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US army also seems to be weak and frail at times (says Murtha)
People's Daily ^ | 8/21/2006

Posted on 08/21/2006 7:30:55 PM PDT by markomalley

In early August, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld acknowledged at a news conference in Pentagon that the US military has reported a shortage of equipment and a declining capacity of combat readiness after a prolonged war engagement. Recently, some US military personnel and members of the Congress have voiced their dissatisfaction with the heavy losses of the war.

US Army Chief of Staff Peter J. Schoomaker said the present depletion rate of the army's equipment is four times more as originally envisaged. The military was obliged to "broaden sources of income and reduce expenditure". One the one hand, they've actively prompted the Congress to increase the budget by another $17 billion as emergency appropriations and; on the other, they've decided to cut down non-war spending, for instance, canceling non-essential business trips, suspending the recruit of non-military staffers, and even dismissing some temporarily contracted civilian staffers. Some US defense and diplomatic experts also noted that due to equipment shortages and other related problems, nearly two thirds of the active forces including the US Army and Marine Corps cannot plunged themselves in battles immediately once the wars break out. A prestigious, marine-turned Congressman John Murtha said the United States is, in fact, unable to fight another war at all in such circumstances.

On July 31, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and the United States-led allied forces held a handover ceremony in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. The former took over security matters in six provinces in southern Afghanistan and hence officially got involved and controlled the military operation in the Afghan southern region. After the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan, the allied forces and the International Security Assistance Forces stationed in Afghanistan have a general division of work: the allied forces are mainly in charge of war on terror, military operation and other security affairs, such as military actions to uproot Taliban and other armed personnel. International Security Assistance Force is held accountable primarily for the "peacekeeping" mission, with its scope of activities confined mainly to Kabul and other major cities and regions and generally is not directly involved in fighting. By November of this year, NATO will take over security affairs in Afghanistan in an all-round day, according to the agreement reached by both sides. The US military, despite retaining an anti-terrorism force in Afghanistan, which is not subjected to the command of NATO, has begun "getting away" from Afghanistan to some extent.

It seems that the US armed forces, the world's top military power, have also been seen weak and frail in their performance as the US dollars did recently.

In the wake of the "9.11" Incident in 2001, the United States has launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of "anti-terrorism". It sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to overseas battlefields and input a huge amount of money beyond the capacities of any other countries. Although large-scale warfare in Iraq has ended, regional fighting and conflicts are still around. The loss of US military personnel and the depletion of military equipment have far exceeded their expectations, engulfing pack after pack of US dollars into bottomless holes. According to the estimation, the United States' military spending in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq is expected to top the $450 billion mark this year.

Compared with the competence of soldiers recruited in the past, the quality of the US soldiers has also slid because of lowered quality set for the recruitment. There is nothing new for the frequent occurrence of vicious cases in which US officers and soldiers are charged of committing rape and indiscriminate killing in addition to the deflated morale. These factors have, to some extent, negatively affected the US combat capability.

What trend to draw people's attention today is that the US military and political authorities are now working actively to implement a redeployment plan on a global scale.. It plans to build a so-called "three-tier base system" overseas from 2006 to 2011. The Pentagon said bluntly this system can save a lot of money than any other setups of the past, and it will enable the United States to have a more flexible and effective control of the entire world. Although the US military shows its weakness for the time being, it does not seem to abandon its military presence in Afghanistan, Iraq and other strategically vital places, let alone giving up its set hegemony strategies.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: geopolitics; lies; mohammadalmurtha; murtha; peoplesdaily; treason; war
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A prestigious, marine-turned Congressman John Murtha said the United States is, in fact, unable to fight another war at all in such circumstances.

Don't you just love it when comments like this make it into the official paper of the Chinese Commies?

1 posted on 08/21/2006 7:30:58 PM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

Well this is the Army we're talkin' about here.....


2 posted on 08/21/2006 7:33:03 PM PDT by AZRepublican ("The degree in which a measure is necessary can never be a test of the legal right to adopt it.")
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To: markomalley

Murtha is fat, senile and greedy.


3 posted on 08/21/2006 7:35:06 PM PDT by DarthVader (Conservatives aren't always right , but Liberals are almost always wrong.)
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To: markomalley

Well, heck. If the Chinese consider Murtha to be prestigious, I'd say he should go work for them.

Oh, wait a minute ...


4 posted on 08/21/2006 7:35:46 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Rabid ethnicist.)
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To: markomalley

Hey Congressman Murtha, You are being pinged.

5 posted on 08/21/2006 7:36:42 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
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To: markomalley

Dammit, Tokyo John, it's time for you to retire.


