US General Jones on resource development and national security

United States General James Logan Jones is one of America’s most prominent military figures and has fashioned himself as a leading authority on international affairs thanks to his extensive experience overseas.

After a distinguished military career, Jones was promoted to General in 1999 and then became Supreme Allied Commander of Europe in 2003 — a post he held until retiring in 2007.

But his retirement proved to be anything but restful.

In 2007, Jones became chairman of the Congressional Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq and shortly thereafter, Jones was appointed as a special envoy for Middle East security by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

After completing those duties he was selected by President Barack Obama to be his National Security Advisor, a position he held until October of this year, when he resigned.

Jones spoke at the Forbes & Manhattan first annual resource summit in Palm Beach, Fla., on economic liabilities and the challenges associated with managing resources, including oil and gas, and nuclear energy.

The Northern Miner caught up with Jones via telephone shortly after his speech.

The Northern Miner: What are the key challenges facing globalization and free trade in the 21st century?

General Jones: The idea of national security will become much broader in the 21st century than it was in the 20th century as it will have to include cyber security, energy security, proliferation and economic realities.

Now my focus is on the U.S., which I see as a country in transformation in regard to facing up to modern challenges.

One of the key challenges is to update our institutions which were set up to deal with 20th century issues. We still have the same institutions, the same rules, laws and the same policies. They haven’t been fundamentally modified, so there are still some adjustments to make.

TNM: Is there a specific example of an institution in need of change?

Jones: The Department of Energy is still very much about nuclear energy. I’d hope to see the Department of Energy take charge of an entire portfolio of energy resources, which would allow for more efficient oversight.

I’d also highlight the fact that we have a national debt that is simply our No. 1 national security issue. It’s a ticking time bomb and we have to address it.

TNM: Do you have any recommendations on what should be done about the national debt?

Jones: I’ll leave that up to the President. The recent elections showed clearly that there is some unhappiness in the electorate. Now it will be up to the parties to find middle ground.

TNM: What role should military alliances play in an increasingly global economy?

Jones: I believe that because the threats facing us are asymmetric we need some asymmetric responses.

NATO is about to have a summit in Lisbon where it will re-define itself with a new concept of how to be relevant in the 21st century, so that is a positive development.

To succeed in dealing with threats that are now coming out, we need an organization that is more proactive as opposed to reactive.

NATO was in its very conception, a defensive organization. It never was about taking the first strike. . . but to become a more proactive organization is both a lot cheaper and more efficient, and maybe we would be able to avoid future Afghanistans and Iraqs.

TNM: How important is success in Afghanistan to NATO’s continued relevance?

Jones: It’s important that Afghanistan be successful.

Hamid Karzai’s government is clearly on notice that the patience of the international community is wearing thin. We can’t keep on fighting for a long period of time and to Karzai’s credit he understands this.

But right now, we should do everything we can to help. I think that 2011 will be the year that marks the beginning of a transition, with control over all regions of the country coming by 2014. The international community should be rallying behind this.

TNM: What parts of the world that are not currently in the media spotlight, are in the most dire need of assistance to ensure economic prosperity?

Jones: I think West Africa is a key place right now. You have Al Qaeda moving in. First they were in Afghanistan, then they went into Yemen, then Somalia, then it was Sudan and now they are moving into the Sahel of West Africa. So it’s clear that they are moving in that direction.

Now they are not strong yet, as their numbers are not huge, but if left unattended by the global community I think that in five to six years from now they could have a bad effect.

We need international assistance there that is tailored to fit the situation.

TNM: In your experience have you noticed common attributes amongst corporations that are successful in more difficult political climates?

Jones: Corporations that try to take risks in certain areas have to be fully aware of the environment and understand that fundamentally if they are not doing something good for the people in area, they will run into problems.

A company can’t simply go in and harvest the diamonds without giving something back. They have to be part of the effort to make people’s lives better.

TNM: What is your opinion on the current state of Russia? Do you see it as a place where Westerners can safely invest?

Jones: I think Russian and U.S. relations are one of the highlights of the last two years. The bilateral relationship is on as good a footing as I’ve seen it in my professional life.

The Russians and the U.S. are talking to each other not out of mutual fear, but with some mutual respect and there seems to be a willingness to move in a direction of more normalized relationships.

You can see that in trade relations improving — we still have lot of work to do, but they’ve already signaled to us that they want WTO membership, so there is a lot of positive momentum.