General George Casey, the Army’s Chief of Staff admitted there was no reason to doubt the assertion by Senator Barack Obama’s recent account which quotes an Army captain that a rifle platoon n Afghanistan didn’t haveenough soldieres or weapons. “I have no reason to doubt what is is the captain said,” stated Casey. “This was 2003 and 2004, about four-and-a-half years ago. We acknowledged and all worked together to correct the deficiencies that we saw in that period not only in Afghanistan but in Iraq. It was a period that we worked our way through.” According to the Obama account, American soldiers were actually capturing Taliban weapons because it was easier getting them than obtaining weaponry from America.
Republican Senator John Warner demanded the name of the captain but Obama declined on the need to protect the captain from damage to his career. Casey admitted there might have been troop shortages in some units and “there may have been some spot shortages in spare parts and ammunition.” It makes no difference if this happened four years ago or yesterday. This story reflects the dereliction of duty on the part of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces who sent men into battle without proper equipment. President Bush had a responsibility to ensure that every soldier was properly equipped if they were being asked to risk their lives in combat. Of course, George Bush doesn’t have a clue as to the meaning of being in combat since his knowledge comes from the movies.