Army Imposes 'Stop-Loss' Policy

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In order to maintain -cohesive units- in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Army will extend tours of duty for tens of thousands of soldiers. They could be required to stay for several years, as the Pentagon imposes what it calls -stop loss orders- to maintain troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. Already, some charge it-s a breach of contract and comparable to re-imposing the draft. What does the change in policy mean for the occupation and soldiers' morale? How will it impact the November election? Warren Olney speaks with a journalist who covers the Pentagon for the LA Times, an expert on the military from the Hoover Institution, and a former officer who-s angry about what this means for the volunteers he led into combat.
  • Making News: Albertson Reports 79 Percent Decrease in First Quarter California-s long supermarket strike has taken its toll on a number of grocery chains. The latest is Albertson-s which has reported a 79 percent decline in net income for the first quarter of this year. Ken Dey, business reporter at the Idaho Statesman in Boise, where Albertson-s is headquartered, says that the supermarket voiced confidence that dual-banding will help it win back and grow sales.

Albertson's on its first-quarter earnings

Idaho Statesman article on Albertson's first-quarter earnings

Army issues 'stop-loss' program

Schrader's article on Army's 'stop-loss' order

Cindy Williams Holding the Line: US Defense Alternatives for the 21st Century

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton