FROM ASG
11/28/11
The Afghanistan War’s Costly Refrain
Afghanistan Study Group by Mary Kaszynski
“We can win in Afghanistan, we just need more time and money.” It’s a favorite line of those in favor of prolonging the Afghanistan war. CFR’s Max Boot especially enjoys this refrain recently writing in The Weekly Standard …
11/23/11
Where Is GOP Fiscal Responsibility On The Afghanistan War?
Afghanistan Study Group by Mary Kaszynski
Last night’s foreign policy debate saw little in the way of surprises. The Republican presidential candidates postured on Iranand Israel, argued immigration laws, and even discussed racial profiling. Substantive discussion of Afghanistan, however, was again in short order.
ARTICLES
11-28-11
Pakistan Halts Supplies to U.S.’s Afghanistan Troops After NATO Air Strike
Bloomberg by Haris Anwar and Anwar Shakir
The U.S. military began a high-level investigation to help salvage relations with Pakistan after an air strike by the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan killed 24 Pakistani troops at the border.
11-29-11
To Afghanistan, on the slow train
CNN by Tim Lister
Call it the ultimate in military logistics. As land routes from Pakistan into Afghanistan are cut, sabotaged or otherwise interrupted, the U.S. military has developed alternative railroad routes that make the Orient Express look like a branch line.
11-27-11
Afghan Dunkirk: Exiting Afghanistan UK-Style ... or ... How the Military - Industrial - Congressional Complex (MICC) Will Win By Losing
TIME’s Battleland by Chuck Spinney
My previous posting, discussed some of the implications of our looming grand-strategic defeat in Afghanistan. Here, we address the narrower logistics question of how to bring our forces home.
OPINION
11/23/11
Shortchanging our security
The Hill by Derek Brown, Melanie Greenberg and Milburn Line
n the coming weeks, Congress may well downsize the portion of the U.S. budget that is the least costly and most effective way of ensuring our security both at home and abroad.
11-29-11
Troubled ties that US and Pakistan can ill afford to cut
The National by Shuja Nawaz
An old saying in Pakistan comes to mind as one tries to make sense of the fraught relationship between Pakistan and the United States, as these two "frenemies" lurch from one crisis to another: when you make friends with camels, you must raise the roof of your foyer. In other words, an asymmetric friendship has its costs. For many in Pakistan, these costs are becoming unbearable. Yet a mutual codependency keeps this odd couple of international diplomacy together.
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
West ‘should not fear Islamist movements’
| West ‘should not fear Islamist movements’ |
| Islamists are likely to represent the “next wave” of political power in the Arab world, Qatar’s prime minister said, as early indications from Egypt’s elections suggested the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm was heading for victory http://link.ft.com/r/BLH300/ |
Chinese investors to head to Europe: report
Chinese investors to head to Europe: report by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) Nov 29, 2011
The Chinese government will lead an investment delegation to Europe next year as debt-laden eurozone countries open their doors to much-needed help from Beijing, state media said Tuesday.
 |
China Brief - Volume XI, Issue 22- Volume XI, Issue 22
November 30, 2011 - Volume XI, Issue 22
IN THIS ISSUE:
- In a Fortnight
By Peter Mattis
- Beijing Adopts Multi-Pronged Approach to Parry Washington’s Challenge
By Willy Lam
- China and Pakistan: Evolving Focus on Stability within Continuity
By Samantha Hoffman
- Chinese Air Force Officer Recruitment, Education and Training
By Kenneth W. Allen
- Burma and China: The Beginning of the End of Business as Usual?
By Ian Storey
By Peter Mattis
- Beijing Adopts Multi-Pronged Approach to Parry Washington’s Challenge
By Willy Lam
- China and Pakistan: Evolving Focus on Stability within Continuity
By Samantha Hoffman
- Chinese Air Force Officer Recruitment, Education and Training
By Kenneth W. Allen
- Burma and China: The Beginning of the End of Business as Usual?
By Ian Storey
View PDF
| Click here to view the PDF version. |
View Web Version
In a Fortnight
By Peter Mattis
CHINESE MILITARY CREATES STRATEGIC PLANNING DEPARTMENT
On November 22, Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Central Military Commission (CMC) issued a directive creating a “Strategic Planning Department” (zhanlüe guihua bu). The new department will fall under the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Department as the twelfth such unit (Xinhua, November 22; Beijing Evening News, November 23). CMC Vice Chairman Guo Boxiong stated the new department would improve the quality and effectiveness of the PLA’s strategic management (Xinhua, November 24; Caixin, November 23; PLA Daily, November 23). Indeed, the department marks a departure from the PLA’s previously uncoordinated or personalized efforts at strategic assessment, and it is not clear that those other efforts linked planning to military reforms (Lianhe Zaobao, November 25).
