McClatchy: Pentagon ignored danger of roadside bombs, report finds

[babylonsister]

Not even cold comfort for families of fallen soldiers and Iraqis, no comfort at all. How could they? :grr:

Pentagon ignored danger of roadside bombs, report finds
By David Goldstein | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — The military ignored steps before the invasion of Iraq that could have prevented the staggering number of casualties from roadside bombs, the Pentagon's acting inspector general charged Tuesday.

The IG's report says that the military knew years before the war that mines and homemade bombs, which the military calls "improvised explosive devices," would be a "threat . . . in low-intensity conflicts" and that "mine-resistant vehicles" were available.

"Yet the military did not develop requirements for, fund or acquire" safer vehicles, the report says. The military invaded Iraq in 2003 "without having taken available steps to acquire technology to mitigate the known mine and IED risk to soldiers and Marines."

Even after the war was under way, as the devices began taking a deadly toll and field commanders pressed for vehicles that were better protected from roadside bombs, the Pentagon was slow to act, the report says.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/57463.html

[Quantess]

1. Thanks a lot, pentagon.

[stillcool]

2. There's no telling where the money went..

[babylonsister]

3. It's not even the money. They didn't care! nt

[stillcool]

5. they have plenty of money...

so it's pretty obvious they have some other set of priorities than protecting American troops. I would just like to know where it 'really' goes.

[babylonsister]

7. Halliburton? nt

[stillcool]

8. No doubt...

I wonder how many countries Halliburton is in now..and how many subsidiaries they have. How long will it be before they have no ties to the United States?

[babylonsister]

11. I hope there's some way to keep them from bidding on new jobs

in the next admin. I'd be horrified if they won a bunch of contracts to rebuild this country.

[stillcool]

12. Yeah ..me too!..

Bechtel, KBR, Halliburton. I hope none of them is awarded a contract. They've made way too much already off of the backs..and dead bodies..of Americans.

[malaise]

4. KO just spoke about this

Another WTF moment from Bushco!

[babylonsister]

6. Yes, I heard it. WTG, KO! This totally disgusted me. nt

[OhioChick]

9. K&R

:kick:

[baldguy]

10. Wanna bet there's a bushie behind this decision?

[karynnj]

13. Not only that they did not secure the known ammo dumps for months

giving the ied makers plenty of ammo to use. (Flashback from the late October 2004 - when that was said hundreds of times - and linked to the fact that the ieds were killing and maiming "our kids". )

[babylonsister]

14. Memory jog, thanks. I do recall that. Tragic. nt

[madokie]

15. 382 tons of high explosives is what I remember

Lots of roadside ied's

[karynnj]

16. wow - you have a better memory than me

My memory was just "lots" of high explosives.