Soldier Refutes Obama Assertion That Under-Equipped U.S. Troops Confiscate Taliban Weapons
Friday, February 22, 2008 at 12:46AM Reason #101 why Barack Obama is incompetent to be Commander in Chief. At the Democratic debate tonight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Obama said this gem:
OBAMA : You know, I’ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq.
And as a consequence, they didn’t have enough ammunition, they didn’t have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.
Now, that’s a consequence of bad judgment. And you know, the question is, on the critical issues that we face right now, who’s going to show the judgment to lead?
Judgement to lead? Let’s start with telling the truth. The U.S. Army is not under-supplied nor would a U.S. soldier EVER use a substandard Taliban weapon. Prove it, Obama.
My husband, MSG Proctor (pictured here with GEN Petraeus last weekend), wrote from Iraq that Obama has his facts completely wrong and that his words are a diversion:
1. CPT’ s command companies, not platoons.
2. Platoons are not divided up to go to 2 different theaters, EVER.
3. There is no ammo shortage in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan). Many platoons are deployed to remote sites in the mountains and require aerial resupply. Those resupply missions are dependent on favorable weather conditions.
4. Taliban weapons are usually not very good and we would not use them without a very high level of command approval.
5. The CDR in Chief is so high above the platoon level that comment doesn’t even deserve a response.
He’s just trying to exploit democratic boilerplate about OIF being a diversion from “the good war” (OEF). He’s wrong on many levels. We are winning in OIF. I just left Baghdad. We have everything we need except for our OWN government to be united behind victory in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).
Pentagon Doubts Obama Account of Equipment Problem
OTHERS BLOGGING: Messiah Mistaken! - Gateway Pundit Flopping Aces Ace of Spades Hot Air
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Amy Proctor
Fact Checking Makes Obamas Taliban Claim Worse
ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper seems to be the ultimate authority for some reason on this Obama story. On the ABC News Blog he wrote, in part, this:
February 22, 2008 1:33 PM
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.
Short answer: He backs up Obama’s story.
The longer answer is worth telling, though.
The Army captain, a West Point graduate, did a tour in a hot area of eastern Afghanistan from the Summer of 2003 through Spring 2004.
Prior to deployment the Captain — then a Lieutenant — took command of a rifle platoon at Fort Drum. When he took command, the platoon had 39 members, but — in ones and twos — 15 members of the platoon were re-assigned to other units. He knows of 10 of those 15 for sure who went to Iraq, and he suspects the other five did as well……
……He adds that maybe a half-dozen of the 15 were replaced by the Fall of 2003, months after they arrived in Afghanistan, but never all 15.
As for the weapons and humvees, there are two distinct periods in this, as he explains — before deployment, and afterwards.
“We should have had 4 up-armored humvees,” he said. “We were supposed to. But at most we had three operable humvees, and it was usually just two.”
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.
That’s the edited version… read the whole thing HERE.
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO BE ASKING:
1) Why did Barack Obama say he “heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon” when the captain was actually a Lieutenant at the time?
2) Why did Barack Obama pass this account off as CURRENT when it took place in 2003, FIVE YEARS AGO?
3) Why is the LT/CPT’s story not corroborated by any military source and why is his identity being shielded by ABC and Barack Obama?
4) Why did this Army LT/CPT contact an anti-war candidate, ask for anonymity and recount a story FIVE YEARS OLD?
Of course we know the answer to all these questions. The intent was to make it appear that TODAY the Bush Administration is sending our troops (WHO KEEP VOLUNTEERING FOR DUTY, BY THE WAY) into combat unprepared and unequipped, which is NOT true.
The devil is in the details and the more we know about this story, the more convinced this Army wife is that Barack Obama should NEVER set foot in the Oval Office unless he’s the invited guest of President John McCain.
Amy Proctor
CNN ANALYSIS: OBAMA “MISSED SOME IMPORTANT NUANCES”
CNN’s The Situation Room had this assessment of Obama’s assertion that troops were unequipped in Afghanistan because of the war in Iraq after interviewing the anonymous soldier:
Obama: Usually 39 men in a rifle platoon but Anon Soldier was sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq.
Anon Soldier: Those 15 soldiers were never deployed to Afghanistan. At Ft. Drum 15 went through “normal reassignments and were not replaced”. Some may or may not have gone to Iraq; anon soldier not sure.
Obama: Anonymous soldier was a Captain
Anon Soldier: was a First Lieutenant.
Obama: “They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.”
Anon Soldier: Soldiers had weapons and we were not under-equipped; it was difficult getting REPLACEMENT PARTS in theater so they used some replacement parts from stockpiles of captured Taliban weapons.
Anon Soldier also said:
“It made me pretty angry at the time and I’m still pretty bitter about it.”
Maybe that’s why he contacted the anti-war Obama campaign.
CNN conclusion: The unit was not split up nor scrounging for weapons.
You wouldn’t have known that by listening to Obama’s interpretation of the anonymous soldiers’ story. We still have to wonder why the Captain’s story has not been corroborated or why he insists on remaining anonymous..other soldiers on active duty have spoken up.
Amy Proctor
SEN Warner is so concerned over Obama’s allegation of troop unreadiness that he wrote an official letter to Obama to get the details and present them at the Armed Services Committed on Tuesday, Feb 26. (view PDF)
“I am endeavoring to determine this now and have tasked the Chairman of The Joint Staff, through his J-3, and other entities in the Department of Defense to assist me. Moreover, it is my intent to raise this issue with Secretary Geren and General Casey when they testify before the Armed Services Committee next Tuesday.”
“What I need from you are the essential facts of when- the dates- the unit was deployed, to which brigade combat team, or other unit it was assigned, the name and current location of the captain, or other military personnel who shared the alleged facts with you, so that the committee staff can debrief them.”
Senator Obama’s team tell the press:
“Senator Obama is glad that this issue is getting the attention it deserves, and looks forward to working on a bipartisan basis to ensure that our troops have the training and resources they need.”
Looks like we’ll get to the bottom of this disturbing story one way or another.
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Reader Comments (220)
Obama can say anything he wants about the war because he is talking to liberal democrats, who by definition, know zero about the war specifically and the military in general.
To the code pink types, this lie is another "truth". It "confirms" what they already "know". And to those fainting obamamaniacs, anything he says is "the word!" He is not to be criticized or doubted. Cause after all Amy, isn't it about hope and change, hope and change, hope and......:)
I watched this debate tonight and have come to the conclusion that this "man" is a blithering idiot. I hope someone holds his feet to the fire on this one.
Yeah, Obama was lying. Hillary was strangely inspirational in her closing speech. You're still hot. God bless your husband.
Listening to Obama speak of the Military, I am left with the impression his Senior Military Advisor is John Fraud Kerry.
Who else would spin such tall tales about our Military?
You know, he's one I would actually prefer Hillary over.
Politican's, and he is just a politican always set themseleves up for failure when they use anecdotes from other people. If this is fake, it won't be the first or last time he gets tripped up. Imagine if the press or the Blogs really start to delve into him and his comments. So far he has gotten a pass, part of that this is the general msm bias, part he is a great orator, and part he has such a limited political resume that there is not much to peg him on. Right now most polls show Obama with a marginal lead over McCain, that is without the critical lens shining on him. This is going to be a tight a race, again.
Walt and I watched this debate too, Amy, and when Obama said that, Walt, who spent 20 years in the Army, went balistic! He was so mad I became worried about his blood pressure! This lying POS needs to be exposed, and I hope he's taken to task each and every time he comes out with this type of total BS!
God bless your hubby.
I'm with karen,
I NEVER thoughht I would actually think Hillary was better than someone else.
Obama is an empty suit and the emporer has no clothes. Only a matter of time before the "kid" points it out. I hope ;)
This is off topic, but its big, apparently Iran is more advanced in creating an atomic bomb then the msm has been saying. Most of us understood this, but now even they are admitting it. This is very bad.
From the paper of Record.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/world/middleeast/22cnd-Nuke.html?hp
Has anyone fact checked this story? This is all I've seen: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html
Amy - I think you want to rethink the title of your post.
Thanks for pointing that out, sEAN. This entry was listed in the article of sources challenging the Obama assertion. Thanks for the heads up.
The blog at ABC News is keeping the source confidential. Sounds like the Baghdad Diarist to me. If this soldier went out of his way to contact the Obama campaign to spread very unlikely and suspicious piece of information, why is ABC covering his identity? Like NYT did with the "unnamed sources" on McCain yesterday?
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Hey,wingnuts - argue with the guy it happened to.
http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/platoon.php
I'm sure your husband's communications were in no way monitored or manipulated, btw...
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html
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http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html
ABC won't release the identity of the captain who contacted the Obama campaign. Why? What are they protecting? If this were really a problem the CPT should have contacted his chain of command, NOT THE OBAMBA CAMPAIGN. I guess it wasn't really that important to him after all.
He probably doesn't want his life trashed by the likes of you.
