Senator Joe Biden Says U.S. Will 'Have To Face' Military Draft Dilemma

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US will 'have to face' military draft dilemma: senator

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050612/ts_alt_afp/usiraqrecruitment

1 hour, 56 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States will "have to face" a painful dilemma on restoring the military draft as rising casualties result in persistent shortfalls in US army recruitment, a top US senator warned.

Joseph Biden, the top Democrat of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the prediction after new data released by the Pentagon showed the US Army failing to meet its recruitment targets for four straight months.

"We're going to have to face that question," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" television show when asked if it was realistic to expect restoration of the draft.

"The truth of the matter is, it is going to become a subject, if, in fact, there's a 40 percent shortfall in recruitment. It's just a reality," he said.

The comment came after the Department of Defense announced Friday the army had missed its recruiting goal for May by 1,661 recruits, or 75 percent. Similar losses have been reported by army officials every month since February.

But experts said even that figure was misleading because the army has quietly lowered its May recruitment target from 8,050 to 6,700 people.

That has prompted charges that the real shortfall was closer to 40 percent, which in turn has led to questions about the future viability of the army as a force, if it continues to be plagued by lack of new recruits.

Since October, the army has recruited more than 8,000 fewer people that it had hoped to, which amounts to a loss of about a modern brigade.

The army, navy and Marine Corps reserves also fell short of their monthly goals by 18 percent, six percent and 12 percent respectively, according to the figures.

Recruitment at the Army National Guard was down 29 percent while the Air National Guard fell short 22 percent.

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http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/resurrect_draft.html


CONGRESS READY TO RESURRECT DRAFT


U.S. Needs ‘More Boots on Ground,’ Says Democrat



By Greg Szymanski

A House bill to reinstate the draft finally made its way to the Armed Services Committee where a vote is expected only after President Bush decides whether he is for or against conscription.

Bush has failed to make clear how he plans to restock the Army in light of dwindling recruiting numbers. Meanwhile, Congress is reluctant to make a decision due to the draft’s unpopularity with voters.

A White House spokesman said Bush has “always firmly opposed the draft.” But many insiders believe Bush will have to reassess the issue in light of the Army’s failed recruiting efforts.

Emile Milne, a spokesman for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), who sponsored the controversial draft bill, said this is the type of bill “no one likes to touch” without a consensus of all branches of government.

“The draft is especially unpopular now because of the mounting death toll in Iraq,” said Milne. “Rep. Rangel is, of course, opposed to the war, but believes if we are going to have to fight it, then the military should have enough soldiers to do the job properly.”

Rangel, originally in favor of the draft in order that “rich and poor equally share the burden of the war,” now feels the draft may also become a necessity due to the Army’s difficulty in meeting recruiting goals.

Since the war has become less popular with the American people and the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq has risen to over 1,680, the Army is now reporting recruiting levels down as much as 50 percent.

The issue of “enough boots on the ground” is further complicated by the added strain put on the National Guard troops, many having to serve two or three tours of duty in Iraq.

“There is no doubt that the military is undermanned,” said Milne. “Rep. Rangel feels if the war is going to continue, the only way to solve the problem is to bring back the draft.”

Although Rangel’s bill mounted very little support when it was first introduced last session during an election year, critics claim now that the election is over and the military is crying for more warm bodies that a reinstatement of the draft is “inevitable and only a mater of time.”

“No one likes to hear it, but if things keep going the way they are with less recruits and re-enlistment numbers down, the draft may be the only way to solve the problem,” said Milne.

POLITICAL LIMBO

Whether the draft becomes a reality is still in political limbo. However, no one would argue that Bush’s aggressive foreign military policy dictates the need for more troops.

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, former security advisors Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski were quoted as saying the U.S. requires at least 500,000 more troops to sustain the war in Iraq and reinstatement of the draft may be unpopular but necessary.

“At best, Rangel’s bill merely plays into Bush’s hands,” said Bill Galvin, head of an anti-war group called the Center of Conscience and War. “At worst, it’s a stealth measure intended to supply progressive political cover for pro-draft Democrats.”

Galvin said he also fears Bush is just waiting for the right moment “to spring the draft back on the American people” since he no longer has to worry about getting re-elected.






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