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Gates Calls Europe Anti-War Mood Danger to Peace
Damn Europeans blowing off NATO refuse the truth that any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage war is senseless and useless.
Headline above is from today’s New York Times. The last 15 words of the lede are from an infamous militarist. How about we just get these guys home and give them what they deserve?
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has long called European contributions to NATO inadequate, said Tuesday that public and political opposition to the military had grown so great in Europe that it was directly affecting operations in Afghanistan and impeding the alliance’s broader security goals.
“The demilitarization of Europe — where large swaths of the general public and political class are averse to military force and the risks that go with it — has gone from a blessing in the 20th century to an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace in the 21st,” he told NATO officers and officials in a speech at the National Defense University, the Defense Department-financed graduate school for military officers and diplomats.
A perception of European weakness, he warned, could provide a “temptation to miscalculation and aggression” by hostile powers.
The meeting was a prelude to the alliance’s review this year of its basic mission plan for the first time since 1999. “Right now,” Mr. Gates said, “the alliance faces very serious, long-term, systemic problems.”
Mr. Gates’s blunt comments came just three days after the coalition government of the Netherlands collapsed in a dispute over keeping Dutch troops in Afghanistan. It now appears almost certain that most of the 2,000 Dutch troops there will be withdrawn this year. And polls show that the Afghanistan war has grown increasingly unpopular in nearly every European country.
The defense secretary, putting a sharper point on his past criticisms, outlined how NATO shortfalls were exacting a material toll in Afghanistan. The alliance’s failure to finance needed helicopters and cargo aircraft, for example, were “directly impacting operations,” he said.
Mr. Gates said that NATO also needed more aerial refueling tankers and intelligence-gathering equipment “for immediate use on the battlefield.”
Yet alliance members, he noted, were far from reaching their spending commitments, with only 5 of 28 having reached the established target: 2 percent of gross domestic product for defense. By comparison, the United States spends more than 4 percent of its G.D.P. on its military.
Dana Allin, a senior fellow with the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, called Mr. Gates’s remarks “very striking.”
“Whether this is a conscious statement to sound a real sharp warning, there’s no question that the frustration among the American military establishment is palpable regarding coalition operations in Afghanistan,” he said.
Mr. Gates did soften his message a bit, noting that, not counting United States forces, NATO troops in Afghanistan were to increase from 30,000 last year to 50,000 this year.
“By any measure,” he said, “that is an extraordinary feat.”
More sobering, he said, was that just two months into the year, NATO was facing shortfalls of hundreds of millions of euros — “a natural consequence of having underinvested in collective defense for over a decade.”
NATO’s growing problems — greatly magnified by the expansion of its mandate beyond European borders, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks — called for “serious, far-reaching and immediate reforms,” Mr. Gates said.
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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=17630
Posted by Yanira Farray on Feb 23 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under AfPak, WarZone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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[...] appears almost certain that most of the 2000 Dutch troops there … Here is the original: Gates Calls Europe Anti-War Mood Danger to Peace : Veterans Today Share [...]
Good find Michael,
Several points worth mentioning.
1. When are the collective WE (meaning anyone who is not a Republican or right-wing Neoconservative, what am I saying what’s the difference, oh that’s right we have Democrat neoconservatives) going to put the SAME amount of pressure on Obama to get this embarrassment off his administration along with every other General and Admiral still loyal to G.W. Bush? It took a lot of pressure, but you name it Moveon.org, True Majority, and every other Democrat leaning progressive organization or group had an uphill climb getting rid of Rumsfeld, but we did it. How come now the progressive leaning Democrat shrills remain silent on Gate’s excesses.
2. He pulled the same crap on the Japanese when he visited there and their government fell to a more anti-war government RIGHT ON JAPAN!
3. Unlike here in Amerika (yes I spelled it right), where the government or corporate propaganda machines control the mainstream media or the mainstream media is EMBEDDED (what a JOKE) with our troops to facilitate Pentagon propaganda, the European media and electorate (meaning voters) of each NATO nation do not answer to Republican Robert Gates.
