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Subscribe to RSSDefense Secretary Leon Panetta came to the aid of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, the man President Barack Obama nominated to succeed him, saying on NBC’s Meet the Press, “The political knives were out for Chuck Hagel” during his confirmation hearing last week.
In nearly eight hours of testimony before the Senate Armed Service Committee on Thursday, Hagel spent much time revising and clarifying his previous remarks – including a spontaneous error at the hearing itself on whether United States policy toward Iran’s nuclear weapons program was one of containment.
Panetta complained that the members of the committee spent too little time questioning Hagel about the current challenges the Defense Department faces, such as looming budget cuts, and spent too much time examining statements Hagel made in the past.
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta comments on Hagel's tough hearing last Thursday before the Senate and brings up some questions that should have been asked.
Panetta insisted to NBC’s Chuck Todd that Hagel was “absolutely” prepared to take his place leading the Defense Department.
Panetta’s backing of Hagel was seconded by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Martin Dempsey, who said “in helping prepare him for his confirmation hearings, we had several opportunities to talk about strategy. And I found him well-prepared and very thoughtful about it.”
As the Armed Services Committee prepares to hold a hearing Thursday on last September’s attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Panetta said he looked forward “to presenting what we know about what took place.” Congressional Republicans have questioned why there were no U.S. military aircraft or other forces in proximity to Benghazi that could have been dispatched to help defend Ambassador Chris Stevens and other US personnel. Stevens and three others were killed in the attack.
Addressing the Defense Department’s airlift and intelligence-sharing role in assisting the ongoing French military intervention in the North African nation of Mali, Panetta said, “We are now working with France to make sure that al Qaida has no place to hide, even in North Africa.”
Dempsey added that in North Africa “the regimes that you used to maintain control over that space that would, in fact, be part of the solution of keeping al Qaida and its affiliates at bay are no longer there.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta discuss the threat of Al Qaeda in North Africa and regional instability associated with recent change.
The popular uprisings of the 2011 Arab Spring, Dempsey said, “stripped that away” leaving “ungoverned space” or “a period at which geography is less governed than it used to be.” That lack of control has allowed jihadist groups such as al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to flourish.
Turning to Iran and its nuclear program, Panetta said, “The intelligence we have is they have not made the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon. The regime in Tehran is enriching uranium. They continue to do that.”
He added, “I can't tell you they are, in fact, pursuing a weapon, because that's not what intelligence says they're doing right now. But every indication is they want to continue to increase their nuclear capability. And that's a concern. And that's what we're asking them to stop doing.”
Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday that the Obama administration is “would be prepared to meet bilaterally with the Iranian leadership,” but that talks would need to be serious, have an agreed-upon agenda, and not be merely an exercise.
On the threat of spending cuts, known in Capitol language as “sequester,” scheduled to start on March 1 that are mandated by the Budget Control Act, Panetta said, “If Congress stands back and allows sequester to take place, I think it would really be a shameful and irresponsible act.”
He added that the spending cuts this year – amounting to about 12 percent of Pentagon outlays apart from overseas operations – would “badly damage the readiness of the United States of America.”
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta tells NBC's Chuck Todd if a sequester is allowed to happen it will "badly damage" the readiness of the U.S.
Panetta, who served as head of the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton and as chairman of the House Budget Committee in the late 1980s, said, “As somebody who's worked with budgets throughout my life, in order to deal with the deficit problem, you've got to deal with entitlements. You have to deal with revenues. And you have to deal with discretionary (spending).”
Although Republicans such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona have accused Obama of failing to take the lead in finding a way to avoid the cuts required by the Budget Control Act, Panetta said, “I think he's pushing as hard as he can…. The president of the United States has indicated the concern about sequester. He's indicated his concern about maintaining a strong national defense. And he's proposed a solution to this. The ball is in Congress's court. They have got to take action to delay sequester.”
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He would.
Hagel is a threat to National Security. That's why Obama nominated him for Secretary of Defense. He will accelerate the demise of the military, one of Obama's objectives.
Our entire military, is soon to be comprised of married lesbians!!!
So now we know what rush and faux are saying.
The rest of us are smart enough to not believe every lie that comes out of their mouths.
