DoD Releases the National Defense and the National Military Strategies

[paineinthearse]

Hey, Hey, Hey! Read all about it! Get you US defense plans here! :wtf:

============================================================


U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release


On the Web:
http://www.dod.gov/releases/2005/nr20050318-2245.html
Media contact: [phone] Public contact:
http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html
or [phone]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No. 268-05
IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Department of Defense Releases the National Defense and the National Military Strategies
The Department of Defense (DoD) released its National Defense Strategy (NDS) and National Military Strategy (NMS) today. These strategies outline an active, layered approach to the defense of the nation and its interests. They seek to create conditions conducive to respect for the sovereignty of nations and a secure international order favorable to freedom, democracy, and economic opportunity. The strategies promote close cooperation with others around the world who are committed to these goals and address mature and emerging threats.



“Since 9/11, the Department has updated its strategic thinking -- incorporating lessons learned from Iraq, Afghanistan and other operations,” said Douglas J. Feith, under secretary of defense for policy. “We now have a strategy that positions us better to handle strategic uncertainty, recognizes the value of measures to resolve problems before they become crises and crises before they become wars, and emphasizes the importance of building partnership capacity to address security problems.”



The NDS is issued periodically, and the NMS is updated every two years. These documents outline how the Department supports the president’s National Security Strategy and provide the strategic context for the ongoing Quadrennial Defense Review.



The NDS defines DoD’s strategic objectives: securing the U.S. from direct attack; securing strategic access and retaining freedom of action; strengthening alliances and partnerships; and establishing security conditions conducive to a favorable international order.



The NMS provides strategic guidance to the armed forces on how to support NDS objectives. It sets forth three military objectives: protecting the U.S.; preventing conflict and surprise attack; and prevailing against adversaries.



Link to NDS: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nds1.pdf

Link to NMS: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nms.pdf

[punpirate]

1. Quite hilarious, actually....

"They seek to create conditions conducive to respect for the sovereignty of nations...."

Maybe it's a trick sentence--it doesn't say "all nations...."

Feith is so full of shit his eyes must be brown....

[paineinthearse]

2. punpirate....

That's "soverny", not "sovereignty".

Acute observation, by the way.

[punpirate]

6. I stand corrected...

... I'm still working with the sixth edition of the Bushspeak dictionary.... :)

[acmejack]

35. That's not a mole on Feith's forehead!

It's a sight glass, so you can tell if he's a quart low...

[MADem]

46. If you have ever had to write this shit

(and I have) you just cannot begin to imagine what an onerous, awful task it is. When the civilians have one idea and the flags and generals have another, it is like being the ping pong ball on a hot table in hell. Some years, though, they don't check it as closely as others, and you can have a little word-fun that no one really sees, or realizes, because it gets only the most cursory of checks as it rumbles up the chain.

I'm thinking this year it got the "fine toothed comb" treatment. Every word has meaning, and missing words have meaning, too.

Astute point, Punpirate!

[sandnsea]

3. well, ya' don't say

"emphasizes the importance of building partnership capacity"

Where've I heard that before.

Love to see how they're going to do this as they trash the UN and continue pulling out of international treaties that are the basis of the rule of law which is crucial to building global partnerships.

100 years from now they'll be doing keystone kops movies starring this crowd. If they don't blow us all up before then.

[librechik]

4. hiding in the Friday Night News Dump

it must have some sickening things they don't want people to know about...

[paineinthearse]

5. DoD released a sexaul harassment policy in today's dump, too

Posted it in POLITICS.

[LynnTheDem]

7. "defense of the nation and its INTERESTS"...that's the key word.

INTERESTS.

[paineinthearse]

8. Exactly....whose interests?

It would prove very interesting to determine who wrote this pap....PNAC???? Firth??? Wolfie???

p.s......isn't that word pronounced "innerests"?

[MADem]

47. It is parceled out to all branches, and everyone writes their little bit

Then it gets sent to the Pentagon, where they have interminable meetings deciding what the tone is going to be, what will be covered, and everyone goes back to their corner and works on their chunk. Then, it all gets consolidated. In some years you get some poor bastard on JCS (or more correctly, his long suffering STAFF) doing all of the consolidating (then they pass it around and add/subtract) but who the hell knows who is doing it now.

I'd guess, as you postulated, it is a strong civilian show these days, and they have their red pencils at the ready.

