Wampum

Across the board cuts are what policy makers do who either suffer from institutional ADD, or institutional MPD, that is, either lack time on task to acquire meaningful clue, or possessed by multiple "voices" which command them to stand and sit, to go left and right, to stop and start, simultaniously. Secretary of Defense Rumsford promised just such a cut, somewhere between 5% and 11% of "excess military infrastructure".

But is the recommendation he sent to the Hill this morning untargeted? Is the best description the across the board bogie of between 5 and 11 percent? Or is there targeting?

8th Air Force, 2nd Bomb Wing (B-52): Hunter AFB GA and Barksdale AFB LA: Not on the list.
8th Air Force, 5th Bomb Wing (B-52): Minot AFB ND: Not on the list.
8th Air Force, 509th Bomb Wing (B-2): Whiteman SFB MO: Not on the list.

12th Air Force, 7th Bomb Wing (B-1B): Dyess AFB TX: Not on the list.
12th Air Force, 28th Bomb Wing (B-1B): Ellsworth AFB SD: On the list. Details forthcoming on the next stop for the 12th AF 28th BW.

In the "War against Terror", most of these assets serve little useful purpose other than hauling tactical munitions strategic distances to deploy in tactical theaters, at rediculous expense, but very photogenically.

20th Air Force, 90th Space Wing (500 Minuteman II and 50 Peacekeeper missiles siloed in Colorado, Montana, Nebrasca, North Dakota and Wyoming): Warren AFB WY, Minot AFB NF, Malstrom AFB MT: Not on the list.

In the "War against Terror", most of these assets serve little purpose other than proping up claims that ICBMs are protecting America from something.

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Georgia is not on the list.

In the "War against Terror", the Atlantic SSBN fleet too serves little present purpose other than proping up claims that ICBMs are protecting America from something.

As some of the 118 nations in the Non-Alligned Movement managed to point out, via Egypt earlier this week at the 7th NPT RC, these systems are in fact protecting America from something. They are protecting America from the committments it made at the 6th NPT RC in 2000, When Bill Clinton, Bill Cohen, and Madeline Albright held the jobs of POTUS, SecDef and SecState, respectively. Committments to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

That's a hit.