Author: Justin Fishel

Washington D.C. — The company responsible for producing 44,000 defective helmets for the U.S. Army has suspended its helmet manufacturing and waived its first right of refusal for all future military contracts, according to the office of Congressman Chris Carney from Pennsylvania.

Federal Prison Industries (FPI) was subcontracted by ArmorSource to build the helmets and it employs inmates withing the Federal Bureau of Prisons to assemble them. FPI, one of the nation’s largest military helmet manufactures, made its decision to suspend production just as Congressman Carney introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that would have forced FPI to use competitive bidding procedures. The amendment, it appears, is no longer needed.

“Our military men and women deserve only the best equipment and it has become clear that Federal Prison Industries cannot meet the standards required in manufacturing helmet,” Congressman Carney said in a statement to Fox News.

The Department of the Army announced earlier this month that the helmets failed to meet standard ballistic tests and that certain parts of the helmets could not protect against multiple rounds of ammunition.

The Army issued a recall for the 44,000 helmets on May 14, admitting that soldiers in combat could be wearing the helmets without knowing it.

“We don’t know where they are,” said Brigadier General Pete Fuller, who oversees equipment contracts for the Army. “So they could be on some soldiers’ head in either Iraq or Afghanistan. They could also be anywhere else in the world.” The Army has already received some returns from soldiers in Afghanistan.

Carney’s office says Federal Prison Industries is already behind on two separate helmet contracts it has with the U.S. military. One contract it has with Army calls for 600,000 helmets and another with the Marines calls for 100,000 lighter weight helmets. Carney says both products have failed to pass first article testing and not a single helmet has been delivered either contract, both at least 18 months overdue.

Washington D.C. — As many as 10 soldiers from the Army’s Stryker brigade in southern Afghanistan are under investigation for the murder of three Afghan civilians and illicit drug use.

The soldiers, based out of the 5th Stryker Brigade in Fort Lewis, Washington, were accused of the crimes by at least one member of their own unit who witnessed the drug use and learned of the murders from another soldier.

According to defense officials familiar with the case, the soldier who informed his superiors of the drug use was later beaten badly by the men he accused. While recovering from his injuries, another member of his unit approached him to say that the abuse went far beyond drugs, and that these men were responsible for murdering innocent Afghan civilians.

Defense officials refused to name any of the soldiers involved because the investigation is ongoing.

The injured soldier reported the alleged crimes to his senior officers and subsequently the Army Criminal Investigation Command began its investigation. A statement from the U.S. military released last week said one of the accused soldiers is being held in pretrial confinement in Afghanistan. The Army would not give the location of the other 9 soldiers.

Along with the murders, the soldiers are being investigated on allegations of “illegal drug use, assault and conspiracy,” according to statement.

The Stryker brigade has had one of the bloodiest tours in Afghanistan, suffering a high rate of casualties in some of the country’s most violent regions. The unit has been assigned most recently to help to secure the southern city of Kandahar, considered to be one of the most critical operations of President Obama’s Afghanistan troop surge.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the unit’s headquarters at forward operating base Frontenac on March 9th. He made a point to applaud them for their sacrifices in person.

“You came into an area that was totally controlled by the Taliban,” Gates said to about 200 soldiers at Frontenac. “You fought for critical battle space, you bled for it, and now you own it. And you demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in making that happen.”

The Army Criminal Investigation Command said the investigation began after it received “credible information from the Soldiers’ unit earlier this month.” Official charges are expected to come within the next week.

Washington D.C. — The military announced Monday that President Obama has nominated General Raymond T. Odierno to head Joint Forces Command (JFCOM). Odierno is a four-star general who serves now as the head of US Forces – Iraq.

If confirmed by the senate, Odierno will replace Marine Corps General James Mattis, and will be responsible for overseeing more than 1.16 million men and women. Unlike other combatant commands that focus on specific areas like the Middle East or Europe, JFCOM reaches all military services and commands.

Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, JFCOM’s real purpose is to train U.S. military services around the the world to work in tandem. It ensures equipment is sent to the right places and provides military to military coordination with other countries.

It’s unclear when Odierno will leave his post as top general in Iraq, although officials in the Pentagon are speculating it could happen around the Fall of 2010. General Llyod Austin was nominated last week to replace Odierno in Iraq.

General Odierno served as second in command under General David Petraeus during the Iraq surge in 2007 and took command of those forces in September of 2008 when Petraeus left to lead Central Command.

