Recruits Down, Army Granting "Waivers" To Criminals To Boost Numbers...

empires and dictatorships always end up relying on criminals to fight their wars...because they can't rely on the good population that inevitably turns against it...

Recruits Down, Army Granting "Waivers" To Criminals To Boost Numbers...
Mark Benjamin / Salon | Feb 2 2006

We're transforming our military. The things I look for are the
following: morale, retention, and recruitment. And retention is high,
recruitment is meeting goals, and people are feeling strong about the
mission.
-- George W. Bush, in a Jan. 26 press conference

It was about 10 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2002, when a drug deal was arranged in
the parking lot of a mini-mall in Newark, Del. The car with the drugs,
driven by a man who would become a recruit for the Delaware Air National
Guard, pulled up next to a parked car that was waiting for the exchange.
Everything was going smoothly until the cops arrived.

"I parked and walked over to his car and got in and we were talking,"
the future Air Guardsman later wrote. "He asked if I had any marijuana
and I said yes, that I bought some in Wilmington, Del., earlier that
day. He said he wanted some." The drug dealer went on to recount in a
Jan. 11, 2005, statement written to win admission into the military, "I
walked back to my car [and] as soon as I got in my car an officer put
his flashlight in the window and arrested me."

Under Air National Guard rules, the dealer had committed a "major
offense" that would bar him from military service. Air National Guard
recruits, like other members of the military, cannot have drug
convictions on their record. But on Feb. 2, 2005, the applicant who had
been arrested in the mini-mall was admitted into the Delaware Air
National Guard. How? Through the use of a little-known, but increasingly
important, escape clause known as a waiver. Waivers, which are generally
approved at the Pentagon, allow recruiters to sign up men and women who otherwise would be ineligible for service because of legal convictions,
medical problems or other reasons preventing them from meeting minimum
standards.

Always!! Criminals hiring criminals
US contractor pleads guilty to Iraq bribe scheme
Thu Feb 2, 2006 2:11 PM ET



By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former official with the U.S. governing administration in Iraq pleaded guilty on Thursday and admitted he and others took more than $1 million in bribes and stole more than $2 million in reconstruction money.

Robert Stein, comptroller and funding officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority - South Central Region in 2003 and 2004, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and other charges, Justice Department officials said.

Stein, 50, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and a former Defense Department contractor, entered the guilty plea in federal court in Washington, they said.

He admitted that he conspired, along with other public officials, including several U.S. Army officers, to rig bids to steer contracts to a certain contractor.


According to a document filed in court and agreed to by Stein, the total value of the contracts awarded to Stein's co-conspirator in the Iraqi city of Hilla exceeded $8 million, the officials said.

Stein admitted that he and others received bribes exceeding $1 million in money, cars, jewelry and other items of value from the contractor, who was not identified.

Stein said he and others stole more than $2 million that had been designated for the reconstruction of Iraq and smuggled a portion of that stolen currency into the United States aboard commercial aircraft, the officials said.

He also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of various weapons, including machine guns, silencers and grenade launchers, and as a convicted felon, he pleaded guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Stein faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

Also facing charges in the investigation is Philip Bloom, the owner of numerous construction and service companies that did business in Iraq, and Michael Wheeler and Debra Harrison, both lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Army Reserves. The three defendants were arrested in November or December.

Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher told reporters at the Justice Department that the federal government was aggressively pursuing all allegations of fraud involving the Coalition Provisional Authority.

The CPA was headed by U.S. diplomat Paul Bremer, and ceased to exist in June 2004, when the United States handed over sovereignty to the Iraqis.

Hey Pissy,

Over 20 years ago a so called friend ratted on me and about 10 other people in order to get out of some shit he had going. Part of the provision was that he signed up into the Army.
Nice twist but this has been a long time practice.:thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eg420ne

Stein faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

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Doesn't matter the race, religion, group, etc....you find assholes in every crowd! Hope they lock up his ass and the rest of the crew he dealt with!!!

Yes, joining the army instead of going to prison has been a option for petty criminals for awhile, and in most cases it turns their life around. Stop bitching about a good thing. Felons however do not have this option, no matter what Piss or any of his tinfoil hat say. Whats the point of being in the military if you cant operate a firearm?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Myth1184

Yes, joining the army instead of going to prison has been a option for petty criminals for awhile, and in most cases it turns their life around. Stop bitching about a good thing. Felons however do not have this option, no matter what Piss or any of his tinfoil hat say. Whats the point of being in the military if you cant operate a firearm?

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True, and that's a shame. I much rather have a solid con watching my back than some kid who joined the army because he got fired from McDonalds.

The funny thing is that none of these sound like real solutions to me but perversions of "morals" and "justice". Quite disturbing.

I find the strangest things.

President Bush signed into law landmark legislation that better prepares our defense establishment to meet the challenges of the 21st century. A military that was designed for the challenges of the mid-to-late 20th century is being transformed into a lighter, more flexible, more agile, and more lethal force - one better able to deal with new threats to our national security.

http://www.gop.com/Issues/SafetyAndSecurity/