International Republican Institute

Peter MacKay in U.S. capital meeting with Chuck Hagel, John McCain

The Canadian PressJune 18, 2013 10:32

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain urged the world on Tuesday to learn from the mistakes of history as it stands by and watches Syria's bloody civil war while Canada's defence minister, Peter MacKay, reiterated the Canadian government's decision not to arm the Syrian rebels. "There's an old line about those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them," McCain told reporters at the Canadian embassy.

AFP 1900 GMT News Advisory

Agence France-PresseJune 1, 2013 17:01

Duty Editor: Stephanie Griffith Tel: +1 202 414 0541 -- TOP STORIES -- + Turkish protesters claim win as police withdraw + Iraq hit by its worst violence since 2008 + Hagel lambastes China for cyber espionage + New Oklahoma tornadoes kill nine Turkey-politics-demo,WRAP ISTANBUL Thousands of protesters in Istanbul celebrate a victory as police withdraw from Taksim square amid one of the largest demonstrations against Turkey's Islamist-rooted government. 700 words 1930 GMT by Philippe Alfroy

US defence chief accuses China of cyber spying

Agence France-PresseJune 1, 2013 00:45

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday accused China of waging cyber espionage against the United States, stepping up pressure on Beijing over the issue ahead of a key summit between their leaders. Speaking at a Singapore security forum attended by senior Chinese military officials, the Pentagon chief pointedly blamed the Chinese government and armed forces for repeated intrusions into sensitive US information systems.

U.S. rebalance to Asia-Pacific gaining steam, Pentagon chief says

Thomson ReutersMay 31, 2013 23:30

By David Alexander SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The U.S. military will devote more air power, ground troops and high-tech weaponry to the Asia-Pacific region as it moves ahead with a strategic rebalance, the U.S. defense chief said on Saturday in a speech that accused China of cyber incursions.

Cyber threats pose 'stealthy, insidious' danger - defense chief

Thomson ReutersMay 31, 2013 01:31

By David Alexander ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday that cyber threats posed a "quiet, stealthy, insidious" danger to the United States and other nations, and called for "rules of the road" to guide behavior and avoid conflict on global computer networks.

Hagel to discuss cyberthreat with Chinese

Agence France-PresseMay 31, 2013 00:36

The United States must develop "rules of the road" with China and other countries to mitigate cyberthreats, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Thursday. The defense secretary spoke after a Pentagon report found that Chinese hackers have gained access to secret designs for a slew of sophisticated US weapons programs, possibly jeopardizing the American military's technological edge. Officials say the breaches described in the Defense Science Board paper were part of a broad Chinese campaign of espionage against top US defense contractors and government agencies.

Supporters of U.S. immigration bill unsettled by Rubio message

Thomson ReutersMay 30, 2013 02:05

By Caren Bohan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Marco Rubio's repeated criticism of parts of the sweeping U.S. immigration bill he helped craft has unsettled immigration reform advocates and others who support its passage. Rubio, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Florida seen as a possible 2016 presidential contender, has consistently defended the bill's centerpiece - providing legal status for roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Pentagon: S. Korea, U.S., Japan to discuss N. Korea in Singapore

Yonhap News AgencyMay 28, 2013 16:00

By Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, May 28 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will focus on the North Korea issue when he holds trilateral talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Singapore later this week, officials said Tuesday. Hagel is scheduled to fly to Singapore on Friday to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of top defense officials mainly from the U.S. and Asian nations. It would be his first trip to Asia as secretary of defense.

Republican expects more Benghazi 'whistle blowers'

Thomson ReutersMay 13, 2013 15:16

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Republican on Sunday said he expected more witnesses to step forward with information about last year's deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi and how President Barack Obama's administration responded to the unfolding events. "I do think we're going to see more whistle blowers. I certainly know my committee has been contacted," Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday".

McCain says amendments could sink immigration reform

Agencia EFEMay 8, 2013 22:15

Washington, May 8 (EFE).- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), part of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" who drafted an immigration reform bill, warned Wednesday that the measure could fail if too many amendments are added. In a speech at the 43rd Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, co-hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the Council of the Americas, McCain said he was "guardedly optimistic" with regard to the bill's chances for passage in the Senate.