***
Beijing Adopts Multi-Pronged Approach to Parry Washington’s Challenge
By Willy Lam
Relations between China and the United States have taken a confrontational turn in the wake of a series of initiatives taken by President Barack Obama in his recent trip to Hawaii and Asia. While taking part for the first time in the East Asia Summit in Bali, Obama and his aides reiterated the U.S. commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. They stressed that settlement to sovereignty rows in the area must be in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Obama approved the sale of 24 F16-C/D jetfighters to Indonesia, which—together with the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan—has disputed China’s claims to the entire South China Sea. During a stopover in Australia, Obama announced that up to 2,500 marines would be stationed at Darwin, North Australia. Given that Darwin is a mere 600 miles from the southern tip of the Sea, the move is interpreted as an effort to boost U.S. ability to intervene in the flashpoint zone. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to visit Burma next month in an apparent effort to improve ties with China’s long-standing client state. Finally, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Hawaii, Obama made a big push for the Transpacific Partnership (TPP), a potential free trade area for some ten nations that do not include China. All these measures seem to exacerbate what Beijing perceives as an “anti-China containment policy” spearheaded by Washington (Washington Post, November 15; Associated Press, November 17; Wall Street Journal, November 18).
***
China and Pakistan: Evolving Focus on Stability within Continuity
By Samantha Hoffman
On November 16th, a two-week joint anti-terrorism exercise, Friendship-2011 (Youyi-2011), commenced between China and Pakistan. The exercise was the fourth instalment of the “Friendship” counter-terrorism series. The initial 2004 exercise took place in Xinjiang, China, near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and marked the first time a foreign army was on Chinese soil for a military exercise. This year, the exercise took place in Mangla, Pakistan, not far from Islamabad (People’s Daily, November 21). The anti-terror drills simulated low-intensity conflict scenarios and emphasized cooperation and information sharing (Xinhua, November 14; CNTV, November 15). Friendship-2011 included 260 Chinese soldiers, under deputy commander of the Lanzhou Military Region Zhao Jianzhong, and 230 Pakistani soldiers (Xinhua, November 18; People’s Daily, November 15). In May this year, Pakistani President Yousaf Raza Gilani visited Beijing to mark the 60th anniversary of the China-Pakistan relations. During the visit, China agreed to give Pakistan an emergency supply of 50 JF-17 multirole fighter jets (Xinhua, May 21). Pakistan currently has 38 indigenously manufactured JF-17s, which first came into service in 2009, but these use a Chinese manufactured avionics system [1]. The new 50 will include a more advanced Italian avionics system (Xinhua, June 7). In a year where questions were often raised about the significance of the Sino-Pakistani "strategic partnership," these neither outstanding nor surprising events once again highlighted the complexities of this relationship. Friendship-2011 demonstrates China’s more recent emphasis on counter-terrorism in its relationship with Pakistan, whereas the JF-17 agreement is just one example of China’s continuing status as Pakistan’s closest friend.
***
Chinese Air Force Officer Recruitment, Education and Training
By Kenneth W. Allen
As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to emphasize the need to raise the quality of its personnel, analyzing the recruitment, education and training of the officer corps becomes all the more important for assessing Chinese military modernization, especially for the technology-dependent PLA Air Force (PLAAF). Based on the available information, it is unclear whether the PLAAF has succeeded in reforming officer recruitment, education and training to build a more highly-educated officer corps capable of commanding, operating and supporting a growing high-tech force in a combined-arms and joint environment. It is clear however that a number of challenges remain, including limited opportunities for joint training in the academy and a lack of centralized management.
***
Burma and China: The Beginning of the End of Business as Usual?
By Ian Storey
The introduction of a slew of economic reforms and political initiatives by the Burmese government in the second half of 2011 have significant implications for the carriage of Burmese foreign policy. Indeed, the surprise announcement in September suspending construction of a major Chinese-funded hydroelectric dam is an indication that China’s privileged place in the hierarchy of Burma’s foreign relations―a position it has greatly benefited from since the West shunned Burma in 1988—can no longer be taken for granted. Nevertheless, even as these changes unfold, the two neighbors will seek to maintain close and cordial relations in recognition of inescapable geographical realities and to protect important shared interests.
The Price of Empire Have US policymakers gone crazy?
The Price of Empire
Have US policymakers gone crazy?
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2011/11/27/the-price-of-empire-3/
What If the Constitution No Longer Applied? by Andrew P. Napolitano,
What If the Constitution No Longer Applied?
by Andrew P. Napolitano,http://original.antiwar.com/andrew-p-napolitano/2011/11/28/what-if-the-constitution-no-longer-applied/
Setting the Trap Levin-McCain bill would create a presidential dictatorship. Where is the outrage?
Setting the Trap
Levin-McCain bill would create a presidential dictatorship. Where is the outrage?
The Folly of Sanctions
The Folly of Sanctions
Many people have the misconception that sanctions are an effective means to encourage a change of behavior in another country without war. However, sanctions and blockades are not only acts of war according to international law, they are most often the first step toward a real war, starting with a bombing campaign.From Winslow Wheeler: "Corrupt officer corps?" An overstatement? You be the judge.
Two excellent and important articles follow. They address the corrupt nature of America's general officer corps, and they are examples of journalism and think-tank work at their best.
"Corrupt officer corps?" An overstatement? You be the judge.
The first article is yet another in USA Today's Tom Vandenbrook's long and continuing series about DOD's "mentor" program. It describes corrupt behavior in indisputable terms. The second by POGO's Ben Freeman describes how the general officer corps has reversed former SecDef Gates' attempt at a modest reduction in officer bloat, a reversal enabled by Leon Panetta. (What next should we expect from this politician occupying the top position in America's most important national security agency?)
The issues are not just ethics and cost. Bloated officer corps are a characteristic of militaries in decline, or rather that have already declined and lose wars. The attachment is a briefing given in recent years by an anonymous and highly respected, at least by me, retired military officer.
It not just a budget crisis the Pentagon is experiencing; it's also a leadership crisis -- especially at the top. Moreover, the two are directly related.
I believe these materials are important reading.
USA Today
November 29, 2011
Pg. 1
November 29, 2011
Pg. 1
4 Stars For Hire Mentor's Role Led To Altered Exercise Air Force retiree also a Boeing exec By Tom Vanden Brook and Ray Locker, USA Today
The Air Force let a retired four-star general who was an executive for Boeing participate in a war game involving an aerial tanker that the company was vying to build for the military for more than $50 billion, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.
Air Force officials, concerned about retired general Charles Robertson's potential conflict of interest, altered the war game to let him participate as a "senior mentor," according to the Air Force e-mails released under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
"The episode regarding Gen. Robertson shows that concerns over the mentors' conflicts of interest are not just theoretical," said Nick Schwellenbach of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group. "In this case, a mentor's work consulting for the Pentagon directly related to one of his company's biggest potential contracts."
The e-mail answers questions raised in the fall of 2009 about the Air Force's use of senior mentors, retired generals and admirals who advised the Pentagon. A USA TODAY investigation found that 80% of 158 mentors had ties to the defense industry, including Robertson.
The Air Force, in 2009, did not reveal Robertson's name, his role as a mentor or his business ties, and it took two years to respond to the FOIA request. Joint Forces Command released e-mails within weeks of a similar request.
In reaction to stories on the mentors, former Defense secretary Robert Gates and Congress capped mentors' pay at $179,900 and made them subject to government conflict-of-interest laws and required them to disclose their outside business interests.
Since the rules went into effect, 351 mentors quit, citing low pay and limits on outside consulting, according to the Pentagon inspector general. Four mentors remain as consultants.
Robertson's role in the Air Force's quest to build a new tanker took place before the rule changes. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Boeing spokeswoman Ellen Buhr declined to comment.
In February, the Pentagon awarded a $3.5billion contract to Boeing for development of the KC-46A aerial refueler. Eventually, 179 will be built for $51 billion, Bloomberg News reported.
Robertson, who retired in 2001, was the chief of U.S. Transportation Command and the Air Force Air Mobility Command, Pentagon agencies responsible for moving troops and material around the world. He took a position with Boeing in 2001 and retired in 2010 as a vice president.
In late 2007, the Air Force invited him to take part in the war game Global Mobility 2008, according to an e-mail. The Air Force omitted names of those who sent or received the e-mail.
Air Force officials noted concerns about Robertson's potential conflict "from the beginning of the process," and how they worked around it. Gen. Arthur Lichte, the top officer at Air Mobility Command in 2009, noted Robertson's position as a mentor and Boeing's involvement in the tanker contract and "suggested caution about how we play the (tanker) in the war game."
Air Force officials concluded that "Robertson's position on the 'support' side of Boeing would not conflict with the objectives" of the war game.
Today's Military: The Most Top-Heavy Force in U.S. History
By BEN FREEMAN
After Thanksgiving, waistlines aren't the only things that are bloated--the Pentagon's top ranks are fattening at an alarming rate.
Despite a plan set forth by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to rein in the Department of Defense's (DoD) increasingly top-heavy force and assurances from Pentagon personnel that these plans were being enacted, the U.S. military is still adding top brass faster than you can say tryptophan.
In September, I testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel about the military becoming increasingly top-heavy as a result of growth in the proportion of general and flag officers at the Pentagon. This trend, which we at POGO dubbed Star Creep, is costly to taxpayers who have to foot the large bill for every new general and admiral. It also hinders military effectiveness by leading to what Gates referred to as a "bureaucracy which has the fine motor skills of a dinosaur."
My fellow witnesses at the hearing-several generals and admirals as well as former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley-assured the concerned Committee that they had everything under control. They cited Gates' Efficiency Initiatives, which purportedly eliminate 102 general and flag officer positions, as evidence of the DoD's commitment to combating Star Creep. Stanley confirmed to Chairman Jim Webb (D-VA) that Gates' successor-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta-supported these efforts and, "has accepted the policies and the things put in place by his predecessor." (Stanley tendered his notice of resignation in late October.)
What Senator Webb and I did not know at the time-and perhaps Stanley did-was that Gates' initiative to cut general and flag officers had already come to a screeching halt. Data that were released recently on the DoD personnel office's website tell the tale.
The Air Force let a retired four-star general who was an executive for Boeing participate in a war game involving an aerial tanker that the company was vying to build for the military for more than $50 billion, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.
Air Force officials, concerned about retired general Charles Robertson's potential conflict of interest, altered the war game to let him participate as a "senior mentor," according to the Air Force e-mails released under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
"The episode regarding Gen. Robertson shows that concerns over the mentors' conflicts of interest are not just theoretical," said Nick Schwellenbach of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group. "In this case, a mentor's work consulting for the Pentagon directly related to one of his company's biggest potential contracts."
The e-mail answers questions raised in the fall of 2009 about the Air Force's use of senior mentors, retired generals and admirals who advised the Pentagon. A USA TODAY investigation found that 80% of 158 mentors had ties to the defense industry, including Robertson.
The Air Force, in 2009, did not reveal Robertson's name, his role as a mentor or his business ties, and it took two years to respond to the FOIA request. Joint Forces Command released e-mails within weeks of a similar request.
In reaction to stories on the mentors, former Defense secretary Robert Gates and Congress capped mentors' pay at $179,900 and made them subject to government conflict-of-interest laws and required them to disclose their outside business interests.
Since the rules went into effect, 351 mentors quit, citing low pay and limits on outside consulting, according to the Pentagon inspector general. Four mentors remain as consultants.
Robertson's role in the Air Force's quest to build a new tanker took place before the rule changes. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Boeing spokeswoman Ellen Buhr declined to comment.
In February, the Pentagon awarded a $3.5billion contract to Boeing for development of the KC-46A aerial refueler. Eventually, 179 will be built for $51 billion, Bloomberg News reported.
Robertson, who retired in 2001, was the chief of U.S. Transportation Command and the Air Force Air Mobility Command, Pentagon agencies responsible for moving troops and material around the world. He took a position with Boeing in 2001 and retired in 2010 as a vice president.
In late 2007, the Air Force invited him to take part in the war game Global Mobility 2008, according to an e-mail. The Air Force omitted names of those who sent or received the e-mail.
Air Force officials noted concerns about Robertson's potential conflict "from the beginning of the process," and how they worked around it. Gen. Arthur Lichte, the top officer at Air Mobility Command in 2009, noted Robertson's position as a mentor and Boeing's involvement in the tanker contract and "suggested caution about how we play the (tanker) in the war game."
Air Force officials concluded that "Robertson's position on the 'support' side of Boeing would not conflict with the objectives" of the war game.
Today's Military: The Most Top-Heavy Force in U.S. History
By BEN FREEMAN
After Thanksgiving, waistlines aren't the only things that are bloated--the Pentagon's top ranks are fattening at an alarming rate.
Despite a plan set forth by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to rein in the Department of Defense's (DoD) increasingly top-heavy force and assurances from Pentagon personnel that these plans were being enacted, the U.S. military is still adding top brass faster than you can say tryptophan.
In September, I testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel about the military becoming increasingly top-heavy as a result of growth in the proportion of general and flag officers at the Pentagon. This trend, which we at POGO dubbed Star Creep, is costly to taxpayers who have to foot the large bill for every new general and admiral. It also hinders military effectiveness by leading to what Gates referred to as a "bureaucracy which has the fine motor skills of a dinosaur."
My fellow witnesses at the hearing-several generals and admirals as well as former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley-assured the concerned Committee that they had everything under control. They cited Gates' Efficiency Initiatives, which purportedly eliminate 102 general and flag officer positions, as evidence of the DoD's commitment to combating Star Creep. Stanley confirmed to Chairman Jim Webb (D-VA) that Gates' successor-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta-supported these efforts and, "has accepted the policies and the things put in place by his predecessor." (Stanley tendered his notice of resignation in late October.)
What Senator Webb and I did not know at the time-and perhaps Stanley did-was that Gates' initiative to cut general and flag officers had already come to a screeching halt. Data that were released recently on the DoD personnel office's website tell the tale.
New personnel data
When POGO began its analysis of Star Creep, the most recent data available to the public were from April 2011. Thus, when I presented Chairman Webb our recommendation that Secretary Panetta work to fully enact Gates' Efficiency Initiatives to combat Star Creep and heard the other witnesses declare their support for the initiatives, I had no way of knowing that the DoD had already completely reversed course on Gates' efforts.
Seventeen general and flag officers were scheduled to be eliminated between May and September through Gates' Efficiency Initiatives. But the DoD didn't reduce its top brass at all. Instead, six generals were added from May to September, increasing the number of general and flag officers from 964 to 970. Moreover, from July 1, 2011-Panetta's first day as Secretary of Defense-to September 30, the Pentagon added three four-star officers. Coincidentally, this is precisely the number of four-star officers Gates cut during his final year as SecDef, from June 2010 to the end of June 2011. Thus, in just three months, Panetta undid a year's worth of Gates' attempts to cut the Pentagon's very top brass. It's doubtful that Gates would consider Panetta's current rate of adding a new four-star officer every month conducive to efficiency.
One of these new four-star officers is Admiral Mark Ferguson, who became vice chief of naval operations and consequently a four-star admiral less than a month before he testified at Senator Webb's hearing. Ironically, this beneficiary of Star Creep wrote in his prepared statement that the "Navy supports these efficiency actions and anticipates additional review to reduce or merge flag officer positions." At the hearing he expanded upon this, stating that "We [the Navy] remain absolutely committed to create a more agile, flexible, and effective flag officer staff structure." Apparently, this support and commitment to flag officer efficiencies includes adding admirals.
Comparing bloat across branches and over time
The most top-heavy branch of the military, the Air Force, led the most recent surge in increasing top brass, adding six officers in the two-, three-, and four-star ranks, while cutting one brigadier general. The Marines and Army each netted two additional generals. The Navy was the only branch of the military that actually did cut its top ranks during this time period, even though they added a four-star admiral.
While the Pentagon was adding these officers it was cutting enlisted personnel (a phenomenon known as "officer inflation" or "brass creep"). Between May and September, more than 10,000 enlisted personnel were cut by the DoD, possibly in preparation for the end of military operations in Iraq, while more than 2,500 officers were added. Consequently, for the first time in the more than 200 years that the U.S. has had a standing military, there are fewer than five enlisted personnel for every officer. In other words, today's military is the most top-heavy force in U.S. history.
