China-Japan tensions

U.S. officials are monitoring rising tensions between China and Japan over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain who is accused of ramming his boat into two Japanese patrol boats near the Senkaku islands north of Taiwan and south of Okinawa.

Also, China blocks U.S. visit; McChrystal probe. (September 16, 2010)

Shariah a danger to U.S., security pros say
September 15, 2010
A panel of national security experts who worked under Republican and Democratic presidents is urging the Obama administration to abandon its stance that Islam is not linked to terrorism, arguing that radical Muslims are using Islamic law to subvert the United States.

China targets U.S. troops with arms buildup
August 17, 2010
China is aggressively building up military forces capable of striking U.S. forces in the western Pacific and elsewhere as part of what the Pentagon calls an array of high-tech "anti-access" missiles, submarines and warplanes in its latest annual report.

China report to be released by Pentagon
August 16, 2010
The Pentagon this week will release its long-delayed annual report to Congress on China's military with a new title that officials say reflects the Obama administration's conciliatory, "soft power" approach to world affairs.

New details point to sinking by N. Korean torpedo
July 30, 2010
An international investigative team released new details this week to bolster earlier conclusions that the South Korean warship Cheonan was sunk by a high-tech North Korean torpedo that exploded beneath the ship.

Russia violated '91 START till end, U.S. report finds
July 28, 2010
Russia continued to violate provisions of the 1991 START nuclear-arms treaty up until the agreement expired in December, raising new concerns that Moscow will violate the pending "New START" treaty now being debated for ratification in the Senate.

Senators rap Pentagon's delay on China report
July 26, 2010
Republican and Democratic senators alike are calling on the Pentagon to explain why it has failed to provide Congress with an annual report on China's military power that was needed for debate on the defense bills.

U.S.: Russian cheating on START is insignificant
July 21, 2010
A classified State Department report to Congress says that potential Russian cheating on the new START nuclear-arms pact would not be significant because of the size of U.S. nuclear forces.

Spy swap puts halt to fact finding
July 14, 2010
The Obama administration's rapid release of 10 Russian intelligence officers removed the prospect of a public trial revealing embarrassing facts about Russian influence operations, like the targeting of a key Democratic Party financier close to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Northcom's new leader boosts focus on Mexico
July 6, 2010
COLORADO SPRINGS | The new commander of the U.S. military's homeland security forces is stepping up cooperation with Mexico in an effort to stem drug trafficking and related violence.

Military in Iran seen as taking control
June 21, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Sunday that Iran's government is becoming a military dictatorship, with religious leaders being sidelined and, as a result, new sanctions could pressure Tehran into curbing its illegal nuclear program.

Russians pressing Kyrgyzstan to oust U.S. base
June 13, 2010
The strategic U.S. air base at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, is once again facing closure as Russia works behind the scenes to influence Kyrgyzstan's interim government, which faced new violence in ethnic clashes over the weekend.

Mullen irked by China's response to North Korea
June 10, 2010
President Obama's most senior military adviser said Wednesday that he was dismayed by China's failure to support U.S. and allied calls for punishing North Korea over its sinking of a South Korean warship.

2008 intrusion of networks spurred combined units
June 4, 2010
A foreign computer intrusion two years ago reached classified Pentagon computer networks, prompting a reorganization of offensive and defensive cyberwarfare efforts, the commander of the new U.S. Cyber Command said Thursday.

Report: Iran mum, but making nuke material
May 31, 2010
Iran is continuing to hide details about its current and past nuclear-weapons activities, including efforts to develop a nuclear missile warhead, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

North Korea elite linked to crime
May 25, 2010
A group of offspring of senior North Korean communist and military leaders, including Kim Jong-il's sons, have been linked by Western intelligence authorities to Pyongyang's illicit activities around the world, including distribution of counterfeit $100 bills and drug trafficking.

Taiwan issue spurs China to build up missile forces
May 25, 2010
China's rapid development of ballistic and cruise missile forces is altering the balance of power in Asia and threatens U.S. forces in a conflict over Taiwan and beyond, according to a forthcoming report.

U.N. sanctions loophole: Russia can send missiles to Iran
May 21, 2010
A draft U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran, including limits on global arms transfers, will not block the controversial transfer of Russian S-300 missiles to the Iranian military, according to U.S. and Russian officials.

