FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey: Lack of Credibility Will Aid Terrorist Group ISIL’s Collapse
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2015 – Though U.S. and coalition airstrikes are destroying facilities and equipment controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the terrorist group ultimately will fail because the people it’s trying to control will reject its ideology, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview broadcast today.
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey noted that the new Iraqi government is reaching out to Iraq’s Sunni tribes and has made inroads in the strategic effort against ISIL.
“A group that embraces such a radical ideology has to maintain momentum in order to succeed, in order to maintain its credibility with the very people it's trying to influence,” Dempsey said.
ISIL’s Fate is Inevitable
Tactically, U.S. and allies forces have destroyed ISIL equipment, reversed some of its territorial gains and affected the terror group’s leadership, command and control and logistics, the chairman noted. But the fate of the terrorist regime is inevitable, he added, simply because people won’t accept it.
“It will collapse under its own contradictions, frankly, when the populations in which it tries to maneuver realize that ideology is not to their future benefit,” Dempsey said.
Though military efforts get the most attention, the chairman said, strides other areas such as in countering ISIL’s financing and messaging may be more important in thwarting the organization, Dempsey noted.
Campaign in Iraq Will Take Time
The campaign in Iraq will take time, Dempsey said, pointing out that U.S. and coalition forces are enabling the Iraqi government’s strategy. “It's not our strategy,” he said. “And I'm telling you, that is an extraordinarily important distinction.”
Before it can mount its own offensive against ISIL, the chairman explained, the Iraqi government, with the help of trainers and advisors, must accumulate the appropriate level of force and have it followed by reconstruction and humanitarian relief so the government is providing real governance and not simply security. This, he added, could take months.
Syrian Opposition Under Pressure
Meanwhile, in Syria, the opposition to Bashar Assad’s regime is under “enormous pressure,” particularly in the north, Dempsey, said. That region brings the greatest concern in regard to the ability to attract, recruit and vet a moderate opposition, he added.
“And Iraq, because we have a credible partner there, is the most important thing for us right now,” Dempsey said, “while maintaining pressure through disruptive airstrikes inside of what was a safe haven in Syria.
“As that issue evolves in Iraq, we will then adapt the campaign,” he continued. “And in the meantime, we're trying to build a credible partner on the ground in Syria … to take advantage of airstrikes should we ever turn our attention elsewhere. So it's really about a bit of choreography to get this right and not find ourselves potentially doing more harm if we create vacuums and voids and greater instability in the region.”
Showing posts with label CREDIBILITY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CREDIBILITY. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Saturday, July 27, 2013
THE U.S. NUCLEAR ENTERPRISE: CAPABILITY AND CREDIBILITY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Kehler Lauds Capability, Credibility of Nuclear Enterprise
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 - Sweeping improvements across the U.S. nuclear enterprise since a 2007 incident have increased the focus on the nuclear mission and raised the bar in terms of standards and performance, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told reporters today.
"In general, I feel much more comfortable today with the level of attention," Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler said during a Defense Writers Group breakfast roundtable. "I am very confident in the capability and credibility of the forces. And I am very, very confident in our ability to continue our deterrence mission."
Kehler was deputy commander of Stratcom during the August 2007 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-equipped missiles were mistakenly transported nearly 1,500 miles on the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber.
Revelation of the incident -- defense officials emphasized at the time that the weapons were never unsecured and never at risk of detonating -- led to personnel dismissals, organizational changes and heightened performance requirements.
"A lot has changed in the last six to seven years," Kehler said. "A lot has changed organizationally, ... in terms of the intensity of the focus on the nuclear part of our mission, ... [and] in terms of the assessment and evaluation that we put on the units that are involved in all of this.
"And as we say, perfection is really the standard when we talk about nuclear weapons," he said.
Among the changes was the Air Force's standup of Global Strike Command, with a singular focus on the nuclear mission and the standards applied to those involved, he said. The Navy underwent its own top-to-bottom review of its nuclear operations and activities.
The increased focus on nuclear-related units and activities has paid off in better performance levels, Kehler reported.
The general recalled his own experience with these "hard looks" during his earlier years within the nuclear force. "These are not easy evaluations to pass," he said. "And they have gotten harder."
