Pentagon is Unable to Track the Wounded in Iraq

Not only did he use false pretenses to get Congress to rush into his invasion, not only did he send our men and women into battle without the protective gear they need to save their lives, not only did he grossly understate the depth of opposition our troops would face during the ongoing occupation, not only did he completely miscalculate the number of troops required to pursue his ideologically-motivated mission — but now we learn that he rushed America into the hell of war without preparing for the medical needs of thousands of soldiers who are coming home with severe wounds. A February study by Congress' bipartisan investigative arm found that the Pentagon lacks the ability even to track the wounded, much less assure that each of them gets the full attention they've earned in battle. The report notes that hundred of those wounded in Iraq have returned home only to be ground up in Pentagon bureaucracy, going months without receiving the medical benefits and pay they earned. [more]

• Pictured above: U.S. Army Spc. Albert Ross, 21, of Baker, La., removes his prosthetic leg in his Baker home after being honored by members of the Baker City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004. Ross lost his right leg while on patrol in Baghdad on Aug. 23, 2004.