House panel OKs probe of Gitmo lawyers
May 21, 2010
The House Armed Services Committee approved legislation Wednesday that would require the Pentagon's inspector general to conduct an investigation into whether defense attorneys for detainees at the detention facility at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay,

Troops likely to see spike in fighting

May 14, 2010
U.S. and allied forces will see increased fighting in Afghanistan as their offensive in the southern part of the country unfolds in coming weeks, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Thursday.Iran's meddling in Afghanistan 'not significant'
May 11, 2010
The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Monday that Iran is continuing to back Taliban forces, but its supply of training and weapons is insignificant.

Security coalition set to oppose cuts
May 11, 2010
A coalition of conservative national security groups is launching an initiative that calls for strengthening U.S. defenses and opposing what they say is an effort by the Obama administration to weaken security.

Ex-CIA lawyer: Gitmo IDs graver than Plame leak
May 6, 2010
Covertly taken photos of CIA interrogators that were shown by defense attorneys to al Qaeda inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison represent a more serious security breach than the 2003 outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame, the agency's former general counsel said Wednesday.

Organized-crime triads targeted
April 30, 2010
HONG KONG -- China's notorious organized crime groups known as triads, which once thrived in collaboration with communist clandestine services, still operate large-scale criminal enterprises but are facing pressure from local authorities.

Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela
April 21, 2010
Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military.

Critics: Obama admin hyping terrorist nuclear risk
April 14, 2010
The Obama administration is warning that the danger of a terrorist attack with nuclear weapons is increasing, but U.S. officials say the claim is not based on new intelligence and questioned whether the threat is being overstated.

Pentagon to brief 2 lawmakers on CIA risk
April 12, 2010
The Pentagon will conduct a briefing this week for two senior House Armed Services Committee members on the investigation into whether defense attorneys for al Qaeda members endangered the lives of CIA interrogators.

Obama strategy frustrates nuke foes
April 7, 2010
The Obama administration's nuclear strategy review made public on Tuesday keeps in place all strategic weapons needed to fight a nuclear war and presents only minor policy changes, a move that upset arms-control advocates who had sought major cuts in U.S. forces.

CIA says ACLU-backed plan endangered Gitmo officers
March 31, 2010
A team of CIA counterintelligence officials recently visited the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and concluded that CIA interrogators face the risk of exposure to al Qaeda through inmates' contacts with defense attorneys, according to U.S. officials.

CIA: Iran capable of producing nukes
March 30, 2010
Iran is poised to begin producing nuclear weapons after its uranium program expansion in 2009, even though it has had problems with thousands of its centrifuges, according to a newly released CIA report.

Admiral: China's buildup aimed at power past Asia
March 26, 2010
The commander of U.S. military forces in the Pacific said Thursday that the buildup of Chinese armed forces is continuing "unabated" and Beijing's goal appears to be power projection beyond Asia.

Cyber-attack on U.S. firms, Google traced to Chinese
March 24, 2010
The cyber-attack on Google and other U.S. companies was part of a suspected Chinese government operation launched last year that used human intelligence techniques and high-technology to steal corporate secrets, according to U.S. government and private-sector cybersecurity specialists.

Threat in Asia is anti-ship missiles
March 23, 2010
The Obama administration's regional missile-defense strategy is designed to counter emerging threats like China's new anti-ship ballistic missile and other so-called anti-access weapons, a senior defense official said Monday.

Navy warns of al Qaeda risk near Yemen
March 22, 2010
The Navy is warning ships sailing in waters near Yemen that al Qaeda is planning seaborne attacks similar to the 2000 suicide boat bombing of the USS Cole.

Gitmo suspects allowed laptops while in custody
March 19, 2010
The Pentagon allowed five captured al Qaeda members currently held at the Guantanamo Bay prison to use laptop computers in detention, raising concerns among security officials that the terrorism suspects could pass sensitive data to terrorists in the future, according to U.S. officials.

Tehran aiding al Qaeda links, Petraeus says
March 17, 2010
Iran is assisting al Qaeda by facilitating links between senior terrorist leaders and affiliate groups, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East told Congress on Tuesday.

Justice, CIA clash over probe of interrogator IDs
March 15, 2010
The CIA and Justice Department are fighting over a secret investigation into a controversial program by legal supporters of Islamist terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay that involved photographing CIA interrogators and showing the pictures to prisoners, an effort CIA officials say threatens the officers' lives.

Violence fails to deter Iraqi voters
March 8, 2010
President Obama on Sunday praised Iraqis for successfully holding their third democratic election since U.S. forces invaded the country in 2003, as millions cast votes amid election day violence that killed at least 36 people.

