House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton Opening Statement Hearing on U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea Budget Request
March 12, 2008
"Today, the committee will address the posture of the U.S. Pacific Command, or PACOM, and one of its major subunified commands, U.S. Forces Korea. Our witnesses are Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of PACOM, and General Burwell Bell, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea. It's great to see both of you here today. At the outset, I want to thank you for your leadership - and thank the troops that you lead.
"Admiral Keating, you were recently quoted as saying, 'The readiness of our forces is affected by combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.' You added, 'We are at a higher risk state.' Admiral, I suspect you were engaging in understatement when you said that PACOM has only had to adjust its strategic plans 'a little bit' since about thirty thousand PACOM troops are deployed to the U.S. Central Command. This is just one signal that we are facing increased strategic risk due to our commitments in Iraq. There are a number of potential flashpoints in the world that we could be called on to deal with. And there are some clear examples in the Asia-Pacific region, spanning from the Korean peninsula and the Taiwan Strait to South and Southeast Asia.
"However, it appears that our involvement in Iraq has preoccupied us away from the Asia-Pacific's rapidly changing strategic landscape at a time when we should be proactively engaged on multiple fronts. We must be able to pursue opportunities for security cooperation with allies and partners in the region, and ensure that our force posture will allow us to deter or to confront any security challenge that might emerge there. Yet I still do not even see a sophisticated long-term strategy for the Asia-Pacific from the administration.
"This is concerning when China just announced another double digit increase in its military budget. And the recent annual report on China's military power details China's continuing military modernization, including China's missile build-up across from Taiwan. At the same time, Taiwan's President continues to pursue a provocative agenda. This includes an upcoming vote on a highly controversial U.N. referendum that China has called a 'red line.'
"Moreover there is still much we don't know regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities. Tensions continue to flare across the South China Sea. Indonesia and the Philippines continue to struggle against terrorism. And throughout much of Southeast Asia, the threat of terrorism, violence and instability remains extraordinarily high. And while we've been preoccupied in the Middle East, China and others have been expanding their influence in Latin America, Africa and around the globe.
"We must maintain our focus on the Asia-Pacific region, and ensure that we get our level of strategic risk back within acceptable limits. Our own actions may well influence the choices and actions of others. I'm encouraged by recent Department of Defense agreements involving a U.S.-China 'defense hotline', research in Chinese archives on Korean War MIAs and POWs, and U.S.-China dialogue on nuclear policy and strategy. There has also been some success in addressing terrorism in the Philippines - and some positive movement over the last year within the Six Party process on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But we must do much more.
"So I hope you'll update us on the good work that you and your troops are doing in the Asia-Pacific, but also share your thoughts on what more needs to be done to address the broad range of evolving security challenges in the region.
"However, before we begin testimony, I turn to my good friend and Ranking Member Duncan Hunter, for any statement he may wish to make."
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