Monthly Archives: April 2009

Cleansing the Poisoned Chalice? The Obama Administration and the Challenge of National Security Planning, Programming, and Budgeting

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Anthony H. Cordesman. Center for Strategic & International Studies, 21 April 2009. Posted on the Commonwealth Institute Website (printable .pdf file).

Excerpt:

Probable Real World Program Costs of the “Poisoned Chalice”

• Funding the Afghan War, Iraq War, and GWOT in the outyears would require supplementals ranging from 5-15%.
• The real world cost of the expansion of military and civilian manpower, and sustaining the all-volunteer force structure will be at least 5-8%higher than DoD estimates.
• Future procurement costs are badly underestimated, as are the cost of reset and modernization due to program delays, cutbacks and possible cancellations.
• Program delays, cutbacks, and cancellations may limit cost growth to 10% over the DoD procurement and RDT&E estimate, but no prediction is really possible.
• O&M will probably be 5-8% higher that DoD estimates if war continues to create a major burden on O&M.
• These factors will create turmoil and instability in the National Security planning, programming, and budgeting process through the life of the coming administration.

Remarks by President Barack Obama, Hradcany Square, Prague, Czech Republic

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Barack Obama. remarks, Hradcany Square, Prague, Czech Republic, 05 April 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Barack-Obama-In-Prague-As-Delivered/

Excerpt:

… as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it, we can start it.

So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. (Applause.) I’m not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly –- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, “Yes, we can.”

… the United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same. Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies –- including the Czech Republic. But we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal.