United States’ lawmakers question Amazon’s connections on Pentagon contract

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As the Defense Department prepares to solicit bids for cloud-computing work that could yield billions of dollars for Amazon, members of Congress are raising new questions about the company’s efforts to win a $10 billion contract during the Trump administration. Previously unreleased emails show that Pentagon officials in 2017 and 2018 lavished praise on several … Read more

Joe Biden administration unveils plan to tackle domestic terrorism

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Five months after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Biden administration on Tuesday will unveil new steps to combat the “elevated threat” posed by domestic terrorism, but will not – for now – seek legislation to battle home-grown threats. Instead, in a national strategy to be publicly unveiled by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, … Read more

WSJ News Exclusive | Pentagon Draw-Down at U.S. Embassies Prompts Concern About Ceding Field to Global Rivals

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WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has quietly begun withdrawing top military officers from U.S. embassies in Africa and downgrading other such posts world-wide, a move officials say is necessary to shift resources to counter China and Russia on the geopolitical stage and meet congressional caps on the number of generals and admirals in the U.S. military. The position … Read more

China Flies Warplanes Near Taiwan as Senior U.S. Diplomat Visits

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TAIPEI—Beijing flew military aircraft close to Taiwan on a day that a senior American diplomat met with Taiwan’s president as part of a series of recent U.S. moves to improve ties with the self-ruled island. Undersecretary of State Keith Krach, the highest-ranking State Department official to visit the island since Washington cut formal ties with … Read more

Colombian Government Apologizes for Police Killing as Protests Spread

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BOGOTÁ, Colombia—A government minister overseeing the police apologized for the death of Bogotá man in police custody and said two officers have been fired, as authorities called for calm following two nights of protests and rioting that left at least 13 people dead. “The National Police ask for forgiveness for any violation of the law … Read more

WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. to Cut Troop Presence in Iraq by About One-Third, Officials Say

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WASHINGTON—The Pentagon is cutting the U.S. force in Iraq to about 3,500 troops, U.S. officials said, a roughly one-third reduction that President Trump is expected to tout as progress toward winding down what he has described as endless wars. The U.S. and Iraq refrained from publicly setting a schedule for reducing the approximately 5,200 American … Read more