…Et Gates entre dans la fosse aux lions : «Ultimately, he's the boss.»

La controverse autour de l’affaire GAO/KC-45 s’étend au secrétaire à la défense Robert Gates lui-même, comme on pouvait déjà l’envisager ce matin. Le Daily Report de l’Air Force Association d’aujourd’hui signale la nouvelle, présentée lors de la conférence de presse du Pentagone du 25 juin. Il semble qu’on puisse penser que Gates va lui-même entrer dans le processus de décision de l’USAF, d’abord pour statuer sur ce que l’USAF va faire après l’intervention du GAO. Ensuite, il pourrait s'impliquer personnellement dans le processus concernant le programme KC-45, qui pourrait impliquer autant la décision (le processus de la décision à relancer) qu'une éventuelle enquête interne sur les responsabilités. Le premier effet marquant de cette évolution de la position de Gates revient bien entendu à radicaliser l'antagonisme entre lui et l'USAF.

Ci-dessous, une partie de la nouvelle du Daily Report, puis un extrait de la conférence de presse du porte-parole de Gates.

«…Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell offered the view during a press briefing that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will put his full imprint on the Air Force's tanker program rather than leaving the decision over the next course of action to the Air Force alone. That came as a surprise to some veteran journalists, one of whom tried to get some clarity, asking, “So the decision will come up to him, rather than staying internally within the Air Force?” To which Morrell replied, “This is something the Secretary is going to be involved in.'' And, he emphasized, “It's a procurement issue that's been going on seven years now, seven years probably too long.”»

(…)

«From June 25, 2008 Pentagon Press Brief

»Question: Has the secretary been briefed? Is he going to get counsel from Mr. Young or from Ms. Payton? When can we expect him to weigh in on this? Will he be the ultimate arbiter of this, how’s it going to work out?

»Mr. Morrell: Probably by the time I get off this podium, this stage, he will begin his first briefing with Mr. Young, who heads up AT&L, with the Air Force, with our lawyers.

»It will be the first time he has had a chance to hear from them, about the GAO's recommendations as well as the preliminary analysis that's been done within the department on how those recommendations would potentially impact the Air Force's February decision to award the new tanker contract to Northrop Grumman and EADS. So that will begin a few moments from now.

»And I think though, Luis, although we have 60 days with which to, in which to respond to the GAO, I think you will see, the secretary wants to move as quickly as possible.

»But keep in mind, this is a complicated matter. I think the GAO decision was nearly 70 pages long, and it only dealt with a small slice of this massive contracting process.

»That said, the secretary is just about to begin reviewing the various options available to him and will chart a course as to the way ahead as soon as possible.

»Question: So the decision will come up to him, rather than staying internally within the Air Force.

»Mr. Morrell: I mean, this is something the secretary is going to be involved in.

»Question: Does the secretary have the final decision on this? I mean, it's a procurement issue.

»Mr. Morrell: It's a procurement issue that's been going on seven years now, seven years probably too long. And we have been… our men and women in uniform, who depend on this now-ancient fleet of tankers, needs a new tanker as soon as possible.

»This delay will certainly not help matters, and he is determined to make sure that we are able to figure out the best course ahead in the wake of these recommendations as quickly as possible.

»Question: He'll be the decision-maker on…

»Mr. Morrell: Well, I'm not going to get into who's going to be the decision-maker. He is intimately involved in this process. It's something that is… that warrants his involvement. He wants to make sure that there are no further delays to replacing this vitally important piece of equipment, on which our warfighters depend every single day.

»Question: Is it your understanding, Geoff, that the GAO report suggests that the process has to start over again, or is that what the secretary's determining with the lawyers right now?

»Mr. Morrell: Well, I think the GAO has recommended that the contracts be opened up and rebid and the whole process begin… be opened up again.

»Listen, at this point, we are still of the mind that this was a full… this was a fair and transparent process that produced the best tanker for our warfighters at the best cost to the taxpayer. That said, the GAO has identified some areas of concern in the contracting process, and we are going to closely examine the areas of their concern and the recommendations that they've provided and see what the best course of action is from here.

»Question: Geoff, just to clarify, if there would be a decision to rebid or something, can the secretary make that decision and just say, “Okay, no, I think we want to rebid,” or does he need any other authorities, or can he just do that on his own?

»Mr. Morrell: Ultimately, he's the boss. And ultimately, if it requires his decision, he will make sure that a decision is made that moves this process on as quickly as possible, while at the same time addressing concerns raised by some of the watchdog groups.»

...Tout cela pour avoir une idée de l’ambiance au Pentagone, plus qu’apporter une information décisive. Il n’empêche, l’affaire GAO-KC-45 s’étend, s’élargit, prend l’allure d’une polémique de première dimension, avec des orientations politiques diverses, où s’entrecroisent des antagonismes contradictoires. (Gates versus USAF, Pentagone versus Congrès, Boeing versus Pentagone, GAO versus personne mais craint par tout le monde, avec les Européens d’EADS ébahis, suivant avec angoisse ce scandale qui se développe, avec les candidats aux présidentielles, notamment McCain, prêtant une oreille attentive…).

Il semble désormais que l’affaire KC-45 devenue l’affaire GAO/KC-45 soit partie vers des dimensions nationales et vers des interférences majeures dans certains grands domaines de la sécurité nationale: la crise du Pentagone en premier lieu, avec sa tangente de la crise de l’USAF, l’affrontement du Pentagone et du Congrès, les relations transatlantiques, etc., etc. Il apparaîtt bien difficile de croire que cette affaire ne deviendra pas une crise majeure en acquérant des caractéristiques systémiques et une potentialité explosive considérable. Elle est une fenêtre soudain largement ouverte sur le désordre du Pentagone, sur l’inefficacité du centre de la puissance américaniste.

Gates, qu’on croyait promis à la gestion tranquille d’un interrègne tout entier tourné vers les batailles à venir d’après janvier 2009, lorsque lui-même serait parti, se trouve brusquement propulsé au cœur de la polémique, après quelques semaines déjà difficiles. Sa personnalité s’y révèle de jour en jour plus dure et plus affirmée, comme on l’a vu avec l’affrontement avec l’USAF et comme on le voit désormais avec l’affaire GAO-KC-45. Gates est désormais un acteur majeur de la crise systémique à Washington, mais plus pour son rôle intérieur que pour son rôle dans les affaires de sécurité nationale.

Mis en ligne le 27 juin 2008 à 15H24