Article

2015-03-27 Arabia

On Yemen - CAPTAIN ROBERT A. NEWSON, MILITARY FELLOW - CFR

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Posted by 3dc 2015-03-27 00:26|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 So, for example, shipments of materials in Yemen would arrive based on equipment availability or supplier timelines, not when we actually needed them to be there, or not be there. Oftentimes a huge shipment of supplies or weapons would arrive at the same time we were trying to play a little hard ball with them and it undermined our efforts. So we argued to zero effect that U.S. assistance efforts should be conditional and adjusted to conditions on the ground; it should be a pull from guys forward rather than a push from contractors or the system.

This speaks volumes. Our whole approach toward military assistance in dysfunctional - because it is driven by factors other than what fighters on the ground need.

Instead, it is based on "consuming" surplus equipment/supplies in order to make military contractors rich, and on delivering high $$$$ supplies, so as to allow some bureaucrat somewhere to "make his number" - even if it is delivering sand to the Sahara, or delivering ice to Eskimos.

It's all travesty.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2015-03-27 00:49|| 2015-03-27 00:49|| Front Page Top

#2 Excellent piece 3dc.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-03-27 01:25|| 2015-03-27 01:25|| Front Page Top

#3 Good article--informative.

Posted by JohnQC 2015-03-27 16:43|| 2015-03-27 16:43|| Front Page Top

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