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Bush says country wasting billions

Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Speaking out for the first time in favor of controversial base closings, President Bush said Friday the nation is wasting billions of dollars on unnecessary military facilities and needs the money for the war on terrorism.

Bush, who faces opposition from many states to shutting down bases, tried to be reassuring. He said the bases would be chosen fairly and the government would do all it could to help affected communities recover.

But he made clear that the process – however painful – could not be avoided.

In a speech to graduates of the Naval Academy, he said the closings and realignments “will result in a military that is more efficient and better prepared so you can better protect the American people against the dangers of this new century.”

“In this war, there is only one option and that is victory,” he said, to cheers from midshipmen, relatives and faculty at the academy on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Also Friday, the Defense Department promised to give lawmakers access by Tuesday to detailed material backing up its recommendations to shut down about 180 military installations across the country.

Parts of the report are classified, so the Pentagon said lawmakers and staff with security clearances who want to see the classified information must review that data at a secure location in northern Virginia.

The announcement comes in the wake of increasing demands from lawmakers and state and local officials for the release of what will be an unprecedented amount of data in defense of the base closing plan. Lawmakers hope to use the information to persuade the independent commission reviewing the base closings to remove certain installations from the hit list.

Members of the congressionally chartered Base Realignment and Closure Commission will visit bases and hold hearings on the Pentagon proposal. The plan aims to save $48.8 billion over 20 years by eliminating redundant and inefficient facilities and promoting cooperation among the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.