P2-Planning For Peace envisions a world where nations intentionally plan for peace. Today, peace planning is accomplished under duress of threat of war or economic sanctions. Unfortunately, it seems the nations continue to intentionally choose the “big-stick” way of relating to one another.
In today’s Washington Post, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a conflict with Iran would be “extremely stressing” but not impossible for U.S. forces, pointing to reserve capabilities in the Navy and Air Force. “It would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability,” he said at a Pentagon news conference. Speaking of Iran’s intentions, Mullen said: “They prefer to see a weak Iraq neighbor. . . . They have expressed long-term goals to be the regional power.”
The Pentagon is on top of matters. Our nation has invested billions of dollars in some of the finest war planning and gaming technologies and capabilities to date. What is desperately needed are similar capabilities to plan for peace. Just as war planners are developing courses of action to wage war with Iran so too peace planners are needed to ensure all of the pieces of the puzzle are on the table for conversation. Sadly, we are not yet ready for this capability. Some might say, “The vision for peace is beyond our reach.” To that I say, a vision within our grasp is a vision not worth our reaching for …
