Washington Pulse

December 2005

Iraq Likely to Split Three Ways?

The conflict in Iraq consistently is mischaracterized as a “war on terrorism,” when in fact it is a civil war, says Mark Herman, vice president of the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

The struggle is really about how much power the Sunnis can garner. “No matter what happens with the Iraqi Constitution, anything is going to be less than what the Sunnis had under the Saddam Hussein regime,” Herman said. “We are standing there, trying to do something they don’t want us to do: remove Sunni power.” The upshot will be continuing violence against Americans and the escalation of a civil war among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. “The word terrorism there is misapplied,” he adds. “It’s always been pretty much unmanageable without a dictator. Now it’s going to devolve into three states.”

U.S. Industrial Capacity Found Lacking

The shortage of suppliers of critical war items continues to be a source of consternation for buyers of military equipment, says the Army’s senior procurement official.

“The service economy is great if you don’t have to field an army,” says Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Yakovac Jr., military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition. Slower-than-desired deliveries of armored trucks, body armor and other key supplies are caused by a lack of industrial capacity, Yakovac tells an industry conference. “You need some type of indigenous manufacturing capability … That’s been our problem. Nobody wants to hear it. But there have been some things we’ve been slow to provide because there is no industrial base, or there is just one supplier.”

According to an Army Materiel Command official, current industrial shortages include ballistic protection materials for body armor, armored steel for Humvees and the newest jamming devices used to detonate roadside bombs in Iraq, known as CREW-2.

Truck Fleet Will be ‘Common’ for Army, Marines

The Army and the Marine Corps appear to be at odds on what type of truck they would like to buy to replace the ubiquitous Humvee. The Army is seeking a “light utility” truck, while the Marine Corps envisions a “combat tactical vehicle.”

But with Pentagon budgets becoming tighter, the services will not be allowed to buy two different fleets of vehicles, and have been directed to consolidate their requirements so they can acquire a common fleet. This will be a “challenge,” says Army Brig. Gen. John Bartley Jr., program executive officer for combat support. “The Humvee replacement will be joint program with the Marine Corps … but both services use the Humvee differently.” The Marines want room for six passengers, the Army wants seating for four. They have to achieve some sort of compromise before 2007, when the Army expects to award procurement contracts for new trucks. “We’ll come to closure on what the requirements are,” Bartley says.

NATO Chief Worries About China

Marine Gen. James Jones, military chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and head of the U.S. European Command, is worried about growing Chinese influence in Africa. “It’s beyond question that China is the most aggressive country economically in Africa,” he tells reporters. China is seeking closer ties with nations in the oil-rich continent, especially Sudan, to sate its rapidly increasing appetite for energy, he added.

The United States needs to do more in the region, Jones says. He quoted one African diplomat as saying: “We love the United States. You’re always telling us what we should do. Now, China is giving us the things that you say we need.” Beijing, Jones says, is flooding the region with free scholarships in China and aid both in the economic and military sectors. “It’s something we have to worry about.”

Reported by Sandra I. Erwin and Harold Kennedy

Back To Top