The draft is coming.

[Nietzscheusw]

From Michael Ruppert'ssite: 2/27/04
THE DRAFT ? A Special Two-Part Series by Stan Goff and Michael C. Ruppert on the coming reinstitution of the draft as US military force readiness evaporates
Part I ? "Will the US Reopen the Draft?" - by Stan Goff
-- Retired US Army Special Forces Master Sergeant and former West Point Instructor Stan Goff probes the political documents, pending legislation and engages in a detailed analysis of US force readiness. There is only one conclusion and it will be obvious as soon as next spring. The draft is coming.

Now on Slashdot: U.S. Plans Targeted Draft for Computer Personnel

On sfgate.com:
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL">'Special skills draft' on drawing board
Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs</a>

From SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER WASHINGTON BUREAU: Agency initiates steps for selective draft

If you do not want to die in Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela (coming soon?), Korea,...vote Nader!


Why? O! Why?
Peak Oil!
There is a race going on.
Go fight for your SUV, young boy!


<< [For eighteen months FTW has been documenting and predicting that the war on terror would soon migrate to West A frica in its search for oil reserves. Today, as reported in The Guardian, it was announced that a new front in the has been opened in West African nation of Mauritania. This is not surprising since major oil companies and drilling operations like Kerr McGhee have recently made substantial investments there. The overall amounts of oil may be small in comparison to Iraq or Saudi Arabia, but there won't be major wars to fight or long distances to ship to get the oil into American gas tanks.

As one oil expert told me last May, ?There is no elasticity in the system.? The quick addition of even a few hundred thousand barrels a day of production capacity provides a small bit of breathing room as the jaws of Peak Oil begin to close around a sleeping planet. ? MCR]

US Opens New Front in War on Terror by
Beefing Up Border Controls in Sahara

By Rory Carroll and Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian UK

Wednesday 14 January 2004

The US is sending troops and defence contractors to the Sahara desert of west Africa to open what it calls a new front in the war on terror.

A small vanguard force arrived this week in Mauritania to pave the way for A$100m (£54m) plan to bolster the security forces and border controls of Mauritania, Mali, Chad and Niger.

The US Pan-Sahel Initiative, as it is named, will provide 60 days of training to military units, including tips on desert navigation and infantry tactics, and furnish equipment such as Toyota Land Cruisers, radios and uniforms.

The reinforcement of America's defences in a remote, poorly patrolled region came on a day when US police forces gained important powers in the homeland to conduct searches.

In a 6-3 ruling, the supreme court yesterday reversed a lower court decision in Illinois not to allow police to set up roadblocks to collect information from motorists. The supreme court said it did not represent an unreasonable intrusion on privacy. The three dissenting judges said the ruling exposed motorists to police interference.

West Africa is not known as a hotbed of support for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network but Washington is taking no chances in Aregion with strong Arab and Muslim ties.

"A team of military experts has been here since Saturday to teach, train and reinforce the capacities of the Mauritanian army charged with frontier surveillance against cross-border terrorism," Pamela Bridgewater, A US deputy undersecretary of state for African affairs, told reporters in the capital, Nouakchott.

Since dropping support in the mid-90s for Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime, the government of Mauritania has angered some local Islamic groups by forging links with Washington. At least one such group was allegedly behind a failed coup last year but some sceptics claim the government exaggerated the threat.

Mali, Chad and Niger also have porous borders, sizeable Muslim populations and disgruntled opposition groups but al-Qaida has so far concentrated its African operations in the east: blowing up US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and a rocket and car bomb attack against Israeli targets in the Kenyan resort of MombasAlast year.

Armed groups roving the desert have abducted western tourists and caused the Paris-Dakar rally to be rerouted, but whether they are opportunistic bandits or Islamist guerrillas is not clear.

Ms Bridgewater said there had been threats against US interests in Mauritania's neighbour Senegal , the scene of extraordinary security measures during President George Bush's visit last year.

"Yes, we have heard. But this question is very sensitive, and I don't want to respond to this question," she said.

West Africa is comprised largely of former French colonies and Paris might be expected to be wary. The French defence minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, is to visit Washington this week to meet Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, and Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser. >>

 

[CADsortaGUY]

I suppose this will be like the whole NY Nuke thing right?

- some one had a Sunday sale on tinfoil I see.

CkG

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
I suppose this will be like the whole NY Nuke thing right?

- some one had a Sunday sale on tinfoil I see.

CkG

It's been known for quite some time now that they will have to institute a two year rolling draft to even have a chance of maintaining the current level of Military operations that they have going in 128 World-Wide locations.

