Pentagon doubts Obama account of equipment problem

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22583581.htm

Pentagon doubts Obama account of equipment problem

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday cast doubt on an account of military equipment shortages mentioned by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during a debate with rival Hillary Clinton.

During the face-to-face encounter on Thursday evening, Obama said he had heard from an Army captain whose unit had served in Afghanistan without enough ammunition or vehicles.

Obama said it was easier for the troops to capture weapons from Taliban militants than it was "to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief," President George W. Bush.

"I find that account pretty hard to imagine," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters.

Tapper @ ABC News talked to the Army captain

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html

From the Fact Check Desk: Obama's Army Anecdote

<snip>

I called the Obama campaign this morning to chat about this story, and was put in touch with the Army captain in question.

He told me his story, which I found quite credible, though for obvious reasons he asked that I not mention his name or certain identifying information.

...

So what did they do? "To get the rest of the platoon to the fight," he says, "we would use Toyota Hilux pickup trucks or unarmored flatbed humvees." Sometimes with sandbags, sometimes without.

Also in Afghanistan they had issues getting parts for their MK-19s and their 50-cals. Getting parts or ammunition for their standard rifles was not a problem.

"It was very difficult to get any parts in theater," he says, "because parts are prioritized to the theater where they were needed most -- so they were going to Iraq not Afghanistan."

"The purpose of going after the Taliban was not to get their weapons," he said, but on occasion they used Taliban weapons. Sometimes AK-47s, and they also mounted a Soviet-model DShK (or "Dishka") on one of their humvees instead of their 50 cal.

The Captain has spoken to Sen. Obama, he says, but this anecdote was relayed to Obama through an Obama staffer.

I find that Obama's anecdote checks out.

[Occam Bandage]

1. Well, if the Pentagon says the Pentagon is doing a good job, I believe them. Screw

Barack HUSSEIN Obama bin Laden, and his LIEBERAL media.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Man, I can't wait for him to clean out that shithole.

It'll be a Herculean task.

[babylonsister]

3. Excellent, sabra! Thanks for putting these together. nt

[BeyondGeography]

4. Someone has a credibility problem here

and it's not Obama.

[yellowcanine]

5. "I find that account pretty hard to imagine," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters.

Nice non denial denial. Note that he did not say it could not be true - just that he found it "difficult to imagine." Huh. I find it "difficult to imagine that we have a President who starts unnecessary wars, authorizes torture, spies on our own citizens, and allows our own CIA operatives to be exposed." But there it is.

[TheDebbieDee]

8. I'd bet my last $ that this Pentagon spokeman.....

has never worn a military uniform and has never been up close and persoanl with any military equipment.

So, yes, I agree with you that he would find it difficult to "imagine" being out of ammo.

[liam_laddie]

10. These people have lying down...

to an art. And a lack of imagination is nothing new in DC, or Northern VA.

[lligrd]

6. Pentagon Doubts?

You mean they don't even claim to know what is going on? Enough said!

[rinsd]

7. Pentagon also thought unarmored Humvees were a-ok

:eyes:

[Catherine Vincent]

9. Obama should NEVER be doubted!

[Cameron27]

11. Ah, well if the Pentagon sez so...

:eyes:

[ProSense]

12. Yeah, complete BS from the Pentagon.

Losing an Army

Inadequate equipment, health problems face Iraq, Afghanistan veterans: poll

Losing Afghanistan

Who are they playing shill for, McCain?

[cottonseed]

13. Bush doubts his presidency has been a failure.

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Me) - Bush on Friday cast doubt on an account of his loserness mentioned by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during a debate with rival Hillary Clinton.


-- it may be true, it may be not

[underpants]

14. The Pentagon?

Did Jessica Lynch respond to that or was it Pat Tillman?

[anamandujano]

15. True or not, got to question Obama's judgment in telling this sort

of story.

Even though supposedly in the past, it tells the enemy too much about troop vulnerability. The point could have been made in other ways but he does love his anecdotes.

I can imagine a scenario in which the pentagon might want to speak to this captain, if the pentagon brass is as lucky and privileged as Jake Tapper, that is.

[yellowcanine]

16. Oh twaddle. If our army is ill equipped in the field the enemy knows it.

They don't need to hear Obama say it. This is the standard bullshit argument against questioning anything the military does wrong.

[madrchsod]

18. question his judgement for what? telling the truth?

i bet each side knows what the other has...non issue

[RichardRay]

20. Where data comes from

Excuse me, but do you believe that the folks shooting at U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan need to get this kind of information from a T.V. debate? They already know it, they see it over the sights of an AK-47. WE'RE the ones who didn't know about it!

[thevoiceofreason]

21. It was a story about 5 years ago, shill.

Your concern is duly noted, and appreciated. NEXT!

[AtomicKitten]

17. The Pentagon has zero credibility and, again, Obama is right about the shabby way

our troops are still being treated. I remain absolutely gobsmacked that Republicans seem perfectly okay with it. Obama is going to rub their faces in their shameful neglect.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

19. Here's what I don't get about this

People who have, or have had, loved ones there have heard this from those serving.

Who are we supposed to believe? Our loved ones or the Pentagon? One thing for sure. They're not going to doubt Obama when he's not the first source they've had for these types of stories.

[TexasObserver]

22. Pentagon? They're the ones that lied about Pat Tillman, Torture, etc, right?

Until Bush is gone, the Pentagon is nothing more than another Bush message machine.

I'll take Obama's word.