Col. Smittle: "There's going to be a draft...after elections, spring 2005"

[Dems Will Win]

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/04/21/draft.html

There's going to be a draft. You can't simply keep up this combat tempo, you're looking at a possibility the draft, after elections maybe spring of 2005," said Colonel Dean Smittle, Veteran, Military Analyst.

Smittle, 9News military analyst, believes it's not a matter of if there's going to be a draft but when and he said it's going to be more specific than just sending troops to combat.

"Drafting for a specific person or persons for example, computer technology, linguists, translators, civil affairs people so they're looking at a mission specific draft," Smittle said.

The president has said there's no need for a draft at this time and at Covington Catholic High School, the students don't believe it will become a reality but they are still concerned.

-SNIP-

KERRY HAS A NO-DRAFT PLAN, COMPARED TO BUSH QUIETLY REACTIVATING DRAFT FOR 2005!

1. Vote for Kerry

but don't hold your breath about there not being a draft.
I personally think that whether Bush or Kerry gets elected there will be a draft, regardless.

[w4rma]

4. If Kerry says there won't be a draft under him, there won't be one. (nt)

10. What if the Republican congress says differently?

Just one scenario...

what if all hell breaks loose in Iraq and we need a bunch more troops and --- oh wait, that's already happened.

I hope you're right, but I don't think this is going to be completely in Kerry's control & I think it's naive to assume
1) that it will be;
2) that he won't change his mind.

[Ganja Ninja]

6. Yup It's coming regardless of who's in the White House in 2005.

Unless we are going to pull out of Iraq we a going to have to draft. And this talk about drafting to fill certain needs how is that going to work? I don't see how they can pick and choose this or that person without opening up a can of worms.

[Walt Starr]

12. Kerry will have to reinstate the draft, there's no going back now.

There is one way and one way only to avoid a draft. Unilateral withdrawal from Iraq, completely.

Anything short of that will require a draft regardless of any promises Kerry makes.

[AJ BENDER]

2. Let the riots begin !

This topic is Dy-no-mite no it's DY-NO-MITE...it's one thing for Bushes' sheep to enlist into the military to live out their Rambo dreams but once they try to drag kids into the service to fight the imperial wars of BushCo.then serious domestic trouble will begin. If they sincerely think that the people will gladly line up for the "War on Terror" without a fuss then I might point out that we are not currently being showered with rose petals in Baghdad this morning.

[Wickerman]

3. My biggest fear is that Bush* has this all so mucked up

that Kerry has no choice but to enact a draft. When the Dems reclaim the WH in Jan things are apt to be so out of control that Kerry will be faced with leaving an Iraq that would be entirely lawless (think Afghanistan, but with infrastructure and modern conveniences) and no hope of building international support with a VERY pissed off rest of the world.

I am for getting the hell out of there, but am uncertain, without a plan starting now toward that end, we are going to be able to leave anytime soon.

Should that occur, the failures of Iraq will be pinned to the Dem party for years.

[Dems Will Win]

5. Not so, Kerry has a NO-DRAFT PLAN

This summer Bush is reducing DRAFT ACTIVATION time by having the SSS conduct NATIONWIDE EXERCISES to test the whole system, even to the point of filling all DRAFT BOARD vacancies and gearing up the Alternative Service for COs for the first time in three decades. With the current reactivation plan due to go into effect in a few weeks, the SSS must report to the Director on March 31, 2005 they are tuned up and ready to conscript within 75 days of reauthorization from Congress (just a trigger resolution is needed, no new law). The first lottery for 20 year-olds could be June 15, 2005.

http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html

That's what Bush is doing. Quietly oiling up the DRAFT Machinery for Spring 2005.

Kerry's NO-DRAFT plan to raise 40,000 additional troops and avoid reinstatement of the draft is added up this way (my synthesis):

1. Move some paper-pushers to combat (lots of potential there in nearly a million non-active-duty)
2. Increase enlistment with real scholarships and pay raises
3. Let troops know Special Ops will hunt al-Queda, no more invasions needed, so Guard/Reserve re-up rate goes up. "Primarily a law enforcement effort, not a full military effort", say JK on MTP last Sunday.
4. Start a "Civilian Stability Corps" that would help in reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq and relieve military pressure.
5. GET FOREIGN TROOPS TO COME INTO INSTEAD OF LEAVE IRAQ!!

http://www.candidatemap.com

"...I propose that we enlist thousands of them in a Civilian Stability Corps, a reserve organization of volunteers ready to help win the peace in troubled places. Like military reservists, they will have peacetime jobs; but in times of national need, they will be called into service to restore roads, renovate schools, open hospitals, repair power systems, draft a constitution, or build a police force. A Civilian Stability Corps can bring the best of America to the worst of the world—and reduce pressure on the military."
< Source: Kerry, John. "Protecting Our Military Families in Times of War: A Military Family Bill of Rights." March 17, 2004. http://johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0317.html >

With this NO-DRAFT PLAN, Kerry will not have to resort to conscription, even after Bush screwed the whole thing up.


From STOPTHEDRAFT.COM

http://technologyreports.net/stopthedraft/?articleID=2550

What do a former fighter pilot in the National Guard and a former officer in the Navy have in common? Both have promised not to reinstate the military draft if elected president.

Senator John Kerry has promised that if elected president he will not reinstate the military draft, but will increase troop numbers by 40,000.

President Bush and his staff have also promised the American public that there are no plans to reinstate the military draft.

-snip-

John Kerry wants to deploy 40,000 more troops to Iraq and finish the job quickly. Yet when asked how he would do it, he said that a draft is not needed and people will enlist. To his advantage, however, Senator Kerry was an anti-war activist after serving his duties as a Navy officer in the Vietnam War and knows first-hand the pitfalls of the military draft.

-snip-

Kerry said on MTP that we don't need to invade whole nations beyond Afghanistan. He has a plan to increase 40,000 troops without a draft, a plan to bring in foreign troops to Iraq.

There's this: http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2004_0330b.html

“When I returned from service in the military, I testified to the Congress about the racism in the military, about the lopsided application of the draft, the impact that it had on minority communities, the lopsided number of casualties, both African-American and Hispanic, predominantly.

“And I testified to the Congress about the inequality of the application of the draft and the way in which they were treated when they came home, left in communities that were neglected and lacked health care and education and other issues.”


Also this: http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_1203a.html

"Kerry also said he doesn’t believe there is a need to reinstate the draft, a source of conflict during the Vietnam War. "

[Wickerman]

7. I believe in his plan

but I also think that the situation in Iraq may be so deteriorated by Jan 2005 that he may not be able to use that strategy.

People need to get angry and get active - I can't even conceive of how people continue to support Bush* - I am glad to see Kerry's plan - I wish the media would raise that plan forward and say hey, GWB*, follw this.

[Mari333]

8. Get the word out to everyone Bush 2004=Draft 2005

www.bushdraft.com

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. You can't trust the Bush Administration. Woodward's book proved that.

They tell you lies to take the heat off while they plan to do just exactly what you suspected they were going to do.

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. A dose of reality here.

Obviously, neither Bush or Kerry would admit to even considering a draft before the election, as it would be political suicide to do so.

But Kerry's committment to continuation of the PNAC agenda..

Oh, excuse me. PPI agenda :eyes:

....is certainly no guarantee that he won't have the same future invasions planned. And simple mathematics says that future invasions would require more troops. They have the National Guard and reserves deployed over there already, for god's sake!

[Dems Will Win]

13. That's totally unfair, the PPI policy is nothing like PNAC's Plan

[Dems Will Win]

14. kick