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Pardons for war crimes could harm commanders’ influence, former military lawyers warn
From left, Michael Behenna, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher and then-U.S Army Capt. Mathew Golsteyn<br>AP/ Andrea Gallagher/ The Fayetteville Observer
From left, Michael Behenna, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher and then-U.S Army Capt. Mathew Golsteyn<br>AP/ Andrea Gallagher/ The Fayetteville Observer

Presidential pardons for American servicemembers convicted or accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the killing of unarmed enemy fighters, could undermine military leadership and might complicate the U.S. relationship with key allies, several military law experts said.

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. <br>Iranian Presidency Office via AP
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. <br>Iranian Presidency Office via AP

ANALYSIS

Faced with relentless American pressure, Iran starts to hit back

Iran has made a dramatic shift in how it confronts the United States, abandoning a policy of restraint in recent weeks for a series of offensive actions aimed at pushing the White House to rethink its efforts at isolating Tehran, say diplomats and analysts.

Johnnie Downs places a rose at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes
Johnnie Downs places a rose at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Duplications, misspellings and miscounts found in new study of the Vietnam Wall

After checking and rechecking available databases, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund officials took a master list to the memorial and checked it against the names on the Wall.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy
The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy

Navy again sends a pair of ships through contentious Taiwan Strait

Guided-missile destroyer USS Preble and the oil tanker USNS Walter S. Diehl sailed the straight north to south.


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Episode 9: Contractors navigate complex maze of laws, policies for health care

A trio of experts joins hosts Michelle Harven and Desmon Farris to help explain the intricacies of contractor health care, provide tips for those in the industry and clear up some of the murkier aspects of the current system.

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Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a symposium audience in Honolulu, May 22, 2019, that the combined U.S.-South Korean military force has suffered no loss of readiness with the suspension of large-scale exercises last year.<br>Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes
Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a symposium audience in Honolulu, May 22, 2019, that the combined U.S.-South Korean military force has suffered no loss of readiness with the suspension of large-scale exercises last year.<br>Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes

Readiness in S. Korea unfazed by end of large-scale drills, USFK commander says

Combined training and readiness have not flagged in South Korea despite suspension of large-scale exercises last year, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said Wednesday.

In this Wednesday, May 22, 2019, photo, D-Day veteran Eugene Deibler poses for a photo with his medals from WWII at his home in Charlotte, N.C. How many people remember the Civil War? How many people will remember World War I? And now it's the same with World War II, he said. World War II will fade away also. <br>Chuck Burton/AP
In this Wednesday, May 22, 2019, photo, D-Day veteran Eugene Deibler poses for a photo with his medals from WWII at his home in Charlotte, N.C. How many people remember the Civil War? How many people will remember World War I? And now it's the same with World War II, he said. World War II will fade away also. <br>Chuck Burton/AP

Revisiting France, and recalling D-Day's horror and triumph

Across three quarters of a century, the old veterans remember that epic day on the beaches of Normandy. For historians, D-Day was a turning point in the war against Germany; for men who were among the 160,000 Allied fighters who mounted history's largest amphibious invasion, June 6, 1944, remains a kaleidoscope of memories, a signal moment of their youth.

A video screen grab shows John Walker Lindh, right, on Dec. 1, 2001. Lindh, the young Californian who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019, after nearly two decades in prison.<br>AP
A video screen grab shows John Walker Lindh, right, on Dec. 1, 2001. Lindh, the young Californian who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019, after nearly two decades in prison.<br>AP

'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh to be released

John Walker Lindh, who became known as the American Taliban after his capture in Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free after nearly two decades in prison. But conditions imposed recently on Lindh's release, slated for Thursday, make clear that authorities remain concerned about the threat he could pose once free.

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The Keystone dam on the Arkansas river on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Authorities on Wednesday encouraged people living along the Arkansas River in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby and low-lying areas near creeks both north and south of Okmulgee, about 35 miles south of Tulsa. to leave their homes. <br>Tom Gilbert/AP

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy

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In this Friday, May 17, 2019 photo people attend an event during the street Europe and communal election campaigning of the far-right Alternative for Germany AfD in Gera, Germany. In Germany, the far-right AfD party is dominating the social media campaigns ahead of the European elections with attacks on the political establishment and fearmongering of migrants and Islam. The question is if their skilled digital campaigns will translate into a political success when Germany's voters cast their ballot on May 26. <br>Jens Meyer/AP

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A missile from a Patriot weapons system is fired on Nov. 8, 2017, at a NATO missile firing base in Chania, Greece.<br>Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense

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Officials say no decision has been made and it's not clear if the White House will approve sending all or just some of the requested forces. Officials say the troops will be defensive forces, and the discussions include additional Patriot missile batteries and more ships.

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Somalis walk near the wreckage after a suicide car bomb attack in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday, May 22, 2019. A police spokesman said the attack killed at least six people and injured more than a dozen, while Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it targeted vehicles carrying government officials. <br>Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Suicide car bomb kills at least 9 in Somalia's capital

Islamic extremists exploded a suicide car bomb near the presidential palace in Somalia's capital Wednesday, killing at least nine people, including former Foreign Minister Hussein Elabe Fahiye, who was an adviser to the current president.

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The Keystone dam on the Arkansas river on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Authorities on Wednesday encouraged people living along the Arkansas River in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby and low-lying areas near creeks both north and south of Okmulgee, about 35 miles south of Tulsa. to leave their homes. <br>Tom Gilbert/AP

Runaway barges threaten dam in another day of Midwest storms

Two barges broke loose and floated swiftly down the swollen Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma on Wednesday, spreading alarm downstream as they threatened to hit a dam.

