I Cogitate
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The web of liars damaging our military
The Pentagon simply cannot be trusted. Whether it's the top ranks or those in the middle, too many opportunties to be truthful and come clean to the American public have been wasted.
From generals who prove traitorous to the grunts fighting the war by becoming bobbleheads to the Secretary of Defense and other superior officers, to middle rankers who instill the true meaning of 'An Army Of One' by abandoning those below them when things get sticky and reports must be written and testimony offered, the military has an infectious disease. It's called liarism.
Career is too often chosen over doing right, even when saving one's stripes means those on the frontlines are going to be harmed.
Currently, the beyond sordid Pat Tillman situation is all over the news. Any Secretary of Defense with any sense of decency would have demanded the truth from the get-go.
With Abu Ghraib, the investigation was stopped after pinning it on a few low level soldiers and Brigadier General Janis Karpinski. Those directly above her proved themselves shameful cowards by running for protective cover and offering up others for sacrifice---this guilt going all the way to The White House.
Of course, what can one expect when even the enticing of new recruits is a flat out lie. For those who disagree, please explain the following dialgoue from one of the Army commercials:
Teenager: I can still go to college.Pssttt. Buddy, you're heading to Iraq right after basic training, along with defective body and vehicle armor. Plus, you're ticket is going to punched for two or three extensions.
Dad: It's the Army.
Teenager: I'm gonna be part of something that's important. And it's the reserve , so they'll train me around here until they need me.
Now, information published in that oh-so-leftwing rag Stars and Stripes, has surfaced yet again that illustrates just the type of shell game the Pentagon and the Bush Administration are continually employing so as to keep Congress and the American public in the dark. This one is regarding issues surrounding the number of trained and ready Iraqi troops.
Iraqi forces unable to reduce levels of violence across Iraq, GAO saysFor the rest, go here.
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition
March 22, 2007
The development of capable Iraqi security forces has been hampered by “ghost soldiers” who don’t report for duty, sectarian and militia influences, and a lack of logistical capabilities, a U.S. government report has found.
According to the Government Accountability Office report, issued March 13, more than $15 billion has been spent in three years on training the Iraqi security forces.
But, the report found, “while the Iraqi security forces are increasingly leading counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, they and the coalition have been unable to reduce the levels of violence throughout Iraq.”
The GAO also lamented the Pentagon’s tight hold on information about the actual training and readiness of Iraqi forces, which include the army, police, border guards and other armed forces.
“While DOD captures this information in its Transition Readiness Assessments, it does not provide this critical information to Congress,” the report read. “These data provide information on capabilities and gaps in Iraqi units’ manpower, equipment and training levels. … Congress needs this information to make informed appropriations decisions and engage in meaningful oversight. Despite repeated attempts over many months, we have yet to be provided the TRA information we are seeking.”
As of February 2007, the Pentagon said it had trained and equipped more than 327,000 Iraqi forces, more than doubling the total from March 2005.
One problem, though, is that accurate records are not kept.
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