Another American civilian has been killed in Syria – this time, he was fighting for ISIL. The New York Times reported that American Douglas McAuthur McCain was killed by members of the Free Syrian Army, which is a U.S.-supported Syrian coalition fighting against President Bushar Al-Assad. Perhaps more concerning than McCain's involvement with the extremist ISIL militants is something Free Syrian Army forces found on his person – a U.S. passport that may have allowed McCain to travel home to America unhindered.
Westerners join ISIL
According to BBC News, a reasonable amount of westerners have left their home countries to join ISIL militants in regions of Iraq and Syria. The fear is that these individuals may head home after meeting with ISIL, creating a security concern and paving the way for future terrorist activities on the home front. The Daily Beast stated that U.S. intelligence claimed that more than 100 Americans have traveled to Syria to fight alongside Sunni terrorist forces. Even more concerning, the news source alleged that between six and 12 Americans who traveled to Syria to fight Assad have already returned home, according to U.S. senior intelligence officials. Now, officials are left worrying whether returners may have come home to commit terrorist activities.
The culture of ISIL
Others claim that those involved in past terrorism plots are different from the militants fighting for ISIL. Whereas Al-Qaeda encouraged its members to sneak into foreign nations to commit crimes against unknowing civilian populations, some say ISIL is more concerned with bringing fighters to their home front in order to expand their caliphate.
"[McCain's] death is further evidence that Americans are going there to fight for [ISIL] rather than to train as terrorists to attack at home," said Richard Barrett, a former British intelligence officer, according to the Times. "Nor does it appear that [ISIL] regards Americans as assets that are too valuable to risk on the front line rather than to keep in reserve for terrorist attacks or propaganda purposes."
While ISIL continues to push the reaches of their captured territory, officials are uncertain whether the group will focus on different strategies when faced with increasing American airstrikes.
Earlier this month, ISIL forces murdered American journalist James Foley, warning American officials that more U.S. hostages may suffer a similar fate if American airstrikes persisted, according to CNN.
Shiite Turkmen in northern Iraq facing off with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces may receive humanitarian aid requested by the Obama administration, according to The Associated Press. The Turkmen have been under siege from ISIL forces for weeks, and now defense officials are focused on militants moving toward the Iraqi town of Amirli just 105 miles north of Baghdad. Currently, it is estimated that between 12,000 and 15,000 individuals have no access to food or water.
The situation
According to Fox News, Shiite Turkmen clashed with ISIL forces weeks ago. Residents of Amirli put up a fierce resistance against ISIL militants, preventing them from entering the town, but now the Sunni forces have cut off Amirli from the outside world, depleting their resources and leaving the people without fresh water, food or medicine despite airdrops coordinated by the Iraqi military. ISIL forces have blocked off roads to and from the town as well, cutting off any routes of escape other than by air. The United Nations has warned of a possible massacre that may occur within days.
Taking Amirli is part of ISIL's broad offensive to commandeer large clusters of land from Syria to western and northern Iraq. Fueling the fight against Amirli's residents is the militant group's disdain for Iraqi minorities, including the Shiite Turkmen – which make up Iraq's third-largest ethnic population, according to Fox News. Thousands of Turkmen have already had to flee their homes across the nation since ISIL forces captured the city of Mosul and a number of other towns and villages.
The second humanitarian mission
This would not be the first humanitarian mission in Iraq. Earlier this month, U.S. servicemembers delivered humanitarian aid to thousands of Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar by ISIL militants, according to a White House press release. Several airdrops delivered 114,000 meals and 35,000 gallons of fresh water to the threatened individuals – who numbered in the tens of thousands. That mission was carried out successfully after U.S. military advisors traveled to Mount Sinjar to find that the civilians used many of the resources before sneaking away from Mount Sinjar and evading ISIL forces over a series of nights.
Civilians on Mount Sinjar were also assisted by American airstrikes against ISIL targets. It is unclear if U.S. forces will use airstrikes to assist the people in Amirli or if airstrikes will be used primarily for the defense of U.S. officials in Baghdad.
President Barack Obama will address members of the American Legion in Charlotte, North Carolina, to announce plans concerning executive measures that aim to improve health care for veterans, according to the Associated Press. This will be the latest administration measure to improve the failing Department of Veterans Affairs after several scandals concerning fabricated patient data and staggering veteran appointment wait times brought the struggling department to the media forefront.
