The retired four-star Army general was voted in by a majority of 93 to 2, and was also granted the necessary waivers by Congress in order to serve within seven years of ending his military service, which is usually prohibited under US law. Austin, who left the Army in 2016, …
Read More »Senate votes to override Trump’s veto of defense spending bill
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed by both chambers of Congress earlier this month, but the president objected to the bill on multiple fronts, including it preventing him from bringing troops in Afghanistan and Iraq home and it not including a veto of Section 230, which provides legal …
Read More »House overrides Trump’s veto of defense spending bill that blocked Afghanistan withdrawal
After aligning with Trump to approve raising the coronavirus stimulus payments to $2,000 per American, the House also voted 322- 87 to override Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $740 billion military spending bill, which passed both chambers of Congress earlier this month. Trump objected to …
Read More »Trump vetoes the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021, sends it back to Congress
Trump announced he had vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, making good on an earlier promise to send the annual defense spending bill back to Congress to be reworked. The NDAA “fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and …
Read More »Russian Defense Ministry, air and space companies on US list of ‘prohibited’ export destinations
The list, published Monday by the Bureau of Industry and Security amends the Export Administration Regulations, and represents just the first tranche of entries that will be expanded going forward, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. Commerce is “leveraging its partnerships with US and global companies to combat efforts by China …
Read More »Biden’s defense secretary pick Austin challenges US civil-military balance at a time when it’s crucial to preserve it
Biden’s choice of retired US Army General Lloyd Austin marks the first time that a black man has been nominated to serve as the senior civilian manager of the nation’s defense. While there is no doubt that Austin’s experience lends itself to carry out these challenges in a competent and …
Read More »US Senate passes National Defense Authorization Act that includes sanctions on Russia & Turkey
The $740-billion legislation previously passed the House of Representatives, with 40 Republicans opposing the effort. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was particularly critical of the bill, specifically an amendment stating that American troops cannot be withdrawn from Afghanistan without congressional approval, a move, he stated, that promotes “perpetual war.” President Donald …
Read More »Swedish parliament takes a ‘decisive step’ toward defense alliance with Finland and NATO membership
The party did not change its view on NATO due to the relative merits of the alliance, but to bring Sweden’s defense policy in line with that of neighboring Finland. It is not a member either, but maintains a “NATO option” stance that could see it join up at a …
Read More »‘First black Defense Secretary in 200 years’: Biden officially picks retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to head Pentagon
Biden officially announced Austin as his pick for Defense Secretary on Wednesday, calling the former general “the right person for this job…at this moment in our nation’s history.” Austin, a four-star general, would be “the first African-American at the helm of the Defense Department in well over 200 years,” Biden …
Read More »Caitlin Johnstone: Biden’s prospective new defense secretary is another professional war profiteer
The mass media are reporting that the Biden camp has selected former general Lloyd J. Austin III to be the next secretary of defense, assuaging fears among antiwar activists that the position would go to bloodthirsty psychopath Michele Flournoy as commonly predicted. As has become the standard ritual for Biden’s cabinet picks, the mass media are holding …
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