Defense
Military planners are under strict orders not to devise scenarios for meeting the demands of “sequestration,” as the automatic, across-the-board spending reductions are called. Such paperwork, if leaked, would tell Congress there might be a way to deal with such drastic cuts. – Washington Times
The House approved a bill Friday that would provide $642.5 billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year, despite a veto threat from the White House, which objected to a series of provisions that would limit the president’s authority and challenge administration policies. – Washington Post
It’s a rare thing for a U.S. military branch to tell Congress that it doesn’t want more money — or more modern equipment. But when it comes to continued congressional insistence that the Army needs more tanks and armored infantry carriers, that’s exactly what the head of the Army is doing. – Defense News
The War
The House on Friday turned back an unusual coalition of liberals and conservatives and voted down legislation to reject explicitly the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects apprehended on United States soil. – New York Times
A federal district judge in New York has awarded the U.S. government more time to respond to lawsuits seeking documents justifying the CIA’s drone strikes in Yemen. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
NATO
44 unveiled a new package of NATO initiatives that includes the alliance purchasing a fleet of surveillance drones, sharing weapons and training facilities, and sustaining nuclear deterrence in Europe even as disarmament efforts continue with an often belligerent Russia, according to senior administration officials. – New York Times
NATO leaders are expected to unveil several new multinational projects at its summit here this weekend aimed at better integrating European defense planning and capabilities. – Defense News
