Kerry: Draft Likely to Return Under Bush

[RedEarth]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), citing the war in Iraq (news - web sites) and other trouble spots in the world, raised the possibility Wednesday that a military draft could be reinstated if voters re-elect President Bush (news - web sites).



Kerry said he would not bring back the draft and questioned how fairly it was administered in the past.


Answering a question about the draft that had been posed at a forum with voters, Kerry said: "If George Bush (news - web sites) were to be re-elected, given the way he has gone about this war and given his avoidance of responsibility in North Korea (news - web sites) and Iran and other places, is it possible? I can't tell you."


Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other Pentagon (news - web sites) officials have been asked numerous times whether they thought a draft would be necessary to maintain force levels in Iraq. They have said consistently that they think it is neither necessary nor desirable, since today's military is built on volunteer service and professionalism.


His voice scratchy and breaking from a cold, Kerry called the president's proposal to give workers partly private Social Security (news - web sites) accounts a windfall for financial companies and one that will cut benefits for senior citizens.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20040922/ap_on_el_pr/kerry

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. I read that nowhere in that article

Nowhere does Kerry say that. WTF?

[Dems Will Win]

25. The Draft is very real. Please hang this flyer everywhere!

PRINTABLE PDF: http://somnamblst.tripod.com/draftalert.pdf

Don't be confused by the Rangel DRAFT PROTEST BILL and the new BUSH SKILLS AND COMBAT DRAFT ACTIVITY that I've been reporting on. It's easy to get mixed up because both would draft women and both would expand the age up to 34 from 25. BUT Rangel's bill is a protest bill and hasn't a PRAYER of passing because it DRAFTS WOMEN for COMBAT.

The GOP hates that idea. Rangel proposed it because he knew it wouldn't pass but it would make it

The NEW BUSH SKILLS DRAFT would only DRAFT women for NON-COMBAT skills job.

They are two different animals.

The SSS secret Issue Paper which was an agenda for a 2003 top-level meeting between the head of the SSS and Deputy Undersecretary Abell in charge of Personnel and Readiness of the DoD, see: http://www.blatanttruth.org/selective_service091304.pdf

It's important that we not mix these up.

Here are the differences between the RANGEL PROTEST BILL and the secretive behind-the-scenes activity at the SSS and the DoD to ready not only a BUSH COMBAT DRAFT in 2005 but also a BUSH SKILLS DRAFT and BUSH MEDICAL DRAFT in 2006 or sooner.

RANGEL PROTEST BILL

1. Drafts Women for combat as well as men, 18-34
   
2. Does not draft for skills
   ...
   

ACTUAL BUSH SSS ACTIVITY TOWARD A 2005 DRAFT

1. Could draft MEN ONLY for combat, 18-25 (Current law)
   
2. "Groundwork being laid" (SSS Spokesman Amon) for a NON-COMBAT SKILLS DRAFT, men and women age 18-34. 2-year process to gear up SKILLS DRAFT started nearly 2 YEARS AGO in Feb. 2003, meaning a skills draft would be ready in 2005. (a new law wuold be passed if Bush gets back in)
   
3. The MEDICAL DRAFT registration data collection is also going to be readied for operational use in 2005 by using the SKILLS DRAFT work they've done and make the reg card you'd fill out at the Post Office contain all the listed medical skills. This means the Medical draft would be ready in 2005, men and women age 20-44. (This draft like the current combat draft for men 18-25, is already the law of the land)
   
4. The secret http://www.blatanttruth.org/selective_service091304.pdf>Issue Paper actually proposes being able to call a SKILLS and MEDICAL DRAFT WITHOUT calling a combat draft.
   ...
   

The biggest difference of course is that the RANGEL PROTEST BILL will NEVER happen and the NEW BUSH DRAFT has already begun gearing up for 2005.

SKILLS DRAFT AND NEW COMBAT DRAFT TIMELINE

Feb. 11 2003 - Top-level meeting between the head of the SSS and Deputy Undersecretary Abell in charge of Personnel and Readiness of the DoD on the SKILLS DRAFT. This is the meeting of the secret Issue Paper, revealed by the Freedom of Information Act in May. The SSS goes back encouraged enough to do some more planning.

Summer 2003 - Drive to start filling DRAFT BOARD vacancies by asking current board members to find new ones.

Fall 2003 - DoD announces critical skills shortages in linguists, computer experts and engineers. SSS Director Brodsky orders the designing of the SKILLS DRAFT procedures, the reg card and the massive database needed to track every young American under 35 and their skills. Brodsky, who "plays" JE McNeil and other anti-draft leaders by calling them regularly and shmoozing them, lies to McNeil telling her that in February of 2003 the SSS had to "justify their existence" before a hostile committee--when in reality the SSS and DOD were having the SKILLS DRAFT meeting and he himself had just started designing the new system and making it his top priority.

