WASHINGTON — When he resigned as defense secretary last December, Jim Mattis thought it might take two months to install a successor. That seemed terribly long at the time. Seven months later, the U.S. still has no confirmed defense chief even with the nation facing potential armed conflict with Iran. That's the...
Military Hardware at Lincoln Memorial for Trump's Big July 4
WASHINGTON — The military hardware is moving into place. So are the protesters. And, ever the showman, President Donald Trump is promising the "show of a lifetime" on the National Mall for the Fourth of July. Trump is marshalling tanks, bombers and other machinery of war for this year's Independence...
Trump Says Tanks Will Be Part of His July Fourth Celebration
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump isn't taking "no tanks" for an answer on the Fourth of July. He said Monday a display of U.S. military tanks will be part of a special event he's headlining July 4 in Washington, and an Associated Press photographer saw at least two M1A1 Abrams...
Analysis: Trump Moves Show Him to Be Unreliable Partner
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's abrupt decision against military strikes may have prevented open military conflict with Iran, but it also showed him anew to be an unpredictable, unreliable, partner at home and abroad. Trump won his job partly on his claims to be a great dealmaker. But the celebrity...
Amid Tough Talk, Trump Says He Could Be Iran’s ‘Best Friend’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Saturday that military action against Iran was still an option for its downing of an unmanned U.S. military aircraft, but amid heightened tensions he dangled the prospect of eventually becoming an unlikely “best friend” of America’s longtime Middle Eastern adversary. Trump also said “we...
US, Russia Blame Each Other in Near-Collision of Warships
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Russia accused each other of unsafe actions on Friday after an American guided-missile cruiser and a Russian destroyer came within 165 feet of each other in the Philippine Sea. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters that the U.S. will file a formal diplomatic complaint...
US Commander Says He Believes Iranian Threat 'Is Very Real'
BAGHDAD — Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said. In an interview with...
Some ‘Holding Our Breath’ With Trump as D-Day Ceremony Nears
NEW YORK — World leaders will gather in solemn assembly next week above the sandy beaches of Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-changing D-Day invasion of France. It's typically a heartfelt tribute to alliance and sacrifice and a unified vow for enduring unity, outweighing any national or...
Will Trump Pardon U.S. Troops Accused of War Crimes?
President Donald Trump is considering pardons for several American military members accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump was asked Friday at the White House about reports that he was considering pardons ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. The president said "some of these soldiers" have "fought hard...
D-Day Veterans Revisit Normandy, Recall Horror and Triumph
Planes spread out across the sky, nearly wingtip to wingtip. A sniper's bullet whizzing by the ear. Squeezing a dying soldier's hand, so he knew he was not alone. Across three quarters of a century, the old veterans remember that epic day on the beaches of Normandy. For historians, D-Day...