President Barack Obama, during his much heralded speech on Wednesday, mentioned his desire to "seek additional savings" within the U.S. Armed Forces which likely entail cuts to the Defense Department's fiscal 2013 budget,
Mirroring President Bill Clinton's 1990s reductions in defense spending that some critics claim led to the terrorist attacks against the US and its interests, Obama is planning his own set of defense cuts with the blessings of his Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The president stated that he plans to work with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and with Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to find more savings within the Defense Department to help in reducing the federal deficit.
"Secretary Gates believes that the Department of Defense cannot be exempt from efforts to bring federal deficit spending under control," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said. "However, it is important that any reduction in funding be shaped by strategy and policy choices, and not by a budget math exercise."
The Pentagon already has cut back spending by more than $400 billion over the past two years. The president said he believes the department is capable of matching that effort again to help in realizing $2 trillion in savings as part of an effort to reduce federal borrowing by $4 trillion over the next 12 years.
"The president acknowledged that the Department of Defense has been at the forefront in tearing back unneeded, duplicative and obsolete programs and administrative overhead," Morrell said. "[He] wants us to continue this effort with the goal of significant additional savings over the coming decade.
"By the same token, the secretary has been clear that further significant defense cuts cannot be accomplished without reducing forces structure and military capabilities," Morrell continued. "The comprehensive review of missions, capabilities and America's role in the world will identify alternatives for the president's consideration."
Critics believe Obama is mimicking Clinton's well-known dislike for the military that led to his intentional neglect of his primary responsibility: the protection of the American people. During the Clinton Administration, in less than three years, deployments for humanitarian missions increased while manpower decreased from 2.1 million to 1.6 million.
"The decrease in armed forces was called "reinvention" of government by Clinton's minions. While telling Americans that Clinton was making deep cuts in the federal bureaucracy, the media failed to inform Americans exactly what part of that "bureaucracy" was being cut. It was the military who suffered the cuts in order to make Clinton a fiscal hero," said political strategist Mike Baker.
Of the 305,000 employees removed from the federal payroll, 286,000 (or 90%) were military cuts. The statistics for America's defense during the Clinton years reveal the true feelings of the administration toward those who served in the military. The Army was cut from 18 divisions to 12. The Navy was reduced from 546 ships to 380. Air Force flight squadrons were cut from 76 to a mere 50. There were reductions in tanks, armored vehicles, rocket launchers, special forces units, etc.
"Obama and his Administration -- filled with retreads from President Clinton's Administration -- believes in allowing the United Nations and the European Union to dictate US defense policy and strategy. His faith in these two entities will result less protection for Americans," Baker said.
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
