The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-have-no-proof-i-want-an-immediate-trial-trump-on-impeachment-proceedings-269248">Trump administration</a> has approved a resumption of Pakistan's participation in a coveted US&nbsp;&nbsp;military training and educational program more than a year after it was suspended, the State Department said on Thursday.

The decision to resume Islamabad's participation in the International Military Education and Training Program, or IMET - for more than a decade a pillar of US-Pakistani military ties - underscores warming relations that have followed meetings this year between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Pakistani <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-cuts-short-geneva-visit-calls-emergency-meeting-to-discuss-musharraf-verdict-268976">Prime Minister Imran Khan</a>.

Washington also has credited Islamabad with helping to facilitate negotiations on a US&nbsp;troop withdrawal from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/four-killed-in-afghanistan-bomb-explosion-268979">Afghanistan</a>. The talks recently resumed between the United States and the Taliban, who US&nbsp;officials say receive sanctuary and other aid from the Pakistan's military-led intelligence agency. Pakistan denies the charge.

The State Department administers IMET. It was a small facet of US&nbsp;security aid programs for Pakistan worth some $2 billion that remain suspended on orders that Trump abruptly issued in January 2018 to compel the nuclear-armed South Asian nation to crackdown on Islamist militants. Trump's decision, announced in a tweet, blindsided US&nbsp;officials.

After an attack earlier this year by a Pakistan-based extremist group that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary troops, US&nbsp;officials called on Islamabad to take "sustained and irreversible action" against militants operating from its territory.

A State Department spokeswoman said in an email that Trump's 2018 decision to suspend security assistance authorized "narrow exceptions for programs that support vital US&nbsp;national security interests." The decision to restore Pakistani participation in IMET was "one such exception," she said.

The program "provides an opportunity to increase bilateral cooperation between our countries on shared priorities," she added. "We want to continue to build on this foundation through concrete actions that advance regional security and stability."

A second US&nbsp;official said on condition of anonymity that Pakistan was in the process of selecting officers to send to the United States.

The restart of the program, however, is subject to approval by Congress. Republican and Democratic aides for the Senate and House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over the process did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

IMET affords spaces to foreign military officers at US&nbsp;military education institutions, such as the US&nbsp;Army War College and the US&nbsp;Naval War College.

Pakistan's suspension from the program in August 2018 prompted the cancellation of 66 slots set aside that year for Pakistani military officers in one of the first known impacts of Trump's decision to halt security assistance.

The US&nbsp;military traditionally has sought to shield such educational programs from political tensions, arguing that the ties built by bringing foreign military officers to the United States pay long-term dividends.

The Trump administration has approved a resumption of Pakistan's participation in a coveted US military training and educational program more than a year after it was suspended, the State Department said on Thursday.

The Trump administration has approved a resumption of Pakistan's participation in a coveted US military training and educational program more than a year after it was suspended, the State Department said on Thursday. The decision to resume Islamabad's participation in the International Military Education and Training Program, or IMET - for more than a decade a pillar of US-Pakistani military ties - underscores warming relations that have followed meetings this year between US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Washington also has credited Islamabad with helping to facilitate negotiations on a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The talks recently resumed between the United States and the Taliban, who US officials say receive sanctuary and other aid from the Pakistan's military-led intelligence agency. Pakistan denies the charge. The State Department administers IMET. It was a small facet of US security aid programs for Pakistan worth some $2 billion that remain suspended on orders that Trump abruptly issued in January 2018 to compel the nuclear-armed South Asian nation to crackdown on Islamist militants. Trump's decision, announced in a tweet, blindsided US officials. After an attack earlier this year by a Pakistan-based extremist group that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary troops, US officials called on Islamabad to take "sustained and irreversible action" against militants operating from its territory. A State Department spokeswoman said in an email that Trump's 2018 decision to suspend security assistance authorized "narrow exceptions for programs that support vital US national security interests." The decision to restore Pakistani participation in IMET was "one such exception," she said. The program "provides an opportunity to increase bilateral cooperation between our countries on shared priorities," she added. "We want to continue to build on this foundation through concrete actions that advance regional security and stability." A second US official said on condition of anonymity that Pakistan was in the process of selecting officers to send to the United States. The restart of the program, however, is subject to approval by Congress. Republican and Democratic aides for the Senate and House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over the process did not immediately respond to requests for comment. IMET affords spaces to foreign military officers at US military education institutions, such as the US Army War College and the US Naval War College. Pakistan's suspension from the program in August 2018 prompted the cancellation of 66 slots set aside that year for Pakistani military officers in one of the first known impacts of Trump's decision to halt security assistance. The US military traditionally has sought to shield such educational programs from political tensions, arguing that the ties built by bringing foreign military officers to the United States pay long-term dividends.

US to resume military training program for Pakistan: State Department

The Army has inked a multi-year, $347 million deal to develop a new class of long-range precision strike missiles as part of a broader US effort to develop hypersonic weapons, <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/f-21-will-give-india-significant-edge-with-greater-standoff-capability-lockheed-martin-211145">Lockheed Martin</a> announced in a press release on Friday.

"As the prime contractor for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) systems integration project, the Lockheed Martin-team will develop and integrate a land-based hypersonic strike prototype in partnership with the Army Hypersonic Project Office," the release said.

The release disclosed a separate $352 Army contract for Dynetics Technical Solutions (DTS) to produce the first commercially manufactured set of Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) systems.

DTS is one of a handful of US defense contractors that will work with Lockheed Martin on the project, the release said.

Both Russia and China are believed to be well ahead of the US in developing a new class of weapons that can fly up to 20 times the speed of sound, according to US officials.

In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin compared the development of the Russia’s Avangard hypersonic missile system to the launch of the first satellite in an address to Parliament.

Putin also said that jets carrying Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles had successfully demonstrated their unique characteristics during field testing.

The speed of hypersonic weapons makes them almost impossible to detect and destroy with existing missile defense technology.

The Army has inked a multi-year, $347 million deal to develop a new class of long-range precision strike missiles as part of a broader US effort to develop hypersonic weapons, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Friday.

The Army has inked a multi-year, $347 million deal to develop a new class of long-range precision strike missiles as part of a broader US effort to develop hypersonic weapons, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Friday. "As the prime contractor for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) systems integration project, the Lockheed Martin-team will develop and integrate a land-based hypersonic strike prototype in partnership with the Army Hypersonic Project Office," the release said. The release disclosed a separate $352 Army contract for Dynetics Technical Solutions (DTS) to produce the first commercially manufactured set of Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) systems. DTS is one of a handful of US defense contractors that will work with Lockheed Martin on the project, the release said. Both Russia and China are believed to be well ahead of the US in developing a new class of weapons that can fly up to 20 times the speed of sound, according to US officials. In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin compared the development of the Russia’s Avangard hypersonic missile system to the launch of the first satellite in an address to Parliament. Putin also said that jets carrying Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles had successfully demonstrated their unique characteristics during field testing. The speed of hypersonic weapons makes them almost impossible to detect and destroy with existing missile defense technology.

Lockheed Martin wins $347 million US army deal for hypersonic strike missile development

US President Donald Trump said that a war with Iran would not “last very long” or involve ground troops, as he seemingly dismissed warnings that limited US military action could spiral into a larger conflict. Trump reiterated his desire to avoid a war but said “we’re in a very strong position if something should happen.”

Donald Trump says war with Iran would not involve ground troops or last long

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-is-ready-to-go-dont-mistake-our-discretion-for-weakness-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-tells-iran-229716">US army is ready to go, don't mistake our discretion for weakness: US National Security Advisor John Bolton tells Iran</a>

US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Tehran on Sunday of misinterpreting as "weakness" President Donald Trump's&nbsp;last-minute cancellation&nbsp;of a retaliatory&nbsp;strike on Iran.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-at-least-14-dead-and-over-50-injured-as-tent-collapses-in-barmer-229742">Rajasthan: At least 14 dead and over 50 injured as tent collapses in Barmer</a>

At least 14 people reportedly died and over 50 injured in Barmer district of Rajasthan after a 'pandal' (marquee) collapsed due to heavy rain and storm during a religious gathering on Sunday.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/post-balakot-indian-navy-hunted-for-pakistani-submarine-for-21-days-229710">Post-Balakot, Indian Navy hunted for Pakistani submarine for 21 days</a>

Soon&nbsp;after the Pulwama terror attack, India pulled out its&nbsp;Navy&nbsp;from an exercise and deployed a major part of its fleet, including nuclear and conventional submarines, close to Pakistani territorial waters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/day-after-fatf-warning-pak-army-chief-claims-country-doing-best-to-wipe-out-terrorism-229711">Day after FATF warning, Pakistan Army Chief claims 'country doing best to wipe out terrorism'</a>

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has claimed that the&nbsp;country is doing its best&nbsp;and utilising all available sources to eliminate terrorism from its soil, adding that Islamabad has been moving towards attaining sustainable peace and stability.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/day-after-fatf-warning-pak-army-chief-claims-country-doing-best-to-wipe-out-terrorism-229711">UK's Boris Johnson under pressure to explain domestic 'row'</a>

Boris Johnson, the strong favourite to become Britain's next prime minister, came under pressure from figures in his own party on Sunday to explain reports of a&nbsp;domestic 'row' that led to a police visit. 
&nbsp;

US army is ready to go, don't mistake our discretion for weakness: US National Security Advisor John Bolton tells Iran US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Tehran on Sunday of misinterpreting as "weakness" President Donald Trump's last-minute cancellation of a retaliatory strike on Iran.

