Reports that Trop Increase Won’t be Adequately Protected

January 16, 2007         

Washington, DC: Today Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Chris Dodd sent a letter to Secretary Robert Gates questioning him about a recent report that two new brigades of troops the President intends to send to Iraq will be deployed without the protection of the most up-to-date armored vehicles.  The Senators, who strongly oppose the escalation of the war, contend that "it makes no sense to send even more of our forces into danger" and ask the Secretary of Defense to explain what he is doing to rectify the problem and provide adequate protection.
        
Last week, Senator Kennedy introduced legislation that would require Congress to vote before the President escalates troop levels to fight a civil war — giving the American people a voice in the process.
        
Senator Dodd is the author of several provisions signed into law to provide U.S. military members critical combat equipment, including a 2006 measure to restock thousands of war-battered military vehicles and a 2004 initiative to reimburse troops for buying their own body armor and other gear for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Below is a text of the letter and the report from the Baltimore Sun.  A PDF of the letter is available upon request.
        
       

        January 15, 2007
        
        The Honorable Robert M. Gates
        Secretary of Defense
        1000 Defense Pentagon
        Washington D.C. 20301-1000
        
        Dear Secretary Gates:
        
                    We're writing to express our concern that the proposed troop surge by the President will put 22,500 more U.S. troops in Iraq without the best armor protection available. The President's proposal is intended to secure Baghdad—a notorious site for IED's.
                   
        We are enclosing a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, which reports that the two new brigades of troops the President intends to send to Iraq will be deployed without the protection of the most up-to-date armored vehicles. These latest vehicles, which have V-shaped bottoms, enable vehicles to better withstand explosions and provide significantly better protection for our troops. This shortfall is endangering many of our troops already in Iraq, and appears to be yet another in a litany of failures to provide adequate armor to the troops.
                   
        We are concerned for many reasons about the President's proposed troop increase, but surely, if we cannot provide adequate protective vehicles to our troops already in Iraq, it makes no sense to send even more of our forces into this danger. Please let us know what are you are doing to rectify the armor shortages for our troops currently in Iraq, and what you will do to provide adequate armor protection if the President's proposal to send more troops is implemented.
                   
        We look forward to your responses to these questions and to understanding the ways in which you propose we address these shortfalls.

        With respect and appreciation,
       
        Sincerely,
        
    
        Christopher Dodd          Edward M. Kennedy