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Gordon Adams Guest

Gordon Adams

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American University / Foreign Policy magazine

Professor of US Foreign Policy at American University and Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center; Columnist for Foreign Policy magazine and co-author of Buying National Security: How America Plans and Pays for Its Global Role and Security at Home; former fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars (2006-2007) and former Professor of International Relations at George Washington University; former Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (1993-1997)

FROM Gordon Adams

Reality Check: politics and the military

Reality Check: politics and the military Military strength and defense spending have been political footballs in every presidential campaign since the end of the Second World War. Now, the US spends more on troops and weapons than the next nine countries combined, while Donald Trump insists that we're weaker than ever. But insiders say Hillary Clinton sounds more likely to resort to force in foreign struggles the US can't resolve — or escape from once it's entangled. Where do they stand not just on traditional preparedness, but on the future of warfare in the cyberworld?

34 MIN, 22 SEC Oct 05, 2016

Aerospace Comes Back to the Antelope Valley

Which Way, L.A.?

Aerospace Comes Back to the Antelope Valley Even by aerospace standards, the numbers are stunning: 100 new Stealth bombers to be built in the Antelope Valley, thousands of new jobs, and all paid for with $60 billion in federal funds -- with production cost overruns likely to push that much higher. That's the economic windfall from one of the biggest contracts in Pentagon history, won by Northrop-Grumman in competition with Boeing and Lockheed.

16 MIN, 6 SEC Oct 29, 2015

What's Next for the US Army?

What's Next for the US Army? After 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, plans call for reducing the size of the US Army. But, even though the days of soldiers massed on sprawling battlefields are long over, retiring Chief of Staff, General Ray Odierno, says he’s worried about the future.

35 MIN, 5 SEC Oct 16, 2014

Escalation of Violence in Ferguson Missouri

Escalation of Violence in Ferguson Missouri For more than 10 days, heavily armed officers in body armor and SWAT vehicles have clashed with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. The use of military equipment against peaceful protesters backfired on local police, producing an escalation of violence. Members of Congress, including presidential prospect Rand Paul, are pointing fingers at the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. Washington gives heavy weapons, riot gear and armored personnel carriers to police forces who aren’t trained to use them, even if they needed to. We’ll hear how long-term policies have led to unintended consequences.

35 MIN, 45 SEC Aug 19, 2014

Kerry, Military Advisors and the US's Role in Stopping ISIS in Iraq

Kerry, Military Advisors and the US's Role in Stopping ISIS in Iraq This weekend the militant Islamic group ISIS captured two major border crossings and 4 cities in the north and west of Iraq. Last week as the insurgency intensified, President Obama offered military advisors to help the struggling Iraqi military, but no boots on the ground. Today Secretary of State John Kerry assured Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the US support in Iraq will be “intense and sustained.” After a two-hour meeting with the Prime Minister, Secretary Kerry spoke to the press in Baghdad, repeating calls for the Iraqi leadership to immediately form a more inclusive government. The President may yet order air strikes to help beat back ISIS, which has taken over a large amount of Iraqi territory in a very short time.

35 MIN, 29 SEC Jun 23, 2014

Cuts in the Pentagon: Too Much or Not Enough?

Cuts in the Pentagon: Too Much or Not Enough? Ground wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, at 13 years the longest in American history, are things of the past. Defense against Chinese cyber-warriors or terrorists in Africa won't require tanks, warplanes or massive armies. That's the theory behind Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's proposed cuts in the Pentagon budget. But weapons and manpower mean jobs and corporate profits. Every program Hagel wants on the chopping block has a constituency. Is he really proposing to cut to the core or just scratching the surface of a military bigger than all the rest in the world combined?

34 MIN, 55 SEC Feb 26, 2014

The Pentagon, 'Sequester' and National Security

Which Way, L.A.?

The Pentagon, 'Sequester' and National Security In August, when the White House and Congress failed to agree on taxes and spending, they compromised on what's called "sequester." That means an automatic 10 percent across-the-board cut in domestic spending and in the Pentagon, effective on the first day of next year. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that would be "a disaster" for the Pentagon. How much defense spending does the United States really need? How much can it reasonably afford? Will it really happen or will the White House and Congress kick the can down the road once again?

24 MIN, 53 SEC Oct 18, 2012

The Pentagon, 'Sequester' and National Security

The Pentagon, 'Sequester' and National Security The US plans to spend more on defense next year than the next 17 countries combined. So why is Washington so worried about an automatic 10 percent cut? That's part of what's called "sequester," the deal made by both parties in August, when they failed to agree on an overall federal budget. Now, facing a deadline at the end of this year, Democrats and Republicans call it, "unthinkable," "devastating" and "deeply destructive." Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that would be "a disaster" for the Pentagon. Republican John McCain agrees, and so do both President Obama and Mitt Romney. Why, at a time when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down and many Americans tell pollsters the US can't afford to be the "world's policeman?" Would the US suddenly be weaker? What about jobs? Is this the political club that could finally knock financial sense into the "military-industrial complex?"