US army is ready to go, don't mistake our discretion for weakness: US National Security Advisor John Bolton tells Iran US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Tehran on Sunday of misinterpreting as "weakness" President Donald Trump's last-minute cancellation of a retaliatory strike on Iran. Rajasthan: At least 14 dead and over 50 injured as tent collapses in Barmer At least 14 people reportedly died and over 50 injured in Barmer district of Rajasthan after a 'pandal' (marquee) collapsed due to heavy rain and storm during a religious gathering on Sunday. Post-Balakot, Indian Navy hunted for Pakistani submarine for 21 days Soon after the Pulwama terror attack, India pulled out its Navy from an exercise and deployed a major part of its fleet, including nuclear and conventional submarines, close to Pakistani territorial waters. Day after FATF warning, Pakistan Army Chief claims 'country doing best to wipe out terrorism' Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has claimed that the country is doing its best and utilising all available sources to eliminate terrorism from its soil, adding that Islamabad has been moving towards attaining sustainable peace and stability. UK's Boris Johnson under pressure to explain domestic 'row' Boris Johnson, the strong favourite to become Britain's next prime minister, came under pressure from figures in his own party on Sunday to explain reports of a domestic 'row' that led to a police visit.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief.

The question drew some 10,000 replies since it was posted late last week -- many of which were anonymous or included details that could not be independently confirmed, but which paint a harrowing picture of the toll America's wars have taken on those who fought them.

"OEF, OIF PTSD with chronic pain," one Twitter user wrote, using the US military's acronyms for the wars in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-ied-blast-targets-bus-in-kabul-at-least-10-wounded-221867">Afghanistan </a>and Iraq, and the abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The US launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. The conflicts left thousands of American service members dead and many more wounded. US troops are still deployed in both countries to this day.

"My dad came back from fighting in Iraq and was abusive, constantly angry, paranoid, and following that went through a lot of therapy but his mental and physical health is still off and he was definitely changed through all he had been through," another user wrote.

"My son served and did one tour of OEF, he made it back, re-enlisted, and shot himself in the head," said another.

"The 'Combat Cocktail',&nbsp;PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage. It cost me my relationship with my eldest son and my grandson. It cost some of my men so much more," another Twitter user wrote.

"How did serving impact me? Ask my family." Not all the replies were about the toll taken by combat.

"I was forced to resign my commission while serving in Kuwait during the first Gulf War because I am gay. I received another than honourable discharge despite excellent performance reviews," one man wrote.

Another than honourable discharge is the most severe military administrative dismissal. It can follow a former soldier well into civilian life, leaving them ineligible for benefits and making it difficult to find work.

The Army thanked those who replied to its official account, saying,&nbsp;"Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations."

"As we honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of the fact that we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see."

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief.

Days ahead of an annual holiday when Americans remember those who died while serving in the armed forces, the US Army's Twitter account asked people how their time in the military affected them and received an outpouring of grief. The question drew some 10,000 replies since it was posted late last week -- many of which were anonymous or included details that could not be independently confirmed, but which paint a harrowing picture of the toll America's wars have taken on those who fought them. "OEF, OIF PTSD with chronic pain," one Twitter user wrote, using the US military's acronyms for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the abbreviation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The US launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003. The conflicts left thousands of American service members dead and many more wounded. US troops are still deployed in both countries to this day. "My dad came back from fighting in Iraq and was abusive, constantly angry, paranoid, and following that went through a lot of therapy but his mental and physical health is still off and he was definitely changed through all he had been through," another user wrote. "My son served and did one tour of OEF, he made it back, re-enlisted, and shot himself in the head," said another. "The 'Combat Cocktail', PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage. It cost me my relationship with my eldest son and my grandson. It cost some of my men so much more," another Twitter user wrote. "How did serving impact me? Ask my family." Not all the replies were about the toll taken by combat. "I was forced to resign my commission while serving in Kuwait during the first Gulf War because I am gay. I received another than honourable discharge despite excellent performance reviews," one man wrote. Another than honourable discharge is the most severe military administrative dismissal. It can follow a former soldier well into civilian life, leaving them ineligible for benefits and making it difficult to find work. The Army thanked those who replied to its official account, saying, "Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations." "As we honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of the fact that we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see."

US Army Twitter question highlights toll of America's wars

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies."

The organizing effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies.

Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user's eyes. The government has said the devices would be used on the battlefield and in training to improve soldiers "lethality, mobility and situational awareness."

In the petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, the workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it.

Microsoft said in a statement that it always appreciates employee feedback. It also referred to an October blog post by its president, Brad Smith, in which he said the company remained committed to assisting the military and would advocate for laws to ensure responsible use of new technologies.

The US Army did not provide immediate comment.

Shares of Microsoft fell 7 cents to $110.90 after hours on Friday.

Though many governments want to draw upon the expertise of the biggest US tech companies, employee resistance has added a new challenge to already complicated relationships.

Worker pushback led Alphabet Inc last year to announce it would not renew a Pentagon contract in which its artificial intelligence technology is used to analyze drone imagery.

In other cases, employee criticism has invited greater public scrutiny to deals, such as $10 billion cloud computing contract yet to be awarded and various contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

One Microsoft worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether any of the lead petitioners' work was part of the Army contract. Another said several organizers work in the company's cloud computing division, which is competing with rivals Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services to gain more government work.

Microsoft is expected unveil updates to HoloLens, its headset for businesses and governments, during an event at the Mobile World Congress industry conference in Barcelona on Sunday.

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies.

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies." The organizing effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies. Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user's eyes. The government has said the devices would be used on the battlefield and in training to improve soldiers "lethality, mobility and situational awareness." In the petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, the workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it. Microsoft said in a statement that it always appreciates employee feedback. It also referred to an October blog post by its president, Brad Smith, in which he said the company remained committed to assisting the military and would advocate for laws to ensure responsible use of new technologies. The US Army did not provide immediate comment. Shares of Microsoft fell 7 cents to $110.90 after hours on Friday. Though many governments want to draw upon the expertise of the biggest US tech companies, employee resistance has added a new challenge to already complicated relationships. Worker pushback led Alphabet Inc last year to announce it would not renew a Pentagon contract in which its artificial intelligence technology is used to analyze drone imagery. In other cases, employee criticism has invited greater public scrutiny to deals, such as $10 billion cloud computing contract yet to be awarded and various contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One Microsoft worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether any of the lead petitioners' work was part of the Army contract. Another said several organizers work in the company's cloud computing division, which is competing with rivals Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services to gain more government work. Microsoft is expected unveil updates to HoloLens, its headset for businesses and governments, during an event at the Mobile World Congress industry conference in Barcelona on Sunday.

Microsoft workers demand to drop $480 million US Army contract

The US Army said Wednesday it wants to purchase a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-plans-new-missile-systems-to-counter-us-by-2021-195366">pair of Iron Dome short-range</a> air defence systems, an interceptor technology developed by Israel with US support.&nbsp;

Army spokesman Colonel Patrick Seiber said the deal would meet a short-term need to protect troops from "indirect fire" such as rockets and mortars.

No decisions have been made yet about where the two systems may be deployed.&nbsp;

"The Iron Dome will be assessed and experimented as a system that is currently available to protect deployed US military service members against a wide variety of indirect fire threats and aerial threats," Seiber said in a statement.

Iron Dome systems have been in operation by the Israeli Air Force since 2011 and have seen frequent use in thwarting rocket attacks from Gaza and elsewhere.

Seiber said the US Army will "assess a variety of options" for a system that could be used in the long term.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister, called the deal further proof of Israel's alliance with the US.

"Israel has an Iron Dome and an iron fist. Our systems know how to deal with any threat, both in defence and in the attack. I would not recommend our enemies to try us," he said in a defence ministry statement.

Seiber said the US Army proposes spending $1.6 billion through 2024 to field an "enduring capability" that may include portions of the Iron Dome system.&nbsp;

The Iron Dome system was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with the help of US funding.

It is designed to intercept rockets and artillery shells fired from a range of four to 70 kilometres (three to 45 miles).

Each battery comprises detection and tracking radar, state-of-the-art fire control software and three launchers, each with 20 interceptor missiles.

The US Army said Wednesday it wants to purchase a pair of Iron Dome short-range air defence systems, an interceptor technology developed by Israel with US support.