Why are we so proud of being the most powerful military nation on earth?
when the Roman Empire was,and over time fell in wars,and when pride was the
first sin committed at Eden.Jesus said the first will be last,and the last will
be first,this could well apply to us as a nation.The previous Pope before he
died apologized for the Crusades,Holy Wars,seeking to spread belief in
Christianity by wars,Popes don't apologize for what is Holy,so wars are not
Holy.Belief in God can't be forced on people by wars,belief in God is a free
will choice.God is love says the Bible,and love can't be forced on people,not
even by wars,love is a free will choice as well. Biblical scholars say there
will be a revival of the Roman Empire in the end times,it will be headed by the
antichrist,the Beast 666,of Revelation chapter13,and likely the most powerful
military nation.Therefore,we should not want to be proud of being the most
powerful military nation on earth,that's nothing to be proud of knowing the
Bible-not if we expect to be Raptured out/protected from it,as the Bible
says.
Hmmm...U.S. neo-conservatives see the threat of radical Islam as similar to the threat of communism, during the Cold War era. During most of that period, we kept 500,000 U.S. troops in Western Europe, as a "trip wire" against a Soviet invasion. Today, Israel is, to them, the Western Europe of the Cold War, and one of their primary goals is to maintain a significant "permenant" U.S. troop presence in the Middle East.
This would require the United States to continue its post WW II role of "world policeman" - a very expensive role, mandating a large and powerful central federal government. Consequently, they represent a critical split in the Republican Party over the role of government and the use of American military power.
Stone
Wrong on several points. The so called neo cons (whatever that is supposed to mean) view our biggest threat to be internal. (This administration, for instance.) Where is it written that the Federal Govt has to be large and control every aspect of it's citizen's lives in order to have a strong military?
Neo-conservatism has little, if any, stance on domestic policy. It's primary focus is on the defense of Israel, which it gets to via the continuing role of the United States as World Policeman. One of its "founders" was Irving Kristol, a political theorist, who is Bill Kristol's father.
This is a totally DIFFERENT view from that of the Tea Party/Libertarian wing of the Party, who are essentially isolationists and would bring U.S. troops home from their posts around the world.
The size and role of the Federal Government depends on the expectations of its role by the majority, as defined by the platforms of our political parties and as voted for or against.
If you don't know what "neo-con" means, how are you able to define their interests as "internal?"
You're a fraud.
We have a real opportunity to become energy independent, and thus eliminate or minimize our need to be militarily involved in the Middle East. We should go for it with natural gas (in an environmentally safe manner) and with wind, solar and advanced nuclear reactors such as the PRISM reactor that recycles its own spent fuel and the so called spent fuel from today's conventional (and outdated) nuclear reactors.
Once we become energy independent we can let others worry about keeping the oil lanes open. That may even include China..... and perhaps even the Arabs and the Russians who need to maintain their oil sales revenues.
blamo you are right...the biggest threat facing our nation is the ass obama and his gang of petty tyrants...
Keep in mind, John McCain has an ax to grind: Hagel’s wife endorsed Obama for the 2008 presidential election and Chuck himself, did not endorse either MaCain or Obama, hence, McCain is exhibiting the same juvenile "High School Bitchy" performance we saw from Sarah Palin. Plus, Hagel criticized Bush-Cheney foreign policy - another Republican "Sin". The moral of the story: If you don't submit to being a Republican "Deaf-Mute", then your a party "Traitor"! In other words, if your a Republican, don't think for your self and especially don't speak the truth. It is very clear that the GOP puts more importance on political vendettas than the welfare and security of the United States of America: “Party over Principle” and “Party First”….
SOD be lookin' like Mr. Potato Head, Pres be lookin' like Zombie, SOS look like Old Witch - Damn!
I find it interesting that many on here are complaining about McCain and his questions. Why couldn't Hagel answer them? Look, I really don't care if he is confirmed or not; but those on the far left appear to be overly concerned with why those on the right ask the questions that they do. Would you on the left have asked the same questions of a Republican administration? Were Hagel's answers adequate for the job?Is asking questions now un-American? Or is questioning "the enlightened one" now a crime? Were mistakes made in the past by previous administrations? Yes, there were mistakes. JFK made mistakes, LBJ made mistakes, Bill Clinton made mistakes, they all make mistakes. Are they all criminals? Get over it.
