Mullin’ Over the International Affairs Budget

Echoing repeated calls by other military leaders, including Secretary Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said in a speech Wednesday evening that greater national security investments need to be made in agencies, such as the State Department. “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,” he said. “My fear, quite frankly, is that we aren’t moving fast enough in this regard.” Adm. Mullen lamented that the military has become the first, not the last, resort for US policymakers in many regards. “It’s one thing to be able and willing to serve as emergency responders, quite another to always have to be the fire chief.”

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