?
The Costs of Star Creep
The cost to taxpayers of uniformed military personnel increases markedly with their rank. In just basic compensation, these six new generals will cost taxpayers more than $1.25 million per year. Over the next ten years, they'll cost taxpayers more than $14 million (methodology).
The total cost to taxpayers of Star Creep is not trivial, even in the Pentagon's bloated budget. Since the war in Afghanistan began, the Pentagon has added 99 general and flag officers, a rate of growth that's tops among all DoD uniformed personnel groups, as can be seen in the above graph. In 2012, these general and flag officers will cost taxpayers more than $22 million in just direct financial compensation. Between 2012 and 2021, they'll cost nearly $250 million.
But the cost of Star Creep only begins with direct compensation. Other costs that surround generals and admirals-such as staff, contractors, and travel-increase with higher ranks. For example, Bloomberg recently reported that taxpayers in Huntsville, Alabama, footed a $3.8-million bill to build luxurious homes for generals in a successful effort to keep Pentagon pork flowing into the area. One such home, built for a major general, was a sprawling 4,200-square-foot mansion that included granite countertops, hardwood floors, and stainless steel appliances.
Luxurious homes are just the beginning of the extravagances available to top military commanders. According to Raymond Dubois, former DoD director of administration and management from 2002 to 2005, there are other perks:
Putting Star Creep on the table
The enlisted ranks have been shrinking, and even deeper cuts following the drawdown in Iraq have already been announced. So, with fewer personnel to command and a major conflict ending, why should the top ranks grow?
To find the budget savings they need to fulfill Panetta's pledge to cut $250 billion from the Pentagon's budget over the next five years, many military leaders should start by looking no further than the mirror.
Ben Freeman is POGO's National Security Fellow.
When POGO began its analysis of Star Creep, the most recent data available to the public were from April 2011. Thus, when I presented Chairman Webb our recommendation that Secretary Panetta work to fully enact Gates' Efficiency Initiatives to combat Star Creep and heard the other witnesses declare their support for the initiatives, I had no way of knowing that the DoD had already completely reversed course on Gates' efforts.
Seventeen general and flag officers were scheduled to be eliminated between May and September through Gates' Efficiency Initiatives. But the DoD didn't reduce its top brass at all. Instead, six generals were added from May to September, increasing the number of general and flag officers from 964 to 970. Moreover, from July 1, 2011-Panetta's first day as Secretary of Defense-to September 30, the Pentagon added three four-star officers. Coincidentally, this is precisely the number of four-star officers Gates cut during his final year as SecDef, from June 2010 to the end of June 2011. Thus, in just three months, Panetta undid a year's worth of Gates' attempts to cut the Pentagon's very top brass. It's doubtful that Gates would consider Panetta's current rate of adding a new four-star officer every month conducive to efficiency.
One of these new four-star officers is Admiral Mark Ferguson, who became vice chief of naval operations and consequently a four-star admiral less than a month before he testified at Senator Webb's hearing. Ironically, this beneficiary of Star Creep wrote in his prepared statement that the "Navy supports these efficiency actions and anticipates additional review to reduce or merge flag officer positions." At the hearing he expanded upon this, stating that "We [the Navy] remain absolutely committed to create a more agile, flexible, and effective flag officer staff structure." Apparently, this support and commitment to flag officer efficiencies includes adding admirals.
Comparing bloat across branches and over time
The most top-heavy branch of the military, the Air Force, led the most recent surge in increasing top brass, adding six officers in the two-, three-, and four-star ranks, while cutting one brigadier general. The Marines and Army each netted two additional generals. The Navy was the only branch of the military that actually did cut its top ranks during this time period, even though they added a four-star admiral.
While the Pentagon was adding these officers it was cutting enlisted personnel (a phenomenon known as "officer inflation" or "brass creep"). Between May and September, more than 10,000 enlisted personnel were cut by the DoD, possibly in preparation for the end of military operations in Iraq, while more than 2,500 officers were added. Consequently, for the first time in the more than 200 years that the U.S. has had a standing military, there are fewer than five enlisted personnel for every officer. In other words, today's military is the most top-heavy force in U.S. history.
?
The Costs of Star Creep
The cost to taxpayers of uniformed military personnel increases markedly with their rank. In just basic compensation, these six new generals will cost taxpayers more than $1.25 million per year. Over the next ten years, they'll cost taxpayers more than $14 million (methodology).
The total cost to taxpayers of Star Creep is not trivial, even in the Pentagon's bloated budget. Since the war in Afghanistan began, the Pentagon has added 99 general and flag officers, a rate of growth that's tops among all DoD uniformed personnel groups, as can be seen in the above graph. In 2012, these general and flag officers will cost taxpayers more than $22 million in just direct financial compensation. Between 2012 and 2021, they'll cost nearly $250 million.
But the cost of Star Creep only begins with direct compensation. Other costs that surround generals and admirals-such as staff, contractors, and travel-increase with higher ranks. For example, Bloomberg recently reported that taxpayers in Huntsville, Alabama, footed a $3.8-million bill to build luxurious homes for generals in a successful effort to keep Pentagon pork flowing into the area. One such home, built for a major general, was a sprawling 4,200-square-foot mansion that included granite countertops, hardwood floors, and stainless steel appliances.
