CNN: Rumsfeld: U.S. military 'stressed'

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/06/troops/index.html

Rumsfeld: U.S. military 'stressed'

Defense secretary calls some Iraqi troops 'green as grass'

Sunday, February 6, 2005 Posted: 5:29 PM EST (2229 GMT)

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said changes were being made to boost recruiting efforts.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military "is clearly stressed," and recruitment of new troops is falling short of plans, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday.

"It's clearly stressed, but they're performing brilliantly," Rumsfeld said on CNN's "Late Edition." "They're doing a fabulous job, and we're adjusting the incentives and the number of recruiters that are out."

But recent recruiting goals have not been met, exacerbating an already unsatisfactory situation, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said last week.

"As it pertains to the National Guard, the Army National Guard in particular, we were woefully underequipped before the war started," he told the House Armed Services Committee. "It's getting -- gets a little bit worse every day."

....

If a second war front should open, "it might take somewhat longer, it might be done in a slightly different way, but the estimates I get are that, basically, we're capable of performing the tasks that the president has assigned," Rumsfeld said

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edit: link

[freethought]

1. Gee, Ya think! n/t

[sabra]

2. "If a second war front should open," that quote scares me...

[City Lights]

3. Me too.

:scared:

[WildClarySage]

13. Doesn't he mean third...

or did we pull out of Afghanistan already?

[hippiechick]

4. ARRRGH !!!

"... we were woefully underequipped before the war started..."

HOW GODDAMN MANY PEOPLE TOLD THEM THAT AND THEY INVADED ANY GODDAMN WAY ???????

:mad: :nuke: :mad: :nuke: :mad: :nuke: :mad: :nuke:

[DulceDecorum]

5. ...but -- but -- God said that just before he returns

"there also has to be a war with Persia around this same time."
http://www.unknownnews.net/cdd040302.html
The closest thing we have to Persia is Iran.
God speaks through me.
Attack Iran.

Is George W. Bush insane?
http://www.unknownnews.net/insanity.html

[leesa]

9. Every Fundie you know who yearns for the End Times, wants this Armageddon

[VegasWolf]

12. You know, sitting around and hoping for the end of the world is

some seriously fucked up thinking! I bet most of
them still believe in Santa Claus too.

[car54whereareyou]

6. The scariest part of the quote

implies that Bush has already decided on another war front. I feel sorry for those poor fools who thought it would be safe to enlist in the air force or the navy.

[MattNC]

7. I DON'T want a second war

but I'd be very interested in the war plan to see how the hell we'd pull one off - especially in a country like Iran.

[reprobate]

14. We couldn't pull it off. Except maybe an air war against Iran.

I have this horrible picture of 150,000 of our troops set upon by millions of Iraqis and Iranians if we started to bomb Iran. Remember how we left Viet Nam? I have the feeling that our leaving Iraq will not be nearly that peaceful, nor nearly that bloodless.

I believe it would be the end of American military and economic power in the world. We are in deep economic trouble now. Imagine the shape we'd be in if the world decided that an economic embargo is what we deserved.

We no longer grow all the food we need, so a food embargo would be felt quickly. You can't wage war without oil, so an embargo would put a crimp in their plans, too.

And if we started an air war against Iran, these fools would be dumb enough to put our carriers in the Persian gulf because of the short flight time to Tehran. Of course the eastern shore of the gulf is likely lined with Russian SS-N-25 anti-ship cruise missiles. They are impossible to stop by any defense our navy has. There go our carriers, with what, 5,000 crew each?

In any case, leave it to bush to put us in the worst of all possible situations. The man has let failure go to his head. He has delusions of adequacy.

[flyarm]

15. third war...remember afganistan!! n/t

[Rockholm]

8. No Shit!

[bluestateguy]

10. New Bush program for the young people of America

Do Right And Follow Thru

[struggle4progress]

11. His mother always said Donny was a fast learner. eom

[AuntiBush]

16. You're kidding, right!

I can't stand watching these NeoCons sending our troops into battle, and fighting Colleges/Universities for the right to prod campuses for more recruits, when all of the bas$(%*)ds shirked their military duties for their own college/careers.

Never in my lifetime. I never thought I'd ever live to see anything like this stinkin Gang on the Hill ever!