I agree for the most part. Politics is a nasty business that has sullied our good nation and turned us against each other. Divide and conquer. Mission accomplished. Yes, They're all criminals, dems and republicans, protected by executive priviledge.
I don't think JFK was a criminal but that's probably why the killed him? The others? Of course they are criminals by every definition of the word.
Hagel has said in the past, that the Iraqi surge, which McCain supported, was wrong. McCain, the ex-Navy officer, wanted him to admit its tactical success. Hagel, the ex-enlisted man, still questions whether the cost was worth the achievement, from a strategic perspective.
McCain is an ex-fighter jock (as was Bush); they are extensions of the tactical weapons they flew. McCain never had top brass potential and once it dawned on him that, in spite of his POW fame, he would not make Admiral, as his father and grandfather had, decided to go into politics.
Instead of questioning Hagel about his own vision of a future U.S. military, he preferred to fight old battles.
Don't know about you folks,but I dislike about 99% of all politicians. I think that I may actually despise McCain and Gram. =)
stone
I don't know what a neo con is nor do I know what a progressive is. Neither label represents any group with which I am familiar. So you are an anti Semite? Adolph was. Barry is.
Stone I should have said your definition of neo con. The dictionary's is very different.
You seem to think the only two choices are anti-Semite or Zionist. I am neither. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East. If it were up to me, I would give them the same nuclear umbrella we gave Western Europe during the Cold War.
That support does not mean the U.S. has to give total support to Israeli right-wing politics or become engaged in their regional disputes, which tend to drag us into situations in which we do not belong.
The two major Israeli problems are 1) acceptance by their neighbors as a legitimate, sovereign state and 2) the lack of defensive borders. For those reasons, they developed their own nuclear weapon capability, which has encouraged nuclear proliferation throughout the Arab/Muslin world.
That leaves Israel between the "rock and the hard place." They cannot use their nuclear weapon capability as first strike weapons, but neither can they afford to take a nuclear weapon first strike by their enemies.
That leaves the feasibility of another major, future ground war, brought on by radical Islamics, whose probability of control in Middle East governments, has been increased with the Arab Spring. That is the reason for an Netanyhau/U.S. neo-conservative goal of a permanent U.S presence in the region. And, for those Texas oil people, whose religious interests are minimal, there is "oil."
You want to introduce a "dictionary" definition into the discussion? Hahahaha...are you in Junior High School? Read a book. Read several books.
With this administration, we Americans are sleeping with the enemy! What closet do these appointees come out of! Perhaps the anti-American closet.
Panetta said, "the spending cuts this year – amounting to about 12 percent of Pentagon outlays apart from overseas operations – would “badly damage the readiness of the United States of America.”
I think that statement calls for a lot more discussion. As things are, the US spends more on military/defense budgets than any other nation in the world. Why is that? Because the people in charge (military and Congress) have the notion that we have to be the world's cops. We have US military bases in dozens of other countries, Navy fleets in every ocean around the world and enough weapons to blow up the world several times over. And why is that? Because the national defense policy has been dominated by people like Senators McCain and Graham, whose thinking is still stuck in a decades old vision of the world where there were global threats to our security. Those days have past, and it is time to develop a strategy that meets the needs of our time, both defensively and economically. We simply cannot continue with the status quo in our defense spending; The DOD has to be led by someone who understands the need to restructure our forces to meet the needs of the time, including cost reductions and cutting programs that are no longer justified by the threats we face.
I was very supprised that Gen. Dempsey failed to express his utmost confidence in his potential boss. I think he should be fired. What else can they do to him?
The contrast between *Up With Chris Hayes* and *Meet the Press* is stark.
Compare today's two shows.
*Up with Chris Hayes*--as usual--offers some of the most insightful, balanced, in-depth discussions on television.
*Meet the Press* invited Ralph Reed--un-indicted co-conspirator in the Abramoff scandal to voice his opinions.
David Gregory is an embarrassment.
Chris Hayes is brilliant.