The US Army said Wednesday it wants to purchase a pair of Iron Dome short-range air defence systems, an interceptor technology developed by Israel with US support. Army spokesman Colonel Patrick Seiber said the deal would meet a short-term need to protect troops from "indirect fire" such as rockets and mortars. No decisions have been made yet about where the two systems may be deployed. "The Iron Dome will be assessed and experimented as a system that is currently available to protect deployed US military service members against a wide variety of indirect fire threats and aerial threats," Seiber said in a statement. Iron Dome systems have been in operation by the Israeli Air Force since 2011 and have seen frequent use in thwarting rocket attacks from Gaza and elsewhere. Seiber said the US Army will "assess a variety of options" for a system that could be used in the long term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister, called the deal further proof of Israel's alliance with the US. "Israel has an Iron Dome and an iron fist. Our systems know how to deal with any threat, both in defence and in the attack. I would not recommend our enemies to try us," he said in a defence ministry statement. Seiber said the US Army proposes spending $1.6 billion through 2024 to field an "enduring capability" that may include portions of the Iron Dome system. The Iron Dome system was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with the help of US funding. It is designed to intercept rockets and artillery shells fired from a range of four to 70 kilometres (three to 45 miles). Each battery comprises detection and tracking radar, state-of-the-art fire control software and three launchers, each with 20 interceptor missiles.

US Army to buy Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system

Embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's political future, and the leadership of his state, remained in limbo on Tuesday amid mounting pressure for him to resign after the revelation of a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The first-term Democrat and former US Army physician has been under fire since a conservative media website on Friday released the photo, showing one person in blackface standing beside a masked individual in the white robes of the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.

Northam, 59, who is white, initially apologized on Friday and said he was one of the two people in the photo. He then changed his story on Saturday, saying he did not appear in the picture but had dressed in blackface at another point that same year to portray pop star Michael Jackson in a dance competition.

The origins of blackface date to 19th-century "minstrel" shows in which white performers covered their faces in black grease paint to caricature slaves.

Northam, who took office a year ago and has vowed to see his four-year-term through to completion, huddled with Cabinet officers on Monday as his political heir apparent, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, confronted a potential scandal of his own.

At a news conference on Monday, Fairfax, 39, denied a sexual assault allegation that was reported against him on the same website that first disclosed the Northam yearbook photo.

The Big League Politics site on Sunday posted a private Facebook message purportedly obtained from the accuser with her permission by a friend suggesting that Fairfax had assaulted her during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. While the Facebook post did not explicitly name Fairfax, the website's story linked him to the allegation.

At a news conference on Monday, Fairfax acknowledged having had a consensual encounter with the woman in 2004 but denied any wrongdoing, adding that "now, years later, we have a totally fabricated story out of the blue to attack me."

At least two media outlets, including the Washington Post, said a woman had approached them more than a year ago with the same allegation, but that they had been unable to substantiate her account.

Fairfax also expressed doubt at what Northam might do next.

"I believe the governor has to make a decision that's in the best interest of the Commonwealth of Virginia," Fairfax told reporters at the capitol.

Asked if he were preparing to possibly assume office as governor, Fairfax replied, "There is a lot of uncertainty right now in our government. But we always have to be ready."

Should Northam resign, Fairfax is in line to become the second African-American governor in the history of Virginia, where his great-great-great grandfather was a slave. The first was Douglas Wilder, a Democrat elected in 1989.

Fairfax would be only the fifth black politician to serve as governor of a U.S. state, dating back to the post-Civil War era of Reconstruction.

Revelation of the yearbook photo and the governor's response to it have drawn calls for his resignation from most elected office holders in Virginia, considered a key swing state in the 2020 presidential race, and many national political figures. At least five Democratic presidential candidates, including US&nbsp;Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, both of whom are black, said Northam had lost the moral authority to lead.

Embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's political future, and the leadership of his state, remained in limbo on Tuesday amid mounting pressure for him to resign after the revelation of a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

Embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's political future, and the leadership of his state, remained in limbo on Tuesday amid mounting pressure for him to resign after the revelation of a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. The first-term Democrat and former US Army physician has been under fire since a conservative media website on Friday released the photo, showing one person in blackface standing beside a masked individual in the white robes of the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan. Northam, 59, who is white, initially apologized on Friday and said he was one of the two people in the photo. He then changed his story on Saturday, saying he did not appear in the picture but had dressed in blackface at another point that same year to portray pop star Michael Jackson in a dance competition. The origins of blackface date to 19th-century "minstrel" shows in which white performers covered their faces in black grease paint to caricature slaves. Northam, who took office a year ago and has vowed to see his four-year-term through to completion, huddled with Cabinet officers on Monday as his political heir apparent, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, confronted a potential scandal of his own. At a news conference on Monday, Fairfax, 39, denied a sexual assault allegation that was reported against him on the same website that first disclosed the Northam yearbook photo. The Big League Politics site on Sunday posted a private Facebook message purportedly obtained from the accuser with her permission by a friend suggesting that Fairfax had assaulted her during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. While the Facebook post did not explicitly name Fairfax, the website's story linked him to the allegation. At a news conference on Monday, Fairfax acknowledged having had a consensual encounter with the woman in 2004 but denied any wrongdoing, adding that "now, years later, we have a totally fabricated story out of the blue to attack me." At least two media outlets, including the Washington Post, said a woman had approached them more than a year ago with the same allegation, but that they had been unable to substantiate her account. Fairfax also expressed doubt at what Northam might do next. "I believe the governor has to make a decision that's in the best interest of the Commonwealth of Virginia," Fairfax told reporters at the capitol. Asked if he were preparing to possibly assume office as governor, Fairfax replied, "There is a lot of uncertainty right now in our government. But we always have to be ready." Should Northam resign, Fairfax is in line to become the second African-American governor in the history of Virginia, where his great-great-great grandfather was a slave. The first was Douglas Wilder, a Democrat elected in 1989. Fairfax would be only the fifth black politician to serve as governor of a U.S. state, dating back to the post-Civil War era of Reconstruction. Revelation of the yearbook photo and the governor's response to it have drawn calls for his resignation from most elected office holders in Virginia, considered a key swing state in the 2020 presidential race, and many national political figures. At least five Democratic presidential candidates, including US Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, both of whom are black, said Northam had lost the moral authority to lead.

Virginia governor's future in limbo amid outcry over racist photo

The United States will send an additional 3,750 troops to its frontier with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/mexico-is-bleeding-can-its-new-president-stop-the-violence-193818">Mexico</a>, the Pentagon said on Sunday, as President Donald Trump doubled down on his call for a wall to boost border security.

Soldiers were originally deployed to the border under an order President Donald Trump gave before midterm elections in November as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-delays-returning-asylum-seekers-to-mexico-192849">"caravans" of migrants </a>made their way to the border to seek asylum from violence and poverty in their own countries.

But the mission, under which troops assist civilian border patrol agents by providing logistical support and installing concertina-wire fencing, has been described by opponents as a political stunt designed to create the illusion of a crisis.&nbsp;

"The Department of Defense will deploy approximately 3,750 additional US forces to provide the additional support to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) at the southwest border that Acting Secretary of Defense (Pat) Shanahan approved Jan. 11," a statement said.

This additional deployment is for three months, the statement added and will bring to 4,350 the total number of troops at the border.

Their tasks will include "a mobile surveillance capability through the end of September 2019, as well as the emplacement of approximately 150 miles of concertina wire between ports of entry."

The news comes ahead of a February 15 deadline that President Donald Trump set for Congress to agree on funding for building a border wall which he made a key pledge in his election campaign.

The president says that existing sections of walls should be extended along the border to stop what he describes as an uncontrolled invasion of criminals.

Trump underscored these claims Sunday. "With Caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country, Republicans must be prepared to do whatever is necessary for STRONG Border Security," he tweeted.&nbsp;

"Dems do nothing. If there is no Wall, there is no Security. Human Trafficking, Drugs and Criminals of all dimensions - KEEP OUT!"

Democrats, who control the lower house, have repeatedly rejected Trump's funding demands, saying that he has made the wall project a political crusade to demonize immigrants and to satisfy his base.

He previously tried to pressure Congress into backing his idea by refusing to sign off on budgets for swathes of the federal government, leading to a five-week shutdown of some 800,000 government jobs.

The border troop deployment was one of several issues on which Trump and former defence secretary Jim Mattis disagreed before he quit in December after Trump's shock decision to pull troops from Syria.

The United States will send an additional 3,750 troops to its frontier with Mexico, the Pentagon said on Sunday, as President Donald Trump doubled down on his call for a wall to boost border security.