4. This disgrace is only going to make the people of Europe even more anti-war than they are now THANK GOD ABOVE!!! I’ve been getting feedback from voters in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands saying they are fed up with American Neoconservative representing President Obama coming the THEIR COUNTRIES and twisting arms over Iraq or Afghanistan. Frankly, this sort of behavior by Robert Gates was EXPECTED by the Europeans when he worked for Bush, but they are really getting FED UP because this right-winger represents Barack Obama and the so-called liberal Democrats.
Yep, just one more reason to tare asunder the Democratic Party IF they do not get rid of GATES.
5. Now watch regardless if a million American Peace activists hit the streets of Washington DC, LA, and SF come March 2010 or 100,000. or 1000, or 100 just like during the Bush administration such anti-war sentiment will not get any respect or coverage from mainstream media unless it get violent or sexy and can raise ratings or sell air time.
6. Frankly, I believe that it is up to the Peace Movement in Europe to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan FOR US. Because they have more freedom to express themselves, and bring down governments than we do. Maybe there’s lots to be said for a Parliamentary form of government.
Bobby Hanafin
Yup, what was zat song we heard long, long ago? All we are saaayyyinggg, is give Peace a chance”.
It is interesting that liberals were so much against war when George Bush was in office and how they have been silent about the escalation of war by Obama. I didnt know how dangerous this man Robert Gates has been. It was only after 2008 election that I realized the truth about this so called “war on terror” because I used to be one of those people who believed the original story about 9/11 which was constantly repeated by the media both liberal and conservative. After Obama took office he decided to keep both defense secretary and director of the FBI. Why? Now we understand that both Obama and Bush work for the same boss and there is really no difference and that is the reason for Obama’s keeping the same people as defense secretary and FBI director because the plan is the same–more war and more harrasment of American citizens and more false flag operations to achieve the same goals. People in Europe are better informed and it is more difficult to deceive them. They exactly know what this war on terror is really about not just how horrible the wars are and they know about Israel and Zionism and they dont have people like Bill Krystol to deceive people and they dont have people like Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin to deceive millions of people that we must wage war against Arab nations. America is bankrupt and warmongers dont seem to care.
Liberals lining up in support of war has an old and storied tradition in the United States dating back to World War I.
Check out the writings of Randolph Bourne.
ALL the “neo-CONS”, Krautheimer, Kristol, Beck, LIEberman, Hagee, Limbaugh, ALL those big mouths with NO DD-214′s should be rounded up and sent to the war they claim they LOVE. Let them get a good taste …..
Bush, Rove, AND Cheney are now all free to PROVE they really believe in the wars they started, and just how “PATRIOTIC” they really ARE. They surrounded themselves with flags and LOUDLY proclaimed their “love” of America….. Now they are free to pick up rifles and LEAD the Troops that they ordered into combat.
I am sure those “HEROS” will be on the next plane to Afghanistan ………………
Bush with his National Guard training (NG was just DRAFT DODGING in those days)
and Cheney …….
1) FIVE DEFERMENTS to dodge SERVING the Nation during Viet Nam, too busy advancing HIS career.
2) HIDES in a secret Bunker during and long into the night on 9/11.
3) Now FREE to get a rifle and a plane ticket to Afghanistan where he could LEAD the Troops into COMBAT to show us all how TOUGH he is, he prefers to JACK HIS JAW safely AWAY from any danger.
4) “his” KBR/HALLIBURTON has murdered at LEAST three American Troops with faulty wiring in their WAR PROFITEERING in Iraq.
Notice NONE of THEIR children ever volunteer to SERVE in the military………………………
What the hell is wrong with those damned Europeans? Don’t they know that the only way to peace is by waging endless war?
What’s next? Code Pink coming out of their retirement and saying they’re against Obama’s escalation of the Bush-Cheney Junta’s wars for peace?
Wonder if ‘Lucky Larry’ owns any skyscrapers in the Netherlands?
