Maggie Ybarra

Ashton Carter airs differences with Obama on Guantanamo, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan

President Obama's pick to be the next defense secretary assured senators that he will be an independent voice inside the administration, even going as far as to say he differs from the White House on such critical issues as Guantanamo Bay, Ukraine and putting soldiers on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.

February 4, 2015

Defense chief nominee promises to resist WH pressure on Gitmo

Ashton Carter assured lawmakers on Wednesday that he would not allow the White House to bully him into rapidly closing the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

February 4, 2015

United Arab Emirates suspends airstrikes against Islamic State, asks U.S. for better rescue plans

The United Arab Emirates has suspended its participating in coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State after the extremist group captured a Jordanian pilot whose jet crashed in Syria, according to The New York Times.

February 4, 2015

Ashton Carter will prioritize terrorist safe havens, foreign fighters

President Obama's nominee for defense secretary will tell Congress on Wednesday that he is wary of Islamic State militants trying to establish a foothold in Afghanistan and leery of foreign fighters that are spilling out of North Africa to support the extremist group.

February 3, 2015

Pentagon to move money away from overseas military operations

Pentagon officials plan to transfer funds away from overseas military operations into another account that is subject to budget restrictions – a move that comes with fiscal and political complications.

February 2, 2015

Kenji Goto purportedly beheaded by Islamic State group

A new video released Saturday shows Islamic State militants beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.

January 31, 2015

Abu Malik, Islamic State chemical weapons expert, killed in coalition airstrike

The Pentagon says it has killed a chemical weapons expert who was using his experience to create toxic war tools for Saddam Hussein to help the Islamic State.

January 30, 2015

Pentagon blasts rare Islamic State attack on Kirkuk

The Islamic State on Friday killed a senior Kurdish commander and several of his fellow fighters during a surprise attack on a Kurdish-controlled city in northern Iraq, evoking the ire of the Pentagon.

January 30, 2015

Top commander moves to classify data used to track Afghan spending

A top military commander has moved to classify data that previously let a federal watchdog track the billions the U.S. government is spending on Afghanistan's security forces, leaving investigators incapable of accounting for taxpayer funds for the first time in six years.

January 29, 2015

Obama-released Taliban member swapped for Bowe Bergdahl tried to return to terror

One of the Taliban members swapped by the Obama administration in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has reportedly tried to return to terrorist activity.

January 29, 2015

Top military brass classifies amount of U.S. tax dollars spent on Afghan security

A top military commander has decided to classify data that previously allowed a federal watchdog to track the billions of dollars the U.S. government is spending on Afghanistan's security forces, rendering investigators incapable of accounting for taxpayer funds for the first time in six years.

January 29, 2015

James Post, two-star Air Force general, under investigation for controversial comments

The Air Force has launched an investigation into allegations that a prominent military leader threatened to ostracize service members who dared to discuss with lawmakers the service's plan to retire combat aircraft.

January 28, 2015

Air Force plan to fix radars on old fighter jets isn’t attracting buyers, GAO auditors say

Federal auditors say that an Air Force plan to generate revenue by fixing radars on the aging fighter jets of foreign allies has failed to attract international customers.

January 28, 2015

Saddiq Al-Abbadi, Ali Alvi interrogations ignite Republican ire

Several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee want the Department of Justice to explain why it relied on foreign governments to detain and interrogate two Yemeni men who conspired to kill Americans overseas.

January 27, 2015

Army denies final decision on Bowe Bergdahl has been made

The U.S. Army is denying multiple media reports that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be tried with desertion.

January 27, 2015

John McCain to question lack of U.S. ground troops in Middle East

Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, plans to ask three of the military's former top commanders whether U.S. ground forces are needed in Syria, questioning the administration's approach of limiting U.S. boots on the ground in conflict areas such as the Middle East.

January 26, 2015

GAO auditors question Pentagon plan to reduce expenses

Federal auditors are questioning the Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's plan to scale back on postwar spending by reducing the number of senior military personnel working for the Pentagon.

January 26, 2015

Army probe shows gaps in threat identification system

An Army investigation into last year's deadly shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, found that the base lacked a system capable of identifying and tracking a shooter who killed four and injured 16.

January 23, 2015

Congress urges Obama administration to update Russia defense policy

Two of Washington's most influential lawmakers are asking the defense chief and secretary of state to update their plans for keeping troops in Europe in the wake of a "dangerous escalation" in Russian aggression.

January 22, 2015

Chuck Hagel exposes rift between U.S. and Iraq

Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday exposed a growing rift between the United States and Iraq when he blasted its new prime minister for publicly complaining that the international community has left his country in a lurch.

January 22, 2015