Luxurious homes are just the beginning of the extravagances available to top military commanders. According to Raymond Dubois, former DoD director of administration and management from 2002 to 2005, there are other perks:
A four-star has an airplane. A three-star often doesn't.Can a three-star get an airplane when he needs it? Not always. Does a four-star get an airplane when he needs it? Always. Many times he'll already have a G5 sitting on the runway, gassed up. There are the kinds of costs that are fairly significant when you add them all up.In his August 2010 speech on Efficiency Initiatives, Gates referred to these perks as "the overhead and accoutrements that go with" senior positions, be they military or civilian, within DoD. In an interview with Newsweek, Gates bemoaned these accoutrements and entourages that surround generals and admirals, which he believes are indicative of a military leadership that is "suffering from an inflated sense of entitlement and a distorted sense of priorities."
Putting Star Creep on the table
The enlisted ranks have been shrinking, and even deeper cuts following the drawdown in Iraq have already been announced. So, with fewer personnel to command and a major conflict ending, why should the top ranks grow?
To find the budget savings they need to fulfill Panetta's pledge to cut $250 billion from the Pentagon's budget over the next five years, many military leaders should start by looking no further than the mirror.
Ben Freeman is POGO's National Security Fellow.
_____________________________
Winslow T. Wheeler
Director
Straus Military Reform Project
Center for Defense Information
301 791-2397 (home office)
301 221-3897 (cell)
Winslow T. Wheeler
Director
Straus Military Reform Project
Center for Defense Information
301 791-2397 (home office)
301 221-3897 (cell)
UK orders closure of Iran’s London embassy
UK orders closure of Iran’s London embassy Britain announced on Wednesday that it has ordered the immediate closure of Iran’s embassy in London and has closed its own embassy in Tehran after it was stormed by protesters earlier this week.
In a statement to the House of Commons, William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, said the UK was not severing diplomatic relations with Iran. However, he said the UK had been forced to close both embassies as a result of this week’s violence.
http://link.ft.com/r/G8OTZZ/
In a statement to the House of Commons, William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, said the UK was not severing diplomatic relations with Iran. However, he said the UK had been forced to close both embassies as a result of this week’s violence.
http://link.ft.com/r/G8OTZZ/
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Today's Military: The Most Top-Heavy Force in U.S. History
Today's Military: The Most Top-Heavy Force in U.S. History
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Guide to Egypt's Transition Electing a New Egypt
http://egyptelections.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Guide to Egypt's Transition
Electing a New Egypt
Amid renewed protests and violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces, Egyptians headed to the polls this week in the country’s first elections since the fall of the Mubarak regime. The military is promising to speed up the move to civilian rule, but voting is taking place against a backdrop of uncertainty and unanswered questions about how Egypt will ultimately transition to democracy.In a Q&A, Marina Ottaway analyzes the elections and Egypt’s fragile transition and says that the latest outbreak of violence makes the elections both imperative and difficult. The most challenging part of the change to civilian government in Egypt lies ahead—the road to democracy is far from guaranteed.
Russia Considers Blocking NATO Supply Routes
http://online.wsj.com/article/
Russia Considers Blocking NATO Supply Routes
By ALAN CULLISON
MOSCOW—Russia said it may not let NATO use its territory to supply troops in Afghanistan if the alliance doesn't seriously consider its objections to a U.S.-led missile shield for Europe, Russia's ambassador to NATO said Monday.What Country Commits Suicide? by MJ Rosenberg
What Country Commits Suicide?
4 hours and 53 minutes ago by MJ Rosenberg
What Country Commits Suicide?
What Country Commits Suicide?
by: MJ Rosenberg on November 29th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 28, 2011
Fitch warns of US downgrade over deficit
UK faces bigger financial black hole
| UK faces bigger financial black hole |
| George Osborne, the chancellor, will be forced to admit on Tuesday that the black hole in UK public finances has increased by almost £30bn, requiring the government to impose years of further austerity on the public sector http://link.ft.com/r/5F39HH/ |
Fasting for Concern by Kevin Kearney
show details 3:06 PM (5 minutes ago) |
Hi Folks,
If you know me, you know how committed I am to the work of Concern Worldwide US. As a member of the Board of Directors for some 8 years and having traveled to some 10 countries I have seen how Concern carries out it's mission of serving the poorest of the poor. This past September, I traveled to Kenya and saw a country experiencing one of the most horrific droughts in it's history. The result of such a natural disaster, is incomprehensible starvation. Literally hundreds of thousands of people are starving and the death toll is shocking. Most of the dead are children. As always, Concern is on the ground providing emergency food and trying to create a sustainable environment for the future. Funds are scarce for these programs and we all must pitch in and help in any way possible. That's why on Dec. 19th, I and many others are fasting in an attempt to raise money in order to slow the destructive tide. I have set a personal goal of $2500 to raise in this endeavor. You Cynics will say that I can use more than one day of fasting, but you have to start somewhere.
This is how you can help. Visit this web site:
and make a donation. Any amount will due $50 $100 ???
Thanks so much,
Kevin
China eyes western infrastructure
The Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/
November 27, 2011 6:22 pm
China eyes western infrastructure
By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing and George Parker in LondonA Superior Analysis of the GOP and Current American Politics
Subject: A Superior Analysis of the GOP and Current American Politics
The radio interview linked below contains some straight forward
questions from an Australian show and responses from Mike Lofgren, a
former Republican staffer in both the House and Senate for the past
three decades. Lofgren's analysis of what the Republicans are up to
and what passes for government and politics in America these days is
the best I have seen or heard in any media. I highly recommend it to
your attention. (Note also how the Australian interviewer does not
get into the way of Lofgren's responses -- a dramatic contrast to a
recent Lofgren appearance on Chris Matthew's "Hard Ball.")
