Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey Issues Sober Assessment of Middle East



Washington Post: As Dempsey departs, he issues sober assessment of Middle East

Outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey showed last week how much his understanding of the Middle East will be missed when he steps down.

In a blunt assessment given the Senate Armed Services Committee last Tuesday, Dempsey — who since 1991 has spent a good part of his career in the region — outlined the dilemma facing the Obama administration.

“While our potential adversaries grow stronger,” meaning the Islamic State and Iran, “many of our allies are becoming increasingly dependent on the United States and on our assistance,” meaning Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, the Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syrian moderates.

Dempsey’s nominated successor, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, has more limited experience in the Middle East. Dunford, who served in Afghanistan until last year, said during testimony before the same Senate panel on Friday that it had been years since he was in Iraq or dealt directly with the issues that are likely to consume President Obama’s foreign policy team before a new president is sworn in.

WNU Editor: Somewhere .... someplace .... I suspect that outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey is glad to be leaving.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

ASSHOLE WAIT AND SEE AFTER HE LEAVES HE BACKTRACK ON MANY THINGS HES SAID BEFORE LIKE REST OF THEM WONT OPEN GOBS IN OFFICE ONLY WHEN THEY LEAVE