China rhetoric raises threat concerns
March 5, 2010
Recent statements by Chinese military officials are raising concerns among U.S. analysts that the communist government in Beijing is shifting its oft-stated "peaceful rise" policy toward an aggressive, anti-U.S. posture.

Ex-staffer held in theft of CIA electronics
March 2, 2010
A CIA technical-support official has been arrested on charges of selling more than $60,000 worth of pilfered agency electronic gear.

Chinese spy buy caught on surveillance video
March 1, 2010
FBI surveillance video made public Sunday reveals details of a Chinese espionage operation to obtain secrets from the Pentagon through a group of Americans who spied for China.

State Department lifts ban on exports of night-vision goggles
February 24, 2010
The State Department has lifted a ban on exports of night-vision equipment that was imposed in 2007 on a U.S. company caught selling sensitive defense articles to China and other countries without a license.

Veteran Times columnist Beichman, 96, dies
February 22, 2010
Arnold Beichman, columnist for The Washington Times and well-known anti-communist scholar, died on Feb. 17. He was 96.

Biden seeks test ban and end to all U.S. nukes
February 19, 2010
The Obama administration will move ahead with Senate ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests that was voted down by Republicans more than a decade ago, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. said Thursday.

Chinese see U.S. debt as weapon in Taiwan dispute
February 10, 2010
China's military stepped up pressure on the United States on Monday by calling for a government sell-off of U.S. debt securities in retaliation for recent arms sales to Taiwan.

Army warned about jihadist threat in '08
February 9, 2010
Almost two years before the deadly Fort Hood shooting by a radicalized Muslim officer, the U.S. Army was explicitly warned that jihadism — Islamic holy war — was a serious problem and threat to personnel in the U.S., according to participants at a major Army-sponsored conference.

Nuclear missile threats to U.S. mount
February 4, 2010
North Korea is expected to deploy a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching parts of the United States in the next decade, despite two long-range missile flight-test failures, according to the Pentagon's ballistic-missile defense review.

Pentagon turns focus to fighting insurgents
February 2, 2010
The Pentagon is reorienting U.S. military forces toward battling insurgents and terrorists, and on Monday released its new four-year strategy and a $708 billion defense budget request to support it.

Arm sales to Taiwan provoke Beijing's ire
February 1, 2010
China's reaction to the latest U.S. arms sale to Taiwan includes the first public warning that Beijing will impose sanctions on U.S. companies that sell weapons to the island.

Overhaul of export controls on table
January 27, 2010
Senior Obama administration national security and trade officials will meet Wednesday with key congressional leaders to seek support for a major overhaul of U.S. export controls, aimed at loosening the restrictions with an eye to economic gains.

Beijing accuses U.S. of cyberwarfare
January 26, 2010
China's government and state-run media stepped up criticism of the United States on Monday over the issue of computer network cyber-attacks.

White House OKs Taiwan arms package
January 26, 2010
The Obama administration has agreed to sell a new package of arms to Taiwan in a move that is expected to be met with an angry response from China, according to U.S. officials.

China removed as top priority for spies
January 20, 2010
The White House National Security Council recently directed U.S. spy agencies to lower the priority placed on intelligence collection for China, amid opposition to the policy change from senior intelligence leaders who feared it would hamper efforts to obtain secrets about Beijing's military and its cyber-attacks.

China's 'aggressive' buildup called worry
January 14, 2010
China's military buildup is worrying to both the U.S. military and American allies in Asia, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific told Congress Wednesday.

Rights, liberties down for 4th straight year
January 13, 2010
Political rights and civil liberties around the world declined for a fourth straight year last year, according to an annual survey of global freedom

Beijing reports successful 'defensive' missile test
January 12, 2010
China conducted a successful test Monday of a missile-defense interceptor, revealing for the first time its development of an anti-missile system, something Beijing has criticized the United States for doing.

Afghanistan bombing shows perils of CIA counterspying
January 7, 2010
The recent bombing of a CIA base in Afghanistan revealed a sophisticated al Qaeda operation to plant a double agent inside Jordanian intelligence and highlighted the perennial problem of lax CIA counterspying, according to current and former U.S. intelligence officials.

Nuclear weapons review put off
January 7, 2010
The Pentagon has notified Congress that it is delaying a required report on the future of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal because of the "complexity" of issues being addressed.

