ANGER MEMBERS - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Medal of Honor recipient Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, center, and the 75th Ranger Regiment members with whom he served in Afghanistan in the secretary's Pentagon office, July 13, 2011. Panetta thanked the troops for their service and presented coins to each individual. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. BaileyPanetta: Tripping On Verbal Landmines -- Boston Globe Editorial
“This damn country has a hell of a lot of resources,’’ Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta exulted while addressing US troops at Camp Victory in Baghdad on Monday. But Panetta’s irreverent enthusiasm masked an unfortunate fact: His first trip abroad as head of the Pentagon has not gone smoothly. And while it’s easy to chuckle at his missteps, they’re coming at a pivotal time for the United States’ international presence and reputation.
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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS
Muslims call for imams in the German military -- The Local
BND intelligence agency loses HQ blueprints -- The Local
Ekonom.cz: US Lockheed Martin interested in tender for fighter planes to the Czech Republic-- Prague Monitor
Three Middle East nations considering F-16 orders -- Star Telegram
First Afghan female military pilots arrive in U.S. for training -- Reuters
British politicians demand extra powers to hold spies to account -- The Telegraph
Super destroyer HMS Diamond enters service -- British Forces News
Russia's Medvedev urges army to import weapons -- Reuters
Lavrov: Missile defense remains the biggest irritant in US-Russian relations -- Washington Post
Mullen visits China to mend military ties, but South China Sea disputes steal spotlight -- Christian Science Monitor
Fire Scout Fail: some of the background -- CDR Salamander
CIA aiding Somali government -- UPI
New Sub Passes Sea Trials; Old Sub Retired -- Aviation Week
Rep. Forbes: Navy may nix one aircraft carrier and delay another -- The Hill
Over a Fifth of Navy Ships Aren’t Ready to Fight -- Danger Room
The Navy’s Readiness Woes -- Defense Tech
U.S. Senators Question LCS Certifications -- Defense News
Dogfighting on Twitter Over the F-35 -- Wall Street Journal
US Navy considers moving aircraft training from Iwo Jima -- The Telegraph
ATF loses track of 1,400 guns in criticized probe -- CNN
Feds Eye CIA Officer in Abu Ghraib Prisoner Death -- FOX News/AP
GAO continues criticism of Pentagon center for PTSD, TBI -- Stars and Stripes
File Under WTF: Did the CIA Fake a Vaccination Campaign? -- Maryn McKenna, Wired
Longer Wars, Fewer Medals of Honor -- Rebekah Sanderlin, New York Times
Why to Sell F-16s to Taiwan -- Matt Anderson, The Diplomat
U.S. Status as World's Superpower Challenged by Rise of China -- Pew Research