National Security – DIME
Fight Terror With YouTube (New York Times)…Daniel Kimmage
AL QAEDA made its name in blood and pixels, with deadly attacks and an avalanche of electronic news media. Recent news articles depict an online terrorist juggernaut that has defied the best efforts by the United States government to counter it. While these articles are themselves a testimony to Al Qaeda’s media savvy, they don’t tell the whole story.
Balance Of Forces, (Washington Times)…William Hawkins, June 26, 2008, Pg. 22
When Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired the Air Force secretary and chief of staff earlier this month, he cited problems in the nuclear weapons program. Many suspect the firings were prompted by more systemic failures …
Provides the perspective on the need to balance immediate with longer term needs.
“It is a matter of balance,” Mr. Gates told his audiences, “We must build out the Navy. We must modernize the Air Force, in particular the aging fighter and tanker fleet. And we must prepare the Army and Marine Corps for full-spectrum conflict.”
… America must be prepared for dealing with nations “discontented with their role in the international order and rising and resurgent powers whose future paths are uncertain,” diplomatic code for a rising China and a resurgent Russia.
All-Volunteer Army: An Ongoing Experiment
(USA Today)…Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras, June 25, 2008, Pg. 9
In 1973, the military draft ended, and our nation began the experiment of manning an Army exclusively with volunteers. A decade later, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger proclaimed, “To all the American people, I would say that the experiment is over. We know that an all-volunteer force can succeed, and we know what it takes to make it succeed.” And yet, perhaps today we really don’t know all it takes to make the all-volunteer force succeed.
The real issue confronting today’s Army derives from three aversions held by Americans:
•We are skeptical of a sizable military. “The spirit of this country,” Thomas Jefferson noted, “is totally adverse to a large military force.”
•While many Americans yearn for some form of national service, few are eager to revisit the inequities of conscription.
•Americans have a low tolerance for long wars.
Retired lieutenant colonel Leonard Wong and retired colonel Stephen Gerras are faculty members at the Army War College. Their views are not necessarily those of the Army.
How To Win The War Of Ideas, (Wall Street Journal)…James K. Glassman, June 24, 2008
“In the long run, winning the War on Terror means winning the battle of ideas.”
Many of the strongest supporters of ideological engagement can be found in the Department of Defense, starting with Secretary Robert Gates, who reminded senators earlier this year that the Cold War was “as much a war of ideas as it was of military power.” Unfortunately, since the rise of Islamic terror, we haven’t done enough on this front.
What we seek is a world in which the use of violence to achieve political, religious or social objectives is no longer considered acceptable, efforts to radicalize and recruit new members are no longer successful, and the perpetrators of violent extremism are condemned and isolated.
Military success is necessary, but it is not sufficient – for the simple reason that we face as an enemy not a single nation, or even a coalition, but a stateless global movement. Without a vigorous war of ideas, as we kill such adversaries others will take their place.
Air Force Adrift, (Washington Post)…Editorial, June 21, 2008, Pg. 16
SLOWLY AND painfully, the U.S. Army has adapted itself to the unconventional wars the country has faced since Sept. 11, 2001. Following a reorganization of forces, a rewrite of doctrine and the emergence of new commanders such as Gen. David H. Petraeus, American ground troops are winning counterinsurgency wars in Iraq and eastern Afghanistan — and are recognized as state-of-the-art by NATO allies.
… In contrast, the U.S. Air Force, which dominated the 1990s with its smart bombs and stealth planes, has lost its way in the new century.
Having Judges On The Battlefield, (Wall Street Journal)…Andrew McBride, June 21, 2008, Pg. 7
The Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush is being hailed in many quarters as a great victory for civil rights and the rule of law. It is not. In fact, it is a watershed in judicial hubris, and in the continuing trend in our society to convert every form of decision making into a lawsuit.
Marines Need A ‘Softer’ Touch, (New London (CT) Day)…Jennifer Grogan
The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps said Wednesday that the service has to be a “two-fisted fighter,” able to fight wars and respond to skirmishes or provide humanitarian assistance around the world.
Iraq Study: Refugee Life Of Women, Kids Hard
(Arizona Daily Star (Tucson))…Associated Press
Women and children have been hit especially hard in Iraq’s refugee crisis, often forced to beg and in some cases turn to prostitution to provide for their families because so many men have been killed, a report said Friday.
Once At A Local Pound, Gabe Now Sniffs Out Bombs In Iraq
(Houston Chronicle)…Rosanna Ruiz, June 21, 2008, Pg. 1
In his early years, he was known to wander …
His impressive military record led the American Kennel Club recently to honor Gabe with its Heroic Military Working Dog Award medal. His partner, Sgt. Charles Shuck, of the 178th Military Police Detachment, also shared in the honor.
The pair has conducted more than 170 combat patrols, including search operations, raids and sweeps that provided safe environments for task forces, Iraqi police and other coalition forces, according to the AKC.
In Iraq’s Oil Fields, Signs Of Hope Finally Are Emerging
(USA Today)…Charles Levinson
…This month, the Iraqi government expects 10 major foreign oil companies — including ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron — to sign modest contracts that could be a first step toward bigger investments.
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