TRAVELS WITH LEON: SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA OUTLINES CENTRAL ASIAN TRIP

The photo and following excerpt are from a U.S. Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after talks in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2012.  DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2012 - As has been his custom for all of his foreign travels, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today provided a personal account of his trip last week to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Here is the secretary's report:
I've recently returned from my seventh international trip, and my third trip to Afghanistan as Secretary of Defense. As I always do upon returning from international travel, I wanted to share some observations and reflections on the trip directly with you, the men and women of the Department of Defense.

My first stop was Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, which is also host to the International Transit Center at Manas. The visit to Bishkek gave me the chance to meet with Kyrgyz leaders for the first time, and my goal was to affirm our relationship and thank them for their support of the Manas Transit Center. That transit center is critical to sustaining our efforts in Afghanistan, and provides us with the ability to move personnel in and out of the war zone, to execute aerial refueling sorties, and to transport air cargo in and out of theater.

Kyrgyzstan and its Central Asian neighbors serve as key links in the logistical supply lines into Afghanistan known as the Northern Distribution Network, which has proven extremely important in recent months. For me the visit underscored that the United States shares a number of important interests with our Central Asian partners, chief among them a secure and stable Afghanistan so that the broader region can be peaceful and benefit from expanded trade and development.

We had dinner at a local restaurant and stayed at a hotel in downtown Bishkek. The next morning, I was able to greet American troops at the Transit Center who were waiting for flights home or into Afghanistan. As I met with each of them individually, I was on the lookout for anyone bound for California and managed to greet a few from my home state. I was energized to meet doctors and nurses who had volunteered for service at the war front. I thanked all of the men and women I met for their dedication and sacrifice to their missions. Each received Secretary of Defense coins in recognition of their excellence while serving our nation in uniform.

I departed Kyrgyzstan from Manas in a C-17, traveling onward to Southwest Afghanistan, where I landed at Camp Bastion Airfield in Helmand Province. My trip to Afghanistan took place against the backdrop of a series of challenges that have tested our relationship with our Afghan partners as well as our resolve to focus on achieving the mission there. An unfortunate incident at the airfield as I landed only served to heighten tensions but as I told the press, this is a war zone and it is important to keep our eye on the mission.
We are making strong progress in our military campaign by reducing violence and continuing a process of transitioning security responsibility to Afghan lead. Enemy-initiated attacks in Afghanistan in early 2012 are down about 24 percent compared to last year, and half of the Afghan population now lives in areas that are transitioning to Afghan-led security control.

My basic message to U.S. and coalition troops and to our Afghan partners was that we all needed to stay focused on our fundamental mission to ensure not only that we defeat al-Qaida and their militant allies, but that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists to conduct attacks on the United States or our allies. To do that we must support efforts that will enable Afghanistan to secure and govern itself.
After a short ride over to adjoining Camp Leatherneck, I was honored to meet with several Afghan provincial government leaders, including the Governor of Helmand, as well as commanders from the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. I told Governor Mangal that on my way from the United States to Afghanistan I had been reading more about the rich history of Afghanistan. I said that I appreciated how in many ways the history of Afghanistan is the story of leaders seeking peace and stability in the face of conflict.

At the same meeting I also heard from Major General Malouk who commands the Afghan National Army 215th Corps in Helmand province. He told me his men know how to fight and are willing to take risks against the enemy, but that they also continue to need help from the international community as they mature into a professional force. I assured him that the U.S. is committed to assisting him and his units as we work together toward transitioning security responsibility to them. I came away from this discussion encouraged that Afghan forces are truly taking charge of operations and leading them in this part of the country, and that Afghanistan has brave leaders who are determined to build a better future for their country.

After meeting with these local Afghan officials and military commanders, I had the opportunity to address U.S. Marines, and other ISAF and Afghan troops. I emphasized my message to focus on the mission even in the face of challenges. As these troops know well, we have been tested, time and time again, over a decade of war. That's the nature of war: to confront every obstacle, to face every barrier, to fight through every challenge in order to accomplish a mission. It is important that all of us -- the United States, Afghanistan, the ISAF forces -- all stick to the strategy that we've laid out.
It was an honor to meet with this motivated group of Marines, Afghan, and international troops, for it's their dedication that offers the chance at a better life for us and our children, and for the Afghan people and their children as well.
We then boarded an MV-22 Osprey and flew from Camp Leatherneck to Forward Operating Base Shukvani, the remote and dusty operating location for the Georgian 31st Battalion and their U.S. Marine Corps partners.