Find the interview at
http://www.alisawebs.com/mike/
The radio interview linked below contains some straight forward
questions from an Australian show and responses from Mike Lofgren, a
former Republican staffer in both the House and Senate for the past
three decades. Lofgren's analysis of what the Republicans are up to
and what passes for government and politics in America these days is
the best I have seen or heard in any media. I highly recommend it to
your attention. (Note also how the Australian interviewer does not
get into the way of Lofgren's responses -- a dramatic contrast to a
recent Lofgren appearance on Chris Matthew's "Hard Ball.")
Find the interview at
http://www.alisawebs.com/mike/
We Don't Need a "Pacific" President—We Need an American One
http://hnn.us/articles/143181.
We Don't Need a "Pacific" President—We Need an American One
Hisotry News Network
We Don't Need a "Pacific" President—We Need an American One
Hisotry News Network
Kenneth Weisbrode
The Voice of the Poor Needs Must be Heard at Durban
By David Thorpe, November 28, 2011
Through the clamour from business and political leaders, it's the voices of the world's poor to which we should now listen. They are coming from Burundi, from Rwanda, from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, from Zimbabwe and South Africa. They are coming from all over Africa, and everyone whom they pass cheers them on and wishes them good luck, their hearts full of hope. They... » Continue...
Through the clamour from business and political leaders, it's the voices of the world's poor to which we should now listen. They are coming from Burundi, from Rwanda, from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, from Zimbabwe and South Africa. They are coming from all over Africa, and everyone whom they pass cheers them on and wishes them good luck, their hearts full of hope. They... » Continue...
Is it China’s Turn to Pivot?
Is it China’s Turn to Pivot?
http://the-diplomat.com/2011/Wall Street battle turns into Black Friday store wars
| Wall Street battle turns into Black Friday store wars | |||
| Barney Jopson reported on how protests against excessive consumption and a pepper spray attack by an aggressive bargain-hunter marked the two extremes of a busy post-Thanksgiving shopping day. | |||
The Psychological Foundation of Obama’s Political Problems
The Psychological Foundation of Obama’s Political Problems
OECD warns of eurozone contagion risk
| OECD warns of eurozone contagion risk |
| European leaders need to provide “credible and large enough firepower” to halt the sell-off in the eurozone sovereign debt market or they will risk a severe recession, according to the chief economist of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The warning came as the organisation slashed its half-yearly forecasts for growth within the world’s richest countries, and said activity in Europe would grind to a near-halt. http://link.ft.com/r/S4XZQQ/ |
Moving Van Day
Moving Van Day
I am in the process of moving from Washington D.C. to Rhode Island this week. So posting
is going to be hit and miss when I have time to read my email and have a few hours to scour
the news circuits. Please bear with me. Will be back in full form soon.
Best Regards.
Michele Kearney
Sunday, November 27, 2011
No Road Leads to Peace between Israel and the Palestinians
No Road Leads to Peace between Israel and the Palestinians
By Neil SnyderChina eyes western infrastructure
|
| China eyes western infrastructure |
| China Investment Corporation, the country’s main sovereign wealth fund, plans to invest in the dilapidated infrastructure of developed countries, starting with the UK, according to Lou Jiwei, the fund’s chairman http://link.ft.com/r/0QSDPP/ |
The 'new Dunkirk' - British forces to use Tsars' railway to travel 3,500 miles home by train from Afghanistan
From Chuck Spinney
... How the Military - Industrial - Congressional Complex (MICC) Will Win By Losing
The old adage that it is easy to get into Afghanistan but painful to leave is true for many reasons -- here is a big one [also attached below] -- the land route to the English Channel.
And if you think the horror described by the Daily Mirror is bad, think about the US options: Given our deteriorating relations with Pakistan, the long vulnerable land route out of Afghanistan, thru the Bolan and Khyber passes, and then down the road system of the Indus Valley in Pakistan to its port of Karachi, is becoming increasingly hostile territory. So one US exit strategy may well end up being a agonizing variation of the Dunkirk option described below plus a sea lift, perhaps via transshipment points in Black Sea ports, like Batumi in Georgia or Novorossiysk or Sochi in southern Russia or even Odessa in the Ukraine.
A more remote option would be to repair relations with the mullahs of Iran and exit overland westward thru the ports in that country, assuming we lift sanctions and can prevent are so-called allies, the Israelis, from bombing Iran.
But the most likely exit option is the time-honored US strategy of leaving mounds of expensive equipment behind when it walks away from a war. Moreover, that would be great for the MICC's future budgets, because it would make it easier to sell a "reset" program to replace the losses with newer, even more expensive weapons and equipment.
So, as the Aussies say, 'no worries, mate,' because 'tomorrow is another day,' and besides, the MICC will win by losing, after Afghanistan is gone with the wind.
