Posted on 06/20/2007 10:12:55 PM PDT by familyop
WASHINGTON, June 20 (UPI) -- A GOP presidential candidate has slammed the Pentagon for failing to develop effective intelligence and surveillance technologies.
"The U.S. armed forces continue to need urgent upgrades in their capabilities for high quality intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, or ISR," Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and a conservative candidate for the GOP's 2008 presidential nomination, said in a statement Wednesday.
"In the current threat environment, where our enemies hide among indigenous populations and in which targets may be fleeting, the importance of integrated, timely and accurate ISR cannot be overstated," Hunter said.
"In the 2004 Defense Authorization Act, Congress took legislative actions to address the lack of clear requirements, inadequate integration and management and funding deficiencies in the ISR programs of the department. Of specific concern was the acquisition and employment of unmanned aerial vehicles," he said.
However, the U.S. Department of Defense "responded by producing an ISR road map in 2005 that only met two of the six statutory requirements," Hunter said. "A Government Accountability Office review of the road map finds that it does not identify future requirements or funding priorities, and has no way of measuring progress in meeting requirements.
"Furthermore, a recent study by the U.S. Strategic Command determined that even today there is no baseline for determining ISR requirements or capacity," Hunter said. "Just this April, in a hearing held before this committee, we had general officers from all four services aggressively disagreeing about the roles and missions of the services in developing, procuring and operating unmanned aerial vehicles."
Defense insiders said current Defense Secretary Robert Gates is struggling to develop and advance the necessary programs after years of neglect during the long tenure of his predecessor Donald Rumsfeld.
>The years under Donald Rumsfeld?<
How about the years of abuse and neglect by the Clintoon administration? We lost so much of our technology, military power and equipment in those years that Rep. Hunter has had to work very hard to rebuild our armed forces and weaponry. And it has been expensive, but completely necessary. Thank you, Rep. Hunter. You are The Man!
PING A LING!
...agreed on Gates’ people blaming Rumsfeld. It appears to be back to Clinton legacy, civilian bureaucrat business as usual.
Military action in Iran not in anyones interest, says Gates
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1843874/posts
Gates declines to say who is winning war on terror
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1844996/posts
Commander’s veto sank Gulf buildup (Admiral Fallon opposes military move against Iran?)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834992/posts
Top US War Boss: We Can’t Ignore Iran [No other way but “arrangement” with Iran.]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840806/posts
Hunter bump. This candidate should be President of the United States of America. Instead people are falling all over a moderate candidate instead. Sad!!!!
How sad. Even without downloading those links, which I will tomorrow, I think this is high evidence that the Bush Administration has no allegiance to this country, or it’s people, but only a passion to further his move to his globalist goal of one world government while he is still in power.
>This candidate should be President of the United States of America. Instead people are falling all over a moderate candidate instead. Sad!!!!<
Not only is it sad, but if Duncan Hunter is not elected, it will be a national tragedy.
>in response to yet another RNC letter requesting more donations, I wrote them back today that ALL Republican party contributions from me will be routed through the campaign. of Rep. Duncan Hunter in the future.<
Good for you, Leo. Let me know when you do that and I’ll send you a Hunter Ranger cap - Made in the USA with materials made in the USA with LEGAL labor. Just FReepmail me. Thank you.
