Rowan Scarborough

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

Pentagon bars staff from visiting 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 5, 2010

Pentagon to cut out big-war funds

The Pentagon has begun a new hunt for cost savings that likely will lead to scaling back big-war weapons systems in favor of funding smaller conflicts typified by Iraq and Afghanistan. Published August 3, 2010

Bombers, missiles could end Iran nukes

A Pentagon strike against Iran would rely heavily on the B-2 bomber and cruise missiles to try to destroy the regime's ability to make nuclear weapons, analysts say, after the top U.S. military officer said a war plan is in place. Published August 2, 2010

Safety burden shifts to State Department after Iraq war

The Obama administration has not settled on a plan to protect and supply thousands of State Department diplomats and employees left behind in Iraq once all but a relatively few U.S. troops leave the county in a little more than a year. Published July 25, 2010