We’re in a season of anniversaries and memories, many of them exceedingly melancholy: the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy that ignited the global financial crisis, September 15, 2008 (5 years ago); the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, September 11, 2001 (12 years ago); the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, 10 Tishri 1973 (40 years ago…
This past week, the true extent of the problem of rape and sexual assault in the military came to light, and the numbers were stark and ugly. A new Pentagon report found that nearly 26,000 members of the military were sexually assaulted last year — a 35% increase from 2010. The numbers sent shock waves…
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s April 23 visit to Israel has yielded some interesting fallout. Not least is the apparent puncturing of the image his opponents tried to paint of a sworn enemy of Israel. Haaretz’s Chemi Shalev does a pretty nifty job of skewering the anti-Hagel crowd, suggesting satirically that the secretary’s effusive embrace of…
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama’s new secretary of defense, ending an unusually acrimonious confirmation fight. The Senate voted 58-41 to confirm the former Republican senator as the civilian leader of the Pentagon in a largely party line vote. Just four Republicans joined the Democrats and independents in support of…
The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to end a delay in the nomination of Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama’s new secretary of defense, clearing the way for his expected approval as civilian leader at the Pentagon within hours. The Senate voted 71-27 to end debate and move forward, almost two weeks after Republicans launched…
Chuck Hagel’s path to confirmation as President Barack Obama’s new secretary of defense became more secure on Thursday when Republican Senator Richard Shelby said he would support the nomination. Shelby joined almost every other Republican senator a week ago in delaying a vote on confirming Hagel in order to allow colleagues more time to examine…
Two centrist Jewish groups called for further review of Chuck Hagel’s record in light of an account of a 2007 speech in which he allegedly said the State Department acted as an “adjunct” of Israel’s foreign ministry. Hagel, President Obama’s nominee for defense secretary, has the support of a majority of senators, but confirmation of…
Republican lawmakers succeeded on Thursday in delaying a Senate vote on confirming President Barack Obama’s choice of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary, but another vote was planned for later in the month and Obama said he expected his nominee to be approved. The tally was 58-40, with almost every Republican voting no, falling short of…
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