I really am impressed by Hunter and I like the fact that he knows what the military needs and serves to see they get it. It is never my intention to demean anyone, but c’mon, sometimes I feel like I am the only one awake. I see posts that Hunter is DOING something to enforce borders and I read what he has DONE already. I read about his ACTIONS in taking China down a peg and trying to get better jobs for American Workers. I see him making points and writing legislation that tries to secure us by seeing our manufacturing capabilities are not diminished as far as military equipment etc, are concerned. It goes on and on,what he has DONE and what he is DOING. So please allow me one answer and one reason why. Why all the excitation and exhilaration everytime Fred gives a speech? What a man is doing and has done plays second fiddle to a speech? Am I missing something or does everyone have a blind spot? All the accolades for taking on Mikey M, which is like knocking over tin cans, anyone can do it, but you get bored with it. I mean does it seem to anyone else they are taking a whole lot on faith and committing a great deal to trust? I have nothing against the man, but I can’t even claim it is style over substance, because quite frankly, I honestly don’t see this alleged style and charisma. Honestly, I don’t see Fred or any of the rest as having nearly the presidential potential Hunter does. Is it because Hunter isn’t “electable”? No one can see the irony here? If he isn’t electable it is because you won’t vote for him, simple concept, really. I am not trying to insult anyones choices here, I am merely , I think, stating the obvious. I haven’t heard many say, “Hey, hold up, just how much do we know about this Thompson guy?” So, that is basically what I am asking right now, “How much do we know?” Why was there such a push and demand for him to run when Hunter was already in the race? Wait, I know this one, it’s that “electability thing again, right? Because we are where we are because these electables have served us so well in the past? Not picking on Fred supporters, just saying, Hunter, that’s all. :) I thought maybe the Fred supporters might want to take a second look. Julie Annie supporters are not going to listen and let’s face it Romney is as fake as the diamond I gave my last girlfriend. Again, I have nothing against any of the candidates or their supporters, and I only want what is best for America and I think Hunter is the best. I realize Bush is in office, and I am sure he is a fine fellow, but, it is time we took our country back.
Exactly! I'm mystified by the fascination with Fred Thompson. It's similar to the dems fascination with Obama! I've been reading these Fred Thompson threads and wondering if I've missed something. Who the heck IS he? I heard he's on some tv show (which I've never watched) and he was in politics at some point I guess? (wasn't he a senator?) I have heard nothing about him, so far, to impress me. What are the meat-and-potatoes accomplishments. What has he done in the past that will tell me what he'll do in the future - as president. I just don't see it. I am not as starry-eyed about this fellow as some on here are. I learned about Duncan Hunter (another unknown to me until several months ago), and I saw consistency, action and results. No flip-flopping. No hedging. He's the only one I have determined is worth supporting at this point. Some, like Huckabee and Tancredo, come close; but Duncan's nailed it on every issue for me.
The American electorate has been systematically “dumbed down” in much the same way the youth in public schools have.
Hence, they pick their candidate by a Pavlovian kind of response to name recognition. The Drive-By-Media pushes their polls and headlines on John Q. Public, with little substance and constant repetition of their liberal agenda.
The MSM runs a list by and the sheeple ‘baa’ at the familiar name.
Before it was Rudy, now it’s Fred. In both cases, the average voter knows less about the candidate’s specifics. It’s mostly name recognition.
Yes, Representative Hunter is easily the most impressive candidate in this race, both on the issues and on his accomplishments at the national level.
Hunter believes what he says and isn’t just saying what we want to hear. Hunter didn’t need to go running to the UK to get his picture taken with Maggie Thatcher to show how much like Reagan he is. His record does that all by itself.
While Thompson has voted against amnesty, he also voted against ending chain migration and voted against stiffer penalties for those who employ illegals. He also voted against a program for companies to check legal status employees.
He voted for a doubling of H1-B visas but voted against anti fraud measures included in the bill. Then he voted in committee to allow American companies to fire American employees and replace them with the new H1-B visa holders.
His record on immigration votes (legal and illegal) http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=TN&VIPID=743
The man who allowed American companies to get cheap labor from outside our borders held a different standard when it comes to citizens buying cheaper drugs in Canada.
Great post that said it all. Hunter is worth supporting.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1853887/posts?page=2
Post number 14.
I am becoming an official supporter of DUNCAN HUNTER effective today.
If Hunter had Fred’s personality and personal appeal, he would be the odds on favorite for the nomination and the General Election.
“The MSM runs a list by and the sheeple ‘baa’ at the familiar name.”———airborne
That is as concise yet accurate an assessment as I have seen. lol
However, Hunter most closely comes within my range of views, and therefore earns my suppport (for that and a number of other reasons). I think this man has great potential and he lines up on the right side of almost all issues that matter to me. Thanks again for your input.
Frankly, I don’t get where he’s going with this. Every military could use better ISR, but I think we’ve reached the point where current technology only adds weight to the warfighter.
In the last decade, ISR improvements in UAVs/UGVs has gone from an idea to commonplace on the battlefield. The soldier kicking in doors has far more access to that information today than he did even just 2 years ago. I think the pace of technological advancement for ISR has been astounding.
I applaud Hunter for his support of the military, but WRT this particular area, he’s reaching a little bit.
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