Sept 2003 - Draft board recruitment ad goes up on Web.

November 2003 - Draft board ad scrubbed!

Dec. 2003 - Brodsky announces the SKILLS DRAFT to be the "top priority' of the SSS in newsletter and tells of rapid progress to come.

March 13, 2004 - Word of SKILLS DRAFT leaks out in a SF Chronicle story and the SSS admits it and tells reporters it’s just a planning contingency. In an attempt to throw the press off, the SSS also says it would take 2 years to gear up and work out the kinks for the SKILLS DRAFT and that there is no funding for it. Eric Rosenberg, the reporter on the story, finds out about the Feb. 11 meeting Issue Paper and files a Freedom of Information Act request to get it.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL


May 1, 2004 – Article on SKILLS DRAFT leaves out key points of how skills conscription would be expanded to fill labor shortages throughout Dept of Homeland Security, 1/3 of government, how the SKILLS DRAFT can be called without a combat draft, how SKILLS INDUCTEES will be inducted within a mere 90 days of reauthorization, that the SSS wanted to “promptly” change the very MISSION of the SSS and so on. The article does, however, reveal many major point of sweeping plan. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/171522_draft01.html

Sept 13, 2004 – Issue Paper agenda memo of key Feb 2003 meeting posted on the Web at http://www.blatanttruth.org/selective_service091304.pdf sample:

2004 – MOCK DRAFT LOTTERY HELD, SAMPLE MEDICAL EXAM REPORT ORDERS ISSUED TO MAIL LIST. Alternative Service geared up for first time in 31 years! Papers to place Conscientious Objectors with employers actually drawn up. SSS brought up to 95% operational capability, full Medical draft capability set for 2005, all DRAFT BOARD vacancies filled by Spring 2005! On March 31, 2005, the SSS Director must report to the Congress that the entire system is primed and ready to open 2,000 draft board offices and start inducting within 75 days, or June 15, 2005.

BUSH ’04 = DRAFT ‘O5

“There will be no draft when John Kerry is President.” - John Edwards

[troublemaker]

2. WTF? This headline seems odd

How did "is it possible? I can't tell you" become "Kerry: Draft Likely to Return Under Bush"

[troublemaker]

5. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

I think the headline writer divined the true message, but it's pretty flamboyant journalism.

[cthrumatrix]

3. PNAC has control under the "puppet"

[proud patriot]

4. Woa

:wow:

[Beetwasher]

6. WHOOP! There It is! Right on Schedule!!!

Ha Ha! Make the pig fuckers deny it adamantly!

[MallRat]

7. Wow. Now Bush has to answer the question.

:wow:

-MR

[democrat_patriot]

18. That is assuming anyone asks * the question.

More like: "I don't have a question, I just wanted to say, you're the best!!!"

[Generator]

8. I love you Yahoo!

Did you read that young voters? Get out your maps of Iran.

[Firespirit]

26. This young voter hears it...

For my part.. and I am part of this group, being a 20-year-old recent college grad... I cannot see why ANYONE in my age group would vote Repug in this election..


"Boy do we have a great deal for you kids! We'll bankrupt the government, forcing massive tuition hikes on you or your parents. Then we'll encourage our buddies to outsource your jobs to Third World countries with few to no labor laws, so you can't find work if you CAN afford to graduate. Then we'll get your minimum wage jobs eliminated and cause teen unemployment to skyrocket. We're considering a national sales tax so we can get a quarter of what money you DO make, whereas before you paid hardly anything in income tax (and that's unfair!). THEN... and this is the best part... we'll DRAFT your ass and send you to protect the ill-gotten gains of us Inner Party members in Iraq/Iran/Cuba/wherever.... where you risk poisoning, dismemberment, illness from our mandatory 'lab rat' vaccination policies, and beheading by terrorists! IF you make it back, expect to be denied Veteran benefits for the remainder of your life. Oh, and we probably will have gutted Social Security long before you retire, so you're on your own in that too."


I guess, though, that for some people, it really is more important to them that Adam and Steve not ever be allowed to marry. I'm in the South, and for the more fortunate--it is astonishing, the number of otherwise intelligent young adults who were fed Fundie crap from their parents and friends, and for whom that is THE issue of 2004.

I've been telling all my friends, even the Repubs, about the threat of a draft. It scares them--badly. Even the most gung-ho of them wouldn't personally want to be in Iraq. Whether that translates into good votes remains to be seen.

