Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

New evidence that Hagel may be awake

A spokesman says that the defense secretary is concerned by recent news of even more problems in the Air Force’s nuclear missile units and suspects "there could be something larger afoot here." Also, Robert Burns of the AP is hereby awarded Best Defense’s prestigious Birddog Prize for staying on this story. Anyone can break a ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images

A spokesman says that the defense secretary is concerned by recent news of even more problems in the Air Force's nuclear missile units and suspects "there could be something larger afoot here."

A spokesman says that the defense secretary is concerned by recent news of even more problems in the Air Force’s nuclear missile units and suspects "there could be something larger afoot here."

Also, Robert Burns of the AP is hereby awarded Best Defense’s prestigious Birddog Prize for staying on this story. Anyone can break a scoop, but it takes a determined, energetic reporter to track, develop, and deepen it.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

Read More On Barack Obama | Military | National Security Agency | Nuclear Weapons

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