Improving veteran care
Obama will use his executive power to accomplish several tasks, according to a White House press release, including automatically enrolling military members who are leaving service but are receiving mental health care treatment in programs that will transfer them to a new care team in the VA, according to the AP. Obama will also call for a study aimed at detecting whether servicemembers show signs of being vulnerable to suicide or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Finally, the president will also announce a new pilot program that will increase peer support for veterans facing mental health issues and provide over $100 million in funds used for research into PTSD and suicide prevention. This comes a few weeks after Obama signed a $16 billion VA health care bill to help take veterans off of wait lists by hiring new medical professionals and leasing more VA medical facilities.
Enhancing VA services
According to the White House, several departmental changes that will affect the VA have also been announced. Recently, the department adopted a new recruiting program that will attempt to attract the most efficient and effective health care professionals available. By the end of the fiscal year, a new electronic health record system in the VA will allow health care professionals to view all patient records stored in the Department of Defense and VA systems. Those records will include doctor's notes, problem lists and inpatient discharge summaries. Additionally, a new board of physicians will be established to help advise new VA Secretary Robert McDonald.
These are just a few measures of a long list, which will be announced on Aug. 26. In total, there are 19 new executive actions Obama may explain during his speech at the American Legion National Convention. Apart from health care and VA actions, the president will also announce a partnership with lenders, including Wells Fargo Bank, CitiMortgage, Bank of America, Ocwen Loan Servicing and Quicken Loans, that will make it easier for active-duty military personnel to acquire mortgage interest rate deductions, according to the AP.
President Barack Obama has authorized manned and unmanned aircrafts to fly over the embattled nation of Syria to gain intelligence about Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces within the country, according to The Associated Press. The move could be the first step in launching airstrikes against the militants. However, the Obama administration worries that such a maneuver may help Syrian President Bashar Assad, who ISIL and U.S.-aided rebel forces are attempting to ouster.
A delicate balance
U.S. officials have expressed their concern in aiding the Syrian president, saying that airstrikes would be used for the purpose of attacking ISIL forces only, not helping Assad.
"We're not interested in trying to help the Assad regime," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday, according to the AP. "There are a lot of cross pressures here."
Currently, no military action has been authorized by Obama. The flights over Syria are being used solely for gaining intelligence over the region. However, some claim this is the natural first step to calculated military airstrikes, saying additional data must be obtained first. Obama approved the surveillance flights recently, and the missions over Syria have already begun. Pentagon officials are already drafting options for the president. Some of those options include airstrikes, according to the AP.
Rising tensions
Recently, the Syrian government warned the White House that any military airstrikes against individuals in Syria would be considered a breach of the country's sovereignty and an act of aggression, according to The New York Times. Instead, the government – led by Assad – has agreed to collaborate, and has attempted to gain U.S. support in striking ISIL militants. The White House has stated that it will not work with Assad nor will U.S. forces inform the Syrian president in advance of any military operation.
Faced with a hostile Syrian airspace, military forces have multiple options, according to the Times. American fighter jets could fly close to the border and launch precision long-range weapons from protected airspace. The U.S. military could also jam Syrian air-defense systems, giving fighter planes a period of time to locate and attack ISIL forces within the country. Moreover, American forces could rely on stealth fighter planes that can evade radar or precision missiles launched from sea.
Fighting ISIL
Obama has refused to take military action in Syria thus far, according to the AP, but that may change as governmental officials suggest the only way to eliminate ISIL forces is to take action in the embattled country. American tensions against ISIL increased after the militants released a video of their men executing an American journalist. James Foley was murdered by the militants on video after being held hostage in Syria. Although U.S. military forces attempted to rescue American hostages held in Syria earlier this summer, the targets could not be found. There are still American hostages being held by ISIL forces, and further intelligence inside Syria could allow U.S. servicemembers to coordinate another rescue mission or allow Americans to attack ISIL leaders.
