WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Representative John Murtha, chairman of the House of Representatives defense appropriations subcommittee who exercised enormous influence on defense issues, died on Monday.

Murtha, 77, died peacefully at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington with his family by his side, a statement from his office said. He had been hospitalized recently with complications related to gallbladder surgery.

As the top Democrat on the House panel that oversaw defense appropriations, Murtha wielded big clout in the Democratic-majority Congress, making decisions affecting billions of dollars in Pentagon spending.

But he also stunned his fellow hawks in 2005 by urging a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, transforming the debate over the 2003 invasion launched during the administration of former President George W. Bush and making opposition to the war a respectable conservative position.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Representative John Murtha, chairman of the House of Representatives defense appropriations subcommittee who exercised enormous influence on defense issues, died on Monday.

Murtha, 77, died peacefully at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington with his family by his side, a statement from his office said. He had been hospitalized recently with complications related to gallbladder surgery.

As the top Democrat on the House panel that oversaw defense appropriations, Murtha wielded big clout in the Democratic-majority Congress, making decisions affecting billions of dollars in Pentagon spending.

But he also stunned his fellow hawks in 2005 by urging a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, transforming the debate over the 2003 invasion launched during the administration of former President George W. Bush and making opposition to the war a respectable conservative position.

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – U.S. Democratic Representative John Murtha, chairman of the House of Representatives defense appropriations subcommittee who exercised enormous influence on defense issues, died on Monday.

Murtha, 77, died peacefully at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington with his family by his side, a statement from his office said. He had been hospitalized recently with complications related to gallbladder surgery.

As the top Democrat on the House panel that oversaw defense appropriations, Murtha wielded big clout in the Democratic-majority Congress, making decisions affecting billions of dollars in Pentagon spending.

But he also stunned his fellow hawks in 2005 by urging a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, transforming the debate over the 2003 invasion launched during the administration of former President George W. Bush and making opposition to the war a respectable conservative position.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The retired general whose opposition deflected the last serious bid to let homosexuals serve openly in the U.S. military, Colin Powell, reversed himself on Wednesday and backed President Barack Obama’s move to repeal the restrictions on gays.

Powell’s intervention followed by one day an announcement of support for Obama’s proposal by Pentagon chief Robert Gates and a strong appeal to let gays serve openly by the nation’s top uniformed officer, Admiral Michael Mullen.

Gates and Mullen spent part of Wednesday trying to defuse opposition in Congress to the move.

Mullen, who says allowing gays to serve openly is “an issue of integrity,” is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the job Powell held in 1993, when he resisted President Clinton’s efforts to lift the ban on gays in the U.S. armed forces.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence and military chiefs offered mixed assessments of the Afghanistan war on Tuesday, acknowledging the Taliban’s reach is expanding but pointing to signs of progress as more U.S. forces arrive.

President Barack Obama has ordered 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with the goal of weakening the Taliban enough for the Afghan army and police to begin to take over.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that Taliban insurgents have “a growing influence in most of Afghanistan’s provinces” but said it is too early to give up hope in reversing that trend.