Chinese companies evade U.S. sanctions
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Chinese state-owned companies sanctioned by the U.S. government for illicit arms sales to Iran evaded those restrictions by selling goods to U.S.-based companies, according to a report by a Washington research group.

Veteran China hand Lilley dies
November 15, 2009
James R. Lilley, whose six-decade government career included serving as U.S. ambassador to China during the tumult of the 1989 Beijing democracy protests and military crackdown, died Nov. 12. He was 81.

U.S. ignored warnings before deadly Afghan attack
October 16, 2009
Three intelligence reports warned that Taliban insurgents were planning an attack just days before this month's raid on two remote military outposts in eastern Afghanistan that killed eight U.S. soldiers, but the reports were dismissed as insignificant, U.S. officials told The Washington Times.

National security adviser says Iran building medium-range missiles
September 19, 2009
White House National Security Adviser James L. Jones says President Obama's decision to abandon a long-range missile defense site in Eastern Europe was driven by U.S. intelligence concerns that Iran is further along than previously thought in developing medium-range missiles that could strike Western Europe and the Middle East with nuclear warheads.

Pro-Israel lobby probe linked to anti-Semitism
July 30, 2009
A long-running FBI espionage probe of the pro-Israel lobby in Washington appears to have been motivated in part by anti-Semitism, says a former Pentagon official who revealed this week he had cooperated for 10 weeks with federal agents conducting the probe.

Defense analyst in spy case was FBI double agent
July 29, 2009
Larry Franklin, the former Pentagon analyst convicted of revealing classified information, says he worked undercover as an FBI double agent to gather information on the pro-Israel lobby in the United States before the bureau turned on him and pressured him to plead guilty to spying for Israel.

Americans held in Iraq: FBI violated rights
July 20, 2009
For more than a month, two U.S. citizens who worked for contractors in Iraq were held in prison with no formal charges against them.

Space-defense systems secure in glass house
July 6, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS -- The transfer of strategic North American aerospace defense systems from inside the hardened complex of Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain to the basement of a glass office building has not reduced the security of the system, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command says.

U.S. 'ready' for N. Korean missile
July 2, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS -- U.S. missile defenses are prepared to try to knock down the last stage of a Taepodong-2 missile that North Korea is expected soon to launch if sensors detect the weapon threatens U.S. territory, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command told The Washington Times.

Obama's missed opportunity in Egypt
June 11, 2009
The White House views the speech in Cairo by President Obama reaching out to Muslims as part of its aggressive effort to counter the lies of Muslim extremists while promoting American values around the world. Specialists in international public diplomacy, however, said the president missed a chance to launch a much-needed program to more directly critique the roots of Muslim extremism and counter its ideology of hate with a war of ideas.

N. Korea general tied to forged $100 bills
June 02, 2009
A North Korean general who is a confidant of the country's leader, Kim Jong-il, has been identified by U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies as a key figure in the covert production and distribution of high-quality counterfeit $100 bills called supernotes, according to documents and interviews with intelligence officials.

Defense staffer charged in China spy case
May 14, 2009
A civilian employee of the Defense Department was arrested Wednesday on espionage charges that he sold classified information and passed other sensitive documents to a spy for the Chinese government who has been convicted of compromising another Pentagon employee.

China blocks U.S. from cyberwarfare
May 12, 2009
China has developed more secure operating software for its tens of millions of computers and is already installing it on government and military systems, hoping to make Beijing's networks impenetrable to U.S. military and intelligence agencies.

Afghan commander's aide blames deaths on Taliban
May 12, 2009
A top aide defended Gen. David McKiernan after his dismissal as Afghanistan theater commander Monday, saying many of the civilians who died in U.S. air strikes last week had been forced into target buildings by the Taliban and required to shoot at government forces.

Obama OK'd 2 SEAL teams for pirates
April 22, 2009
President Obama dispatched two separate teams of Navy commandos to carry out last week's rescue of a merchant ship captain held hostage by Somali pirates but left the operational details and rules of engagement to military commanders, National Security Adviser James. L. Jones said Tuesday.

U.S. failed to use best radar for N. Korea missile
April 15, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates denied permission for the U.S. Northern Command to use the Pentagon's most powerful sea-based radar to monitor North Korea's recent missile launch, precluding officials from collecting finely detailed launch data or testing the radar in a real-time crisis, current and former defense officials said.

Pentagon: Beijing boosts cyberwarfare
March 26, 2009
China is continuing a large-scale military buildup of high-tech forces that includes "disruptive" anti-satellite missiles, new strategic forces, and computer attack weapons, the Pentagon's annual report to Congress on the Chinese military says.

Chinese spy who defected tells all
March 19, 2009
A veteran Chinese intelligence officer who defected to the United States says that his country's civilian spy service spends most of its time trying to steal secrets overseas but also works to bolster Beijing's Communist Party rule by repressing religious and political dissent internally.

Commerce pick tied to China cash
March 18, 2009
Commerce Secretary nominee Gary Locke, whose job would include approving sensitive exports to China, has performed legal work for companies doing business with Beijing and was forced to refund several political donations that he received in the 1990s from key figures in a Chinese influence-buying investigation.

U.S. protests China's ship harassment
March 11, 2009
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told a Senate hearing Tuesday that China's military is increasing harassment of U.S. Navy survey ships, activities viewed by U.S. intelligence as the most aggressive since 2001, when a Chinese jet flew into a U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane and set off an international crisis.

Spy agency focus of shakeup
February 19, 2009
Two senior U.S. counterintelligence officials have left positions inside the agency that coordinates America's efforts to root out foreign spies after an inspector general review identified management problems, government officials said.

Air Force fails new nuclear reviews
February 4, 2009
Air Force nuclear units have failed two inspections in the past three months, providing fresh evidence that the military service that jarred the world in 2007 by mistakenly transporting live nuclear weapons across the United States continues to suffer lapses in its management of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Gen. David Baker dies at 62
January 31, 2009
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David E. Baker, a combat fighter pilot and former Vietnam War prisoner of war, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 62.

Obama wants Bush war team to stay
December 23, 2008
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is asking many of the Bush administration's 250 Pentagon political appointees to remain on the job until the incoming Obama administration finds replacements -- a move designed to prevent a leadership vacuum with U.S. troops engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. to tighten export rules on 5 firms in China
December 17, 2008
The U.S. government is taking steps to suspend a program that allows five companies in China to obtain sensitive U.S. technology without an export license, according to documents and interviews.

Obama, McCain eye better use of spies
October 23, 2008
The next president will take office with plans to continue reforming the U.S. intelligence community and to put more emphasis on improving human intelligence.

Military report: Terms 'jihad,' 'Islamist' needed
October 20, 2008
A U.S. military "Red Team" charged with challenging conventional thinking says that words like "jihad" and "Islamist" are needed in discussing 21st-century terrorism and that federal agencies that avoid the words soft-pedaled the link between religious extremism and violent acts.

Trouble on the Mountain: Norad's move increases security risks
October 5, 2008
Nestled a half mile inside a hardened rock tunnel, the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center buzzed with excitement on July 4, 2006, as the shuttle Discovery prepared to launch. Then, at approximately 1:30 p.m. during the final countdown at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the center's alarms and strobes shrieked to life. Defense satellites had picked up a heat-related signature half a world away. An expert crew at the mountain quickly identified it as a missile, pinpointing its type, location and telemetry. It had been launched from North Korea and was headed east. Several more missile launches were detected including a long-range Taepodong II capable of striking the western United States.

China report urges missile shield
October 1, 2008
The United States needs new weapon systems, including missile defenses and other advanced military capabilities, to deter and counter China's steady buildup of nuclear and conventional arms, according to a draft internal report by a State Department advisory board.

Ex-official reports counterintelligence is weak
September 30, 2008
U.S. government efforts to counter foreign spies remains fragmented and weak, despite a series of highly damaging spy cases, said a report made public Monday by a former high-ranking counterintelligence official.

Passport printer repays $51 million
Thursday, September 24, 2008
The Government Printing Office has repaid $51 million to the State Department for overcharges from the sale of millions of blank passports, according to GPO officials and internal government documents.

Gates set to unveil 9/11 memorial
September 11, 2008
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was on his way to a business meeting in St. Louis seven years ago when his life was suddenly disrupted. Like thousands of other air travelers, he was diverted, and he spent three days waiting in Kansas City, Mo.

Russians pilfer U.S. equipment
September 9, 2008
Russian forces seized U.S. military equipment during the recent fighting in Georgia in addition to five vehicles whose capture was reported earlier, the Pentagon said Monday.

