How 250,000 US embassy cables were leaked
• David Leigh via guardian.co.ukFrom a fake Lady Gaga CD to a thumb drive that is a pocket-sized bombshell – the biggest intelligence leak in history
Contents Pages by Subject
Military
CIA implanted electrodes in brains of unsuspecting soldiers, suit alleges
• RawstoryA group of military veterans are suing to get the CIA to come clean about allegedly implanting remote control devices in their brains. It's well known that the CIA began testing substances like LSD on soldiers beginning in the 1950s but less is known
New US Army rifles uses radio-controlled smart bullets
• dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/Weapon hailed as a game-changer that can fire up and over barriers and down into trenches
Secret US Embassy Cables
• http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/Wikileaks began on Sunday November 28th publishing 251,287 leaked United States embassy cables, the largest set of confidential documents ever to be released into the public domain.
U.S. Tactical Nukes May Return to South Korea
• Spencer Ackerman via WIRED.comIf North Korea’s going to flaunt its new uranium-enrichment facility to the world, South Korea isn’t going to sit back and take it. Seoul is considering a request for the U.S. to return tactical nuclear weapons for the first time in 15 years.
DOD tries to uncover secret of flying snakes
• Washington PostAn unusual breed of Asian snakes can glide long distances in the air, and the Department of DefeMost animals that glide do so with fixed wings or a wing-like part. But not the "flying snakes" of Southeast Asia, India and southern China - at least fiv
Helmet Visor Could Protect Troops From Shock Waves
• Rachel Ehrenberg, Science News via WIRED.comAdding a face shield to the standard-issue helmet worn by U.S. troops could help protect soldiers from traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Arizona State University aims to keep military lab secret
• Arizona RepublicBuilding 561 is a secure two-story brick structure with an interior wrapped in copper sheathing that can block the most powerful transmissions of communications devices. The relic from the Cold War is the most secure facility in what was formerly
Infamous Contrail (aka the 'Mystery Missile') Spotted in Satellite Image
• SpaceWhen an impressive contrail was spotted off the California coast last week, it sparked widespread reports of a mystery missile launch in the area – a theory the Pentagon squashed, but the odd contrail was even seen from space.
Billions can be saved in defense budget: McCain
• ReutersSenator John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said billions of dollars could be saved from the defense budget by cutting lawmakers' pet projects, known as earmarks, and fixing troubled arms programs. McCain told a
The Navy's Free Electron Laser System Will be More Than Just a Death Ray
• popsci.comBut don't worry, it will still be partly a death ray
Navy Commissions More Intuitive, Sensitive War Robots
• popsci.comMost of the robots currently serving in the U.S. military are simply mechanized extensions of soldiers; They can execute dangerous maneuvers and keep people from high-risk situations.
Dissecting the Perpetual War Machine
• Antiwar.comReview of Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War by Andrew J. Bacevich
Can Navy Afford ‘Death Ray’ It Wants?
• wired.comThe Navy keeps pouring money into high-tech ships, next-gen communications gear — even a “death ray” pre-prototype. But if the sea service can’t get costs for the new gear under control, it’s putting itself at risk.
Lindsey Graham Makes The Case For Strike On Iran
• huffingtonpost.comA leading U.S. senator on defense issues says any military strike on Iran to stop its nuclear program must also strive to take out Iran's military capability.
Air Force Seeks Neuroweapons To Enhance US Airmen's Minds and Confuse Foes
• popsci.comIntelligent advanced aircraft is one thing, but if the Air Force wants to be in prime warfighting condition, its pilots had better come with advanced weaponry, too.
Shooting at Northern Virginia Coast Guard center part of spree, officials say
• Washington PostCleaners at the Marine Corps museum near Quantico noticed spots on windows they thought were bird droppings. They turned out to be bullet holes. Since then, the same weapon has been used 4 more times to fire at military facilities in N. Virginia.
4th military building strafed in DC area
• APAuthorities investigated a 4th nighttime shooting at a Washington-area military building, the FBI urged the unknown gunman to surrender before someone is hurt. "We appreciate that he is struggling right now," an FBI spokeswoman said. "This guy hasn
Pentagon shooting linked to third military target
• Washington PostAn overnight shooting at a vacant Marine Corps recruiting station in Chantilly this week has been definitively linked to two recent attacks on U.S. military buildings in Northern Virginia.
New Nanospheres are the Stiffest Biological Materials Ever Created, Surpassing Kevlar
• Clay Dillow via PopSci.comProtein tougher than metal could be used to print out body armor
Nuclear Missiles Go Offline after Computer Error
• APComputer errors at an Air Force base in Wyoming took 50 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles -- one-ninth of the U.S. missile stockpile -- offline for an hour. Engineers believe the outage was caused by a hardware failure in a launch control c
FBI: Same gun shot at Pentagon, Marines' museum
• APThe same gun was used to shoot at the Pentagon and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Northern Virginia earlier this month, the FBI said. A third military office, a Marine Corps recruiting station was shot at overnight Monday; Marines who wor
U.S. says did not under-report Iraq civilian deaths
• ReutersThe U.S. military said it did not under-report the number of civilian deaths in the Iraq war or ignore prisoner abuse by Iraqi forces, rejecting allegations arising from leaked U.S. documents.
Canadian at Gitmo pleads guilty to all charges
• APOmar Khadr pleaded to 5 charges including murder for throwing a grenade that mortally wounded the soldier during a fierce raid on an al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan in 2002. The now 24-year-old defendant also admitted to planting explosive devices a
WikiLeaks: At Least 109,000 Killed During Iraq War
• News LinkThe U.S. military long has maintained that it does not keep an official death tally, but earlier this month following a Freedom of Information Act request, the Pentagon said some 77,000 Iraqis had been killed from 2004 to mid-2008 -- a shorter period
Thin Displays as Wristbands
• technologyreview.comThe U.S. Army is evaluating full-color flexible displays that can be worn on the wrist.
DoD Expanding Domestic Cyber Role
• Defense NewsThe US Defense Dept. is quietly taking on an expanding role in defending US critical infrastructure from cyber attacks. In a break with previous policy, the military will provide cyber expertise to other government agencies and private companies
Troops discharged for being gay try to re-enlist
• news.yahoo.comAt least three service members discharged for being gay have begun the process to re-enlist after the Pentagon directed the military to accept openly gay recruits for the first time in the nation's history.
In New Attempt to Build a Practical Military Laser Weapon, Lockheed Inverts a Prism
• Rebecca Boyle via PopSci.comLasers can be powerful weapons — they can take down an aircraft at long ranges and in unstable conditions, for instance. But they are hampered by power and size limits, so they’re not widely used by the military (yet).
Bee exclusive: Massive fraud at California Guard, officials allege
• Charles Piller via Tha Sacramento BeeShe was known as "the M&M lady," for decorating her office cubicle with keepsakes of the confection's advertising characters.
