Pentagon Wants U.S. Sinai Force Cut

WASHINGTON, Aug 01, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Pentagon officials met Thursday with representatives of Israel and Egypt to discuss a U.S. proposal to reduce American participation in the Sinai peacekeeping force.

The 11-nation Multinational Force and Observers has been patrolling the area between the two countries for two decades. The 865 Americans there make up nearly half the total 1,836 soldiers, sailors, pilots and other uniformed members of the combined force.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wants to drop the U.S. commitment to a couple of dozen people, freeing up American troops for combat service.

Department of Defense Undersecretary Doug Feith hosted the meeting. Israel has indicated it is agreeable, but Egypt has said the force helps provide stability in the area.

The force patrols and mans checkpoints in a huge triangle of desert, jutting into the Red Sea, that Egypt lost to Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and regained in its U.S.-brokered 1979 peace treaty with Israel. The multinational force patrols are meant to ensure both sides that the peace is being observed.

Rumsfeld has said the force's duties "can be done by others with our help and encouragement."

See doug from upland's Military Unpreparedness [links] thread of August 30, 2000.

Sampling:

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Stronger U.S. Defense Is Important Campaign Issue
Source: Pensacola News Journal;Published: August 28, 2000
National Defense - An issue worthy of a more serious debate
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune; Published: August 25, 2000
Marines Ground 3 Types of
Source: Capital Hill Blue; Published: August 27, 2000
Bush-Cheney Under Attack on 'Hollow Military'
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: August 27, 2000; Author: Justin Torres
Security Clearance Backup Continues
Source: USA Today; Published: August 25, 2000; Author: Edward T. Pound
Troubles Mount For U.S. Navy Ship Funding
Source: Defense News;Published: August 28, 2000; Author: Robert Holzer
A Quest for Stability-Current Navy shipbuilding programs, pitfalls, and potential problem areas
Source: SEAPOWER; Published: September 2000; Author: Gordon I. Peterson
Report: Allies No Substitute For U.S. Troops
Source: Defense News; Published: August 28, 2000; Author: Robert Holzer
Letter: Taking Aim At The Military Readiness Problem
Source: Washington Times;Published: August 13, 2000; Author: Alan G. Lance Sr.
Why America Deserves Serious Debate On National Security
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune; Published: August 10, 2000; Author: Dennis Gormley and Thomas Mahnken
Return Fire - We Ignore The Lessons Of The Last 30 Years At Our Peril
Source: Armed Forces Journal International; Published: August 2000; Author: General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA-Ret.
Epidemic Strikes Training Centers
Source: Military.com;Published: August 3, 2000> Author: Stephen Trimble
The Military, Ready Or Not
Source: Washington Times; Published: August 9, 2000; Author: Cal Thomas
Marine Expeditionary Units Can't Become 'Camouflage-Clad Cops'
Source: Marine Corps Times;Published: August 14, 2000; Author: Phillip Thompson
China Seen As Growing Reconnaissance Challenge
Source: Aviation Week & Space Technology; Published: August 7, 2000; Author: Craig Covault
The 4% Solution (re: present and future readiness of the U.S. military
Source: Washington Times; Published: August 8, 2000; Author: Frank J. Gaffney Jr.
Shipbuilding Holiday
Source: Seapower; Published: August 2000
The Credibility Crisis (re:credibility gap between Pentagon leaders and the troops they lead
Source: Proceedings; Published: August 2000; Author: Elaine Donnelly
Torching The Constitution
Source: Washington Times;Published: August 1, 2000; Author: Bruce Fein
American `Giveaway' In Panama Probed- Theft of military's property alleged
Source: Miami Herald;Published: July 27, 2000 Author: Glenn Garvin
Navy Unlikely To Build Its Goal Of Attack Submarines
Source: Norfolk Virginian-Pilot; Published: July 28, 2000; Author: Dale Eisman
Military Update-Security Review Backlog Slows Assignments To Top Secret Specialties
Source: Newport News Daily Press; Published: July 28, 2000; Author:Tom Philpott
Clinton Proposes Issuing Debit Cards To Servicemen That Use Food Stamps
Source: Wall Street Journal;Published: July 28, 2000; Author: Bob Davis
House Bill Creates Terrorism Council
Source:Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)<Published: July 26, 2000; Author: Bruce I. Friedland
Thatcher:Clear And Present Danger
Source: Washington Times; Published: July 24, 2000; Author: Margaret Thatcher
The anthrax shots: Should they continue?- Too Many Unanswered Questions
Source: Army Times; Published: July 31, 2000; Author: Patrick G. Eddington
Analyses Begin On Future Key U.S. Weapon Systems
