The Fight of his Life - Der Kampf seines Lebens, oder die Schlacht am Potomac

Gemäss einer Reuters Meldung vom 17 März 2009, wird Robert Gates, der US-Verteidigungssekretär, am 02 April dieses Jahres, nicht an dem NATO-Gipfel in Strassburg teilnehmen.

«In the first months of the Obama administration, however, Gates has taken a lower profile and focused on the traditional terrain of a Pentagon chief, above all the nitty gritty of the defense budget, set at $534 billion for next year. The clearest sign of the switch in focus came at the end of last week when the Pentagon said Gates would take the unusual step of skipping NATO's 60th anniversary summit, jointly hosted next month by France and Germany, to work on the budget. Gates also stayed away from the Munich Security Conference last month. Vice President Joe Biden spoke for the new administration at the gathering, which is often the venue for a major speech by the U.S. defense secretary.» (Reuters)

Bemerkenswert!
Gates fernbleiben an diesen Gipfel ist eine bedeutende und signifikante Nachricht im Rahmen der Wichtigkeit dieses Gipfels, wenn man sich folgendes vergegenwärtigt:

1-) Die Bedeutung des Gipfels, insbesondere mit der Ankündigung der "Rückkehr" Frankreichs in die NATO, und natürlich, die Bedeutung der USA innerhalb der NATO.

2-) Die Bedeutung des US-Verteidigungsminister in der Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten im Allgemeinen und in der Organisation der NATO und bei der NATO. Seine Abwesenheit in diesem Zusammenhang ist ein wichtiges Ereignis.

3-) • Die Bedeutung des ersten NATO-Gipfel der Obama-Administration, nach acht Jahren anstrengende Bush-Administration, und die Bedeutung innerhalb der Verwaltung Obama, von Robert Gates (der einzigen Überlebenden der Bush-Administration)

Warum kommt Gates nicht nach Stassbourg? Aus Desinteresse an der Situation in Europa, oder der NATO kann es nicht sein.
Sein Fernbleiben ist eher mit der äusserst angespannte Lage im Pentagon zu erklären.
Seit einiger Zeit tobt im Pentagon eine bürokratische Schlacht, welche zu extremen Spannungen geführt hat. Beamten in sensible Bereiche, z.B, in der Materialbeschaffung, werden vereidigt

«Senior Pentagon officials have had to promise they will keep the details of the US military budget secret as the Defense Department prepares to make tough cuts on weapons programs, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

»In an unprecedented move, Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked top military officers and civilian officials to sign non-disclosure forms in which they agree not to reveal deliberations about the politically charged budget. “Everybody who's participating in this process – these are the highest ranking people in this department ... were asked to sign an agreement in which they would agree not to speak to any of the matters that they are working on as part of this budget process,” press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference. “This is highly sensitive stuff involving programs costing tens of billions of dollars, employing hundreds of thousands of people and – and go to the heart of national security,” he said.

»Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were among those required to sign, and Gates himself signed the form, Morrell said “This is to reinforce the message that indeed this is classified material. These are highly secret discussions. And we should remember that, be mindful of it, and honor it,” Morrell said. [...]

»The non-disclosure forms may carry less legal weight than the strict security clearances already governing top officials and officers. But the defense secretary's step may have been designed more as a symbolic message to curb leaks about sensitive budget negotiations, analysts said. Gates is “trying to invoke personal loyalty,” said Michael O'Hanlon at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.» (AFP/Yahoo 25 Februar 2009)

Mehrere Vorzeichen hatten uns schon auf wichtige Ereignisse vorbereitet, wir vermuten, dass die entscheidenden Momente des Machtkampfes, um Kostenreduktionen (sprich: Verzicht auf gewisse Waffen-Programme) bevorstehen. Es bestätigt sich was seit längerem vermutet wird, dass nämlich eine grundlegende Reform der Pentagon-Bürokratie bevorsteht.
Und Robert Gates steht da im Mittelpunkt.
Diese Vorzeichen bestätigen, dass Robert Gates es ernst meint mit der Reform.
Der Militärisch-industrieller Komplex ist mit den geplanten Reformen ganz und gar nicht glücklich, sehen doch die Waffenproduzenten ihre Felle davon schwimmen.