“It’s better than it’s ever been and we’re just a few months into it,” Mullen said, referring to the infusion of additional U.S. troops since December.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence and military chiefs offered mixed assessments of the Afghanistan war on Tuesday, acknowledging the Taliban’s reach is expanding but pointing to signs of progress as more U.S. forces arrive. President Barack Obama has ordered 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with the goal of weakening the Taliban enough for the Afghan army and police to begin to take over. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that Taliban insurgents have "a growing influence in most of Afghanistan’s provinces" but said it is too early to give up hope in reversing that trend. "It’s better than it’s ever been and we’re just a few months into it," Mullen said, referring to the infusion of additional U.S. troops since December. In a separate hearing, Dennis Blair, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency has been adjusting its tactics as more U.S. troops arrive. "The Afghan Taliban-dominated insurgency has become increasingly dangerous and destabilizing. Despite the loss of some key leaders, insurgents have adjusted their tactics to maintain momentum following the arrival of additional U.S. forces last year," Blair said. The director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, said U.S. troops face an "increasingly capable insurgency," citing the Afghan government’s "inability to extend security throughout the country, and insurgent access to sanctuaries in Pakistan." Burgess said the Taliban insurgency, once based in southern Afghanistan, "retains momentum and has spread west and north." He added that Afghan security forces are "growing but not keeping pace with the Taliban’s ability to exploit the security vacuum." The militant group al Qaeda also has increased its activities in Afghanistan, but Blair said its overall contribution to the insurgency is still "modest." Obama on Dec. 1 decided to deploy another 30,000 troops on top of the nearly 70,000 already there. Mullen said 4,500 of the 30,000 additional troops already have arrived in Afghanistan, and 18,000 will be there by late spring. ‘EXECUTED OUR STRATEGY’ "Right now, the Taliban believe they’re winning. Eighteen months from now, if we’ve executed our strategy, we’ll know that they won’t … that they can’t," Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the same hearing that U.S. troop levels are expected to reach 98,000 by the end of September. Mullen said that by the middle of this year, the United States will have more troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq for the first time since 2003. Obama’s troop surge has gained support in Congress. But Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced concern about the linchpin of Obama’s new strategy in Afghanistan — accelerating the training of Afghan forces so they can take over responsibility for security. "The question is whether the Afghans are capable and willing to do their part?" said Senator Evan Bayh, a member of Obama’s Democratic Party. "When you look at the history of that country, the complexity of that country, I think skeptics kind of wonder whether even with our best efforts we’ll be able to get the job done." Obama set the goal of starting to pull some U.S. troops out in July 2011. But Gates made clear that it was not a fixed date, saying any gradual drawdown would depend on the outcome of a policy review later this year. "Both Admiral Mullen and I are committed that if we determine that our strategy is not working that we will not recommend just plunging ahead blindly without a change of course," Gates said. Mullen said that "a healthy skepticism is good" but "a terminal skepticism at this point, it’s far too soon." He pointed to "signs in many places now of uplifted spirits on the part of the Afghan people where security is turned around." U.S. military commanders complain that Obama’s handover plans are being hampered by a shortage of trainers, particularly from European allies. Mullen said he attended a meeting last week with other NATO military chiefs and the issue of trainers will be discussed again later this month. Blair also referred to the shortage of international trainers and said this was hampering the expansion of the Afghan national army. The Afghan police, he said, has even less training and resources and is beset with high rates of corruption and absenteeism. "Many Afghans perceive the police to be corrupt and more dangerous than the Taliban," Blair said. (Reporting by Adam Entous, Sue Pleming and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Paul Simao and Will Dunham)

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence and military chiefs offered mixed assessments of the Afghanistan war on Tuesday, acknowledging the Taliban’s reach is expanding but pointing to signs of progress as more U.S. forces arrive. President Barack Obama has ordered 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with the goal of weakening the Taliban enough for the Afghan army and police to begin to take over. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that Taliban insurgents have "a growing influence in most of Afghanistan’s provinces" but said it is too early to give up hope in reversing that trend. "It’s better than it’s ever been and we’re just a few months into it," Mullen said, referring to the infusion of additional U.S. troops since December. In a separate hearing, Dennis Blair, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency has been adjusting its tactics as more U.S. troops arrive. "The Afghan Taliban-dominated insurgency has become increasingly dangerous and destabilizing. Despite the loss of some key leaders, insurgents have adjusted their tactics to maintain momentum following the arrival of additional U.S. forces last year," Blair said. The director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, said U.S. troops face an "increasingly capable insurgency," citing the Afghan government’s "inability to extend security throughout the country, and insurgent access to sanctuaries in Pakistan." Burgess said the Taliban insurgency, once based in southern Afghanistan, "retains momentum and has spread west and north." He added that Afghan security forces are "growing but not keeping pace with the Taliban’s ability to exploit the security vacuum." The militant group al Qaeda also has increased its activities in Afghanistan, but Blair said its overall contribution to the insurgency is still "modest." Obama on Dec. 1 decided to deploy another 30,000 troops on top of the nearly 70,000 already there. Mullen said 4,500 of the 30,000 additional troops already have arrived in Afghanistan, and 18,000 will be there by late spring. ‘EXECUTED OUR STRATEGY’ "Right now, the Taliban believe they’re winning. Eighteen months from now, if we’ve executed our strategy, we’ll know that they won’t … that they can’t," Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the same hearing that U.S. troop levels are expected to reach 98,000 by the end of September. Mullen said that by the middle of this year, the United States will have more troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq for the first time since 2003. Obama’s troop surge has gained support in Congress. But Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced concern about the linchpin of Obama’s new strategy in Afghanistan — accelerating the training of Afghan forces so they can take over responsibility for security. "The question is whether the Afghans are capable and willing to do their part?" said Senator Evan Bayh, a member of Obama’s Democratic Party. "When you look at the history of that country, the complexity of that country, I think skeptics kind of wonder whether even with our best efforts we’ll be able to get the job done." Obama set the goal of starting to pull some U.S. troops out in July 2011. But Gates made clear that it was not a fixed date, saying any gradual drawdown would depend on the outcome of a policy review later this year. "Both Admiral Mullen and I are committed that if we determine that our strategy is not working that we will not recommend just plunging ahead blindly without a change of course," Gates said. Mullen said that "a healthy skepticism is good" but "a terminal skepticism at this point, it’s far too soon." He pointed to "signs in many places now of uplifted spirits on the part of the Afghan people where security is turned around." U.S. military commanders complain that Obama’s handover plans are being hampered by a shortage of trainers, particularly from European allies. Mullen said he attended a meeting last week with other NATO military chiefs and the issue of trainers will be discussed again later this month. Blair also referred to the shortage of international trainers and said this was hampering the expansion of the Afghan national army. The Afghan police, he said, has even less training and resources and is beset with high rates of corruption and absenteeism. "Many Afghans perceive the police to be corrupt and more dangerous than the Taliban," Blair said. (Reporting by Adam Entous, Sue Pleming and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Paul Simao and Will Dunham)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A wary U.S. military prepared on Tuesday for an eventual repeal of its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gays from serving openly, but made clear movement should be gradual on the politically charged change requested by President Barack Obama.

The Pentagon will take at least a year to act.

Obama called for repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in his State of the Union address last week, putting a spotlight on the hot-button issue before congressional elections in November and in the middle of efforts to get his budget through a skeptical Congress.

Many gay activists were frustrated last year that Obama had not moved quickly to carry out a promise to overturn “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Gays and lesbians strongly backed Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The top U.S. military officer said on Tuesday the Taliban insurgency has secured a growing influence in most of Afghanistan’s provinces, but there are signs of a turnaround as more U.S. troops arrive. "It’s better than it’s ever been and we’re just a few months into it," Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers, referring to the ongoing infusion of U.S. troops. President Barack Obama on Dec. 1 decided to deploy another 30,000 troops on top of the nearly 70,000 already there. Mullen said 4,500 of the 30,000 additional troops already have arrived in Afghanistan, and that 18,000 will be there by late spring. The remainder will arrive "as rapidly as possible over the summer and early fall, making a major contribution to reversing Taliban momentum in 2010," Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The Taliban have a growing influence in most of Afghanistan’s provinces, and the border area between that country and Pakistan remains the epicenter of global terrorism," Mullen said. "Right now, the Taliban believe they’re winning. Eighteen months from now, if we’ve executed our strategy, we’ll know that they won’t … that they can’t," Mullen added. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the same hearing that troop levels are expected to reach 98,000 by the end of September. Mullen said that by the middle of this year, the United States will have more troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq for the first time since 2003. Obama’s troop surge has gained support in Congress. But Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced concern about the linchpin of Obama’s new strategy in Afghanistan — accelerating the training of Afghan forces so they can take over responsibility for security. ‘GET THE JOB DONE’ "The question is whether the Afghans are capable and willing to do their part?" said Senator Evan Bayh, a member of Obama’s Democratic Party. "When you look at the history of that country, the complexity of that country, I think skeptics kind of wonder whether even with our best efforts we’ll be able to get the job done." Obama set the goal of starting to pull some U.S. troops out in July 2011. But Gates made clear that it was not a fixed date, saying any gradual drawdown would depend on the outcome of a policy review later this year. "Both Admiral Mullen and I are committed that if we determine that our strategy is not working that we will not recommend just plunging ahead blindly without a change of course," Gates said. Mullen said that "a healthy skepticism is good" but that "a terminal skepticism at this point, it’s far too soon." He pointed to "signs in many places now of uplifted spirits on the part of the Afghan people where security is turned around." U.S. military commanders on the ground complain that Obama’s handover plans were being hampered by a shortage of trainers, particularly from European allies. "We all agree it is unacceptable. It is a top priority there," said Mullen when pressed about the shortage of trainers. Mullen said he attended a meeting last week with other NATO military chiefs and the issue of trainers would be discussed again later this month. Gates said the U.S. general in charge of training had reported a shortfall of about 1,700 trainers. "Our hope is that with the additional commitments of somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 additional forces by our NATO and other partners, that out of that number we can more than fill the requirement for trainers," Gates said. White House officials initially said the 30,000 troops should be in the Asian nation by the end of June. Pentagon officials said the deployment was on track and that 92 percent of the new forces would be in place by August. (Reporting by Adam Entous, Sue Pleming and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Paul Simao and Will Dunham)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Monday proposed another two years of hefty spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, seeking Congress’ approval for about $160 billion this year and again in fiscal 2011 to pay war costs.

The war spending proposed by Obama is only slightly less than in each of the last two years of the administration of President George Bush and carries considerable political peril for the Democratic president who took office last year.

Obama campaigned for the White House vowing to end the Iraq war. His party has a large anti-war contingent that is wary of spending more money on the battlefield, and some of its leaders said they would carefully review the military budget.

U.S. troops are to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, but Obama is seeking to escalate the U.S. presence in Afghanistan to step up the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban.