If you had five minutes...
...to meet, shake hands, and ask a question of John Lehman, who served as Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration--authoring the 600-ship Navy as well as more forward-thinking strategies to engage the Soviets--and who, since 2003, has been a member of the 9/11 Commission, what would you say to him?I ask because I may get that opportunity in a few days and have been racking my brain as to what to say.
Would you like to hear his thoughts on the future role of the submarine force in the War on Terror? Perhaps you'd like to pick his brain on the Chinese sub force and strategies for our boats in the Pacific? Or maybe you're looking back to the past and you want the "inside story" of a famous Cold War sea story such as the Victor III skipper known as the 'Prince of Darkness'?
Please let me know! And thanks in advance!
(Cross-posted HERE at Unconsidered Trifles)
posted by WillyShake @ 5:56 AM
9 Comments:
I'd like to know the story of "The Prince of Darkness" - sounds like a good sea story.
Crap, I must be becoming a Republican hack, because I'd want to ask him his thoughts about Able Danger.
Can anybody suggest an UNCLAS version of the "Prince of Darkness" story for those who may not have heard it--and I'm now suspecting that I may be one of a minority rather than one of many who have.
Is this legend only told among Atlantic boats who make Northern runs?
Rob?
Piggy?
Lubber?
...Bueller?
LOL.
WillyShakes, what does John Lehman have to do with "The Prince of Darkness"? Not following the mystery.
Vigilis, It's a good question, but I think he was around as SECNAV when the POD was running amok in the Atlantic and may have been privy to some of his doings.
I could have the timeframe wrong, but I don't think so...
...besides, I was just using that as an illustration.
Sorry Willy, I did patrols in the 80's while Lehman was the Secretary of the Navy and don't remember the Prince of Darkness story. Made C4 SSBN patrols out of the Georgia swamp and never went very far north on any of my "hide with pride" runs. Love to hear the story though.
Come to think of it there was that one encounter with the Soviet..... OH HELL, never mind.
Specific questions...that's a toughie, but I'd probably center them on the 9/11 Commission. I'd ask about their findings with regards to al Qaeda activity in Iraq prior to 9/11, about some of the specifics of al Qaeda's rise in ability since the early '90's, and probably some WMD/Iraq questions.
Also, I'd like to know if he feels the commission left any significant pieces of the puzzle out. I've heard some comments (and even seen a book) on the report being incomplete, some saying it was due to partisan issues and a "damage control" effort. I'd like to think that isn't the case (but I'm a realist, too). I'd like to hear his take on it first hand.
Great stuff, Rob. Thanks!
PRINCE of DARKNESS = Richard Norman Perle - Served the Reagan administration as assistant Secretary of Defense; served on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee from 1987 to 2004. Robert Burns of the Associated Press writes, "Perle was so strongly opposed to nuclear arms control agreements with the former Soviet Union during his days in the Reagan administration that he became known as 'the Prince of Darkness.'" [1]Perle contends that his views and opposition to arms control in Carter's administration had to do with the US giving up too much at the negotiation table for much too little concessions from the Soviets.
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