Recently, apparent failure of the Congress to reach a proactive decision regarding budget cut has put the fate of the entire US military in jeopardy. If the committee fails to achieve to find some common ground, it would automatically pave way for “sequestration” to fill in the void.
This mechanism, also coined as ‘Doomsday Mechanism’ will greatly slash a major chunk of the US government spending hitting the defence department the hardest. It is speculated that the proposed budget cut will reduce the military expenditure by 500-600 billion dollars over the course of next decade, severely impairing the existing as well future military capabilities of the nation.
Authorities have expressed explicit concern over the proposed cut in the light that the United States’ vital strategic interests will be rendered compromised. Leon Panetta, Defence Sectary of the Obama Administration, has expressed his reservations against the cut and has termed the likely consequences as “devastating”.
He believes that such a measure will result in smallest ground force since 1940 along with smallest aerial capabilities by the end of ten years. This creates a cloud of uncertainty over the nation’s lawmakers as the USA’s place as the number one in the military rankings is greatly challenged. Moreover, the excessive US’s involvement in the counter-insurgency programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has already drained much of the country’s financial health, will also be in need of massive restructuring which may prove hazardous for the country’s national security interests in the future.
Undoubtedly, such a revelation has not gone unnoticed. The lawmakers in Washington DC have debated and quarrelled about the desirability of such a cut.
It can be rightly observed that their opinions are far from unanimous. Conservative members of the house such as Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have openly condemned the proposal while Newt Gingrich has also expressed his reservations but remained relatively less critical than his other two counterparts. On the other hand, Grover Norquist and other Tea Party advocates are in the favour of reducing the budget in lieu of streamlining of the activities of the Pentagon.
It’s obvious that the country’s influence and prestige is directly correlated with its military strength and the USA is no exception. Currently, the USA is on a high position, but it has to balance out its national security interests against economic interests. Putting it crudely, if the sequestration comes in to effect, one should expect many US bases overseas to be closed down.
Along with suspension, if not the cancellation of new procurement programmes such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme. On the flip side, some view the budget cut as a means of financially restructuring the Pentagon’s spending patterns which has been plagued by bureaucratic inefficiencies. Only time will tell whether the so-called doomsday mechanism comes in to effect.
However, it remains clear that the United States is at a crossroad at the moment where either path is shrouded with uncertainty.
SHEHARYAR KHALID
Lahore
