Panetta Cautions Against Deep Defense Cuts

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta stated yesterday that deep defense cuts would "terribly weaken" U.S. national security. Speaking at a rare joint news conference with Secretary of State, he cautioned against radical defense reduction, which would have a devastating effect on U.S. national security.

"We recognize that we're in a resource limitation here, and that we got to deal with those challenges, " said Panetta. "But I don't think you have to choose between our national and fiscal responsibilities. And I want the country to know that we can get this done, but we have to do it in a way that protects our national defense and protects our national security."

Right now it seems that the budget is determining what the national security of the United States should be instead of the other way around. Currently, a revolution in military strategy is being waged in national security circles as to which direction the United States heads in the coming decades. Conventional threats, that had been the hallmark of U.S. national security focus since the end of the Second World War, have been replaced by unconventional and asymmetric security threats.

With the change in the challenges faced by the U.S., it alters what types of weapons the Pentagon will need in the future. At the same time the Pentagon will have to realign its procurement and acquisition systems to meet these new challenges. Currently, the Pentagon operates under an antiquated budget system, in which billions have been squandered without any real oversight and direction. This must change!

As I mentioned yesterday, a dedicated task force needs to be established to look and make the necessary recommendations on how the Pentagon can realign its priorities, look at the duplication of services that are inherent in each military branch, and ultimately end outdated practices.

Failure to address political reality will have the Pentagon forced to make reductions, not by national security concerns, but by budget realities. This focus will place the security of the nation in peril.

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