Am 16 März 2009 schrieb William S. Lind in einer radikale Analyse:

“What would real reform of defense procurement entail? First, the U.S. government would reform what is being procured. Most current and projected major defense programs are buying weapons and other "systems" that are outdated or simply represent a false understanding of war.

The U.S. government spends tens of billions of dollars on computerized command and control systems that encourage more and more centralization of decision-making. But sound military doctrine calls for decentralized decision-making.

The U.S. Army's Future Contract System, the most expensive current Pentagon program, is a Rube Goldbergian, semi-portable Maginot Line that in combat would collapse of its own internal complexity. The Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter-bomber is another F-111, a flying piano that is useless for the one attack aviation function that really works, supporting ground troops.

Only a handful of the ships the U.S. Navy wants are useful in coastal waters, where future naval actions are likely to be fought. These and many similar "legacy" systems are military museum pieces, designed for wars with the armies, navies and air forces of other states. Serious defense procurement reform would start by canning all of them.”
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pentagon_Set_To_Sucker_Yet_Another_President_Over_Procurement_Reform_Part_One_999.html


In einem am 17 März2009 im Boston Globe erschienen Artikel schreibt Winslow Wheeler über den Ernst des Reformwillens:

«Yet even some of the Pentagon's fiercest critics, such as Winslow Wheeler of the liberal Center for Defense Information, believe the Obama administration may have a unique opportunity with Gates at the helm. Wheeler, a former Capitol Hill defense aide, noted that Gates has shown a unique toughness, including removing the Army secretary and the civilian and military heads of the Air Force for lapses on their watch. “That demonstrates there is a spine there,” said Wheeler.» (“Spine” signifiant autant “épine” que “résolution à vous glacer le sang”.)

«As the Bush administration was drawing to a close, Robert M. Gates, whose two years as defense secretary had been devoted to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, felt compelled to warn his successor of a crisis closer to home. The United States “cannot expect to eliminate national security risks through higher defense budgets, to do everything and buy everything,” Gates said. The next defense secretary, he warned, would have to eliminate some costly hardware and invest in new tools for fighting insurgents. What Gates didn't know was that he would be that successor.

»Now, as the only Bush Cabinet member to remain under President Obama, Gates is preparing the most far-reaching changes in the Pentagon's weapons portfolio since the end of the Cold War, according to aides.

»Two defense officials who were not authorized to speak publicly said Gates will announce up to a half-dozen major weapons cancellations later this month. Candidates include a new Navy destroyer, the Air Force's F-22 fighter jet, and Army ground-combat vehicles, the officials said. More cuts are planned for later this year after a review that could lead to reductions in programs such as aircraft carriers and nuclear arms, the officials said.»

Even his closest friends acknowledge Gates is in the bureaucratic fight of his life

«Girding for a showdown with Congress, Gates took the unusual step of making the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other participants in budget deliberations sign nondisclosure agreements to prevent leaks.

»But already lawmakers and defense contractors are preparing to fight back. Lockheed, maker of the F-22 jet, recently launched an ad campaign to protect its fighter. Northrop Grumman, which could face cutbacks to its ship-building programs, has hired consultants to write op-eds. Unions are raising alarms about job losses.

»Even his closest friends acknowledge Gates is in the bureaucratic fight of his life.»
http://www.commondreams.org/print/39574

»Even his closest friends acknowledge Gates is in the bureaucratic fight of his life.»
Dieser Satz verweist natürlich auf die Rede von Donald Rumsfeld am 10 September 2001. Und damit befindet sich Robert Gates in einer Paradoxe Situation.
Als Nachfolger des in Ungnade gefallenen D. Rumsfeld musste er die katastrophalen Zustände der damaligen gescheiterten Reformversuche aufräumen.
Gleichzeitig befindet sich Gates jetzt in der Schlacht seines Lebens gegen Moby Dick, gegen den Militärisch-industrieller Komplex, dieses Monströse System welches sich als Staat im Staat längst sehr Tief eingenistet hat.