The United States will send an additional 3,750 troops to its frontier with Mexico, the Pentagon said on Sunday, as President Donald Trump doubled down on his call for a wall to boost border security. Soldiers were originally deployed to the border under an order President Donald Trump gave before midterm elections in November as "caravans" of migrants made their way to the border to seek asylum from violence and poverty in their own countries. But the mission, under which troops assist civilian border patrol agents by providing logistical support and installing concertina-wire fencing, has been described by opponents as a political stunt designed to create the illusion of a crisis. "The Department of Defense will deploy approximately 3,750 additional US forces to provide the additional support to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) at the southwest border that Acting Secretary of Defense (Pat) Shanahan approved Jan. 11," a statement said. This additional deployment is for three months, the statement added and will bring to 4,350 the total number of troops at the border. Their tasks will include "a mobile surveillance capability through the end of September 2019, as well as the emplacement of approximately 150 miles of concertina wire between ports of entry." The news comes ahead of a February 15 deadline that President Donald Trump set for Congress to agree on funding for building a border wall which he made a key pledge in his election campaign. The president says that existing sections of walls should be extended along the border to stop what he describes as an uncontrolled invasion of criminals. Trump underscored these claims Sunday. "With Caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country, Republicans must be prepared to do whatever is necessary for STRONG Border Security," he tweeted. "Dems do nothing. If there is no Wall, there is no Security. Human Trafficking, Drugs and Criminals of all dimensions - KEEP OUT!" Democrats, who control the lower house, have repeatedly rejected Trump's funding demands, saying that he has made the wall project a political crusade to demonize immigrants and to satisfy his base. He previously tried to pressure Congress into backing his idea by refusing to sign off on budgets for swathes of the federal government, leading to a five-week shutdown of some 800,000 government jobs. The border troop deployment was one of several issues on which Trump and former defence secretary Jim Mattis disagreed before he quit in December after Trump's shock decision to pull troops from Syria.

US to send 3,750 more troops to Mexico border: Pentagon

U.S troops perform military drill near Mexico Border

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday approved a request to send troops and military assistance to the US-Mexico border -- part of President Donald Trump's effort <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/honduran-migrant-caravan-crosses-into-mexico-marches-on-towards-us-172677">to slow illegal crossings</a> in the run-up to key elections.

A Pentagon statement said the support would come in the form of logistical and engineering assistance, including the construction of "temporary barriers, barricades and fencing."

The Pentagon did not provide details on how many troops would be sent, but US officials on Thursday told AFP that about 800 service members would be deployed to the frontier.&nbsp;

"After receiving a request for assistance from the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense has approved providing mission-enhancing capabilities to Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection along the Southwest Border," the Pentagon statement read.

The troops would augment the 2,100 or so National Guardsmen who were deployed in April to support border operations, and could come from multiple military bases around the US.

Other help would include aviation support to ferry border agents around and medical to teams to "triage, treat and prepare for commercial transport of patients," the statement read.

The military beef-up of the border comes as thousands of Central American migrants are crossing Mexico toward the United States in a slow-moving caravan.

The issue has become a rallying cry for Trump, who has taken a hard line on illegal immigration and has repeatedly kept the story in the headlines in the run up to America's midterm congressional elections that could see the Democrats regain some degree of power.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday approved a request to send troops and military assistance to the US-Mexico border -- part of President Donald Trump's effort to slow illegal crossings in the run-up to key elections.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday approved a request to send troops and military assistance to the US-Mexico border -- part of President Donald Trump's effort to slow illegal crossings in the run-up to key elections. A Pentagon statement said the support would come in the form of logistical and engineering assistance, including the construction of "temporary barriers, barricades and fencing." The Pentagon did not provide details on how many troops would be sent, but US officials on Thursday told AFP that about 800 service members would be deployed to the frontier. "After receiving a request for assistance from the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense has approved providing mission-enhancing capabilities to Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection along the Southwest Border," the Pentagon statement read. The troops would augment the 2,100 or so National Guardsmen who were deployed in April to support border operations, and could come from multiple military bases around the US. Other help would include aviation support to ferry border agents around and medical to teams to "triage, treat and prepare for commercial transport of patients," the statement read. The military beef-up of the border comes as thousands of Central American migrants are crossing Mexico toward the United States in a slow-moving caravan. The issue has become a rallying cry for Trump, who has taken a hard line on illegal immigration and has repeatedly kept the story in the headlines in the run up to America's midterm congressional elections that could see the Democrats regain some degree of power.

US Defence Secretary Mattis approves request to send army to Mexico border

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump have a crowded agenda when they meet later today. From economics and trade to defence and regional security, multiple issues will vie for their attention. But one issue where the two leaders would be hoping for a strong convergence of views would be counterterrorism. It is a priority for both leaders and they have indicated that they remain committed to robust counter terror policies. Modi has already underscored this in the US when, while addressing a gathering of Indian-Americans in Virginia, he said that India&rsquo;s surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC last year after the Uri attack were proof that the nation can stand up in its own defense when needed. He also underlined the challenge that India has faced in communicating India&rsquo;s terrorism challenge with the West, when he sarcastically argued that &ldquo;When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn&rsquo;t understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don&rsquo;t have to.&rdquo;

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<h5>Trump administration is also discussing various tough options vis-&agrave;-vis Pakistan such as expanding U.S. drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan&#39;s status as a major non-NATO ally.</h5>
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India-US ties have been growing in recent years and counterterrorism has been an area where significant convergence has been achieved, at times with great difficulty. For long where India viewed Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism, Washington remained reluctant to put pressure on what it argued was a close ally in its &lsquo;war against terrorism.&rsquo; Even in the early years of Barack Obama, the US tried to make Pakistan into strategic partner in counterterrorism. But it failed spectacularly. By the end of Obama Administration, senior officials were openly calling for tougher actions against Pakistan. Donald Trump&rsquo;s rhetoric during the Presidential campaign was very tough but since coming to office, his administration is yet to evolve a cohesive counter terror approach. Though both India and the US agree on the need for zero-tolerance against terror, no meaningful progress can happen without seriously tackling Pakistan&#39;s role in supporting terror groups. India has taken a tough stand on Pakistan&rsquo;s support for terrorism by underscoring its concerns in various international fora about terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Modi would like to make India&rsquo;s case once again when he meets Trump at a time when the Trump administration is also discussing various tough options vis-&agrave;-vis Pakistan such as expanding U.S. drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan&#39;s status as a major non-NATO ally.

American policy makers have been particularly concerned the Haqqani&#39;s presence in Pakistan, a group which was designated as a terrorist organization as far back as in 2012. Admiral Mike Mullen, then the top US military officer, told the US Congress in 2011 that the Haqqani network was a &quot;veritable arm&quot; of the ISI. The Haqqani network has used its sanctuaries in Pakistan to mount high-profile attacks in Afghanistan against American interests. Therefore, in its first formal high-level exchange between the US and Pakistan under the Donald Trump administration, the US national Security Advisor H.R. McMaster conveyed a strong message to Pakistani officials that there is an urgent &ldquo;need to confront terrorism in all its forms&rdquo;. He was categorical in his assessment of Pakistani complicity in destabilizing Afghanistan when he underscored that &ldquo;as all of us have hoped for many, many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence.&rdquo;

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<h5>In an acknowledgment that US-backed forces are not winning and Taliban militants are resurgent, the Trump Administration is again poised to deploy thousands more troops in Afghanistan.</h5>
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But there is no clarity yet on what form a new Afghanistan policy will take under the Trump administration. Though there have been calls by military commanders for adding &ldquo;several thousand&rdquo; troops to the 8,400 US forces already in Afghanistan so as to break the stalemate with the Taliban, a decision on the troop level is yet to come. Trump also consented to the dropping of the GBU-43/B massive ordnance air blast (MOAB) bomb, nicknamed the &ldquo;mother of all bombs&rdquo;, on a network of fortified underground tunnels that the Islamic State (IS) had been using to stage attacks on Afghan government forces in Nangarhar province, near the Pakistan border. &nbsp;In an acknowledgment that US-backed forces are not winning and Taliban militants are resurgent, the Trump Administration is again poised to deploy thousands more troops in Afghanistan. And the Pentagon, in a report to the US Congress last week, explicitly accused elements of Pakistan&#39;s government of supporting Afghanistan-focused militant groups, including the Taliban and Haqqani Network, who it said retained &quot;freedom of action&quot; within Pakistan. It called Pakistan &quot;the most influential external actor affecting Afghan stability.&quot;

The Trump administration is under pressure to put more pressure on Pakistan and to curtail Pakistan&rsquo;s ability to create mischief in Afghanistan. New Delhi will have to ensure that Washington takes a holistic view of the Pakistan problem and unlike in the past when India&rsquo;s concerns with regard to Pakistan were given a shirt shift, this time a new approach is evolved in consultation with India.&nbsp;

