Kerry Attacks Bush's Military Policies

By Bobby Eberle
Talon News
June 4, 2004

In the latest in a series of foreign policy speeches, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) accused President George W. Bush of mismanaging America's military and of not adequately planning the post-war reconstruction phase.

Sen. Kerry spoke at the Harry Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri Thursday beginning with remembrances of President Truman but quickly moving on to criticism of the Bush administration.

"We went into Iraq with too few troops to prevent looting and crime, and we failed to secure nearly a million tons of conventional weapons now being used against our troops," Kerry said. "We failed to build alliances and squandered the opportunity to generate wider support inside Iraq, in the Arab world, and among the major powers."

"As President, I will build a highly-trained military, with more ground troops and Special Forces not just to win war, but to win the peace," the Massachusetts senator continued.

Following on the heels of Wednesday's announcement by the Pentagon that a "stop loss" policy would be instituted to temporarily increase troop levels, the senator, who served four months in Vietnam, said, "The administration's answer has been to put band-aids on the problem. They have effectively used a stop-loss policy as a back door draft. They have extended tours of duty, delayed retirements, and prevented enlisted personnel from leaving the service."

In direct contrast to the policies of severely cutting the military that took place during the Clinton administration (see report), Kerry declared, "My first order of business as commander in chief will be to expand America's active duty forces. Not to increase the number of soldiers in Iraq, but to add 40,000 new soldiers to prevent and prepare for other possible conflicts."

"The fact is, the war in Iraq has taken a real toll on our armed services," Kerry added. "Nine out of ten active duty Army divisions -- ninety percent of the Army's active duty combat divisions -- are committed to Iraq, either currently there, preparing to go, or recently returned. That is a dangerous and potentially disastrous course that limits our capacity to respond to other crises."

Missouri's Republican Senators Jim Talent and Kit Bond issued a joint statement in response to Sen. Kerry's remarks, saying in part, "Harry Truman loved to play poker, but John Kerry can't come to Independence and bluff his way through his record of indecisiveness and defense budget cuts."

In a reference to the president whose library Kerry used for his speech they said, "When Truman made a decision he stood by it. John Kerry sees major decisions as opportunities to advance his political career."

After having said on May 13, 2004, "I will support the Administration's request for emergency funds for our troops. The situation in Iraq has deteriorated far beyond what the Administration anticipated. This money is urgently needed, and it is completely focused on the needs of our troops. We must give our troops the equipment and support to carry out their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan," Sen. Kerry skipped Wednesday's Senate vote to authorize funding for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman Steve Schmidt said, "John Kerry has once again shown himself to be foragainst funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. After saying he would support the President's $25 billion funding proposal, Kerry skipped yesterday's vote on the bill. Only John Kerry could give a speech on modernizing and equipping our military the day after he didn't show up to vote to send money to the troops engaged in essential operations."

The Bush campaign further reminded reporters that only last year Sen. Kerry also voted against the final version of a bill to provide $87 in support for troops in Iraq.