Odierno is a highly decorated general with multiple service and achievement medals, including the State Department highest award, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal.

Odierno met with the Secretary Gates Monday in the Pentagon.

Fox News has reported on several occasions that the next biggest test for U.S. Forces – Iraq will be to meet President Obama’s deadline of reducing to 50,000 troops by September 1, 2010. With 94,000 troops in Iraq now, the U.S. will have to remove 44,000 of them in less than 15 weeks.

Today the United States has 94,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq and President Barack Obama’s plan is to remove 44,000 of them in 15 weeks time.

Yet a delay in forming Iraq’s new government following the March 7 elections is causing concern for U.S. officials.

Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Sunni Ayad Allawi are the two leading contenders to be the next prime minister, and both are arguing they have the right to form the next government. The concern is that a Maliki government could leave Sunnis feeling slighted, while an Allawi government could lead to Shiite militias reactivating.

Meanwhile violence in Iraq has increased in recent months. The latest example was a coordinated attack by three suicide bombers on a soccer field in the Shiite-dominated town of Tal Afar that killed at least 10 people and wounded 120. Al Qaeda insurgents with Sunni ties are being blamed for the attack.

Incidents like these, along with uncertainty about the next government, leave some to question if the deadline is feasible.  “It’s going to be difficult,” one military official told Fox on the condition of anonymity.  “Large movements always come with increased risk and not since the Iraq surge have we seen the Army attempt to move such a large number of soldiers,” this official said.

Even the Iraq surge in 2007 doesn’t amount to the effort this drawdown is going to take. This Presidential deadline calls for 44,000 troops to leave in 3 and half months, while the surge moved in 30,000 troops over a 3 month period.

The Army claims it can move 25,000 troops in 4 weeks.

But according to some in the Pentagon moving that many troops so quickly comes with inherent risks. “Instead of moving 5 bus loads of troops with security, we’ll have to move 15,” this military official told Fox. That translates to bigger targets. “You also run the risk of an emboldened adversary who ramps up his efforts to attack.”

The top U.S. Commander in Iraq, General Raymond Odierno, has said he is fully committed to drawing down to 50,000 by the end of August. His chief spokesman, Major General Steven Lanza, says the U.S. is on track to meet the troop goal, and it is important to remember progress that’s been made. “Two years ago, the Iraq government and the people here were on brink of civil war, in terms of sectarian violence,” Lanza said. “We have not seen these people revert back to sectarian violence. We have not seen the people lose faith in the Iraqi security forces. We have not seen this government fracture.”

Senior military sources say adjusting the 50,000 troop deadline has not been raised with the President because there is still time to do it successfully. But these sources say if in June some of the key hurdles have not been met, then it will be up to the President to press on or adjust.

Washington D.C. — The Department of the Army said Monday that some of the 44,000 defective helmets it recalled last Thursday are being used right now in combat operations. The only way to determine who is wearing one, Army officials say, is for troops to check the helmet labels themselves.

“We don’t know where they are,” said Brigadier General Pete Fuller, who overseas equipment contracts for the Army. “So they could be on some soldiers’ head in either Iraq or Afghanistan. They could also be anywhere else in the world.” The Army has already received some returns from soldiers in Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon Fuller said the Army learned that in January of 2010 the Justice Department began an investigation into the advanced combat helmet made by ArmorSource. Testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland concluded the helmets did not meet Army ballistics standards and that certain parts of the helmet failed to protect against multiple rounds of ammunition. Brigadier General Fuller said the helmets failed a “worst case scenario” test, but nevertheless the helmets were not up to Army regulations.

Even though the helmets failed the tests by a small margin, “standards are absolute and if you don’t need them, you don’t need them,” Fuller said. “So that’s why we’re going to pull them.”

Officials said the recall applies to all the military services, not just Army. That’s because 24 thousand of the helmets were distributed across every service from a supply center in Philadelphia. According to the Army, once those helmets left Philadelphia, they were impossible to track.

The Army notified its soldiers of the recall last Thursday and it’s asking all service members to check their helmets by pulling back the cover and reading the label on the the left-hand side near the ear. Officials say if a soldier identifies the helmet as an ArmorSource advanced combat helmet he should stop wearing it immediately and exchange it. According to Brigadier General Fuller there are plenty of alternate helmets available to those serving in theater.