See more U.S. news
The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy

Navy again sends a pair of ships through contentious Taiwan Strait

Guided-missile destroyer USS Preble and the oil tanker USNS Walter S. Diehl sailed the straight north to south.

See more Pacific news
In this Friday, May 17, 2019 photo people attend an event during the street Europe and communal election campaigning of the far-right Alternative for Germany AfD in Gera, Germany. In Germany, the far-right AfD party is dominating the social media campaigns ahead of the European elections with attacks on the political establishment and fearmongering of migrants and Islam. The question is if their skilled digital campaigns will translate into a political success when Germany's voters cast their ballot on May 26. <br>Jens Meyer/AP

German far right cancels election party after venue threats

In a statement Wednesday, the party's top candidate for the upcoming European Parliament elections, Joerg Meuthen, said the landlady of the venue had been subjected to "aggressive telephone terror" in recent days.

See more Europe news
A missile from a Patriot weapons system is fired on Nov. 8, 2017, at a NATO missile firing base in Chania, Greece.<br>Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense

US officials: Plan may send up to 10,000 troops to Mideast

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Somalis walk near the wreckage after a suicide car bomb attack in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday, May 22, 2019. A police spokesman said the attack killed at least six people and injured more than a dozen, while Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it targeted vehicles carrying government officials. <br>Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Suicide car bomb kills at least 9 in Somalia's capital

Islamic extremists exploded a suicide car bomb near the presidential palace in Somalia's capital Wednesday, killing at least nine people, including former Foreign Minister Hussein Elabe Fahiye, who was an adviser to the current president.

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Johnnie Downs places a rose at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes
Johnnie Downs places a rose at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.<br>Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

Duplications, misspellings and miscounts found in new study of the Vietnam Wall

After checking and rechecking available databases, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund officials took a master list to the memorial and checked it against the names on the Wall.

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy
The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy

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Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a symposium audience in Honolulu, May 22, 2019, that the combined U.S.-South Korean military force has suffered no loss of readiness with the suspension of large-scale exercises last year.<br>Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes
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Sailors and Marines salute the Freedom Tower on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York while transiting the Hudson River as they head to a pier in Manhattan during Fleet Week New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Fleet Week New York is in its 31st year.<br>Specialist 3rd Class Brett Walker/U.S. Navy
Sailors and Marines salute the Freedom Tower on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York while transiting the Hudson River as they head to a pier in Manhattan during Fleet Week New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Fleet Week New York is in its 31st year.<br>Specialist 3rd Class Brett Walker/U.S. Navy

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This photo taken from video provided by KABC-TV shows where an F-16 fighter jet crashed into a warehouse just outside March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., Thursday afternoon, May 16, 2019. <br>KABC-TV via AP
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The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy
The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, shown here April 18, 2019, made a passage with the USNS Walter S. Diehl through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Navy reported.<br>Bryan Niegel/U.S. Navy

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Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a symposium audience in Honolulu, May 22, 2019, that the combined U.S.-South Korean military force has suffered no loss of readiness with the suspension of large-scale exercises last year.<br>Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes
Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a symposium audience in Honolulu, May 22, 2019, that the combined U.S.-South Korean military force has suffered no loss of readiness with the suspension of large-scale exercises last year.<br>Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes

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Sailors and Marines salute the Freedom Tower on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York while transiting the Hudson River as they head to a pier in Manhattan during Fleet Week New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Fleet Week New York is in its 31st year.<br>Specialist 3rd Class Brett Walker/U.S. Navy
Sailors and Marines salute the Freedom Tower on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York while transiting the Hudson River as they head to a pier in Manhattan during Fleet Week New York on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Fleet Week New York is in its 31st year.<br>Specialist 3rd Class Brett Walker/U.S. Navy

Navy, Marines, Coast Guard sail into New York for Fleet Week

Some 2,600 Navy sailors, Marines and members of the Coast Guard cruised into New York City on more than a dozen vessels Wednesday for the 31st annual Fleet Week — one of the largest in the nation.

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Air Force agrees to reimburse W.Va. city for chem cleanup

The Air Force has agreed to reimburse $4.9 million to the city of Martinsburg, West Virginia, for expenses related to the 2016 cleanup of hazardous chemicals from the city's water supply.

See more Air Force news
This photo taken from video provided by KABC-TV shows where an F-16 fighter jet crashed into a warehouse just outside March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., Thursday afternoon, May 16, 2019. <br>KABC-TV via AP
This photo taken from video provided by KABC-TV shows where an F-16 fighter jet crashed into a warehouse just outside March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., Thursday afternoon, May 16, 2019. <br>KABC-TV via AP

Dashcam video shows the moment pilot ejects from plummeting F-16 fighter jet

The pilot had reported hydraulic problems with the single-engine Fighting Falcon before bailing. The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, planned to return to the March Air Reserve Base on the other side of the freeway, but was instead forced to eject from the aircraft.

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BFA's Yewon Park smiles after scoring a goal against Rota during a Division II semifinal game on the third day of the DODEA-Europe soccer championships, Wednesday, May 22, 2019.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

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Marymount will have to navigate Black Forest

Playing Division I powerhouses Wiesbaden and Stuttgart during the regular season helped the Falcons prepare for Rota, a team that went 6-0 during the regular season.