Replacing diplomacy, the military is dominating the US foreign policy, America’s top military officer has admitted, reported The Christian Science Monitor on Thursday, March 4.
“US foreign policy is still too dominated by the military, too dependent upon the generals and admirals who lead our major overseas commands and not enough on the State Department,” Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the S Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a speech at Kansas State University.
Mullen said that the US military is a vital tool of national power.
"It's one thing to be able and willing to serve as emergency responders, quite another to always have to be fire chief," he said.
“(But it) should never be the only tool.”
Mullen echoed a similar warning by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that a "creeping militarization" was moving to take over the US foreign policy.
US President Barack Obama already called last year for balancing the military’s role with diplomacy.
"My fear, quite frankly, is that we aren't moving fast enough in this regard," Mullen lamented.
Under the former administration of George W. Bush, the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq as part of its so-called “war on terror”.
Almost nine years after Afghanistan’s invasion, the US is still engaged in a deadly fighting with resilient Taliban.
In Iraq, the US is mulling to delay its scheduled troop withdrawal over political turmoil stemming from a controversial disqualification of hundreds of candidates over alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
“Soft Power”
Mullen warned that the increasing dependence on the military force harms America’s global influence.
“We should expect to see that influence diminish over time," he said.
America’s relations with the Muslim world have soared over the Afghan and Iraq wars.
Since coming to the Oval Office, Obama has promised to improve relations with the Muslim world.
Mullen urged the US administration to rely more on diplomacy and “soft power” other than the military force.
"We ought to make it a pre-condition of committing our troops -- that we will do so only if and when the other instruments of national power are ready to engage as well."
Mullen laid out three "principles" that he said should govern the use of the military.
He said the military should not be the last resort of the state but should be complemented by vigorous diplomacy and other civilian efforts.
Military force should be used in "a precise and principled way" to protect innocent lives, he said.
The top military officer also said that policy-making cannot be separated from military strategy and debate among civilian and military leaders should be encouraged.
“US foreign policy is still too dominated by the military, too dependent upon the generals and admirals who lead our major overseas commands and not enough on the State Department,” Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the S Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a speech at Kansas State University.
Mullen said that the US military is a vital tool of national power.
"It's one thing to be able and willing to serve as emergency responders, quite another to always have to be fire chief," he said.
“(But it) should never be the only tool.”
Mullen echoed a similar warning by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that a "creeping militarization" was moving to take over the US foreign policy.
US President Barack Obama already called last year for balancing the military’s role with diplomacy.
"My fear, quite frankly, is that we aren't moving fast enough in this regard," Mullen lamented.
Under the former administration of George W. Bush, the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq as part of its so-called “war on terror”.
Almost nine years after Afghanistan’s invasion, the US is still engaged in a deadly fighting with resilient Taliban.
In Iraq, the US is mulling to delay its scheduled troop withdrawal over political turmoil stemming from a controversial disqualification of hundreds of candidates over alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
“Soft Power”
Mullen warned that the increasing dependence on the military force harms America’s global influence.
“We should expect to see that influence diminish over time," he said.
America’s relations with the Muslim world have soared over the Afghan and Iraq wars.
Since coming to the Oval Office, Obama has promised to improve relations with the Muslim world.
Mullen urged the US administration to rely more on diplomacy and “soft power” other than the military force.
"We ought to make it a pre-condition of committing our troops -- that we will do so only if and when the other instruments of national power are ready to engage as well."
Mullen laid out three "principles" that he said should govern the use of the military.
He said the military should not be the last resort of the state but should be complemented by vigorous diplomacy and other civilian efforts.
Military force should be used in "a precise and principled way" to protect innocent lives, he said.
The top military officer also said that policy-making cannot be separated from military strategy and debate among civilian and military leaders should be encouraged.