Amy - you really have a knack for stating the obvious, but not seeing beyond that.
you conservative talking head no-nothing shills really piss me off. if you think we have infinite troops, infinite money, and infinite munitions for everyone, you are just stupid. if you think that he could go to his commanding officer and say 'i know you need a lot of these finite troops in iraq, but can i bring them with me instead?' do you seriously think his CO would sit back and say 'oh yeah, whatever you want leiutenant'. get real and stop talking out your asses.
if someone wants to go on the record they can, if they don't, they don't have to. as a serving member of the military, i am glad he did not wish to be identified. and, maybe, this officer sees obama's speech in 2003 as someone who knows how to fight the CORRECT WARS. Maybe he went to his CO and the pentagon, and, seeing as how we're stretched to the bone as it is, he went to the frontrunner for the presidency to get him to help when he takes office.
you are a real idiot, and proof not everyone should be able to blog. really, get your head out of your ass and think for your god damn self.
FROM THE ABC BLOG:
When a soldier, ESPECIALLY an officer, contacts an anti-war political campaign but refuses to be publicly identified I think there's a reason for that.
The DOD, my husband in Baghdad, who is a subject matter expert in the GWOT, and every other soldier I've talked to said the story is incredibly suspect.
But the left is banking on this one statement being true from an "unnamed source." That's good journalism for you!
My husband went to war in Iraq with former CPT Patrick Murphy, who is now an anti-war Congressman representing PA. CPT Murphy also misrepresented the equipment issue accusing the Bush administration of sending troops into harms way unprepared and underequipped... "our humvees didn't have doors", he said, either knowing full well or completely ignorant that in the 82nd humvees AREN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE DOORS. Murphy told Stars and Stripes:
The 82nd is a rapid response unit, deployable within 48 hours. THEIR HUMVEES HAVE NO DOORS. They aren't supposed to. It is SOP (standard operating procedure) for the 82nd ABN DIV to leave doors off of tactical vehicles to facilitate rapid dismount of ground troops. The mission of the 82nd is to conduct forced entry operation by parachute assault, not ride around in tanks and Humvees. When IEDs became the primary threat, the 82nd contracted to have iron doors bolted onto the Humvees.
Bottom Line, the handful of anti-war soldiers who perpetuate this "we are short handed" myth do so because they know the general public can't really fact check. The ABC News "fact check" won't even name its source... that's not fact checking, that's asking the rest of us to have faith in a media that the media hasn't earned.
When this guy steps up and identifies himself like the Baghdad Diarist, we'll all listen. Until then, there's probably a reason why he's remaining anonymous.
Donnie, are you saying United States Army Captains are afraid of Army wives or the truth? If he steps forward and can corroborate his story, I have no problem accepting it. If it's true its true, but I doubt it is.
The thing we should take away from this is that Obama is so untrustworthy no one knows when to believe him or when not to.
Actually, the Captain in question has confirmed the story, reporting that he was a Lieutenant at the time. Rather than getting information from someone serving in a different theatre, you should call the Obama campaign and request to speak with their sources. Other reporters have done so, and authenticated the story. Between training at Fort Drum in 2003 and deploying in 2004, he was stripped of 15 of his men, 10 of whom were definitely deployed to Iraq instead.
Why is it so difficult for some people to fact-check? This is an easy story to run down.
And Amy Proctor - he did contact his command - four years ago.
Iraq is the single biggest mistake in American history. America doesn't start wars - we finish them.
Wingnut Brigade Mowed Down At Obama Ridge
In last night's debate, when Barack Obama floated that anecdote about US soldiers in Afghanistan who had an easier time getting the ammunition they needed from captured Taliban than through Army supply channels, I remember thinking -- I don't think we've heard the last of this story. Obama said he'd heard the story from an Army Captain describing his unit's experience in-country.
Often in cases like this, even if the story is completely on the up-and-up, the pol will get some fairly inconsequential detail wrong. Or even if they get it all right, they get whacked around because some pundit who's read a few John Keegan books decides it can't possibly be true. And the rightwing blogs have apparently been going nuts over it since last night.
But Jake Tapper picked up the phone, asked the Obama campaign to put him in touch with the Captain, called the Captain in question, and the story checks in every detail
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/179742.php
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html
No, I'm saying he probably doesn't want every traffic ticket he ever recieved blared forth by the flopping confederate aces crowd. I didn't mean to say you specifically but many on your side would do everything they could to make his name mud.
The time has come, Amy, for an apology and a retraction.
Hey, you can't be right all the time.
Hey Gayle, now that the story checks out, will Walt go ballistic on the morons who have put these under-equipped soldiers in harm's way?
amy,
an apology and a retraction is a good suggestion.
unqarble, I haven't read through all the comments yet but essentially this is an OLD STORY Obama is trying to spin as current? Lots of things have changed since 2003... if this guy, Obama, isn't willing to acknowledge the changes in Iraq over each year why should anyone trust him on an outdated story?
