Posted on: Friday, May 3, 2002

Northern Command requires explanation

Hawai'i Rep. Neil Abercrombie is on the right track in raising questions about a new military Northern Command, which would be responsible for homeland defense.

Abercrombie and others added an amendment to next year's defense spending bill requiring a better explanation by the Pentagon.

One concern of Abercrombie's, no doubt, is a plan by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to transfer Mainland and Alaska units now under the Pacific Command, headquartered here at Camp Smith, to the new Northern Command. Hawai'i Sen. Dan Inouye has criticized, and apparently won deferment of, that aspect of the plan.

Inouye worried that transferring units from a primary assignment of reacting to hot spots in Asia to home defense would send the wrong message to Asians about America's seriousness and staying power in the Asia-Pacific region.

We share those concerns, and look forward to the explanation that the Pentagon will be required to deliver.