suedanim
06-05-2008, 11:46 PM
Too bad we can't OUST Bush, Cheney, Rice, Hadley and the rest of those scoundrels.
Gates Ousts Air Force Leaders Over Nuclear Handling (Update1)
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJZrvQPH56ds&refer=home)By Bill Arthur
June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Robert+Gates&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) said he asked Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Michael+Moseley&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Michael+Wynne&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) to resign because of a ``pattern of poor performance'' in handling nuclear weapon materials.
``The focus of the Air Force leadership has drifted with perhaps its most sensitive mission,'' Gates said at a Pentagon news conference today. ``We needed a change of leadership to bring a new perspective and especially to underscore the importance of accountability.''
One example of poor performance was the erroneous shipment to Taiwan of devices that arm and fuse nuclear weapons, Gates said. Another was the flight of a B-52 bomber from North Dakota to Louisiana carrying six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
``It was the second incident that prompted me to believe that there were serious, systemic problems here,'' Gates said.
He cited a report by Navy Admiral Kirkland Donald, director of naval nuclear propulsion, that concluded there has been an ``overall decline in Air Force nuclear weapons stewardship.''
The incidents never were a threat to Air Force personnel or the public, Gates said.
``Despite the fact there was no compromise of technology, despite the fact there was no danger involved, the fact that the stewardship itself and declining standards raised questions in the minds of the public as well as internationally in my view required strong action,'' he said.
`Read With Regret'
Wynne said in a resignation letter to Gates that he has been ``a long-time proponent of accepting responsibility and being accountable for actions and activities within our Air Force. He said he ``read with regret'' Donald's report and therefore offered his resignation.
In a draft of a press release, Moseley said that ``as the Air Force's senior uniformed leader, I take full responsibility for events which have hurt the Air Force's reputation or raised a question of every airman's commitment to our core values.''
Senator Carl Levin (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Carl+Levin&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1), a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: ``Secretary Gates' focus on accountability is essential and had been absent from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for too long. The safety and security of America's nuclear weapons must receive the highest priority, just as it must in other countries.''
Other Reasons Cited
Loren Thompson (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Loren+Thompson&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1), a defense analyst at Lexington Institute in Arlington, Virginia, said the stewardship of nuclear weapons is ``only part'' of the reason for the firings.
``The real reasons are numerous and go to spending priorities, mission performance and style,'' Thompson said in an interview.
``The three big issues: were nuclear stewardship, F-22, and intelligence for Iraq. Gates complained the Air Force has not been responsive providing intelligence for soldiers in Iraq,'' Thompson said.
Thompson said the shake-up would ``be detrimental'' to service efforts to make its case in the budgeting process and in the dispute over the selection of Northrop Grumman Corp. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=NOC%3AUS) over Boeing Co. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=BA%3AUS) for its tanker program.
``The service has now lost its key spokespersons for its priorities. We may not have a service secretary again for nearly a year,'' Thompson said.
The Government Accountability Office ``is going to offer an opinion on Boeing's tanker protest by June 19,'' he noted. ``It will be much harder for the Air Force to respond with senior leaders gone.''
President George W. Bush (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=George+W.+Bush&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) nominated Wynne to the top Air Force post in August 2005. At that time he was the Defense Department's No. 2 acquisition official. Wynne received his bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as a captain in the Air Force. He received master's degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the University of Colorado.
Moseley, a 37-year Air Force veteran, took office in November 2005.
To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Schmick (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Bill+Schmick&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) in Washington at wschmick@bloomberg.net (wschmick@bloomberg.net)
Last Updated: June 5, 2008 17:07 EDT
Gates Ousts Air Force Leaders Over Nuclear Handling (Update1)
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJZrvQPH56ds&refer=home)By Bill Arthur
June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Robert+Gates&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) said he asked Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Michael+Moseley&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Michael+Wynne&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) to resign because of a ``pattern of poor performance'' in handling nuclear weapon materials.
``The focus of the Air Force leadership has drifted with perhaps its most sensitive mission,'' Gates said at a Pentagon news conference today. ``We needed a change of leadership to bring a new perspective and especially to underscore the importance of accountability.''
One example of poor performance was the erroneous shipment to Taiwan of devices that arm and fuse nuclear weapons, Gates said. Another was the flight of a B-52 bomber from North Dakota to Louisiana carrying six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
``It was the second incident that prompted me to believe that there were serious, systemic problems here,'' Gates said.
He cited a report by Navy Admiral Kirkland Donald, director of naval nuclear propulsion, that concluded there has been an ``overall decline in Air Force nuclear weapons stewardship.''
The incidents never were a threat to Air Force personnel or the public, Gates said.
``Despite the fact there was no compromise of technology, despite the fact there was no danger involved, the fact that the stewardship itself and declining standards raised questions in the minds of the public as well as internationally in my view required strong action,'' he said.
`Read With Regret'
Wynne said in a resignation letter to Gates that he has been ``a long-time proponent of accepting responsibility and being accountable for actions and activities within our Air Force. He said he ``read with regret'' Donald's report and therefore offered his resignation.
In a draft of a press release, Moseley said that ``as the Air Force's senior uniformed leader, I take full responsibility for events which have hurt the Air Force's reputation or raised a question of every airman's commitment to our core values.''
Senator Carl Levin (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Carl+Levin&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1), a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: ``Secretary Gates' focus on accountability is essential and had been absent from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for too long. The safety and security of America's nuclear weapons must receive the highest priority, just as it must in other countries.''
Other Reasons Cited
Loren Thompson (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Loren+Thompson&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1), a defense analyst at Lexington Institute in Arlington, Virginia, said the stewardship of nuclear weapons is ``only part'' of the reason for the firings.
``The real reasons are numerous and go to spending priorities, mission performance and style,'' Thompson said in an interview.
``The three big issues: were nuclear stewardship, F-22, and intelligence for Iraq. Gates complained the Air Force has not been responsive providing intelligence for soldiers in Iraq,'' Thompson said.
Thompson said the shake-up would ``be detrimental'' to service efforts to make its case in the budgeting process and in the dispute over the selection of Northrop Grumman Corp. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=NOC%3AUS) over Boeing Co. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=BA%3AUS) for its tanker program.
``The service has now lost its key spokespersons for its priorities. We may not have a service secretary again for nearly a year,'' Thompson said.
The Government Accountability Office ``is going to offer an opinion on Boeing's tanker protest by June 19,'' he noted. ``It will be much harder for the Air Force to respond with senior leaders gone.''
President George W. Bush (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=George+W.+Bush&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) nominated Wynne to the top Air Force post in August 2005. At that time he was the Defense Department's No. 2 acquisition official. Wynne received his bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as a captain in the Air Force. He received master's degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the University of Colorado.
Moseley, a 37-year Air Force veteran, took office in November 2005.
To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Schmick (http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Bill+Schmick&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1) in Washington at wschmick@bloomberg.net (wschmick@bloomberg.net)
Last Updated: June 5, 2008 17:07 EDT