England should be proud of it's step-child adopting and doing so well with it's ill fated attempt at conquering and occupying the world.

 

[Nietzscheusw]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
I suppose this will be like the whole NY Nuke thing right?

- some one had a Sunday sale on tinfoil I see.

CkG

Are you alluding to a topic in which I put several articles, one in which Cheney warned of much worse than 9/11 coming, but you refused to talk about it? A topic in which you played the part of the clown commenting only one article about a nuclear threat from Al-Qaeda cited by Berlusconi's largest newspaper, as if it were coming from a french communist newspaper? Foxnews audience would love you.

 

[burnedout]

Now on Slashdot: U.S. Plans Targeted Draft for Computer Personnel

On sfgate.com:
'Special skills draft' on drawing board

Another invasion by the tinfoil hat brigade, I see. Check out some of these Vietnam-era Army Military Occupational Specialties (MOS):

01B - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ASSISTANT
01E - MATH ASSISTANT
01E - MATHEMATICS STATISTICS ASSISTANT
01E - STATISTICS ASSISTANT
01H - BACTERIOLOGY ASSISTANT
01H - BIOCHEMISTRY ASSISTANT
01H - BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES ASSISTANT
01H - BIOLOGY ASSISTANT
01F - NUCLEAR PHYSICS ASSISTANT

and a few others requiring at least an undergrad degree in the specific discipline. Unfortunately, I can't locate the regulation that I saw over 20 years ago which classified those with a Ph D in physics, chemistry or biology as enlisted members. However, this list should provide at least an idea of the preparedness.

Text

In short, DoD has had requirements for personnel in special skills since at least the second world war. Whether or not these personnel would be drafted in the near future seems highly unlikely at this moment. Nevertheless, at least there exists a contingency plan much like that in existence during earlier generations.

[you may now resume with your latest conspiracy theory already in progress]

 

[Tab]

If I fail college (I hope I dont) at least my CCNA and A+ cert wont be completely meaningless

 

[LordMagnusKain]

Originally posted by: Tabb
If I fail college (I hope I dont) at least my CCNA and A+ cert wont be completely meaningless

hey, do they draft fat-guys? 'cause that fat-guy on 'full mettle jacket' makes me want to get in shape before we need new troupes to invade Serra.

 

[aswedc]

To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: aswedc
To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

To those that think the draft is probable, why is congress not trying to greatly increase military recruiting?

 

[Nietzscheusw]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: aswedc
To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

To those that think the draft is probable, why is congress not trying to greatly increase military recruiting?

Ever heard of November '04 ?

 

[burnedout]

Originally posted by: aswedc
To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

If DoD hadn't taken the page down, then I might entertain the possibility.

http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/sss092203.html = We're sorry! The file you requested is not available at this location.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Nietzscheusw

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: aswedc
To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

To those that think the draft is probable, why is congress not trying to greatly increase military recruiting?

Ever heard of November '04 ?

And what happens then? It will still have to go thru congress....

 

[Moonbeam]

What's it like in Canada?

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: aswedc
To all those who believe a reinstatement of the draft is an impossibility - why is the administration pushing to get all 10,000 positions on the draft boards filled when other than a brief effort in '81 they have been inactive and unstaffed since 1973? However politically unpopular and unlikely the draft is it is obvious that someone in a high position of power sees it as a active possibility.

To those that think the draft is probable, why is congress not trying to greatly increase military recruiting?

I didn't say the draft was probable, I said it was possible. Congress does nothing but rubber stamp the foreign policy and military initiatives of the Bush administration anyway. I do not see a draft under the present circumstances. However, if Bush wins reelection this year and Al Qaeda pulls off another "spectacular" within the next four years, which I feel is likely, there is little doubt he would feel the need to expand the "war on terror" to another nation at which point a draft would be necessary. I think they know this, and are taking the necessary steps to prepare for it.

 

[SuperTool]

We don't need more troops, we need fewer wars. I sure as hell didn't get my engineering degree to waste my time in Iraq.

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain

Originally posted by: Tabb
If I fail college (I hope I dont) at least my CCNA and A+ cert wont be completely meaningless

hey, do they draft fat-guys? 'cause that fat-guy on 'full mettle jacket' makes me want to get in shape before we need new troupes to invade Serra.

Yes, I am 6'9 and 150 extremely fat

 

[Nietzscheusw]

From www.buzzflash.com

November 11, 2003

Would a Second Bush Term Mean a Return to Conscription? Why Dodging the Draft Would Be Trickier Than You Think

by Maureen Farrell

One week following the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, former deputy assistant secretary of defense Kurt Campbell explained why a reinstatement of the draft would be highly unlikely. "It's very hard to imagine a military operation on the scale of Desert Storm," he told ABC News, adding that "the real challenge for us is to avoid situations where we would need to use large numbers of people in a large, on-the-ground effort."