WH careful on cutting ties with Moscow
September 3, 2008
The Bush administration has ordered a review of U.S. defense cooperation programs with Russia but is not about to draw up "mindless lists" of penalties that could alienate the Russian people while leaving Moscow's troops in Georgia, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

U.S. nuke spotters sent to China before games
June 20, 2008
The Bush administration has dispatched a secret team of nuclear specialists to China in response to Chinese concerns that terrorists may attempt to set off a radiological bomb during the Beijing Summer Olympics, The Washington Times has learned.

Covert board called crucial to presidents
Monday, June 16, 2008
Presidents need to rely on a little-known group of intelligence advisers that since the 1950s has helped guide policies and oversee the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy, according to a report by former intelligence officials.

Covert board called crucial to presidents
June 16, 2008
Presidents need to rely on a little-known group of intelligence advisers that since the 1950s has helped guide policies and oversee the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy, according to a report by former intelligence officials.

China gets U.S. Olympic help
June 5, 2008
The Bush administration has approved the export of sensitive equipment and expertise to China's military and police forces to bolster security at the Beijing Olympics, according to a number of private and public interviews and documents.

Passport cards called security vulnerability
May 16, 2008
The State Department will soon begin production of an electronic passport card that security specialists and members of Congress fear will be vulnerable to alteration or counterfeiting.

Bomber in Iraq tied to Gitmo
May 8, 2008
A detainee released from the prison at Guantanamo Bay three years ago is blamed for a deadly suicide bombing in Iraq, highlighting the danger of releasing hard-bitten terrorists from the U.S. facility in Cuba.

Hayden warns of Russian unrest
May 1, 2008
Russia's declining population will require Moscow to import foreign workers, increasing racial and religious tensions in the former superpower that still has thousands of nuclear weapons, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said.

U.S. eyes passport ring in Thailand
April 29, 2008
U.S. government security agencies are investigating a criminal ring in Thailand that produced counterfeit passports and other travel documents, including hundreds of fake U.S. passports sold on the black market, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said yesterday.

Intelligence on Syria delayed to avoid fight
April 25, 2008
The U.S. delayed disclosing its intelligence on Syria's nuclear program for months after an Israeli raid in order to give Damascus breathing room and avoid goading it into military retaliation, senior U.S. intelligence officials said yesterday.

Taiwan Strait tension cools off
April 17, 2008
The United States sent three aircraft carrier strike groups to waters around Taiwan after China told U.S. officials last year there was high risk of a military incident after Taiwan's March 22 presidential election, according to Pentagon and military officials.

Passport official quits amid probes
April 5, 2008
The State Department official in charge of U.S. passport services stepped down yesterday amid investigations into security breaches in the document records and overcharges for blank passports.

China order targets dissent
April 4, 2008
China's ruling Communist Party has ordered regional party leaders to use military and intelligence units to crack down "harshly" on dissent and step up spying throughout the country as part of security measures before the upcoming Olympic Games, according to a purported internal party document.

GPO's backup plant on Gulf
March 28, 2008
When the government finally built a backup passport center to be used in case Washington became debilitated, it picked a location directly in the path of potential future disaster, the hurricane-prone Mississippi Gulf Coast, which was ravaged by Katrina just a few years ago.

State Department to probe electronic passport charges
March 28, 2008
The State Department is investigating whether it is being overcharged for blank electronic passports by the Government Printing Office, the sole maker of the new travel document, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday.

GPO profits go to bonuses and trips
March 27, 2008
When the government's main printing agency booked $100 million in unexpected profit it went on a spending spree: large bonuses to top managers, trips to Paris and Las Vegas, and an official photo of the boss that cost $10,000.

Congress, watchdog probe passport security
March 27, 2008
Three House leaders and the Government Printing Office's watchdog said yesterday that they are investigating security concerns about the production of electronic passports highlighted during an investigation by The Washington Times.

Outsourced passport work risky
March 26, 2008
The United States has outsourced the manufacturing of its electronic passports to overseas companies — including one in Thailand that was victimized by Chinese espionage — raising concerns that cost savings are being put ahead of national security, an investigation by The Washington Times has found.

Spy for China gets 24 years
March 25, 2008
A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Chinese-born U.S. engineer to 24 years in prison for his role in supplying sensitive military technology to China, saying he was sending a message to China's intelligence services.

Obama passport files violated
March 21, 2008
Two State Department employees were fired recently and a third disciplined for improperly accessing electronic personal data on Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, Bush administration officials said yesterday.

3Com won't merge with Chinese firm
March 21, 2008
An investment firm ended the last possibility of a proposed merger between the telecommunications company 3Com and a Chinese firm by saying yesterday the deal would not be restructured and offered again for U.S. government review.

Hayden takes China to task
March 13, 2008
China is "strangling" emerging island democracies in the Pacific in pursuit of narrow goals such as friendly votes at the United Nations, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said in an interview in which he criticized Beijing's failure to act as a responsible global power.

Ethnic dispute tears al Qaeda, Hayden says
March 12, 2008
Internal divisions between Saudi and Egyptian leaders of al Qaeda are producing "fissures" within the terrorist group and a possible battle over who will succeed Osama bin Laden, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday.

Hayden: Don't ban tough methods
March 11, 2008
CIA Director Michael Hayden argued today in favor of permitting his agency to retain harsh interrogation techniques that are not spelled out in the latest Army field manual, which was revised in the fall of 2006 amid controversy over the handling of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. to broach nuke concerns with China
March 4, 2008
The Pentagon is set to begin strategic arms talks with China amid concerns outlined in an annual report questioning Beijing's control over the military's growing nuclear arsenal.

China speeds pace of military buildup
March 3, 2008
China is speeding up its military buildup and developing high-technology forces for waging wars beyond Taiwan, according to the Pentagon's annual report on Chinese military power.

U.S. will down failed satellite
February 15,, 2008
The Pentagon's plan to shoot down a failed satellite with a missile defense interceptor in the coming days is aimed at preventing toxic fuel from reaching earth. But U.S. officials and experts said yesterday it would also signal that U.S. missile defenses can be used to counter China's strategic anti-satellite weapons.

Firms in proposed 3Com deal offer risk relief
February 13, 2008
Companies involved in the proposed merger of 3Com and a Chinese telecommunications company have offered to take steps to reduce the national security risks from the deal in seeking to win the Bush administration's approval.

4 arrests in China spy cases
February 12, 2008
Federal agents arrested a Pentagon official and three other persons yesterday in a nationwide sweep of Chinese espionage agents.

N. Korea would sell nukes to terrorists
February 5, 2008
North Korea threatened to export nuclear weapons to international terrorists in 2005, according to a U.S. intelligence report made public yesterday.

Congress to probe 3Com-Huawei deal
February 2, 2008
A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced yesterday that Congress is investigating the proposed merger of 3Com Corp. and a Chinese company over concerns about China's computer-hacking activities.

Poland agrees to house U.S. missile inceptors
February 2, 2008
Poland's government has agreed in principle to allow the Pentagon to set up a U.S. missile interceptor site on Polish territory to counter Iranian missiles, Warsaw's foreign minister said yesterday.

Beijing espionage poses 'No. 1' threat
January 30, 2008
China's aggressive spying, technology theft and computer attacks pose the most significant threats to U.S. national security, officials and analysts told a congressional hearing yesterday.

Al Qaeda makes strides in Pakistan
January 24, 2008
Al Qaeda forces are gaining strength in remote areas of Pakistan and stepping up activities in that country, the region and farther abroad, according to recent U.S. intelligence assessments.

Treasury gets new CFIUS authority
January 24, 2008
President Bush yesterday signed a new executive order on foreign investment that gives the Treasury secretary, instead of the president, key power to authorize or reject purchases of U.S. companies by foreign buyers.

N. Korea talks left out details
January 23, 2008
North Korea's recent discussions with the United States about a required declaration under the six-nation nuclear talks omitted key data on Pyongyang's current nuclear arsenal and its covert uranium enrichment program, U.S. officials say.

Republicans: FISA authority in Constitution
January 21, 2008
Authority to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance comes from the Constitution and is vital to stopping foreign terrorist attacks and spies, says a Republican staff assessment of the revised Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Admiral pursues Chinese answers, ties
January 16, 2008
The commander of U.S. Pacific forces said in Beijing yesterday that he is troubled by China's missile buildup and anti-satellite weapons, but hopes military ties to its Communist Party-led forces will improve.

Sub technology revealed in court during spy appeal
January 15, 2008
Details of U.S. Navy advanced engine-silencing technology for submarines were disclosed in court documents last week during an appeal hearing for convicted Chinese spy Chi Mak.

U.S. satellites dodge Chinese missile debris
January 11, 2008
Two orbiting U.S. spacecraft were forced to change course to avoid being damaged by the thousands of pieces of space debris produced after China carried out an anti-satellite weapon test one year ago today.