Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 08.31.09
Posted by Michelle McCarthy on August 31

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA. Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter@IAVAPressRoom.

MUST READS

1) U.S. Commander Delivering Afghan Review

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, reportedly sent his strategic review of the Afghan war to the Pentagon Monday morning. "The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation strategy, commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort," McChrystal said in a statement announcing the review was ready. Military officials say it contains no firm targets for troop strength, but it could form the basis for a decision within weeks on future deployments.

AFGHANISTAN

Nearly two weeks after the presidential election, reports surfaced Monday that accounts of election fraud have nearly doubled. According to Afghan election officials, the serious fraud reports that they are considering have suddenly doubled to 550 from 270. If the development stokes public outrage, officials said election results could be delayed past September. By law, each of the more serious cases, out of more than 2,000 complaints of irregularities so far, must be investigated before the elections results can be certified. With just over a third of the vote counted as of Sunday, Mr. Karzai had expanded his lead with about 46 percent of the vote, election officials said, but he remained short of the necessary 50 percent to win without a runoff vote. Mr. Abdullah was reported to have just over 31 percent.

More than 25 oil tankers and trucks carrying supplies to U.S. and NATO forces were destroyed Sunday in a bold insurgent attack in Pakistan's remote town of Chaman on the Afghan border. According to officials, the highway running through Chaman is one of the two main supply routes used by contractors to ferry fuel and military supplies from Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi to the U.S. and NATO troops in landlocked Afghanistan.

IRAQ

The U.S. military has reportedly picked up the pace of its planned exit from Iraq shipping out more than 1.5 million pieces of equipment from tanks to antennas. In an interview, Brig. Gen. Heidi Brown, a deputy commander charged with overseeing the withdrawal, said the price tag to move U.S. forces has not been fully calculated but that first out will be the early withdrawal of an Army combat brigade of about 5,000 followed by the Marine Corps by next March. "In about six months or less, they will be gone," she said.

As the second phase of the draw down continues, officials also reported over the weekend that the number of Iraqi detainees in its custody has dropped below 9,000 from a high of 27,000 in 2007.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

In a ruling last week, an El Paso court took the first step in creating a Veterans Mental Health Treatment Court which would potential allowing combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who are accused of certain crimes to choose between a trial or mental-health treatment.

Over the weekend, reports surfaced that the VA has upheld a decision not to pay disability benefits to a U.S. Marine who suffered a rare adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccine administered by the military just prior to his deployment to Iraq. Though the vaccine left Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez in a coma, unable for a time to breathe on his own and paralyzed for weeks, VA officials said he doesn't qualify for a special government benefit of as much as $100,000 for troops who suffer traumatic injuries. "It's for traumatic injury, not disease; not illness; not preventive medicine," said Stephen Wurtz, deputy assistant director for insurance at the VA. "It has nothing to do with not believing these people deserve some compensation for their losses." Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and a member of the Armed Services Committee, drafted a bill named after Lopez to widen the program to include vaccine-related injuries.

In other news, the Army has announced it intends to start issuing a new combat helmet made of a special plastic capable, for the first time, of stopping penetration by enemy rifle rounds.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Congress is in recess until September 8th.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate is on recess until September 8th.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House is on recess until September 8th.

IAVA IN THE NEWS

Outlet: Philadelphia Inquirer
Title: Web Site Helps Welcome Veterans Home
Date: Monday, August 31st
Representative: IAVA Member Veterans Bryan Adams, Marie Exley

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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