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Title: US military chief cautions on gay ban repeal (CYA ALL THE WAY)
Source:
Breitbart
URL Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.ph ... 3635bd5f7c52.b1&show_article=1
Published: May 31, 2010
Author: AFP
Post Date: 2010-05-31 08:58:02 by HAPPY2BME-ONLF
Keywords: DADT
Views: 215
The top US military officer cautioned Sunday that it was crucial to get the military's views at the ground level before implementing a repeal of a law banning gays from serving openly in the military. Admiral Michael Mullen reaffirmed his support for repeal of the 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, but he stressed that Pentagon certification that the military was ready to implement it was "key." "I still think, and so does the secretary of defense, it is really critical to understand the points of view of those it will affect the most as we look at the implementation challenges should the law change," Mullen said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" program. He said the issues "that are the top of the list for me (include) readiness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention." The House of Representatives on Thursday approved an amendment to a defense spending bill that would lift the ban on gays, but make it contingent on a Pentagon review due December 1 of its likely impact on the military. Under the measure, President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Mullen, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, would have to certify that lifting the ban would not harm the military. Gates and Mullen had both pressed for delaying repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" until after the Pentagon had concluded the review. But the compromise crafted by Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent, called for repeal of the law now, and leaving the timing and manner of its implementation to the Pentagon. Although the measure passed the House 234-194, a fierce battle awaits the proposal in the Senate where conservative opponents have vowed to resist the change. Retired general Colin Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whose opposition to lifting a ban on gays in the military led to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" compromise 17 years ago, said in an interview that times and public attitudes, including his own, had changed since then. But he said he supported Gates and Mullen's cautious approach to implementation. "At the end of the day, the law will change and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will go away. But don't underestimate some of the issues that we dealt with in 1993 and that we're dealing with now," he said in an interview with ABC's "This Week" show. Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat of Virginia and another influential voice in the debate, said on CNN he was "really disappointed in the way that this process was accelerated." "I believe we had a process in place and to preempt it in some ways showed a disrespect for the people in the military," he said. Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium
US military chief cautions on gay ban repeal
The top US military officer cautioned that it was crucial to get the military's views at the ground level before implementing a repeal of a law banning gays from serving openly in the military. Admiral Michael Mullen, pictured on May 18, reaffirmed his support for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", but he stressed that Pentagon certification that the military was ready to implement it was "key."
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