US Senate approves Panetta to head Pentagon……

CIA chief Leon Panetta would assume his new post replacing Robert Gates from July 1.

The United States Senate unanimously confirmed Leon Panetta s nomination to be defence secretary hailing his successes as CIA chief as major challenges await him in Afghanistan and Libya.

Robert Gates said there had been contacts between US and Taliban….

"There s been outreach on the part of a number of countries, including the United States. I would say that these contacts are very preliminary at this point," US Defence Secretary.

The comments from the outgoing US defense chief were aired a day after Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced the United States was in contact with the Taliban, a striking public acknowledgment of a peace initiative that has been cloaked with secrecy.

The next Pearl Harbor could be a cyberattack.....

The next great battle America faces is likely to involve cyber war fare, Leon Panetta, the Central Intelligence Agency director, warned senators Thursday, predicting that “the next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples" America’s electrical grid and its security and financial systems.

US Defence Secretary Gates said that most NATO countries lack military capabilities...

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates delivered a sharp parting shot at European allies on Friday, saying NATO risks “collective military irrelevance” unless they bear more of the burden and boost military spending.

In a final policy address before retiring at the end of the month, Gates said NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Libya had exposed significant shortcomings in military capabilities and political will among the allies.

Panetta and Petraeus nominated for top slots in US......

Panetta and Petraeus will move to their new offices on June 20.

 President Barack Obama has declared his new defence team according to which Leon Panetta, the current CIA chief, has been named as secretary of defence and David Petraeus, who commands the international force in Afghanistan, as the CIA chief.