Kerry criticizes Bush's plan to realign troops

Knight Ridder Newspapers and the Chicago Tribune

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Before the same Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) convention that Bush addressed Monday, the Democratic presidential nominee questioned the wisdom of "unilaterally withdrawing" 12,000 troops from South Korea when the administration is negotiating with North Korea, a country, Kerry said, "that really has nuclear weapons."

"Nobody wants to bring troops home more than those of us who have fought in foreign wars," Kerry said. "But it needs to be done at the right time and in a sensible way. This is not that time or that way."

Kerry said the public wants to know, "in plain words the answer to a simple question: How are we going to get the terrorists before they get us? What is our long-term strategy for making America safer?"

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said on Air Force One that Kerry's opposition to the troop redeployment represented a "20th century, Cold War way of thinking."

Kerry repeated his call to increase the military by 40,000 active-duty soldiers, which would include doubling the size of the Special Forces.

Kerry received his most enthusiastic response when he strongly advocated improving benefits for veterans. But overall, he was received far less enthusiastically than was Bush, who got two standing ovations.

Bush, campaigning in Chippewa Falls, Wis., said diplomacy was not an acceptable way to deal with terrorists.

"See, I don't believe you can talk sense to these people," Bush said. "I know we must engage these enemies around the world so we do not have to face them here at home."

He also announced two modest proposals. One is aimed at significantly increasing educational benefits for National Guard members and reservists on active duty for more than 90 consecutive days; the other would provide grants to states to help pay for the added costs of incorporating children from military families in schools during the school year.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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