JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said its jets struck Iranian military targets in Syria early Monday, an announcement that marked a rare departure from Israel's years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring Syria. The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training...
Trump Signs Order to Create US Space Command
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump launched the Pentagon's new Space Command Tuesday, an effort to better organize and advance the military's vast operations in space that could cost as much as $800 million over the next five years. Trump signed a one-page memorandum Tuesday authorizing the Defense Department to create...
US Conducts 6 Airstrikes Against Somalia Extremists, 62 Dead
NAIROBI, Kenya — Six U.S. airstrikes that killed more than 60 people in a coastal Somali town were pre-emptive strikes to prevent a major extremist attack, according to a Somali intelligence officer. The U.S. military said Monday it carried out four strikes on Dec. 15 in which 34 people were...
Now 97, Navy Veteran Recalls 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor
HONOLULU — Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Don Long was alone on an anchored military seaplane in the middle of a bay across the island from Pearl Harbor when Japanese warplanes started striking Hawaii on December 7, 1941, watching from afar as the bombs and bullets killed and wounded thousands. The waves of...
Trump Says He Plans to Make His First Visit to a War Zone
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump frequently credits himself with accomplishing more for the military and veterans than any other president in recent memory. But he has yet to embark on what has long been a traditional presidential pilgrimage important to the military: a visit to troops deployed in a war...
Egyptian Mediators Race to Restore Calm in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A high-level Egyptian delegation on Wednesday held urgent talks with Gaza's Hamas rulers, seeking to restore calm after a rocket from the Palestinian area slammed into a home in southern Israel and the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on Hamas targets. The pre-dawn flare-up in...
Problems for Pentagon's Immigrant Recruit Program
WASHINGTON — Stricter Trump administration immigration policies have stymied Pentagon plans to restart a program that allowed thousands of people with critical medical or Asian and African language skills to join the military and become American citizens, according to several U.S. officials. The decade-old program has been on hold since...
Senate Backs Bill to Avert Shutdown, Boost Military Spending
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday approved a wide-ranging, $854 billion bill that funds the military and a host of civilian agencies for the next year and provides a short-term fix to keep the government open through early December. The measure includes $675 billion for the Defense Department and boosts...
Senate OK's $38 Billion For Israel Defense
Israel would receive a $38 billion aid package providing munitions and other defense-related assistance under a bill approved this week by the U.S. Senate. The 10-year package, the largest of its kind ever, was negotiated in the final days of the Obama administration. The bill was approved in the Senate by...
Sudden US Army Discharge Rocks Immigrant PhD Candidate
SAN FRANCISCO — Growing up in eastern China, Panshu Zhao fell in love with America. He read the Bible his parents gave him, watched Hollywood movies and studied the ideals of democracy. He jumped at the chance to attend graduate school at Texas A&M University. In 2016, Zhao enlisted in...