At FOB Shukvani, I thanked the Georgian troops for their important contributions to the campaign, and read them a letter from their former commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Alex Tugushi, who was grievously injured during operations in December 2011. In the letter Lt. Col. Tugushi called the troops "Georgian heroes" and said it was a great honor for Georgian troops to partner with American and international troops in Afghanistan. I told the Georgian troops that Lt. Col. Tugushi's letter reflected my feelings exactly: the U.S. is privileged to stand together with Georgia.

That afternoon, we flew to Kabul for meetings that night with my friends and colleagues Minister of Defense Wardak and Minister of Interior Mohammadi. The focus of our discussion was on the progress being made by the Afghan National Security Forces. Minister Wardak hosted me at the ministry for a traditional Afghan meal, and I was grateful for his hospitality. Both of my meetings with the ministers went very well, reaffirming our shared commitment to the mission, progress in achieving greater security in Afghanistan, and the continued development of Afghan security forces.

The following morning I met with President Karzai at his palace. President Karzai and I have met several times over the years, and I told him that we seem to get tested almost every other day by incidents that challenge our leadership and our commitment to our shared goals. I know that tragedies like the incident in Kandahar weigh heavily on President Karzai's heart and create problems for him as the leader and the protector of the Afghan people. They weigh heavily on all of us. That's why I told him that we are sparing no effort to hold those responsible accountable and to make sure this does not happen again.

Still, our discussion largely focused on the future as the United States and Afghanistan seek to build an enduring partnership. We have made significant progress on reaching this kind of agreement, and were recently able to sign an MOU with Afghanistan that establishes a way forward to transferring detention operations to Afghanistan. In spite of recent challenges, I am confident that we will reach an agreement with President Karzai on a strategic partnership.

After finishing this meeting and heading to the Kabul Airport, I reflected on the fact that in past trips to Afghanistan, whether as CIA Director or Secretary of Defense, I was invariably concerned about the differences with regards to the strategy ahead and how to try to get better agreement on how we would proceed in the future.

In this trip, everyone I talked to absolutely agreed with the strategy that NATO nations and the Afghan government have laid out: to support an Afghan-led transition process leading to Afghan responsibility for security across the country by the end of 2014. As the Afghans increasingly take on leadership through the transition process, we expect ISAF to shift naturally in 2013 from a primarily combat to a primarily support role, while remaining fully combat capable. At the same time, we will continue to talk about the kind of post-2014 presence we need to maintain. Everybody is absolutely committed to this strategy.
There is no doubt that the Afghan people are tired of war. They've suffered through years of conflict, and they're hoping for peace and the opportunity to raise their families so that hopefully their children will have a better life. The American people share some of that tiredness after 10 years of war as well, and all of that's understandable.

But I think the American people also understand that we came here with a mission to accomplish. The mission was to make sure that those that attacked our country on 9/11 will never be able to use Afghanistan as a base to do that again and that Afghanistan needs to be able to govern and secure itself. That's our mission, that's our goal, and we have never been closer to accomplishing that.

From Afghanistan I continued on to the United Arab Emirates, which is a very important partner in the Middle East. The U.S. continues to work closely with our Emirati partners, including the missions in Libya and working with the international community on Syria, as well. I had good discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed about regional issues and also the importance of our relationship with the UAE, particularly at this point in time.

As I headed home from this trip, I reflected on the fact that our troops are heroes and patriots, and that we can never forget your sacrifices. Those of you in uniform are doing the job of trying to protect this country, and doing it magnificently with courage and with dedication. Your skill and mission focus have always been the key to our ability to overcome any challenge -- and that enables all of us to pursue that fundamental American dream of giving our children a better life.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA FINDS VALUE IN KYRGYZSTAN TRANSIT CENTER

The following Photo at left and excerpt below is from the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service website:

Panetta Cites Value of Transit Center in Kyrgyzstan

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 13, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrived here today on his first official visit to Kyrgyzstan, which is home to a transit center for all U.S. troops entering or leaving Afghanistan.

The Transit Center at Manas, near Kyrgyzstan's capital of Bishkek, is critical to the northern distribution network that funnels U.S. forces and equipment into Afghanistan, Panetta said.

That network has been "extremely important in recent months, since our [ground transit routes] have closed in Pakistan," the secretary added.

During his visit, Panetta is scheduled to meet with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambyev and Defense Minister Taalaybeck Omuraliev. The secretary also will visit U.S. troops at the transit center.

Panetta said he will thank the Kyrgyz leaders for their cooperation in allowing the United States to use the transit center and to ensure the relationship can continue into the future.

Officials traveling with Panetta said the Manas center has been the only air facility north of Afghanistan available to U.S. forces since 2001. A previous Kyrgyz administration threatened to oust the Americans in 2009, which led to some "pretty arduous negotiations" and a sharp increase in the amount the U.S. government pays for use of the facility, an official said. Before 2009, the payment was $17.4 million per year; it is now $60 million annually.

A senior defense official said that arrangement is in place through July 2014, and that the secretary will not negotiate any additional use of the facility on this trip. Rather, the official added, the visit is intended to underscore to the Kyrgyz government and to Atambyev, who was inaugurated in December, that the United States government views its relationship with Kyrgyzstan as central to Central Asian regional security.

In 2011, defense officials said, operations at the Transit Center at Manas included 4,800 air refueling sorties transferring 300 million pounds of fuel. The center also supported 3,500 aeromedical evacuations and managed a total flow of 580,000 air passengers traveling into or out of Afghanistan.

Deploying troops fly into Manas on commercial aircraft, then transfer to U.S. military "gray tail" planes for the final leg of their trip to Afghanistan, officials said.
 

CHANGE OF COMMAND IN PACIFIC

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense e-mail: Pacific Command Change of Command As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Camp Smith, Hawaii, Friday, March 09, 2012

