BUSH TACKLES MISSILES, BERETS, MORALE AND DIPLOMACY

Three articles concerning the Bush administration's approach to various defense and foreign policy issues caught my attention in The Washington Times.

Reading them reaffirmed my confidence in President Bush as a strong commander in chief with an appreciation for the indispensability of a powerful and spirited military.

Bush turned some heads when he took issue with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's strategy to ease tensions with North Korea. Bush recognized that it would be irresponsible to cement an agreement with North Korea involving its commitment to reduce missiles without ensuring that the terms of the agreement could be verified. Bush understands that communist dictatorships such as North Korea cannot be trusted and specialize in exploiting weakness and appeasement.

The Times informs us that Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress that Bush has reinstituted a hard-line policy with Iraq, demanding that U.N. inspectors be allowed to re-enter the country to search for nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Finally, the Times reports that Bush has asked the Pentagon to review an Army decision to issue the special black berets, previously reserved to elite soldiers, to all troops.

Last fall, Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki announced his intention to implement this policy in order to boost morale and stimulate recruitment. Bush's antenna went up when he heard of the complaints of disgruntled Rangers who were outraged at this inane policy of fostering mediocrity and punishing achievement.

What makes Shinseki believe that potential recruits will be enticed by the prospect of donning a beret that any buck private can wear simply by undergoing the rigorous ordeal of signing enlistment papers?

If the general didn't understand it before, he does now, though he has given no indication that he will withdraw his order.

President Bush is displaying a strong instinct for discriminating between matters that are completely delegable and those that need a dose of his attention, even if they may appear trivial on the surface. Morale is paramount for the military, and you don't strengthen it by undermining the pride and heritage of its fiercest warriors.

~David Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau lawyer and nationally syndicated columnist.