Boehner Looks To Obama To Help Curb Sequester

Following the collapse of super committee negotiations, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is looking to the Commander-in-Chief to help curb automatic cuts in military spending. 

Though President Obama has already threatened to veto any bill that aims to soften the impact the nation’s defense budget, Boehner continued Thursday to push for curbed sequestration, citing repeated warnings from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta over the detrimental effects cuts would have on the Pentagon. 

“I really believe the president has some responsibilities here as well,” Boehner told reporters. “He is the Commander-in-Chief, he knows what those cuts will mean to the military.”

Boehner, who agreed to the across-the-board cuts when negotiating with Obama on increasing the debt ceiling, is facing growing pressure from his own conference to curb defense cuts. 

“There are a lot of members who are concerned about the defense cuts,” he said. “I understand the concern, but the president is the Commander-in-Chief… I believe there’s a role he plays in this process as well.”

Seven Anti-War Demonstrators Arrested At House Hearing

Seven anti-war protesters were arrested by Capitol Police Thursday after repeatedly interrupting the testimony of Defense officials at a House Armed Services hearing.

The anti-war demonstrators, who have been identified as part of the Occupy DC movement in Freedom Plaza, teamed up with Code Pink and shuffled their way into the crowded hearing room that was expected to hear testimony from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey.

According to a statement released by October2011.org, an advocate website for the Occupy DC movement, one of the demonstrators arrested was 21-year-old veteran Michael Patterson, who was deployed to Iraq as an interrogator at the age of 18.

Patterson interrupted the testimony of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and was eventually arrested and escorted from the hearing room by two Capitol Police officers.

“You are murdering people,” Patterson shouted. “I saw what you do to people in Iraq.”

Demonstrators who failed to infiltrate the hearing room continued to shout, “We are the 99 percent and we don’t support these wars,” throughout the hallways of Rayburn House Office Building.

The seven demonstrators were arrested and charged with disruption of Congress.

Pentagon Needs War Funding By July 4, Says Gates

By Robert Hune-Kalter
Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the military may soon have to resort to doing “stupid things” unless Congress passes a $33 supplemental spending request.

The Senate already approved a measure, but the version in the House has stalled. With funding for the Navy and Marine Corps set to dry up next month, Gates called on the lower chamber to get its act together.

“We begin to have to do stupid things if the supplemental is not passed by July 4,” he said.

Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also defended the DOD’s budget request for 2011.

“These budget requests reflect America’s commitment to see that our forces have the tools they need to prevail in the wars we are in, and while making the investments necessary to prepare for threats on or beyond the horizon,” said Gates.

DOD is requesting $549 billion dollars for 2011. Gates discussed major priorities of the department and named areas that have been terminated or completed from the 2010 budget. There was discussion on the completion of the C-17 Globemaster and foreseeable closure of the production line.

“I question why it is in our nation’s interest to close the only active production line for long range air lifters when there is no replacement being developed,” said Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.)

Mullen said that based on extensive studies, the requirement for the C-17 is not needed beyond the 223 currently in service. He stressed the importance of balance between the advancement of all aspects of the military.

“We must maintain our conventional advantages,” said Mullen. “It means never having to fight a fair fight.”

Contract Dispute Blocking U.S. Efforts To Train Afghan Police Force

By Monique Cala - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

As reconstruction efforts get underway in Afghanistan, the shifting in oversight of Afghan police training from the U.S. State Department to the U.S. Defense Department has been slow to develop.

"The State Department was doing an inadequate job in training the police. At least that was the view of the policy people of the time. Ironically, that is exactly the view of today," said Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on Monday.

DynCorp International, which held the State Department contract, has filed a protest, delaying the transition and forcing an extension of their contract to July of this year.

While a resolution regarding the transition has yet to be announced, Douglas Ebner with DynCorp promised that his organization, "will do nothing to impede the mission” in Afghanistan.

"Our main concern today, however, is not the process and detail of contingency contracting," said Federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan Co-Chair Christopher Shays. "It the strategic concern about the roles and responsibility, the planning, the visibility and especially the inter-agency coordination of efforts that rely on contracts."

As pressure mounts on the U.S. to withdraw troops and transition governing power to the Afghan people, the need for a strong police force there is a key issue. According to U.S. officials, the number of Afghan police is expected to grow to 160,000 by 2013.

DOD Official: Sailors Should Fight Somali Pirates Themselves

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

The most effective way to deal with piracy off of the Somali coast is for the sailors to defend themselves, according to a Defense Department representative testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, said that of the recent pirate attacks in Somalia the most effective means of fending off the pirates came from actions taken by the crews themselves.

“The single most effective short-term response to piracy will be working with merchant shipping lines to ensure that vessels in the region take appropriate security measures themselves,” Flournoy said. She continued that it is not possible for the U.S. military to prevent or intervene in every pirate attack, but if crews take appropriate measures, “the vast majority of pirate attacks can be thwarted without any need for military intervention.”

There were 122 attempted pirate attacks in 2008, of which only 42 resulted in crewmembers becoming captured. Of the unsuccessful attacks, 78 percent of them were stopped by the crews actions, with the others being stopped by military intervention, according to Flournoy.

Flournoy divided crew countermeasures into two categories: passive and active defense measures. Passive measures are those which don’t necessarily require direct confrontation with the pirates, and can include physical obstructions to boarding points, avoiding high-risk waters, creating fortified “safe rooms” in the ship, posting lookouts at all times, and maintaining contact with maritime security forces. Active defense measures can include using fire hoses and small arms to repel pirates and a military presence on the boat. Both of these defensive measures are important for crews to talk to defend themselves, Flournoy said.

She believes that the complexity of this situation necessitates a multifaceted approach, which is why the aforementioned measures should be combined with greater military patrols and economic development. Additionally, the Defense Department would like to see more states willing to prosecute the pirates. Presently, Kenya is one of the only nations to actually place Somali pirates on trial.

According to Flournoy, since August 2008 36 pirate vessels have been destroyed or confiscated, small arms have been seized, and 146 pirates have been turned over to law enforcement officers.