IN THE TRENCHES
The respected retired four-star general would need a special waiver from Congress to assume the post, and would be only the second general in U.S. history to lead the department.
Capital Punishment
As rebel-held East Aleppo looks set to fall, the regime is simultaneously making headway in its own backyard.
Ctrl-Alt-Del
Adm. Michael Rogers’s bosses wanted him to go harder on ISIS. His employees wanted him to take it easier. And that was before the meeting with Trump.
‘Anticipatory Freakout’
For Muslims inside the national-security apparatus whom the Obama administration welcomed with open arms, fear of Trump is already pervasive.
Going Rogue
From calling Putin to meeting with Japan’s prime minister, Trump is talking to a host of foreign leaders—without consulting the Obama administration.
Turn Away
Washington spent years working with American Muslim communities to counter terrorist recruiting. Now officials worry all that work is about to be undone.
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THE DISAPPEARED
Captured ISIS fighters should be an invaluable source of intelligence in the fight for Mosul. But U.S. forces have only questioned ‘a handful’ of them.
Anyone There?
‘Hundreds of people’ may be starting to apply for security jobs in a Trump administration. But so far, the Pentagon transition team to vet those résumés is nowhere to be found.
Salute and Serve
Every troop swears to follow the orders of the president. But what if those orders constitute a war crime? Some at the Pentagon say they could stonewall or refuse—but will they?
Slow-Motion
Don’t expect the liberation of the so-called Islamic State’s capital to come quickly. Regional politics are as much of a hurdle as IEDs. But at least the offensive is under way.