Murtha says draft would ease military's burden

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military draft would ease the burden placed on soldiers and their families, Rep. John Murtha, a leading Democratic critic of the Iraq war, said Tuesday.

Murtha said he's not calling for a draft and believes it won't be reinstated. But he said he thinks there should be a draft when the United States is fighting in a major war.

"A draft is the fairest way — if we're going to fight a war — to fight it, because everybody has responsibility," Murtha, echoing comments he made last week to CNN, said in a phone interview from his district in western Pennsylvania. "Everybody should share in this responsibility. Everybody should have the chance to serve."

Currently, "only the people who volunteered are serving and paying a high price," he said.

LinkHere