Al-Qaida in Iraq are offering cash to lure allies. And, Army says stop-loss is now down to four thousand soldiers.

Al-Qaida in Iraq gives cash to lure allies

BAGHDAD — Al-Qaida in Iraq has begun offering cash to lure back former Sunni allies angry over the government’s failure to give them jobs and pay their salaries on time, according to Sunni tribesmen and Iraqi officials.

CNN Video: Barbara Starr follows critically wounded troops

CNN’s Barbara Starr follows critically wounded troops on their journey out of the war zone and back to the States

‘Birther’ Doc Charged With Disobeying Orders

WASHINGTON — An Army doctor has been charged with disobeying orders after failing to show up for duty in Afghanistan and questioning whether President Obama has the right to order him there.

Senate approves Clapper for intel chief post

WASHINGTON — The Senate late Thursday confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper as the next director of national intelligence, voting him oversight of the nation’s 16 spy agencies.

Karzai May Impede Anti-Corruption Work

KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. officials are waiting to see if the Afghan government will attempt to impede corruption probes of high-ranking officials — concern that comes as a new report issued in Washington questioned the Afghan administration’s ability to fight graft and bribery that are undermining the war against the Taliban.

Stop-loss now down to 4,000 soldiers, Army says

The number of soldiers forced to serve beyond their commitment has been cut in half in the past year and is on track to be eliminated by March, Pentagon records and interviews show.

S. Korea starts drills despite N. Korea threats

ABOARD THE ROK DOKDO — South Korean troops fired artillery and dropped sonar buoys into the Yellow Sea as naval drills kicked off near the spot where a warship sank four months ago.

Ex-Guantanamo detainee now campaigning in Afghanistan

SOROBI, Afghanistan — In a country whose young parliament is filled with warlords, suspected drug barons, one-time mujahedeen fighters and religious zealots, Izatullah Nasrat Yar can still make history.

AF Wants Disgraced General’s Rank Back

The general who directed the air war in the waning days of Vietnam is due to have his former rank reinstated by the Air Force, nearly 40 years after he left the service in disgrace over allegations that he ignored rules of engagement and led his subordinates in a cover up.

100K eligible troops could miss stop-loss pay

A key lawmaker behind the creation of a monthly $500 stop-loss allowance says the Defense Department may not be doing enough to try to locate separated service members who are now on the brink of losing the right to apply for the money.

Navy eyes wider training area off Hawaii

SAN DIEGO — With its planned fledgling fleet of littoral combat ships, emerging weapons and technologies on the horizon, and a shift of forces to the Pacific region, the Navy wants to expand military activities in at-sea areas it uses for training, evaluation and testing.

Chinese Missile May Shift Power Balance

ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON — Nothing projects U.S. global air and sea power more vividly than supercarriers. Bristling with fighter jets that can reach deep into even landlocked trouble zones, America’s virtually invincible carrier fleet has long enforced its dominance of the high seas. However