatar, despite Doha's ongoing diplomatic conflicts with Saudi Arabia and its Middle East allies.

November 13, 2018

Defense Secretary Mattis to visit U.S. troops stationed on southwest border

Defense Secretary James Mattis will travel down to the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday, to meet with U.S. commanders and troops carrying out the White House-mandated border security operation.

November 13, 2018

Germany’s Merkel doubles down on demands for a ‘real, true European army’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday doubled down on growing rancor on the continent, demanding a new European-centric military force as an alternative to NATO, just as the Trump administration launched a new rhetorical broadside against France who has made similar demands.

November 13, 2018

U.S., Afghanistan in ‘total agreement’ on pursuing Taliban peace talks

Afghanistan's president took neighbor Pakistan's new government to task over what he called Islamabad's continued refusal to rein in terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in both South Asian nations.

November 12, 2018

Trump slams France’s Macron over need for ‘European army’ to defend against Russia, China

President Donald Trump took to social media Friday to chastise French President Emanuel Macron's calls for a "true European army" to defend the continent against increasing threats from Russia, China and other near-peer adversaries.

November 9, 2018

U.S, Chinese officials spar over South China Sea engagements

Top U.S. and Chinese defense officials and diplomats traded rhetorical barbs over ongoing American and allied military operations in the South China Sea, undercutting the message of cooperation and unity between the two world powers during bilateral talks held in Washington on Friday.

November 9, 2018

Donald Trump undaunted as Mike Pompeo meeting with North Korea scrubbed

President Trump insisted his North Korea nuclear diplomacy remained on track Wednesday despite the abrupt cancellation of a long-planned meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart that was set for Thursday in New York.

November 7, 2018

Emmanuel Macron revives idea of ‘true European’ army outside NATO

French President Emmanuel Macron is once again stoking debate over the need for a Europe-wide military force to defend against an increasingly aggressive Russia, a force that critics fear could undercut and compete with the transatlantic NATO alliance.

November 6, 2018

Saudis press Yemen campaign despite U.S. warnings

The Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen is showing no sign of scaling back its brutal campaign to defeat Iranian-backed Houthi separatists from the war-torn nation, despite explicit and public demands from top Trump administration officials in recent days to end the three-year conflict amid a massive and growing humanitarian crisis.

November 5, 2018

U.S., Chinese defense chiefs to meet in Washington, Pentagon confirms

A highly anticipated, face-to-face meeting between Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe will take place later this week at the Pentagon, U.S. defense officials confirmed Monday.

November 5, 2018

Mike Pompeo to meet Kim Yong Chol on North Korea nuke deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with North Korea's No. 2 official in New York next week, as part of the Trump administration's ongoing diplomatic effort to persuade Pyongyang to embrace complete denuclearization on the peninsula.

November 4, 2018

Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol, No. 2 North Korea official, to meet next week in New York

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet with North Korea's No. 2 official in New York next week, as part of the Trump administration's ongoing diplomatic effort to persuade Pyongyang to embrace complete denuclearization on the peninsula.

November 4, 2018

Mike Pompeo warns Russia, China over Iran sanctions

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday issued a thinly veiled warning to Russia and China putting both countries on notice that it will suffer the consequences if they continue to purchase Iranian oil after U.S. economic sanctions on such exports snap back this week.

November 4, 2018

Brent Taylor, mayor of North Ogden, Utah, killed in Afghanistan insider attack

A National Guard officer was killed and two U.S. service member was wounded in the latest insider attack against American and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

November 4, 2018

Turkey Kurd attack forces US to suspend ISIS fight in Syria

Coalition commanders with the U.S.-led operation fighting Islamic State in Syria temporarily suspended operations Thursday, as Turkish forces launched a new offensive into Kurdish-held areas along the Syrian border.

November 1, 2018

U.S. commanders announce units deploying to southern border

Military commanders tasked with executing the Trump White House's border security operation announced on Wednesday the active duty units slated to head down to the U.S.-Mexico border.

October 31, 2018