Sen. Clinton Says Lack of Body Armor is 'Unforgivable' (Barf Alert)

ABC News ^ | Jan. 10, 2006

[Kaslin]

She Has Called for an Investigation Into Why Soldiers Are Not Fully Protected

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called the Bush administration "incompetent" when it came to protecting the troops in combat and called the lack of adequate body armor for soldiers and Marines "unforgivable."

So far in Iraq, more than 2,100 American troops have been killed. Critics like Clinton, D-N.Y., say that many of these deaths are the result of inadequate body armor. A secret Pentagon study of 93 Marines who were killed in Iraq found that 74 died after they were hit by a bullet or shrapnel in the torso or shoulders — areas unprotected by the armor most are issued.

"We perhaps could have avoided so many of these fatalities with the right body armor," said Clinton, who recently wrote letters to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services Committee; Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee; and Francis J. Harvey, secretary of the Army, calling for an investigation into why troops were not being protected.

[RexBeach]

Senator Clinton, all of a sudden, is an expert on all thing military? Baloney.

Meanwhile, Senator Warner is turning into a real RINO. What's the matter with him?

[Chode]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Was Vince Foster wearing his body armor?

[RobbyS]

Journalists just don't understand that soldiers don't look at things the way they do. They certainly don't like to be portrayed as victims, that no amount of protection will ever be enough. To be more effective, a new armor should be lighter. I know that Clinton is only spouting and has given no thought to the matter, but if she had she would have remembered the way that armor was developed in the Middle ages. It finally got so heavy that it limited the flexibility of the knight. He could not, for instance, dismount to fight, and if his mount was felled, he himself could not get up unassisted and was easy prey to a churl with a sharp knife or a club.

[KarlInOhio]

What 16th century battle was it where France's knights were lured onto a boggy field, their horses couldn't stand and the knights, once unmounted, couldn't move with the weight of their armor and were slaughtered to a man?

I think you are talking about the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

[Pikachu_Dad]

What is that old adage, "you go to war with the previous Presidents army..."

She should be carefull what she wishes for. The investigation would involve her husband.

They were in power for 8 yesrs. Plenty of time to distribute 'better' body armor.

[sheik yerbouty]

Yup, and "Old Crusty" still protects Her Heinous..

[BadAndy]

"74 died after they were hit by a bullet or shrapnel in the torso or shoulders — areas unprotected by the armor most are issued. "

Do these people even know what a torso is? Most body armor covers below the neck to below the navel. That's the freakin torso.

[ABN 505]

I can't remember who it was but someone said on FNC yesterday the movability of the soldier in the vest has to be considered. It makes sense to me That women looks like she is exhausted just wearing it. Why would a female need all that Body armour anyway, are we sending them to the front lines now? Have they changed they regulations on MOS's? If so then we are in deeper doodoo than I thought.

[siunevada]

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called the Bush administration "incompetent" when it came to protecting the troops in combat

Unlike the prior administration's sterling record in protecting troops in combat.

[tumblindice]

A--lready
B--een
C--hewed
news

You can always count on ABC to give `Cankles' a soapbox.

[newfrpr04]

Where would one get the stats on the types of death for the Iraq war ? How many were accidental, choper crashes, road side, etc.

[Reactionary]

Yeah. A lack of body armor is "unforgivable," but gutting the military and sending soldiers off to Somalia without support isn't.

Sure, Hilly. No one is fooled by your routine.

[NormsRevenge]

Hillary doesn't have a heart for our military . She could care less about the # of death s. There. Tanx.

[MikeA]

"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called the Bush administration "incompetent" when it came to protecting the troops in combat and called the lack of adequate body armor for soldiers and Marines 'unforgivable.'"

More of the Democratic boilerplate talking point using the word "incompetent" to describe the president by people who have never proven their competence at anything other than division and rank partisanship. This is so tired. They've been employing this word ever since Katrina. Like the lock-step zombies they are, they're all reading off the same script and using the same adjectives. So see-through.

Could it be the result of her husband's slash and burn defense spending that we don't have "adequate" body armor, if indeed that report is even true?? Gee Hillary, being the smartest woman on the planet I'm sure you're an expert on everything from what constitutes proper body armor to the reproductive system of the gnat, but could it POSSIBLY be that if there is a problem with the body armor our troops use that a president, not even the hyper-competent Hillary, could have known it and that's why a president has advisors and the Pentagon has officers and officials to make those determinations??

I didn't realize a president becomes an omniscent god once elected who knows all and can foresee and oversee everything that goes on in the vast federal apparatus, including the military. But then of course Hillary you were already godess-like and omniscent before ever becoming president. But of course that omniscence didn't come into play to keep your husband from slashing defense, and body armor, budgets in the 90s knowing our troops would be short-changed on equipment and training in so doing.

[popdonnelly]

Does ABC News print Hillary's press releases verbatim?

The troops have body armor, it's inadequate in some respects. Hillary's latest attempt to turn herself into General Patton.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

But of course, you're right. :o)

[grobdriver]

Oopps.
13th century, then.

No historian, I.

[Zeppelin]

I'm trying to remember who was President when drastic cuts in the military budget took place. Was it Reagan? No, that's not right. George H.W. Bush? I don't think so. Hmmm--I do not recall.

It was Texas Governor George W. Bush's fault!!!

[michigander]

A secret Pentagon study of 93 Marines who were killed in Iraq found that 74 died after they were hit by a bullet or shrapnel in the torso or shoulders — areas unprotected by the armor most are issued.

105th Congress 2d Session
Report 105-532
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 12, 1998

Land warrior

The budget request contained $51.4 million for initial procurement of Land Warrior dismounted combat soldier weapon systems, but no funds were included for all-torso body armor.

In its report on H.R. 1119 (H. Rept. 105-132), the committee noted that the effectiveness of modern all-torso body armor was aptly demonstrated during Operation Provide Hope in Somalia and that subsequent Army studies and analyses indicated more than 50 percent of all life-threatening wounds received in combat could be prevented by using such body armor. The committee believes that the medical expenses and loss of human life that could be avoided by employing this type of armor far outweigh the costs of procuring and fielding it; therefore, the committee recommends $56.4 million, an increase of $5.0 million, for the procurement of all-torso body armor.