Pentagon chief Leon Panetta heads to India amid US focus on Asia

HANOI: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta headed to India on Tuesday for talks focusing on Washington’s strategic shift towards Asia, as US officials eye New Delhi as a potentially pivotal partner. 

High Stakes Poker

Dear Members and Friends,

Over the past weeks, some of the strongest, provocative statements were made from Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta and Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak regarding a potential conflict with Iran over its nuclear quest.

Panetta: Iran could have nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles in 2-3 years

Iran could build and set off a nuclear weapon within two to three years if it decided to pursue one, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a television interview aired Sunday.

Risky Business

Dear Members and Friends,

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced yesterday the FY2013 Defense base budget of $525 billion, as well as a plan forward to implement the congressionally mandated $487 billion cuts to the Department of Defense over the next 10 years; $259 billion will be cut in the first five years. 

Missile Defense is Here to Stay

Dear Members and Friends,

Yesterday President Obama, along with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, held a briefing at the Pentagon to lay out a new military strategy. 

War and Peace

Dear Members and Friends,

As the new year of 2012 begins and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta moves forward in downsizing the Department of Defense’s budget for 2013, Iran recently demonstrated its military capabilities, showing a direct threat to the U.S. 5th Fleet deployed in and out of Bahrain. 

Panetta Outlines Effects of Deeper US Defense Cuts

WASHINGTON — Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has warned that if Congress fails to prevent deep defense budget cuts, the US military will be left weaker, slower and smaller — posing a danger to national security.

Leon Panetta: Don’t Gut our Defenses

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta again forcefully advocated against automatic defense cuts that would occur should the deficit-cutting supercommittee fail to work out its own plan, lawmakers said Tuesday.

Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary Of Defense, Expresses ‘Skepticism’ Of North Korea Nuclear Talks

SEOUL, South Korea — The U.S. and South Korean defense chiefs declared Friday that any North Korean aggression “is not to be tolerated,” following two deadly incidents last year, and pledged to jointly develop more effective means of responding to future provocations by the North.

N. Korea Remains Serious Threat: US Defence Chief

SEOUL — US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta began a visit to South Korea Wednesday, pledging to keep a “nuclear umbrella” in place over Washington’s close ally to deter threats from North Korea.