The US needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State group from reconstituting as a major threat following the ouster of Bashar Assad's government, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press. American forces are still needed there, particularly to ensure the security of detention camps holding tens of thousands of former IS fighters and family members, Austin said Wednesday in one of his final interviews before he leaves office. According to estimates, there are as many as 8,000-10,000 IS fighters in the camps, and at least 2,000 of them are considered to be very dangerous. If Syria is left unprotected, I think ISIS fighters would enter back into the mainstream, Austin said at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he travelled to discuss military aid for Ukraine with about 50 partner nations. He was using another acronym for the Islamic State group. I think that we still have some work to do in terms of keeping a foot on the throat of ISIS," he ...
A military appeals court has ruled against Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin's effort to throw out the plea deals reached for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants in the 9/11 attacks, a US official said. The decision puts back on track the agreements that would have the three men plead guilty to one of the deadliest attacks ever on the United States in exchange for being spared the possibility of the death penalty. The attacks by al-Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, and helped spur US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in what the George W. Bush administration called its war on terror. The military appeals court released its ruling Monday night, according to the US official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Military prosecutors and defence attorneys for Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the attacks, and two co-defendants reached the plea agreements after two years of government-approved ...
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, spent a second day Tuesday on Capitol Hill, meeting privately with Republican senators amid rising questions about his ability to effectively lead the Pentagon. Hegseth told reporters he was planning to sit down with senators, even with those potentially skeptical of his nomination. We're going to meet with every senator who wants to meet with us, across the board, Hegseth as he went from office to office Tuesday. And we welcome their advice as we go through the advice and counsel process. Trump tapped the Fox News co-host, a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, as his Secretary of Defense, typically among the first Cabinet posts to be considered by the US Senate for confirmation. But Hegseth is running into questions amid a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied, and other emerging reports about his work conduct and history. GOP Sen Lindsey Gr
Fox News personality and Army National Guard veteran Pete Heseth has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Defence Secretary, his association with military extremism raises concerns
Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible Insider Threat by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that's associated with white supremacist groups. Hegseth, who has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the January 6, 2021, attack and railed against the Pentagon's subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks, has said he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden's January 2021 inauguration. He's said he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest. This week, however, a fellow Guard member who was the unit's security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the unit's leadership flagging a different tattoo reading Deus Vult that's been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an Inside
Their conversation highlighted the US' support for Israel's security, particularly in the face of threats from Iran and Iranian proxies
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday overrode a plea agreement reached earlier this week for the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two other defendants, reinstating them as death-penalty cases. The move comes two days after the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, announced that the official appointed to oversee the war court, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier, had approved plea deals with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accused accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, in the attacks. Letters sent to families of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the al-Qaida attacks said the plea agreement stipulated the three would serve life sentences at most. Austin wrote in an order released Friday night that in light of the significance of the decision, he had decided that the authority to make a decision on accepting the plea agreements was his. He nullified Escallier's approval. Some families of the attack's victims condemned the deal for cutting
Secretary Austin expressed profound gratitude for President Biden's leadership, highlighting his pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy and strengthening global alliances
Earlier on June 11, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution vote on the US proposal for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that the U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, to include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems. Austin's remarks came as Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with him at the Pentagon. And they mark a strong response to pleas from Kyiv for help in battling Russian forces in the Donetsk region. Make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support, Austin said as he opened the meeting with Umerov. Alongside some 50 allies and partners, we'll continue to provide critical capabilities that Ukraine needs to push back Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia had dropped more than 800 powerful glide bombs in Ukraine in the last week alone. And he urged national leaders to relax restrictions on the use of Western
The partnership between India and the United States has reached a new height with collaboration on technology and other fields, the US National Security Advisor has said. "The partnership between the US and India, a country in BRICs, has gone to new heights with an engagement across technology and security and so many other dimensions," NSA Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference. Sullivan was responding to questions on the decline in American leadership in the world, in light of Iran, Egypt, UAE, and Ethiopia joining BRICS, and Saudi Arabia mulling over becoming part of it. "I think if you look at the US role and standing in its relationships across the key regions of the world, we feel very good about where we are," Sullivan said. "If you look at what's happened with NATO, we've made NATO larger than ever, if you look at what's just happening this week, a historic trilateral with the US, Japan, and the Philippines. If you look across the Indo-Pacific at how
