The Marine Corps' requirement for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles would drop from the planned 3,700 to about 2,300, The Associated Press has learned. The Marines would not comment on the decision, but defense officials confirmed the cut. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced.a hat tip to digby for keeping a track on these things....
About a month ago, Marine Commandant Gen. T. James Conway signaled the possibility of a new examination of the commitment to the vehicles, saying he was concerned his force was getting too heavy. "I'm a little bit concerned about us keeping our expeditionary flavor," he said.
...
I heard Bush blathering incoherently today about not being able to "steer" the defense department "like a skiff," which I think means he can't move billions from one account to the other. Maybe the congress could help him hold the oars and paddle away from spending these useless billions. Or, if it's the case that the Army still needs those vehicles, maybe they could pass a law that would allow him to transfer the money that's already been appropriated to them.
[ cf From The WTF Department ]
But since we are going to build permenant bases in Iraq, why exactly are we saying that there is no more war that would need these great vehicles for winning against the Iranian Flying Saucers??? or are the defeatists already angling for a new defeat by not supporting the troops to total victory in Iran AND China???
Clearly it would have been nicer to have, well more somethings, so that everyone would know how patriotically corrector than thou they had always been....