Source: Defense News; Published: July 31, 2000; Author: Colin Clark and Robert Holzer
Forsaking Our Security?
Source: Washington Times; Published: July 20, 2000;Author: Robert L. Maginnis
Foreign, Defense Policy Deserves Full 2000 Debate
Source: Roll Call ;Published: July 20, 2000; Author: Morton H. Kondracke
Air Force, Navy Upbraided For Shortchanging SATCOM Programs
Source: Inside the Air Force;Published: July 21, 2000; Author: Amy Butler
Navy's Supporters On Hill Doubt Pentagon's Commitment To Address Fleet's Decline
Source: Congressional Quarterly Weekly; Published: July 15, 2000 ; Author: Chuck McCutcheon
The Pentagon Is Doing Less With More
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune; Published: July 14, 2000 Author: Lawrence J. Korb
Curbs On Kosovo Deployment Will Be Main Point Of Contention In Defense Authorization Conference
Source: Congressional Quarterly Weekly;Published:July 15, 2000 Author: Chuck McCutcheon
U.S. Security Blanket: Threadbare and Moth-Eaten
Source: Insight magazine; Published: July 14, 2000; Author: Sean Paige
Cheney Laments The State of the Military
Source: AP; Published: 30 August 2000; Author: AP's Karen Gullo and Freerepublic's YaYa123
Report: Fort Rucker fails military readiness test
Source: The Dothan (AL) Eagle;Published: August 30. 2000;Author: Lee Ann Smith,
Flash: Army Training Centers' Unreadiness Offers Fresh Evidence of the Increasingly Hollow Military
Source: Center For Security Policy;Published: 29 August 2000; Author: Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.
Cheney Pans Military: Bush VP Candidate Criticizes U.S. Readiness
Source: ABCNEWS;Published: Monday, August 28, 2000
Military Readiness Not Improving-GenKrulak was Right-TRAITORCLINTON TRYING TO DESTROY USA FOR CHINA?
Source: Washington Times;Published: August 28, 2000; Author: Rowan Scarborough, Joyce Howard
Military Reserves Are Falling Short in Finding Recruits
Source:New York Times;Published: 8/28/00; Author: STEVEN LEE MYERS
The gutting of the U.S. military
Source: WorldNetDaily;Published: Tuesday, June 16, 1998; Author: Joseph Farah
Al Gore's Big Lie # 3074: Military Readiness on the Decline
Source: US House Armed Services Committee; Published: August 27, 2000
Military expenditures have dropped to 30% of 1962 level
Source: Vanity; Published: 8-22-00 Author: John Hines
Pentagon Flags Concern On Personnel, Training, Equipment Readiness
Source: Inside The Pentagon; Published: August 31, 2000 Author: Elaine M. Grossman
Despite Billions For Defense, Lowly GIs Get Obsolete Gear
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune; Published: August 30, 2000 Author:David Wood
Dake: Help Needed For Marine Modernization, Readiness
Source:Defense Daily; Published: August 31, 2000; Author: Hunter Keeter
Poor Accounting At USAF Depots Is Hurting Readiness
Source: Janeís Defence Weekly; Published: August 30, 2000; Author: David Mulholland
3 schools at Fort Leonard Wood score at bottom for readiness, paper reports
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Published: 8-30-00; Author: Harry Levins
Pacific Fleet Running Short of Gas Money
Source: Stars and Stripes.com; Published: 08/28/00; Author: Steve Liewer
MILITARY UNREADINESS
Source: New York Post;Published: 9/01/00
A Defense In Decline
Source: Savannah Morning News;Published: August 30, 2000
Shortages would hurt U.S. in combat, Pentagon says
Source: Dallas Morning News; Published: Sept. 1, 2000
How Ready is the U.S. Military
Source: AOL News Update (AP); Published: Sep 1, 2000; Author: Robert Burns (AP)
FORT SILL READINESS DOUBTED
Source: The Daily Oklahoman; Published: Sep 1, 2000;Author: Scott Cooper
Cheney: Under Clinton, military 'overused and under-resourced'
Source: Washington Times;Published: Thursday, August 31, 2000
Pentagon Says Military Is Ready: But Logistical Problems Would Hamper Military's Success
Source: CBSNEWS; Published: Thursday, August 31, 2000
Overdeployed Military Sacrifices "Readiness"
Source: Cato Institute;Published: Thursday, August 31, 2000
Readiness of armed forces is not improving
Source: Washington Times;Published: 8/28/00 Author: Rowan Scarborough
New Pilots Number Threaten Readiness
Source: New 7AM News; Published: Aug 21, 2000
Military readiness in toilet? Exclusive: David Hackworth weighs Stormin' Norman, Caldera
Source: WorldNetDaily.com;Published: Tuesday, August 8, 2000; Author: Col David Hackworth (ret)

FROM Alamo-GIRL's DOWNSIDE LEGACY AT TWO DEGREES OF PRESIDENT CLINTON

STATUS OF U.S. MILITARY:
OVERVIEW OF STATUS
DEFENSELESS AGAINST ICBMs
UNDERMANNED, POORLY EQUIPPED, SPREAD TOO THIN
POOR MORALE

STATUS OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE:
UNDERMANNED AND UNSUPPORTED
PIERCING SECURITY
ECHELON AND OTHER HIGH TECHNOLOGY
EXPORT CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY GIVE-AWAYS

by Stand Watch Listen

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