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Special Counsel John Durham demolished a key Russia hoax figure’s attempt to get criminal charges against him dropped. Approximately two weeks ago, Michael Sussmann’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charge the special counsel’s office brought against the former Hillary Clinton campaign attorney. On Friday, the special counsel filed a response that demolished Sussmann’s legal arguments, highlighted several significant facts related to the pending charge, and revealed the ridiculousness of the defense’s attempt to hide behind the First Amendment. Here are five key takeaways from Durham’s response. 1. Sussmann’s Alleged Lie Was Material Even Under the Defense’s...

After Hearings, Lawmakers Call Truman Carrier Retirement Plan ‘Ridiculous’ CAPITOL HILL – Lawmakers told industry representatives today that, if it wasn’t already clear from their hearings with Pentagon and Navy leadership this week, they had no intention of letting the Defense Department shed an aircraft carrier instead of refuel it. “I think that’s’ a ridiculous idea,” Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), a retired Navy commander and current representative of the district that includes Naval Station Norfolk, said at the Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition’s annual Capitol Hill breakfast and lobbying day. “That math doesn’t work,” said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the...

HASC Leaders Unconvinced by Pentagon’s Plan to Cut Aircraft Carrier By: Megan Eckstein USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on Sept 22, 2018. US Navy Photo This post has been updated to include comments from a second March 26 hearing, which took place in the HASC seapower and projection forces subcommittee. The Defense Department’s first crack at convincing the House Armed Services Committee to retire an aircraft carrier early to support the development of future weapons systems and unmanned platforms was not well received. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) applauds the passage of the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on Thursday after a week of debate and consideration by both parties. Sen. Cruz introduced or cosponsored more than a dozen amendments that were successfully adopted by the committee. “Congress’ first priority is to provide for the national defense and ensure our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have everything they need to defend our freedom,” said Sen. Cruz. “I am grateful for the committee’s support for my amendments, including measures that will ensure...

General Robert H. Barrow, 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps testimony before the SASC on Women in Combat. June 1991.

China’s nuclear arsenal poses the most serious “mortal threat” to the United States among nation states, Director of National IntelligenceJames Clapper told the Senate on Thursday. In candid testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Clapper said he considered China the most significant threat among nation states, with Russia posing the second-greatest threat. He later clarified the comments by saying he did not assess that China or Russia had the intention to launch an attack on the United States. The testimony contrasts with statements by Obama administration officials who have sought to highlight the dangers of Iran and North...

The U.S. Air Force will respond to a lawmaker’s inquiry on whether the Integrated Fleet Aerial Refueling Assessment (Ifara) can be eliminated from the service’s KC-X aerial refueling tanker competition, as well as comment on how important Ifara is to the award, an Air Force representative told the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) this morning. Moreover, USAF will respond to a question about what options were considered to “level the playing field” after a data-release mistake last year, defense officials said during a wide-ranging and mostly theatrical hearing on the error. The 2.5-hr. hearing, which quickly became more contentious among...

Sen. John McCain on Tuesday became one of the highest-profile Senate Republicans to say that his party could take control of the upper chamber in the midterm elections. In an interview on the "Imus in the Morning" show, McCain (Ariz.) criticized President Obama on national security issues and said that if Republicans win the Senate, he would become chairman of the Armed Services Committee and could further influence the debate. "I thought the important thing is, particularly on national security issues, but other issues — I think I have a lot to contribute. If we, and I think we can,...

To The Honorable Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee During the Democratic Debate between Senators Clinton and Obama televised on the evening of February 21st, Senator Obama spoke of information passed on to him by an officer in the United States Army about our forces in Afghanistan suffering from a shortage of equipment and weapons. The very next day, a member and former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Warner, sent a letter to Senator Obama, asking for information about these charges. Senator Warner wrote: "...I, and I believe other members of SASC, have a responsibility to establish...

UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES _________________________________________________ There will be a meeting of the Committee on ARMED SERVICES Thursday, February 3, 2005 10:00 AM Room SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building OPEN To receive testimony on U.S. military operations and stabilizationactivities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Honorable Paul D. Wolfowitz Deputy Secretary of Defense   General Richard B. Myers, USAF Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff   Mr. Ronald L. Schlicher Deputy Assistant Secretary of StateCoordinator for Iraq

I don't know if this was posted somewhere here yet, if not, here it is: By APARNA H. KUMAR WASHINGTON (AP) - An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information" backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday. The administration cited Saddam's hunger for such weapons as a main reason to invade Iraq last year. "I'm not suggesting dramatic discoveries," Warner told reporters, but "bits and pieces that Saddam Hussein was clearly defying" international restrictions, "and he and his government had...

