Iraq as a democracy in our own image is a foolish dream. The State Department will now be expected to be the firewall against its descent back into chaos. Be ready with the fire hoses … um, sorry, Congress had just slashed the money for the fire hoses. –Diplopundit
What I wanted to point out here is that there are several forces that are at play, that might result in contributing to DoS and WPS failure. Congress has never really been excited about funding DoS and has always thrown way more money at defense related initiatives. (thanks to defense industry lobbyists). To get Congress to recognize the value of DoS is like pulling teeth. But folks like the DoS are essential to soft power initiatives and solving problems diplomatically, as opposed to killing people in costly wars. Remember that whole Sun Tzu quote about winning a war without fighting?
With today’s penny pinching endeavors as a result of the economy, or lack of a coherent energy policy, or the cost of fighting two ‘costly’ wars for close to ten years, there is more of an effort to cut costs. Which is good to a point, and I would love to see government get smaller and more efficient. But common sense should be applied to some of these cost cutting initiatives, and especially where lives are on the line.
There are some areas that should not be cut or messed with, because the consequences of not properly funding these functions of government could have grave consequence. Specifically, the DoS mission in places like Iraq or Afghanistan. And to really boil it down, when agencies get less money to effectively handle projects that are vital to the stability of an already weakened country like Iraq, then you start to see the really negative effects. Things like a lack of, or poor condition of equipment or weapons for security contractors. Or the amount of oversight decreases or is not fulfilled, because there is no money for such things.
The other forces at play is the public desire to just pull out of these wars, and not care about these programs that we have invested billions of dollars in. This public opinion fuels Congress, and in order to politically survive, they must meet the demands of the public. That is democracy, but it also could lead to half measures or poorly funded programs that really do need sufficient support in order to be successful. I will not sit here and say we should do one thing or the other, and my only goal here is to show the potential consequences of such things. I would hate to see this industry get thrown under the bus once again, all because of the politics of the war.
Which by the way, I really would like to hear more from the WPS folks, both DoS and contractors, as to how your program is going? The public and this industry needs to know if your operations are negatively impacted because of these political factors. I will really be mad and sad, if men and women die or get hurt because of these poorly funded and managed initiatives. You are either all in, or all out, and half measures and poor funding can have dangerous consequence. Congress and the public needs to hear it as well.
Another point I wanted to make is WPS will be vital for the ‘other’ DoS missions out there as a result of the Arab Spring. The cards are being re-shuffled in the middle east and diplomatic missions in these countries will be vital for national interest. These are dangerous times, and security for these diplomatic missions is essential. Congress should do all it can to ensure DoS and it’s security apparatus is successful, because lives and national interest are on the line.
Oh, and the main stream media might be easily influenced by the winds of politics, but this blog is not, and I am concerned with the reality on the ground. I want to know if this industry is getting a fair shot at success out there, or if they are being set up for failure. Of course I want our industry to provide an excellent service to it’s clients, but I am also wary of the factors that are out of the hands of private industry. That way, at the end of the day, we can point the finger at what really was the cause of failure as opposed to letting folks with personal or political agendas define the causes and reasons for failure. Please check out the four articles I have posted below, and let me know what you think? –Matt
Budget woes poised to hit State Department hard
By KATE BRANNEN
June 2, 2011
The State Department’s budget has already taken a hit in 2011, but it appears that its finances will be squeezed even tighter just as the department is trying to regain ground lost to the Pentagon over the past decade.
In the final budget resolution passed for 2011, Congress agreed to provide $48 billion for State and foreign operations. This marked an $8.4 billion reduction from the president’s budget request. It was also $504 million less than the department received in 2010.
For 2012 spending, the House Appropriations Committee announced that it plans to cut $11 billion from the State Department and foreign operations budget request of $47 billion. This includes funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development.