Stratcom's nuclear deterrence mission remains critical to the United States, Kehler noted, injected with a renewed focus and sense of urgency by the president's 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and the national defense strategy.
"We recognize the Cold War has been over for 20 years," he said, but he noted President Barack Obama's pledge to maintain a "credible deterrent force" for both the United States and its allies and partners.
That deterrent is based on the triad of ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable heavy bombers and the associated aerial tankers, and the assured warning and command-and-control system that interconnects them.
Kehler called modernization of the nuclear enterprise "essential."
"We find ourselves in the position today where most of the platforms and virtually all of the weapons are well over 20 years old, and, in some cases, substantially over 20 years old," he said.
"Life extensions are due on the weapons, [and] modernization is due on the platforms ... and the nuclear command-and control system," said Kehler, noting that some of these efforts already have been deferred for almost 10 years.
Asked about morale within the nuclear force, Kehler said it's generally good. "It is not an easy job," he added, noting the intellectual intensity of the nuclear mission.
Kehler visited the Global Strike Command headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., earlier this month, to emphasize the importance of that mission to the men and women charged with carrying it out every day.
"The skills that we have for the nuclear-deterrence mission will be needed as far into the future as I can see," he said. "As long as we have nuclear weapons, it's our job to deter nuclear attack with a safe, secure and effective force. That's what we're here for."
Kehler Lauds Capability, Credibility of Nuclear Enterprise
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 - Sweeping improvements across the U.S. nuclear enterprise since a 2007 incident have increased the focus on the nuclear mission and raised the bar in terms of standards and performance, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told reporters today.
"In general, I feel much more comfortable today with the level of attention," Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler said during a Defense Writers Group breakfast roundtable. "I am very confident in the capability and credibility of the forces. And I am very, very confident in our ability to continue our deterrence mission."
Kehler was deputy commander of Stratcom during the August 2007 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-equipped missiles were mistakenly transported nearly 1,500 miles on the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber.
Revelation of the incident -- defense officials emphasized at the time that the weapons were never unsecured and never at risk of detonating -- led to personnel dismissals, organizational changes and heightened performance requirements.
"A lot has changed in the last six to seven years," Kehler said. "A lot has changed organizationally, ... in terms of the intensity of the focus on the nuclear part of our mission, ... [and] in terms of the assessment and evaluation that we put on the units that are involved in all of this.
"And as we say, perfection is really the standard when we talk about nuclear weapons," he said.
Among the changes was the Air Force's standup of Global Strike Command, with a singular focus on the nuclear mission and the standards applied to those involved, he said. The Navy underwent its own top-to-bottom review of its nuclear operations and activities.
The increased focus on nuclear-related units and activities has paid off in better performance levels, Kehler reported.
The general recalled his own experience with these "hard looks" during his earlier years within the nuclear force. "These are not easy evaluations to pass," he said. "And they have gotten harder."
Stratcom's nuclear deterrence mission remains critical to the United States, Kehler noted, injected with a renewed focus and sense of urgency by the president's 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and the national defense strategy.
"We recognize the Cold War has been over for 20 years," he said, but he noted President Barack Obama's pledge to maintain a "credible deterrent force" for both the United States and its allies and partners.
That deterrent is based on the triad of ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable heavy bombers and the associated aerial tankers, and the assured warning and command-and-control system that interconnects them.
Kehler called modernization of the nuclear enterprise "essential."
"We find ourselves in the position today where most of the platforms and virtually all of the weapons are well over 20 years old, and, in some cases, substantially over 20 years old," he said.
"Life extensions are due on the weapons, [and] modernization is due on the platforms ... and the nuclear command-and control system," said Kehler, noting that some of these efforts already have been deferred for almost 10 years.
Asked about morale within the nuclear force, Kehler said it's generally good. "It is not an easy job," he added, noting the intellectual intensity of the nuclear mission.
Kehler visited the Global Strike Command headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., earlier this month, to emphasize the importance of that mission to the men and women charged with carrying it out every day.
"The skills that we have for the nuclear-deterrence mission will be needed as far into the future as I can see," he said. "As long as we have nuclear weapons, it's our job to deter nuclear attack with a safe, secure and effective force. That's what we're here for."
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