In a statement on its website the Ohio-based manufacturer, ArmorSource, claims it was given no warning of the recall before the Army made the news public in a press release last Friday. Part of the statement reads: “All Advanced Combat Helmets distributed to the field were accepted by the government after they passed independent, government-approved quality and lot testing. ArmorSource will cooperate fully with any governmental inquiries regarding its Advanced Combat Helmet and is seeking to obtain additional information to allow ArmorSource to address the government’s concerns.”

No injuries or deaths have been reported in association with the helmet, but Army officials want them off the battlefield as soon as possible.

Coincidentally the Army put a halt to the ArmorSource contract in November of 2008 after receiving reports that the green paint was peeling off the helmets.

Washington D.C. — The U.S. Army’s Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, responded quickly to accusations in a New York Times article published over the weekend accusing the Army of mistreating soldiers in its warrior care units at Fort Carson, Colorado. “The Times article focused upon a select number of soldiers and families that had encountered problems…it’s wholly unrepresentative of the totality in the context of what we’ve done for warrior care, especially in the last three years,” Schoomaker told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Monday afternoon.

In perhaps the most damning line of Sunday’s front page story, the New York Times described Fort Carson’s Warrior Transition Unit as a “warehouse of despair, where damaged men and women are kept out of sight, fed a diet of powerful prescription pills and treated harshly by noncommissioned officers.” Schoomaker responded to that line directly, saying “Of all of the descriptions in there, with the exception perhaps of the suffering that individual soldiers and families have had, that sentence alone is among the most offensive to us.”

Warrior Transition Units were formed in wake of the Walter Reed barracks scandal of 2007. The intent was to comfortably house active duty soldiers suffering from mental and physical wounds from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Patients are meant to feel that they are still part of an Army unit and that they can get full time support from peers, squad leaders and nurses.

Yesterday’s New York Times article quoted one soldier in the Fort Carson Warrior Transition Unit who said, “Being in the W.T.U. is worse than being in Iraq.” It said soldiers at Fort Carson complained doctors prescribed drugs too quickly and too often, turning many soldiers to harder drugs such as heroin. It also pointed out that Fort Carson has the highest suicide rate of all the programs, with 4 deaths since 2007.

Lt. Gen. Schoomaker said a survey taken within the Fort Carson Warrior Transition Unit shows satisfaction is high, “at about 90 percent.” Throughout the country he said WTU satisfaction is at 81 percent. He did, however, acknowledge some problems.

“With 9,300 soldiers in the program, we dont always get it right. To that end, we take every criticism and concern seriously and continuously strive to to improve our program.” And suicides, Schoomaker said, are more frequent in WTUs because it’s a “higher risk population.” As for criticism that the non-commissioned officers are abusive, Schoomaker said that concerns him. “Just as medical professionals, caregivers, can — can encounter problems of burnout and compassion fatigue, these soldiers are — certainly can fall victim to that.”

Schoomaker said the Army is constantly evaluating its own performance and that there is an ongoing inspection by the Army’s Inspector General into warrior care. But no new investigations into abuse from non-commissioned officers, prescription drug abuse, or illegal drug abuse will be conducted as a result of the New York Times story.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates expanded on his declaration to a talk show last Sunday talk that Iran is not currently capable of building a nuclear bomb, telling reporters Tuesday it may take Iran a year or more to produce a weapon.

When asked about reports that Iran could be within months of having a bomb Gates said, “I don’t believe it.”

“I think that most estimates that I’ve seen haven’t changed since the last time we talked about it, which is probably at least a year, and maybe more,” Gates said on board a flight to South America. He plans to visit leaders from Peru and Colombia this week.

Also on Tuesday General David Petraeus, head of Central Command, told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C. that Iran’s nuclear program is of “enormous concern.”

“People ask me constantly you know what keeps you awake at night… it often can be Iran,” Petraeus said. He said the diplomatic track did not work and that a diplomatic hand was extended, but they chose not to take it. “They rebuffed the world and that has now led the world’s leaders to the pressure track.”

The top Mideast General jokingly referred to Iran’s leader, President Ahmadinejad, as “a top recruiting officer for US Central Command.”

“Each time he steps up to the podium when he denies the existence of the holocaust… when he announces new centrifuge design, whatever it is, it sends ripples through the rest of the region through the Arab world.” These ripples have prompted Arab allies to interact with Central Command in ways previously not seen, Petraeus said. Just last month, for example, Secretary Gates visited Saudi Arabia and Oman to discuss more comprehensive missile defense systems within their borders, directed at the missile threat from Iran.