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It is clear that Pakistan will be watched carefully by the Trump administration in how it follows through on its commitments. Washington views the strengthening of Afghan security forces and political institutions as key to the long-term stabilization of Afghanistan. For that Pakistan&rsquo;s role will have to re-evaluated. In light of Pakistan&rsquo;s continuing destabilising behaviour in across the LoC, Modi will have to ensure that Trump gets a sense as to what is at stake. For a robust Indo-US partnership on counter-terrorism, India and the US will have to be on the same page. A partial view of the terrorism problem will not help India. But it will also not help American foreign policy priorities.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Modi will have to ensure that Trump gets a sense as to what is at stake as far terrorism is concerned in South Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump have a crowded agenda when they meet later today. From economics and trade to defence and regional security, multiple issues will vie for their attention. But one issue where the two leaders would be hoping for a strong convergence of views would be counterterrorism. It is a priority for both leaders and they have indicated that they remain committed to robust counter terror policies. Modi has already underscored this in the US when, while addressing a gathering of Indian-Americans in Virginia, he said that India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC last year after the Uri attack were proof that the nation can stand up in its own defense when needed. He also underlined the challenge that India has faced in communicating India’s terrorism challenge with the West, when he sarcastically argued that “When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn’t understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don’t have to.” Trump administration is also discussing various tough options vis-à-vis Pakistan such as expanding U.S. drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally. × India-US ties have been growing in recent years and counterterrorism has been an area where significant convergence has been achieved, at times with great difficulty. For long where India viewed Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism, Washington remained reluctant to put pressure on what it argued was a close ally in its ‘war against terrorism.’ Even in the early years of Barack Obama, the US tried to make Pakistan into strategic partner in counterterrorism. But it failed spectacularly. By the end of Obama Administration, senior officials were openly calling for tougher actions against Pakistan. Donald Trump’s rhetoric during the Presidential campaign was very tough but since coming to office, his administration is yet to evolve a cohesive counter terror approach. Though both India and the US agree on the need for zero-tolerance against terror, no meaningful progress can happen without seriously tackling Pakistan's role in supporting terror groups. India has taken a tough stand on Pakistan’s support for terrorism by underscoring its concerns in various international fora about terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Modi would like to make India’s case once again when he meets Trump at a time when the Trump administration is also discussing various tough options vis-à-vis Pakistan such as expanding U.S. drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally. American policy makers have been particularly concerned the Haqqani's presence in Pakistan, a group which was designated as a terrorist organization as far back as in 2012. Admiral Mike Mullen, then the top US military officer, told the US Congress in 2011 that the Haqqani network was a "veritable arm" of the ISI. The Haqqani network has used its sanctuaries in Pakistan to mount high-profile attacks in Afghanistan against American interests. Therefore, in its first formal high-level exchange between the US and Pakistan under the Donald Trump administration, the US national Security Advisor H.R. McMaster conveyed a strong message to Pakistani officials that there is an urgent “need to confront terrorism in all its forms”. He was categorical in his assessment of Pakistani complicity in destabilizing Afghanistan when he underscored that “as all of us have hoped for many, many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence.” In an acknowledgment that US-backed forces are not winning and Taliban militants are resurgent, the Trump Administration is again poised to deploy thousands more troops in Afghanistan. × But there is no clarity yet on what form a new Afghanistan policy will take under the Trump administration. Though there have been calls by military commanders for adding “several thousand” troops to the 8,400 US forces already in Afghanistan so as to break the stalemate with the Taliban, a decision on the troop level is yet to come. Trump also consented to the dropping of the GBU-43/B massive ordnance air blast (MOAB) bomb, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs”, on a network of fortified underground tunnels that the Islamic State (IS) had been using to stage attacks on Afghan government forces in Nangarhar province, near the Pakistan border. In an acknowledgment that US-backed forces are not winning and Taliban militants are resurgent, the Trump Administration is again poised to deploy thousands more troops in Afghanistan. And the Pentagon, in a report to the US Congress last week, explicitly accused elements of Pakistan's government of supporting Afghanistan-focused militant groups, including the Taliban and Haqqani Network, who it said retained "freedom of action" within Pakistan. It called Pakistan "the most influential external actor affecting Afghan stability." The Trump administration is under pressure to put more pressure on Pakistan and to curtail Pakistan’s ability to create mischief in Afghanistan. New Delhi will have to ensure that Washington takes a holistic view of the Pakistan problem and unlike in the past when India’s concerns with regard to Pakistan were given a shirt shift, this time a new approach is evolved in consultation with India. For a robust Indo-US partnership on counter-terrorism, India and the US will have to be on the same page. A partial view of the terrorism problem will not help India. But it will also not help American foreign policy priorities. × It is clear that Pakistan will be watched carefully by the Trump administration in how it follows through on its commitments. Washington views the strengthening of Afghan security forces and political institutions as key to the long-term stabilization of Afghanistan. For that Pakistan’s role will have to re-evaluated. In light of Pakistan’s continuing destabilising behaviour in across the LoC, Modi will have to ensure that Trump gets a sense as to what is at stake. For a robust Indo-US partnership on counter-terrorism, India and the US will have to be on the same page. A partial view of the terrorism problem will not help India. But it will also not help American foreign policy priorities.

The counter-terror endgame in South Asia starts with Modi meeting Trump

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe may have exhausted legal options to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline project after the company building it won federal permission to tunnel under the Missouri River, the leader of the Native American tribe told Reuters on Wednesday.

&quot;We&#39;re running out of options, but that doesn&#39;t mean that it&#39;s over,&quot; David Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told Reuters. &quot;We&#39;re still going to continue to look at all legal options available to us.&quot;

According to Reuters, legal experts have agreed that the tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion project led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, which could now begin operation as soon as June.

On Wednesday the US Army said it had granted the final permit for the pipeline after an order from President Donald Trump to step up the project,

The permit was the last bureaucratic hurdle to the pipeline&#39;s completion.

Wayne D&#39;Angelo, an energy and environmental lawyer with Kelley Drye &amp; Warren in Washington, told Reuters he believed the Trump administration was on &quot;pretty solid legal ground&quot;.

The tribe would have to prove a very difficult standard: that approval for the pipeline was &quot;arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion or inconsistent with the record before the agency&quot;, D&#39;Angelo said.

The army owns the land through its Corps of Engineers and according to his federal disclosures form, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-revives-two-controversial-oil-pipeline-projects-11651">Trump holds stock in the company</a> building the Dakota Access oil pipeline, CBS reports. While the amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is modest compared to the rest of Trump&#39;s&nbsp;portfolio, estimated at between $15,000 and $50,000, he also owns between $100,000 and $250,000 in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access, CBS reports.

On Wednesday, around &nbsp;350 people came together in lower Manhattan, hoisting signs like&nbsp;&quot;Water is Life,&quot; &quot;Dump Trump&quot; and &quot;Respect Native Sovereignty&quot;.

&quot;This isn&#39;t just a Native American problem, this isn&#39;t just an issue over race, this goes way beyond that,&quot;&nbsp;Matene Strikefirst, a member of the tribe of Ojibwe and Dakota, told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;We need to get over our dependence on fossil fuels; we need to ensure drinking water for everyone.&quot; Another 100 protesters denounced Trump&nbsp;outside the White House,

&quot;We know there is going to be bloodshed,&quot; said Eryn Wise, spokeswoman for the International Indigenous Youth Council, Reuters reported. &quot;This is cultural genocide,&quot; said Linda Black Elk, a resident of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation told Reuters.

The 1,885-kilometre&nbsp;line is being built to move crude from the shale oilfields of North Dakota to Illinois en route to the Gulf of Mexico, where many US&nbsp;refineries are located. Native American tribes and climate activists fear it will desecrate sacred sites and endanger drinking water.

Thousands of people, including high-profile politicians and celebrities have protested against the pipeline in the last few months.&nbsp;Large protest camps popped up near the site, triggering violent clashes and about 600 arrests.

Those protesting against the pipeline had their hopes high after the Obama administration delayed the completion of the pipeline pending a review of tribal concerns and ordered an environmental study in December.

Trump, however,&nbsp;issued an order on January 24, to expedite Dakota Access Pipeline, four days after taking office. He also&nbsp;revived another multibillion-dollar oil artery, Keystone XL which the Obama administration had blocked&nbsp;in 2015.

Despite months of high-profile protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline--where protesters were shot by police with rubber bullets, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with water in freezing temperatures--Donald Trump claimed that &quot;nobody showed up to fight it&quot;.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V0uoiNbPkPI" width="560"></iframe>

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Legal experts suggest the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion pipeline project

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe may have exhausted legal options to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline project after the company building it won federal permission to tunnel under the Missouri River, the leader of the Native American tribe told Reuters on Wednesday. "We're running out of options, but that doesn't mean that it's over," David Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told Reuters. "We're still going to continue to look at all legal options available to us." According to Reuters, legal experts have agreed that the tribe faces long odds in convincing any court to halt the $3.8 billion project led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, which could now begin operation as soon as June. On Wednesday the US Army said it had granted the final permit for the pipeline after an order from President Donald Trump to step up the project, The permit was the last bureaucratic hurdle to the pipeline's completion. Wayne D'Angelo, an energy and environmental lawyer with Kelley Drye & Warren in Washington, told Reuters he believed the Trump administration was on "pretty solid legal ground". The tribe would have to prove a very difficult standard: that approval for the pipeline was "arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion or inconsistent with the record before the agency", D'Angelo said. The army owns the land through its Corps of Engineers and according to his federal disclosures form, Trump holds stock in the company building the Dakota Access oil pipeline, CBS reports. While the amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is modest compared to the rest of Trump's portfolio, estimated at between $15,000 and $50,000, he also owns between $100,000 and $250,000 in Phillips 66, which has a one-quarter share of Dakota Access, CBS reports. On Wednesday, around 350 people came together in lower Manhattan, hoisting signs like "Water is Life," "Dump Trump" and "Respect Native Sovereignty". "This isn't just a Native American problem, this isn't just an issue over race, this goes way beyond that," Matene Strikefirst, a member of the tribe of Ojibwe and Dakota, told Reuters. "We need to get over our dependence on fossil fuels; we need to ensure drinking water for everyone." Another 100 protesters denounced Trump outside the White House, "We know there is going to be bloodshed," said Eryn Wise, spokeswoman for the International Indigenous Youth Council, Reuters reported. "This is cultural genocide," said Linda Black Elk, a resident of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation told Reuters. The 1,885-kilometre line is being built to move crude from the shale oilfields of North Dakota to Illinois en route to the Gulf of Mexico, where many US refineries are located. Native American tribes and climate activists fear it will desecrate sacred sites and endanger drinking water. Thousands of people, including high-profile politicians and celebrities have protested against the pipeline in the last few months. Large protest camps popped up near the site, triggering violent clashes and about 600 arrests. Those protesting against the pipeline had their hopes high after the Obama administration delayed the completion of the pipeline pending a review of tribal concerns and ordered an environmental study in December. Trump, however, issued an order on January 24, to expedite Dakota Access Pipeline, four days after taking office. He also revived another multibillion-dollar oil artery, Keystone XL which the Obama administration had blocked in 2015. Despite months of high-profile protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline--where protesters were shot by police with rubber bullets, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with water in freezing temperatures--Donald Trump claimed that "nobody showed up to fight it". (WION with inputs from Reuters)

