Joint Chiefs nominee: Russia biggest threat to US security

“Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security”, Gen. Joseph Dunford told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Russia’s nuclear capability “combined with their recent behavior” make Russian Federation the primary threat to US security, Dunford said.

Russia’s behavior is “nothing short of alarming”, he added.

As envoys of the US and other world powers are in Vienna seeking to negotiate an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for easing economic sanctions, Dunford conveyed a message of continued vigilance against Iranian efforts to dominate its neighbors and support terrorism.

While leading the war effort in Afghanistan from 2013 to 2014, Dunford successfully prevailed upon Obama to slow down the White House’s long-announced troop withdrawal, a move the Senate committee urged Dunford to intensify now Isis has a presence in the country.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest ranking officer in the US military and a direct advisor to the president.

“Frankly, without that kind of support, they’re not going to be able to protect themselves against Russian aggression”. That does not mean, however, that the US views China as an enemy, the general said.

In his characteristic brevity, Dunford promised in his short opening statement to give both the president and Congress his candid professional advice, and said his primary effort would be to rebuild the combat readiness degraded by sequestration and to “properly lead” the uniformed and civilian personnel who serve to defend the nation.

In his testimony, Dunford said that even if there is a deal, “my expectation is that Iran will continue its malign activities” in the Middle East, supporting fighters in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and “exacerbating Sunni-[Shiite] division across the region”.

“I can imagine two states in Iraq”, Dunford said.

“Given the evolving defense strategy and the latest Defense Planning Guidance, we are presently taking the newest strategic foundation and analyzing whether 2,443 aircraft is the correct number”, he said in written remarks submitted as part of his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

It would be “reasonable” to provide lethal weapons to Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian rebels, he said. Currently, he said there are indications the group is being “degraded” by a combination of airstrikes and ground operations by Iraqi forces and that the fight will be a long campaign.

Dunford also addressed what sequestration – spending caps that will take effect October 1 in the absence of congressional action to change budget law – would do to American security.