"The Army, stretched thin by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, is dipping into one
of its last resources for wartime duty: retirees on a military pension," according to USA TODAY. "The Army is expanding a little-known program to bring back retired officers and enlisted soldiers who expressed a willingness to join again, particularly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks."

In "Bush's National Security Strategy Is a Misnomer," Cato Director of Defense Policy Studies Charles V. Peña argues that the U.S. military is overly committed around the globe. He writes: "Despite the demise of the Soviet Union as a military threat to Europe, the United States has nearly 100,000 troops deployed to defend the Continent. In another obsolete, Cold War-era obligation, the United States still has about 37,000 troops stationed in South Korea. ... The U.S. military also maintains in Japan a military presence similar to that in South Korea.

"... The United States should clear the decks and focus its national security strategy
more pointedly on the terrorist threat posed by those responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks: the al Qaeda terrorist network. More specifically, the core element and primary objective of a national security strategy should be to protect the homeland against future terrorist attacks. U.S. national security strategy should not aim to make the world a better place; instead, it should be focused more narrowly on protecting the United States itself -- the country, the population, and the liberties that underlie the American way of life."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

previous - next