North Dakota: Running out of options to stop pipeline, says Standing Rock Sioux leader

The US Army has taken steps to ease approvals for members from religious minorities like Muslims, Sikhs to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs.

Army Secretary Eric Fanning revised the uniform policy for people seeking religious accommodations to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs.

The new rules also enable brigade-level commanders to approve the religious accommodations, an authority that previously rested with the Army secretary.&nbsp;

Denial of a religious accommodation may be appealed as high as the Army secretary.

An approved religious accommodation will continue throughout the soldier&#39;s career and may not be revoked or modified without approval of the Army secretary.&nbsp;

The accommodation will not affect job specialties or duty locations, except in a few limited cases.

&quot;Our goal is to balance soldier readiness and safety with the accommodation of our soldiers&#39;&nbsp;faith practices, and this latest directive allows us to do that,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Randy Taylor said in a statement.&nbsp;

The new rules were welcomed by the Sikh Coalition.

(Reuters)

The new rules that allow minorities religious accomodation while serving in army were welcomed by the Sikh Coalition

The US Army has taken steps to ease approvals for members from religious minorities like Muslims, Sikhs to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs. Army Secretary Eric Fanning revised the uniform policy for people seeking religious accommodations to wear beards, turbans and head scarfs. The new rules also enable brigade-level commanders to approve the religious accommodations, an authority that previously rested with the Army secretary. Denial of a religious accommodation may be appealed as high as the Army secretary. An approved religious accommodation will continue throughout the soldier's career and may not be revoked or modified without approval of the Army secretary. The accommodation will not affect job specialties or duty locations, except in a few limited cases. "Our goal is to balance soldier readiness and safety with the accommodation of our soldiers' faith practices, and this latest directive allows us to do that," Lieutenant Colonel Randy Taylor said in a statement. The new rules were welcomed by the Sikh Coalition. (Reuters)

US Army eases norms for religious minorities, allows turban, beards

They are speaking about the same deadly drone war that the United States has been waging this year, but talk to the US&nbsp;military and Afghan civilians and their conclusions about who is targeted are often starkly different.

To the Americans, only enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016.

Eyewitness accounts, however, along with United Nations reports, suggest dozens of civilians were among the casualties.

&quot;People seem to think we just shoot missiles at random,&quot; Lieutenant Shaw, a drone operator in his 20s told Reuters at the US&nbsp;Air Force&#39;s base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. &quot;But if anything, we are better equipped than many manned aircraft to make sure we have the right guy.&quot;

The certainty expressed by drone operators often contrasts with the chaos described by witnesses on the ground.

&quot;There were dead bodies and body parts everywhere,&quot; said resident Hameed Shinwari, describing the scene soon after an attack in his village in eastern Nangarhar province, where as many as 15 civilians were killed in a drone strike in September, according to a UN&nbsp;report and local people who say they witnessed it.

Civilian casualties in coalition air strikes have been highly sensitive throughout the 15-year-long US-led war in Afghanistan, and avoiding them is crucial to winning local support for the government in its fight against the Taliban.

The issue has gained new urgency as the United States has relied more on unmanned aircraft since most international troops were withdrawn at the end of 2014.

In the Nangarhar strike, a 12-year-old boy was among those who told Reuters they had been wounded. US&nbsp;officials said the only confirmed casualties were Islamic State fighters.

The incident starkly highlights the divide between the US&nbsp;military, which says not a single civilian was killed in such operations in 2016, and critics, including human rights groups and some former drone pilots, who say overly broad targeting policies are putting too many civilians in the crossfire.

Lawful targets?

Speaking in rare interviews at their bases in Kandahar and nearly 8,000 miles away in the deserts of Nevada, US&nbsp;drone crews defended their methods for hunting down Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda and other militants.

Among the types of missions described by drone pilots in Afghanistan are &quot;signature strikes&quot;, when the identity of the targets is not known but they are tagged as combatants based on their behaviour and other intelligence.

The range of video and electronic sensors on unmanned aircraft can help make sense of the messy modern battlefields where insurgents often blend into local populations, they say.

&quot;We know who they are,&quot; said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Navicky, head of the US&nbsp;Air Force&#39;s drone programme in Afghanistan, in an interview at his headquarters at Kandahar.

If pilots notice civilians nearby after a missile has been fired they can still call off the strike by guiding it into an unpopulated area, he said, a manoeuvre called a &quot;shift cold&quot;.&nbsp;

While acknowledging that drones can be better than manned aircraft at picking targets, many human rights activists argue that US&nbsp;policies can leave too much room for interpretation.

&quot;The question is not whether they (the US&nbsp;military) know names, but are they lawful targets?&quot; said Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch.

With fewer US&nbsp;troops on the ground, there was a &quot;grave risk&quot; that strikes could be misdirected or manipulated by sources on the ground to settle local scores, she said.

&quot;As the fight in Afghanistan morphs into something new, there are many questions that the US&nbsp;needs to answer.&quot;

The UN reported in October that at least 32 civilians had been killed through September in drone strikes in Afghanistan, contributing to an overall increase in civilian casualties from US&nbsp;and Afghan air strikes compared with last year.

&nbsp;When asked about the sharply different accounts of the outcome of strikes, US&nbsp;military spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said in a statement that US&nbsp;troops &quot;employ detailed systems of technical, tactical and procedural checks and balances before employing all weapons in Afghanistan&quot;.

&quot;Strict rules apply to the use of air-delivered munitions, particularly when civilians may be present or whenever there is a possibility of striking a civilian structure,&quot; Cleveland said.

&quot;We&#39;re human&#39;

Another UN&nbsp;report, released in July, said a pair of strikes in Paktika province on April 6 killed at least 17 civilians.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;When we arrived there, a pick-up truck had been attacked and was in flames,&quot; Ainullah, a resident who said he went to the scene after the strike, told Reuters. He described the casualties as &quot;shopkeepers who were bringing food to their children&quot;.&nbsp;

As in other strikes this year, the US&nbsp;military contested the status of those killed. A spokesman told Reuters that they found &quot;no evidence&quot; that any non-combatants were killed.

&nbsp;Drone operators, who spoke to Reuters on the condition they were only identified by their rank and first name, insisted strikes were only conducted after extensive surveillance.

&nbsp;The approval process for strikes was &quot;significant&quot;, and went &quot;very, very high in the chain of command&quot;, said Captain Eric, a drone pilot.

&nbsp;As many as 85 per cent to 90 per cent of requested strikes were rejected, he added, because of concerns over civilian casualties or a lack of information about the target.

