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Government waste - Congress demands the Army buy unwanted Abrams tanks

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by billwald, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    from http://ebird.osd.mil/ebfiles/e20121010908629.html

    Erin Burnett OutFront (CNN), 7:00 PM
    ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: So if defense spending is
    such a big issue this year, why are we on the hook for those
    tanks?
    Drew Griffin from our Special Investigations Unit is
    OUTFRONT with the story.
    (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
    DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS
    UNIT (voice-over): It's a remarkable sight parked in the
    California desert, more than 2,000 of them, row upon row of
    M1 Abrams tanks, built by General Dynamics beginning in
    the 1980s. Most of them are still ready to roll.
    So when the U.S. Army's budget folks sat down to make
    some tough decisions about what to cut, they saw a great
    opportunity. Postpone what they said would be a $3 billion
    expense, the refurbishing of hundreds of these tanks at this
    General Dynamics plant in Lima, Ohio.
    Government Waste?
    Early Bird: Government Waste? Page 1 of 6
    http://ebird.osd.mil/ebfiles/e20121010908629.html 10/10/2012
    U.S. Army's chief of staff marched up to Capitol Hill with a
    great idea.
    GENERAL RAYMOND T. ODIERNO, CHIEF OF
    STAFF, U.S. ARMY: In Lima, it would cost us $2.8 billion
    just to keep that open. And we -- our tank fleet is in good
    shape. We don't need to -- because of the great support
    we've gotten over the last few years --
    GRIFFIN: And he had support.
    Travis Sharp, who studies defense spending at Center for a
    New American Security says the proposed cuts of tanks
    were a no-brainer.
    TRAVIS SHARP, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN
    SECURITY: When you relatively conservative institution
    like the U.S. military, which does not like to take risks,
    because risks get people killed, says that it has enough tanks
    -- I think, generally, civilians should be inclined to believe
    them.
    GRIFFIN: But while the defense bill isn't finished yet, you,
    the taxpayer, are still likely to be on the hook -- for fixing up
    tanks the Army doesn't want.
    (on camera): So who decided the general was wrong, that he
    actually does need more tanks? I'll give you one word:
    Congress.
    SHARP: I think that there are better things that they could
    be doing with that $3 billion. But the fact that the military is
    having such a hard time getting this relatively small amount
    of money to be saved,
     
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