Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 02.27.09
Posted by Michelle McCarthy on February 27 2009

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.   MUST READS (1) Officials: Obama to Leave Up to 50K Troops in Iraq Through 2011 President Barack Obama will deliver an address at Camp Lejeune (11: 30 am EST) this morning announcing plans to withdraw the bulk of the current 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by Aug. 31 of 2010, leaving 35,000 to 50,000 in place until the end of 2011.  In a private meeting at the White House late Thursday, the President outlined his drawdown proposal with the Joint Chiefs of Staff late Thursday to Congressional lawmakers, including Senator John McCain who expressed support for leaving 50,000 residual forces in Iraq.  Echoing the concerns of Democrats, Senator Majority leader Harry Reid said "50,000 is a little higher number than I anticipated"; House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi reportedly has no intention of holding her tongue on the issue, according to staffers.  Officials rejected, however, any possibility of a permanent peacetime U.S. force in Iraq such as those in Germany, Japan or South Korea and reiterated that the pace of withdrawals between now and August 2010 "will be left in the hands of the commanders in Iraq." (2) Gates: Media photos of war dead need families' OK U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday that the Department of Defense will reverse its longstanding policy prohibiting photographs of U.S. flag-draped coffins returning from war.  The new policy - which models current protocol at Arlington National Cemetery- will give families a choice of whether to admit the press to ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the entry point to the United States for the caskets of overseas war dead.  In a statement, Secretary Gates said his conclusion was that "we should not presume to make the decision for the families" ; but advocates for veterans and military families remain split on the issue.  A time frame for implementation was not announced. (3) Obama calls for 2.9% pay raise in 2010; boosts VA budget In his first fiscal budget proposal, President Obama has outlined a 2.9 percent military pay raise effective Jan. 1, 2010, a figure that would match - not exceed, as it has in prior years- average wage growth in the private sector.  Obama’s defense budget request for fiscal 2010 is 4% higher year-over-year totaling $533.7 billion.  Separately, Obama has asked $75.5 billion for the rest of this fiscal year and $130 billion in fiscal 2010 in wartime supplemental funding for Iraq and Afghanistan.  Additionally, the budget will: (1) increase Veterans Affairs Department funding by $25 billion over the next five years; (2) expand Pentagon and VA pilot programs to expedite the processing of injured troops through the Disability Evaluation System; and (3)  expand funding for VA mental health screening and treatment services, with a focus on reaching veterans in rural areas by establishing more Vet Centers and mobile health clinics.  Full details of the budget will be released in April, but Greg Bruno of the Council on Foreign Relations explains here why baseline spending--money used to pay for standard Pentagon operations-- will go up in the near term.  Read IAVA's response to the overview here. AFGHANISTAN Af-Pak coverage today focused on trilateral meetings between the U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan in Washington, D.C. and requests expressed by Afghan military officials to double the size of the Afghan army. In an unprecedented meeting with their foreign ministers, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Thursday the U.S. will begin regular, trilateral meetings with Pakistan and Afghanistan.  At a separate conference in Washington on Thursday, Afghanistan’s Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak expressed gratitude for U.S. troop support but said his country is  “fighting for our survival” against the Taliban and the only way to secure Afghanistan is by doubling the Afghan army.  Note: President Obama's 2010 fiscal budget released yesterday included an unspecified amount of military and civilian aid for Pakistan, which is asking for more drone aircraft, helicopters and other equipment. On the ground, six people were injured Friday when Afghan police fired on demonstrators who claimed U.S.-led troops had desecrated copies of the Koran during a raid on a mosque near Kabul. IRAQ Iraq coverage today focused on President Obama's announcement of troop withdrawals in Iraq (see above Must Read), ongoing justice proceedings in Iraq for Shi'ite terrorists and revelations by the UK military of participation in U.S. rendition cases. An Iraqi court sentenced 28 members of a Shiite messianic cult, Soldiers of Death, to death on Thursday for brutal attacks on Shiite pilgrims in Iraq.  The fringe cult has fought Iraqi and American security forces in a series of clashes, including a January 2007 battle on the outskirts of the holy Shiite city of Najaf where fighters shot down an American helicopter gunship. U.K. Defense Secretary John Hutton admitted Thursday for the first time that British soldiers handed over two Pakistani terrorist suspects captured in Iraq in February 2004 for U.S. rendition.  The UK government has previously denied having any knowledge of transfers of prisoners from Iraq involving UK forces. OTHER MILITARY NEWS Military coverage today largely focused on the DoD's policy reversal on photography of U.S. flag-drapped coffins (see above Must Read) and a U.S. Army decision to drop re-enlistment bonuses for soliders whose contracts are set to expire in 2009. The U.S. Army has decided to end an additional re-enlistment bonus it provided to soldiers whose contracts were set to expire this fiscal year after exceeding retention goals.  In December, the Army said soldiers slated to leave active duty by Oct. 1 could be eligible to receive a re-enlistment bonus of up to $18,500. INSIDE WASHINGTON Beltway coverage today focused on Democratic concerns regarding President Obama's expected decision to leave a 50,000 residual force in Iraq (see above Must Read) as well as the trial the U.S. born al-Qaeda terrorist Christohper Paul. The Justice Department announced yesterday that Christopher Paul, an Ohio native who joined Al-Qaeda in the early 1990s and fought in Afghanistan, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty a single count of "conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction" against Americans in the United States as well as US embassies, diplomatic premises and military bases in Europe. CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE THE SENATE  The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m.  FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST  At 9:30am, the Senate will be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no Roll Call Votes today.  COMMITTEE HEARINGS and MARKUPS of  INTEREST

