DebateGate
General Category => 3DHS => Topic started by: Knutey on February 26, 2008, 10:12:56 AM
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/marines_investigation&printer=1
Probe sought in Marine vehicle delays
By RICHARD LARDNER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 48 minutes ago
The Marine Corps has asked the Pentagon's inspector general to examine allegations that a nearly two-year delay in the fielding of blast-resistant vehicles led to hundreds of combat casualties in Iraq.
The system for rapidly shipping needed gear to troops on the front lines has been examined by auditors before and continues to improve, Col. David Lapan, a Marine Corps spokesman, said Monday night. Due to the seriousness of the allegations, however, "the Marine Corps has taken the additional step" of requesting the IG investigation, Lapan said in an e-mailed statement.
In a Jan. 22 internal report, Franz Gayl, a civilian Marine Corps official, accused the service of "gross mismanagement" that delayed deliveries of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks.
Gayl's study, which reflected his own views, said cost was a driving factor in the decision to turn down a February 2005 "urgent" request from battlefield commanders for the so-called MRAPs.
Stateside authorities saw the hulking vehicles, which weigh up to 40 tons and can cost as much as a $1 million each, as a financial threat to programs aimed at developing lighter vehicles that were years from being fielded, charged Gayl, who prepared the study for the Marine Corps' plans, policies and operations department.
Gayl, a retired Marine officer, is the science and technology adviser to Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski, who heads the department.
The Associated Press first reported on Gayl's study Feb. 15. At that time, Gayl's work had not been reviewed by his immediate supervisor, Col. David Wilkinson, Lapan said Monday.
"The paper represents Gayl's personal opinions and is clearly marked as such," Lapan said. "It is both preliminary and pre-decisional, and therefore a mischaracterization to term his work an official study or report."
Gen. Robert Magnus, the Marine Corps' assistant commandant, disputed Gayl's conclusions in a recent interview with Marine Corps Times.
Magnus and other Marine Corps officials have said the defense industry lacked the capacity to build MRAPs in large numbers when the 2005 request was made. The best solution to the deadly roadside bombs planted by insurgents was to add extra layers of steel to the less sturdy Humvee, they said.
"I don't think (the study) stands up to the facts about what we did, about what the industry was capable of doing and why we did what we did," Magnus told the newspaper in an interview. "I just don't think that's accurate."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared the MRAP the Pentagon's No. 1 acquisition priority in May 2007. Defense contractors are now producing close to 1,000 vehicles a month.
Gayl has clashed with his superiors in the past and filed for whistle-blower protection last year. In his study, he recommended an inquiry be conducted to determine if any military or government employees are culpable for failing to rush critical gear to the troops.
"If the mass procurement and fielding of MRAPs had begun in 2005 in response to the known and acknowledged threats at that time, as the (Marine Corps) is doing today, hundreds of deaths and injuries could have been prevented," Gayl said. "While the possibility of individual corruption remains undetermined, the existence of corrupted MRAP processes is likely, and worthy of (inspector general) investigation."
Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., called for an investigation after reviewing Gayl's report.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the nation's oldest veterans organization, said if Gayl's allegations are true, charges should be brought against the military and civilian officials who failed to deliver the MRAPs.
If, however, Gayl's findings are incorrect, he should be held accountable for his actions, said VFW National Commander George Lisicki in a Feb. 19 letter to members of Congress.
"There is no doubt MRAPs have saved many lives in horrendous (improvised explosive device) explosions, but to accuse the Marine Corps of knowingly and intentionally jeopardizing the safety of fellow Marines on the battlefield is a very serious charge," Lisicki said.
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The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the nation's oldest veterans organization, said if Gayl's allegations are true, charges should be brought against the military and civilian officials who failed to deliver the MRAPs.
If, however, Gayl's findings are incorrect, he should be held accountable for his actions, said VFW National Commander George Lisicki in a Feb. 19 letter to members of Congress.
Can't say as that I disagree with this.
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The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the nation's oldest veterans organization, said if Gayl's allegations are true, charges should be brought against the military and civilian officials who failed to deliver the MRAPs.
If, however, Gayl's findings are incorrect, he should be held accountable for his actions, said VFW National Commander George Lisicki in a Feb. 19 letter to members of Congress.
Can't say as that I disagree with this.
Do ,however, take note that it is the head of the good ol' boy VFW warlovers and not a Marine Corps rep that is saying this.
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So?
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So?
My point was that it is the MARINES that are coming out from under the ether, not RW lunatics like you & the VFW.
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Why would you even think the Marines would do this? They follow orders and die if needed for the ideals you do not seem to hold dear.
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not RW lunatics like you & the VFW.
So now I'm a RW lunatic? I'm going to have to put on another 50 lbs so that I can wear all of these labels that I've been given recently.