WASHINGTON - An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information" backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed Services Committee (news - web sites) Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday. The administration cited Saddam's hunger for such weapons as a main reason to invade Iraq (news - web sites) last year. "I'm not suggesting dramatic discoveries," Warner told reporters, but "bits and pieces that Saddam Hussein was clearly defying" international restrictions, "and he and his government had a continuing interest in maintaining the potential to...

WASHINGTON - An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information" backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed Services Committee (news - web sites) Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday. The administration cited Saddam's hunger for such weapons as a main reason to invade Iraq (news - web sites) last year. "I'm not suggesting dramatic discoveries," Warner told reporters, but "bits and pieces that Saddam Hussein was clearly defying" international restrictions, "and he and his government had a continuing interest in maintaining the potential to...

May 22, 2004 An Abu Ghraib Investigation t has been gratifying to see Senator John Warner, the Republican who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee, lead a bipartisan effort to look into the abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The hearings have already done far more than the Pentagon ever intended to do in providing a public airing of the Abu Ghraib disaster. But with each day's horrible revelations, it seems evident that the hearings will not be enough. It is also hard to believe that the military's own investigations will yield much, given the shifting of blame offered...

The 2nd least reported story of the week, following the generally ignored or obfuscated revelations about the Sarin IED was the testimony of General John P. Abizaid, USA (Commander US Central Command), Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez (USA Commander Multi-National Force-Iraq) + Major General Geoffrey D. Miller (USA Deputy Commander for Detainee Operations) before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, 5/19/2004. This testimony took place at the same time as the 9/11 Commission was holding hearings in New York but, nonetheless, it was still surprising to see the committee room nearly vacant given all the press handwringing over the...

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee lashed out at his Senate counterpart yesterday for summoning senior U.S. commanders from the field to testify at hearings into the prisoner-abuse scandal, saying the move threatens to disrupt military operations in Iraq. "I think the Senate has become mesmerized by cameras, and I think that's sad," said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.). Hunter's remarks represented a rare public attack by one leading Republican lawmaker on another. They reflected the growing strains in senior GOP circles over how to manage the scandal that has tarnished perceptions of the United States abroad, undercut U.S....

<p>The House Armed Services Committee chairman yesterday said the ongoing Senate hearings into prisoner abuse in Iraq are hurting the U.S. military's ability to wage the war.</p> <p>"We've got 135,000 kids over there that need leadership, and their leadership can't be dragged back to Washington every couple of days to focus on seven people. And that's what's happened," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican.</p>

Three U.S. generals to explain what they know about Iraq prison abuse By Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press, 5/19/2004 01:38 WASHINGTON (AP) Senators are pulling in top U.S. generals from Iraq to tell what they know about the prisoner abuse scandal over strong criticism from a Republican committee chairman in the House. The Senate Armed Services Committee is ''basically driving the story'' of prisoner abuse and ''jerking out these battlefield commanders'' while their troops are in a shooting war, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said. ''The Senate has become mesmerized by cameras'' and ''they have given now probably more publicity to what...

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. military personnel took photos of Iraqi prisoners in sexually humiliating poses in an apparent effort to obtain leverage for future interrogations, a leading senator said Tuesday. ``They staged those photographs, which I understand were going to be shown to the prisoners' families by way of threats unless he came forward with some valuable information,'' said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.``The plot is thickening,'' Warner added as he presided over a daylong hearing into prisoner abuse. The hearing was jolted by the release of a video, posted on an Islamic...

Pentagon to Give Congress Abuse Photos Associated Press WASHINGTON - Bracing for what the defense secretary has described as "sadistic" pictures, Congress will see the unreleased photos showing Iraqi prisoners being abused by U.S. soldiers, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Sunday. Another leading Republican, Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, suggested that Pentagon chief Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers may not keep their jobs as the scandal unfolds. "I think it's still in question whether Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and, quite frankly, General Myers can command the respect and the trust...