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday conveyed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh his appreciation for the Indian Navy's important role in conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region. Singh and Austin held a telephonic talk and a readout on the conversation issued by the defence ministry mentioned the US defence secretary's compliment for the Indian Navy. It is understood that the two ministers also deliberated on India's planned acquisition of 31 MQ-9B drones from the US under the foreign military sale (FMS) route. The two ministers discussed ways and means to implement the ambitious India-US defence cooperation roadmap that seeks to significantly elevate strategic ties between the two countries. "The US Secretary of Defence appreciated the important role being played by the Indian Navy in conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region," the ministry said. On Friday, the Indian Navy executed a dramatic mid-sea operation rescuing 17 hostages and
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will face Congress publicly for the first time Thursday to explain his failure to quickly notify the president and other senior leaders about his hospitalisation last month for complications from prostate cancer surgery. He is expected to hear some sharp questions and criticism from members of the House Armed Services Committee for keeping his hospital stay secret for days, including from President Joe Biden. A number of Republicans have blasted him for the lack of transparency and used the incident to slam the Biden administration for not keeping Congress informed. The lapse has raised questions about whether there were gaps in the command and control of the nation's armed forces, including its nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon has insisted there was no break in control as Austin transferred authorities to the deputy secretary. Austin's remarks to the committee will likely mirror a mea culpa that he delivered in a press briefing early this month. He has
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday, ending his second stay since surgery to treat prostate cancer, and he has resumed his full duties, the Pentagon said. Austin (70) has had ongoing health issues since undergoing surgery in December. He was taken back to Walter Reed on Sunday for a bladder issue and admitted to intensive care for a second time. He underwent a non-surgical procedure under general anaesthesia on Monday. Austin's doctors said on Tuesday that his bladder issue was related to the surgery. "The bladder issue was not related to his cancer diagnosis and will have no effect on his excellent cancer prognosis," Dr John Maddox, trauma medical director, and Dr Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at the Murtha Cancer Center, said in a statement. On their advice, Austin will work from home before returning to the Pentagon later this week. His home has "full access to the ...
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December, was hospitalised again on Sunday following symptoms pointing to an "emergent bladder issue", the Pentagon said. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2.20 pm. While Austin initially was set to retain the "functions and duties of his office", at about 5 pm on Sunday he transferred those authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. As of Sunday evening, he remained hospitalised, said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and Congress. Ryder said Austin had travelled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job. Austin was scheduled to depart on Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022
Beyond historical uncertainties, New Delhi's emphasis on 'Make in India' introduces practical challenges in defence partnerships
President Joe Biden said Friday that it was a lapse in judgment for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin not to tell him about his hospitalization last week, but he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief. Speaking to reporters as he toured local businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said yes when asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition. He replied, I do, when asked if he still had confidence in Austin's leadership. Austin, 70, remains hospitalized as he is being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery. His failure to disclose his hospitalization has been sharply criticized by members of both political parties and has led to some calls for his resignation. Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and ...
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin remained in the hospital Sunday as more details emerged about key decision-makers, even President Joe Biden, being kept in the dark for days that the Pentagon chief had been in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Pentagon's failure to disclose Austin's hospitalisation reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members. A senior defence official said Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks was not notified until Thursday that Austin had been hospitalised since January 1. Once notified, Hicks began preparing statements to send to Congress and made plans to return to Washington, the official said. Hicks was in Puerto Rico on leave but had communications equipment with her to ...
India and the US will co-produce an infantry combat vehicle as part of defence industrial cooperation, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday. He said this while speaking to a small group of journalists after the '2+2' defence and foreign ministerial dialogue in Delhi. Besides Austin, the US delegation comprised Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Indian side was headed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "We are working together to co-produce an armoured vehicle and that is extremely important," Austin said. To a question, he said the talks covered a wide range of issues including the rising security challenges from China. At the same time, he said the US-India relationship is not just based on challenges that China represents but it is based on shared values between the two countries. Asked about the project under which India will procure 31 MQ-9B drones from the US, Austin said it will be announced at the right time. Offi
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to visit Israel on Friday, the second high-level US official to visit Tel Aviv in two days, in a deliberate show of support and an effort to determine what additional military aid is needed in the war with Hamas. Austin is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, said a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive travel details Austin's arrival comes just a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited and vowed American support for Israel in a meeting with Netanyahu. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Austin said the US is working urgently to get Israel what it needs to defend itself, including munitions and our iron Dome interceptor interceptors.