Wolfowitz Tells Senate About QDR
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2001 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
Wolfowitz told senators that even as the war on terrorism
continues, the U.S. military needs to transform to face the
threats of the new century.
Wolfowitz discussed the results of the Quadrennial Defense
Review with the Senate Armed Services Committee Oct. 4.
DoD delivered the report to Congress on Sept. 30. Wolfowitz
said that while the terror attacks of Sept. 11 influenced
the report, most of the work had been accomplished before
then.
"On Sept. 12, we asked ourselves ... , did it make any sense
to complete the Quadrennial Defense Review in the form that
it essentially reached as of the time of the terrorist
attacks, or should we just simply put it on the shelf and
start all over again?" he said. "We concluded ... that the
Quadrennial Defense Review has set some very important
directions, whose importance and accuracy (are) confirmed
by the events of Sept. 11."
Even before the attacks, DoD was committed to moving toward
combating the asymmetrical threats terrorism represents. If
anything, Wolfowitz said, the attacks confirmed "that we
need to move in those directions more rapidly and with more
resources."
The most important aspect of the QDR is it draws the road
map for what capabilities the military should have in 10
years. Wolfowitz said the report represents major changes
in the way the department thinks about its long-term
requirements. He said such changes are difficult for a
large organization to make, and they will not be done
overnight.
The most important change deals with the emphasis on
establishing homeland defense as the top DoD priority. "One
of the conclusions we reached in the review is that we are
just ... at really a very early stage of figuring out what
the role of the Department of Defense might be, for
example, in responding to a major act of terrorism with
weapons of mass destruction," he said. "We have got to
accelerate that work and get moving with it even faster.
It's not something, obviously, to put on the shelf."
A second emphasis in the new model is the emphasis on
uncertainty and surprise. He said surprise has been a
favored tactic through history. America needs intelligence
assets to counter these threats, but also forces flexible
enough "to respond to the unexpected, not simply to preview
and predict the unexpected."
The QDR emphasizes countering asymmetrical threats such as
the country saw in New York and Washington. "There are a
variety of others (threats)," he said. He said enemies have
learned not to challenge American military strength, but
perceived American weaknesses. "They are going to look for
places where we are weak, and they are going to try to
attack those weaknesses, and we need to figure out how to
deal with them," Wolfowitz said.
The QDR also looks at new forms of deterrence. This does
not mean the old forms -- nuclear retaliation, for example
-- are dismissed, but that America needs the capabilities
to deter other forms of violence directed against it.
Wolfowitz explained the new force-sizing construct proposed
in the QDR. According to the report, he said, U.S. forces
need to be able to first defend America. Second, engage and
defeat two regional foes - one of them decisively. Third,
continue with smaller scale operations. He said the force
should remain roughly the same size it is today, but with
changes in structure and locations.
| 
AFRTS Radio Report:
Printer-friendly Version
Email A Copy
Printer Friendly