Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's Comments Sum Up Washington Perfectly

From CBS: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today said as he steps down from his Cabinet post, he will return to his family and walnut farm - "a different set of nuts," he joked to President Obama.

An Interview With U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta

Mark Mann

What I've Learned: Leon Panetta: Secretary of Defense, 74, Arlington, Virginia -- Cal Fussman, Esquire

Panetta served eight terms in Congress and later became President Clinton's chief of staff. He was director of the CIA from 2009 through 2011, a period that included the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Interviewed November 9, 2012

Italians are romantics, and my mother taught me the value of beauty and the appreciation for life. She really wanted me to be a concert pianist. That's always been with me, because every time I sit down and play Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, and Schubert, I think of her.

I sat down with the president yesterday, and we were talking about the election. I told him, "What the American people voted for was the fact that they trust your judgment. They don't always agree with you, but they trust the fact that you're a straight shooter and that you really do want to do what's in the interest of the country." Look, I've seen the president in the Situation Room and policy meetings where you really get the sense that the questions he's asking are never about What's in the interest of my political ass? It's: What's in the interest of the country? And that has always given me a sense of comfort. When a president asks that question, then even though he might come out in the wrong place, even though he might make the wrong decision, he's got the best measure for how you can best help people.

Read more ....

My Comment: He sounds like a man who wants to retire and leave the public spotlight.

U.S. Secretary Of Defense: America Has Not Abandoned The Middle East

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta conducts a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after their meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec 13, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

US Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time -- Leon Panetta, Gulf News

Even as America rebalances towards the Asia-Pacific region, it will retain a significant presence in the Middle East to deter aggression and promote stability.

The US military has entered a period of historic change after more than a decade of war, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. America has ended the war in Iraq; it is implementing an effective transition and drawdown in Afghanistan; and it has seriously weakened Al Qaida’s leadership in the fight against terrorism.

As a result of these efforts and the reality of budget constraints, the US has developed a new defence strategy for the 21st century — one that emphasises agility, technology and force projection. The US has begun to focus on the challenges and opportunities of the future and it is clear that many of them lie in Asia.

Read more ....

My Comment: The U.S. may not be abandoning the Middle East .... but they are certainly retrenching. And with massive defense budget cuts on the horizon .... I (and almost every pundit outside of the U.S.) just do not see the U.S. having the presence and influence that they use to have .... whether it is in the Middle East, Asia, or elsewhere.

Panetta Jokes About Petraeus

 

 Question About David Petraeus Gets A Laugh From Leon Panetta -- CNN 

"You've got to be kidding me." That's how Secretary of Defense and former CIA Director Leon Panetta first responded when asked about David Petraeus's sudden and unceremonial departure from the CIA. The question was asked during an event Tuesday at the National Press Club. "As the former head of the CIA, please explain why Gen. Petraeus was forced to resign, rather than a lesser punishment," an unidentified audience member asked. As soon as the question was asked, Panetta laughed and said, "You've got to be kidding me." He continued: "In this town, with that kind of e-mail, do you think he could have survived as director of the CIA? I don't think so."

Read more ....  

My Comment: And Panetta is 100% right.

U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta Addresses Future Of The Military

 

Panetta Outlines A Busy Future For The U.S. Military -- Defense News

In a wide-ranging speech delivered at National Press Club in Washington on Dec. 18, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta presented a vision of the future that includes a very active role for the U.S. military in a post-Afghanistan world, even as the Pentagon shrinks its end strength and tightens its fiscal belt. Panetta—whose potential replacement may be announced as early as this week—said that the Pentagon has learned the lesson of past postwar draw-downs, “when deep across-the-board cuts hollowed out the force, and left the military demoralized and unready to carry out the missions assigned to it. Instead, we have set priorities and made tough decisions to build the force of the future,” he said.  

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary of Defense Panetta's Speech At The National Press Club In Washington  

Panetta cites budget woes, Afghan war progress -- AP
 ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Threatens Defense Strategy, Panetta Says -- US Department of Defense
Panetta: For sake of troops, Congress must act on "fiscal cliff" -- CBS
 Panetta Cites Budget Woes, Afghan War Progress -- ABC News
Panetta outlines busy future for military -- Air Force Times
DOD chief Panetta fires back at sequestration, outlines the future of a 'leaner, more efficient' fighting force -- al.com Panetta plays troop card to press DC on budget deal -- Foreign Policy
 Panetta: Military Will Still Be Able to Fight Multiple Wars -- National Defense
Panetta Cites Turning Point in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Leon Panetta cites turning point in Afghanistan war -- Politico/AP
Panetta Promises Cuts to Military Brass -- Military.com
 Panetta: Troop pay may be on the table in future budget cuts -- Human Events

U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta Will Still Be Staying At His Job For The Short Term

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Southeast Asian defense ministers at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Nov. 16, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Panetta Tells VOA He Won't Step Down Right Away -- Voice of America

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta indicated in an interview with VOA that he does not plan to immediately step down following President Barack Obama's re-election.

Although Panetta has said in the past he did not intend to serve throughout Obama's second term, he said Thursday there are tasks ahead that he wants to tackle, so he will confer with the president later on when he'll resign. He said among other things, he wants to deal with the threat of severe budget cuts, called sequestration, that could happen next year if Congress does not act.

Read more ....


My Comment: He will leave once sequestration has been resolved, and laying the groundwork to manage it's impact the US defense budget

Will Leon Panetta Remain As US Secretary Of Defense?

