For the US Defense Secretary Nominee, a Lack of Veteran’s Scars is Not the Point

Published in Beijing News
(China) on 8 December 2014
by Shi Zehua (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Nathan Hsu. Edited by Nicholas Eckart.
In 2011, Ashton B. Carter rose to the position of deputy secretary of defense. As a bookish technocrat, in the past half-decade his primary political achievements have been his relatively successful management of the army's withdrawal from Afghanistan and the allocation of funds to where they were most needed at a time when the military faced significant budget cuts.

On Dec. 5, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Carter for the post of defense secretary. He is to replace Chuck Hagel, who recently announced his own retirement. If the nomination is approved, the 60-year-old Carter will become the fourth defense secretary to serve under President Obama.

Carter "knows the Department of Defense inside and out." Having donned the mantle of undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics in April 2009, he was promoted to deputy secretary of defense in 2011, and following Leon Panetta's resignation in 2013, became a likely candidate to compete against Hagel. In the past half-decade, Carter's primary political achievements have been his relatively successful management of the army's withdrawal from Afghanistan and the allocation of funds to where they were most needed at a time when the military faced significant budget cuts.

In Obama's assessment, Carter is firm, decisive, intelligent and capable, well-equipped to handle the complex security challenges that the nation faces. At the same time, he is known to be cautious and prudent, and in previous postings has consistently stayed within his bounds. Carter particularly concerns himself with the construction of U.S. missile defense systems and has in the past advocated taking more hardline measures against North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons, a stance that is not so dissimilar to those of the more hawkish Republicans. Next to other democratic candidates, therefore, his nomination will not as likely run aground against stiff opposition. In filling the most important office to be reshuffled following the post-midterm elections, Carter would certainly serve a political mission of substantial import.

The president's most desired traits in his top advisers are intelligence, obedience and political savvy. In the coming two years, Carter's greatest challenge will be how to pursue Obama's policies in such a way that they retain their teeth. With a good head for "the game," one can expect him to give a fair performance.

On Asia-Pacific policy, Carter actively supports the administration's "pivot to Asia" strategy, but given his style, he will not be likely to package his own opinions more prettily than the president's as Hillary Clinton did, nor will he resemble Hagel in feeling that his personal views are more sound. The next two years will see increased military deployments, an avoidance of unwanted involvements, a more judicious application of military pressure and the pursuit of peace through "drawing lines." This sort of rebalancing strategy will allow the more technically-inclined Carter to truly get his feet wet.

And as a technocrat, Carter's advantage is that he will not become overly involved in the various doings of Obama's core team, albeit at the expense of not being a member of Obama's most trusted inner circle. The post of defense secretary is a position of heavy responsibility, and working with a strong national security advisor in Susan Rice will not be easy. But at the same time, as more of a scientist with no real war experience, implementing the cabinet's decisions as practical policy while preserving their original spirit will be an even greater challenge.

Shi Zehua (Associate Professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University)


阿什顿·卡特2011年升任美国国防部常务副部长。作为一位“书呆子技术官僚”, 过去5年多时间里,他的主要政绩在于,较为成功地管理作战部队从阿富汗撤军、并在应对军事预算缩减的同时让钱花在刀刃上。

  12月5日,美国总统奥巴马宣布提名国防部常务副部长阿什顿·卡特为新一任国防部长,以替代刚刚离职的哈格尔。如提名获批,现年60岁的卡特将成为奥巴马总统任期内的第4位防长。

  卡特“知道国防部里里外外的一切事务。”他2009年4月起便开始担任国防部内负责采购、技术和后勤的副部长,2011年升任常务副部长,2013年帕内塔辞职后更是成为与哈格尔竞争的热门人选。过去5年多时间里,卡特的主要政绩在于,较为成功地管理作战部队从阿富汗撤军,并在应对军事预算缩减的同时让钱花在刀刃上。

  用奥巴马的评价,卡特既坚决果断又聪明能干,是处置复杂安全挑战的能手。同时,卡特为人谨慎,在本职岗位上一直“随心所欲不逾矩”。卡特关注美国导弹防御系统的建设,也曾主张对朝鲜“拥核”采取更强硬的措施,这与尚武的共和党鹰派有不少共同语言。与其他民主党候选人相比,他的提名更不容易遭遇国会掣肘。作为中期选举后受调整的最重要岗位的主官,卡特无疑承载着重要的政治使命。

  美国总统对高级幕僚的最理想要求,就是聪明、听话、懂技术。今后的两年时间里,卡特最重要的是,怎样把奥巴马的主张不折不扣地执行下去。很有“大局”观念的他,料想会干得不错。

  在亚太政策上,卡特积极支持当局的“重返”战略,但以他的风格,应该不像希拉里那样,把自己的观点包装得比总统的还“华丽”,也不会像哈格尔,觉得自己的观点比总统的更合理。未来两年中,增强军力部署,避免不慎卷入,以“布局”谋威慑,以“划线”求和平,这样的“重返亚太”政策会让技术官僚出身的卡特执行得更“到位”。

  作为一位“书呆子技术官僚”,卡特的优势在于不会过多卷入奥巴马核心团队的是是非非,劣势在于“非我族类”,不是奥巴马最信赖的决策小圈子成员。但是,在防长位子上,责任不轻,如何与强势的总统国家安全事务顾问赖斯相处,不是件容易事。同时,作为一位没有参战经历的科学家,如何把内阁观念上的决议原汁原味地落实为可执行的政策,是个更大的挑战。

  □史泽华(北外副教授)
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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