6 posted on 08/21/2006 7:36:47 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all.)
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To: markomalley
It seems that the US armed forces, the world's top military power, have also been seen weak and frail in their performance as the US dollars did recently.

LOL, comparing the US military to a falling Dollar is hysterical. I have to hand it to the Commies, they may not understand anything at all about the US, but they can make me laugh.

7 posted on 08/21/2006 7:36:58 PM PDT by KellyAdmirer
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To: DarthVader

Murtha is fat, senile and greedy.
-----
Yeah, he and Kennedy would make a real pair of Commie hit men for Castro....that is where they BOTH belong.


8 posted on 08/21/2006 7:37:25 PM PDT by EagleUSA (T)
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To: AZRepublican
Watch where yer goin there, slick. Ya might not like the destination.
9 posted on 08/21/2006 7:37:40 PM PDT by Hazcat
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To: AZRepublican
Well this is the Army we're talkin' about here....

I'd laugh, but I find it impossible, and I'm sure our son would too.

10 posted on 08/21/2006 7:41:06 PM PDT by Chena ("I'm not young enough to know everything." (Oscar Wilde))
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To: markomalley

TREASON IS THE REASON FOR MURTHA TO BE DEFEATED AND SENT TO PRISON! Prayers for Diana Irey. May she take this bastard down!


11 posted on 08/21/2006 7:42:19 PM PDT by Chena ("I'm not young enough to know everything." (Oscar Wilde))
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To: markomalley

If the United States Army (or Israel's Army) unleashed it's full might, unrestricted by politicians and political correct countries, the world might view the US Army's capabilities differently? If a war is worth fighting, it is worth winning decisively!!!!


12 posted on 08/21/2006 7:42:53 PM PDT by eeriegeno
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To: markomalley
A prestigious, marine-turned Congressman John Murtha said the United States is, in fact, unable to fight another war at all in such circumstances.

] Given our present committments, I almost agree. However, did Murtha introduce a bill to increase Military spending to increase readiness and increase manpower and material acquisition or is he suggesting cut and run?

Sorry, I know this does not need answering...

13 posted on 08/21/2006 7:43:08 PM PDT by RaceBannon (Innocent until proven guilty: The Pendleton 8)
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To: AZRepublican

Well this is the Army we're talkin' about here.....



....and what is that supposed to mean?


14 posted on 08/21/2006 7:44:51 PM PDT by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero..............)
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To: All
What liberals and the media never talk about is that our troops are getting phenomenal combat experience which is tough to experience in simulators or combat games, we are learning which of our equipment does not work, making necessary modifications to others to make them superior and developing new weapons that no one in the world has to fight future wars.

Wars are hell and no likes them. That is why they are wars. Yet, we are gaining allot of positive things during this WOT that makes our military a far better fighting force. Anyone who does not believe this, basically does not want to know the truth or is hiding their head in the sand.
15 posted on 08/21/2006 7:46:37 PM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: markomalley
Compared with the competence of soldiers recruited in the past, the quality of the US soldiers has also slid because of lowered quality set for the recruitment

I think data has been posted on FR in the past year that shows just the opposite.

16 posted on 08/21/2006 7:48:42 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Helen Thomas on anticipating and handling a crisis: "I'll live under that bridge when I get to it.")
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To: gov_bean_ counter

Knowing the quality of Murtha when he enlisted, I would say our recruits are far superior in intellect and integrity.


17 posted on 08/21/2006 7:50:33 PM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: markomalley
The ChiComs get so much wrong about the US that it is hard to tell if it is propaganda or unintentional humor(like the time they hacked the chamber of commerce web site of Lincoln City, Oregon during a flurry of attacks on important sites in America)
18 posted on 08/21/2006 7:52:37 PM PDT by crazyhorse691 (Diplomacy doesn't work when seagulls rain on your parade. A shotgun and umbrella does.)
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To: markomalley

Only the leadership is weak. The American Fighting Man will destroy any and all enemies *IF* allowed to.

You cannot fight a war by being "politically correct"

You close in and destroy the enemy. Simple - Effective - the Marine Corps way!


19 posted on 08/21/2006 8:00:14 PM PDT by TimesDomain (When a judge declares himself "MASTER", you become his "SLAVE")
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To: DarthVader
"Murtha is fat, senile and greedy."

I have no use for commenting on the ugly bastard's physical appearence, but you neglected to mention that he's a cheerleader for the enemy.

20 posted on 08/21/2006 8:01:52 PM PDT by KoRn
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