Thank you very much, General Dempsey.  Good morning, ladies and gentleman.  It's a great honor to be able to be here.  It's always a delight to visit this beautiful state of Hawaii, rain and all.  Rain here is not the same as it is elsewhere: there's a different flavor to it. As you may know, Marty and I have spent the last few weeks in hearings up on Capitol Hill.  Fortunately, as Catholics, we believe that after spending a certain amount of time in Purgatory, you're entitled to be able to go to Heaven.  Sam Locklear, you may not be Saint Peter, but this about as close to Heaven as you'll get.  Sam, Pamela, Bob, Donna, my great Chairman, distinguished guests, Neil Abercrombie, it's great to see you here.  Neil and I served in the Congress for a period of time.  I always enjoyed that. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: what a great honor to be able to participate in this kind of change of command.  This is one of my great honors to have this opportunity every time we do this with a combatant command.  Hawaii is not just a beautiful place.  It happens to be a historic place of service and sacrifice. I had the opportunity to visit the U.S.S. Arizona this morning, and I've done that before; with my family, and I had the chance to go there with President Clinton when we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II.  I've also had the opportunity to do it with a number of friends.  So, I've done it before.  But each time I do it, it was deeply moving experience to be thinking of the brave service members stationed here, stationed on that ship, on this island, and who gave their lives for their country on that fateful day some 70 years ago.  That sacred memorial reminds all of us who have a special duty to protect this country, to protect America that we must always remain vigilant and aware of potential storm clouds on the horizon, and we must never, never lower our guard.  I can't think of a more critical time when the nation needs its very best.  Its very best in military experience, in military leadership, in military advice, to be able to confront the challenges and the threats that we face in the world today. That's why it's truly an honor to join all of you here today to pay tribute to Admiral Willard for his many decades of distinguished service to our nation, to welcome Sam Locklear as he assumes command of Pacific Command, and to recognize the many achievements of the men and women of this, the oldest and largest of our regional commands we have in the U.S. military. I'd first like to express my thanks to the families of both of these very fine naval officers.  I thank Admiral Willard's family, and particularly his wife, Donna, who in addition to enduring the difficulties of being the spouse of a service member for over thirty-eight years, has done so much for Navy spouses.  And I thank Admiral Locklear's family, his wife Pamela, and their family.  All of whom have provided the support and been willing to go through the pain of long absences and have always been there to be able to support the sacrifices they have made.  We appreciate your support and your sacrifices.  These jobs are tough and they demand a great deal of sacrifice.  But none of us could do these jobs without the love and support of our families. This has to be a team effort, and every family is part of that team.  We simply could not do the job of defending America without you.  That support is central to the strength of our armed forces.  It underpins everything we do and, indeed, the very security of this nation depends on that love, that sacrifice, that team effort.  And so today I want to honor these two special families for the love and sacrifice and support they've provided these two very special men. Admiral Willard brings to a close a remarkable nearly four-decade career as a naval aviator. It has taken him to every corner of the globe, and to almost every level of command, from a fighter squadron to command of the mighty 7th Fleet, and now the Pacific Command.  A proven and very effective leader, he's also served back in Washington on the Joint Staff.  A Naval Academy graduate, early in his career he flew the venerable F-14 "Tomcat," and went on to serve as the operations and executive officer of the Navy's elite Top Gun fighter school.  Now I've liked Bob from the very moment I met him – he's a brilliant and accomplished military officer, he always offers very deep insights into the most pressing security challenges. But most importantly  he and I share a passion for movies.  I express my passion by watching a lot of films. And the distances I travel, I always like to be accompanied by Ben Hur, Master  & Commander, Gladiator, Casablanca, and just about any movie with John Wayne.  Bob, on the other hand, lives a life right out of the movies.  Let me give you a few examples.  Since his early days in the Navy, I'm told that he's gone by the call sign "Rat," in honor of the movie Willard.  Bob also achieved a bit of fame when he served as the aerial coordinator for the movie Top Gun and had a cameo flying a Soviet MiG against Maverick and Goose.  Now I hear there are rumors that they are thinking about making a Top Gun sequel, which has me wondering whether Bob has a plan to reprise his role and do it in retirement.  Bob, I've gotta warn you about taking this on at your age... you might be writing checks your body can't cash. Bob's accomplishments, his strategic vision, and his very plain spoken manner made him an outstanding leader here in the Asia-Pacific.  This strategically vital theater is important; this pivotal moment in history when America's future, in many ways, depends on the peace and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.  It is a region filled with incredible opportunities for this nation – in the realm of political, economic, and security relationships that could significantly impact on the security and stability of our future. And when I look across the world at the threats and challenges we face as a nation, from terrorism to natural disasters, the proliferation of weapons of nuclear destruction, rogue nations and rising powers in the Pacific, this region has them all.  Merely operating in the vast expanse of the Asia-Pacific poses daunting operational and logistical challenge.  Challenges to being able to deploy and sustain our forces.  Yet no matter what the challenge, no matter how daunting a calamity, no matter how tense the stand-off between nations, PACOM has always delivered, has always been there when our allies needed them most, and has always excelled. In this region, we don't just need a great warrior.  