Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter Talks About The Future of Warfare

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses U.S. military personnel during a meeting near an F-16 fighter jet at Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea Thursday, April 9, 2015. Reuters/Lee Jin-man/Pool

Wired: The Former Secretary of Defense Outlines the Future of Warfare

TO AN ENGINEER in Silicon Valley, the Defense Department can look a little old, a little slow, and a little fat. To the Defense Department, the smug confidence of young engineers doesn’t go unnoticed. Is it really better to work on an app for ordering sandwiches than it is to build submarines that can launch nuclear weapons?

Two years ago, Barack Obama appointed a new Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter—a technocrat physicist, an arms control veteran, and a professor at Stanford—to help close this divide. During his tenure, Carter set up a virtual outpost in Silicon Valley. He worked to make it easier for tech companies to sell things to the Pentagon, for their engineers to work there, and for their bosses to offer up advice. He even let WIRED tag along and write a profile of him. He also impressed the local royalty. “He’s been amazing,” Ben Horowitz, the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, told me in an interview.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am sure he wishes he was back at the Pentagon.

U.S. Defense Secretary: 'Russia Is Destabilising The World'

U.S. President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ash Carter sit down to a meeting of the National Security Council at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. August 4, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Wall Street Journal: Ash Carter Warns Russia Against Interfering in ‘Democratic Process’

Defense secretary’s comments seen as oblique warning on Russian-sponsored hacking of U.S. political institutions

OXFORD, England—Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said the U.S. and its partners wouldn’t ignore Russia’s “efforts to interfere with our democratic processes,” issuing an oblique warning to the Kremlin amid accusations of Russia-sponsored hacks on U.S. political institutions during the presidential election.

Mr. Carter, who made the comments on a trip to the U.K., didn’t directly address allegations that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and prominent members of the Democratic Party as part of an effort to interfere with the November election in the U.S.

But the secretary of defense did make an implicit reference to the matter in a broader speech on Russia, in which he hit out at the Kremlin for undermining the U.S., its allies and the international order. He said Russia wants to be recognized as the great power it is, but accused the Kremlin of pursuing that goal by undercutting the international community and acting out of misplaced fears.

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Update #1: Ash Carter: Russia Sowing Seeds of Global Instability (AP)
Update #2: U.S. warns Russia against interfering with Western politics (Reuters)

WNU Editor: I hear frustration in the voice of Defense Secretary Carter .... and he has cause. Russia has intervened successfully in undercutting U.S. power and influence in many regions of the world .... the Middle East included. But while it is easy to blame Russia for America's declining influence, the real blame must ultimately rest on the U.S., and how their foreign and military policy has alienated foreign governments (allies included). Case in point .... the Iran nuclear deal. By cutting out America's long term allies in the region when this deal was being negotiated and agreed upon .... the blow-back was more than predictable .... the erosion of trust from long term allies and the search for new alliances .... something that Russia was more than happy to fill in. As for Russia interfering in the U.S. election .... please .... Russia cannot even remotely match what is happening right now in this election cycle, not even close.

U.S. Defense Secretary Carter Wants To Edit Military Job Titles To Make "Man" More Gender-Neutral

Defense Secretary Ash Carter explores the capabilities of the USS New Mexico during a visit to Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn., on May 24, 2016. (DoD photo by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)

PJ Media: Defense Secretary Ponders How to Change 'Unmanned' Job Titles to Gender-Neutral Wording

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter expressed openness today to editing military job titles to make "man" more gender-neutral, even as he struggled with a way to make "unmanned" less masculine.

The Marine Corps Times reported last week that the service is reviewing its job titles -- rifleman, infantryman, etc. -- in the wake of all combat roles being opened to women and a January directive from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus for the Corps and the Navy to ensure those job descriptions are gender-neutral.

Every job title that includes "man" is up for review and potentially on the editing block.

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WNU Editor: You would think that he has more important things to do .... but apparently not.

Will U.S. Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter Stay As Defense Secretary In The Next Administration?

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses U.S. military personnel during a meeting near an F-16 fighter jet at Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea Thursday, April 9, 2015. Reuters/Lee Jin-man/Pool

Austin Wright and Connor O'Brien, Politico: The Democrats' secretary of war

President Obama's fourth defense secretary is looking a lot like he could be Hillary Clinton's first.

STUTTGART, Germany — After a Navy SEAL died in Iraq last week in an Islamic State attack, Defense Secretary Ash Carter was quick to hail him as a warrior who “died in combat.”

An ocean away, White House press secretary Josh Earnest offered a different take. While characterizing Carter’s remarks as “accurate,” Earnest said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV “was not in a combat mission, but he was in a dangerous place.”

The twin reactions to the latest U.S. casualty in the Middle East demonstrated once again that President Barack Obama and his more hawkish defense secretary aren’t completely in sync on the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a war the White House is trying to downplay if not constrain.

Carter’s worldview puts him more in line with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton than with Obama — and several analysts said Carter could be in the running to remain in his post should Clinton win in November, at least for a time. Others shot down the prospect as unlikely.

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WNU Editor: I can easily see him staying in a Hillary Clinton administration. But in a Donald Trump White House .... I doubt it. My gut is telling me that the first priority in a Donald Trump administration would be to clean house .... regardless on how qualified a person may be.

Before Going To Asia U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter Made Himself Available For Interviews And Speeches

Ashton Carter speaks to Vox at the Pentagon. Johnny Harris and Joss Fong, VOX

Max Fisher, VOX: Full transcript: Vox interviews Defense Secretary Ash Carter

I sat down recently with Defense Secretary Ash Carter to discuss some of the most important strategic challenges facing the United States since the end of the Cold War, how those challenges have changed over the course of his career, and what he foresees will change in the future. You can read a feature article on Carter's vision of great power competition here, and watch a video on the blurring lines of deterrence here. An unedited transcript of our conversation follows.

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WNU Editor: U.s Defense Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter also made himself available at the Council of Foreign Relations and at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (see videos below).

US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Is In A Rush To Fix Everything That Is Wrong With The Pentagon

Ryan Faith, VICE News: US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Wants to Fix Everything Wrong With the Pentagon

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter is racing against the clock to push some pretty far-reaching reforms in the Department of Defense.

On the one hand, fundamental structural changes in the world's most expensive military are important, and ripples from these changes will be felt for years and decades to come. On the other hand, this stuff is boring as hell. But in Washington, it turns out that being boring is one of the best forms of camouflage available.

Carter has found himself in a bit of a bind, in terms of his job. Sure, he's qualified, interested, and enthusiastic; people have said he's "genetically engineered to be defense secretary." But he came in late and has very little time on the clock before a new administration takes over.

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WNU Editor: President Obama has been in office for almost 8 years .... and the rush to fix the Pentagon is on now?!?!? As to what should be done .... the first thing should be this .... We need to audit the Pentagon (The Hill).

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter Admits Using A Personal Email Account For Work

ABC News: Defense Secretary Ash Carter: It Was a 'Mistake' to Use Personal Email for Work

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has come under fire for using a personal email account for official purposes and acknowledged that he made “a mistake."

Carter said he used his iPhone to send “administrative messages, no classified information” for some months even after Hillary Clinton became embroiled in her own personal email controversy. A spokesman for Carter said the defense secretary has not only stopped using his private email for work, but has also limited his use of email.

Carter became Defense Secretary on Feb. 17, two weeks after Clinton’s use of a personal email and server for official work at the State Department became public.

WNU Editor: Nothing serious is going to happen to him .... unlike what happened to former CIA Director Petraeus. My prediction .... a US Senate investigation, a reprimand and an promise to not do it again. But if the investigation finds deliberate wrongdoing .... for anyone else it would mean jail-time.

