In a recent editorial, pro-war editor William Kristol of the Weekly Standard accused Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon of emitting an “inescapable whiff of weakness and defeatism.” Soon, the Empire struck back, with Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita calling Kristol’s view “nonsense.” Di Rita claims that what Kristol sees as defeatism actually is determination, arguing, “The Iraqi people will defeat the insurgency when they starve it of what it needs most—domestic credibility.” Say what
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.