We also happen to need in a commander, a great diplomat.  Bob demonstrated the power of relationships, how to turn those relationships into partnerships, and how to turn those partnerships into alliances, and how to turn those alliances into true and lasting friendships.  He has strengthened long-standing alliances with old friends like Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.  He's built new partnerships with countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.  The United States has long been the security partner of choice in the Pacific region – and thanks to Bob's leadership of PACOM, our country's important role as a Pacific power has not only endured, it has grown stronger. We have stayed vigilant and committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea during a time of transition on that Peninsula.  We've reassured our friends and allies that we are committed to the Pacific by enhancing our presence across Asia.  We have established new rotational deployments of our Marines in Australia, we have forward stationed our Littoral Combat Ships in Singapore, and we are exploring options for enhancing cooperation with the Philippines.  PACOM has also worked to restore and build those very important mil-to-mil relationships with China.  Under Admiral Willard's leadership, and thanks to the commitment, dedication, and hard work of the more than 300,000 men and women of PACOM are being strongly led.  We have made clear that we are a Pacific power and we will be there as a partner, as an ally, and as a friend.  As a major part of our Pacific family nothing confirms that family relationship more than with Japan.  As we approach the one-year anniversary of Operation Tomodachi, our relief operations in response to the Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency, we approach it with respect and thanks for men and women of PACOM and the leadership of Admiral Willard in those operations.  I had the opportunity to visit Japan last year, and I heard directly from the Japanese people the gratitude that they had for our personnel who were involved in that massive undertaking, who were delivering supplies, who were conducting search and rescue, and evacuating the injured.  PACOM helped Japan, a true friend, to stand back up and stand back strongly after they had been knocked down.  In doing so this entire command, the team operating under an extraordinary leader, made all Americans very proud.  You brought great honor and great distinction to our great military, Bob, and I thank you for that. Bob, this Department, and this country, owes you and Donna an extraordinary debt for your tireless efforts to ensure that our men and women in uniform got what they needed to accomplish their missions.  Donna, I especially want to thank you for your many years of service and support of our Navy spouses and for helping the families of those you led, the families that you were part of. It is our good fortune to that the military has a great bench, and it is our good fortune that we have another great leader, Admiral Sam Locklear who will take charge at PACOM.  Admiral Locklear has served as the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe while he concurrently served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and NATO's Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples.  His leadership of Allied efforts in Libya puts him in good standing to come to this region and manage its complexities, competing interests, the many nations that are part of our family in the Pacific, and to do that with the same even-keeled approach for which he's known. In my former capacity I believe I participated in almost in all of the meetings with the President on Libya.  And even though there was a lot of concern at that time that this operation was going to work, whether or not these countries could come together, whether or not they could operate together, whether or not they could develop targets, whether or not they could hit those targets, I have to tell you that because of Sam Locklear's leadership he brought NATO together.  He brought them together for a successful operation that took down Qadhafi and freed the Libyan people.  This was an incredibly complex mission and it took an awful lot of leadership to make it work; eighteen countries were involved in that operation.  And yet, he did it with distinction, with honor, and cool leadership. And yet Sam has always handled these kinds of situations with that same coolness, calmness, and sense of control, and in doing that, helped accomplish the mission. Last October, I had the opportunity to visit Admiral Locklear in Naples.  I had a chance to visit that operation center and again, I can't tell you how remarkable it was to be there and see how that operation was put together.  I'm confident that he is prepared to handle one of the military's most demanding jobs with the same coolness, calmness, and sense of control.  His past experiences will serve him well as he takes command.  Pamela, I know you're going to have to endure another hardship tour here in this rough spot, going from Naples to Honolulu.  But take it from a fellow Italian, a glass of wine, a little pasta, and you'll be fine.  We wish Admiral Locklear and we wish his wife Pamela all success in this new command. Bob and Donna, I wish you the very best as you begin this next chapter in your lives. In closing, let me note that these changes of command make me very proud of the military and of our country.  It is not just the millions of young men and women who take the oath who fight, and yes die, for America.  It's also the very strong and capable leaders like Admiral Willard and Admiral Locklear to lead them into battle.  This morning when I was at the USS Arizona, I had the opportunity to preside over the re-enlistments of some of our servicemen, members of a new greatest generation of Americans, a generation willing to carry forth the legacy of serving and fighting for this great country, fighting for a better world. They are the ones who carry the torch forward, carry the torch that their forefathers fought for at Pearl Harbor and in the great campaigns of the Pacific War and in every war.  The torch of freedom, torch of courage, the torch of duty. They had a great leader in Bob Willard, they now have a great new leader in Sam Locklear.  May God bless them, God bless this command, and God bless the United States of America."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA SAYS IRAN BIGGEST LOOSER WHEN ASSAD FALLS