His biggest concern, Petraeus said, is the idea that a nuclear weapon or nuclear material could get in the hands of terrorists.

*Reuters contributed to this report.

Army Secretary John McHugh apologized Thursday for mistakenly telling journalists the Department of Defense would place a moratorium on discharges of homosexual servicemembers while the Pentagon conducts a year long study on the impact of changing the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other military leadership have made clear they’ll uphold the current law while the study is being conducted. Recently Gates announced new standards for discharging gay servicemembers, including raising the ranks of officers who can conduct an investigation and requiring all testimony from peers and outside parties to be given under oath. But Gates never said gay service members would not be dismissed in the interim.

McHugh’s comments to a defense writers group on Wednesday were published on major wire services and newspapers, including the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post”. His apology today:

“Yesterday, in response to a series of questions from reporters regarding “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, I made several statements that require further comment. “First, while President Obama has asked Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, it is and remains the law of the land… Second, I was incorrect when I stated that Secretary Gates had placed a moratorium on discharges of homosexual service-members. There is no moratorium of the law and neither Secretary Gates nor I would support one.”

Meanwhile the Defense Department is also updating a major snag in their study. It quickly came to realize that talking to gay soldiers about their experiences and opinions breaks the first rule of the current policy: DON’T ASK. In that same apology statement McHugh says this:

“Third, with regard to the three soldiers who shared their views and thoughts with me on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, I might better have counseled them that statements about their sexual orientation could not be treated as confidential and could result in their separation under the law.”

McHugh’s Mea culpa goes on to announce changes.

“The working group is likely to utilize a third party from outside of the department to solicit these views so soldiers can speak candidly and without fear of separation. I urge every soldier to share his or her views and suggestions on this important issue through this channel. This is the appropriate way to do so.”

John McHugh is a former republican congressman from New York and was sworn in as the 21st Army Secretary on September 16, 2009.

Five suspected Somali pirates were taken into custody Thursday after firing at a U.S. Navy battleship deep in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles off the East African coast.

In what appeared to be an ill-conceived attack for ransom, pirates shot small arms rounds at the guided missile frigate USS Nicholas.   The Nicholas returned fire, sinking the small pirate skiff and taking its two passengers into custody at around 3 a.m.  The Nicholas crew, home-ported in Norfolk, Va., also captured two suspected pirates onboard the pirates’ nearby mothership.

A third pirate skiff fled the scene. Navy spokesman Lt. Patrick Foughty would not say if the Navy is pursuing that vessel.

Pirates usually operate from small motor boats they launch from “motherships” — typically much larger boats they’ve either stolen or highjacked. Motherships carry supplies and fuel, giving pirates the ability to operate much farther from the well patrolled coastline.

U.S. and international forces have significantly increased their anti-piracy efforts in the region. Today’s incident represents the start of what’s become known as “pirate season,” when monsoons near the Gulf of Aden and West African coast subside, calming the seas and making way for the pirates to operate.

All five suspected pirates are being held on board the USS Nicholas while the military determines where to take them next. In the past Somali pirates have been brought to Kenya for trial. In 2009 the United States and the government of Kenya signed an agreement allowing for pirates to be tried in Kenyan courts. The agreement solved a long-standing dilemma about what do with pirates, knowing that Somalia does not have a justice system capable of handling them.

Somalia’s failed state has proved to be a breeding ground for pirates. In many cases pirates are successful in getting millions of dollars in ransom for their hostages, earning them a rich, almost celebrity-status on the mainland.

Today’s incident comes almost one year after the infamous Maersk-Alabama highjacking, when pirates held captain Richard Phillips for ransom at sea before being shot and killed by Navy Seals.

A recently published report by the Central Intelligence Agency says Iran is still working on building a nuclear weapon despite some technical setbacks and international resistance — and the Pentagon say it’s still concerned about Iran’s ambitions. The mandated report to congress reads, “Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so.”

“Iran continued to expand its nuclear infrastructure and continued uranium enrichment and activities related to its heavy water research reactor, despite multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions since late 2006 calling for the suspensin of those activities,” the report says.

The CIA’s new characterization of Iran’s nuclear program stands in contradiction to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which determined the country halted its nuclear production efforts in 2003.

The CIA report is unable to determine if Tehran has come to a decision about whether or not to build a bomb.

Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell says the U.S. remains concerned about Iran’s ambitions. “They have not done enough to convince any of us that, indeed, their aims are purely peaceful,” Morrell told Pentagon reporters Tuesday. “That is why this government, after extending an outstretched hand to Iran now for the better part of a year, has now pivoted. And though we haven’t shut the door to engagement, we are clearly pursuing the pressure track.”

A February report by the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, decries a series of failures by Iranian officials to comply with requests that would guarantee its nuclear projects are not for the purpose of building a weapon. “Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities or its work on heavy water related,” the report reads. “Contrary to the request of the Board of Governors and the requirements of the Security Council, Iran has neither implemented the Additional Protocol nor cooperated with the Agency in connection with the remaining issues of concern, which need to be clarified to exclude the possibility of military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme.”

Perhaps just as disturbing as Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions are their chemical and biological warfare capabilities. “We judge that Iran is capable of weaponizing chemical warfare agents in a variety of delivery systems,” the CIA report says. In addition, “Iran probably has the capability to produce some biological warfare agents for offensive purposes, if it made the decision to do so.”

Iran is still far from having the ability to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), but it does have a stockpile of shorter and medium range misses that if outfitted with a warhead could pose a grave threat to countries in the region, including Israel. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said repeatedly he would like to see Israel wiped from the map.

But according to the CIA report Iran has stated its intentions to put a satellite into orbit and it has dedicated $250 million towards that goal. Rocket technology needed to put a satellite into orbit is very similar to the technology needed for an ICBM. The CIA concludes that Iran has attempted to put a number of satellites into space, but it can’t confirm if any of those efforts were successful, despite February 2009 press reports claiming Iran managed to launch the Omid satellite.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon reporters Thursday it’s “inappropriate” for active duty officers to comment on potential changes to the law that bans gays from openly serving in the military. Those comments were a direct response to a March 8th letter written to the “Stars and Stripes ” by Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the US Army Pacific, which clearly stated his opinion that most servicemembers are opposed to repealing the policy.

In the letter Mixon wrote: “It is often stated that most servicemembers are in favor of repealing the policy. I do not believe that is accurate.”  He went on to say, “Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy.”

Mixon served previously in Iraq as commander of Multi-National Forces in the north.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who sat next to Secretary Gates at a Pentagon press briefing, said the issue is being addressed within the chain of command. “I’ve spoken with General Casey [Army Chief of Staff] specifically about this”, Mullen said. “Everyone from junior to senior will have an opportunity to comment and somebody in leadership position like that, understanding what the President’s strategic intent is clearly… I consider that letter was not appropriate.”

This comes as Secretary Gates announced changes he’s approved to the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy that he believes will enforce of the law in a more “fair” and “appropriate” manner.

The changes, effective immediately, will raise the required rank of the officer who is able to initiate and conduct inquiries into a servicemembers’ alleged homosexuality.  They would also require anyone who provides information that could lead to an inquiry to testify under oath.  The changes will also put added scrutiny on third party who may be motivated to harm a servicemember by bringing attention to his sexuality.

Gates said about the letter from Mixon that he would disapprove even if it was written about an entirely different issue.

An Army official who spoke to Fox News on background said “it’s not so much Mixon’s opinion that was objectionable, rather it was the way he chose to share it.” Had Mixon written a letter and sent it up his chain of command through official channels, Gates and Mullen would probably not have been upset, this official said. Instead, Mixon chose to publish his thoughts on the “Stars and Stripes” website without warning.

General Casey is expected to release a statement Thursday afternoon expressing his agreement with Gates and Mullen that the letter was inappropriate.

Mullen’s message to those in uniform who have a problem with the current policy direction was simple: “vote with your feet” — another way of saying you are free to resign.

Just when you thought the Air Force refueling tanker controversy was over — now this:

European based aviation giant EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), which previously submitted bids to build the tanker in partnership with the American based Northrop Grumman, announced today it’s considering going in alone.

Just last week Northrop Grumman announced the partnership would not bid on the tanker, claiming the Defense Department’s revised Request for Proposal (RFP) was biased, leaving Boeing as the sole bidder.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Friday that the Defense Department is considering EADS’ request for a 90 day extension on the timeline to submit their own proposal. That would bring the new deadline to submit a contract proposal to roughly August 10th.

Northrop Grumman, in cooperation with EADS, won a bid to build the desperately needed new fleet of refueling tankers last year, but the GAO later ruled the RFP was flawed, thus revoking the contract. The contract is worth 35 billion dollars.

