McCain plan gains momentum amid North Korea threats

[corbe]

McCain plan gains momentum amid North Korea threats

 By Rebecca Kheel - 04/30/17 07:30 AM EDT 

Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) push for a $7.5 billion fund to bulk up the U.S. military’s capabilities in the Asia-Pacific is gaining momentum as tensions with North Korea mount.

The commander of U.S. forces in the region threw his support behind the idea this week, and experts say that such a fund would signal U.S. commitment to the region.

“This kind of money can help us bring together our allies and partners,” said Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. “This could be a very good return on investment if we spend it well, including for deterrence on North Korea.”

The fund, known as the Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative, was proposed in January as a long-term plan to provide a counterweight to China’s growing capabilities. But the proposal has gained more visibility amid the intensifying concerns over North Korea and its nuclear program.

Satellite imagery has indicated leader Kim Jong Un is primed to conduct Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test, though two North Korean celebrations have passed without it.

In the meantime, North Korea has upped its bellicose rhetoric, threatening to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier and deliver a nuclear strike on Australia.

President Trump has also hardened his language, telling Reuters on Thursday that “major, major” conflict with North Korea is possible. A U.S. carrier strike group is also headed toward the peninsula, and a guided missile submarine made a port visit in South Korea this week in a show of force.

In addition to the developments in North Korea, this week saw China launch its first domestically built aircraft carrier, a sign of the country’s growing military strength.

At two Senate Armed Services Committee hearings this week on strategy in the Pacific, McCain, the committee's chairman, touted his proposal.

“This initiative could enhance U.S. military power through targeted funding to realign our force posture in the region, improve operationally relevant infrastructure, fund additional exercises, preposition equipment and build capacity with our allies and partners,” McCain said Thursday.

Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, agreed.

“I'd like to thank Chairman McCain and this committee for proposing and supporting the Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative,” Harris said at Thursday’s hearing. “This effort will reassure our regional partners and send a strong signal to potential adversaries of our persistent commitment to the region.”

Harris added later that he only has half the submarines he thinks he needs and that he is worried about a shortfall of munitions.

Asked after the hearing whether he thinks Harris’s endorsement shows momentum for his proposal, McCain said, “Oh yeah.”

Further asked whether the fund could be included in this year’s annual defense policy bill, McCain said, “Yes.”

The proposal, which would provide $1.5 billion per year for five years, is similar to the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) to counter a resurgent Russia. That initiative has funded new deployments of armored combat brigade teams and equipment, as well as improvements to infrastructure.

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command and previously commander of U.S. Forces Korea, has said he could see a similar initiative being helpful in the Pacific.

“It certainly could be a concept used in the Pacific,” Scaparrotti told the House Armed Services Committee last month. “But I think what's important, and what's important even within ERI, is that we have, you know, a predictable funding into the future. Because really, as a military, that's most helpful. It allows us to plan ahead and set objectives in the future and know that we'll be funded to reach that and set the readiness that we need.”

Former officials have also said they support the proposal.

“I'm supportive of the initiative in part because we need to stem the bleeding,” Kelly Magsamen, a former principal deputy assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs from 2014 to 2017, told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

“I think it goes back to the larger point of the United States needs to be seen strategically as investing in this part of the world. And you know, there is signaling value beyond just the sort of regular value, the actual value of the initiative.”

Anthony Ruggiero, a North Korea expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said even if the funding is used more to counter China in places like the South China Sea, it could help with North Korea as well, as a greater U.S. military presence in the region could convince Beijing to curb Pyongyang.

“China is only going to act if their own interests start to be threatened,” he said.

<..snip..>

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/331173-mccain-plan-gains-momentum-amid-north-korea-threats

[geronl]

bomb NK with bricks of $100 bills?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

"Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) push for a $7.5 billion fund to bulk up the U.S. military’s capabilities in the Asia-Pacific is gaining momentum as tensions with North Korea mount.

The commander of U.S. forces in the region threw his support behind the idea this week"

So this commander LIKES the idea of having another $7.5 billion in his budget?  Seriously?

[mountaineer]

Speaking of McCain, I just saw this posted at a FB group of which I'm a member (it's private, so I doubt anyone can read it there, but it's The War Room with Quinn and Rose). Anyway, this was posted by a guy who says he's career military. He also posted a photo of himself in USAF uniform, so I think it's legit:

Because I am a “lifer” in the military, I’ve seen the impact of a president more than many of you can imagine. I enlisted with LBJ and saw just what a Democrat cluster-flock was all about. I went to Vietnam and saw how we were constantly and incessantly bombarded with micromanagement from Washington that got thousands of military people killed. I sometimes wonder if I’ll get to heaven, but if I go to hell, I’m sure I’ll still be a few hundred floors above that bastard Robert McNamara , LBJ, John Kerry, Jane Fonda, and yes, even the “hero” John McCain.

After Johnson “abdicated” rather than having his ass waxed, I lived through Nixon who was hawkish but allowed the generals (and there WERE a few real generals back then versus now) run the show. He was so out of touch that he never knew North Vietnam was about to surrender when the Paris Accord was presented.