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service website e-mail:

"Iran Will Be Biggest Loser When Assad Falls, Panetta Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2012 - Iran will be the biggest loser when Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime falls, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the committee on the situation in Syria this morning.

The Syrian people want what the people of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have – a chance at freedom and a democratic future, the secretary said. Assad and his people are indiscriminately killing those pushing for peaceful change in the nation. The fighting in the country is causing a humanitarian crisis of the first order, and thousands of Syrians are fleeing from the country to Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.

A stable Syria is vital to the Middle East and the world, Panetta said. "But perhaps most notably, Syria is a pivotal country for Iran," the secretary said. "Syria is Iran's only state ally in the region and is crucial to Iran's efforts to support those militants throughout the region who threaten Israel and threaten regional stability."

The unrest in Syria already has weakened Iran's position in the Middle East, and it will be further weakened if the regime falls, the secretary said. "As groups such as Hamas distance themselves from the Assad regime, Iran is quickly becoming the Assad regime's lone backer," he added. "This shows the world the hypocrisy of Tehran."

Panetta told the senators that the United States is on the side of the Syrian people. "They must know that the international community has not underestimated either their suffering or their impatience," he said. "We all wish there was a clear and unambiguous way forward to directly influence the events in Syria. That, unfortunately, is not the case."

The only clear path is for the international community to act as one against the regime, the secretary said.

Dempsey told the panel that Syria's internal convulsions are having consequences. In addition to the refugee problem, the general said, "we also need to be alert to the movement of extremists and other hostile actors seeking to exploit the situation."

"And we need to be especially alert to the fate of Syria's chemical and biological weapons," the chairman added. "They must stay exactly where they are."

The U.S. military role to date has been limited to sharing information with regional partners, Dempsey said. "But, should we be called on to help secure U.S. interests in other ways, we will be ready," he told the senators. "We maintain an agile regional and global posture. We have solid military relationships with every country on Syria's borders."

And the military is prepared to provide U.S. government leaders with options, Dempsey said. "All options will be judged in terms of their suitability, their feasibility and their acceptability," he added. "We have a further responsibility to articulate risk and the potential implications for our other global commitments."

Panetta told the senators that unilateral U.S. action in Syria does not make sense.

"As secretary of defense, before I recommend that we put our sons and daughters in uniform in harm's way, I've got to make very sure that we know what the mission is," he said. "I've got to make very sure that we know whether we can achieve that mission, at what price, and whether or not it'll make matters better or worse. Those are the considerations that I have to engage in."

The United States needs to build the same type of coalition that worked in Libya, Dempsey said.

The senators asked Dempsey specifically about an air campaign over Syria. "We've demonstrated the capability to penetrate air defense systems for a discrete purpose and a very limited amount of time," he said. "We still have that capability." To conduct a sustained campaign, the U.S. military would have to suppress Syria's air defense.

"In closed session, we do have an estimate based on gaming and modeling of how long it would take to do that, given the density and the sophistication of their air defense system," Dempsey said. "But it would be an extended period of time, and a great number of aircraft."

Such an air campaign would be led by the United States, at least initially, Dempsey said, noting that only U.S. forces have the electronic warfare capabilities to take down those defenses."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANNETTA SAYS U.S. ISRAELI RELATIONSHIP GROWS STRONGER

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta delivers remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

The following picture and excerpt are from a U.S. Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:


“Panetta: U.S.-Israel Partnership Will Become Closer
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2012 - Defense cooperation between the U.S. and Israel is already close, and it will get closer as both countries face the threats of the future, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Panetta spoke to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee here and said the United States and Israel will work closely together in the face of the dangers that confront both countries.

"The security bonds between Israel and the United States will only grow as America goes through a historic turning point after a decade of war," he said.

In fact, defense cooperation will grow even with U.S. defense budget reductions. Panetta delivered "an ironclad pledge" that the United States will provide whatever support is necessary so Israel maintains military superiority over any state or coalition of states, as well as non-state actors, in the region.

"Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged wars against it," he said. "The Israeli people have been subjected to rocket attacks, to terrorism, and they live in a world where larger nations have threatened to wipe them off the map."

Supporting Israel is the right thing to do and isin America's best interests, Panetta said.
"We have no better ally in this critical region of the world," he said. "A strong Israel deters potential aggressors. A strong Israel sends a message to the region and to the world that America will not waver in defense of our allies."

The U.S. has increased security assistance to Israel substantially. This year, the budget calls for $31 billion in assistance to the nation, up from $2.5 billion in fiscal 2009.
"This is part of a 10-year, $30 billion commitment to Israel's security," Panetta said. "Over and above this commitment, the President has committed more than $650 million in DOD funding for Israeli missile defense."

The U.S. is working with Israel to develop an anti-missile system to address the threat from all levels. The system will deal with short-range defense to counter the continued threat of rocket barrages from Gaza. The United States provided more than $200 million for the Iron Dome rocket defense system.

"Iron Dome is fielded, it is operational, and this new system has already saved the lives of Israeli civilians with over 30 real world successful hit-to-kill intercepts in 2011," Panetta said.