Gen. Dempsey told a group of reporters recently that he would recommend the U.S. military move against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces if they become a direct threat to the U.S. homeland, according to The Associated Press. As of yet, Dempsey still considers the group a regional threat and does not believe militants are planning to launch attacks against the U.S. or European nations, the news source reported. Dempsey has not recommended military action or airstrikes against the group in Syria yet.
Battling ISIL forces
American servicemembers have not engaged ISIL militants outside of Iraq, excluding a 24-man search and rescue operation executed earlier this summer, which was intended to save American hostages inside Syria, according to CBS News.
Instead, military operations against the extremist group have been restricted to particular measures in Iraq to protect American officials and Iraqi civilians who fled to Mount Sinjar. Both events predominantly included calculated U.S. airstrikes. Thus far, the AP reported that the U.S. has launched 96 airstrikes across Iraq targeting ISIL targets. Sixty-two of those airstrikes occurred around the Mosul Dam. ISIL forces captured Mosul – Iraq's second-largest city – in June and commandeered an expanse of land stretching from Syria to western and northern Iraq.
Working with allies
If U.S. military forces decide to move against ISIL, the Joint Chiefs chairman believes surrounding nations will join the effort against the extremist group, including Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, according to Fox News.
"I think ISIS has been so brutal, and has wrapped itself in a radical religious legitimacy that clearly threatens everybody I just mentioned, that I think they will be willing partners," Dempsey said, according to the news source.
If American territories are threatened, the U.S. military response may include a variety of measures. Airstrikes in Syria have not been authorized by the Obama administration, but this could change with Dempsey's recommendation. Moreover, the U.S. could provide more assistance and advice to Iraqi forces instead of putting a greater force of boots on the ground. Dempsey told reporters that U.S. military advisers have already assessed roughly 50 Iraqi military brigades and Kurdish units to judge whether the forces are trained well enough and sufficiently equipped to fight ISIL forces, the AP reported. As of yet, the U.S. has not received permission to or attempted to put military advisers alongside Iraqi troops in combat.
After a failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Syria being held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces, a future mission to save hostages may be very difficult, according to CBS News.
According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, U.S. forces attempted to rescue several American hostages – including James Foley – earlier this summer. However, the mission was unsuccessful, as the hostages were not being held in the suspected location.
A successful breach but no hostages
"The United States attempted a rescue operation recently to free a number of American hostages held in Syria by [ISIL]," Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. "This operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL. Unfortunately, the mission was not successful because the hostages were not present at the targeted location."
Despite the failed attempt and the increased difficulty U.S. forces will face as ISIL becomes more vigilant in their hostage captivity and transportation methods, Kirby said the military will continue to work to find and bring back U.S. citizens.
"The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will work tirelessly to secure the safety of our citizens and to hold their captors accountable," Kirby said.
A sensitive situation
There are at least three more American citizens being held by the same Islamic terrorist forces that executed Foley, according to CBS News sources. However, locating and securing these citizens may be increasingly difficult, CBS News Homeland Security correspondent Bob Orr reported. Now, it is likely hostages will be split up and moved around to make tracking harder. Additionally, the terrorist group may limit its telecommunications to evade American forces. Government officials initially tried to keep the failed operation secret to prevent ISIL from increasing protection of the hostages.
The rescue mission
According to USA Today, President Barack Obama authorized the rescue mission because U.S. intelligence was convinced the American hostages were in significant and imminent danger.
"[Obama] authorized action at this time because it was the national security team's assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in (Islamic State) custody," Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism said, according to USA Today.
The rescue mission included two black hawk helicopters equipped with stealth technology, 24 special operations forces commandos and surveillance aircraft overhead, CBS News reported. Military forces searched for hostages in a disused oil refinery that was reportedly being used as an ISIL stronghold. They came in contact with several ISIL militants and were engaged in a firefight. Several terrorist fighters were killed and one American soldier was wounded. All military forces were flown to safety.
The hostages were gone when the soldiers searched the location. Supposedly, the rescue team had just missed them, according to NBC News sources. U.S. officials reportedly admitted that intelligence about the mission was not based on the best intelligence, but the mission was launched because the hostages were thought to be in immediate danger.
Since their adoption in March, the new military tattoo regulations have caused a fair amount of controversy. According to a report by The New York Times, when the stricter rules regarding ink were adopted, a flurry of soldiers took to tattoo parlors to take advantage of the old regulations while they were still in effect. Others jumped on social media to express their frustration about the new regulations, according to Military Times.
