<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rudiger @ Nov 5 2006, 08:43 AM) [snapback]344056[/snapback]</div> I thought after Saddam was convicted, we'd turned the corner.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Nov 5 2006, 09:15 AM) [snapback]344058[/snapback]</div> Most likely they are preparing to gear up for the escalation in violence that may occur when Saddam is found guilty - not the other way around
Even if we're able to extricate from this mess over the next few years, there will be long term fall out. Not only will the regular military recruitment be affected, but I imagine enlistment in the National Guard will suffer. Who is going to enlist in the National Guard now that they know what they could be in for given past practice?
“The Iraq war has also eaten up large quantities of the Guard's equipment. More than 64,000 pieces of equipment have been left behind in Iraq, contributing to a $24 billion equipment shortfall as Guard units have only an estimated one-third of their essential gear on hand, according to the Government Accountability Office.†Oh, come-on WashPost writers, tell the whole story!!!! <_< It makes absolutely no sense to have a 69-Ton M1 Tank shipped back to the USA so it can stay with its assigned unit, only to have the replacement unit ship their identical 69-Ton M1 Tank to Iraq. The same goes for much of the other 69,000 pieces of equipment. Do you want to pay the bill for the back and forth postage??? The military may do a lot of wasteful spending, but unnecessarily shipping interchangeable equipment back and forth is insane. It's not like the equipment was abandoned out in the desert as some readers would come to speculate. I'm concerned that this (biased article) will lead to a new DAFT.
Okay. Why don't you talk about the gun inventory. The number of guns unaccounted for and just plain lost?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Nov 5 2006, 03:45 PM) [snapback]344193[/snapback]</div> Thats right! I wonder how many people think the enlistees are stupid? The national gaurd tells its enlistees they may have to go to war, as they do in all reserve branches of the military. I agree this thread is very misleading aimed at giving our military a negative out look and to promote fear & anger towards those in power.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Nov 5 2006, 02:44 PM) [snapback]344226[/snapback]</div> Apples and oranges. Weapons given to stand-up the Iraqi security forces by the US, which later became unaccounted for – whether stolen, destroyed by mistake or during battle, or misplaced in a logistics warehouse paperwork mix-up – is not the same thing as US forces equipment left in place by outgoing troops for use by the incoming troops. Daft if you think it is. :mellow:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Nov 5 2006, 12:45 PM) [snapback]344193[/snapback]</div> No worries there. Our country is already daft.