The two nations are also working on medium range missile defense, developing David's Sling, and upper tier ballistic missile defense with the Arrow-3 system.
"We are also working to upgrade Israel's Patriot missile system and batteries," he said. "We are committed to moving forward with all of these systems and more -- because as the Prime Minister told me -- these missile shields do not start wars, they prevent wars."
The secretary noted the Israeli air force will receive the world's most sophisticated warplane -- the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

"The F-35 is the future of tactical aviation for the United States military, and providing Israel with this advanced fighter makes it the only country in the Middle East with a true fifth-generation fighter capacity, upholding Israel's edge not just now but for many years to come," the secretary said.
The two militaries will not only share equipment, but also operational concepts. U.S. and Israeli service members will build greater capability and improve partnership through realistic exercises, joint training and personnel exchanges, Panetta said.
"Each year, U.S. and Israeli forces take part in numerous exercises," he said. One example is missile defense exercise Austere Challenge that this year will include more than 3,000 U.S. troops.

"This kind of cooperation is mutually beneficial to both the United States and Israel. It has made both of our militaries stronger," Panetta said.
The secretary pointed out that cooperation is not just a one-way street. It was an Israeli company that met the call to help protect American soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by surging production of up-armor kits for Humvees and mine-resistant vehicles.

"The kits were made in an Israeli kibbutz, and they saved the lives of our men and women in uniform," Panetta said.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA ENTITLEMENTS AND HIGHER TAXES

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense American Forces Service:

"Panetta Urges Congress to Put All Federal Spending on Table

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 - The responsibility to reduce the deficit cannot be borne by defense alone, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told the Senate Budget Committee today.

Panetta detailed President Barack Obama's fiscal 2013 defense budget request, which puts the department on the road to reduce spending by $487 billion over the next 10 years.

Along with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Panetta told the senators that the Pentagon is ready to do its part in reducing the record deficit. But the secretary, who has federal budget experience going back to the 1960s, had a warning for the committee.

"No budget can be balanced on the back of discretionary spending alone," he said. "Based on my own budget experience, I strongly believe that all areas of the federal budget must be put on the table -- not just discretionary, but mandatory spending and revenues. That's the responsible way to reduce deficits and the responsible way to avoid 'sequester' provisions contained in Title 3 of the Budget Control Act."

Sequestration would mandate another $500 billion in cuts over nine years from defense alone. The secretary called the provision a "meat ax" approach to fiscal policy, and said it would cause tremendous harm to America's national security posture.

"These cuts would, in fact, hollow out the force and inflict severe damage to our national defense," he said. Panetta stressed that it is not a question of choosing between fiscal responsibility and national security.

"While I understand the differences, there should be consensus on one thing: that the leaders of both the legislative and executive branches of government have a duty to protect both our national and fiscal security," the secretary said. "I fundamentally do not believe that we have to choose between fiscal discipline and national security. I believe we can maintain the strongest military in the world and be part of a comprehensive solution to deficit reduction."

The president's proposal does that, he said. Dempsey agreed.

"This budget represents a responsible investment in our nation's security," the chairman said. "It strikes a purposeful balance between succeeding in today's conflicts and preparing for tomorrow's. It also keeps faith with the nation and with the source of our military's greatest strength, ... America's sons and daughters who serve in uniform."

The proposal is firmly based in strategy, Dempsey said, noting that the Defense Department conducted a strategy review and used its conclusions to inform all budget decisions. Even without fiscal constraints, he told the panel, the department would have performed this new strategy review to incorporate the lessons of 10 years of war.

The military is at a strategic turning point, Panetta told the senators.

"We agreed that we are at a key inflection point," he said. "The military mission in Iraq has ended. We are still in a very tough fight in Afghanistan. But 2011 did mark significant progress in trying to reduce violence and transitioning to an Afghan-led responsibility."

A responsible cut considers the changes in the world, the secretary said, including operations that resulted in deposing Moammar Gadhafi in Libya and counterterrorism operations around the world that have decimated al-Qaida. "But even though we have had these successes," he added, "unlike past drawdowns where threats receded, we still face an array of security challenges."

Panetta noted that U.S. troops are in combat in Afghanistan, and that terrorists remain a problem in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and North Africa. "There's still a proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the world," he said. "Iran and North Korea continue to undermine stability in the world. There is continuing turmoil in the Middle East."

Rising powers in Asia and growing concerns about cyber intrusion and attacks also must be dealt with, Panetta said. "We must meet these challenges," he told the senators. "We must meet these threats if we are to protect the American people."

Panetta recited the guidelines used to form the budget, a recitation he said is fast becoming a mantra to him. "No. 1, we wanted to maintain the strongest military in the world," he said. "No. 2, we did not want to hollow out the force. And lastly, of course, we didn't want to break faith with the troops and their families, those that have had to be deployed time and time and time again over 10 years of war."