My point was that it is the MARINES that are coming out from under the ether
What makes you think that the marines were ever under the ether? A bad situation has been pointed out and hopefully action will ensue to prosecute the guilty party, whichever one is lying. At least Rich has a counterpart on the left, it would go against the fairness doctrine to only have clowns on one side.
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Fat Man, I think you're obsession needs attention.
Grow up.
Poor fat fellow doesn't get enough attention from his "boy" lately I guess.
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Fat Man, I think you're obsession needs attention.
Actually, your is the correct possesive version of "you" that you're (see the contraction for "you are") looking for. And after your witticisms yesterday about how you "aren't interested", I note that you're still replying.
How shocking.
Grow up.
I could point out the irony of you telling me to grow up, but I fear the irony would be wasted.
Poor fat fellow doesn't get enough attention from his "boy" lately I guess.
You seem to have a fixation on my "boy". Are you jealous?
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Yes, that's it. I'm jealous he's got a sweaty, angry slob like you poking and prodding him.
Yeah, that must be it.
:D
(http://static.flickr.com/1273/932675709_0596aab08a_m.jpg)
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Is that supposed to be me? How original.
Here's me.
Now don't start pming me with your undying love. I'm not interested.
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Why would you even think the Marines would do this? They follow orders and die if needed for the ideals you do not seem to hold dear.
Do what? Come out from under the Bushether or ask why they are being sacrificed needlessly because of you RW cheapskates?
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oh boy another investigation that like most of the others will probably come up empty
grab the headlines "Cheney Halliburton" blah blah
then when reality is discovered you get your ass kicked!
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oh boy another investigation that like most of the others will probably come up empty
grab the headlines "Cheney Halliburton" blah blah
then when reality is discovered you get your ass kicked!
Actually Halliburton and its fliunkies have been found guilty on more than one occassion.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/currentawareness/halliburton.php (http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/currentawareness/halliburton.php)
We shall see who's ass is kicked this Nov and who gets to hang Cheney / Bush for warcrimes after Jan.
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Actually Halliburton and its fliunkies have been found guilty on more than one occassion.
LOL
oh yeah "Halliburton sub-contractor pleads guilty to making a false statement"
hysterical
what a huge victory
oh we went after Cheney and ummm we got a subcontractor to plead guilty
wow
We shall see who's ass is kicked this Nov and who gets to hang Cheney / Bush for warcrimes after Jan.
yeah yeah more if's, whens, and "you just waits"
LOL
You moron you already control Congress
and have they shut down the Iraq war like they were supposedly elected to do?
LOL
Yeah sure
You got your ass kicked again even with Nancy Pelosi in charge.
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LMAO
Sure, sure. This is the internet after all.
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Why would you even think the Marines would do this? They follow orders and die if needed for the ideals you do not seem to hold dear.
Do what? Come out from under the Bushether or ask why they are being sacrificed needlessly because of you RW cheapskates?
The military follow the commands from the CA. Why is that difficult for you to ascertain?
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LMAO
Sure, sure. This is the internet after all.
You can either believe it or not, frankly I don't give a shit. It's not like anyone on here has ever met me personally, so I can understand why you're skeptical. However, I'm not so vain that I'd be afraid to post a picture of myself even if I was a fat slob. I'm me, and I'm comfortable with that, and fuck whatever you think.
It's still a lot better than posting a pic of Jabba the Hutt and chortling to myself that I've made a funny. I got over that before I got out of middle school, evidently you haven't.
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If you don't give a shit why would you post fake photographs fat man?
Clearly there's something a miss with you lately. Call a friend. Call somebody, but get out of here before you go completely over the edge. You must have a shrink, call him/her.
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Why would you even think the Marines would do this? They follow orders and die if needed for the ideals you do not seem to hold dear.
Do what? Come out from under the Bushether or ask why they are being sacrificed needlessly because of you RW cheapskates?
The military follow the commands from the CA. Why is that difficult for you to ascertain?
Yes , they follow commands but I suspect that they would strongly prefer not to die for your rightwing cheapness.
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If you don't give a shit why would you post fake photographs fat man?
The photograph isn't a fake. If it isn't me, tell me who it is. I won't bother to hold my breath.
Clearly there's something a miss with you lately.
No, there's nothing amiss with me lately. I just don't think that we all need to be subjected to your rather humorless witticisms and inane banalities that you try to dress up and masquerade as opinions, almost always devoid of any form of factual basis.
Call a friend.
I'm surprised that you know what a friend is. You must've learned something from watching Sesame Street.
Call somebody, but get out of here before you go completely over the edge.
I haven't told you to get out of here, who the hell are you to tell me to? If BT or another moderator asked me to leave, for whatever reason, I'd leave for my allotted time, even if forever, and I wouldn't come back whining, crying, and sniveling about how this board is so PC. Nor would I post an emotional little "You won't have Rich to kick around anymore" speech.
You must have a shrink, call him/her.
What makes you think that I need the services of a psychiatrist? Are you a certified mental health diagnostician? Are you Dr. House of the mental ward?
Didn't think so.