A friend asked for my reaction to the Los Angeles Times’ publishing two photos last week of American soldiers posing tauntingly with the bloodied bodies of dead Afghan insurgents. The photos were reportedly among 18 provided by a U.S. soldier who wanted “to draw attention to the safety risk of a breakdown in leadership and discipline.” Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta had asked the Times and other media publications to suppress the photos for fear that publication would incite more anti-American violence, and even deaths. The other media complied with Panetta’s request; the Times did not. It’s hard to judge this without being privy to the conversation between Panetta and Times editors. According to news reports, Panetta apologized for the soldiers’ actions, claiming that such brutality was against military policy, and that an investigation was underway. Times editors cited the public’s need to know more about this largely forgotten war. Still unknown is how widespread this phenomenon is. Were the photographed soldiers the proverbial few rotten apples, or the tip of an unsavory iceberg? But even this question begs a more important one: Why are we still in Afghanistan?

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An American Debacle in the Graveyard of Empires

As troops continue to intimidate and kill civilians.

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U.N.: Syria Violence ‘Unacceptable’

Subordinate members of meerkat troops are the best problem-solvers, say scientists who set the sociable creatures tasks to test their intelligence.

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Meerkat underdogs solve problems

Sudan attacked South Sudan with warplanes and ground troops, only days after Sudan said its military had forced the south’s forces out of a contested oil-rich region, South Sudan said on Monday.

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South Sudan Accuses Khartoum of Air Attacks

As troops shell Homs.

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U.N. Observers Monitor Syria

OBO, Central African Republic — Behind razor wire and bamboo walls topped with security cameras sits one of the newest U.S. military outposts in Africa. U.S. Special Forces soldiers with tattooed forearms and sunglasses emerge daily in pickup trucks. They carry weapons, supplies and translators — as well as the expectations of a vast region living in fear of a man and his brutal militia. Read full article > >

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In Africa, U.S. troops moving slowly against Joseph Kony and his militia

As UN observers within Syria report that some shelling is still occurring in the country, BBC correspondent Ian Pannell managed to get inside Idlib province and joined rebels fighting Assad’s troops.

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VIDEO: Inside Syria with rebel forces

As UN observers within Syria report that some shelling is still occurring in the country, BBC correspondent Ian Pannell managed to get inside Idlib province and joined rebels fighting Assad’s troops.

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VIDEO: Inside Syria with rebel forces

While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday. Don't leave the house without your spare licorice wheel because April 13 is National Licorice Day ! Love it or hate it, people have strong emotional connections and definite opinions on this chewy rope candy. Made using the extract of the licorice plant root, sugar and a binding agent like gelatin, licorice whips get their signature shape from old-fashioned molds.  Believe it or not, the super sweetness of licorice candy results from the extract's natural sweetening component, glycyrrhizin – which weighs in about 50 times sweeter than sucrose. Licorice root has also been used for its medicinal purposes. Alexander the Great even gave his troops rations of the root because it helps quench your thirst. But this really only applies to black licorice – red licorice isn't really licorice at all. While the shape is the same, there's a twist: Twizzlers, Red Vines and your classic favorites are flavored with anything but licorice extract. For a different way to sate your licorice cravings, make these adorable lifesaver cookies , complete with licorice strips. Can you say beach party?

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National licorice day

Prototype contact lenses designed to offer troops enhanced vision are ordered by the US Department of Defense’s research lab.

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Pentagon buys dual-focus contacts

Prototype contact lenses designed to offer troops enhanced vision are ordered by the US Department of Defense’s research lab.

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Pentagon buys dual-focus contacts

Armed troops have not pulled out of cities.

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White House: Ceasefire ‘Tentative’ in Syria

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir says he will not withdraw troops from the Heglig oilfield on its disputed border with Sudan, despite international pressure.

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S Sudan defies UN withdrawal call

Violence continues in Syria despite a UN-backed deadline for a complete withdrawal of troops and weapons coming into effect.

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Clashes blight Syria peace hopes

BAGHDAD — On the face of it, Iraq’s first springtime since American troops withdrew in December is turning into the most peaceful and promising the country has witnessed in a decade, offering what U.S. and some Iraqi officials say amounts to a vindication of President Obama’s Iraq policy. Read full article > >

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U.S. policy on Iraq questioned as influence wanes, Maliki consolidates power