Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New Pentagon strategy takes aim at Russia, China
Politico ^ | Jan 19, 2018 | Wesley Morgan

Posted on 01/19/2018 10:43:33 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose

The Pentagon’s new defense strategy calls for aggressive steps to counter Russia and China, directing the military to retrain its attention on great-power competition after nearly two decades of focusing primarily on Islamist militants and "rogue" nations.

The Obama-era Quadrennial Defense Review called for “preserving strategic stability” with Moscow and Beijing and took a rosier view of the prospects for further nuclear arms reductions in partnership with Russia. Now, the new document asserts in blunt language, both Russia and China must be the U.S. armed forces’ "principal priorities."

“The erosion of our military advantage is the problem that the strategy is trying to deal with,” Elbridge Colby, deputy assistant Defense secretary for strategy and force development, told reporters.

Russia and China “have decided to go to school on the American way of war and the technologies that are associated with it," he added, "and have made a lot of headway.”

While the new focus is "not a strategy of confrontation," he stressed it's designed to address “very tough major power potential challenges.”

"Russia seeks veto authority over nations on its periphery," the strategy says, and through economic and diplomatic means is seeking to "shatter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization..."

China, meanwhile, "is leveraging military modernization, influence operations, and predatory economics to coerce neighboring countries to re-order the Indo-Pacific region to their advantage," the strategy declares.

And the Chinese military modernization program, it adds, is designed to achieve "regional hegemony in the near-term and displacement of the United States to achieve global preeminence in the future."

Facing the real possibility of a government shutdown at midnight Friday because of a funding impasse in Congress, Mattis lamented the ongoing budget battles, saying they were doing more damage than any enemy.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: china; cia; defense; kgb; mattis; mcmaster; nato; pentagon; putin; russia; trump

1 posted on 01/19/2018 10:43:33 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: GoldenState_Rose

Well the Democrats wanted a Cold War. They got it.


2 posted on 01/19/2018 10:46:55 AM PST by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

So did the Russians and Chinese. They plus the Dems have more in common than you think.


3 posted on 01/19/2018 10:48:52 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

Well the Democrats wanted a Cold War. They got it.


You are dreaming. Democrats love Russia. Have for 100 years and can’t wait to “reset” again with one party state fascist Russia.


4 posted on 01/19/2018 11:00:51 AM PST by lodi90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: GoldenState_Rose

We need to stop this cold war hooey. It’s time we chose a side before they team up against us.


5 posted on 01/19/2018 11:10:12 AM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bgill

It’s not our fault. The new Cold War was restarted by the bitter losers. (the ex-Communists)


6 posted on 01/19/2018 11:13:57 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: bgill

We did choose a side. Our side.


7 posted on 01/19/2018 11:52:24 AM PST by PJammers (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GoldenState_Rose

So when will sequester end so our military can grow again? Another campaign promise yet to be carried out.


8 posted on 01/19/2018 12:50:47 PM PST by Uncle Sam 911
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GoldenState_Rose

bump


9 posted on 01/19/2018 1:09:11 PM PST by Albion Wilde (Winning isn't as easy as I make it look. -- Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson