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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Road Walker who wrote (213033)12/9/2004 10:40:18 PM
From: tejek  Respond to of 1576340
 
Incompetents........uncaring incompetents!

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Controversy Continues Over Rumsfeld Armor Question


Dec. 9 (AP) — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is taking fire for the statement he made about getting armor to the troops in Iraq. Rumsfeld told a National Guard soldier that the U.S. was supplying armor as fast as it can be made. But ABC7 political reporter Mark Matthews talked with companies making the armor and heard a different story.



The company that makes armored Humvees says they've already offered to increase production and that it wouldn't cost them any extra. That's something Donald Rumsfeld denied yesterday in talking with National Guard troops in Kuwait.

Inadequate armor for the troops and their vehicles in Iraq has been an issue for more than a year.

At first the Secretary of Defense denied it was a problem. Then yesterday Rumsfeld told National Guard soldiers the Army is trying to solve the problem as fast as it can.

Donald Rumsfeld: "It's essentially a matter of physics. It isn't a matter of money, it isn't a matter on the part of the Army of desire. It's a matter of production and capability of doing it."


And today the President backed him up.

President Bush: "I've told many families I've met with we're doing everything we can to protect your loved ones in a mission that is vital and important."

But the Florida company that makes the armor plating both for the Humvees and the Army's bullet proof vests says it told the Pentagon several times it could easily increase production by 22 percent. That's 50 to 100 extra Humvees every month, but so far the Army hasn't responded.

And a Sacramento company that provides steel panel for door panels told ABC7 they could make more and that it's just a matter of money. The Sierra Army Depot, assembling the Humvee kits, could increase production by 150 percent.

continued...............

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