Publication: Race and Class
Publication Date: 01-JUL-04
Format: Online - approximately 4208 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Kundnani, Arun
Article Excerpt
Abstract: Through the influence of Project for the New American Century, the structure and thrust of US military power is being fundamentally reshaped, with massive increases in defence spending, the revival of 'Star Wars', the projected militarisation of space and constant technological innovation. The aim is 'full spectrum dominance' across the globe; one result is Iraq; another the widespread US public acceptance of pax Americana; yet another, the notion that war could be fought at virtually no human cost to US forces. If so, the last restraint on the US war machine has been removed.
Keywords: DARPA, Iraq, PNAC, RMA, Star Wars, terrorism, US military
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A year before the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), the main artery of neo-conservative thinking in Washington, published its manifesto for change in US defence policy, Rebuilding America's Defenses. America was unrivalled in military power, it argued. But a great opportunity would be missed if America did not exploit this superiority to build a century of pax Americana--a lasting, global empire. To achieve this, a total transformation of the US military was needed, as well as change in the way the US thought about war. The report recommended a mammoth increase in defence spending; a technology-led transformation of the military; a revival of Reagan's 'Star Wars' missile defence programme; militarisation of outer space and the internet; and regime change in Iraq. (1)
September 11 gave the pretext for a number of these recommendations to gain ascendancy in Washington, not least the occupation of Iraq. Neo-conservatives in the White House quickly exploited September 11 as 'a catastrophic and catalyzing event--like a new Pearl Harbor'. (2) The 'war on terror' with its themes of unknown threats, global reach and open-ended conflict gave military planners the perfect justification to present an entirely new paradigm of military force, bringing to centre stage at the Pentagon concepts that had been waiting in the wings for some years. A year after the war on Iraq, the main components of the emerging new war machine are clear.
Threats redefined
One of the fundamental achievements of the neo-conservative programme has been to redefine the nature of what constitutes a military threat. The old concept of threat, associated with the cold war, focused on rival nation state powers mounting a direct military assault on the US homeland or American forces abroad. National security therefore depended on having sufficient firepower to deter an attack, whether conventional or nuclear.
The war on terror constructs the nature of threat rather differently. America's enemies have discovered 'asymmetric warfare'. Rather than launch a direct military assault, which they would inevitably lose, enemies will henceforth fight wars by proxy. They will strike in unexpected and secretive ways, such as through terrorism, 'cyber-attacks' on computer infrastructure, unidentified weapons of mass destruction or attacks on space satellites. A range of activities from terrorism to computer hacking are thus redefined as a new style of warfare, rather than criminal or political acts. Actions which would not previously have been considered as warfare at all are now considered direct challenges to US supremacy. And military threats no longer only take the form of rival nation states but also of 'non-state actors', such as terrorist networks and criminal organisations from anywhere in the world. Since surprise attacks can come from anywhere, any refusal to accept Washington's dictates can be interpreted as a potential threat to American security. Since US military strength is vulnerable to being made redundant by unanticipated technological developments, the threat comes from an unknown future as much as an unknown present. All of this combines into the fear that the slightest let-up in vigilance could prompt the collapse of American security. America must, therefore, maintain 'full spectrum dominance' across the globe. (3)
Whereas cold war strategy was premised on the symmetry of mutual knowledge and fear between two super-powers, the war...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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