Oh, for the days when political appointees were just incompetent party hacks and fundraisers who strolled in at ten, out at three, and spent most days on the golf course, instead of the current batch, who are also incompetent party hacks and fundraisers who are actually trying to MANAGE things.

Scary!

[paineinthearse]

9. LAT: Preemptive Strikes' Become Policy

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031905defense_lat,0,5377772.story?coll=la-home-nation

National defense now extends beyond U.S. borders to include acts of 'active deterrence.'
By John Hendren
Times Staff Writer

4:22 PM PST, March 18, 2005

WASHINGTON — A new "National Defense Strategy" for the first time makes the kind of preemptive strike used in Iraq part of the nation's military policy in dealing with rogue nations, Pentagon officials said today. The plan that specifies the Bush administration's goals in protecting the nation describes a muscular policy of "active deterrence."

Under it, the United States will seek to expand its relationships with allies and "act with others when we can" to prevent growing regional problems from erupting into wars, according to an unclassified version of the document outlined at the Pentagon by Douglas Feith, the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy. The policy also reserves the right for the United States to act on its own when necessary.

"The president has the obligation to protect the country," Feith said. "And I don't think that there's anything in our Constitution that says that the president should not protect the country unless he gets some non-Americans' participation or approval of that."

The new strategy focuses the Pentagon's spending priorities on long-range budget plans. Feith confirmed reports that the United States would for the first time invite close allies, among them Britain, to review classified portions of U.S. defense strategy as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review, a four-year military policy and spending plan. The document he described further shifts the nation from the Cold War strategy of "containing" Eastern Europe to a global strategy of taking on enemies that emerge unexpectedly — as the administration argues Afghanistan did following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — and even terror organizations within friendly nations.

more.......

[LynnTheDem]

32. "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international

crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.”
-Nuremberg Tribunal, Kellogg-Briand Pact
US-signed & ratified Treaty


"All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." Article 39 established the authority of the Security Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to "decide what measures shall be taken."
-United Nations Charter, Article 2 Clause 4
US-signed & ratified Treaty

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/24228.pdf

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land;

-Article VI Clause 2 of the United States Constitution

[DeepModem Mom]

10. LAT: 'Preemptive Strikes' Become Policy

'Preemptive Strikes' Become Policy
National defense now extends beyond U.S. borders to include acts of 'active deterrence.'

By John Hendren, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — A new "National Defense Strategy" for the first time makes the kind of preemptive strike used in Iraq part of the nation's military policy in dealing with rogue nations, Pentagon officials said today.

The plan that specifies the Bush administration's goals in protecting the nation describes a muscular policy of "active deterrence."

Under it, the United States will seek to expand its relationships with allies and "act with others when we can" to prevent growing regional problems from erupting into wars, according to an unclassified version of the document outlined at the Pentagon by Douglas Feith, the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy. The policy also reserves the right for the United States to act on its own when necessary....

***

"NATO is kind of missing in action now in their strategy," said Loren Thompson, a military analyst with the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va., public policy group. "During the Clinton years, coalition warfare with the other members of NATO was a centerpiece to our strategy, and now the administration is expecting almost nothing from the Europeans. When it talks about partnering with other countries, it usually means Pakistan or Korea or countries outside of the western alliance."

In some cases, respected global organizations seem to be viewed with suspicion. In describing the vulnerabilities of the United States, the document uses strong language to list international forums — such as the International Court of Justice in the Hague, created under a treaty the United States has declined to sign — alongside terrorists.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031905defense_lat,0,5377772.story?coll=la-home-nation

[mike_c]

11. preemptive strike in Iraq....

Preempting WHAT?! Why doesn't anyone point out that using Iraq as a example of a preemptive strike is inane! THERE WAS NOTHING TO PREEMPT.

[bpilgrim]

15. it's like we had IRAQ spread-eagle, up-against the wall, frisked, empty

THEN we said OPEN FIRE.

how will history record our empire against the rest?

not very well... if anyone is still alive :argh:

peace

[acmejack]

36. Think Italy invading Ethiopia

circa 1935. Fascists like kicking sand in the face of weaker children!

[jody]

12. Bush has adopted Israel's policy of striking any opponent

unable to defend itself. :shrug:

[Say_What]

20. Hitler did the same thing...

:crazy:

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Which countries are those? n/t

[bpilgrim]

13. PREVENTIVE WAR is NEVER USED

though that is the more accurate description it is also clear violation of LAW.

gotta feel'n this century is gonna be a whole lot bloodier than the last.


http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[candy331]

14. Had a woman on Cspan (editor forgot name) talking about this

and a caller jumped all over her and asked her where could he find this info because he had googled some things and could not find this, well I hope he sees it now.