Michael O'Hanlon, of the Brookings Institution, tried to be equally reassuring. "Even if one imagines a major ground war against Iraq or Afghanistan," he said, "these are the sorts of things that we've been planning to do with our active duty force for a long time." O'Hanlon added that the only scenario under which a draft might occur would be if the US were to occupy another country for an extended period of time. "If we had a five-year occupation ... and needed to help shepherd in new governments before we could withdraw -- just as we did in Germany and Japan after World War II, then conceivably you would get into the kinds of manpower requirements that would advise in favor of a draft," he said, on Sept. 18, 2001. [LINK]

At that time, chances are neither men were privy to Donald Rumsfeld's reported decision to "go massive" and "sweep it all up, things related or not" just hours after the attacks. And in those post-911 days of patriotic fervor, it seemed unlikely that despite a threefold increase in advertising, recruitment attempts by the US military would fail to attract additional enlistees. "I hope President Bush doesn't expect to have a lot of people in the armed forces in the near future with all of these long deployments. I wanted to join the Army so bad, especially after Sept. 11, 2001. But now I don?t know," Tyrice Hudspeth wrote in Stars and Stripes, which recently conducted a poll showing how widespread his sentiments are.

"Stars and Stripes morale survey (Oct. 16-22) found that nearly half of soldiers questioned don?t plan to re-enlist," Michele Winter wrote, adding, "If troop letters to Stripes, to Lt. Col. David Hackworth and to various national newspapers are any indication, the U.S. Army can expect a hemorrhaging of its noncommissioned officer ranks. . ." Saying that a proposed $5,000 reenlist bonus proposed by the Department of Defense did little to impress, Winter reminded, "If the passage of concurrent receipt doesn't improve morale and repair damage done to recruitment and re-enlistment, anticipate the draft." [LINK]

So now that occupation "ifs" have become reality, concerns that the US military is stretched too thin are being voiced regularly. And news that the Pentagon is advertising for personnel to staff draft boards has notched up speculation. "This is significant," Dartmouth presidential scholar and former professor of strategy at the National War College in Washington Ned Lebow said. "What the department of defense is doing is creating the infrastructure to make the draft a viable option should the administration wish to go this route." Meanwhile, the Guardian openly wondered "why the Pentagon decided at this time it was necessary to fill staff bodies which had played no function since the early 1980s." [LINK]

As early as last November, however, red flags were being raised. The Journal News in New York state, for example, featured an article regarding New York's Selective Service System need for draft board members in case "a military draft would ever become necessary." And Rep. Charles B. Rangel's Dec. 31 op-ed piece in The New York Times entitled "Bring Back the Draft" caused considerable uproar, especially as it was accompanied by legislation introduced by Rangel and Sen. Fritz Hollings to do just that.

"The experts are all saying we're going to have to beef up our presence in Iraq," Rangel said in the Nov. 3, 2003 edition of Salon.com. "We've failed to convince our allies to send troops, we've extended deployments so morale is sinking, and the president is saying we can't cut and run. So what's left? The draft is a very sensitive subject, but at some point, we're going to need more troops, and at that point the only way to get them will be a return to the draft." [LINK]

As most point out, however, any mention of conscription would be ill-advised before the 2004 election. "A number of analysts said yesterday that while any public suggestion of a draft would be politically suicidal for U.S. President George W. Bush in an election year, he could find himself with few other options if he is returned for a second term and the fighting in Iraq is still raging," the Toronto Star recently reported. "I don't think a presidential candidate would seriously propose a draft," the Cato Institute's Charles Pena added. "But an incumbent, safely in for a second term -- that might be a different story." [LINK]

Moreover, though a recent Newsweek poll should that only 44 percent of American voters would like to see a second Bush term (vs. fifty percent who would not), as concerns over voter roll-scrubbing, black box voting irregularities and other election oddities raise questions about our democracy, it?s na&iuml;ve to imagine that next year?s presidential election won't involve some of the same shenanigans we saw in 2000. And given the radical direction the Bush administration has taken this country since barreling into power, can you imagine what four years of Bush would be like if reelection wasn't a consideration?

