MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - The current level of defense spending in the United States is too low, which is a result of administration policy and Republican Party’s standing on the issue, Paul J. Saunders, the executive director of the Center of the National Interest, told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
“I think the current level of defense spending is probably too low. … Current defense cuts are of course a consequence of both administration's policy and of divisions over defense spending within the Republican Party,” Saunders said.
Saunders added that “the administration has not made an effort to address the greater problem in the federal budget, which is unsustainable entitlement programs.”
The US defense spending is not only a matter of internal concerns but also of interest for the international community that monitors these issues and draws certain conclusions.
“I agree with the broad statement that other governments, whether allies or rivals, assess US defense spending levels and draw conclusions about American foreign policy. In practice, of course, they also evaluate US conduct – high spending on procurement and preparedness is different from high spending on operations (wars) or on military health care,” the executive director said.
These comments come in light of the report of the Pentagon on the US defense strategy.
Upon evaluation of the report, the National Defense Panel and the US Institute of Peace came to a conclusion that Obama’s defense budget cuts were dangerous and put the country in a position where it might be unable to respond to threats to the nation’s security.
