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Dire warnings issued for budget cuts to Defense department

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    Jennifer Griffin reports on sequestration

  • Duration 2:46
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Pete -- new warning today about the massive defense cuts that are set to hit the Pentagon next month.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter tells this morning the Senate Armed Services Committee just a few minutes ago that the across the board cots.

Are no longer a quote distant threat.

And they she believes they could undermine the new defense strategy national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin is live at the Pentagon says Jennifer.

Well how does is going to be.

Well it looks very bad if you listen to the warnings are very dire as you mentioned if you listen to that.

Joint chiefs and deputy Defense Secretary ash Carter who are speaking right now on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

It has already had a significant impact on navy families for instance in Norfolk Virginia when the navy announced last week that they would not have enough in their budget to deploy the USS Truman to the Persian gulf.

That deployment was canceled on Friday.

-- -- Panetta and I have been using the word devastating.

For sixteen months now.

And I testified last August to the consequences of sequestration.

If it was to occur and now all -- the -- shut the door.

I began my career in a hollow army.

I do not want to end my career.

In a -- army.

The army chief said they would have to curtail training 80%.

Of the ground forces it sequestration takes place.

Furloughed 20000 civilians for up to 22 days 80% of whom live outside the beltway outside of Washington and work at army depots and -- Navy.

-- Work on ships outside of the beltway.

He anticipates losing 100000.

Army personnel -- sequestration happens.

Only sixteen days are left to stop sequestration might mean think about it Jennifer and -- need these cuts were designed to be devastating they were designed to be so devastating.

That congress would never allow them.

To kick can't and that that is where we find ourselves now so with this is a -- the president's expected to make an announcement tonight about troop levels in Afghanistan right.

That's right in fact as you mentioned sequestration was never supposed to happen it was supposed to be a poison pill so difficult that it wouldn't happen what we expect to hear tonight.

From present Obama during the state of -- the union address.

He is in -- it where it anticipate that he will announce that 34000.

US troops will be home in a year in a year's time from now.

This is part of the draw down from Afghanistan.

What's new here is a window into the pace of the withdraw the president has decided to cut the force.

In half a year before the complete withdrawal Martha.

Jennifer thank you very much.

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