David Petraeus
Fumio Kishida set to become Japan's next prime minister
Top of The World: Fumio Kishida, Japan's former foreign minister, has won the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, all but assuring he'll become the country's next prime minister. And, senators in Washington on Tuesday grilled top Pentagon officials over the chaotic and violent US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Also, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to ease concerns over fuel shortages in the country by placing army troops on standby to help distribute gasoline.
Gen. David Petraeus: The US has a 'moral obligation' to help those left behind in Afghanistan
Delta variant surge in Wuhan prompts massive city-wide testing
Hong Kong national security law to take effect; Iran sentences journalist to death; Koalas could be extinct by 2050 in New South Wales
Gen. Petraeus on Qasem Soleimani's killing: 'It's impossible to overstate the significance'
Analysis: Why the US is to blame for its own defeat in Afghanistan
A deal with the Taliban is the best chance the US has of extracting itself from the morass in Afghanistan. But ensuring the country does not become a failed state yet again will require US support.
Trump is stacking top government posts with retired generals
Donald Trump named retired four-star Marine Gen. John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security. If confirmed by the Senate, Kelly would join retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary and retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser.
Global Scan
Vladimir Putin would like you to know he too opposes fracking
Imagine the foes of fracking and you'd probably put Greenpeace at the top of the list. But add Vladimir Putin too — someone who rarely sees eye-to-eye with the environmentalists. But he has his own reasons, not tied to saving the Earth. Meanwhile, there's tension over US military actions in Iraq. Those stories and more in today's Global Scan.
Conflict & Justice
One former policy maker argues you can't bomb Iraq without bombing Syria
The crisis in Iraq presents few good options to US policy makers. The President is consulting with Congress on the possibility of air strikes, which Iraq has now formally requested. But at least one former policy maker argues you can't intervene in Iraq without intervening in Syria.
A former US military leader has advice for Iraq on fighting al-Qaeda in Fallujah
Violence is spreading in Iraq's western Anbar province engulfing two key cities — Fallujah and Ramadi. Many Americans remember Fallujah and Anbar province as places where US soldiers fought and died. Retired US Army Colonel Peter Mansoor knows the area well and says the US government should re-engage.
Pentagon Presents $1B Per Month Plan for U.S. Action in Syria
Assessing America's Counterinsurgency in Iraq
No longer a turf war, the Pentagon and CIA work closely
With the increase use of drone strikes as a powerful fighting force, the military is looking to get more involved in intelligence. Greg Miller says that it's becoming more difficult to tell who's doing what as the Pentagon and CIA work closely together.
CIA closes down intelligence center focused on climate change
The Central Intelligence Agency for a few years has operated a group focused on examining how climate change could affect U.S. National Security. But, recently, the desk has been shutdown, which some environmentalists say is because of opposition from Republicans in Congress.
Despite Resigning, Petraeus Will Testify on Benghazi