EADS Press Release

The Pentagon’s project to build the next generation of military fighter jets cleared a major hurdle Thursday when a test version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter successfully completed a vertical landing for the first time.

Using 41,000 pounds of thrust, the Marine Corps variant of the jet, the Joint Strike Fighter F-35B STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing), landed smoothly at Naval Station Patuxent River in Maryland this afternoon. Unlike traditional landings that occur at nearly 200 miles per hour and require long landing strips, this jet was able to ease its way to the surface at a precise location. The jets can take off the same way, giving Marine pilots the advantage of being able operate from at wider variety of locations.

“Having the F-35B perform its first vertical landing underscores the reality of the Marine Corps achieving its goal of an all STOVL force,” said Lieutenant General George J. Trautman III, Deputy Commandant for Aviation. “Being able to operate and land virtually anywhere, the STOVL JSF is a unique fixed wing aircraft that can deploy, co-locate, train and fight with Marine ground forces while operating from a wider range of bases ashore and afloat than any other… platform.”

Video of the test landing can be seen here.

It’s a welcomed accomplishment for the jet’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, at a time when the program has been scrutinized for significant cost overruns and production delays. In February, Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired a senior manager of project and penalized Lockheed Martin by withholding bonuses.

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced in early March that production for the jet will likely be delayed by two years, moving the Initial Operating Capability (IOC) across the services to 2015. The Marines, however, are expecting to have their jets in operation by the end of 2012.

The F-35 fighter is called the “Joint” Strike Fighter because it’s designed for use across the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Air Force. The Pentagon also has plans to sell it to allies overseas once production needs within the U.S. military have been met.

From the day an F-35 rolls off the assembly, to the day it’s retired, its total production cost is valued at $69 million.

WASHINGTON D.C. — General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday that U.S. and allied forces are prepared to catch Osama Bin Laden alive and bring him to justice, one day after Attorney General Eric Holder told a congressional panel the Al Qaeda leader would never be captured alive.

In a heated exchange with House Republicans on Tuesday, Holder said Bin Laden would be killed before anyone ever detained him. “The possibility of capturing him alive is infinitesimal”, Holder said. “He would be killed by us or he would be killed by his own people so that he is not captured by us… The reality is that we will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden.”

Holder was responding to criticism from republicans that bringing terrorists to trial in the United States would afford them the same rights as criminals such as Charles Manson. Holder conceded that Bin Laden would have those same rights, but argued it was hypothetical that would never come to pass because Bin Laden won’t make it out of the country alive.

Today Gen. McChrystal, who did not appear to be aware of those statements by Holder, seemed surprised that anyone would rule out the option of capturing Bin Laden alive. “We certainly would go after trying to capture him alive and bring him to justice. I think that is something that is understood by everyone.”

The battle of Wanat in July of 2008 has proven to be the most deadly and most controversial battle of the Afghan war. Nine American soldiers died and 27 were wounded defending a remote combat outpost in eastern Afghanistan before it was nearly overrun by 200 Taliban fighters. Outnumbered three to one, U.S. troops fought off advancing insurgents for over two hours.

One of the survivors, Captain Matthew Myer, was later decorated with the military’s third highest award for bravery in combat, the Silver Star.

Now, following an investigation of the actions that led to that deadly incident, Myer and two other Army officers have received potentially career-ending letters of reprimand for failing to adequately prepare their unit for an attack. Lt. Col. William Ostlund and Col. Chip Preysler were also senior commanders at the time of the surprise attack. The letters were sent out earlier this week by General Charles Campbell of Army Forces Command.

According to a defense official familiar with the situation all three men will have the opportunity to appeal, but if that effort fails the letters are sure to kill any chance of any future promotions.

Wanat was a small, remote combat outpost set deep in a valley between mountains — vulnerable to insurgent attacks from above. The military had planned to abandon the outpost, but they didn’t get out in time. Just two days before they left Taliban fighters launched an overwhelming ambush, which was repelled only after heavy air support was called in.

One official told Fox that although Myer fought heroically, ” it was his actions prior to the battle that got him into trouble.” Military investigators have not released those details, but “clearly some of their responsibilities and defensive preparations were not carried out”, this official said.

