Gates Speaks on Iraq, Weapons Requirements
Robert Gates, US Defense Secretary, stated on May 13th that the US military needed to focus on Iraq, in spite of fears regarding the toll the conflict was taking on US troops, and concerns about how operationally ready the armed forces would be to participate in future conflicts.
"Morale is high, as is recruiting and retention - particularly among units either in or just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan", Gates asserted.
Operational Readiness
On the subject of operational readiness if presented with the need to deploy forces elsewhere in the world, he added: "There is a risk, but it is a prudent and manageable one."
Gates' speech coincided with current thinking amongst certain US military personnel - as well as within Congress - concerning the impact of continually re-deploying troops to Iraq, and of mounting vulnerability should a new war erupt.
"I have noticed too much of a tendency towards what might be called 'next-war-itis' - the propensity of much of the defense establishment to be in favour of what might be needed in a future conflict", Gates said.
"It is true that we would be hard-pressed to launch a major conventional ground operation elsewhere in the world at this time, but where would we sensibly do that?
"The United States has ample and untapped combat power in our naval and air forces, with the capacity to defeat any, repeat any adversary who committed an act of aggression - whether in the Persian Gulf, on the Korean Peninsula, or in the Straits of Taiwan."
Afghanistan, Iraq Insurgencies
It was more probable that the US armed forces would face insurgencies similar to those in Afghanistan or Iraq, he added, as opposed to having to deal with states fighting with other.
Counter-Insurgency Operations
Gates commented that the Pentagon should prioritise acquiring weapons that could be used in counter-insurgency operations, stating: "I believe that any major weapons program, in order to remain viable, will have to show utility and relevance to the kind of irregular campaigns that ... are most likely to actually engage America's military in the coming decades."
On the subject of the length of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the effects these have had/are having on the military, he described the "risk of over-extending the army" as "real."
"But I believe the risk is far greater, to that institution, as well as to our country, if we were to fail in Iraq", he said.
The US military, Gates highlighted, is set to receive over 90,000 new personnel over the coming five years, while the number of troops deployed in Iraq "will decline over time."
"The debate taking place is mostly over the pacing", he stated.
158,000 US Troops in Iraq
At present, the US deployment in Iraq is comprised of approximately 158,000 troops. By July, about 18,000 of these will have been pulled from the country, with further withdrawals not currently on the cards.
Source - Armed Forces International's US Correspondent
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