And so, folks could do a lot worse than to wager that a GOP victory in 2004 would mean a return to conscription. They would, however, run into trouble gambling on ways US citizens might successfully dodge the draft. Many Americans, remembering the Vietnam-era loopholes, still erroneously believe that college and Canada are options, without understanding the differences between then and now. They are:

1) No college deferments:

In the 1960s, a young man could procure a deferment, provided he was a full-time student and was making satisfactory progress towards earning a degree. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable, which were enacted in 1971, are still in effect -- and should the draft be reinstated, students would not be allowed to defer service for four or more years. Underclassmen would now only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester, while seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

2) Smarter borders:

In Dec., 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which, in addition to keeping terrorists out of America, could also be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs John Manley and US Homeland Security director Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Designed to identify and manage security risks, this plan calls for the sharing of "advance passenger information" and the development of a jointly held immigration database and programs for "joint removals of deportees."

3) Uncle Sam has your car keys

Young men have long been required under Federal law to register with selective service when they turned 18. In May, 2000, however, Delaware became the first state to enact legislation linking drivers' license applications to Selective Service registration and by Aug. 2003, 32 states, two US territories, and the District of Columbia had followed suit.

Though failure to register has always been considered a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000, the government has rarely prosecuted offenders, but opted instead to permanently ban them from government perks such as student loan eligibility and Federal employment.

Uncle Sam?s control over driving habits, however, is having an effect. As the Selective Service System's (SSS) site reports, "Although driver's license legislation is having a significant impact on improving compliance rates in those states that require registration in order to receive or renew a license or identification card, it is having minimal impact on improving compliance in states, such as Texas, which make the link with SSS registration optional."

Of course, speaking of Texas, it was just three short years ago that many Americans bought the media's depiction of George W. Bush as an affable, moderate galoot and took his election "victory" in stride. "What harm can he do in four short years?" we asked, unaware that Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and the other folks at the Project for a New American Century had already decided that America's "core mission" would be "to fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars," while using our troops as "the cavalry on the new American frontier."

Unfortunately, our soldiers are now paying the price for our fatal innocence. But if the draft is reinstated, one thing is certain: The rest of our children will pay that price, too.


http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/03/11/far03001.html

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Tabb

Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain

Originally posted by: Tabb
If I fail college (I hope I dont) at least my CCNA and A+ cert wont be completely meaningless

hey, do they draft fat-guys? 'cause that fat-guy on 'full mettle jacket' makes me want to get in shape before we need new troupes to invade Serra.

Yes, I am 6'9 and 150 extremely fat

eat a cheeseburger sheesh!

 

[Red Dawn]

Well a draft would help with the unemployment problem

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well a draft would help with the unemployment problem

:| If you were between the age of 17-35 you would not be saying that. Your comments either are reminscent of a baby or a very deranged old perp.

(thanks heaven for having dual citizenship [no not canadian].... )

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Tabb

Originally posted by: LordMagnusKain

Originally posted by: Tabb
If I fail college (I hope I dont) at least my CCNA and A+ cert wont be completely meaningless

hey, do they draft fat-guys? 'cause that fat-guy on 'full mettle jacket' makes me want to get in shape before we need new troupes to invade Serra.

Yes, I am 6'9 and 150 extremely fat

eat a cheeseburger sheesh!

Maybe he could sue McDonalds for NOT making him fat.

CkG

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well a draft would help with the unemployment problem

:| If you were between the age of 17-35 you would not be saying that.

Yeah I would dipsh!t, it's called sarcastic humor

Your comments either are reminscent of a baby or a very deranged old perp.

Nah it's just that your comprehension skills lack

 

[glugglug]

It makes sense, not from a "preparedness for war" standpoint, but from an economic standpoint.

A targeted draft pulling employees out of fields currently perceived to have unemployment/outsourcing issues. Hmm....

<theonion>U.S. military drafts outsourced Indians. Corporate America running low on human resources.</theonion>

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well a draft would help with the unemployment problem

:| If you were between the age of 17-35 you would not be saying that.

Yeah I would dipsh!t, it's called sarcastic humor

Your comments either are reminscent of a baby or a very deranged old perp.

Nah it's just that your comprehension skills lack

WTF man.. like I didn't comprehend your memo... I knew you were joking around, but it's still out of place.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: KGB

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well a draft would help with the unemployment problem

:| If you were between the age of 17-35 you would not be saying that.

Yeah I would dipsh!t, it's called sarcastic humor

Your comments either are reminscent of a baby or a very deranged old perp.

Nah it's just that your comprehension skills lack

WTF man.. like I didn't comprehend your memo... I knew you were joking around, but it's still out of place.

Well if I were you I wouldn't get my panties in a wad over a comment about something that very likely will not happen. The last thing the Armed Forces want are a bunch of bunch of disinterested, disgruntled conscripts with low morale fighting their wars for them.