Former Senator Chuck Hagel, nominated on Monday by President Obama to be the next Secretary of Defense, would be “likely to favor a sizable drawdown in Afghanistan, more frugal spending at the Pentagon and extreme caution when contemplating the use of force in places like Iran or Syria,” if confirmed, Reuters reports.
The Obama administration is set to draw down the US military presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. But top military general’s have insisted on keeping anywhere from 6,000-20,000 troops in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, perhaps until 2024.
Obama hasn’t challenged those recommendations publicly yet, but anonymous administration officials told Reuters Obama is quietly considering slightly less troops to stay beyond 2014, with numbers like 3,000-9,000 floating about.
Chuck Hagel, given his previous statements in opposition to the Iraq war and the surge in Afghanistan, and his own experience in a military quagmire in Afghanistan where he served as a soldier, is likely to urge a quicker withdrawal with less leftover troops.
“We can’t impose our will. The Russians found that out in Afghanistan. We’ve been involved in two very costly wars that have taught us a lesson once again,” Hagel told PBS’s “Tavis Smiley” show last year.
On Syria, Hagel is similarly reluctant to commit any troops. “I don’t think America wants to be in the lead on this,” he told Foreign Policy magazine.
“We’ve got to understand great-power limitations,” Hagel said. “There are so many uncontrollable variables at play in Syria and the Middle East.” This, incidentally, puts in him agreement not only with the Obama administration, but with virtually the entire US foreign policy establishment.
“It’s frustrating; it’s maddening. I get all that. But we’re still in the longest war in American history and our standing in that part of the world is not that good,” he added.
On Iran, a similar story. “The two options — attack Iran or live with a nuclear-armed Iran — may be eventually where we are. But I believe most people in both Israel and the United States think there’s a ways to go before we get to those,” Hagel said.
Again, this appears to be closely in line with both the Obama administration and the bulk of the US foreign policy crowd in Washington.
"and his own experience in a military quagmire in Afghanistan where he served as a soldier".
Just pointing out an error. He served in VIETNAM, not Afghanistan.
I have contended for a long time that it has been and still is the chiefs of the Armed Forces who have been and still are the principal barrier against a war with Iran, no matter who is in the White House and no matter who is the secretary of defense.
The key is Iran – and thus Hagel is the key
Hagel 'ON' = Iran 'OFF' = Israeli Apartheid 'OFF'
The Israeli Lobby's power over the US political apparatus should not be looked at as independent from Israel – a set back for one is a set back for the other because they are the SAME thing
The way to rid the US of the Neocon/Israeli Lobby cabal will be to fundamentally destabilize it in two major ways – with the 2nd dependent on the first
Firstly – the Israeli/Israeli Lobby- hoaxed up and forced war with the US on Iran must be stopped and stopped cold
Secondly – Israeli Apartheid must be crippled and then dismantled
These two acts will constitute such a blow against the Israel Lobby in US that Kristol, Krauthammer, and the rest of the neocons currently in power will themselves be fundamentally destabilized and discredited.
America free of the neocons/Israeli Lobby domination will be a 2nd American revolution where the world and US foreign policy and US behavior at the UN do not revolve around the Israeli 'drama queen' agenda of trying to sustain Israeli Apartheid in the face of reality.
The One State poses no threat to Iran because Israeli leaders will no longer organize Israel and the Israeli Lobby around desperately trying to save Israeli Apartheid from the oblivion that it so richly deserves
Israeli Apartheid is the greatest destabilizing force in the Middle East as well as America itself because Israeli leaders (like the obsessed Netanyahu) will do anything and everything to try to hang on to Israeli Apartheid/the Palestinian occupation if they have to bring the world, US, and Middle East down around their ears to do it.
Maybe the US population could be educated into seeing a minister of defence as not one of eternal and ever aggressive warfare?
Experience from Greeks, Romans, Muhammed followers, UK, France, Germany, USSR and USA shows only the USSR to have given up from the sober insight of own human intelligence and understanding. Normally there are som cries from terror, that if these public lies are reveraled, we might even OURSELVES – as History's glorious leaders – become the victims of simple justice and morals!
No! Better to exterminate the nation! Then there will be no one left to point fingers at ME – THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE AND HISTORY!
What fate could become worse for a corrupt human type of
In order to get the troops out of Afghanistan earlier than December 2014, Hagel will have to fire all of his generals in Afghanistan. They are the obstructionists. I asked him to bring the troops home from Iraq in 2005. I also asked him to bring the troops home from Afghanistan in 2007. Unfortunatley, the 66,000 troops along with their 150,000 tax-dodging defense contractors are still there.