Man this 6DOGS guy has commented on almost every post!!! Anyone else smell VIRGIN, LOSER!!!!
stone
according to Wikipedia neo con has everything to do with domestic policy. No mention of Israel. I think you are delusional my friend.
What did you read...the first two sentences? There certainly is mention of Israel. Try reading the entire article. The Joe Klein statement or the Patrick Buchanan perspective. Certainly, you must see some of the Tea Party roots in Buchanan's Republicanism, no?
As long as President Barack Hussein Obama do not nominate an American African Citizen name Susan Rice the all pink senate will approve his appointments!! You see President Barack Hussein Obama has chosen the same murder for hirer to head the C.I.A. again!! I wonder why? Just my thoughts!!
"Pin Head" Panetta, edorsing "Block Head" Hagel. Now that's Funny. One a guy who did nothing while Benghazi happened, edorsing another who Trashes Israel and Defends Iran. From Bad to Worse. What else can you expect from a second Hussein dis-administration.
All I know is life is great now not having to listen to a total imbecile like Sarah Palin anymore.
Even FOX NEWS has finally dumped the gold digging bitch.
There was no mention of Palin in this article. But if you want to talk about an imbecile, it did mention Biden.
One fine example of the peter principle recommending another. Ahh, yes.
Barack "Hussein" Obama--------------Pretty much says it all. Of course Panetta is going to endorse Hagel. Taking us down the road of ruin. Compromise our military, weaken our country by giving away to our enemies what took 230+ years to aquire. Obama sees the US the same way the "Occupy" people see the "1%". In the world arena, we are the "1%" and the annointed one is hell bent on spreading the wealth of our country to the ends of the earth. The man is a traitor and should be tried for treason!
I'm disappointed in Panetta. Although he didn't say it in so many words, he inferred that there should be no cuts to the defense budget. I say baloney! We spend more than the next 20 countries do on defense. We do not need to be the world's policeman, and we should start taking care of our own country which is badly in need of some internal investment.
bush jr taught us the folly of listening to the neo-cons and engaging in two wars on the credit card.
It plain as the nose on your face that Obama is anti-Israel. I couldn't believe how disrespectful he has been to Netanyahu. Obama has visited just about every country except Israel. Hagel word's speak for them-self as to his stand towards Israel. If we do not stand behind Israel then God forgive us.
Its a scary administration. No concern about the economy, governning, foriegn policy.... just every day plotting and schemes and cover ups and buying people and the media and putting future pawns to burn up into place. Oh, and having a "special" pic or two taken..
The Confirmation Hearing was a disgusting display of showmanship , ego and arrogance by most of the participants. McCain made a complete fool of himself, and Lindsey Graham seems to me the Senator of Tel Aviv. What is this crap, after all? 178 reference to Israel? How utterly disgusting !
I hope , if and when Hagel is confirmed, he will remember these questions and regain his previous stance on Israel. This ridiculous charade has gone on far too long already!
No...that was Lieberman. Fortunately, his replacement, Blumenthal, is taking a more reasonable stand and voting, as a good Democrat, FOR Hagel.
Hagel supports Israel. That's been U.S. policy since 1948, when we were the first country to recognize the sovereign State of Israel. He simply made a comment about the influence of the Israeli lobby, including AIPAC (American-Israeli Political Action Committee), which is known to be one of the strongest lobbying groups in Washington. Doesn't mean they do not have a right to lobby. They have. But to ignore their influence is to play the role of the Emperor's subjects, in "The Emperor's New Clothes."
Further, the U.S. cannot be expected to play any meaningful role as the broker of a Palestinian-Israeli Peace Settlement, if the Arab world perceives us as being in the pocket of Netanhyahu.
Delusional anti semite. Racism is not nice.
Blamo's a Zionist, right Blamo? And, as such, you should know that Judaism is a religion, not a race.
Palestinians like some Israeli are Semites .
anyone nominated by obama the ass is unqualified.........
I hope you thank God for your right to free speech, every day, because otherwise your idiotic posts wouldn't be on here...or any where else.
I hear ya Stone . It's funny that they use a forum like this rather than drinking some beer on the front porch with a bunch of stupid friends that would mumble in agreement with their stupid words .