Why We Can't Send More Troops (Why Kristol & Lowry are Nuts)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091301575.html

In "Reinforce Baghdad" , William Kristol and Rich Lowry argue that the United States needs to deploy "substantially" more troops to Iraq to stabilize the country. Aside from the strategic dubiousness of their proposal -- Kristol and Lowry's piece might alternatively have been titled "Reinforcing Failure" -- there is a practical obstacle to it that they overlook: Sending more troops to Iraq would, at the moment, threaten to break our nation's all-volunteer Army and undermine our national security. This is not a risk our country can afford to take.

In their search for additional troops and equipment for Iraq, the first place that Kristol and Lowry would have to look is the active Army. But even at existing deployment levels, the signs of strain on the active Army are evident. In July an official report revealed that two-thirds of the active U.S. Army was classified as "not ready for combat." When one combines this news with the fact that roughly one-third of the active Army is deployed (and thus presumably ready for combat), the math is simple but the answer alarming: The active Army has close to zero combat-ready brigades in reserve.

The second place to seek new troops and equipment is the Army National Guard and Reserve. But the news here is, if anything, worse. When asked by reporters to comment on the strain that the active Army was under, the head of the National Guard said that his military branch was "in an even more dire situation than the active Army. We both have the same symptoms; I just have a higher fever."

Already, the stress of Iraq and Afghanistan on our soldiers has been significant: Every available active-duty combat brigade has served at least one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan, and many have served two or three. Likewise, the vast majority of Army National Guardsmen and Reservists have been mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001, some more than once.

Thus the simple fact is that the only way for Kristol and Lowry to put their new plan into action anytime soon without resorting to a draft -- and thereby dismantling the all-volunteer Army, which, as the authors themselves would certainly admit, could be strategically disastrous -- is by demanding even more from our soldiers by accelerating their training and rotation schedules. While there is no question that the soldiers would respond to more frequent calls to duty, it is doubtful that they would be supplied with proper equipment and training for their mission in the near term. Moreover, the long-term toll on the cost and quality of our troops would be threatened by the added strain.

[MadMaddie]

1. The Draft is coming....I hear it coming folks...

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Bring it on

The draft was major focal point of anti-war protest during the Vietnam conflict. If the Frat Boy thinks he's unpopular now, just reinstate the draft and see what wonders that will do him. His approval ratings will be in the teens in no time.

[AndyTiedye]

7. Don't Bring It On! With a Draft, They'd Invade Iran, Syria, Venezuela,…

The only thing holding them back is a lack of available cannon fodder.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. I'm not saying I would support a draft

On the contrary, I would oppose a draft as it goes through the legislative process and I would oppose it afterward. I would advocate civil disobedience and resistance.

Anti-draft activity was a major feature of rsistance to the LBJ/Nixon war against Vietnam. If the draft is reintoriduced, it simply become a focal point of resistance to the neoconservative war against Iraq and Iran and whatever other resource rich state they will falsely accuse of being an immediate threat.

[winston61]

10. Amen to you Brother,

The real tragedy is that more men and women will die, but conscription will kill the empire and bring down the neocons.

[babylonsister]

2. This could be the death knell of the repugs if only

it was widely known.

[FogerRox]

3. Dont forget Blackwater, Caqi, Aegis

[winston61]

11. the military is nearly bankrupt now,

they can't afford to pay everyone in a standing mercenary army $100,000.00 a year.

[NanceGreggs]

4. Simple solution to end the war in Iraq ...

... draft EVERYONE who supports it. No restrictions, no deferments, no excuses.

Under that scenario, there wouldn't be a single war supporter in the country within twenty-four hours.

[thefloyd]

6. Bingp

Or better proposal. All those who voted for Bush also pushed themselves first in line for duty.

[greenman3610]

8. Just have Diebold identify every Bush voter

they go first.


Seriously, I think the draft has to
be seriously debated, because the main
reason this war got started is because it
was advertised as being "cost free' to the
average republican suburbanite.

If they're so fired up about this war, time to
send their kids.

I'm speaking as someone who has a draft
age son, so I have some skin in this
game.

[AndyTiedye]

12. You Didn't Vote for Bush**, but the Machinez Might Have Switched Your Vote