Pentagon braces for automatic cuts
<p> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="department">department</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="bracing">bracing</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="massive">massive</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="March">March</span> 1 <span word="deadline">deadline</span> <span word="draws">draws</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="White">White</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reach">reach</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="budget">budget</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="avert">avert</span> <span word="automatic">automatic</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="entire">entire</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="budget">budget</span>, <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sequestration">sequestration</span>.</p><p><span word="Among">Among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sequester">sequester</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="bring">bring</span>: <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Pentagon">Pentagon</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="deploy">deploy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="aircraft">aircraft</span> <span word="carrier">carrier</span> <span word="Harry">Harry</span> <span word="S">S</span>. <span word="Truman">Truman</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Persian">Persian</span> <span word="Gulf">Gulf</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="timing">timing</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="massive">massive</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="bad">bad</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="leadership">leadership</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Pentagon">Pentagon</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="departing">departing</span> <span word="Secretary">Secretary</span> <span word="Leon">Leon</span> <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="successor">successor</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="walking">walking</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="budget">budget</span> <span word="mess">mess</span>.</p><p>"<span word="If">If</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span> <span word="happen">happen</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="disruption">disruption</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="programs">programs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="readiness">readiness</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="begun">begun</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="all">all</span>-<span word="out">out</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="operate">operate</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="scenario">scenario</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="options">options</span>," <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Troop">Troop</span> <span word="training">training</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="maintenance">maintenance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="aircraft">aircraft</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ships">ships</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="delayed">delayed</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="suspended">suspended</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="defense">defense</span> <span word="department">department</span> <span word="faces">faces</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deepest">deepest</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span>: $46 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="alone">alone</span>. <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="far">far</span>-<span word="reaching">reaching</span>.</p><p>“<span word="We">We</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="furlough">furlough</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="as">as</span> 800,000 <span word="DOD">DOD</span> <span word="civilians">civilians</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> 22 <span word="days">days</span>," <span word="Panetta">Panetta</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="They">They</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="a">a</span> 20 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="salary">salary</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="impact">impact</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="economy">economy</span>?</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="sequester">sequester</span> <span word="reductions">reductions</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> 10-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cuts">cuts</span> - <span word="totaling">totaling</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> $500 <span word="billion">billion</span> - <span word="which">which</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="begun">begun</span>.</p>
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