Fact Check: Obama's Platoon Story

ap ^ | 2/22/08 | ap

[mdittmar]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama says the war in Iraq, which he opposes, has pulled troops away from Afghanistan and left soldiers there without proper equipment.

He underscored his point in the Democratic debate Thursday by telling a story about a rifle platoon in Afghanistan that allegedly didn't have enough soldiers or weapons to do its job, leaving the platoon to scrounge for weapons from the Taliban.

His source was an anonymous Army captain, whom his campaign refused to identify Friday.

___

THE SPIN:

"You know, I've heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon," Obama said. "Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq,"

"And as a consequence, they didn't have enough ammunition, they didn't have enough Humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.

___

THE FACTS:

The Obama campaign offered no details to support the captain's story, making it impossible to verify. A spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about who the captain was and when and how the candidate learned about the allegation.

ABC News said it talked to the unidentified captain, whose account of shortages in Afghanistan was for the most part accurately summarized by Obama, although not verified.

The captain said, however, that the unit did not go after the Taliban for the purpose of getting their weapons, but sometimes used those weapons when some were captured.

The Pentagon has acknowledged forces are stretched, but spokesman Bryan Whitman said that without knowing more, he could not comment on the veracity of Obama's claim, except to say: "I find that account pretty hard to imagine."

Whitman contended "all of our units and service members that go into harm's way are properly trained, equipped and with the leadership to be successful for the mission that they've been given."

Obama said the platoon was supposed to have 39 soldiers. A platoon does not have to consist of 39, but can have between 16 to 40 soldiers, according to standard Army unit organization. It is also commanded by a lieutenant and not a captain.

According to the ABC report, the captain was a lieutenant when he took command of the rifle platoon.

Sen. John Warner, a supporter of likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain, sent Obama a letter Friday asking for details about the platoon and the name and whereabouts of the captain, so he can tell military officials about it at an upcoming hearing. Warner is ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

[river rat]

Stand by for ANOTHER “phony soldier” liar....

Obama certainly isn’t stupid enough to use a story that can EASILY be proven false if in fact it is false....Or - is he?

Interesting times ahead..

If he refuses to name the Captain, and the Captain doesn’t come forward - Obama is a liar, just like Kerry and McCain...

[Just mythoughts]

What does not make sense is why did Obama get the letter instead of Hillary Clinton. She is after all the Senator from New York and has a high profile seat on the Armed Forces Committee.

[river rat]

Being the natural born (and survivor) cynic that I am ——
1. It would be a clever ploy for a Clinton supporter to give an irresistible phony story to Obama and let him run with it until the noose jerked tight on his gullible and ignorant butt.

2. Ditto for a McCain supporter -- baiting a trap is NOT unheard of in politics, hunting or war....

3. Could be an Obama "hater", attempting to bring him down with a lie.

If this story turns out to be true --- I would be shocked... SHOCKED I tell you...

[Just mythoughts]

Well supposedly the writer of a letter is real. I was channel surfing yesterday evening and caught a report by Jamie McIntyre who claimed to have spoken with the person. Here is a link near the bottom of the transcript of the report. As I listened to the report I kept thinking well we did go into Afghanistan with a fairly roughed up Clintons military. And again why didn’t this guy write to Hillary as a Senator from New York and on the Armed Forces Committee.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/22/sitroom.02.html

[informavoracious]

The people who care weren’t gonna vote for him. The people who are gonna vote for him don’t care.

[afnamvet]

Obama and his MSM marxist ilk continue the lies to sustain their persosna. Total BS from the islmofacist pond scum.

[river rat]

"Well supposedly the writer of a letter is real."

All liars are "real" persons...
Being a real person, doesn't mean one speaks the truth...

[kalee]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/22/sitroom.02.html

Read Wolf Blitzer’s take on this. He admits it’s not as Obama tells it.

[kalee]

From the transcript... So while it’s true, this unit didn’t have all the troops, training and equipment this commander wanted, and that may indeed have been a result of the demands of the Iraq war, the unit was not split up and they weren’t scrounging for weapons — Wolf (Blitzer).

[Just mythoughts]

All liars are "real" persons... Being a real person, doesn't mean one speaks the truth...

Yes, this is a 'truth'. But we are supposedly talking about one serving in the military so for that I will go the extra mile, and take a wait and see approach. This guy could be every bit a liberal as Hillary and Obama, I really do not know. Could be another 'Jersey gals' like orchestration, or a mourning Sheehan about to take the political stage.

[river rat]

"...talking about one serving in the military so for that I will go the extra mile, "

So was Kerry....... He is a documented LIAR.
So was Tom Harkin..... He is a documented LIAR.
So was Jesse Macbeth.... He is a documented LIAR.
So was John McCain..... He is a documented LIAR.

Being a member of the military does not render one the speaker of truth --- on ANY subject.

[section9]

Obama told a whopper in a very small way, and was clever enough to hide the lie in a hard to unwrap truth.

Of course units suffer shortages. Standard TO&E for infantry platoons could be 39. So what, there isn't a lieutenant on the planet going into battle with a full complement of men.

Where Obama lied was to peddle the notion that our troops are so short of weapons that they need to pick up AK-47's off of dead Taliban. That's just not true. We do that, but not because we need to. Does anyone here with any military experience believe that a First Sergeant would allow his platoon leader to go into the Hindu Kush with some of his privates short of general issue weaponry? I think not.

However, what is worse is that Obama may actually not be lying. He may actually believe this bit of liberal "truthiness". It gives one a window into how liberals think.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[SE Mom]

And the LATEST update at your link:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/02/sen-warner-calls-for-hearing-on-obamas.html

John Warner sends Obama a letter asking for proof!!

Popcorn.