Rumsfeld Sees Urgent Need to Transform the U.S. Military
(Events of September 11 provide powerful case for action) (990) By David A. Denny Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- A likely surprise attack in the coming years makes it imperative that the U.S. military undergo a transformation, starting now, in the way that it thinks, fights and manages itself, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says. Speaking January 31 at the National Defense University in Washington to students who are professionals at U.S. national security agencies, Rumsfeld said the attacks will probably be aimed at key American vulnerabilities. As adversaries gain access to weapons of increasing power, he said, "these attacks could grow vastly more deadly than those we suffered September 11th." "Our challenge in this new century is a difficult one -- to prepare to defend our nation against the unknown, the uncertain and -- what we have to understand -- the unexpected," Rumsfeld said. "That may seem, on the face of it, an impossible task. It is not," he added. What is needed now is the willingness to "take risks and try new things" in order to defeat adversaries even before they emerge to challenge America, he said. Afghanistan provided a showcase for how far the military has already transformed, Rumsfeld said. In the battle for Mazar-I Sharif, he explained, "Coalition forces took existing military capabilities -- from the most advanced (such as laser-guided weapons), to the antique (40-year-old B-52s), to the most rudimentary (a man on a horse with a weapon) -- and used them together in unprecedented ways, with devastating effect on enemy positions, enemy morale -- and ... the cause of evil in the world." Rumsfeld noted that in the U.S. military's Quadrennial Defense Review, the decision was made to move away from conducting war and occupying capitals in two major theaters simultaneously. The new strategy calls for "deterrence in four critical theaters, backed by the ability to swiftly defeat two aggressors at the same time, while preserving the option for one massive counter-offensive to occupy an aggressor's capital and replace the regime," he said. Removing the requirement for a second occupation force, he said, would free resources for the future and for various other contingencies. The administration has also decided to move from the threat-based strategy of the past half-century to a capabilities-based assessment: "one that focuses less on who might threaten us, or where we might be threatened, and more on how we might be threatened -- and what we need to deter and defend against such threats," Rumsfeld said. Discussing potential American vulnerabilities, Rumsfeld said the U.S. needs to prepare for new forms of terrorism, but also "attacks on U.S. space assets, cyber attacks on our information networks, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." To do so, and to build on existing American strengths, Rumsfeld enumerated six goals for transforming U.S. defense strategy and force structure: -- Protect both the U.S. homeland and U.S. bases overseas; -- Project and sustain power in distant regions; -- Deny sanctuary to America's enemies, no matter how remote, or mountainous or deeply dug in; -- Protect U.S. information networks; -- Use information technology so that different kinds of U.S forces can fight jointly; -- Maintain unhindered access to space. To accomplish this, investment priorities must be changed, Rumsfeld said. The balance between "manned and unmanned capabilities, between short- and long-range systems, stealthy and non-stealthy systems, between shooters and sensors, and between vulnerable and hardened systems" must be shifted, he asserted. "And we need to make the leap into the information age, which is the critical foundation of our transformation efforts," he added. He spoke of forming a new triad of reduced offensive nuclear forces, advanced conventional capabilities, and a range of new defenses -- ballistic missile defense, cruise missile defense, space defense, and cyber defense). Rumsfeld also spoke of the need to transform the Defense Department itself, "by encouraging a culture of creativity and intelligent risk-taking." "Some believe that, with the U.S. in the midst of a difficult and dangerous war on terrorism, now is not the time to transform our armed forces. I believe the opposite is true. Now is precisely the time to make changes," he said. "The impetus and urgency added by the events of September 11th powerfully make the case for action." Rumsfeld also listed eight lessons learned in Afghanistan worth considering for the future: -- Involve all elements of national power, including diplomatic, legal and financial; -- Enable forces to "communicate and operate seamlessly on the battlefield;" -- Accept help from any willing country on any basis acceptable to them; -- Do not allow the coalition to determine the mission; -- Take the war to the enemy; -- Rule out nothing, including ground forces, so the enemy understands America will make any sacrifice to achieve victory; -- Get U.S. special operations forces on the ground early; and -- Tell the American people the truth, including telling them when it's not advisable to tell them. In the question-and-answer session that followed his speech, Rumsfeld stressed the need for improvement in the Defense Department's planning, programming and budgeting system. He likened the current system to a train that is loaded in San Francisco and then moves slowly and inexorably across the United States, arriving in New York City years later. When it arrives, he said, "it has nothing anybody needs in it." Asked to name his top two transformational goals, Rumsfeld said he had met January 30 with President Bush concerning six-to-eight top-level Defense Department jobs, explaining how important they were and giving the president names of people who might be good to fill them. That, he said, has more to do with transformation than any other goal. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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