Only God could help us after Gerald Ford was beaten by Jimmy Peanuts who’d been funded by Saudi money. The military was turned into Section 8 and even the Whitehouse suffered the austerity.

Then the light began to shine and Ronald Reagan swept into the fray. He not only loved the country and the military, they loved him back. Esprit d’corps was off the scale during his presidency. The Liberals were slowly turning into socialists, however, and about this time all the draft dodgers of the 1960’s who’d been given amnesty by Jimmy Peanuts were turning out college graduates with degrees in socialism.

Bush 1 was an enigma from the CIA and though he never did much either way, he NEVER DID MUCH EITHER WAY.

Welcome to Bill Clinton. Clinton spent most of his two terms wagging the dog and creating the Oral Office, sending a bomber to blow up Qaddafi’s tent and killing a goat or two, while allowing the UN to set up the infamous Black Hawk Down situation. He made history by becoming only the second president to be impeached.

I actually felt sorry for Bush 2. He was doomed to infamy from the start. He thought most of America was still the rah rah patriots of WWII when they were simply socialists waiting to feed him to the sharks.

Then there came the Manchurian Candidate with a faked (OK Democrats, let’s say “of questionable origin” to assuage your PC brains) birth certificate, who’d gotten a free ride through college under a foreign student exemption, and whose college records and complete life history had been sealed. (We know more about Thomas Jefferson’s bastard children than we do about Obama, Michelle, OR their two kids.) From his inaugural address, he slandered America and within days had begun to encourage dissension of the races as well as slandering police who “acted stupidly.” That was mild to the crap that would come in doubling the national debt from what had been built by ALL THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS COMBINED, feeding us bullshit about how Muslims built this country, and nationalizing American industries. Fueled by George Soros’ money and using the Air Force fleet as his personal charters, he appointed malcontents and traitors into positions of authority. He trashed the Constitution by installing “czars” (interesting he chose a title like that) to bypass Congressional authority. By that time, Congress was completely corrupt on both sides of the aisle. No one had balls to impeach this charlatan.

Mysteriously, the lone outspoken conservative Supreme Court Justice suddenly dies in his sleep at an Obama pal’s hunting lodge and the Supreme Court is evenly split. Finally, Congress shows some balls and rejects Obama’s nomination. The Libertards aren’t worried because the fix is in. Soros has paid demonstrators to cause turmoil at all the Republican gatherings, Obama concedes that illegal aliens should vote as they won’t be prosecuted, and Soros-manufactured voting machines are caught switching votes in certain precincts. Hillary has cheated her way to the nomination and her lies are completely ignored by the brainwashed minions of sycophants who follow her.

But a shocking thing happened on the way to the forum.

Middle America had had enough and although the pollsters and the pipers tried to convince them not even to bother to vote, they were fed up with the denizens of the swamp. It was time. Florida was designated a “swing” state ignoring that all those old retirees living in St. Petersburg, and the fed up Cuban Americans of Miami weren’t interested in their platform. Ohio and Pennsylvania, where coal production was blacklisted and where Obama had ridiculed them for “clinging to their Bibles and their guns,” lay awaiting this supposed “landslide” Hillary vote and creamed it.

The Socialist world of the Democratic Party disintegrated. An American who expressed unbridled love of country and respect for police, firemen, and military steamrolled across the heartland and the liberals realized their scheme was trashed. A CONSTITUTIONALIST would be nominated to the Supreme Court and if the old hag Ginsburg who’d claimed to retire if Trump were elected would actually leave, the Supreme Court would have a massive majority of CONSTITUTIONALISTS for the next 40-50 years.

Now, the same party who’d ridiculed Trump on his comments about the election being rigged, started screaming that the election was rigged. They even advocated having the election repeated. They created mobs that burned and pillaged, stopped traffic, threatened murder, battery and rape of Trump supporters, and became the anarchists that the socialist dream thrives upon. They run like castrated pigs for safe zones and use diaper pins as their national symbol.

This is exactly what happens when political correctness takes over and participation trophies are awarded to everyone. They can’t conceive how disgusting and subservient they have become. Donald Trump may NOT be the best person for the job, but he’s such a welcome respite from the candy-assed whimps who’ve been running the swamp that it’s refreshing to see. At the very least, Donald Trump derailed the Socialist train and bought us precious time. If he only does half of what he’s promised, we’ll still be legions ahead of where Obama has dragged us. Already countries who held us in contempt are lining up to be found in the favor of America.

So for you liberal lurkers and you half-assed fence-sitters. You had your big hurrah and now your party is over. For you staunch Republicans in office, don’t gloat so much yourselves. You’ve been put on notice by the American people that we’re fed up with ALL YOU BASTARDS and if you don’t start putting America first, you do so at your own peril. You might want to buy a copy of George McGovern’s autobiography and see how shocking and humbling it can be for a professional politician to have to try to find legitimate work once he falls from grace.

This election was pure, unadulterated AMERICAN. Hillary got beaten and AMERICA WON THE ELECTION. You can claim he’s not “your president” all you want, but unless you forfeit your American citizenship,

YES HE IS!!!!

Go cry a river some place they need water.