Pentagon targets Latinos and Mexicans to man the front lines in war on ter

[HereSince1628]

By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
10 September 2003


With the casualty rate in Iraq growing by the day and President George Bush's worldwide "war on terrorism" showing no signs of abating, a stretched United States military is turning increasingly to Latinos - including tens of thousands of non-citizen immigrants - to do the fighting and dying on its behalf.

Senior Pentagon officials have identified Latinos as by far the most promising ethnic group for recruitment, because their numbers are growing rapidly in the US and they include a plentiful supply of low-income men of military age with few other job or educational prospects.

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Rick Jahnkow, of the Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft, said: "They are vulnerable economically. That's why they are targeting them. going to provide them with the means to carry out future wars."

Recent statistics from the Pew Hispanic Centre, a non-partisan think-tank, show that Latinos are already doing the most dangerous combat jobs in disproportionate numbers. While they are still under- represented in the armed forces as a whole - they made up 9.4 per cent of enlisted men in 2001, compared with 13.4 per cent of the general population - they are over-represented in jobs that involve handling weapons (17.7 per cent).

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=441886

[Flying_Pig]

1. Hopefully, they won't fall for it...

They don't want these people to have driver's licenses, or any other rights, but cleaning their toilets, working their gardens, or fighting their wars, ..is OK. Fu**ing hypocrites!

With a new GOP led petition/proposition to revoke the law that was just passed in California, giving illegals the right to a driver's license, and the past GOP backing of Prop 187, I hope Hispanics can finally see Republicans for the liars and racist hypocrites they really are, and stop buying into their bullshit.

The Democratic Party is the only party that has done right by Latinos, and we've proven it with actions, not just empty words. It's time for Hispanics to line up solidly behind the Democratic Party, in the only war that really matters, ....the battle to remove the Bush regime from office, and to defeat Republicans in every state!!

[saigon68]

5. JUST LIKE THE NAM

I met some wonderful people there. A lot of them were poor, and were not white. They were good soldiers and have remained good friends. Too many died however and I am still troubled as to why??

This is an immoral war for oil and for the ruling elites to increase their power over the "great unwashed"

[0007]

2. George P. Bush (thestalker)

will offer his service in the name of the proud Bush family.

[cprise]

4. They've been trying to get my sister to sign up

She decided to drive a cab instead!

[donsu]

3. when are Mexicans and Latinos going to stop playing Smirk's game?

when are we going to stop the bloody hands bushgang? when!