Guest Authors

11 November 2012

Written By: Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2012 – The Defense Department released a detailed timeline yesterday of the Pentagon’s response to the September attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.

A senior defense official, speaking on background with Pentagon reporters, emphasized the rapid consultation, planning and troop pre-deployment actions defense leaders undertook in the first hours following the attack.

“With naval, Marine, special operations and air forces either employed or en route to Libya during the attacks, we responded,” the official said. “We mourn the loss of four American heroes in Benghazi.”

The military’s initial response began within minutes of the first incident in Benghazi, the official said: the attack on the U.S. consulate began at 3:42 p.m. EDT [9:42 p.m. Benghazi time], and by 5:10 EDT an unarmed surveillance aircraft was on station over the Benghazi compound.

By 5:30 p.m., all surviving Americans had left the consulate, the official noted, adding that defense officials didn’t have that information until later.

Read more: DOD Releases Detailed Timeline for Benghazi Response

11 November 2012

Written By: Rick Rothacker
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina

(Reuters) - When Paula Broadwell first met David Petraeus in 2006, she was a soldier-turned-graduate student at Harvard University. The acclaimed U.S. Army general gave her his card and offered to help her with her studies.

Broadwell soon began trading emails with the general, and four years later she was in Afghanistan turning a dissertation about his leadership into a book published this year entitled "All In." Interviews for the book often took place on endurance-testing runs together, she would later say.

"That was the foundation of our relationship," Broadwell said of their runs when promoting the book on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" TV program in January.

That relationship is now at the center of a scandal that has not only ended Petraeus' short tenure as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency but also badly tarnished the reputation of a revered military leader.

And it has raised awkward questions about whether the White House had any inkling of the problem before the November 6 presidential election.

Read more: Petraeus relationship leads to book, scandal for Broadwell

11 November 2012

UNCLASSIFIED

2012-11-S-015
For Immediate Release

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Nov. 11) – An Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban direct-action cell leader Zafran during a security operation in Helmand province Saturday.

Zafran was believed responsible for conducting improvised explosive device and ambush-style attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his death he was preparing future IED attacks on combined forces, coalition officials said.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

Read more: ISAF Joint Command morning operational update: 11 November 2012