[daleo]

16. Hitler's official strategy too.

And he disdained international institutions (such as the League of Nations) as well. Bush is making a mockery of the ideals of the founders of the U.S., and all of its best leaders throughout history.

[physioex]

17. I don't think we are going to have another repeat of Iraq...

Slowly but surely the US is losing its superpower status. Other countries have caught up in technology and this country has yet to make ANY leaps in technology. Global alliances are being formed and this country is destined to become weaker........

[Warren Stupidity]

19. Global alliances are being formed indeed

but meanwhile we stand alone unchallenged in conventional warfare capabilities. We have not figured out how to succeed in what we call 'asymetrical warfare' but which used to be called 'conquest', despite the current delusion that freemon an' moxy have broken out like acne on a teenager all over Iraq.

We do have a technological advantage over every other conventional force out there right now with our 'total battlefield awareness', and we have the only actual naval force. For the near future no military power is going to directly stand up to us unless they are forced to do so. Instead all the maneuvering will be behind the scenes, a few cruise missiles here, some advanced anti aircraft systems there, sanctuary and intelligence support under the table at sufficient levels to keep us tied down in our imperial folly.

The early phase of the Great Oil Wars is interesting indeed.

[physioex]

30. I've heard those buzz words being thrown around...

"Total situational awareness", "Total Tactical Advantage", "We can see inside our enemies anal areas". I can see the bullshiters in the Pentagon sitting their cubicles coming up with those buzzwords, and I can tell you they don't mean shit. Remember back before 9/11 when they had a simulation and all this technology was brought down by low tech methods.

[Warren Stupidity]

34. Oh it could all be bullshit

or not, I certainly don't know. The claim by our military is that it is a technological advantage that we currently are in sole possesion of. I brought it up in response to the assertion that do not have such an advantage. Despite all the corruption, our outspending any other nation by something like 10-1 for the last 20 years or so has resulted in the development and accumulation of quite an arsenal. Tech advantages are transient. The PNAC plan assumes that we will always be able to smack down rivals with disdainful abandon, it remains to be seen if this is true or not, I certainly don't think it is.

[4dsc]

18. You know what rightie says...

I have a regular discussion with right and one of them claimed Iragi's didn't have a right to defend themselves because the US liberated them from oppression.. I see where he get his idea's from!!

I also added that Hitler would have been proud of AWOlbush's policies!!

[Rose Siding]

21. The aim is to legitimize involvement in internal struggles of others

from the Post...

A new national defense strategy issued by the Pentagon calls for greater U.S. military efforts to keep foreign nations from becoming havens for terrorism or being undermined internally by such additional threats as insurgency, drugs and organized crime.

While U.S. forces have long helped to bolster foreign militaries through a variety of assistance programs, the new emphasis on aiding them against internal threats marks a significant departure from the traditional focus on guarding against potential cross-border aggression.
...
The move to enhance U.S. military influence abroad also raises questions about the extent to which greater U.S. military involvement would be welcomed in foreign countries or seen as an infringement of national sovereignty.

"We're a bit on the horns of a dilemma," said a defense official involved in the review, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "On the one hand, we respect the sovereignty of nation states. On the other hand, 9/11 demonstrates that threats to our direct interests can emanate from non-state actors within nation-states. We're trying to square this by working with nation-states that are cooperative so that they can govern themselves and non-state actors cannot pose threats."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48392-2005Mar18.html

Yesterday, they said that other nations were being invited to "secret meetings". This reveals the nature of those meetings- plots against parties out of power? or against reformers? Doesn't this have the potential to dwarf what happened with Iran-Contra, minus any need to act covertly?

[DeepModem Mom]

25. Thanks for adding this article, Rose --

there is some really significant stuff going on here.

[LynnTheDem]

33. "threats to our direct INTERESTS..." There it is again. They don't mean

threat to AMERICAN SOIL or AMERICAN PEOPLE.