“It is interesting that liberals were so much against war when George Bush was in office and how they have been silent about the escalation of war by Obama.” What’s next? Code Pink coming out of their retirement and saying they’re against Obama’s escalation of the Bush-Cheney Junta’s wars for peace?”
My comments in the several points mentioned in my response above should not be taken to mean that I do not believe liberals have been silent about the escalation of war by Obama!
In response to the two concerns quoted above:
1. I do not know about your traditional liberal anti-war base (ala Viet Nam vintage) for I do not pay attention to them, and that Peace Movement was lead by academia and students (mostly college professors who could THINK and not worry about tenure, and students who could get drafted if the National Guard turned them down or were not hiring back in the day – Vietnam). Suffice it to say that the spear head of the Peace Movement is not Code Pink or even A.N.S.W.E.R. although their efforts at seeking Peace cannot be ignored WITHOUT THE DRAFT there is just no incentive for non-Veterans or people who cannot relate to the burdens of war to well REACT and TAKE ACTION.
2. It is Veterans and Military Family groups like Veterans for Peace (VFP), Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), and Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) that are the tip of the spear of the Peace Movement today, and WE are few in number and not what one would consider your typical LIBERAL.
3. It is a fact that most members of the Peace Movement voted for Obama, some of us RELUCTANTLY, and now paying the PRICE. That fact alone kept US divided on Afghanistan. There was debate within the Peace Movement (Vets and Military Family part of it) about considering Afghanistan a good war or bad war. That debate almost split some of the groups, but we democratically voted and decided within organizations to add Afghanistan to the list of bad wars. The leftist view of course is that all WARS are bad, but again the traditional elements of the Peace movement that hold those views are a few in number as we Veterans and Military Families who PAY THE PRICE OF WARS.
4. The Peace Movement of both liberals AND moderates even a few right of center fiscal conservatives has been slow to react to a shift from Iraq to Afghanistan which has not been a shift at all considering we have yet to leave Iraq. However, please use the Veterans Today search engine and look up me hanafin or just the word PEACE and you will find that Peace groups like Code Pink and A.N.S.W.E.R. plus the PEACE Veterans and Military Families allied to them have NOT been silent since at least last Christman.
Code Pink and A.N.S.W.E.R., plus now Peace of the Action, and March Forward are organizing, coordinating, and planning Peace demonstrations against the Obama administration come late March 2010.
Lastly, even we here at Veterans Today need to stop focusing on the past and Bush administration officials still in the Obama administration and do what we would be doing if Bush or John McCain were still President.
Example: the title above to this post should read Obama Administration Calls Europe Anti-War Mood Danger to Peace. We need to begin focusing on the Obama administration in order to really impact getting rid of Neocons like Robert Gates. To focus our ire on Gates, or General so and so does not have the same impact nationally or internationally as focusing on the administration these people work for. (WINK)
Simply put we as an independent media outlet need to begin getting just as hard on Obama as we were and would be on Bush.
“The leftist view of course is that all WARS are bad, but again the traditional elements of the Peace movement that hold those views are a few in number as we Veterans and Military Families who PAY THE PRICE OF WARS.”
Oops, I must clarify and correct the above. Bobby Hanafin meant to say that the purely liberal view of course is that all WARS are bad, but again the traditional elements of the Peace movement that hold those views are a few in number as we Veterans and Military Families who PAY THE PRICE OF WARS.”
To me THAT is the real reason that Europeans are much better at Peace movements or anti-war if you prefer than we are today. Not because they do or do not have THE DRAFT, but because they have a form of government where it is easier to bring a government down who has lost the support of the vast majority of voters.
Sent into Veterans Today from Facebook by Bill Perry
“Well said, Major Bobby !”
Sent into Veterans Day from Facebook by Miguelito Effing Miggahee and Amy Miggahee,
Miguelito says, “If you accept the Orwellian slogan “War is Peace” then Gates is absolutely right.”
Amy says, “How does this even make sense? Anti-war = Peace….so it would take a powerful kind of idiot to somehow make it be a ‘threat’ to peace…What a -screwed] up world.
