• US soldier accused in Afghan massacre flown out of country

    The American soldier accused of gunning down 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, has been flown out of Afghanistan to Kuwait. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services

    Updated at 6:40 a.m. ET: -- A U.S soldier suspected of shooting to death 16 Afghan civilians was flown out of Afghanistan to Kuwait on Wednesday evening, the U.S. military said.

    The soldier was taken out of the country "based on a legal recommendation," said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman in Washington.

    The 38-year old Staff Sergeant was transferred "based on a legal recommendation" because the "U.S. military (in Afghanistan) does not have the proper facilities to detain an American service member for any extended length of time," a senior U.S. official told NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski.

    The soldier was moved to a detention facility in Kuwait and a military lawyer from Joint Base Lewis-McChord was headed to the facility to meet with the soldier, the official told NBC News.

    The decision to move the soldier was made by the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, a senior Pentagon official said.

    Despite mounting pressure after the recent civilian killings in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain reaffirmed their plans to slowly dial back their military presence. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.

    U.S. military officials told NBC News that they expect charges to be filed by at least the end of next week.

    Afghan lawmakers expressed anger Thursday over the U.S. move to fly out the soldier accused of killing 16 civilians, mostly women and children, saying Kabul shouldn't sign a strategic partnership agreement with Washington unless the suspect faces justice in Afghanistan.

    Negotiations over the agreement, which would govern the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after most combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014, were tense even before the shooting deaths of the civilians in southern Kandahar province on Sunday.

    NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    "It was the demand of the families of the martyrs of this incident, the people of Kandahar and the people of Afghanistan to try him publicly in Afghanistan," said Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hamidzai, a Kandahar lawmaker who is part of a parliamentary commission investigating the shootings.

    On Wednesday, an Afghan man drove a stolen pickup onto a runway at Camp Bastion, the main British base in southern Afghanistan, before crashing into a ditch -- right around the time that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's plane was touching down, U.S. defense officials said.

    The man who crashed the truck at the airfield in southern Afghanistan as the defense secretary's plane was landing and then exited the vehicle in flames died of extensive burns on Thursday.

    U.S. Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparotti, deputy commander of American forces in Afghanistan, told reporters traveling with Panetta in Kabul that he believed the man -- an interpreter working for foreign forces -- was targeting a group of U.S. Marines assembled on the ramp. He said it would have been difficult to know which plane the defense secretary was aboard.

    The secretary's aircraft had to taxi to a different location. No one in Panetta’s party was hurt, said Kirby.

    "At no time was the secretary or the secretary's delegation in any danger whatsoever," George Little, a Pentagon spokesman traveling with Panetta, told reporters after the incident.

    Massoud Hossaini / AFP - Getty Images

    Afghan Interior Minister Besmullah Mahammadi, center right, walks with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, center left, in Kabul on Wednesday.

    Panetta arrived in Afghanistan for an unannounced two-day visit with Afghan officials and U.S. troops -- the first by a senior member of the Obama administration since the shootings over the weekend.

    Panetta told soldiers at Camp Leatherneck, the main U.S. Marine base in the volatile area: "We'll be challenged by our enemy. We'll be challenged by ourselves. We'll be challenged by the hell of war itself. But none of that, none of that, must ever deter us from the mission that we must achieve."

    He added: "As tragic as these acts of violence have been, they do not define the relationship between the coalition and Afghan forces and the Afghan people."
    Panetta also met with Afghan provincial leaders. He told them that the U.S. will "continue to face challenges, from the enemy, from ourselves," but the U.S. "must stay committed to achieving the mission," according to Little.

    In Washington, President Barack Obama said Britain and their NATO allies are committed to shifting to a support role in Afghanistan in 2013.

    Speaking alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron at joint a news conference in the White House, Obama said that next phase in the transition will be an important step in turning security control over to the Afghans by the end of 2014.

    Panetta's visit to Afghanistan was planned months ago, long before the weekend slaughter that claimed the lives of 16 villagers. But the trip propels Panetta into the center of escalating anti-American anger and sets the stage for some difficult discussions with Afghan leaders.

    Slideshow: Afghanistan: Nation at a crossroads

    Jangir / AFP - Getty Images

    More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.

    Launch slideshow

    There were clear concerns about security in the large tent at Camp Leatherneck where Panetta was slated to talk to troops.

    Before Panetta came into the hall, Sgt. Maj. Brandon Hall told the more than 200 Marines in the room to take their weapons outside and leave them there. Afghan troops had already been told not to bring their guns in.

    A U.S. defense official said the order was not a reaction to an immediate threat. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the base commander made the decision that no one would be allowed to bring in weapons.

    Marines asked to disarm before Panetta speech

    Afghans investigating the village massacre had been shown video of the U.S. soldier taken from a security camera mounted on a blimp above his base, an Afghan security official told Reuters.

    The footage showed the uniformed soldier, with his weapon covered by a cloth, approaching the gates of the Belandai special forces base and throwing his arms up in surrender, the official said.

    The video had been shown to investigators to help dispel a belief among some Afghans, including many members of parliament, that more than one soldier must have been involved because of the high death toll, the official said.

    NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube, The Associated Press, Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

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  • Clash with Iran could see use of huge, new U.S. bomb

    By msnbc.com news services

    Updated at 12:45 p.m., ET: WASHINGTON -- A 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb designed to smash through some 200 feet of concrete before exploding is a "great weapon" that could be used by U.S. forces in a clash with Iran over its nuclear program, an Air Force general said on Thursday.

    Israel stepped in line, asking the United States for the advanced bombs and refueling planes that could aid an Israeli strike on Tehran's underground nuclear sites, an Israeli official told Reuters on Thursday. 

     

    "Such a request was made" around the time of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week, the official said, confirming media reports.

    But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue, played down as "unrealistic" reports that the United States would condition supplying the hardware on Israel promising not to attack Iran this year.

    Netanyahu told President Barack Obama at a White House meeting on Monday that Israel had not yet decided on military action against Iran, sources close to the talks said.

    'A great weapon'
    Serious talk of the buster bomb surfaced on Thursday after a high-raking military official described the bomb, designed to smash through some 200 feet of concrete before exploding, as a "great weapon” and could be used by U.S. forces in a clash with Tehran over its nuclear program.

    Lieutenant General Herbert Carlisle, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said the massive ordnance penetrator, which the military began receiving only last year, is part of the U.S. arsenal available for strikes against countries like Iran, which has some buried nuclear facilities.

    "The massive ordnance penetrator is a great weapon. We are continuing to improve that. It has great capability now and we are continuing to make it better. It is part of our arsenal and it will be a potential if we need it in that kind of scenario," Carlisle told a conference on U.S. defense programs.

    The Pentagon has begun working on military options if sanctions and diplomacy fail to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear weapon.

    World powers to Iran: Open Parchin military site to IAEA inspectors

    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the National Journal in an interview on Thursday that planning had been going on "for a long time."

    Major powers are increasingly concerned about Iran's nuclear enrichment program, which they view as an attempt to build an atomic weapon. But Tehran says it is meant for peaceful energy production.

    Israel holding off?
    Israel is worried about potential for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Netanyahu said during his Washington visit that time was running out for diplomacy and sanctions.

    Nevertheless, Netanyahu reportedly is willing to wait at least a few weeks to let sanctions work.

    "I am not standing with a stopwatch in hand. It is not a matter days or weeks, but also not a matter of years. Everybody understands this," Netanyahu told an news program in Israel according to Britain's Telegraph newspaper.

    NBC News' Richard Engel and the Carnegie Endowment's Karim Sadjadpour join Morning Joe to discuss why the most important thing for the current Iranian regime is "to stay in power" and why the Ahmadinejad regime is not a suicidal regime.

    "We would be happy if this thing is resolved peacefully, if Iran decides to stop its nuclear program," he said according to the Telegraph. "To stop it, to dismantle its facility in Qom, and to stop enriching uranium. I will be most happy, I think all Israel's citizens will also be happy."

    Panetta, who has said diplomacy and sanctions should be given more time, told the National Journal he did not think Israel had decided whether to order a high-risk raid on Iran's nuclear sites.

    He said the United States was committed to preventing Iran from acquiring atomic weapons and would have a greater impact than Israel if it decided force was necessary.

    "If they decided to do it there's no question that it would have an impact, but I think it's also clear that if the United States did it we would have a hell of a bigger impact," Panetta said.

    The tough rhetoric from the Pentagon came despite President Barack Obama's effort this week to tamp down "loose talk" and "bluster" about possible military action, saying there was still an opportunity for diplomacy.

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    Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

  • Panetta: Military cuts to hit 'all 50 states'

    The Pentagon announced a new plan that will streamline U.S. forces, look at possible base closures and expand cyber warfare capability in order to meet tough budget constraints. NBC's Chris Clackum reports.

    By NBC News and news services

    The Pentagon proposed budget cuts on Thursday that would slash the size of the U.S. military by eliminating thousands of jobs, mothballing ships and trimming air squadrons in an effort to shift strategic direction and reduce spending by $487 billion over a decade.

    The funding request, which includes painful cuts for many states, sets the stage for a new struggle between President Barack Obama's administration and Congress over how much the Pentagon should spend on national security as the country tries to curb trillion-dollar budget deficits.

    US Army chief 'comfortable' with smaller force as Pentagon prepares cuts

    "Make no mistake, the savings we are proposing will impact all 50 states and many districts across America," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a news conference at the Pentagon. "This will be a test of whether reducing the deficit is about talk or action."

    Obama will also ask Congress to approve a new round of domestic base closures, although the timing of this was left vague and there is little chance that lawmakers would agree to this in a presidential election year.

    Panetta, previewing plans that will be formally announced next month, said he would ask for a $525 billion base budget for the 2013 fiscal year, the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, that the Pentagon has asked for less than the previous year.

    Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, outlines the main areas of proposed spending cuts during a news conference at the Pentagon on Thursday.

    Panetta said he would seek $88.4 billion to support combat operations in Afghanistan, down from $115 billion in 2012 largely due to the end of the war in Iraq and the withdrawal of U.S. forces there at the end of last year.

    Congress requires that the Pentagon cut $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years -- $259 billion will be cut in the first five years (2013 to 2018).

    No, Obama isn't actually proposing to cut defense spending

    "We believe this is a balanced and complete package," Panetta said, with Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at his side.

    Some lawmakers were quick to dispute him.

    "Taking us back to a pre-9/11 military force structure places our country in grave danger," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that will hold hearings on the Pentagon budget plan.

    Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Panetta plan "ignores the lessons of history." He said it provides for a military that is "too small to respond effectively to events that may unfold over the next few years."

    Dempsey, however, said the military is united in its support for the new approach.

    "This budget is a first step — it's a down payment — as we transition from an emphasis on today's wars to preparing for future challenges," he said, adding, "This budget does not lead to a military in decline."

    While the timelines for each of these cuts vary, NBC News reports where the biggest cuts are coming from for now:

    Benefits
    Members of the military will receive full pay raises in 2013 and 2014, but their raises will be "limited" beginning in 2015. Health care fees for retirees will increase, including co-pays and deductibles.

    Army
    Active duty force will decrease by about 75,000 soldiers to 490,000. (For perspective, there are about 565,000 soldiers on active duty today and there were about 480,000 soldiers on active duty on 9/11/01.)

    Marine Corps
    Active duty force will decrease by about 20,000 Marines to 182,000 total. (For perspective, there are about 202,000 Marines on active duty today, and there were about 173,000 on 9/11/01.)

    Air Force
    Eliminate six of the 60 Air Force tactical air squadrons, as well as one training squadron.

    The Pentagon will eliminate:  27 aging C-5As (leaving behind 52 C-5Ms and 222 C-17s); 65 oldest C-130s (leaving behind 318 C-130s) and they will divest 38 C-27s.

    Navy
    Retire seven cruisers that have not been updated with ballistic missile defense capabilities or that are in need of significant maintenance. Some fleet support ships will also be retired, and the building of several ships (1 large deck, 1 sub, 2 littoral combat ships, and 8 joint high speed vessels) will all delayed by one year or more.

    The defense spending plan is scheduled to be submitted to Congress as part of the administration's full 2013 budget on Feb. 13.

    Prominent in the Obama plan is a renewed focus on Asia, where China's rapid military modernization has raised worry in Washington and rattled U.S. allies.

    NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced his plan for cutting $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

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  • Panetta: Could be 19,000 military sex assaults each year

    Senior U.S. defense officials, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, announce new efforts to combat sexual assault in the military.

    By msnbc.com staff and news services

    WASHINGTON -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday that the Pentagon is preparing new initiatives to try to curb sexual assaults in the military -- a problem he believes could be six times greater than reported.

    Panetta said 3,191 sex assault cases were reported in the military last year, but because so few victims come forward, he believes the real number is closer to 19,000 assaults. In 2010, 3,158 cases were reported.

    "It is an affront to the basic American values we defend and it is a stain on the good honor of the great majority of our troops and our families," said Panetta during a press conference at the Pentagon.

    “These women and these men who are willing to fight and die to protect and serve our country – they deserve better protection. Their families and dependents also sacrifice and serve. And so for this reason, we must spare no effort to protect them against this heinous crime. … One sexual assault is one too many.”

    Panetta said new initiatives include extending victim services to military spouses as well as Pentagon civilians and contractors working abroad. Also, more money will go toward training investigators and lawyers to go after and prosecute perpetrators.

    Under the new measures, service members who file sexual abuse charges can immediately transfer to a new unit or base to avoid harassment or contact with the accused attacker.

    The proposals require congressional approval.

    'Deeply regret'
    Panetta spoke two days before the premiere of a new documentary about sexual assault in the U.S. military, titled "The Invisible War." The film is being shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

    Saying he wanted to speak directly to the victims of sexual assault in the Defense Department, Panetta said somberly: "I deeply regret that such crimes occur in the U.S. military ... I'm committed to providing you the support and resources you need and to taking whatever steps are necessary to keep what happened to you from happening to others."

    "The Invisible War" premieres Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.

    Announcement of those two changes accompanied the Pentagon's annual report last month showing assault cases rose at the nation's three major military academies in the latest academic year from one year earlier.

    The Defense Department's "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies" for academic year 2010-2011 found there were 65 reports of sexual assaults involving cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. That was up from 41 reported assaults in the prior academic year. Officials said they could not conclusively identify the reasons for the increase but that it could be because the department has worked to encourage more victims to report assaults.

    Beyond the academy report every December, the Pentagon also releases an annual report each March on sexual assaults throughout the services.

    This post includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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