New plan to defeat al-Qaida: ‘Surgical’ strikes, not costly wars

WASHINGTON — The United States will push ahead with more targeted drone strikes and special operations raids and fewer costly land battles like Iraq and Afghanistan in the continuing war against al-Qaida, according to a new national counterterrorism strategy unveiled Wednesday.

ISAF: Haqqani network leader suspected in Kabul hotel attack killed

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A top Haqqani network leader suspected of providing support for Tuesday’s deadly attack at a Kabul hotel was killed in an airstrike in southeast Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force said Thursday.

Lawmakers flirt with retired-pay overhaul

Two cuts in military retired pay are under discussion as part of negotiations between Congress and the White House over the size of the U.S. national debt, but getting an agreement is proving difficult.

DoD to Employers: Hire Spouses or Go Away

The Pentagon launched a program on June 29 that provides incentives for top-tier companies to add servicemember spouses to their payrolls.

Army, FBI: Multiple burials in single grave at Arlington not a crime

Army investigators said no laws were broken when eights sets of cremated remains were buried in one grave at Arlington National Cemetery, according to CNN.

Boeing overcharged Army for parts to the tune of $12.6 million, audit finds

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A Boeing gate roller looks like a part you might buy at the local hardware store for a few dollars.

Rocket Attack Kills 3 US Soldiers in Iraq

BAGHDAD — A rocket attack on a U.S. base near Iraq’s border with Iran killed three American Soldiers, an official said Thursday, blaming the strike on a Shiite militia linked to Tehran.

Karzai: Hotel attack won’t derail transfer plan

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed Wednesday that his army and police would be ready to take over from foreign forces as planned despite a brazen assault on one of Kabul’s premier hotels that left 19 people dead — including all eight attackers.

Female Special Operators Now in Combat

Army Special Operations Command has deployed its first teams of female Soldiers assigned to commando units in Afghanistan, and military officials are assessing their initial performance in theater as “off the charts.”

Paratrooper Killed in 800-Foot Drop at Bragg ID’d

Staff Sgt. Jamal Clay had jumped out of an aircraft 25 times before, always dropping safely to the ground.

At end, Osama bin Laden wasn’t running al-Qaida, officials say

ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan — Osama bin Laden was out of touch with the younger generation of al-Qaida commanders, and they often didn’t follow his advice during the years he was in hiding in northern Pakistan, U.S. and Pakistani officials now say.

NATO-Afghan raid ends hotel assault; 19 dead

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The first sign that militants were attacking one of Kabul’s premiere hotels was an explosion that pierced Jawid’s eardrums, prompting him to jump out the window of his room on the first floor into a chaotic scene that quickly turned into a grisly morass of bodies, gunfire and shattered glass.

Obama calls for return of 30,000 troops, ‘nation-building at home’

A total of 10,000 troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year, and more than 20,000 additional forces will leave by the summer of 2012, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night.

Should the U.S. Negotiate with the Taliban?

Editor’s Note: Stephen Biddle is the Robert Hertog senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the award-winning author of Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle. The following is a transcript of our discussion.

NATO Welcomes Obama’s Afghan Plan

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says President Barack Obama’s announcement that he will start to pull troops from Afghanistan is the “natural result,” highlighting the progress the alliance has made there.

Gates Unlikely to Certify DADT End Before Exit

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is unlikely to certify repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” before leaving office next week, senior defense and military officials said.