Chuck Spinney
The 'new Dunkirk' - British forces to use Tsars' railway to travel 3,500 miles home by train from Afghanistan
Averting Civil War in Syria
 |
First Published: 2011-11-22 |
| Averting Civil War in Syria |
| The revolutionaries want jobs, good governance, a fair distribution of the country’s resources, an end to corruption, arbitrary arrest and police brutality. They want dignity and respect, explains Patrick Seale. |
The necessary elimination of Israeli democracy
- Published 08:20 25.11.11
The necessary elimination of Israeli democracy
Haaretz publisher and owner Amos Schocken says there is a difference between the apartheid of South Africa and what is happening in Israel and in the territories, but there are also similarities.
By Amos SchockenIndia and China cancel border talks
| India and China cancel border talks |
| India and China have cancelled sensitive border talks to avoid an embarrassing clash with a Buddhist conference attended by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, in Delhi, according to the Indian government. The two Asian powers were scheduled to start the next round in long-running talks to resolve a border dispute over Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian state which China claims as south Tibet, on Monday. http://link.ft.com/r/H60H77/ |
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Former Dutch Politician: The Euro Will Collapse, Get Ready For The 'Neuro'
Former Dutch Politician: The Euro Will Collapse, Get Ready For The 'Neuro'
Prepare for riots in euro collapse, Foreign Office warns
Prepare for riots in euro collapse, Foreign Office warns
British embassies in the eurozone have been told to draw up plans to help British expats through the collapse of the single currency, amid new fears for Italy and Spain.
Erasing/Seizing Wealth of "The 1%" Cannot Create Viable Middle Class or Solve Sustainability Crisis
Erasing/Seizing Wealth of "The 1%" Cannot Create Viable Middle Class or Solve Sustainability Crisis
“I Will Never Do Business In The United States Of America Again”
“I Will Never Do Business In The United States Of America Again”
Two-Out-Of-Three Americans (66%) Believe the Federal Government Has Not Been Aggressive Enough In Pursuing Criminal Behavior By Wall Street Bankers
A poll last month from Rassmussen found:Two-out-of-three Americans (66%) believe the federal government has not been aggressive enough in pursuing possible criminal behavior by some Wall Street bankers ….Top economists and financial experts agree that our economy will never recover unless Wall Street fraud is prosecuted. See this and this. Libertarian, free market economists agree.
Another U.S. War? Obama Threatens China and Iran by Shamus Cooke
Another U.S. War? Obama Threatens China and Iran
by Shamus Cooke
The GOP Candidates Want Never-Ending War on Terror
The GOP Candidates Want Never-Ending War on Terror
Will China and U.S. Fight World War III?
Will China and U.S. Fight World War III?
Max Hastings, Daily Mail
On the evening of November 1, 1950, 22-year-old Private Carl Simon of the U.S. 8th Cavalry lay shivering with his comrades in the icy mountains of North Korea. A patrol had just reported itself ‘under attack from unidentified troops’, which bemused and dismayed the Americans, because their campaign to occupy North Korea seemed all but complete.
On the evening of November 1, 1950, 22-year-old Private Carl Simon of the U.S. 8th Cavalry lay shivering with his comrades in the icy mountains of North Korea. A patrol had just reported itself ‘under attack from unidentified troops’, which bemused and dismayed the Americans, because their campaign to occupy North Korea seemed all but complete.
Ask the Candidates Real Questions – Like These
Ask the Candidates Real Questions – Like These
During recent presidential debates, moderators have asked mostly predictable questions and – except for some notable gaffes – have elicited mostly talking-point answers. But ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern says it’s time for citizens to put politicians on the spot with some more pointed questions. Pity the pundits. It must be hard to pretend to be [...]
The Stimulus: Jump Starting a Car with No Engine
The Stimulus: Jump Starting a Car with No Engine
By Mercer TysonFriday, November 25, 2011
The Good, the Bizarre and the Ugly AF-PAK Sitrep by FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY
http://www.counterpunch.org/
Weekend Edition November 25-27, 2011
The Good, the Bizarre and the Ugly
AF-PAK Sitrep
by FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY
Showdown at Neocon Central
Showdown at Neocon Central
The Republican "national security" debate sponsored by Neocon Central the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation captured perfectly the intellectual and political bankruptcy of the Republican party when it comes to foreign policy. Here the party’s pandering demagoguery, reflexive ultra-nationalism, and visceral hostility to liberty was on full display in all its exhibitionistic belligerence. [...]
Thursday, November 24, 2011
And the winners for now are ... the Brotherhood By Ezzedine Choukry
And the winners for now are ... the Brotherhood
The decadence of the West
- Matt Miller
- Opinion Writer
- The Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/
opinions/the-decadence-of-the- west/2011/11/23/gIQAI7anoN_ story.html?tid=wp_ipad
The decadence of the West
By Matt Miller, Published: November 23
China-USA: Who Will Own The “Pacific Century”?
China-USA: Who Will Own The “Pacific Century”?
Essay: A Chinese commentator notes a disturbing uptick in U.S. drumbeating in the Pacific region. But China’s response, he warns, should be diplomatic pragmatism not more nationalistic posturing.
Arabs Can't Be Ruled By Guns Forever
Arabs Can't Be Ruled By Guns Forever
Rami Khouri, Daily Star
AP Photo
The resurgence of protests and clashes with police in Cairo and other Egyptian cities this week is more significant than the mass rallies that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak nine months ago. That’s because this week’s events touch on the heart of the problem of the mediocrity of the modern Arab world and its tattered states: the exaggerated role of the military in public life.
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