Pentagon: Domestic troops low

[sabra]

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/25/pentagon-domestic-troops-low/

Pentagon: Domestic troops low

WASHINGTON — President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq and the demands of the four-year-old war are causing concern at the Pentagon that the conflict could hamper the military's response to domestic crises.

The head of the National Guard said his troops lack the necessary equipment and that will hurt their ability to respond to natural or manmade disasters at home.

"I am not as comfortable as some others seem to be in accepting the low readiness levels here at home," Lt. Gen. Steven Blum said Wednesday. "It creates a problem. It will cost us time and time will translate into lives."

Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Northern Command, also said there may be "specific equipment shortfalls that, in the longer term, could have an impact on our ability to respond."

Keating also said that right now, "the analysis we've done does not indicate any significant degradation in our ability to respond" to a crisis at home.

[Ilsa]

1. And Gov Rick Perry here in Tx is mobilizing Nat Guard

troops for border control. That's better than going to Iraq, but geesh, the whole society is about to get militarized except for Pierce and the Twins.

[LynnTheDem]

2. BAHHHHH...what are AMERICAN LIVES compared to

mideast OIL!

Always the whine, whine, whine about American lives.

SHUT UP and SUPPORT George W. bUsh's OIL WARS!

(pretty good rightwingnut impersonation, huh?)

[gratuitous]

3. No significant degradation?

Gee Admiral Keating, I can think of a a couple of hurricane-ravaged places and a few places hit by wildfire that might disagree with your analysis. There's also been a spot of harsh weather in some other places where having a few National Guard folks available to help distribute food, water and blankets might help some.

But I guess it all depends on what the word "crisis" means. Mr. Keating's pension is fully funded and guaranteed by the taxpayers, so he's pretty well set. Sucks to be the rest of us, though.

[Dover]

4. No one guarding the homefront.

Why?