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta conducts a press conference during his flight to Perth, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012. Panetta participated in Veterans Day ceremonies in Hawaii Nov. 11, before continuing on a six-day trip to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Panetta Says He Will Stay in Washington to Meet Challenges -- US Department of Defense

BOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 12, 2012 – Amid speculation that he will excuse himself from President Barack Obama’s second-term national security team, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today his immediate goal is to finish the job he began in 2010.

“It’s no secret that at some point I’d like to get back to California,” Panetta told reporters traveling with him on his fourth official trip to the Asia-Pacific region. “It’s my home.” The secretary and he and his wife, Sylvia, founded the Panetta Institute for Public Policy there in 1997.

But in Washington, Panetta said, he is grappling with defense issues that range from looming spending cuts and budget issues to long-term planning in Afghanistan, “and the president and I are working very closely to make sure that we meet those defense challenges.”

Read more ....

More News On Comments From Leon Panetta That He May Continue To Stay In Washington As US Secretary Of Defense

Will he stay in job? Pentagon chief says: "Who the hell knows?" -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters
Panetta on staying as Pentagon chief: 'Who the hell knows?' -- AFP
Panetta will remain defense secretary ... at least for now -- The Patriot
Panetta not to quit Obama Cabinet right now -- Economic Times
Post-Election Change at Pentagon? -- Defense News

My Comment: Considering who they are thinking of replacing him with, I hope that Panetta remains for another 4 years. But .... he will probably be leaving after a deal is done to avoid sequestration .... or if it happens, he will stay to sort out the mess. After that .... it's back to California and taking time to enjoy a different life away from the spotlight.

The Panetta Doctrine?

The Panetta Doctrine -- Jonah Goldberg, NRO

The secretary of defense in his best grown-up voice says:

“(The) basic principle is that you don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on; without having some real-time information about what’s taking place,” Panetta told Pentagon reporters. “And as a result of not having that kind of information, the commander who was on the ground in that area, Gen. Ham, Gen. Dempsey and I felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk in that situation.”

It seems obvious that Panetta is trying protect Obama from responsibility for the administration’s Benghazi response. I don’t think that works. The decision to outsource the call is still a presidential decision.

Read more ....

Update #1: 'The Panetta Doctrine?' Americans on their own if attacked -- Rick Moran, American Thinker
Update #2: Former Delta Operator on "The Panetta Doctrine" or also known as "The Dumbest Shit I Ever Heard!" -- Black Five

My Comment: When I heard the above remarks I also rolled my eyes .... but this is what happens when you have a leadership that is risk- averse mindset and who are afraid of repeating a disaster like this one.

U.S. Secretray Of Defense Panetta: U.S. Consulate Attack Was Terrorism

Defense Secretary Says Benghazi Assault Was Planned Terror Attack -- CNN

The assault on the diplomatic office in Benghazi was clearly a planned assault by terrorists, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday.

"As we determined the details of what took place there and how that attack took place, it became clear that there were terrorists who planned that attack," Panetta said.

Panetta's comments are the most definitive to date by an administration official that the Benghazi assault was planned. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on September 16th that the attack "began spontaneously" as a protest against an anti-Muslim film that "spun" from there. Last week, testifying to Congress, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center said, at that point, there was no indication of "significant" plotting.

Read more ....

More News On US Secretary Of Defense Panetta's Comments On The US Consulate Attack In Libya

Panetta: Terrorists behind attack on US in Libya -- Boston.com/AP
Libya assault was planned, 'terrorist' attack: US -- France24/AFP
Terrorist group killed U.S. ambassador in Libya-Panetta -- Reuters
Panetta says Libya attack was pre-planned by terrorists -- Washington Examiner
Panetta: Libya Attack the Work of Terrorists -- National Journal

My Comment: Panetta's comments are brief ... and to the point. This is the approach that the White house should have taken a few days after the attack .... not the spin and conflicting stories about YouTube videos and a spontaneous mob that decided to attack the consulate.

Secretary Of Defense Panetta Visits China -- News Roundup

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 19, 2012. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Panetta Reassures China On Military Moves -- Wall Street Journal

BEIJING—U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta met Wednesday with China's presumed next top leader and urged a peaceful solution to a territorial dispute with Japan, an issue that a Chinese official said could damage upcoming trade talks and economic ties between the two Asian powers.

It also was the first public international meeting for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is widely expected to become president in an upcoming Chinese leadership transition, after canceling several others in recent weeks. His appearance following rumors of illness suggests the once-a-decade process is on track and could move forward in coming weeks.

Read more ....

More News On Secretary Of Defense Panetta Visiting China

Panetta urges China to increase military contacts to avoid missteps -- Reuters
Panetta: New Asia Focus Not Aimed to Contain China -- New York Times/AP
In China, Panetta Says U.S. Focus on Asia Is No Threat -- New York Times
Panetta: US Not Trying to Contain China -- Voice of America
'Containing China not our aim' - US -- Herald Sun
Leon Panetta to China: we need to talk -- The Australian/AP
Panetta meets with China's Xi, eats lunch with cadets -- NBC
Panetta in talks with Chinese leader-in-waiting -- CBS
China's Xi meets Panetta, wants better military ties with U.S. -- Reuters
China's Xi Jinping meets with Leon Panetta after two-week public absence -- The Telegraph
China's Xi Jinping healthy, says Panetta in Beijing -- BBC
Xi Jinping Is Back, Meets U.S. Defense Secretary -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Panetta meets with Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping -- Washington Times
Vice President Xi hopes China, U.S. defense authorities lift barriers -- Xinhuanet
Chinese to Panetta: focus on diplomacy, not military might -- L.A. Times
China attaches great importance to U.S. defense chief's visit -- Xinhuanet (China)
As Panetta visits China, smiles and challenges -- Washington Post