Sent into Veterans Today from Facebook by Ward Reilly
“Hey…sent this one out to our stateside Peace Movement. And yes Bobby Hanafin is right, we of Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Military Families Speak Out have been leaning on Obomba since day one, literally. We were on Pennsylvania Ave protesting during his inauguration, and we are setting up an anti war camp on the Mall this coming March 13th, 2010. “
Sent into Veterans Today from Facebook by Thomas Paine,
“Oh Lordy…. what has really changed?
Has Obama started new wars?
Has he lied to the public about starting a new war?
Has he tortured to get us into a new war?
Has he toppled governments in his new wars?
If you don’t have perspective with your statements, your opinion is just going to be discounted very quickly.”
“Oh Lordy…. what has really changed?
Since Mr. Paine’s response appears directed at comments I made, I’ll entertain them.
Has Obama started new wars?
Nope, not yet, but you tend to forget that these are now Obama’s Wars period, if he did start another war or allowed anyone in his administration or Congress to pressure him into starting one, it is ONLY our troops, Veterans, and Military families that will FEEL THE PAIN AND ENDURE THE SUFFERING.
Has he lied to the public about starting a new war? Nope the President has not lied to the public about starting a new war, but what’s to keep him from doing so? We note that our troops are still in Iraq and will be beyond the date promised by Obama that we will pull out, but that remains to be seen if withdrawal from Iraq was a lie or misunderstanding on voters’ part.
Has he tortured to get us into a new war? Nope, but Obama has not closed Gitmo either, and who is to say that the torture does not continue on his shift without his knowledge.
Has he toppled governments in his new wars? Not yet, but we are well on our way to destabilizing the government of Pakistan even if Obama does not topple it, and yes they do have weapons of mass destruction.
If you don’t have perspective with your statements, your opinion is just going to be discounted very quickly.” Ok, I’ll meet you half way on that one, THAT’S your opinion.
Sent into Veterans Today from Facebook by Bruce K. Gagnon
“Thanks for saying what needs to be said…we can’t put party loyalty above the important issues”
Sent into Veterans Today from Facebook by Willy Bach
Good work, ahead of the curve as usual. It did not really take long for some of us to realize the marketing spin was fake. The appointment of Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State was met with utter alarm. Robert Gates, as Secretary of Defense was a ‘dead giveaway’ that it was war-making business as usual.
Perhaps it is time to abandon the juvenile politics of charismatic leadership. Yes, Barrack Obama is a nice-looking guy, but is that all you want? That level of political awareness belongs in the dark days of Latin American dictators.
Throw out all the elected representatives who are really working for the people who pay them – the war-making industry.
Elect Independents. There is a lot of talent in the USA. You don’t have to elect the members of the ‘ruling families’ as they do in India.
Try a little harder friends, and we might achieve democracy one day – but don’t wait too long. Citizens of the rest of the world wish you well, but are running out of patience.”
Ghost Troop: Scraping the Teflon of the Propaganda Apparatus — doran, 01:36:35 02/25/10 Thu
Capt.: I do think that these wars are about tyranny and terror: the tyranny and terror emerging from the efforts of Western psychopaths who have taken over the reins of power. They intend to do far worse deeds than they have done. The only way we can stop them is by doing what you suggest: awakening the American people to the perils of being misled by perfidious leaders and an evil establishment. I am proud to be, like you, among the dissident voices engaged in this historic struggle, in which we have transformed the Internet into the printing press of the New American Revolution.
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/5702-ghost-troop-scraping-the-teflon-of-the-propaganda-apparatus.html
my friend a retired marine believes all marines are propeace and that there are bad people out there that America wants us to get… I didn’t wish to challenge him, moreso, the government who ignores statitics of civilian deaths in Afganistan. I haven’t seen one report of a “bad guy” getting caught. Matter of fact, I haven’t heard of anyone caught only killed and they’re always people on their way to wedding or something! Furthermore, Pakistan is a nuclear country…I believe it is dangerous of our country to bomb their people.