Should openly gay soilders be welcomed into the military?

President Obama called for repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in his State of the Union address last week. Now, the U.S. military’s Adm. Michael  Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate panel that it was wrong to force people to “lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.”

As the U.S. military prepares for the eventual repeal of its 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gays from serving openly, this topic has generated a lot of comment.

Admiral Mullen’s predecessors held very different views as this blogger points out.

On air: Did President Obama convince you?

We knew the figures yesterday. Now, after the speech, we know the reasoning, the strategy and the endgame. Are you impressed? Are you persuaded? And can it establish a democratic and stable Afghanistan, while keeping America and Afghan public opinion on board?

On air: Do the strongest countries always get their way?

Russia has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, after restoring what the Kremlin calls security for civilians and peacekeepers in South Ossetia. According to a statement, President Medvedev told his defence minister and chief of staff that “the goal has been attained”, but so far Russian troops haven’t withdrawn from Georgia. BBC Correspondents say this a ceasefire rather than a peace deal.

So Russia has got it’s way? Is it the case across the world that the biggest military and economic powers in any given region hold all the cards?

A day to honour the troops?

Hi, this is Will in Canada. ‘Here remembrance day is a day off work. I believe the same can be said for the USA with veterans day. But what do you think of this?