Military Headline News: China Running on Iraqi Crude that U.S. Protects

Military Headline News – Rick Rogers

 
[audio:http://defensetracker.com/archives/milmin652013.mp3]
Trivia question: What country is benefiting the most from Iraq’s oil boom?
Here’s a hint, it’s not the county that bled driving Saddam Hussein from power or that spent more than $1 trillion there.
China – not the United States – gets more than 10 million barrels of oil a week from the Persian Gulf nation.
Ironically, the U.S. military ensures that oil keeps flowing to its chief economic and military rival.
American military leaders agree their justice system is flawed as reflected in the high number of sexual assaults reported in the ranks.
But the Pentagon opposes any Congressional move to strip commanders’ of their authority to discipline troops.
A military judge is allowing the Army officer charged with murdering 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009 to represent himself at court-martial.
Army Maj. Nidal Hasan could be sentenced to death in the case.
The Defense Department might keep substantial numbers of U.S. troops in Afghanistan past the announced general pullout date of 2014 in order to give the Afghans more time to build their forces.
Rick Rogers, Military Headline News.

Rick Rogers is an Army veteran and Northwestern University graduate who’s covered military and defense issues for nearly 30 years. Read more of his stuff by clicking here.

Rick Rogers

Rick Rogers is a defense reporter based in San Diego.