Our New National Security Strategy: America Promises to Come Back

This work on the planning for budget cuts in the U.S. military the last two years of the Bush Administration has been overtaken by events but could have value as a guide to coming defense battles. Written by a former naval officer with senior-level Pentagon experience, it represents a knowledgeable view of the George Bush and Colin Powell post-Cold War strategy; that is, focusing on regional crises, limiting defense reductions to 25 percent and maintaining a robust "base force." Considerable concern and skepticism could be heard from within the services as programs and careers were about to be curtailed. Tritten gives us an insider's view that suffers a bit from being almost too balanced. In the Clinton administration, deficit reduction is likely to lead to still deeper cuts, and the turmoil depicted here could be far greater. Those charged with making further adjustments to a new world and its changed defense needs could profit from this glance at recent history.