On Thursday, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford sailed through his hours-long confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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He explained that his assessment was based on Russia’s nuclear power as well as “the capability to violate the sovereignty of our allies and to do things that are inconsistent with our national interests but are in the process of doing”.
Relations between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated to a post-Cold War low since Russia annexed Crimea previous year and began backing Russian-speaking separatists in Ukraine’s east.
“But even as Russian troops and equipment execute this neo-imperial campaign to undermine Ukraine’s government and independence, the United States has refused Ukraine the weapons it needs and deserves for its defense”. The chairman meets with leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard to craft US military strategy. He led USA and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014.
Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford said during his Senate confirmation hearing that without that kind of military assistance, Ukrainian forces will not be able to “defend themselves against Russian aggression”. Such efforts “help to both weaken terrorist groups and Iran’s ability to support them”, Dunford said.
Asked how the United States should respond, Dunford said: “From my perspective, if confirmed, my role will be to provide the president with a full range of options to deal with these cyber attacks, which is what the OPM breach was”.
But Dunford clarified that his inclusion of China was a function of USA interests in the Pacific and China’s rapidly advancing military capabilities. Of the nine lines of effort, the Defense Department has two: to deny the enemy sanctuary and to build Iraqi and Syrian forces.
He added, “They’re creating, I think – they’re exacerbating, at least – the Sunni-Shia sectarianism across the region”.
Dunford said a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a significant national security risk to the U.S, especially if Tehran also had the technology to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Dunford was largely cautious in his written responses, repeating the often-heard US contention that some progress is being made against IS but that challenges remain in what promises to be a long fight.
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Dunford also addressed what sequestration – spending caps that will take effect October 1 in the absence of congressional action to change budget law – would do to American security.
