Electromagnetic Pulse comes out of Sci-Fi into reality

The House Armed Services Committee met to discuss the threat of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack on the U.S. Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) said that the potential damage that could be caused by an EMP would be significant.

Dr. William Graham, Chairman of the Commission to Asses the Threat to the United States from EMP Attack, said that an EMP attack could severely cripple U.S. infrastructure, causing power outages that could last up six month. He said that in the 1990’s Russian scientists tested 300-kiloton weapons at approximately 60,150, and 300 kilometers above a test site in central Asia. He said that scientists recorded damages to cables as far as 600 kilometers from the test site. He said that this is a fairly accurate model of what could happen if an EMP was detonated over the U.S.

Graham said that because we are such a developed nation an EMP attack poses a much larger threat because America is dependent on many kinds of electronic devices. He said that there are many potential enemies of the U.S. who have EMP capabilities including Iran who has tested them.

Declaring success in Iraq too early a big risk

House Armed Services Committee members today examined whether or not Iraqi security forces have been receiving the necessary support needed to maintain calm throughout Iraq. Hearing from Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik who deals with the security transition issues for Iraq, the committee heard testimony ranging from security funding to training of Iraqi security forces.

Funding Iraqi operations as well as payment for their services seemed to dominate discussion. Ranking member Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) stated “Iraqi forces leave their units to go home because we don’t have a pay system to go along with them.” Hunter’s concern stemmed from the province of Bosrah which has had some success in keeping the peace but has struggled to maintain an adequate number of security forces. “Bosrah was tactically and strategically successful in the end,” said Dubik.

Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) asked whether the estimated 640,000 troops that Iraq’s Defense Ministry have promised would be able to handle security for the country. Dubik, who just retired from his position said that Iraq is “handling much of their own security.” Dubik added “nine of the eighteen provinces are under Iraqi control.”

Having Iraq under full security control by the Iraqi security force caused Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.) to ask whether continuing success would prove to cause unintended consequences. Durbik responded with what the military has maintained all along that “declaring success too early is a risk, but full success is not yet at hand.”

House Armed Services Committee hearing on joint capacity programs and military and governance funding of U.S. allies

The House Armed Services held a hearing on the partnerships between the State Department and the Department of Defense. Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified on joint capacity programs and funding for strengthening military and governance capabilities of U.S. allies, particularly undeveloped or young states. Mullen made an opening statement but did not offer testimony. He was available only to answer questions for members.

In his opening statement, chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) criticized the fact that interagency cooperation is often ad hoc and are not the result of advanced planning. He mentioned that Rice had appealed for more funding for these capacity building programs but the "administration has not taken the hint." Currently the Defense Department foots the bill for adding weapons and training to states like the Philippines, Nepal, and Lebanon. The idea behind supporting these militaries is to prevent terrorist groups or rebel guerrillas from creating a crisis that would require U.S. military intervention or threaten U.S. security.

Ranking member Dunkin Hunter (R-CA) was critical of the military spending money on what he classified as a State Department program and he brought up an instance when money had been spent in Nepal to counteract the Maoist rebel force. He questioned what critical Defense initiatives had to be put off because of allocations to fighting potential threats instead of current threats.

In his opening statement Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressed his support for the "Global Train-and-Equip" program that Defense pays for and State helps implement through an agreement called 1206. Gates gave examples of success of the program including one where al-Qaida affiliated operatives in Palestine were stopped by U.S. help to the Lebanese government. Gates called for 1206 to be made permanent and give the Defense Department more authority in overseeing it. One point that Gates repeated was that in the current conflict military members have had to do quasi-diplomacy in their jobs because of the lack of funding for the State Department to send the needed resources to conflict zones.

Rep. Hunter caused a bit of tension when he criticized the "culture of the State Department." Comments that he made were based on a "town hall meeting" where foreign service officers complained about the idea of being forced to accept high risk assignments in Iraq. He said thousands of military members serve willingly in Iraq and Afghanistan, but was disappointed that the State Department had a hard time filling 47 spots in the Green Zone of Baghdad.

This prompted a heated response from Rice who defended the Foreign Service and said that she has had more than enough volunteers to serve in conflict zones and that certain diplomats, already serving in high-risk assignments, were offended at such an attitude.

House Armed Services Committee hearing to review the budget request of the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2009

At the House Armed Services Committee, Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) said that he strongly supports the decision to have a real increase in defense spending. He said that many in the committee had a deep concern about the risk facing the nation in two key areas. First, he said, is the concern about the "current readiness posture." Second, was the rapid deterioration of security and stability in Afghanistan.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said that challenges made more dangerous by modern technology included terrorism, extremism, violent jihadism, sectarian conflict, and proliferation of dangerous weapons and materials. He then said that the investment in defense spending was a 7.5 percent increase over last year's enacted level. He said that increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps would relieve stress on the force and enable the nation to meet its commitments at home and abroad.

Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that we must provide our service members with leadership, resource, and support. He said he has set three strategic priorities for the military, which are to increase stability in the Middle East, reconstitute and revitalize the Armed Forces, and to re- balance our strategic risk.

Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said that he was disappointed that the Administration did not request funding to cover the full costs of the war in Fiscal Year 2009.