[Via... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <mailto:Undisclosed-Recipient:;@mindspring.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 8:20 PM Subject: PENTAGON WANTS EVEN MORE MONEY Rumsfeld says Pentagon problems to spur addition to defense budget Rumsfeld is taken aback by severity of problems By Greg Jaffe THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Washington, May 23 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he and others in the administration have been taken aback by the severity of the Pentagon's problems, and that he expects President Bush to begin addressing them soon with a hefty supplemental increase to the defense budget. President Bush could add as much as $6.5 billion to the government's budget for the current year without exceeding spending limits. "My hope is that we get most of that, but obviously there is the rest of the government," Mr. Rumsfeld said. Even if the Pentagon gets the lion's share, it will take considerable resources in the future to fix the Pentagon's problems, he added. Before becoming defense secretary, Mr. Rumsfeld said he had expected to find problems with aging planes, tanks and infrastructure. "An innocent reading of the papers shows we have gone through a period of considerable neglect," he said. But a trip to Fort Stewart, Ga., was an eye-opener. "When you get in and look at it in detail and you go down to Fort Stewart and see the quality of the housing we are asking people ... to live in, you can't help but be floored." Defense and administration officials said that based on earlier calculations, the Pentagon could propose adding as much as $20 billion to the defense budget for the year beginning Oct. 1. Mr. Rumsfeld said he hasn' t determined how much of an increase will be required. "I don't have a number," he said. Indeed, the defense chief indicated that the Bush administration's relatively late start and the daunting task of doing a top-to-bottom review of the Pentagon's post-Cold War strategy has been a strain on his small staff. So far, he said he has reached few conclusions. Even as the administration is struggling to get its 2001 supplemental budget and the 2002 budget, it is beginning to draft the 2003 budget. Mr. Rumsfeld has assembled more than 18 different panels to study aspects of the Pentagon. He is working on a quadrennial review, which is due to Congress in September and likely will shape the Pentagon's 2003 budget. "The timing is poor," Mr. Rumsfeld said, referring to his efforts to lead a thorough review of the Pentagon while balancing three separate budget requests with a skeleton staff because few top aides have been confirmed by the Senate. "If you want good input and thought, it is very difficult to do," he said. Mr. Rumsfeld had been expected to testify before Congress as early as this week. But with the 2002 defense-budget amendment still up in the air, he will instead spend Wednesday on Capitol Hill conducting more informal briefings with the Senate and the House. In the briefings, Mr. Rumsfeld will begin to outline his thoughts on a new defense strategy, designed to replace the current one, which is built around the capacity to fight two major wars simultaneously, such as a conflict in the Middle East and one on the Korean peninsula. Instead of a military built around potential threats, Mr. Rumsfeld said he will suggest structuring the military around capabilities designed to counter a wide range of problems in a rapidly changing world. One idea is to create joint task forces that would be prepared to respond quickly to potential conflicts such as the Kosovo War. Moving away from a defense strategy built around the ability to fight and win two major wars will give the Pentagon more freedom to invest in and experiment with weapons systems designed for future conflicts, Mr. Rumsfeld maintains. Such investments may increase the risk that the U.S. military is not as ready for a major conflict in the short term. But he added that not increasing investment in research and development creates future risks just as daunting as a Mideast or Korean war. "Because we don't have a peer competitor this is the opportunity to assure that the U.S. military invests the funds in research and development, testing and experimentation," he said. Mr. Rumsfeld, who has been criticized by several members of Congress for his failure to keep them informed about his plans to reform the Pentagon, said the briefings will offer lawmakers a chance to weigh in. "Until there has been a great deal of thought, discussion and attention you can't be certain you have a better answer. Certainly, Congress deserves to be engaged in the process," he said. At the same time, Mr. Rumsfeld also will ask Congress for a freer hand in running the department. He noted that the Pentagon files more than 900 reports annually to Congress. "I want to ask them how we can get the Department of Defense operating on a basis that is more efficient, effective and responsive," he said. Bruce K. Gagnon Coordinator Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space PO Box 90083 Gainesville, FL. 32607 (352) 337-9274 http://www.space4peace.org [EMAIL PROTECTED]
