Washington, DC
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen briefed members of the press today at the Pentagon . This was Panetta's first news conference since taking over from Robert Gates.
Sec. Panetta said the military will work to cut its budget and urged quick action on the part of Congress and the special joint committee created by the compromise debt ceiling bill. The bill dictates automatic across-the-board spending cuts if Congress and the special committee don't act to find specific deficit savings.
Panetta said such automatic cuts would be a "doomsday mechanism" that would greatly harm U.S. national security.
Yesterday, Panetta sent a letter to his department's staff saying that any budget cuts should be "based on sound strategy and policy and take into account how each cut would affect the military's ability to perform its missions.
Earlier today, reporters questioned one of the military's commanders in Afghanistan - Army Gen. James Terry, who oversees the southern region of that country, on the latest fighting taking place and the coming withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Gen. Terry commands nearly 23,000 coalition soldiers from about 16 countries. He recently told the Associated Press that he believed the U.S. presence was helping Afghans reconnect with their local governments. He also said that he couldn't say when U.S. forces would be able to withdraw from the region. Gen Terry told reporters Afghan security forces have to control the insurgency itself. ..Theyre making a lot of progress, though, but to put a timeline on (withdrawal) would be premature.
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Panetta-Mullen-to-Discuss-DOD-Budget/10737423323-2/
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen briefed members of the press today at the Pentagon . This was Panetta's first news conference since taking over from Robert Gates.
Sec. Panetta said the military will work to cut its budget and urged quick action on the part of Congress and the special joint committee created by the compromise debt ceiling bill. The bill dictates automatic across-the-board spending cuts if Congress and the special committee don't act to find specific deficit savings.
Panetta said such automatic cuts would be a "doomsday mechanism" that would greatly harm U.S. national security.
Yesterday, Panetta sent a letter to his department's staff saying that any budget cuts should be "based on sound strategy and policy and take into account how each cut would affect the military's ability to perform its missions.
Earlier today, reporters questioned one of the military's commanders in Afghanistan - Army Gen. James Terry, who oversees the southern region of that country, on the latest fighting taking place and the coming withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Gen. Terry commands nearly 23,000 coalition soldiers from about 16 countries. He recently told the Associated Press that he believed the U.S. presence was helping Afghans reconnect with their local governments. He also said that he couldn't say when U.S. forces would be able to withdraw from the region. Gen Terry told reporters Afghan security forces have to control the insurgency itself. ..Theyre making a lot of progress, though, but to put a timeline on (withdrawal) would be premature.
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Panetta-Mullen-to-Discuss-DOD-Budget/10737423323-2/
