Features

More than door-kickers

Special ops forces are misused as man-hunters, critics say

For the United States’ special operations forces, these should be the salad days. In late 2001, a relatively small number of Army Special …

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To the Windsor, Conn., Democratic Town Committee

For its 34-2 vote of “no confidence” in Connecticut’s Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman for his support of the war in Iraq, and in the Middle East more broadly. Referring to the senator …

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Monopoly money

Relying on single suppliers could cost in the long run

Besieged by spiraling weapons prices, mounting war costs and acquisition budgets that are unlikely to grow, the U.S. military is searching for …

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The Corps should look to its small-wars past

The U.S. Marine Corps is nothing if not versatile. What explains the Corps’ talent for metamorphosis and its ability to take on so many roles and missions was summed up by Marine …

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Waters of wealth and war

The crucial Indian Ocean

Five hundred years ago, the Portuguese conquered the Indian Ocean with a dozen ships. In the 21st century, the U.S. Navy may find itself hard-pressed to maintain control …

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To Ryan Henry

Deputy undersecretary of defense and principal QDR point man, one last QDR-related bolt. Proving that the Pentagon’s leadership is still stuck in the transformational past, pre-Sept. 11, Henry presented the review’s force-shrinking …

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The war at home

Recruiters struggle to keep the Army from breaking

As the U.S. enters the third year of its war in Iraq, there is mounting concern about its impact on the health of the …

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Trouble below

China’s submarines pose regional, strategic challenges

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the United States faces a resurgent submarine challenge from a state that is seeking to …

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‘It will be better when you leave’

In two Iraqi cities, signs of progress and frustration

“Another day fighting the war on drugs.” So commented a Marine Corps platoon commander as he stood atop a dirt- and rock-strewn hill …

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In this issue

The history of the U.S. Marine Corps has been marked by a series of existential crises; the question often has been, “What do we need the Marines for?” At least now, if …

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