July 17, 2015

Gen. Dunford on Russian threat

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WASHINGTON – On July 9, the U.S. Marine Corps commandant, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia is the greatest national security threat faced by the U.S. He was asked whether the U.S. should provide Ukrainian forces with counter-battery systems to defend themselves from Russian artillery and rocket strikes, and Javelin or TOW anti-tank missile systems to defeat Russian tanks. Gen. Dunford stated: “From a military perspective, I think it’s reasonable that we provide that support to the Ukrainians and, frankly, without that kind of support, they’re not going to be able to protect themselves against Russian aggression.” Asked what he considers the greatest threat to U.S. national security, Gen. Dunford stated, “My assessment today is that Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security. …In Russia, we have a nuclear power, we have one that not only has the capability to violate the sovereignty of our allies and to do things that are inconsistent with our national interests, but they’re in the process of doing so. So, if you want to talk about a nation that could pose an existential threat to the United States, I’d have to point to Russia. And if you look at their behavior, it’s nothing short of alarming.” (Ukrainian Canadian Congress, The New York Times)

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