• Hearing Highlights Gaps in Care for Rural Veterans:  Akaka to consider oversight and legislative solutions  
• Akaka Applauds DoD and VA Meeting to Address Increase in Active Duty Suicides

FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS  & MARKUPS of  INTEREST

• March 10, 2009 - SVAC will hold a hearing on “Oversight Hearing: Budget for Veterans Programs for FY 2010” before the committee completes Views and Estimates.  Secretary Shinseki has been invited to testify on top line numbers for VA.  9:30 a.m.; Russell 418 (Lukas)

  THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES  The House is not in session. COMMITTEE REPORTS and PRESS RELEASES of  INTEREST

• DAV Presents Legislative Agenda at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees
• Filner Honored for Protecting Veterans’ Education Benefits
• Boozman: Oversight of GI Bill Implementation Will Continue

  IAVA IN THE NEWS Media Outlet: Associated Press Title: Gates: Family would have to OK photos of war dead Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff   Media Outlet: The Rachel Maddow Show Title: Ending the War? Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff   Media Outlet: Air America's The Ron Reagan Show Title: DoD Reverses Policy on Photos of Flag-Draped Coffins Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Todd Bowers Media Outlet: The Virginian-Pilot Title: Revamped GI Bill Is On Track, VA Director Says Date: Friday, February 27th Representative: IAVA Media Outlet: Salt Lake Tribune Title: Family: Post-traumatic stress led to tragic murder-suicide Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: IAVA Media Outlet: Inside Higher Education Title: GI Bill Progress Report Date: Friday, February 27th Representative: IAVA Media Outlet: The Downey Patriot Title: Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard Meets with Iraq Vets Date: Friday, February 27th Representative: IAVA Media Outlet: SindhToday.net Title: Obama Administration to allow press coverage of war dead Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff   WHAT THE BLOGS ARE SAYING Blog: Homefront Title: Photos of our fallen coming home Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff Blog: BlackFive Title: Respecting our Fallen or Providing a Reminder Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative:  IAVA Blog: Reconstitution 2.0 Title: Now, We Can Honor Them Date: Thursday, February 26th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff   Blog: America Reality Title: When it Comes to Iraq: the Left has to Suck it up Date: Thursday, February 27th Representative: Paul Rieckhoff