As aggravating as tattoo regulations may be for soldiers who planned to go under the needle or servicemembers who already had tattoos, there may be good news ahead. According to Military Times, the Army is close to announcing changes in the tattoo policy, which could end in more relaxed regulations. Army spokesman Paul Prince told the news agency that changes to the policies would be inevitable and the specifics would be available in the latest version of Army Regulation 670-1.
The current tattoo guidelines
There was controversy over more than just tattoos, according to Fox News. The latest edition of AR 670-1 also regulated certain hairstyles, glasses, jewelry and fingernails. Hairstyle regulations have since been changed due to racial bias, according to a Time magazine report. This event has convinced some members of the military that tattoo regulations may be changed as well. According to AR 670-1, tattoo regulations currently prohibit:
- Tattoos on the head, neck, fingers, hands and wrists
- More than four visible tattoos below the elbow or knee
- Tattoos larger than the wearer's hand below the elbow or above the knee
- Extremist, indecent, sexist or racist tattoos of any sort.
Punishing current soldiers
Fox News reported that 300 military applicants were turned away because of tattoo regulations in the Phoenix area alone between March and mid-June. However, already enlisted servicemembers with now inappropriate tattoos face punishment as well. According to Military Times, while many members of the military with tattoos would be grandfathered in, enlisted soldiers with improper tattoos would not be able to request commission without a waiver. For many, this means the opportunity for promotion would be taken away because of a previously acceptable tattoo.
The waiver process has granted roughly 59 exemptions as of July, Prince told Military Times. However, the guidelines of the waiver process and the difference between waived tattoos and unacceptable tattoos has not been divulged.
According to Fox News, Purple Heart recipient Zac Rand – an army specialist – would have been turned down by the military if he applied today with his current tattoos.
"I don't think it's really fair to cut people short just because of [their] tattoos," Rand told the news agency.
The ALS challenge – a sensation that sent shivers through the Internet by daring candidates to pour a bucket of freezing ice water over their heads to raise awareness and funds to combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – has been officially barred by the Defense Department for servicemembers in uniform, according to Military Times.
Avoiding endorsements
According to the news source, the DoD Office of General Counsel issued an edict saying that Defense Department employees and current servicemembers could not participate in the challenge while in uniform, and that included civilian uniforms as well. The DoD holds that participating in the challenge while in uniform could be construed as an official DoD endorsement, which could be considered a breech of ethics because the ALS Association is a private nonprofit organization.
Military officials are not the only government workers who have been warned against participating in the ice-bucket challenge. The Associated Press reported that U.S. diplomats will also be barred from the activities. Lawyers at the State Department sent a cable recently saying that U.S. ambassadors and high-profile foreign service officers could not participate in the ALS Association-favored activities for similar reasons – such actions would infringe on federal ethics rules because the organization is a private entity.
"There are firmly established rules preventing the use of public office, such as our ambassadors, for private gain, no matter how worthy a cause," the cable said, according to the AP. "Thus, high-ranking State Department officials are unfortunately unable to participate in the ice-bucket challenge. We since wish the ALS Association continued success in its ice-bucket campaign, and in its fight against Lou Gehrig's disease."
Contributing people
One U.S. ambassador had already participated in the ice-bucket challenge before the cable was sent, according to the AP. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro poured ice water on himself and challenged another ambassador before receiving the cable. Additionally, Military.com has hosted a video of Vice Adm. Ted Carter – the superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland – and commandant of midshipmen Capt. William Byrne taking the ice-bucket challenge. Although the officials are out of uniform, they are assisted by two other military members in naval attire.
The ice-bucket challenge has attracted a flurry of rock stars, celebrities and high-profile individuals to help raise awareness and funds for ALS. Former Commander in Chief George W. Bush was recently doused with cold water. He challenged Bill Clinton – another former commander in chief. President Barack Obama was challenged previously but chose to donate to the cause and forego the cold water instead.
A government program to transfer unneeded military hardware to police stations has recently come under fire since violent protests broke out in Ferguson, Missouri, according to CNN. Police using high-powered rifles, stun grenades and armored vehicles have entered the media spotlight after hours of coverage on riots in Ferguson, and many people are asking how police forces got their hands on such powerful equipment.