[underpants]

9. Oh this is a hilarious quote

Noting that the campaign Tuesday night neared Disney's "fantasy land" in Orlando, Fla., Kerry said: "The difference between George Bush and me is that I drove by it. He lives in it."

[Beetwasher]

12. Bwhahahahahaha! I Love The Fantasy World Theme!

It's juicy!

[KayLaw]

10. Good!

It has to be said. I don't know a single mother who could bear to vote for a war deserting bastard - or anyone - who would send her child to war.

[MostlyLurks]

11. Sorry to butt in...

But I can't post a new thread yet, given my newbie status. A few days ago, DU's resident draft researcher gave a synopsis of the draft timeline based on his/her reading of a document which I believe had just recently come to light. I think the thread (or possibly the document which the thread summarized) made it onto the front page of DU as a special alert or something. Can somebody give me a link to that thread?

Thanks.

[RedEarth]

13. Here you go.......welcome to DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2373651

[MostlyLurks]

15. Thanks on both accounts. <eom>

[Dzimbowicz]

19. Hope I'm not butting in, but...

I received this information via the mailing list of my veterans group Veterans for Peace (www.veteransforpeace.org). It might be of some help to you.

Note, this legislation has been passed from committee and was referred to Donald Rumsfeld for DOD comment and is being held by his office prior to going to the full legislature.


Mandatory draft for boys and girls (ages 18-26)starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally effects everyone since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes.

There is pending legislation in the house and senate (companion bills: S89 and HR 163, 2003) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as spring, 2005, just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the publics attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed
immediately. Details and links follow.
This plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft. Also, crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult.

Actions:

Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents. . .
And let your children know - - it's their future, and they can be a
powerful voice. This legislation is called HR 163 (2003) and can be found in detail at this website:
http://thomas.loc.gov
Just enter in "HR 163" and click search and will bring up the bill for you to read. It is less than two pages long.

If this bill passes, it will include all men and ALL WOMEN from ages 18 - 26 in a draft for military action. In addition, college will no longer be an option for avoiding the draft and they will be signing an agreement with the Canada which will no longer permit anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay within its borders. This bill also includes the extension of military service for all those that are currently active. If you go to the selective service web site and read their 2004 FYI Goals you will see that the reasoning for this is to increase the size of the military in case of terrorism. This is a critical piece of legislation, this will effect our undergraduates, our children and our grandchildren. Please take the time to write your congressman and let them know how you feel about this legislation.
http://www.house.gov
http://www.senate.gov
Please also write to your representatives and ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.

The draft $28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service system budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.
Please see
http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html
to view the Selective Service System annual performance plan, fiscal year 2004.

The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan (and permanent state of war on terrorism) proves accurate, the U.S.
may have no choice but to draft.

www.hslda.org/legislation/national/2003/s89/default.asp

entitled the Universal National service Act of 2003, "to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons (age 18-26) in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services. Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era. College and Canada will not be options. In December, 200 1, Canada and the U.S. signed a "smart border declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30 point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

[GmoneyOwnsYou]

14. Im glad he said this, but he needs to expose..

PNAC. Exposing PNAC would support his warning of a draft during a second Bush term.

[GreatScott]

16. There's already a proposal to start the draft up again

Does anyone know if Bush supports it?

[yardwork]

17. Rate this article at yahoo. It's been freeped

[ElementaryPenguin]

20. Shout it from the rooftops, John!! This is the truth!

:bounce:

[David Zephyr]

21. John Kerry Kicking Some Ass Today!

Go, go, go Johnny go! :bounce:

[Chiyo-chichi]

22. "His voice scratchy and breaking from a cold, "

I noticed that his voice was giving out, too.
He needs to be in good voice for the first debate. Tea with lemon, President Kerry, and Riiiiii-co-la!

[SoFlaJet]

23. I wanted to tell him today

Vicks Vapor rub on the throat and chest wrapped with a scarf.I was there....

[Gabysan]

24. What We Need To Do

Is send our comments to Charlie Rangel of New York. He is the congressmen that has proposed reinstating the draft.

You can reach him here

http://rangel.house.gov/contact.shtml

[Zorra]

27. Kick

[watchingwatcher99]

28. This is a genius political move

But, it's sad that we have to resort to fear in elections.

[trueblew]

29. Not just a draft...

If Bush stays the course, the draft will include America's daughters and sisters.

"Stay the course" sounds like some kind of golf slang and its time Bush asked for directions.

[maxsmom]

30. Anybody feel a draft?

Complete text of HR163 found at link below.

Universal National Service Act of 2003 (Introduced in House): H. R. 163:

To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.
http://207.44.245.159/article6938.htm

[Zorra]

31. "Kerry said he would not bring back the draft ....."