More News On U.S. Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter Admitting That He Used A Personal Email Account For Work

Pentagon chief: ‘I should have known better’ on email use -- Washington Post/AP
Sec. Carter admits use of personal email account 'a mistake' -- The Hill
Pentagon Confirms Carter's Personal Email Use a 'Mistake' -- Defense News
Ashton Carter: Using personal email account for work was mistake -- Washington Times
Defense Secretary Ash Carter Used Personal Email for Work: Pentagon -- NBC
McCain launches review of Pentagon chief’s personal email account -- The Hill
Pentagon chief’s use of personal email will prompt Senate review -- Washington Post
Senate panel wants Defense chief's email -- USA Today
Ash Carter's Use of a Personal Email Account -- Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter In The Middle East To Ask Allies To Do More In The War Against The Islamic State

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his wife, Stephanie, meet with coalition troops on Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2015. The secretary spoke about the push to accelerate the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. Carter is on a weeklong trip to the Middle East. DoD photo

Washington Post: Defense secretary prods allies to increase efforts against Islamic State

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter on Tuesday visited a Turkish air base near the Syrian border that has become a hub for operations against the Islamic State, as the Obama administration presses Turkey and other allied nations to step up their military response to the extremist group.

Carter touched down at Incirlik, located in southern Turkey about 100 miles from the Syrian border, at the beginning of a Middle Eastern tour that will give him a chance to assess the evolving U.S. campaign against the militant group, which remains dug in across large tracts of Syria and Iraq despite 16 months of U.S. and allied airstrikes.

“We’re looking to intensify and accelerate the defeat of ISIL,” Carter told reporters from the base’s sprawling tarmac. The Islamic State, a radical al-Qaeda offshoot, is also known as ISIS and ISIL.

More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Visit To The Middle East

Carter Calls for More Global Cooperation to Defeat ISIL -- US Department of Defense
Carter Visits Troops, Coalition Partners in Middle East -- US Department of Defense
US Defense Chief, Ashton Carter, Seeks More Allied Help in ISIS Fight -- NYT
Carter Seeks New Ways to Fight ISIL in Turkey Visit -- Defense News
U.S. defense chief seeks more Turkish help against Islamic State -- Reuters
U.S. presses Turkey to do more in coalition's fight against Islamic State -- L.A. Times
Defense chief in Turkey looking for ISIS advice -- CBS/AP
‘We want them to do more’ – US defense secretary asks Turkey to seal Syria border -- RT
U.S. footprint expands at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base -- Army Times
Carter's Trip Aims to Strengthen Fight Against Islamic State -- AP

A Profile On U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, right, speaks during a moderated discussion on global security in the 21st century at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council annual meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 16, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen

Wired: Department of Defense Head Ashton Carter Enlists Silicon Valley to Transform the Military

THE “DOOMSDAY PLANE” weighs 800,000 pounds when fully loaded and can withstand the effects of a nuclear bomb or asteroid blast while remaining aloft for 12 hours without refueling. First deployed in 1974, the Boeing E-4B has been the preferred mode of long-range transportation for US secretaries of defense ever since. But when `’s staff discovered the behemoth would literally crush the runway in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he planned to attend the annual gathering of tech elite at the Allen & Co. conference, the SecDef nimbly switched to a sleek Gulfstream V. He jetted in with just a few aides, his wife (the conference is something of a family affair), an overnight bag weighing less than 10 pounds—and the message that the US military has a new spirit of agile entrepreneurialism.

The DOD of course has a long history of jump-starting innovation. Historically, it has taken the megafunding and top-down control structures of the federal government to do the kind of investing required to create important technology for the military. Digital photography, GPS, the Internet itself—all were nourished by defense contracts before being opened up to the private sector, which then turned them into billion-dollar industries.

WNU Editor: Your typical puff-piece on a top U.S. official.

U.S. Secretary of Defense: Russia And China Are Threatening Global Order

Stars And Stripes: Carter: U.S. must prepare for challenges from Russia, China

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. –The United States must develop new strategies and weapons to challenge aggression from China and Russia, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

“That is a generational challenge, like it was in Reagan’s time,” Carter said during a speech at the forum held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs. “In the face of Russia’s provocations and China’s rise, we must embrace innovative approaches to protect the United States.”

Carter’s speech follows a week of travel through Asia, where the contested waters of the South China Sea dominated the trip.

More News On U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Remarks That Russia And China Are Threatening Global Order

Carter says Russian, China potentially threaten global order -- AP
Russia is putting world peace at risk, says Pentagon chief Ash Carter -- The Guardian
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter States Changing 'Operational Posture' With Russia, Continued Exercises In South China Sea -- IBTimes
Carter: US 'Deeply Concerned' by Risk of South China Sea Conflict -- VOA
U.S. navigation moves in South China Sea will continue: Carter -- Reuters
Carter: Russia 'Way Off Track' in Syria -- VOA

U.S. Defense Secretary Carter Visits Aircraft Carrier In Disputed South China Sea

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt crossing the South China Sea on Oct. 29. PHOTO: REUTERS

Reuters: Pentagon chief visits U.S. carrier in disputed South China Sea

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter flew to a U.S. aircraft carrier transiting the disputed South China Sea on Thursday and blamed China for rising tension in the region on a visit sure to infuriate Beijing.

Carter's visit to the USS Theodore Roosevelt with Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein came just over a week after the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, challenged territorial limits around one of China's man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago with a so-called freedom-of-navigation patrol.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.

WNU Editor: It's all about sending a message .... Carter sends message to China with USS Roosevelt visit (Stars and Stripes). I would also add that this visit is to reassure U.S. allies in the region on U.S. commitment.

More news On U.S. Defense Secretary Carter Visiting The Aircraft Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt In The Disputed South China Sea

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter visits aircraft carrier in disputed South China Sea -- FOX News/AP
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visits aircraft carrier in South China Sea -- DW
US Defense Chief Visits Warship in South China Sea -- VOA
US defence chief to visit carrier in South China Sea amid Beijing tensions -- The Guardian
Aboard U.S. Ship in South China Sea, Defense Secretary Invokes ‘Big Stick’ -- WSJ
For Southeast Asia, growing U.S.-China maritime row means a balancing act -- Yeganeh Torbati, Reuters
US warns China against flexing its maritime muscles -- Financial Times

U.S. Defense Secretary On Iran Nuclear Deal: 'The Military Option Stays On The Table And Becomes More Effective'

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter (Reuters / Yuri Gripas) / Reuters

USA Today: Ash Carter: Iran deal features defense backstop

With an agreement, the military option stays on the table and becomes more effective

Nineteen years ago, I was in Ukraine when the last nuclear warheads, orphaned during the Soviet Union’s breakup, rolled out of the country. As an assistant secretary of Defense at the time, I had worked with Washington colleagues and foreign counterparts to eliminate those nuclear weapons and thus one danger at the dawn of the post-Cold War world. Together — with bipartisan support in Congress led by Sens. Sam Nunn, a Democrat, and Richard Lugar, a Republican — we succeeded.

Update #1: Pentagon chief: Military will 'redouble' efforts after nuclear deal -- The Hill
Update #2: Defense Secretary Ash Carter: Iran Deal Safer Than Alternative -- US News and World Report

WNU Editor: I do not share the U.S. Defense Secretary's assessment. I see this agreement neutering any military options against Iran ... doubly so when sanctions are finally removed and the world community rushes in to do business with Iran.

U.S. Defense Secretary: Military Option Against Iran Still 'Open'

Euronews: US: Iran nuclear deal leaves military option open

The US Defence Secretary Ash Carter arriving in Israel. has arrived in Israel on the first stop in a Middle East trip aimed at reassuring allies in the region about the Iran Nuclear deal.

He is also due to visit Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Carter says he does not expect to he will persuade Israeli leaders to drop their opposition to the accord, but intended to explain some of its benefits.

“This is a good deal. It removes a critical element of danger and threat and uncertainty from the region,” Carter said.

“One of the reasons why this deal is a good one is that it does nothing to prevent the military option.”

