Worries Over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy 2005 PDF

2022/6/17 12:54 Worries over U.S.
Lily Pad Base Strategy : NPR
HOURLY NEWS
Play Live Radio
LISTEN LIVE
PLAYLIST
DONATE
WORLD
Worries over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy

September 1, 2005 · 12:00 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
VICKY O'HARA
Listen PLAYLIST Download

Transcript
Uzbekistan's decision to expel U.S. forces within six months shows the vulnerability of
the Pentagon's so-called lily pad base strategy. It involves putting a small number of
U.S. forces and weapons into countries to deal with emerging threats.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
US military planners say that gaining quick access to a trouble spot is critical to
fighting terrorism. To that end, the Pentagon has been basing small numbers of US
forces and supplies in a variety of countries. Planners call these bases `lily pads,' but
Uzbekistan's recent decision to expel the small US base on its territory underscores the
weakness of that strategy. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.
VICKY O'HARA reporting:
After 9/11, the Pentagon realized that the war on terrorism would be fought in many
places far from the long-established US military bases overseas; places such as
Afghanistan where, in the fall of 2001, the US went to war against the Taliban and al-
Qaeda. General John Jumper had just taken over at that time as Air Force chief of
staff.
General JOHN JUMPER (Air Force Chief of Staff): All of the stuff that went into
Afghanistan, because there was no land access and because there were no ports, had to
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4827697 1/14
2022/6/17 12:54 Worries over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy : NPR
go in by air.
O'HARA: But Washington quickly negotiated overflight or basing rights with several
central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan. That kind of access allowed the US
military to exercise its full capability against the Taliban. Uzbekistan's recent decision
to oust US forces is not expected to impede the Afghanistan mission, in part because
the US now has bases in Afghanistan itself. But military analysts say Uzbekistan's
decision shows the United States' vulnerability in counting on the so-called `lily pads'
in a time of crisis. Michael Vickers is director of strategic studies at the Center for
Strategic and Budgetary Assessment.
Mr. MICHAEL VICKERS (Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment): As you get
into a conflict, relationships that you have with countries may not pan out. In some
cases, they restrict our ability to launch offensive operations from those countries.
Saudi Arabia has done that in the past. Or they deny you base access, as Turkey did in
the most recent war with Iraq. And so it's not a sure thing in any event.
O'HARA: The Pentagon always plans for the worst-case scenario, and that means the
possibility that allies will not come through in a crisis. Max Boot is a senior fellow in
national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. MAX BOOT (Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations): This is simply
accelerating the desire within the Pentagon to look for ways of protecting American
power without being so reliant upon the political whims of, perhaps, uncertain friends.
O'HARA: Max Boot says one possible alternative now under discussion is the
possibility of establishing bases at sea.
Mr. BOOT: There are various concepts for offshore bases that might look like an oil rig
or might be simply a bunch of large ships, basically expanding on our use of
amphibious assault ships and aircraft carriers right now, so that we don't have to rely
completely on third-country permission to act.
O'HARA: The war on terrorism has changed US military priorities. In previous years,
the Pentagon had been moving away from reliance on land forces in favor of heavy
airpower. But the only way to fight an insurgency effectively is on the ground, and one
of the biggest problems in maintaining ground forces in a sustained conflict is
logistics: getting the troops to the fight and keeping them supplied. Colonel Mack
Owens, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, says the
Navy currently is able to supply troops on the ground from offshore for only about 30
to 90 days.
Colonel MACK OWENS (Professor of National Security Affairs, US Naval War

