Preventing War Heads New Strategy: (ASSOCIATED PRESS 17 OCT 07) “In the first major revision of
Navy’s Humanitarian Role To Expand - Under New Maritime Plan, More Aid Will Be Provided Overseas To Help Curb Terrorism: (LOS ANGELES TIMES 18 OCT 07) “To combat global terrorism, Navy ships will deploy on more missions to bring medical help and construction teams to regions considered possible flash points for anti-American extremism, the vice chief of naval operations said here Wednesday.”
Navy, Marine And Coast Guard Leaders Unveil New Strategy: (VIRGINIAN-PILOT 17 OCT 07) “The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard unveiled a long-term strategy Wednesday that would combine their forces on a host of missions and invite foreign navies to join them in keeping sea lanes open for commercial ships.”
More Marines To Go On Ships, Strategy Says: (NAVY TIMES 17 OCT 07) “Expect to see Marine detachments on a “wider variety” of ships and Coast Guard cutters, according to the sea services’ new maritime strategy.”
Naval Forces Outline New National Maritime Strategy: (CONGRESS DAILY 17 OCT 07) “The leaders of the three U.S. naval forces — the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard – on Wednesday unveiled a "national maritime strategy" that focuses more on protecting global commerce and using the oceans to enhance cooperative efforts to promote stability, provide humanitarian assistance and deter conflicts than on fighting wars.”
Maritime Strategy For Global Security Outlined In
Stumble It!
Stumble it!
How is providing more humanitarian missions and turning the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard into “Naval Police” in commercial shipping lanes around the world going to do ANYTHING other than make those ships targets of terrorists? Have we already forgotten the USS Cole in our rush to force our Military into being little more than police officers/social workers/humanitarians to the world……when a large part of that world is bent on our eradication?
We are at war. This war has no forseeable end in sight. Therefore, does it not make more sense to: a) allow our Military to be as effective as possibe, for their safety as well as our own; b) man and equip our Military to the best of our ability; c) develop strategies that will realistically deal with the fact that our enemy uses, not has used or is willing to use but DOES use, any and all means at their disposal to bring about our eradication; d) remember that we are at war???
President Bush gave a tremendous speech in New York City at Ground Zero, after Sept. 11th, when he advised us all to not allow the terrorists to win by “carrying on in our daily lives”. However, I feel that it was a disservice to not have added that there would be sacrifices ahead, more deaths ahead, and that we had now entered into a state of war…and must pull together……..it would have helped to instill in all of us the knowledge that, like it or not, our world was never going to be the same.
All of these “strategies” and “policies” both sound good in a meeting and look impressive on paper, but they do NOTHING to help win a war……especially one in which the enemy are religious fanatics who use every evil means at their disposal.
Restructuring? Reorganizing? Humanitarian? The committee members of the Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard would have been better to have spent one month in Bethesda Naval Hospital/Walter Reed/any Fisher House and asked for input on revising Naval strategy from the Sailors/Marines/Coast Guardsmen who have faced the enemy that is now biding its’ time for just such a weakness in our strength.
This is most unsettling news in a time of war, SJS.
That being said, I send my best to you and the family SJS for a most enjoyable weekend.
mile:
P.S. Beginning today, I shall now, with your permission, be using my pseudonym.