Pentagon Will Cut Services and Benefits To Soldiers While Protecting Profits of Defense Industry

William Hartung: Those who fight the wars will face cuts, but not high- ranking military personnel or the companies that build weapons

The Real News - February 25, 2014

JAISAL NOOR, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore.  On Monday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlined a Pentagon budget that will reduce the size of the military and curtail certain weapons systems. The proposal is an alternative to across-the-board cuts which will be implemented because of the so-called sequester.  Now joining us to discuss this is William Hartung. William is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.  Thank you so much for joining us. 

WILLIAM D. HARTUNG, DIRECTOR, ARMS AND SECURITY PROJECT, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: Yes. Thanks for having me.  NOOR: So let's start off by getting your response to this proposal by Chuck Hagel. So even though the military personnel are going to get cut, the defense budget, the Pentagon's five-year plan, would boost spending by as much as $115 billion over spending caps set in the sequester. So what's happening, basically, is that even though the fighting force is one of the smallest it's been since World War II, the budget is near historic highs. Give us your response.

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