WNU editor: The Iranians are not amused that the "military option" is still on the table .... Iran FM Criticizes US, Israel Over Threat of Military Action (AP).

More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter Stating That The Military Option Against Iran Is Still 'Open'

Iran nuclear deal does not 'prevent military option', says US -- BBC
Pentagon chief says Iran nuclear deal does not 'prevent military option' -- AFP
U.S. Defense Chief: Iran Deal Does Not 'Prevent Military Option' -- Radio Free Europe
US Defence Secretary Seeks to Ease Israeli Concerns over Iran Deal -- Military.com
Carter Allays Israeli Fears Over Iran Deal by Keeping Military Option -- Sputnik
Pentagon chief to Israel: Iran deal is good, military option still on the table -- RT

Who Will Leave Office First, Syrian President Bashar Assad Or US President Barack Obama?

Business Insider: The US defense secretary just gave a very telling answer to a question about Obama and Assad

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate and US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) asked Defense Secretary Ash Carter:

Who will leave office first, Syrian President Bashar Assad or US President Barack Obama?

The Pentagon chief reportedly answered, "I hope Assad, but I don't think so."

Carter's answer highlights the basic contradiction of the US policy regarding Assad. Over the past four years, the Obama administration has repeatedly said that Assad needs to step down — but has done very little to make that a reality.

WNU Editor: The question and answer is at the 3:14 mark at the above video. Actually .... the entire video is a good question and answer session .... if you have the chance, watch it all.

Is U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter The Right Man For The Job?

Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies before the House Armed Services Committee, June 17, 2015. Carter outlined the Defense Department’s strategy on dealing with terror threats in the Middle East and approaches to dealing with recent significant gains by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Ted Gup, Politico: Will Ash Carter's Arrogance Ruin Him?

The Pentagon chief’s harsh dismissal of Iraqi soldiers is all too typical. I should know.

A mere three months in office, Ashton Carter is quickly establishing himself as the scold of Washington. His main target: the Iraqis. On Wednesday the defense secretary once again denigrated Iraqi troops, saying a “combination of disunity, deserters, and so-called ‘ghost soldiers’—who are paid on the books but don’t show up or don’t exist — has greatly diminished their capacity.” Carter also told the House Armed Services Committee that efforts to recruit Iraqis against the Islamic State had thus far produced dismal results – a mere 7,000 recruits of the 24,000 hoped for. Three weeks earlier, following the fall of Ramadi, Carter spoke disdainfully on Sunday television of the Iraqi military’s performance in the field—how they cut and ran and showed “no will to fight.”

It remains to be seen whether Carter’s bluntness will inspire the Iraqis to action—or only further alienate a people whose culture does not react well to public shame, not to mention slurs on their manhood. But no one who knows him well should be surprised by Carter’s apparent arrogance, which appears to be unmitigated by any concept of diplomacy—least of all me.

Because Carter scolded me once. I hope the Iraqis get over it sooner than I did.

WNU Editor: In the case of Iraq .... after the fall of Ramadi any spin from the US Sec. of Defense would have been laughed at by everyone. There are cases where truth (and bluntness) is needed .... and while his bluntness will probably earn him no allies or friends in Baghdad .... they will at least know where he stands.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter: Iraqi Forces Lack Will To Fight

Washington Post: Defense Secretary Carter: Iraq’s forces showed ‘no will to fight’ Islamic State

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Iraqi forces "showed no will to fight" as the Islamic State militant group captured the city of Ramadi, and he rejected calls by Republican lawmakers to commit ground troops to the conflict.

"What apparently happened was that the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight," Carter said in a CNN interview that aired Sunday. "They were not outnumbered. In fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force, and yet they failed to fight. They withdrew from the site, and that says to me, and I think to most of us, that we have an issue with the will of the Iraqis to fight ISIL and defend themselves." The Islamic State is also known as ISIS or ISIL.