That's rich.
How can we actually fact check with an unnamed person? Why are we being asked to have faith in Obama over this if we aren't his followers? Why are people supposed to put their faith in an unnamed source?
My husband is frank about the war, the good and the bad. He uses his name. He isn't afraid to back up what he says or stand by it. why is this Captain hiding? For crying out loud, he's a SOLDIER and he's afraid of some Army wives and enlisted soldiers???
boro, what should I retract? No one can corroborate an unnamed source's story.
"what should I retract?"
You can could start by retracting the whole post since it is so obviously wrong.
Making excuses only makes the whole thing worse.
taliban weapons, right.
appgate, I suggest OBAMA retract the story. It was a 2003 story he passed off as current and the soldier in question was a LT at the time, not a CPT. That's the equivilent of a Private in the officers corps!
And the story itself is still uncorroborated. Also, anyone should know that it takes YEARS to rebuild a military from the damage Clinton inflicted when he downsized by several Divisions and 400,000 soldiers.
I stand by every word in my post. My husband's words are completely right, too. Obama said:
Oops...done got it wrong again!
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=9751
yes, an army head who WAS the head of a rifle platoon. Was is past tense, is is present tense. Sorry, but as a writer I would think you would know this. And where did he pass it off as being now? Hey, I support the war in Iraq, and believe McCain is far better to know what to do there, but you don't help the cause by not owning up to your mistakes. Simply say, I'm sorry, I misinterpreted the situation and spoke out of turn but....would do your cred. wonders.
Time and time again the left and its allies in the msm have spread lies and dis-information about the US military. Wether its fake atrocities or stories like this, there were always people like your ranting and raving, whatever. Of course what was said has to be true, it fits your left wing storyline. Watching your reactions this confirms something I mentioned in another post, the more Obama talks about hope and inspiration the crazier and more rage filled his supporters get. So burn with rage and hate, you are all quite funny to read.
Read the truth here
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hey amy:
Feeling kinda foolish now since Obama's anecdote is now confirmed, arent you? You rightwing wingnuts just make me laugh!!! LOL
Wow. It's pretty unusual to be so thoroughly and completely rebutted in such a short time. I'd suggest an update with a retraction, followed by a period of introspection and reflection on how you could have been so utterly wrong here.
My condolences on your credibility.
Um, it's not MY credibility that's hurt here, it's Barack Obama's. He intentionally misled everyone and no one can corroborate the story.
Keep trying, lefties... an anti-republican ABC "fact checker" didn't do anything but prove the point that Obama cannot be trusted as C-in-C.
Oh... so now the fact checker is lying too... despite the fact that catching a politician in a lie would be hugely good for his career.... I guess that must be because like EVERY journalist, he's no doubt a communist.
Yeah. Right.
The problem most centrists have with the "right wing" is that when faced with facts that go against their strongly held beliefs, they immediately run and hide under the skirt of conspiracy theories.
Man, the wingnuts' inability to face reality is on full display here. No wonder their boy's at 19% approval.
Vote for me.
Save the GOP!
My platform is a tripe a keister
Vote for me.
Save the GOP!
My platform is a tripe a keister
Hey! Speaking of Keister,Procto...
One more time, class. This is what Obama asserted last night:
It is UNTRUE that a CPT led a rifle platoon in Afghanistan and UNTRUE that this is recent history.
Obama should be ashamed for misleading like this. He's clearly not a friend of the military.
But of course he had to present it this way because what else could he do? Say he SUPPORTS FUNDING THE TROOPS? Give me a break!
To the people hoping the author here or people like her (on the left and right) will issue a retraction: The Freak Show never apologizes or retracts and there's not much you can do about it. Best thing is to just ignore them and do as Sen. Obama says, spend our time trying to build us up instead of tearing each other down. The Freak Show will never understand that but that's just life.
"Keep trying, lefties... an anti-republican ABC "fact checker" didn't do anything but prove the point that Obama cannot be trusted as C-in-C."
Yer right on the money there, Amy. We need another C-in-C that will lie to the American people and the world about how we need to destroy more countries that are of no threat to us so that we show our support to the troops.
That would be a president we can trust! You go, girl!!!
Fact check this Amy. McCain says "Obama wants to bomb Pakistan."
Do you know where he got that info? Do you even care that your man is making blanket statements to his base with knowing full and well he is manipulating the facts. Are Republicans so blind they will believe this kind of statement? Check the facts and and ask yourself would you or McCain bomb Pakistan?