The U.S. Selective Service Draft is Coming, Maybe Sooner Than Later
Sam Hamod
04/19/04 "ICH" As Professor and author Chalmers Johnson (Blowback and
Sorrows of Empire) pointed out in a recent interview on KPBS-FM on "The
Lounge" with Dirk Sutro, America has over 700 bases in over 123 countries.
This demands a lot of manpower.
Add to this that American generals are demanding more troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and that the wives and parents in the U.S. are upset at the
extensions of duty in those countries, as well as more and more National
Guards being called up to active duty outside of America, where normally
National Guard troops are not used-with many of the present servicemen not
re-upping, and you have a recipe for the dreaded Draft.
Now then, as everyone knows, President Bush would not want to call for a
draft until after the election, so as not to antagonize more of the public,
especially parents of and youngsters who would be drafted. But, as one
General Zinni and others put it before the invasion of Iraq, we do not have
enough men in uniform to cover the ground of Iraq for an occupation.
Clearly, with the Iraqis fighting back with an intensity that is much
stronger than the soldiers of Saddam when the U.S. invaded, not only do we
not have the troops to occupy, but at this point, because of the Iraqi will
and fighting ability, our troops cannot even control the resistance, let
alone take care of an occupation-unless GW sends in more troops.
So, at this point, GW is stuck between a rock and a hard place on the draft.
He actually needs to call for it now, but it would be political suicide. At
the same time, to keep extending the tours of duty of the men in Iraq and
Afghanistan is making him more and more unpopular with the service people
and with their loved ones back home. Many wives have gone public, as well as
parents who are now questioning the war itself because of the extensions of
duty being demanded by Bush and Rumsfeld. Though our government says it has
all the troops it needs; there is no way we can maintain the 700 plus bases
in the 123 countries and continue these two wars, and possible other wars
that may be started by Muslim and Arabs in other countries who are objecting
more strenuously to Bush's policies in Iraq and his new policies in
Palestine.
There is no doubt in my mind and in the mind of many other military men that
as soon as the election is over that Bush will call for a draft to replenish
the armed forces-that is, if he wins. If he loses, it's hard to say what he
might do. If the college students vote against him, he may just institute a
draft to punish them for their disloyalty to him.
After all, he may feel that right. As Bob Woodward pointed out in his
interview on 60 Minutes, last night, GW Bush said that he obeyed "a higher
father" (referring to God, as against consulting his human father about
going into Iraq). Actually, some politicos I've talked with today say he may
have also consulted with his surrogate father, Richard Cheney-who helped
push him into the illegal and immoral Iraq war, that now plagues him like a
swarm of bees as the Iraqis sting him with their resistance every day, and
his claims to be "spreading democracy" and "freeing people" become more
apparently hollow, deceptive and outright lies.
So, be prepared for the draft. And, I hate to say this, but it sounds from
Kerry, if he does win, he'll also want to fulfill the American cowboy macho
dream of winning in Iraq-then he might also institute a draft if he can't
get the UN to go in and take over.
As for Bush, he has little chance for the UN to take over unless he gives
them complete power; but, Bush is not likely to want to give up any
authority because he has such huge allegiance to Halliburton, Bechtel and
Brown and Root.
Sadly, your sons will pay the price for Bush's knavery with a draft.
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Sam Hamod is the former editor of 3rd World News in Wash, DC and 3rd World
News Service; he edits
www.todaysalternativenews.com ; he may be reached at
[email protected]
Verie sad state of affairs