&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re human, and we feel what is happening when we have to launch a strike,&quot; drone pilot Major Adam said. &quot;That motivates us to make sure we get it right, because the last thing we want is for the worst to happen.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

To US enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016,UN reports say dozens of civilians killed

They are speaking about the same deadly drone war that the United States has been waging this year, but talk to the US military and Afghan civilians and their conclusions about who is targeted are often starkly different. To the Americans, only enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016. Eyewitness accounts, however, along with United Nations reports, suggest dozens of civilians were among the casualties. "People seem to think we just shoot missiles at random," Lieutenant Shaw, a drone operator in his 20s told Reuters at the US Air Force's base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. "But if anything, we are better equipped than many manned aircraft to make sure we have the right guy." The certainty expressed by drone operators often contrasts with the chaos described by witnesses on the ground. "There were dead bodies and body parts everywhere," said resident Hameed Shinwari, describing the scene soon after an attack in his village in eastern Nangarhar province, where as many as 15 civilians were killed in a drone strike in September, according to a UN report and local people who say they witnessed it. Civilian casualties in coalition air strikes have been highly sensitive throughout the 15-year-long US-led war in Afghanistan, and avoiding them is crucial to winning local support for the government in its fight against the Taliban. The issue has gained new urgency as the United States has relied more on unmanned aircraft since most international troops were withdrawn at the end of 2014. In the Nangarhar strike, a 12-year-old boy was among those who told Reuters they had been wounded. US officials said the only confirmed casualties were Islamic State fighters. The incident starkly highlights the divide between the US military, which says not a single civilian was killed in such operations in 2016, and critics, including human rights groups and some former drone pilots, who say overly broad targeting policies are putting too many civilians in the crossfire. Lawful targets? Speaking in rare interviews at their bases in Kandahar and nearly 8,000 miles away in the deserts of Nevada, US drone crews defended their methods for hunting down Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda and other militants. Among the types of missions described by drone pilots in Afghanistan are "signature strikes", when the identity of the targets is not known but they are tagged as combatants based on their behaviour and other intelligence. The range of video and electronic sensors on unmanned aircraft can help make sense of the messy modern battlefields where insurgents often blend into local populations, they say. "We know who they are," said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Navicky, head of the US Air Force's drone programme in Afghanistan, in an interview at his headquarters at Kandahar. If pilots notice civilians nearby after a missile has been fired they can still call off the strike by guiding it into an unpopulated area, he said, a manoeuvre called a "shift cold". While acknowledging that drones can be better than manned aircraft at picking targets, many human rights activists argue that US policies can leave too much room for interpretation. "The question is not whether they (the US military) know names, but are they lawful targets?" said Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch. With fewer US troops on the ground, there was a "grave risk" that strikes could be misdirected or manipulated by sources on the ground to settle local scores, she said. "As the fight in Afghanistan morphs into something new, there are many questions that the US needs to answer." The UN reported in October that at least 32 civilians had been killed through September in drone strikes in Afghanistan, contributing to an overall increase in civilian casualties from US and Afghan air strikes compared with last year. When asked about the sharply different accounts of the outcome of strikes, US military spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said in a statement that US troops "employ detailed systems of technical, tactical and procedural checks and balances before employing all weapons in Afghanistan". "Strict rules apply to the use of air-delivered munitions, particularly when civilians may be present or whenever there is a possibility of striking a civilian structure," Cleveland said. "We're human' Another UN report, released in July, said a pair of strikes in Paktika province on April 6 killed at least 17 civilians. "When we arrived there, a pick-up truck had been attacked and was in flames," Ainullah, a resident who said he went to the scene after the strike, told Reuters. He described the casualties as "shopkeepers who were bringing food to their children". As in other strikes this year, the US military contested the status of those killed. A spokesman told Reuters that they found "no evidence" that any non-combatants were killed. Drone operators, who spoke to Reuters on the condition they were only identified by their rank and first name, insisted strikes were only conducted after extensive surveillance. The approval process for strikes was "significant", and went "very, very high in the chain of command", said Captain Eric, a drone pilot. As many as 85 per cent to 90 per cent of requested strikes were rejected, he added, because of concerns over civilian casualties or a lack of information about the target. "We're human, and we feel what is happening when we have to launch a strike," drone pilot Major Adam said. "That motivates us to make sure we get it right, because the last thing we want is for the worst to happen." (Reuters)

American drone pilots defend tactics as Afghans question civilian deaths

Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier convicted for espionage tried to commit suicide for the second time, her lawyer said on Friday.&nbsp;

Manning is serving a 35 year sentence for passing classified information to WikiLeaks came out as a transgender after she was convicted.&nbsp;

She tried to kill herself on October 4, before being placed in solitary confinement for a previous suicide attempt in July, her lawyer Chase Strangio said.&nbsp;

Manning is held at Fort Leavenworth, a military prison in Kansas. She was charged with espionage for giving more 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield information to WikiLeaks.&nbsp;

Strangio, a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union blamed the officials for refusing to &quot;adequately treat her gender dysphoria&quot; and for isolating her for trying to take her life.&nbsp;

&quot;She has repeatedly been punished for trying to survive and now is being repeatedly punished for trying to die,&quot; Strangio added.&nbsp;

After her attempt, Manning was sent back to the general section of the jail.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

US Army soldier Manning is serving 35 years in prison for passing classified files to WikiLeaks

Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier convicted for espionage tried to commit suicide for the second time, her lawyer said on Friday. Manning is serving a 35 year sentence for passing classified information to WikiLeaks came out as a transgender after she was convicted. She tried to kill herself on October 4, before being placed in solitary confinement for a previous suicide attempt in July, her lawyer Chase Strangio said. Manning is held at Fort Leavenworth, a military prison in Kansas. She was charged with espionage for giving more 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield information to WikiLeaks. Strangio, a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union blamed the officials for refusing to "adequately treat her gender dysphoria" and for isolating her for trying to take her life. "She has repeatedly been punished for trying to survive and now is being repeatedly punished for trying to die," Strangio added. After her attempt, Manning was sent back to the general section of the jail. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Chelsea Manning attempted suicide second time: Lawyer

Ten soldiers of the United States military have officially&nbsp;asked to be recognised as transgenders&mdash;a few weeks after the Pentagon allowed transgender men and women to serve openly in the military.&nbsp;

The soldiers, however, have just asked to be recognised as transgenders without mentioning anything about considering gender transitioning. The Pentagon allows soldiers to recieve medical care and undergo gender change too.&nbsp;

The US army is now considering to step up efforts to educate the forces to handle decisions regarding soldiers who request a gender change, so that equal treatment is meted out to the transgender soldiers.

&quot;Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready,&quot; General Mark Milley, chief of state of the Army, told the Associated Press.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Next year the military will start enlisting the transgender soldiers, so as long as they are able to maintain their status stable for 18 months.&nbsp;

Adding that the military is meticulously taking care of the medical services and other treatment provided to them, &nbsp;the director of an independant research institute, California-based Palm Center, said that they were monitoring the implementation carefully and that the military is fully committed to treating everybody equally.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

Emphasising that a lot of self-education is needed before the army fully accepts the change, Milley said that the department was moving too fast.&nbsp;

&quot;The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue &mdash; the answer is yes,&quot; Milley said. &quot;The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism &mdash; that&#39;s a horse of a different color. Frankly I asked for more time,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Following the request, US army is considering to step up efforts to educate forces to handle decisions on soldiers who want a gender change

Ten soldiers of the United States military have officially asked to be recognised as transgenders—a few weeks after the Pentagon allowed transgender men and women to serve openly in the military. The soldiers, however, have just asked to be recognised as transgenders without mentioning anything about considering gender transitioning. The Pentagon allows soldiers to recieve medical care and undergo gender change too. The US army is now considering to step up efforts to educate the forces to handle decisions regarding soldiers who request a gender change, so that equal treatment is meted out to the transgender soldiers. "Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready," General Mark Milley, chief of state of the Army, told the Associated Press. "We're well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect," he added. Next year the military will start enlisting the transgender soldiers, so as long as they are able to maintain their status stable for 18 months. Adding that the military is meticulously taking care of the medical services and other treatment provided to them, the director of an independant research institute, California-based Palm Center, said that they were monitoring the implementation carefully and that the military is fully committed to treating everybody equally. "My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully,” he added. Emphasising that a lot of self-education is needed before the army fully accepts the change, Milley said that the department was moving too fast. "The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue — the answer is yes," Milley said. "The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism — that's a horse of a different color. Frankly I asked for more time,” he said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Ten transgender soldiers ask for first official army recognition

Militants linked to Islamic State have released photos that purport to show weapons and equipment that belonged to American soldiers and were captured by the group in eastern Afghanistan.

The photos, which came to light on Saturday, show an American portable rocket launcher, radio, grenades and other gear not commonly used by Afghan troops, as well as close-up views of identification cards for a US army soldier, Specialist Ryan Larson.

The US military command in Kabul denied any suggestion the soldier had been captured, saying he &quot;has been accounted for and remains in a duty status within his unit&quot;.

American special operations troops have been fighting alongside Afghan forces in a renewed offensive against militants who claim allegiance to Islamic State in Nangarhar Province, which borders Pakistan.

&quot;SPC Larson was attached to a unit conducting a partnered (operation) with Afghan Forces,&quot; US military spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said in an emailed statement on Sunday.&nbsp;&quot;The soldier&#39;s ID&nbsp;and some of the equipment were left behind after the (operation). The loss of personal identification is unfortunate.&quot;

In July, US commanders said at least five special forces were injured in fighting in the province.

The website that published the photos speculated that the equipment and weapons were left behind during that engagement, but Flesvig said American officials are still trying to determine exactly when and how it was lost.

The push in Nangarhar came after President Barack Obama cleared American troops to take a more active role in fighting militants in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Besides advising work and special operations missions, American aircraft deployed at least 545 weapons in the first six months of 2016. 
 