College): Sea basing is a concept that involves new kinds of ships and the like that will
permit us to do this on a more permanent basis, so we could basically sustain troops
ashore indefinitely. And that would negate, or at least reduce, the need for land bases.
O'HARA: One big problem with sea bases, according to Max Boot, is their vulnerability
to possible attack.
Mr. BOOT: If you have these huge offshore platforms, even a hundred miles offshore,
they can still be incredibly vulnerable to something like an Exocet missile or the other
kinds of cruise missiles which are being sold to countries all over the world.
O'HARA: Proponents of sea basing argue that land bases also are vulnerable to attack.
But sea basing has another problem, which is cost, especially in an era of serious
budget deficits. Again, Michael Vickers.
Mr. VICKERS: It's very expensive. It's tens of billions of dollars to buy the new ships
that would give us a greater capability, and so it's being looked at: Is this the right
investment?
O'HARA: The debate within military circles over how to project US power when
needed also has revived discussions about the long-range bomber. With the end of the
Cold War it had fallen out of favor to some extent. But long-range bombers, such as
the B-52, played a vital role in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Military planners say
that if you can't get close-range access to a conflict, then the long-range bomber
remains an important part of the US arsenal. Vicky O'Hara, NPR News, Washington.
MONTAGNE: This is NPR News.
Copyright © 2005 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for
further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be
updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is
the audio record.
Made possible by you

We depend on your support to keep telling stories like this one. You — together with
NPR and NPR stations across the country — create a more informed public. Fact by
fact, story by story. Please take a moment to donate to an NPR station in your
community. It will truly make a difference.
DONATE NOW
More Stories From NPR
WORLD
China and Taiwan: What's Ukraine Got To Do With It?
WORLD
Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (June 16)
SPORTS
The U.S. cities hosting the 2026 World Cup are announced
EUROPE
Ikea packs up Russian operations and plans sale of factories
HEALTH
Dogs trained to sniff out COVID in schools are getting a lot of love for their efforts
CULTURE
His lawyer says Kevin Spacey strenuously denies sex charges
His lawyer says Kevin Spacey strenuously denies sex charges
Popular on NPR.org
ECONOMY
Who are the winners and losers of the Fed hiking interest rates?
POLITICS
The Jan. 6 committee is meeting Thursday. Here's what to expect
EDUCATION
Student loan borrowers get a rare win as Senate approves a fix
ECONOMY
The Fed delivers biggest interest rate hike in decades to combat surging inflation
POP CULTURE
The best 'American Idol' contestants of all time, ranked — according to your votes
MEDIA
Seth Rich's killing was exploited on Fox News and online. His parents are fed up
NPR Editors' Picks
SPORTS
Golden State defeats the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Championship
NATIONAL
Buffalo shooting suspect says his motive was to prevent 'eliminating the white race'
CULTURE
Some lawmakers hope to crack down on drag shows watched by children
NATIONAL
2 people have died in an Alabama church shooting
HEALTH
Omicron poses about half the risk of long COVID as delta, new research finds
POLITICS
American democracy is more vulnerable now than on Jan. 6, Schiff says amid
hearings
READ & LISTEN CONNECT
Home Newsletters
News Facebook
Culture Twitter
Music Instagram
Podcasts & Shows Press
Contact & Help
ABOUT NPR GET INVOLVED
Overview Support Public Radio
Diversity Sponsor NPR
Ethics NPR Careers
Finances NPR Shop
Public Editor NPR Events
Corrections NPR Extra
terms of use
privacy
your privacy choices
text only
© 2022 npr

Worries Over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy 2005 PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Worries Over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy 2005 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2022/6/17 12:54 Worries over U.S.

Lily Pad Base Strategy : NPR

Worries over U.S. Lily Pad Base Strategy

Listen PLAYLIST Download

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

VICKY O'HARA reporting:

Colonel MACK OWENS (Professor of National Security Affairs, US Naval War

MONTAGNE: This is NPR News.

Made possible by you

More Stories From NPR

NPR Editors' Picks

READ & LISTEN CONNECT

Podcasts & Shows Press

Contact & Help

ABOUT NPR GET INVOLVED

Overview Support Public Radio

Diversity Sponsor NPR

Ethics NPR Careers

Finances NPR Shop

Public Editor NPR Events

Corrections NPR Extra

your privacy choices

You might also like