Nr. 54 Mai 2009

LEADOFF In dieser Ausgabe Liebe Mitglieder, am 30. April hat Barack Obama 1 Mythos Rommel die 100 Tage-Marke seiner Amts- Maxim Worcester zeit als Präsident der U.S.A. pmg überschritten. Mit sportlichem pmg Tempo und voller Agenda hat er 2 Evaluating the sich auf den Weg gemacht. Das Obama admini- führt auch bei einem „Mythos“ wie ihm zu ganz unterschiedlichen stration's Reaktionen, wie Sie sich in den national security beiden Beiträgen zu seiner Amts- führung überzeugen können. budget and plan- Mit der „54“ erhalten Sie eine „mythische“ Ausgabe der ning process Denkwürdigkeiten – vom Mythos Gordon Adams „Rommel“ zum schon-Mythos „Obama“ zum demnächst-Mythos 3 Please Excuse me „Zuma“, abgerundet durch Korruption und Korruptionsbe- for Apologizing kämpfung in Indien und China. Laurent Murawiec Afrika und Asien stehen Europa und Amerika näher denn je. Räumlich und zeitlich stellen sie 5 South Africa's uns vor umfassende Heraus- next Big Man forderungen. Wer geschichtliche Maxim Worcester und kulturelle Zusammenhänge versteht, kann Zukunft nach- haltiger gestalten (yes we can). 6 India’s Tryst Eine Aufgabe nicht nur für Barack with Corruption Obama. Menace Ralph Thiele, Vorstandsvorsitzender Dr. Sheo Nandan Pandey THEMEN 10 Korruption und Mythos Rommel Militärgeschichte ist in Deutsch- Korruptions- land, im Unterschied zu den an- bekämpfung in gelsächsischen Ländern, eher ein Randgebiet. Dies hat natürlich mit der VR China Journal der der militärischen Katastrophe des Dr. Peter Roell Politisch- Zweiten Weltkriegs und der Ver- strickung der Wehrmacht in die Militärischen Verbrechen des national- sozialistischen Regimes zu tun. Gesellschaft Gerade deshalb ist die Aus- stellung über Rommel im Haus der Geschichte Baden- Württembergs in Stuttgart zu be- grüßen. Nr. 54 Rommel wurde bewundert – vom Feind wie auch von seinen eigenen Soldaten – wegen seines Mai persönlichen Auftretens, als fairer Kämpfer und fabelhafter Offizier. 2009 Er war ein Sympathieträger und ein Feldherr, der inmitten seiner Soldaten kämpfte, von denen überliefert wurde: Wo Rommel ist, Herausgegeben vom Vorstand ist vorn. der Politisch-Militärischen Gesell- schaft e.V. (pmg) in Berlin Die nationalsozialistische Propa- Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ganda baute Rommel zu einer Art ISSN 1436-3070 (Quelle www.wikipedia..com) Volkshelden auf und Rommel stellte sich der Propaganda be- Mai 2009 • pmg Denkwürdigkeiten Nr. 54 • Seite 2 reitwillig zur Verfügung. Er war is probably an incomplete, some did seek and obtain an additional auch ein Mann, der Verbrechen of the administration's action do $10 billion, but those funds cov- ablehnte, aber einem Verbrecher deserve a clear passing grade. ered programs that had previ- diente. Diese Ambivalenz wie ously been funded through sup- auch seine Eitelkeit wird in dieser What are the success stories? plemental budgets. While some in gelungenen Ausstellung klar, die The foreign policy and Congress argued that Defense bis zum 30. August läuft. assistance budget could have been constrained ___________________________ even further, this was a clear sig- As a candidate, Barack Obama Maxim Worcester, Berlin nal to the armed services that a promised to double U.S. foreign new sheriff was in town. Maxim Worcester is Senior Manager, Advi- assistance, and while he may not sory Forensic, KPMG International. reach this goal as quickly as he'd Opinions expressed in this contribution are Even more unexpected was the like, the International Affairs those of the author. series of military hardware deci- budget request of $53.8 billion – sions that Gates announced in an increase of about 11% – is a April. For years Defense's modus giant step forward. The details of operandi has been to continue the foreign policy budget won't buying hardware that was out- THEMEN appear until early May, but there moded, underperforming, or un- are signs that it will include at Evaluating the Obama necessary. Gates began to end least a couple of important steps that practice by terminating hardy in strengthening the civilian tool- administration's perennials such as the F-22 kit. fighter, the vehicle portion of the national security Army's Future Combat System, First, it will seek a major increase budget and planning an underperforming Transforma- in personnel for both the State tion Satellite Program, the new process Department and USAID, beefing navy destroyer, and the new up an overstressed staff in both In its first 100 days, the Obama White House helicopter program. organizations. Second, it will fully administration has had to confront Sure, Congress may reverse fund major programs at State and a series of pressing foreign policy some of these decisions; but they USAID, particularly food aid and and national security issues – were clear and decisive and humanitarian assistance. For the North Korean missile launches, a based on strategy and future re- past few years, both have been revamping of the war strategy in quirements, not made randomly. underfunded, with the difference Afghanistan, the Taliban's contin- The forthcoming Quadrennial De- being made up through emer- ued rise in Pakistan, and, of fense Review will tell us whether gency supplemental budget re- course, the Iranian nuclear pro- the long-term defense plan con- quests. But it seems honest gram. As with all new administra- tinues this trend. budgeting has returned to the In- tions, the issues have come ternational Affairs budget re- faster than the Obama admini- In which areas does the ad- quests, and State is asking for stration can cope with them. ministration deserve an incom- what it will realistically need at the Thus, improvisation has been a plete grade? start of the budget process, not major feature of the administra- scrambling for additional funding Supplementals tion's response – especially with later. For eight years, both Defense only part of the team in place. and State abused the supplemen- The defense budget tal process to request funding for As I've written before, my main things that clearly weren't war re- concern has always been Last September, the military ser- lated – e.g., military hardware that whether or not the administration vices and Joint Chiefs conducted wasn't being lost in Iraq and Af- is putting in place the budgets, a budget drill that led to a "blue ghanistan. It's unclear whether or structures, and processes that will sky wish list" of a base budget for not the administration will con- allow them to escape the siren Defense (outside of war supple- tinue to allow this backdoor fund- song of improvisation and begin mentals). The wish list would ing, which undermines planning to set a course toward longer- have expanded the Defense and budget discipline, to happen. term strategic planning for foreign budget by 14% over fiscal year The intention of transmitting nar- policy and national security. 2009. But the White House de- row, war-focused supplemental cided to hang tough, arguing that has been announced, though it The first 100 days of the Obama "current services" (fiscal year applied incompletely to the fiscal administration have been promis- 2009 plus inflation, or roughly 3% ing, but to paraphrase Death of a growth) was enough. Any further year 2009 supplemental submit- Salesman, “Attention must [con- increases, they reasoned, could ted by the Obama administration tinue to] be paid." await a full strategic review at De- a couple of months ago. War funding for fiscal year 2010, how- fense. ever, will come to Congress with Clearly, 100 days aren't enough the overall budget – a good to answer every question or quell To the surprise of many, Defense precedent. every doubt. And while the most Secretary Robert Gates didn't appropriate grade at the moment fight the administration's edict; he Mai 2009 • pmg Denkwürdigkeiten Nr. 54 • Seite 3 Reforming State's budget change." Gates has sent the first THEMEN planning process signal, announcing that he does Former Secretary of State Condo- not intend to seek to put these Please Excuse me leezza Rice began to integrate authorities into Defense's perma- for Apologizing budget planning for all of State's nent legal authorities, pending and USAID's foreign assistance congressional action on State's I spent 2008 harping on the pre- programs, but those changes budget and capabilities. And Sec- diction that Obama would be a need to be strengthened and retary of State Hillary Clinton has complete disaster for the United supported by additional capacity- given voice to the need to return States and the world. Good Lord! building. That means developing State to the position of preemi- I never dreamt to what extent. We a civilian capability to respond nence in foreign and security as- cannot all be Cassandras. quickly to the needs of fragile and sistance policy. failing states and states recover- Obama is apologizing for Amer- ing from civil war and military op- But it isn't yet clear what State ica’s deeds, its past, its present erations. It also means reforming needs to do to become a more and the rest; he is apologizing for the department's staff by recruit- credible steward of these pro- everything. For deteriorating rela- ing, training, incentivizing, and grams. And until it does, Con- tions with Russia, lack of respect promoting a new breed of State gress won't agree to give it the for Islam, bad relations with Iran, official who can plan and adminis- flexibility and funding it needs to squabbles with Europe, lack of ter programs, as well as negotiate do the job. Nor is the first step adulation for Fidel Castro, every them. promising. In the new fiscal year occasion is a pretext to declare 2009 supplemental budget re- America’s repentance. Developing development policy quest for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, State agreed that De- Here the grade is seriously in- What is more, he is celebrating fense should request $400 million complete.

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