(Reuters)

IS released photos on Saturday showing an American portable rocket launcher, radio, grenades and other gear not used by Afghan troops

Militants linked to Islamic State have released photos that purport to show weapons and equipment that belonged to American soldiers and were captured by the group in eastern Afghanistan. The photos, which came to light on Saturday, show an American portable rocket launcher, radio, grenades and other gear not commonly used by Afghan troops, as well as close-up views of identification cards for a US army soldier, Specialist Ryan Larson. The US military command in Kabul denied any suggestion the soldier had been captured, saying he "has been accounted for and remains in a duty status within his unit". American special operations troops have been fighting alongside Afghan forces in a renewed offensive against militants who claim allegiance to Islamic State in Nangarhar Province, which borders Pakistan. "SPC Larson was attached to a unit conducting a partnered (operation) with Afghan Forces," US military spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said in an emailed statement on Sunday. "The soldier's ID and some of the equipment were left behind after the (operation). The loss of personal identification is unfortunate." In July, US commanders said at least five special forces were injured in fighting in the province. The website that published the photos speculated that the equipment and weapons were left behind during that engagement, but Flesvig said American officials are still trying to determine exactly when and how it was lost. The push in Nangarhar came after President Barack Obama cleared American troops to take a more active role in fighting militants in Afghanistan. Besides advising work and special operations missions, American aircraft deployed at least 545 weapons in the first six months of 2016. (Reuters)

Islamic State captures US weapons in Afghanistan

The longest serving civilian in US Air Force history, a World War II veteran who fought under General George Patton, will retire in September after 70 years, the military said yesterday. 
 
Anthony Duno, who was drafted into the US Army in 1944 at age 18, participated in the Normandy campaign, the Battle of the Bulge and was assigned to the Nuremberg Trials, the US Air Force said in a profile posted on its website. 
 
&quot;I really believe the Battle of the Bulge was the most important, severe point of the war. It was so extraordinary because so many things happened that had never happened before,&quot; Duno said. 
 
Duno&#39;s 70 years include both military and civil service. 
 
After the war, Duno, a native of the Bronx in New York, became a civilian Air Force employee specialised in reselling US military facilities that were phased out in Europe. 
 
He was honoured on Friday at the Pentagon with a ceremony attended by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. 
 
&quot;The Air Force was my life. I will deeply miss all the comrades, all the friends I&#39;ve known,&quot; he said in the profile. 
 
Duno, who keeps a chest filled with mementos from his life, including a Christmas card from Patton, will retire in the northeastern state of New Hampshire. 
 
(AFP)

Anthony Duno, a World War II veteran was drafted into the US Army in 1944, at age 18. His 70 years include both military and civil service

The longest serving civilian in US Air Force history, a World War II veteran who fought under General George Patton, will retire in September after 70 years, the military said yesterday. Anthony Duno, who was drafted into the US Army in 1944 at age 18, participated in the Normandy campaign, the Battle of the Bulge and was assigned to the Nuremberg Trials, the US Air Force said in a profile posted on its website. "I really believe the Battle of the Bulge was the most important, severe point of the war. It was so extraordinary because so many things happened that had never happened before," Duno said. Duno's 70 years include both military and civil service. After the war, Duno, a native of the Bronx in New York, became a civilian Air Force employee specialised in reselling US military facilities that were phased out in Europe. He was honoured on Friday at the Pentagon with a ceremony attended by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. "The Air Force was my life. I will deeply miss all the comrades, all the friends I've known," he said in the profile. Duno, who keeps a chest filled with mementos from his life, including a Christmas card from Patton, will retire in the northeastern state of New Hampshire. (AFP)

Longest serving US Air Force civilian to retire after 70 years

The US&nbsp;military expects to seek additional&nbsp;troops&nbsp;in Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced this week, as the campaign against the Islamic State advances, the head of the US&nbsp;military&#39;s central command said.

&quot;As we continue on the mission, I think there will be some additional&nbsp;troops&nbsp;that we will ask to bring in,&quot; US&nbsp;army General Joseph Votel said in an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, without disclosing a number.

Votel, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the size of possible future increases were still being discussed within military circles. He did not offer details on the timing of any requests to President Barack Obama&#39;s administration.

His remarks came just three days after Obama&#39;s administration announced a 560 troop increase as part of an effort to facilitate an Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq&#39;s second biggest city.

Most of those&nbsp;troops&nbsp;will work out of Qayara air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured from Islamic State militants last week.

They plan to use Qayara as a staging ground for an offensive to retake Mosul.

Votel suggested future requests would similarly be tailored to particular stages of the campaign.

&quot;We try to tie our requests to specific objectives we&#39;re trying to achieve on the ground,&quot; he said.

The recapture of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s de facto Iraqi capital, from which its leader declared a modern-day caliphate in 2014, would be a major boost for the plans by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the United States to weaken the militant group.

Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year.

Some US&nbsp;officials caution that retaking the city without a plan to restore security, basic services and governance would be a major mistake and question the ability of Iraq&#39;s Shi&#39;ite-government in Baghdad to mend the sectarian divide fueling the conflict.

Votel broadly acknowledged concerns about the non-military aspects of the campaign but said he felt more upbeat after meetings on Wednesday with top Iraqi officials, including Abadi.

&quot;While there is still a lot of work to do &ndash; a lot of work to do &ndash; I left more encouraged,&quot; he said, stressing the importance that US-backed military operations &quot;pay off on the political side&quot;.

With the latest troop increase, the United States has an official limit of just over 4,600&nbsp;troops formally assigned to Iraq, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments.

Obama has opposed recommitting the United States to another large-scale ground war in the Middle East and any deployment of forces to Iraq would likely need to be measured.

Republican leaders this week called on Obama to ask Congress for additional funds to pay for the deployment of more&nbsp;troops&nbsp;to Iraq, as Congress and the White House debate defense spending amid mandatory budget cuts.

No withdrawal

As Islamic State militants have lost part of their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, they increasingly have turned to suicide attacks.

These included a bombing in the Iraqi capital last week that left nearly 300 people dead, the most lethal bombing of its kind since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Votel was speaking before a gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice. No group has claimed responsibility.

Votel cautioned that even after Islamic State eventually loses Mosul and the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, Americans should not expect a rapid, wholesale withdrawal from the country. &quot;What we don&#39;t want to do is declare victory and depart after that. I think we want to see this through,&quot; Votel said.

If Islamic State fighters shift to other locations, outside those cities, Votel said it was important to have US military resources in place &quot;to ensure we can achieve that lasting defeat&quot;.

&quot;If there&#39;s capabilities we don&#39;t need, we will remove them. Likewise if there&#39;s capabilities we do need that we don&#39;t have, we&#39;ll ask for them,&quot; Votel said, describing an evolving campaign that won&#39;t end soon. 
 
(Reuters)

Three days after Obama's administration announced a troop increase in Iraq US?Army general Joseph Votel seeks additional troops

The US military expects to seek additional troops in Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced this week, as the campaign against the Islamic State advances, the head of the US military's central command said. "As we continue on the mission, I think there will be some additional troops that we will ask to bring in," US army General Joseph Votel said in an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, without disclosing a number. Votel, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the size of possible future increases were still being discussed within military circles. He did not offer details on the timing of any requests to President Barack Obama's administration. His remarks came just three days after Obama's administration announced a 560 troop increase as part of an effort to facilitate an Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city. Most of those troops will work out of Qayara air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured from Islamic State militants last week. They plan to use Qayara as a staging ground for an offensive to retake Mosul. Votel suggested future requests would similarly be tailored to particular stages of the campaign. "We try to tie our requests to specific objectives we're trying to achieve on the ground," he said. The recapture of Mosul, Islamic State's de facto Iraqi capital, from which its leader declared a modern-day caliphate in 2014, would be a major boost for the plans by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the United States to weaken the militant group. Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year. Some US officials caution that retaking the city without a plan to restore security, basic services and governance would be a major mistake and question the ability of Iraq's Shi'ite-government in Baghdad to mend the sectarian divide fueling the conflict. Votel broadly acknowledged concerns about the non-military aspects of the campaign but said he felt more upbeat after meetings on Wednesday with top Iraqi officials, including Abadi. "While there is still a lot of work to do – a lot of work to do – I left more encouraged," he said, stressing the importance that US-backed military operations "pay off on the political side". With the latest troop increase, the United States has an official limit of just over 4,600 troops formally assigned to Iraq, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments. Obama has opposed recommitting the United States to another large-scale ground war in the Middle East and any deployment of forces to Iraq would likely need to be measured. Republican leaders this week called on Obama to ask Congress for additional funds to pay for the deployment of more troops to Iraq, as Congress and the White House debate defense spending amid mandatory budget cuts. No withdrawal As Islamic State militants have lost part of their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, they increasingly have turned to suicide attacks. These included a bombing in the Iraqi capital last week that left nearly 300 people dead, the most lethal bombing of its kind since the 2003 US-led invasion. Votel was speaking before a gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice. No group has claimed responsibility. Votel cautioned that even after Islamic State eventually loses Mosul and the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, Americans should not expect a rapid, wholesale withdrawal from the country. "What we don't want to do is declare victory and depart after that. I think we want to see this through," Votel said. If Islamic State fighters shift to other locations, outside those cities, Votel said it was important to have US military resources in place "to ensure we can achieve that lasting defeat". "If there's capabilities we don't need, we will remove them. Likewise if there's capabilities we do need that we don't have, we'll ask for them," Votel said, describing an evolving campaign that won't end soon. (Reuters)

US military likely to seek additional troops in Iraq: US general

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