These reprimands follow a series of punishments for similar battles. In February of this year two commanders were disciplined for their actions leading up to an October 3rd, 2009 attack on Combat Outpost Keating that left eight Americans dead and 22 wounded. Officers were also reprimanded following an investigation into the September 8, 2009 attack on Coalition forces in Ganjgal village of Kunar province. In that case investigators found flaws in “pre-mission planning” that led to the delay of back-up forces.

Asked if it sends a mix message to award and reprimand one man for his actions involving the same battle, one Army official “I don’t see it that way at all. He performed heroically and deserves that recognition.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with top military and government officials in the United Arab Emirates Thursday in a effort to bolster support among partners in the region for harsher sanctions against Iran.

In Saudi Arabia yesterday Gates acknowledged diplomacy with Tehran hadn’t worked, and asked the country’s royal leadership to help win support for sanctions among the Chinese. On Thursday night Gates told reporters Saudi and Emirates leaders appear willing to use their economic influence with China and Russia to push the Chinese harder. “I think Russia is pretty much already there… it’s mainly China” that needs convincing, Gates said.

Gates described the threat from Iran as a serious concern among Saudi and Emirates leaders and has made clear the U.S. will help defend them both. The U.A.E. has already received one of two Patriot Missile Batteries from the U.S. designed to defend against an attack from Iran. In addition the U.S. Navy has increased the number of Aegis ships in the Gulf region, capable of shooting down missiles in flight. “The obvious the reason for the need for these defensive capabilities has been the significant expansion of missile capabilities on the part of the Iranians”, Gates told reporters after his meeting with Emirates leaders.

According to Gates the Saudis remain skeptical that sanctions will work but they understand the need to try. “I think there is an understanding that we have to go, we have try this, this is the next step.”

On the second day of his surprise visit to Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with troops fighting out of two remote bases in Kandahar province, an area he has marked for the next major offensive in southern Afghanistan. Located just east of the the ongoing 15,000 man fight in Marjah, Kandahar is home to Afghanistan’s second largest city and will be seen as another major test for President Obama’s new war strategy.

After meeting with troops on Tuesday, Secretary Gates spoke to Fox News’ Mike Emanuel about the success in Marjah so far. “I think that the strategy is the game-changer,” Gates told Fox. The focus changed from “how many Taliban can we kill to how many Afghans can we protect.”

A military official traveling with the secretary said today’s trip was “about as close to Marjah as Secretary Gates can safely get.” Gates told Fox there’s a lot to gain from meeting with troops on the front lines. “I hear what the real world is about… I get tipped to the problems.”

Gates said that with 24,000 of the 30,000 surge troops still to come, the outlook is promising. “I would say given where we are both in the calendar and in terms of how many troops are here as part of the surge that it’s a very good start.”

Eager to demonstrate progress already made in the south, Gates took a 20-minute tour of the Now Zad market district Tuesday without wearing body armor. Gates shook hands and spoke briefly with shop owners, telling them to expect “more Marines and more Afghan troops.” Now Zad was cleared by Marines last December as part of the initial troop surge to the country. “A few months ago this place was a ghost town, a no-go zone,” Gates told roughly 100 Marines at Combat Outpost Caffereta. “Now, as I saw for myself, stores are opening, people are returning.”

Military officials say Now Zad will serve as a model for this summer’s fight and eventual reconstruction in Kandahar, considered to be the birthplace of the Taliban. And Marines at Caffereta will be “the tip of the spear” in that battle, Gates said. But he cautioned this region will pose new challenges. “Kandahar is a much more sophisticated, bigger city, big suburbs, so it’s a much more complex kind of operation”, Gates told reporters Tuesday. “Criminal activity and criminal militias are as big a challenge as the Taliban themselves.”

On Monday Gates met with President Karzai and top NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal to discuss the plan for Kandahar. General McChrystal told reporters this offensive will be slower, and wont come with the same rush of forces it did with Marjah. “There won’t be a D-Day that is climactic… it will be a rising tide of security as it comes.”

The slow approach demonstrates McChrystal’s commitment to the winning “hearts and minds” rather than inflicting military devastation. If a decision was made to ignore that strategy, Marjah could have been won in 24 hours McChrystal told reporters Monday. “We would have liberated Marjah, but in the minds of the people that would have been illegitimate because the liberation would have involved destruction of their homes, their livelihoods, and loss of friends and families. That to them is not acceptable.”

Caution also comes with at price — often the lives of American troops. Without the luxury of aerial assault, Marines, soldiers and NATO forces are extremely vulnerable to the deadly roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices that litter the region. For every two bombs coalition forces disable, one goes off.

