Rumsfeld, Bush approved Iraq torture policy
POSTED BY: Ghoulman
UPDATED: Friday, October 29, 2004 15:24
VIEWED: 4331
PAGE 1 of 3
Hi,
Remember when Ghoulman told you that the DRAFT was already going on quietly? Well, here come the 1960s all over again...
Army may send special reserves to active duty involuntarily
By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
Knight Ridder Newspapers
The U.S. Army is scraping up soldiers for duty in Iraq wherever it can find them, and that includes places and people long considered off-limits.
The Army on Tuesday confirmed that it pulled the files of some 17,000 people in the Individual Ready Reserve, the nation's pool of former soldiers. The Army has been screening them for critically needed specialists and has called about 100 of them since January.
... Click here for full article!!!
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/politics/8
696975.htm
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FRELL! I mucked up the title.
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U.S. Draft in 2005
Actions Indicate Administration Has Plan To Reinstate Military Draft if Bush Re-Elected
By Mike Blair
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/u_s__draft.html
A military draft may be reinstated by mid-2005 if President George W. Bush is re-elected in November. An appropriation of $28 million has been provided in the current defense budget to bring the nation’s Selective Service System up to speed, which many people believe will likely lead to a national draft of young men and women by June 15, 2005.
U.S. military professionals have told American Free Press that due to the Iraq war and large troop deployments in Korea and Europe, a manpower shortage in the armed forces has reached “a state of critical mass.”
Neither Bush nor his Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), would dare to push for reinstating the draft during an election year. The draft was ended in 1973. But many people believe Bush has put the machinery in place to begin a draft by June 15, 2005, which includes setting up and staffing local Selective Service boards throughout America.
The Pentagon has begun a program to fill 10,350 local draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board posts as soon as possible.
Last September, the Pentagon ran an ad for volunteers to fill the slots. But when it was reported in the news media, the ad was quietly pulled.
Registration for the draft ended in 1975. Under President Jimmy Carter, however, registration was reinstated for all men between the ages of 18 and 25 in 1980, in an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act.
Currently, legislation is pending in the House and Senate to renew the draft.
In the House there is H.R. 163, which was introduced last year by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). It was referred to the House Armed Services Committee and the House Subcommittee on Total Force.
H.R. 163 has 14 co-sponsors, including Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Donna M. Christensen (D-Va.), John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), James P. Moran (D-Va.), Fortney “Pete” Stark (D-Calif.) Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.).
Most of those who have signed on to support the bill are members of the Congressional Black Caucus. However, Rangel and the bill’s co-sponsors contend, as Rangel puts it: “Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country. For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance.”
Rangel said primarily the poor and minorities are serving in Iraq, getting wounded and killed.
Under the bill, the draft would apply to men and women ages 18 to 26, the 20-year-olds being taken first, with exemptions to allow people to graduate from high school. But college students would have to serve, unlike during the Vietnam War, when attending college was a stay-home pass.
SHOULDER THE BURDEN
In the Senate a companion bill, S. 89, has been introduced by Sen. Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings (D-S.C.), which has been referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Said Hollings: “We all share the benefits of life in America, and under this plan, we all help shoulder the burden of defending our freedoms. Our proposal ensures that all Americans answer the call of duty. High school students could be deferred until they graduate, but in no case will that deferment extend beyond the age of 20. As we fight this war on terrorism and protect our way of life, we must once again listen to the words of President John F. Kennedy, who implored us to ‘ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country’.”
Army commanders in Iraq want more troops to combat the growing guerrilla war that is engulfing the country and causing daily deaths among U.S. troops.
Even Republican members of the Senate are beginning to talk about a draft being needed to fill manpower gaps.
“Why shouldn’t we ask all of o
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the latest on the possible draft in the USA...
Rumors fly of military draft
Libby George, Star Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent
June 24, 2004]
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1557/4844069.html
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although there hasn't been a draft in more than 30 years, 22-year-old Minneapolis college graduate Nathan Mittelstaedt is worried that he might be forced into military service.
He's not alone.
Despite shaky evidence -- and denials by top officials -- Mittelstaedt and many other young people in Minnesota and across the nation are convinced that a draft is secretly in the works. Through mass e-mails and Internet sites, the word is going out that as early as next June, men and women as old as 34 will be subject to random, mandatory military service.
The rumors have been sparked by debate in Congress and what some say is suspicious behavior by the Selective Service System. The fears have been exacerbated by news reports about troops stretched thin around the globe and the Pentagon's recent "stop-gap" order to extend tours of duty in Iraq.
Officials are finding the rumors difficult to quash. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., called the draft worries "a scare tactic." Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., attributes them to people "who like to stir up fear and angst."
The Selective Service System has received so many calls and e-mails that the agency posted a prominent notice on its Web site denying any draft preparations.
"It's just not going to happen," said Dan Amon, an agency spokesman. "There's no interest whatsoever in Congress."
Amon said the agency began receiving e-mails in November, when a Defense Department Web page advertised openings on the draft board -- a group of 11,000 civilians nationwide who would hear petitions for deferments during a draft.
Although the agency has maintained the board since 1980, Amon said, several watchdog groups took the posting as a sign that it was quietly mobilizing for a draft.
