U.S. Must Maintain Military Might, Secretary Says

[jakeXT]

U.S. Must Maintain Military Might, Secretary Says



LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 1, 2012 – Success in Iraq and the drawdown in Afghanistan does not mean the U.S. military should be dismantled, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here today.

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Panetta spoke to more than 1,200 people at the McConnell Center on the campus of the University of Louisville. He spoke of the need for public service and how that has played in the successes and challenges confronting the Defense Department.
“We have begun to drawdown our forces and transition to Afghan-led security responsibility, and we have seen the level of violence go down,” the secretary said. “Our goal is that by the end of 2014, the Afghans will have the responsibility to govern and secure themselves.”
Panetta addressed the recent spate of killings of International Security Assistance Force troops by Afghans. “Let me be very clear,” he said. “The brutal attacks that we have seen on our troops in the last few days will not change or alter our determination to see this through.”

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67395

[think]

1. Bring the troops home and end the military industrial collusion in our Govt! /nt

[bemildred]

2. "Sucess in Iraq"?

Good Lord. Has the man taken a look at Iraq of late? The entire Middle East? Another ten years like the last ten - this mindless persistence in foilly - will do the US in for good.

[DCKit]

3. O.K. Leon, but let's please start billing the oil companies for our little excursions...

on their behalf. After all, it's not as if the U.S. is ever going to illegally invade any country without oil reserves. Some kickbacks from MIC would be nice, too.

It's not as if Big Oil doesn't have the money to pay for it - record profits every quarter.

[jakeXT]

4. I think this docu tried to explain it

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9219858826421983682

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight_(2005_film)