Wars Strain U.S. Military Might (Associated Press)

  Feb. 27, 2007 (AP) -- There is a significant risk that the U.S. military, strained by the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will not be able to quickly and fully respond to yet another crisis, stated a new defense review submitted to Congress.

  The review grades the military's ability to meet the demands of the nation's military strategy - which would include fighting the wars as well as being able to respond to any potential outbreaks in places such as North Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Cuba or China.

  The assessment, conducted by America's top military officer, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicates a greater risk than a year ago, when it was rated as moderate.

  On Monday senior defense officials confirmed the decline in overall military readiness. And a report that accompanied Pace's review concluded that while the Pentagon is working to improve its warfighting abilities, it "may take several years to reduce risk to acceptable levels."

  Pace's report comes as the United States is increasing its forces in Iraq to quell escalating violence in Baghdad. Top military officials have consistently acknowledged that the repeated and lengthy deployments are straining the Army, Marine Corps and reserve forces and taking a heavy toll on critical warfighting equipment.

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