Reply #6: Peter Pace, 10/13/06: [View All]

[Human Torch]

Posted October 13, 2006 |

Gen. Peter Pace

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff argued for both the US military's mission in Iraq and US capacity to handle a threat from North Korea.

By David Cook

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1014/p00s01-usmb.html

While Iraq is placing significant demands on the US military, Pace said that the nation has sufficient resources to fight a war with North Korea in the unlikely event that were to occur. Earlier this week, North Korea exploded what it said was a nuclear device. "We currently have just over 200,000 of our 2.4 million service members engaged in operations in the Gulf," Pace said, "which means just under 2 million are available to handle whatever other problem might come our way. That should not be lost on anybody. ... We have enormous capacity remaining, especially in our air and naval forces, to handle any potential problem."

But the general noted that dealing with North Korea while the US was still fighting in Iraq would not "be as clean as we would like." Various intelligence-collection systems are now devoted to Iraq. "So you wouldn't have the precision in combat going to a second theater of war.... You will end up dropping more bombs, potentially, to get the job done and it will be more brute force in a second . But you can certainly get the job done anywhere on the planet with the forces we have available to us right now."

The threat of nuclear proliferation is a key worry, Pace said. "The real concern right now with North Korea is whether or not they would end up providing any weapons they may or may not have to terrorists." Pace offered a spirited defense to charges in Bob Woodward's new book, "State of Denial," that top generals had not been blunt enough in presenting their concerns about the war in Iraq to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "You are asking a judge if he runs a fair court when you ask me if I have been blunt enough," Pace said. "My answer is: Yes, I have been very upfront, very straightforward. I have multiple opportunities every day. I am with the secretary of Defense a minimum of 30 minutes a day, more likely three to four hours a day, with the president several times a week."

"I have ample opportunity provided to me by the secretary of Defense and the president to express my views. And, in fact, they have listened to my views and, in fact, have asked me - and invite me - to speak about things that are not just purely military if they in any way impact on the military."