"There's nothing unusual about a call for new board members," Amon said. "We're always looking for volunteers."
Not since 1973
The military ended 25 years of the draft in 1973, in the midst of the highly unpopular war in Vietnam. Draft registration was suspended in 1975, but was resumed in 1980 in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Since then, many military officials have said that a draft would weaken the current all-volunteer military by swelling the ranks with people who don't necessarily want to be there.
Although there's widespread agreement that there's no momentum on Capitol Hill to bring back the draft, several members of Congress are openly advocating it. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who has expressed concerns about maintaining troop strength, has spoken in favor of a draft. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has argued that a draft would produce a more demographically balanced force. He introduced a bill last year that would require mandatory service for all draft-age American men and women. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., introduced a companion bill in the Senate. Web sites and mass e-mails have used the bill introductions to raise the alarm.
The Web postings and e-mails -- often containing identical language -- usually cite the bills and the draft board openings as evidence that a draft is coming.
The warnings contain questionable assertions. For example, they claim that the Selective Service System received an additional $28 million from Congress in fiscal 2004, when there was no funding increase. They also claim that the White House is pushing to get the bills through, when in fact the administration opposes a draft.
Still, the fact that bills exist in the House and Senate was enough to convince Michael LaBrosse, a 57-year-old leadership consultant from Minneapolis, that a draft is coming. After confirming that the bills were real, he said he forwarded the e-mail to more than 100 friends.
"This is about as real a thing as I ever sent out," said LaBrosse. "It makes sense that if there's a bill like that out there
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Come'on! email chain letter hoaxes? (satire) Ouch I just got a needle prick at the gas pump, I wonder if I am going to get aids. Oh, now I am getting a little woosy, maybe I am missing a kidney or something. I better go home and sit in an ice bath and wait for the paramedics to show up (/satire)
And house drafts are (almost) a dime a dozen. Yes, it hard to get one in when you *want* one, but the damn fools sitting in Washington can sure churn them out. "Ur, the Gentlemen from (insert your favourite state) would like to propose house bill (blah blah Blah) for the celebration of the birthday of Mr. (some ass from some other state) and his pet lizard Bozo"
http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/draft.asp
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^^^ ??? 
Wow!, that's a good link! Thanx! My goddess, this is weird. 
And not to be outdone... here's more news from the "front".
Pentagon tries to squelch rumors of a new draft
Despite bills, officials deny plans for conscription
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004
/07/09/MNG3E7J01L1.DTL
Washington -- Top Pentagon officials have denied adamantly, despite persistent rumors to the contrary, that the Bush administration is planning to reinstate the military draft or increase the size of the U.S. force in Iraq from the current 140,000 after the November presidential election.
Restarting the draft, which ended in 1973 except for standby registration of 18-year-old men, has been proposed in Congress by a small group of liberals led by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. A similar measure is pending in the Senate. They say the current all-volunteer force is unfair ...
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Hey Jasonzzz, I have a question for you (and others) under the "Demonization" thread. It's a real question, not a trick. I hope you read it and respond. iIm curious.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ghoulman:
Libby George, Star Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent June 24, 2004]
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1557/4844069.html
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., attributes them to people "who like to stir up fear and angst."
First of all, as a Minnesotan and a St. Paulite, we view the 'Star and Sickle' as the Great Minnesota Fish Wrapper. That paper is worthless and the editorial staff gutless.
As for Norm Coleman, that weasle (aka, "Bush's Butt Monkey") is travelling the country stumping for his new owners.
He had the gall to say that Kerry flipflops on issues.
Hmmmm, is this the same weasle who ran for mayor of St. Paul as a democrat and when he made noises about running for governor was told that there were many people in the party senior to him and that he'd have to wait a few years.
Next thing you know ... ole Normy is a Republican. Couldn't be that the Republicans didn't have someone lined up to run yet .... could it?
If it hadn't been for the drunkards and wrasslin' morons who for reasons beyond comprehension voted in Jesse 'the dingbat' Ventura, ole Normy would have been too busy running Minnesota to stick his nose in the national race.
Unfortunately for Minnesota and the country (for many reasons) Jesse's mindless army did have their way and Norm was at a loose end. What does an unemployed former mayer do .... hmmmm.
He listens to the voice of his master and runs for Senate.
Paul Wellstone was trouncing Coleman in the polls -- he was pulling further every day as every day grew closer to the election. It wasn't even close when the Senator's plane crashed killing him, members of his family and members of his staff. King George has another butt monkey because of a noble man's untimely death.
This is also the weasle who claimed that he was a 110% improvement over Paul Wellstone. If you consider being a lying, cheating, backstabbing opportunist an improvement ... I guess he fits the bill.
I ran into Norm at an event a few months ago. I told him to his face that he was Bush's butt monkey and reminded him that at the end of time, he'd answer to God for the deaths this regime has caused.
Knibblet - St. Paulite.
"Just keep walkin, preacher man."
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^^^ Wow! Ya writing a book? lol! Thanks for the insight. You seem to have really been paying attention to the people involved and forming a real opinion about them. Nice stuff. Post more! 
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