Neil Abercrombie: “with the President making his remarks today on missile defense, I think we need to recognize unprecedented political…”

“with the President making his remarks today on missile defense, I think we need to recognize unprecedented political challenges loom on the strategic horizon. Current U.S. defense force planning is set within an atmosphere of great uncertainty. Historic rivals of the United States, such as the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc nations, have either disintegrated altogether or lost much of their competitive influence. Regional state actors, particularly on the Asian continent, show signs of future ascendancy on the world political stage. Other nation states, some exhibiting anti-U.S. bent, continue to challenge American allies and interests around the world, even as U.S. peacekeeping and peacemaking commitments evolve. The very definition of American interests is in transition as varied threats emerge in the post-Cold War world. International corruption, organized crime, and the production, trade, and trafficking of illicit narcotics is on the rise. These transnational threats contribute to the instability of political systems abroad, the violation of U.S. borders, and often represent a threat to social conditions in the United States. The threat of terrorism, both state and non-state sponsored, has grown in significance and Americans have increasingly become targets for attackers abroad.”