Bush can reinstate the draft, or lose the Iraq War

[babylonsister]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Group_Bush_can_reinstate_draft_or_0823.html

Michael Roston
Published: Wednesday August 23, 2006

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Fast on the heels of yesterday's Defense Department involuntary call up of Marine reserves, an Iraq veterans group tells RAW STORY that if a draft is not the next step, President Bush must choose to accept a loss in the war.

Reports yesterday indicated that 2,500 inactive reserve members of the Marines were called up for duty in Iraq. The Marines are members of the individual Ready Reserve and have already given four years of service, allowing them to return to civilian life. However, they are contractually obligated to return to service when needed.

But Jon Soltz, who heads up the group VoteVets.org, warned ABC News yesterday that the call up showed a lack of plans for victory in Iraq, and the problems faced by an overburdened American military. Soltz served as a captain in the Army in the Iraq war and is still a member of the reserves.

In a follow-up interview with RAW STORY, Soltz explained what he views are the prospects of a draft returning to the US military.

"The Pentagon has been saying it's meeting retention goals, but its actions speak louder than words," he explained of the stop loss and reserve call up actions that the Pentagon has taken.

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[Monkeyman]

1. First before that they call up inactive Res.

Old farts like me one more year to go before they can not

[babylonsister]

7. That's already being done w/Marines. I hope you don't qualify. nt

[theophilus]

2. Bush can reinstate the draft AND lose the Iraq War.....and

a whole lot more. I can't think of many actions that would win the GOP a boatload of enemies right quick like. They would then have opponents to the War outside the military and a whole lot more opponents of the War inside the military (drafted kids who think this war is stupid, etc.). If Mr. Bush does the Draft thing, expect major meltdown on many levels. IMHO.

[YDogg]

3. That's why I believe there will not be a draft ...

... but the only reason I can think of. bush and the publicans have too much to lose.

Better for them (I'm guessing their logic goes) to abuse the hell out of our troops with repeated call-ups than to face reality.

[undeterred]

4. its an occupation, not a war, and there is nothing to "win" anymore

[babylonsister]

6. Well, if you listen to your prez, "we're at WAR!" I thought about

that when dimson was talking on Monday.:eyes:

[undeterred]

9. My prez is John Kerry and I hardly ever get to hear him

because a monkey is illegally occupying his house!

[babylonsister]

10. AMEN! nt

[Monkeyman]

5. One thing lame Duck session

[acmejack]

8. I am simply amazed by all the doubters here!

They wouldn't dare my dyin' ass! They won't have a second thought, they don't want the Monkeyman's tired old ass (Sorry, MM) They want that fresh young meat! They didn't all those vets from the Korean war now did they?

They want the youth & they'll have them too, unless we are prepared to lay it all on the line. All of it, every last bit to keep them from taking our children.

[yellowcanine]

11. Bush will hire illegal alien merceneries . You heard it here first. He

will claim it is his right as CIC. Of course only Congress has the right to raise an army according to the Constitution but that hasn't stopped Bush yet.

[theanarch]

12. the manpower shortage is worse than reported...

...a few months ago the Pentagon began transferring naval and air force personnel (the lower ranks, for sure), sending (or planning to) some 10,000 of them through a two-week combat school (at Ft. Jackson, wherever that is) for immediate deployment to Iraq/Afghanistan. In a sense, the ranks are being fleshed out with mercinaries--mostly from Central/South America and East Asia, with expidited citizenship for those who survive (five years instead of the usual seven); for those who don't, the families get deported back to their country of origin, along with the corpse. On the other hand, the US is still keeping over 100K troops in Germany as part of NATO, and another 40K in S.Korea--the so-called regular army--while the occupations are fought by a few elite units (air-borne, marines) and lots and lots of Guards and Reserves...just like Vietnam, up to 1967. There won't be a draft, period--it's political suicide.