Verbatim [email protected] By Robert S. Dudney

On Bombing Iran nor do the military ceremonies that are Horse Holders? “When David Ben-Gurion declared now regular features at sporting events. “As the duties of the uniformed service the foundation of the state of , was That which is left unexamined eventually Chiefs have converged with those of the it done with American approval? When becomes invisible, and as a result, few civilian Secretaries of the Army, Navy, was forced to act in order to Americans today are giving sufficient and Air Force, the latter have become loosen the siege [of Israel] before 1967, consideration to the full range of violent redundant appendages. Eliminating those was it done with the Americans’ sup- activities the government undertakes in positions would save money and stream- port? If someone sits here as the Prime their names.”—Aaron B. O’Connell, assis- line management. ... In the 1950s, the Minister of Israel, and he can’t take ac- tant professor at United States Naval Acad- Army reexamined its table of organization tion on matters that are cardinal to the emy, op-ed in the New York Times, Nov. 4. and equipment. It found that an artillery existence of this country, its future, and battery contained one soldier whose its security, and he is totally dependent Problems of Assault ... presence and function were unexplained. on receiving approval from others, then “Problems of sexual assault are get- The position was that of the man who, he is not worthy of leading. I can make ting worse, they’re not getting better. during combat, had held the horses that these decisions.”—Israeli Prime Minister Everything that has been tried has not drew the caissons carrying the guns. The , interview on Israel’s worked.”—Secretary of the Air Force Mi- horses had gone, but not the personnel Channel 2, as quoted in the New York chael B. Donley, San Antonio Express- slot. Let’s retire another set of horse hold- Times, Nov. 5. News, Oct. 23. ers.”—Harold Brown, Secretary of Defense 1977-1981 and Secretary of the Air Force China’s First-Class Force ... and Leisure-Suit Larrys 1965-1969, op-ed in the Washington Post, “This is the second entirely new fighter “He said to me, ‘It’s Friday afternoon, Oct. 18. design that’s emerged from China in the why don’t you take off your blouse and last two years, which suggests a pretty get comfortable?’ ”—TSgt. Jennifer Smith, Wobbly Air Dominance impressive level of technical develop- alleging misconduct on the part of a senior “Our ability to design cutting-edge ment. ... [Beijing] has been extremely officer, New York Times, Nov. 2. Smith has platforms ... is already atrophying [and deliberate and well-funded and persis- filed a formal complaint. the] potential for viable future competition tent, and it’s starting to bear fruit. What in this area will shrink or be eliminated. you’re now seeing since the early ’90s is Not Yet, But It’s Early ... Our technological advantage in this the slow emergence of a first-class re- “When people ask, ‘What kind of ar- area will not endure unless we provide gional military power.”—Sam Roggeveen, mament, what kind of weapons can this [to industry] a meaningful opportunity Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, on thing carry?’ we basically say, ‘Well, for leading-edge design, build, and test the maiden flight of China’s J-31 fighter, pretty much the US arsenal.’ Granted, the activities. ... We should have no pre- Reuters, Nov. 2. air-to-air role isn’t quite there yet.”—Col. conceived notions about the nature of Russell Hart, bomber operations chief at air dominance a few decades into the The Lost Decades Air Force Global Strike Command, on the future.”—Internal memo written by Frank “The reason the [current USAF] fleet B-52 bomber, Air Force Times, Oct. 21. Kendall III, undersecretary of defense for is so decrepit is because, for the first 10 acquisition, Bloomberg, Oct. 22. years after the Cold War ended, policy- Morning in Mideast? No. makers thought the United States was in “We all agree that the Iranians are Cost of Neglect an era of extended peace. Then it spent determined to turn into a military nuclear “Anyone wondering what Afghanistan the next 10 years fighting an enemy with power. ... To tell you the truth, out of long will look like if we abandon the war or no air force and no air defenses. So air- experience of the Middle East, I am draw down troops too rapidly should power was neglected for 20 years, and extremely skeptical about the chances look to Iraq, where a residual force today the Air Force reflects that fact.”— that it [use of sanctions] will lead the would almost certainly have halted the Loren B. Thompson, Lexington Institute, ayatollahs to sit together at any point current re-emergence of al Qaeda. Or to Associated Press, Nov. 4. in the foreseeable future and decide to Syria, where more moderate forces are give up their intention to go in the foot- being increasingly overrun by hard-line Seeing the Invisible steps of Pakistan and North Korea and Islamists. Or to Yemen, where al Qaeda “Uncritical support of all things martial turn into a military nuclear power. They in the Arabian Peninsula has carved out is quickly becoming the new normal for think of themselves as a major regional territory and an operational headquarters our youth. Hardly any of my students at power from the dawn of history. ... Don’t to plan attacks against America. Or to the Naval Academy remember a time misread me. We would love to wake Libya, where the facts about Benghazi when their nation wasn’t at war. Almost all up one morning and learn, against my are still trickling out, but where we know think it ordinary to hear of drone strikes in expectations, the ayatollahs gave it up. that an al Qaeda-affiliated group was Yemen or Taliban attacks in Afghanistan. I don’t believe it will happen.”—Israeli behind the deadly attack.”—Retired Army The recent revelation of counterterrorism Defense Minister , The Times Gen. John M. Keane, former vice chief of bases in Africa elicits no surprise in them, (London), Oct. 31. staff, Wall Street Journal, Oct. 22.

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