[paineinthearse]

37. Buzz phrase of the day: threats to our direct INTERESTS

Search whitehouse.gov by keyword

Results for: threats to our direct INTERESTS,
Document count: threats (3846) to (26002) our (10504) direct (4732) INTERESTS (2)

26021 results found, top 100 sorted by date sort by relevance hide summaries 1-10 >>

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In his weekly radio address, President Bush said, "Good morning. In the three years since our country was attacked, America has remained on the ...
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[LynnTheDem]

38. And there's the US Energy Policy; "US forces will be used, if necessary,

to secure VITAL INTERESTS..."

Now whatcha think "INTERESTS" means in a US ENERGY policy, I wonder...

[teryang]

22. Prevent wars or start wars?

"...to prevent growing regional problems from growing into wars."

This is the most Orwellian crap I have ever heard. Translation:

"...to start wars in order to create growing regional problems for states showing symptoms of sovereignty."

[paineinthearse]

23. See earlier LBN post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1323795

[DeepModem Mom]

26. There's the document -- thanks, pain! nt

[paineinthearse]

27. Yup.

I learned one lesson from "West Wing": Friday is "take out the trash day".

Be sure to read the DoD and other government news sites Fridays about 5PM to catch all the stuff they don't want you to know.

[paineinthearse]

28. I just noticed something about DU

This post is from the DoD website. It has a vanilla headline. It got a few responses.

Another post based on a LA Times article, 5 hours later, had a more "sensational" headline: 'Preemptive Strikes' Become Policy. It got many responses.

The mods combined the two.

Now that the "vanilla" headline has been installed as the only one, it is sinking.

Moral of the story..........be sensationalist, else your post will sink.

[BrotherBuzz]

31. Just goes to show - MSM knows how to sell soap...

On the up side you could have posted the DOD press release to include the entire NDS and NMS links without copyright problems, but then we'd proably fall asleep reading them... :)

[bpilgrim]

41. you can't editorialize headlines in LBN

headlines are certainly important on whether it gets read or not that's fer sure... in this case the first one was non specific and the latter was about a topic that is very important.

peace

[Nothing Without Hope]

43. At least we can post heads-ups in other relevant forums - but DUPES are

a problem sometimes. The sometimes off-the-main-point (for us) titles that are required in LBN to match the original articles' titles can make the threads unrecognizable without opening and reading them. Dupes are a problem because they split up comments and attention and the mods sometimes either don't notice them at all or put the wrong (later, less comments) one as the main one. Occasionally a frustration.

Posting heads-ups (no significant text, just the title, a sentence or two, and a link to the main thread) in other relevant forums can lead to the key LBN one even though its title is suboptimal.

Kick!
:kick:

[bpilgrim]

45. good point - cross pollination is a good thing

especially on DU that helps spread the word more effectively :hi:

Thank GORE he 'INVENTED' the INTERNET's! ;->

peace

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. This information is extremely important and needs to be studied carefully

This can't be summarized in a brief sentence or two, though I'm sure they would prefer it if their political opponents did exactly that.

Recommended for Greatest Page. I hope that "heads-up" links have been posted in other relevant forums as well.

Thanks for posting this.

[Toots]

39. securing strategic access and retaining freedom of action

This line has some very scary ideas attached. I believe that is what Iraq and Iran are. Strategic Access..

[paineinthearse]

40. Print this and distribute at the weekend vigils and rallies

I have printed the pentagon release as well as the WP article and am bringing copies to the rallies in my area this weekend.

To find one in your neighborhood, go to http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3299560

[paineinthearse]

44. Just returned from a stand-out

We had an OVERWHELINGLY POSITIVE RESPONSE from the passers by. This was in a small town, but we stood on a busy intersection. Over the course of the 3 hours I was there, I'd estimate 50% of the passers-by gave us positive feedback. There were only two bitter-looking people who cast us negative vibes (but this is Massachusetts).

I feel recharged and a hell of a lot better. On to the big one in Boston tomorrow!

It was an opportunity to meet some like-minded people. I gave the DoD press release to a UU minister who is distributing to his church members.

[suegeo]

42. Doug Feith is a boob

I thought Feith resigned. Someone call a vampire slayer, cause the stupidest man alive is still kicking up the Hitlerian horseshit.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but only CONGRESS can declare war. This is spelled out in the constitution. The power of the purse is separate from the power of the sword. I wish we didn't have such a sad collection of useless douche bags in congress.

Iraq had NOTHING to pre-empt. They weren't a threat. Our government lied to us.

This government is pathetic.

Hey, DoD, no thanks for fucking up in the days leading up to 9.11 and in all the days subsequent to that.

[Nothing Without Hope]

48. Kick n/t