WNU Editor: US Defense Sec. Carter does have a point. Iraqi lawmakers disagree .... Iraqi Lawmaker Slams US Criticism of Iraqi Military (NYT/AP).

More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Remarks That "Iraqi Forces Lack Will To Fight"

Carter Says Iraq's 'Will to Fight' at Issue After Ramadi -- ABC News/AP
US defense secretary says fall of Ramadi shows Iraqi forces lack will to fight Isis -- The Guardian
Iraqi forces lack will to fight - Ashton Carter -- BBC
Carter: Iraqi troops lost 'will to fight' at Ramadi -- Politico

U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter Criticizes U.S. Republican Defense Budget Plans

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2015. DoD Photo by Glenn Fawcett

Defense News: Carter, Dems Slam GOP's Inflated War Fund

Secretary Pledges 'Personal Support' to Getting Ryan-Murray II

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and key Senate Democrats on Wednesday slammed a Republican-concocted plan to offset defense-spending limits by inflating a war fund.

House and Senate GOP leaders' decision to inflate the Obama administration's $50.9 billion war-fund request to $89 billion is a "gimmick," says Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat and ranking member of the Appropriations Defense subcommittee.

More News On U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter Criticizing U.S. Republican Defense Budget Plans

Carter Urges Senators to Support Stable Defense Budget -- US Department of Defense
‘Road to Nowhere’: Defense Secretary Slams GOP Defense Budget -- Defense One
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter criticizes Republican budget plan -- UPI
Pentagon Chief Calls For New Multiyear Defense Spending Deal -- IBTimes
SECDEF Ash Carter: Republican Congressional Budget Proposal is ‘A Road to Nowhere’ -- USNI News
Carter's latest budget pleas largely ignored by GOP -- Military Times
Obama threatens veto of defense funding shift -- Washington Times

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter Wants Europe To Spend More On Defense

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses U.S. military personnel during a meeting near an F-16 fighter jet at Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea Thursday, April 9, 2015. Reuters/Lee Jin-man/Pool

Reuters: Europe's security challenges should mean more defense spending: Carter

(Reuters) - Europe should be spending more on its military given the security challenges facing the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday, adding that falling investment had eroded Europe's ability to be a capable U.S. ally.

"They're not doing enough. They are spending a smaller share of their GDP than they have in the past, (than) we do now and (than) many, like Russia, are spending. It's too low," Carter told a group of university students training as military officers.

The Pentagon chief made the remarks after being asked by one student what the United States could do to encourage Europe to be more financially committed to its own defense.

WNU Editor: I have trouble seeing Europe spending more money on defense. Most of these countries are facing a serious financial/debt crisis .... and the last thing that is on their minds is more money for the military.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter Admits That The Pentagon's Mosul Briefing Was A Mistake

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Reuters: U.S. military's Mosul briefing inaccurate, misguided, Carter says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. military official who briefed news media about Iraq's upcoming offensive to retake Mosul provided inaccurate information but should never have publicly discussed war plans anyway, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday.

Carter's criticism of the February news briefing by an official from the U.S. military's Central Command was accompanied by an assurance from the top U.S. military officer to Congress that the matter was subject to an internal inquiry.

Update: Pentagon calls Mosul briefing a mistake by CentCom -- AP

WNU Editor: It was not only a mistake, but it was a disaster. Telling your enemy on what are your military plans and strategies .... and then admitting a few days later that they are not feasible .... words completely escape me.

A New Leadership At The Pentagon

Philip Ewing, Politico: The Pentagon's new whiz kids

“It’s a dream team of wonkiness, and I am thrilled," says Sen. Claire McCaskill.

For decades, Defense Department policy wonks have sought to run the Pentagon more efficiently, especially in the acquisition of budget-busting hardware. But their efforts haven’t always been supported by colleagues from the political or military brass.

WNU Editor: They have their work cut out for them. Sequestration is going to hit the Pentagon budget again .... and finding the monies necessary to fund the Pentagon and determining what programs are going to be cut (or not) is going to be a challenge.