Nobody Could Have Predicted...

Daily Kos has an article up about the Army's orders that privately purchased body armor may not be used by the our troops. This body armor and the non-armored vehicle issues have been festering since the war began mostly because it shows a callous disregard for the troops under fire and is another shining example of piss-poor planning.

So why would the Pentagon issue orders that only armor issued by the military is to be used by the troops if in fact privately purchased body armor is superior to that issued by the military. Note: The military is presently disputing as unproven the superiority of the privately purchased armor.

The two most cyncial reasons I can think of are:

1. That the current body armor contract is yet another example of "pay to play" and there is a reward for donating to republican causes. Crony capitalism run amok.

2. The survival rate and/or the severity of injuries would be significantly less for troops wearing the privately-purchased body armor as opposed to that of the troops wearing the gear issued by the military. The PR debacle that would ensue if it's found that the "best equipment available" was not used when it was readily available is too much for the Pentagon to risk. Empirical evidence of fewer deaths and less severe injuries cannot be tolerated.

Bush has insisted from day one that he would not put the troops in harm's way without the best equipment available. It's well-documented that this claim, like so many others, is empty rhetoric.

Go to Daily Kos for more...