The law enforcement support program
Two years after a heavily armed duo of gunmen committed a bank robbery in North Hollywood in 1997, the Defense Department Defense Logistics Agency started a program to give law enforcement officials military hardware that was not being used by the military, CNN reported. However, since the program's establishment, some citizens are asking whether weaponry designed for military purpose and servicemembers belongs in the hands of police forces. Government officials contend that the actions in Ferguson do not speak for the entire program in general, though.
"My hunch is that many of these [law enforcement] agencies out there would tell you that some of this equipment saves lives and protects citizens," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters. "And so while we're all focused on what's going on in Ferguson … let's be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water here."
Moreover, the government official stated that police stations must go through a particular registration process before obtaining any hardware made for military benefits.
"We don't push equipment on anybody … It is made available to law enforcement agencies if they want it and if they qualify for it," Kirby said. "There's a lot of due diligence here. This isn't some program run amok."
Supplying police with regulated equipment
Program 1033 – the official designation of the military hardware repurposing effort – is a congressionally mandated and funded initiative, according to Stars and Stripes. CNN reported that $450 million of military hardware had been given to law enforcement agencies in 2013 alone. Ferguson specifically has received two Humvees, one generator and one cargo trailer since 2007. However, the St. Louis County Police Department has received six pistols, 12 rifles, 15 weapon sites, an explosives disposal robot, three helicopters, seven Humvees and two night-vision devices, according to Kirby.
Some worry about how police forces use military equipment when they receive it. The military and Congress do not designate how the hardware must be used, according to Kirby.
"It's still up to local law enforcement to determine how and when and where and under what circumstances they use excess military equipment," Kirby told reporters.
Since the controversy in Ferguson has increased focus on police militarization, President Barack Obama has called for a review of the program, saying that looking at how funds are spent by police stations and how equipment is used may help to reinforce boundaries between the police and military, according to a press release.
"There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement and we don't want those lines blurred, that would be contrary to our traditions and I think that there will be some bipartisan interest in reexamining some of those programs," Obama said.
Earlier this year, TRICARE, a health care program of the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, stopped funding certain diagnostic genetic tests, deeming them medically unnecessary, according to the Albuquerque Journal. That forced servicemembers to pay out of pocket for particular tests ordered by civilian doctors. For example, servicemembers receiving BRCA1 and BRCA2 tests for breast cancer and in-utero cystic fibrosis were not covered by the military health organization, according to Military Times.
Fortunately, Military Times reported servicemembers will regain coverage for 35 diagnostic genetic tests starting Sept. 1. Additionally, those servicemembers that had to pay out of pocket for genetic tests since Jan. 1 may be able to receive retroactive reimbursement, according to the TRICARE website. It is all part of a three-year program aimed at offering military members the safest and most effective methods of treatment and preventative care.
Fixing the previous conflict
TRICARE was forced to discontinue funding for diagnostic genetic tests because the procedures are largely not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Military Times reported. By law, TRICARE is barred from providing funding for medications and equipment not approved by the FDA. Previously, the FDA did not attempt to approve the laboratory-developed tests because they were considered inexpensive, easy to administer and procedures did not leave patients at risk. However, advancements in technology have changed the nature of LDTs, and some of the tests compete with similar FDA-approved procedures.
The new program
Currently, particular guidelines for the new program are still in development, according to TRICARE. However, there is a specific method of obtaining approval for TRICARE funds outlined by the organization. LDT-seeking servicemembers must first meet a test's coverage guidelines, receive prior authorization from a registered contractor and receive care from an accredited clinical laboratory. The organization noted that prenatal and preconception cystic fibrosis carrier screenings come with fewer limitations.
The change is meant to provide patients with more reliable test results over time as the FDA seeks to increase oversight of LDTs and establish a set of regulatory guidelines, Military Times reported.
"Ensuring that doctors and patients have access to safe, accurate and reliable diagnostic tests to help guide treatment decisions is a priority," FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D., told Military Times. "Inaccurate test results could cause patients to seek unnecessary treatment or delay and sometimes forgo treatment altogether."