35 MIN, 34 SEC Oct 18, 2012

The Super Committee, the Deficit and the Pentagon

Which Way, L.A.?

The Super Committee, the Deficit and the Pentagon The so-called Super Committee has just over two weeks to complete a monumental reduction of America's deficit over the next 10 years. Will it achieve the "Grand Bargain" that eluded the President and House Speaker John Boehner? If it fails, what happens to Pentagon spending?

26 MIN, 36 SEC Nov 08, 2011

What if the Super Committee Fails?

What if the Super Committee Fails? When six members of each party came out from behind closed doors last week, it appeared their Super Committee was deadlocked over spending cuts and taxes. Both sides want to reduce the deficit, but the deadline is just over two weeks away. If the Super Committee fails to make $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by Thanksgiving Day, automatic spending cuts will be triggered across the board. Safety-net programs for the very poor will be exempt, though nothing else will be, which has triggered a raging controversy over the Defense Department, which is already planning reductions as Iraq and Afghanistan wind down. Pentagon supporters claim that further cuts would be "devastating." Will that ever be allowed to happen? Was the Super Committee designed to fail, so as to set up a fundamental debate for next year's Presidential campaign?

35 MIN, 48 SEC Nov 08, 2011

Amid Stiff Budget Cuts, the Pentagon Gets a Raise

Which Way, L.A.?

Amid Stiff Budget Cuts, the Pentagon Gets a Raise As the Senate and Congress decide whether to ratify Friday's budget deal , one department getting an increase is the Pentagon, which spends some 20 percent of America's tax dollars. But critics say it provides both too much and too little of what America needs.

26 MIN, 28 SEC Apr 12, 2011

Is the Pentagon Worth the Money?

Is the Pentagon Worth the Money? Details of budget cuts that kept the government open are now being revealed. Despite some accounting gimmicks, reductions will cause real pain. Bus as the Senate and Congress decide whether to ratify Friday's budget deal , one department getting an increase spends some 20 percent of America's tax dollars. The Pentagon will net a $5 billion increase at a time when some insiders say it's more bloated and less accountable than ever before. On Capitol Hill, it's no secret that the defense budget is impossible to audit and that nobody knows what complex weapons systems really cost. Some insist that the US is preparing for past wars or for wars that will never be fought. Whose interests does it really serve?

38 MIN Apr 12, 2011

Defense Spending and the Federal Deficit

Which Way, L.A.?

Defense Spending and the Federal Deficit A familiar scenario is developing this year on Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has advised President Obama to veto a spending bill that includes the C-17 Cargo plane and an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Those are two projects the Pentagon says it doesn't need, and Gates has warned that the soaring deficit is about to shrink the "gusher" of money that has poured forth since September 11, 2001.

26 MIN, 5 SEC May 24, 2010

Defense Spending, Military Needs and the Federal Deficit

Defense Spending, Military Needs and the Federal Deficit Ever since Dwight Eisenhower warned about "the military-industrial complex," there have been complaints about bloated Pentagon spending. Defense Secretary Robert Gates complains that Congress is, once again, pushing job-creating projects the Pentagon doesn’t want, including a spending bill that includes the C-17 Cargo plane and an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. But critics say Gates has his own recipe for new spending, a Quadrennial Defense Review that calls for ambitious new missions America can’t afford. If Iraq and Afghanistan wind down as expected, will defense spending increase anyway? What about getting the deficit under control?

36 MIN, 42 SEC May 24, 2010

The Fate of the F-22 Fighter Jet

The Fate of the F-22 Fighter Jet President Obama says if Congress votes to spend more money on the F-22, he'll veto the $680 billion military spending bill for next year. The dispute over the warplane has created strange bedfellows. Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts oppose the President's insistence on shutting it down. Obama's principal ally is John McCain of Arizona. Gordon Adams is Professor of US Foreign Policy at American University and distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center.

6 MIN, 45 SEC Jul 14, 2009

After the Non-Binding Iraq Resolution?

After the Non-Binding Iraq Resolution? With the Senate paralyzed this week, the Congress took up the issue of President Bush's increase of 21,500 troops in Iraq . Beginning on Tuesday, every Republican and Democrat got the chance to speak out on a two-sentence resolution declaring support for the troops but opposition to the increase or "surge." With the resolution expected to pass today, the only question is how many Republicans will go along. Since, "non-binding" means there's no requirement on President Bush, and he's already said he'll pay no attention, Democrats--and some Republicans--are under rank-and-file pressure to end the war. What do they do now? Can they cut off the money? Create a "political climate" the president can't ignore or, by that time, will the troop increase already have happened?

34 MIN, 36 SEC Feb 16, 2007

Recommended

The Trump agenda: where's the beef?

The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.

51 MIN, 18 SEC Jun 07, 2017

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan?

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?

51 MIN, 16 SEC May 30, 2017

President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord

Left, Right & Center

President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.

28 MIN, 31 SEC Jun 02, 2017

Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump

Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.

51 MIN, 13 SEC Jun 06, 2017