Image: Getty ImagesCovert Action Makes a Comeback -- Max Boot, Wall Street Journal
Once in disrepute, secret warfare is now embraced even by the Obama administration to fight terrorism and weapons proliferation.
We're in an era of "covert action."
That phrase went into disrepute in the 1970s, when Congress's Church Committee exposed hare-brained CIA plots to eliminate foreign leaders, such as assassinating Fidel Castro with exploding cigars. President Ford banned assassinations, a chastened CIA cast many veteran officers into the cold, and Congress imposed new limits on covert activities. From then on the president would have to approve all operations in writing and notify senior members of Congress. There would be no more "wink-and-nod" authorizations.
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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS
Cyber Warrior to Take Enterprise Command -- Military.com
'Kim Jong-il hides himself underground for fear of F-22 Raptors' -- Korea Times
India Breaks Ground On Warship Research Center -- Defense News
Russia plans 50 space launches, 10 ICBM launches in 2011 -- Barents Observer
Strategic Weapons: The Last Charge Of The Heavy Brigade -- Strategy Page
US, Russia plan more anti-hijacking exercises -- AP
U.S. denies Iran shot down drones in Gulf -- Reuters
Lockheed Missile-System Funds Are Withheld Until Program's Fate Is Decided -- Bloomberg
DARPA seeks 'smart jammer' technology for combat -- GCN
DARPA Developing Mobile Networks For War Communications -- Information Week Government
Pentagon issues conflict of interest rule for contractors -- Washington Post
Is This The End for The Marines’ Swimming Tank? -- The Danger Room
SLAMRAAM, EFV Getting Axed? -- DoD Buzz
US military fields new mine roller technology to defeat IEDs -- Defpro
Army relieves 172nd Infantry Brigade Commander -- Stars And Stripes
The future of warfare -- David Ignatius, Washington Post (Commentary)