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WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan said Monday he had authorized $1 billion to build part of the wall sought by President Donald Trump along the US-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon to build 57 miles (92 kilometers) of 18-foot (5.5-meter) fencing, build and improve roads, and install lighting to support Trump’s emergency declaration as concerns the border. Shanahan “authorized the commander of the US Army Corps […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is being investigated by the Pentagon’s inspector general for alleged bias in acquisitions toward his former employer, Boeing, the inspector general said Wednesday. “We have informed him that we have initiated this investigation,” said Dwrena Allen, a spokeswoman for the inspector generals’ office. Investigators are seeking to see if Shanahan, as deputy defense secretary, had violated ethics rules by disparaging Boeing rival Lockheed Martin […]
by Thomas WATKINS Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — China is on the cusp of fielding some of the world’s most advanced weapons systems — and in some cases already has surpassed its rivals, a Pentagon assessment released Tuesday found. An unclassified report by the Defense Intelligence Agency says Beijing has made enormous military strides in recent years, thanks partly to domestic laws forcing foreign partners to divulge technical secrets in exchange for […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Defense Secretary Jim Mattis bade farewell to the Pentagon on Monday, telling the US military to “hold fast” after he quit over a series of fundamental differences with President Donald Trump. Mattis resigned December 20, after Trump stunned the US establishment by ordering a full troop withdrawal from Syria. “Our department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult,” Mattis said in a brief memo […]
by Thomas WATKINS Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Patrick Shanahan, who on Tuesday becomes the acting US secretary of defense, takes the helm of America’s massive military machine at a critical time. Shanahan is moving up from his position as deputy defense secretary to the top spot following the resignation of Jim Mattis, who quit over long-running — and ultimately irreconcilable — disagreements with President Donald Trump. Little known outside business and […]
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Amazon chief Jeff Bezos on Monday defended the company’s bid for a major Pentagon cloud computing contract, saying it was important to support US defense efforts even if unpopular. “This is a great country and it does need to be defended,” Bezos said onstage during a question-and-answer session at the Wired 25th Anniversary conference in San Francisco. Bezos was asked about his position on defense contracts after Google dropped […]
by Thomas Watkins Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Forget about the high-tech military challenges from China and Russia, the Pentagon is facing a fast-growing national security threat that could be even trickier to tackle: America’s obesity crisis. A study released this week has found that nearly one-third of young Americans are now too overweight to join up, a worrying statistic for military officials already facing recruitment challenges. “Obesity has long threatened […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis dismissed Tuesday a fresh round of rumors suggesting his days at the Pentagon might be numbered due to deteriorating relations with President Donald Trump. The buttoned-up former Marine general is loathe to discuss politics or his dynamic with his mercurial boss, but a new book by veteran political reporter Bob Woodward has thrust the two mens’ relationship into the spotlight. Among other claims, Woodward said […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he “absolutely” agrees the Pentagon should create a new command dedicated to space, but he stopped short of fully endorsing President Donald Trump’s order to create a whole new Space Force. Trump in June ordered the creation of Space Force, which he said would become the sixth branch of the US military, arguing the Pentagon needs a dedicated service to tackle vulnerabilities […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Defense Department said Friday it would give $200 million to Ukraine to help the war-torn nation bolster its military’s defensive capabilities. The amount is part of a series of Pentagon payments now totaling more than $1 billion to Ukraine since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Ukraine is fighting a separatist insurgency in its Russian-speaking eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. All of the military aid, which comes from […]
by Thomas WATKINS Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – Pentagon officials were surprised Tuesday after President Donald Trump vowed at his summit with the North’s leader Kim Jong Un to cancel “provocative” joint military drills with South Korea. Following the unprecedented meeting in Singapore, Trump stunned observers when he said continuing the exercises routinely held between the US and South Korea would be “inappropriate” while Washington fleshes out a comprehensive deal with Pyongyang. “We will […]
by Thomas WATKINS Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon has pulled its invitation for China to join maritime exercises in the Pacific because of Beijing’s “continued militarization” of the South China Sea, an official said Wednesday, in the latest sign of US-China strains. China hit back at the decision, calling it “very non-constructive” and saying it was taken without due reflection. Personnel from more than two dozen countries train together and […]
