Don't About the Forget the Future Wars

Time Magazine today analyzed David Petraus’ promotion to head CENTCOM:

Gates has made clear that wants commanders able to carry out the messy, irregular kind of combat championed by Petraeus that the Defense Secretary envisages the U.S. fighting for years to come. The promotion reinforces the message he delivered to young Air Force and Army officers on Monday, when he criticized their leaders for devoting too much time and effort to future potential wars, and not enough to the real wars now under way.

While our military should adopt tactics that will provide military advantage in Afghanistan and Iraq, exclusively focusing on these conflicts endangers our national security. The enemies America fights in the “War on Terror” will never possess the resources to inflict catastrophic harm inside the United States. By contrast, a future war with a country like China easily could result in unprecedented domestic destruction.

Instead of a myopic focus on today’s conflicts, the military should engage in a two-tracked policy that defends the U.S. and our allies against Islamic extremism while at the same time protects America from more serious future threats.

-Law Dude