Iraqi-American Blogger: DoD Will Leave, State Dept. Will Remain In Iraq

Iraqi-American blogger, Raed Jarrar, in an interview Monday, argued that America’s presence in Iraq is not over because while the U.S Department of Defense will be leaving Iraq, the U.S Department of State will be doubling its personnel. (0:28)

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Congress Threatens Our Military, Says Defense Official

General Counsel of the Department of Defense Jeh Johnson says that increased congressional restrictions will hurt the military and will compromise the protection of Americans from terrorists (0:18)

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Rising Defense Budget Costs Unsustainable, Says Official

Former Defense Secretary William Perry says rising costs in the nation’s defense budget is unsustainable. (0:48)

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Gates: After Waging War, Mental Health Of U.S. Servicemen And Women Highest Priority

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Erik Shinseki spoke out Monday on the importance of treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] among U.S. servicemen and women.

“Beyond waging the wars we are in, treatment of our wounded, their continuing care and eventual re-integration into every day life is my highest priority. I consider this a solemn pact between those who have risked and suffered and the nation that owes them its eternal gratitude,” said Gates during a mental health summit in Washington, D.C (0:19)
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Department of Defense Spokeswoman Says New Missile Plan Not About Russia

Under Secretary of Department of Defense Michele Flournoy says the new short-range missile defense plan is not about abandoning European allies. She says the plan is not, and has never been about pleasing Russia. (0:30)
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McCain: New Missile Plan Could Weaken Ties To Czech Republic And Poland

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says new U.S. missile defense plans in the Czech Republic and Poland could weaken ties between the countries and the United States. He also says new policies indicate more willingness to warm up to Russia. (1:38)
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Gates' Three Objectives For Defense Budget

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates describes the three objectives of the Defense budget: to take care of the forces, to rebalance the Department's programs and to start a reform on how and what the Department buys. (0:44)

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IEDs are DoD's main concern

Lieutenant General Thomas F. Metz tells Vic Snyder (R-Ark.) that there has been no formal discussion of expanding the scope of the Joint IED Defeat Organization to include other asymmetric weapons (0:22).
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The transition from the surge

While traveling to Baghdad, the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks about the transition of security in Iraq from the surge strategy to more of an overwatch role. Gates says that the U.S. will still be engaged even as Iraqi security forces start to take over responsibility for several provinces. (0:43)
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When is Afghanistan a "must"?

Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) asks Defense Department officials when and under what conditions will Afghanistan become a military priority. (0:23)
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Cost of Afghan troops exceed government's revenue

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Micheal Mullen and the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, express concern about the cost of building up the Afghan army. Gates says that training and equipping more troops will cost several billion dollars while the government of Afghanistan only brought in about $7 million in revenue. (0:52)
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Gates: U.S. in Iraq for years to come

Speaking about troop reductions, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that there are many options for the next president in terms of the war in Iraq and that that president should expect to have troops in Iraq for years to come. (0:40)
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Special Report: Electrocution of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan

Talk Radio News Service staffer Tim Herchenroeder breaks down a government investigation into electrocution deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan in a special report from Washington.
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Finding the truth is non-partisan, says Waxman

Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) discusses the effects of the electrical problems in Iraq and notes that finding the truth to the problem is not a Republican or Democratic aim, but an aim to find the truth.(1:05)
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New York Democrat: DoD let Bin Laden escape on purpose

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) says that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is responsible for the escape of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. (1:01)
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IRAQ: Fixing the contracting problem with the same company that caused it

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) asks Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of the Defense, about the absurdity of allowing Kellog, Brown, and Root (KBR), the same company accused of improper electric wiring, to inspect the facilities in Iraq. England says that an independent group will be hired to assist KBR. (1:38)
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How many troops to Afghanistan up to the next president

During a press briefing at the Pentagon, spokesman Geoff Morell said that while the U.S. is committed to bringing more troops to the war in Afghanistan the nubmer of combat brigades will most likely be a question for the next administration. (0:54)
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Iraq the priority of Pentagon and Bush administration

During a press briefing at the Pentagon, Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell says that it is no secret that, of the two fronts, Iraq is the priority for the Pentagon and the current administration. He says that the U.S. does not lack committment to Afghanistan and it is a matter of timing when more troops will be sent to Afghanistan. (0:52)
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Gates: troops in Afghanistan sooner rather than later

During a press conference at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that the Defense Department is working hard to find opportunities to send more troops to Afghanistan "sooner rather than later." (0:50)


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Veteran care has improved since beginning of Iraq War

Frederick Downs, Jr., chief prosthetics and clinical logistics officer in the Veterans Affairs Office of Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics, explains that at the beginning of the Iraq War, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had two problems: The gaps between the VA and Depart of Defense (DoD) that prevented veterans from being treated, and the VA's reputation for not providing quality prostheses. (1:41)
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