Hale: DOD Unmoved By Senator’s Warning On More Cuts

InsideDefense.com March 8, 2012 Despite a stern warning from the Senate Budget Committee chairman about the likelihood of more defense cuts that would not be as extreme as sequestration, the Defense Department is not planning for that scenario, Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale said today. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), during a Feb. 28 hearing, counseled Hale, …

U.S. Defense Chief Opens the Door to War in Syria By Spencer Ackerman

First the U.S. military’s Mideast chief sounded ready to oust Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Now his boss, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, confirms that the military is “reviewing all possible additional steps that can be taken” to protect beleaguered Syrians from Assad’s brutality, “including potential military options if necessary.” Welcome to the next U.S. war. In …