The defense funding request is for a baseline budget of $525.4 billion for fiscal 2013 and an additional $88.5 billion in war funding. The $487 billion in savings over 10 years comes from four areas of the defense budget: efficiencies, force structure reductions, procurement adjustments and compensation, Panetta said.

The secretary told the senators that the force of the future will be smaller and leaner, but more flexible, more agile and more technologically advanced.

"In order to ensure an agile force, we made a conscious choice not to maintain more force structure than we could afford to properly train and properly equip," he said. "We are implementing force structure reductions consistent with the new strategic guidance for a total savings of about $50 billion over the next five years."

The Army will go from 562,000 to 490,000 soldiers by 2017. The Marine Corps goes from about 202,000 to 182,000 Marines.

"We're reducing and streamlining the Air Force's airlift fleet," Panetta said. "In addition, the Air Force will eliminate seven tactical air squadrons but retain a robust force of about 54 combat fighter squadrons and enough to, obviously, maintain air superiority and strategic airlift that we need." The Navy will retire seven cruisers that have not been upgraded with ballistic missile defense capability, he added.

The strategy calls for the department to focus on the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta said. "To this end," he told the panel, "the budget does maintain our current bomber fleet. It maintains our aircraft carrier fleet. It maintains the big-deck amphibious fleet that we need. And we do enhance our Army and Marine Corps force structure presence, both in the Pacific, as well as in the Middle East."

But the United States is a global power, and American presence is needed in all regions of the world, he said. "We recommend building innovative partnerships and strengthening key alliances and partnerships in Europe, in Latin America and in Africa," he added. "This strategy makes clear that even though Asia-Pacific and the Middle East represent areas of growing strategic priority, the United States must work to strengthen its key alliances, to build partnerships."

Defense planners are looking at rotational deployments to sustain a U.S. presence elsewhere in the world, the secretary said.

The world is uncertain, and the strategy calls for a military that can confront and defeat aggression from any adversary, any time and anywhere, Panetta said.

"We have to have the capability to defeat more than one enemy at a time," he said. "In the 21st century, we have to recognize that our adversaries are going to come at us using 21st century technology. So we must invest in space, in cyberspace, in long-range precision strike capabilities and in special operations forces to ensure that we can still confront and defeat multiple adversaries."

But it all comes back to trying to cut the deficit on the back of defense, Panetta said, getting a bit heated in discussing this aspect.

"This Congress proposed, as part of the Budget Control Act, a trillion dollars in savings off the discretionary budget," he said. "You can't meet the challenge that you're facing in this country by continuing to go back at discretionary spending. That's less than a third of federal spending.

"Now, ... if you're not dealing with the two-thirds that's entitlement spending, if you're not dealing with revenues and you keep going back to the same place, frankly, you're not going to make it, and you will hurt this country," he continued. "You're going to hurt this country's security not only by cutting defense, but very frankly, by cutting discretionary spending that deals with the quality of life in this country."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA APOLOGIZES FOR QURAN BURNING IN AFGHANISTAN

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service: 

"WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today joined the commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan in apologizing to the Afghan people for the reported inappropriate treatment of religious materials, including copies of the Quran, at Bagram Airfield.

In a written statement, Panetta said Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen had notified him of "the deeply unfortunate incident."

"He and I apologize to the Afghan people and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms," Panetta said. "These actions do not represent the views of the United States military. We honor and respect the religious practices of the Afghan people, without exception." 

The secretary added that he supports Allen's "swift and decisive action" to investigate the matter jointly with the Afghan government. "I will carefully review the final results of the investigation to ensure that we take all steps necessary and appropriate so that this never happens again," he said.

In a statement issued this morning, Allen said he'd received a report overnight on the improper disposal of Islamic religious materials at Bagram and launched a formal investigation.

"When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them," he said. "The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities."

International Security Assistance Force officials are taking steps "to ensure this does not ever happen again," Allen said. "I assure you -- I promise you -- this was NOT intentional in any way," he added.

Allen offered his personal apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Afghan government, "and most importantly, to the noble people of Afghanistan."

"I would like to thank the local Afghan people who helped us identify the error, and who worked with us to immediately take corrective action," Allen said."