President Bush nominated Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute to tackle the role of czar for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lute currently serves at the Joint Staff director of operations. His actual title would be assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, if he wins Senate confirmation. As the President describes the job, Lute would make certain that US Central Command boss Adm. William Fallon and commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq get what they need “quickly and reliably.” Bush had approached some retired officers to take the post, but they declined.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.