Hagel redefines policy
February 27, 2013
The Vietnam War veteran, who was confirmed in a split Senate vote on Tuesday, told military officers and civilian staffers on Wednesday that America could not go it alone.
"We can't dictate to the world. We must engage in the world," Hagel said.
"No nation, as great as America is, can do any of this alone. We need to continue to build on the strong relationships that we have built," he added.
Hagel also told his Pentagon auditorium audience that the United States was ultimately a force "for good" although it made mistakes.
An Army infantryman with two tours in Afghanistan introduced Hagel, saying the new defense secretary "knows the very real cost of war" and was guided by principles to use force only when necessary.
Funding crisis looms
Steep automatic cuts to the Pentagon's budget worth $46 billion (49 billion euros) come into effect automatically on Friday unless a deal can be made between President Barack Obama's administration and Congress.
Hagel on Wednesday promised to work closely with Congress, despite hostile objections raised by senators of his own Republican party, which ultimately failed to derail his nomination.
The 58-41 Senate vote to confirm him late on Tuesday was the closest vote ever to approve a defense secretary, with only four Republicans supporting him.
Republican senators had questioned Hagel's record on Israel, Iran, defense spending and nuclear weapons.
President Obama said Wednesday he was grateful to Hagel "for reminding us that when it comes to national defense, we are not Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans."
Major challenges
Hagel enters office facing a planned major troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, turmoil in the Middle East and renewed threats from North Korea.
In Brussels last week, Hagel's predecessor, Leon Panetta, discussed with NATO allies plans to keep a NATO force of between 8,000 and 12,000 troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 when the alliance's combat mission is due to end.
Last month, a senior NATO official said the United States expects other NATO allies to contribute between a third and half the number of troops
provided.
Hagel's views of war and the limits of American military power were shaped in part by his experiences in Vietnam, where he fought as an infantryman alongside his brother and was awarded two Purple Hearts, the medal given to troops wounded in battle.
ipj/dr (AP, AFP)