“Leon Panetta” on The Daily Caller

Two female soldiers are suing the U.S. government over restrictions on women in combat, claiming that the policies violate their constitutional rights. (more)

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar a “statesman” in “every sense of the word,” adding that it would be a “great legacy for him” if the U.S. could ratify the law of the seas treaty before he leaves Congress. (more)

Former U.S. Attorney Michael Mukasey told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity on Friday night that the Navy SEAL mission to kill Osama bin Laden was preceded by “a highly lawyered memo” from CIA Director Leon Panetta — one designed to insulate President Barack Obama if the operation failed. (more)

Hundreds of U.S. Marines were ordered by an American sergeant on Wednesday to disarm before entering a tent where Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was set to speak during his trip to Afghanistan. (more)

In the wake of the revelation that the Department of Defense has spent $750,000 on a soccer field for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp pressed Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on his knowledge of the expenditure at a Budget Committee hearing on Wednesday. (more)

Testifying on Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged Congress to prevent $500 billion in defense cuts from automatically taking effect and doing “untold damage” to America’s national security. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he will not approve the release of any Taliban from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison as part of Afghan peace talks unless he’s sure they won’t return to the battlefield. (more)

President Barack Obama announced on Monday a policy intended to shut down international transactions by the Bank of Iran, amid growing worries by Democrats that Iran’s nearly-complete effort to build a nuclear weapon will spark a war with Israel and an oil-price shock in the run up to the November election. (more)

On Tuesday evening, U.S. Special Operations Forces freed two aid workers — one American and one Dane — held hostage in Somalia. The hostages and their rescuers were unharmed in the operation, the Department of Defense reported. According to the Washington Post, nine of the suspected pirates were killed, with three unaccounted for and possibly captured. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says sex with animals would still be illegal even if Congress repeals a military rule on sodomy. (more)

Let’s start with the good news. Speaking at the Brookings Institution on Friday, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta clearly stated that the United States will not allow a nuclear Iran. He elaborated that when it came to stopping Iran from going nuclear, “all options are on the table.” (more)

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said President Barack Obama knows that $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts will hurt the U.S. military and “no one really wants to go there.” (more)

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s state media reports that authorities are putting the final touches on a swap to release a suspected Israeli spy in exchange for 19 Egyptians held in Israel prisons. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make his first trip to Asia as Pentagon chief later this month, as the U.S. works to bolster its relations with countries in the region. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Memories of horror and heroism echoed Sunday across the west side of the Pentagon where, a decade ago, a hijacked airplane carrying 59 doomed passengers and crew and 36,200 pounds of jet fuel smashed into the fortress-like military headquarters, killing all aboard and 125 inside. (more)

The Obama administration has decided to drop the number of U.S. troops in Iraq at the end of the year down to 3,000, marking a major downgrade in force strength, multiple sources familiar with the inner workings and decisions on U.S. troop movements in Iraq told Fox News. (more)

Late Friday, a federal appeals court in California ordered the military to continue enforcement of its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in response to a request from the Obama administration, the AP reports. (more)

With the country mired in a grave debate about the debt and government spending, the CIA confirmed Monday that they are sponsoring a gay advocacy group’s summit on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military members. (more)

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Monday that the U.S. is concerned about Iran providing weapons to Iraq militants and will take unilateral action when needed to deal with the threat.  (more)

During his first visit to Iraq as defense secretary, Leon Panetta seemed to link America’s presence in the country to the 9/11 attacks. (more)