During his visit with troops Tuesday, Gates awarded two silver stars (the military’s second highest award) and a purple heart. In his interview with Mike Emanuel, Gates said when he eventually retires, “interacting with troops is the only thing I’m going to miss about this job.”

A gunman opened fire outside the Metro Entrance of the Pentagon at 6:40 pm Thursday, grazing two Pentagon police officers who returned fire, critically wounding the shooter.

The suspect’s name is John Patrick Bedell, sources tell Fox News Justice Producer Mike Levine.  Fox has also learned that authorities are questioning a second person, who at this point is not considered a suspect.

Pentagon Chief of Police, Richard Keevill, described the suspect as a U.S. citizen who calmly approached officers at the badge checkpoint, reached into his pocket — pulled out a handgun and started shooting. A witness on the scene who spoke to Fox said as many as 20 shots were fired in the exchange.

Both the injured officers and the suspect were taken to nearby George Washington Hospital. The officers are said to be in good condition with non life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from the Pentagon. One Pentagon official told Fox the suspect was shot in the head.

The Pentagon’s Metro entrance, located about 150 yards from the entrance to the underground Metrorail, is the most used and most heavily guarded entrance to the building. According to Chief Keevill, the suspect did not make it past the first layer of security. He said officers were caught off guard because when he reached into his pocket they assumed he was going for his badge — which is required at all entry points to the Pentagon. Instead, he pulled out a gun and started shooting.

The State Department will voice its concerns to President Karzai about a proposed ban on live media during Taliban attacks, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Tuesday.

“It’s pretty obvious we support free press”, Holbrooke told reporters at a State Department briefing. “We don’t support restrictions on press. My whole career has been devoted to supporting that and PJ [Crowley, State Department spokesman] and I and the Secretary of State are concerned and we’ll make our support of free access by the press clear to the government.”

On Monday Afghanistan’s intelligence service announced to media representatives they planned to impose a ban on live coverage of insurgent attacks. Afghan government officials argued militants benefit from the real time information they receive during live broadcasts of their operations. Afghan officials did not give specifics about how the rule would be enforced, but said media outlets who refuse comply will be punished.

Reporters immediately objected, arguing this policy is not consistent with a democracy. One day later Afghan government officials appear to have relented. President Karzai’s spokesperson, Waheed Omer, said Tuesday the new restrictions will have to be clarified and promised they wont amount to “censorship”.

Any ban on media in Afghanistan would have immediate impacts on western coverage of the war. Many news organizations rely on local photographers to provide content, and restrictions on locals would translate to restrictions on everyone.

Washington D.C. — Now 12 days into the offensive in Marjah, a senior military official at the Pentagon gave Fox a detailed update on the operation. This official, who did not want to be identified, is intimately familiar with the day to day progress of the fight.

He told us NATO and US forces are still in the process of clearing out the hundreds of Taliban fighters from Marjah, and that so far the fight has been has been slow, but successful. “This is war and it’s uncertain. The focus is on securing the population; that is how we are measuring progress and we are seeing positive signs there.”

Making inroads with the population not only satisfies the new strategy to this war, but it help keep U.S. and NATO troops safe. Locals, after all, know where the bombs are hidden. “When they help us detect and turn in and find these IED’s [Improvised Explosive Devices] that in fact protects our guys but is also an indicator to us of a connection with the population.”

As expected, IEDs are the most real danger in Marjah. For every two IEDs detected and dismantled, one goes off, this official said. In many cases those makeshift bombs kill and wound Afghans. Just today there were reports from the region of a young boy who lost his hand because he was playing with a roadside bomb, thinking it was a toy. This official said the threat has proven to be extremely adaptive. He called the enemy “clever” and said the bombs have increased size and power since the military has brought in more mine resistant vehicles, known as MRAPS. “Southern Afghanistan is the worst place in the country for IED’s, we’ve seen a 75 percent increase in the last year”, this official said.

This official described the Taliban fighters as an “indigenous group”, not willing to let go of the relative wealth they’ve earned through Marjah’s lush poppy fields and booming drug trade.

He defended the idea of making this an Afghan-led operation. Although the Afghans aren’t the ones firing large rounds of artillery or calling in air strikes, their knowledge of the culture and the enemy is invaluable. Without their cooperation in planning this attack, this official said, the offensive would not be working.