As predicted, the White House spin machine and its corporate media hacks are attacking decorated war veteran Rep.John Murtha (D) as anti-troop. Murtha is under political fire because he has introduce legislation designed to reign in the Charlatan's war in Iraq by linking further funding to common sense protections for combat troops. Soldiers must be adequately rested between tours, properly equipped, and trained to use the equipment effectively. Recent news accounts show that in the rush to escalate the conflict, military personnel are being dangerously shortchanged.The military reports shortages of armor and material. Some units are borrowing equipment from stateside units to make up deficits. The 39th National Guard Combat Brigade is short 600 rifles. First Brigade, 3rd Infantry crammed a year's worth of training into four months. Two other brigades are skipping counterinsurgency training in order to get to Iraq as soon as possible. The Walter Reed 'ghetto' making the news is an example of the poor treatment some recovering veterans receive. About 80,000 veterans are using the Veterans Hospital system for mental disorders as a result of deployment stress. More than 30% of all soldiers qualify as experiencing mental disorders related to emotional stress. The system is straining under the load and is unable to meet all the psychological needs of soldiers and their families. Even the "Baghdad Brain Trust"--a group of high ranking officers advising the expert Gen. Petraeus--says the military faces a Vietnam-style collapse if the situation does not improve within six months, The Guardian reports (image by Carlos Barria/Reuters).
Despite all these symptoms of an increasingly dysfunctional military machine the usual suspects are carrying water for the regime's stupid plan to escalate a loosing war. Trent Lot (R) in a "gee whiz" speech on the Senate floor compared wining the war in Iraq to wining the Super Bowl. They are simply out of touch with reality. Attacking the motives of a legislator who is actually trying to do something to protect "our troops" by giving them adequate rest, training and equipment is a strange way to show your support.