Obama calls in officials over sex assaults in military
Iran Press TV
Fri May 17, 2013 12:53AM GMT
US President Barack Obama has summoned top defense officials to the White House for a meeting on the rising number of sexual assaults in the military, a problem that the Army's top general conceded the armed services had failed to solve.
On Thursday, Obama met with the Army chief of staff General Odierno as well as the other service chiefs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Earlier, General Odierno said in a letter to soldiers that the Army was "failing" to reduce the numbers of sexual assaults, and called on his service to focus more on preventing such attacks. The military, he said, is entrusted with "the health and welfare of America's sons and daughters."
"It is time we take on the fight against sexual assault and sexual harassment as our primary mission," General Odierno wrote.
The military in recent months has turned to a series of initiatives to prevent sexual assaults and improve its record on the investigation and prosecution of incidents. But the various branches of the US military have been rocked by an increasing number of cases and by high-profile incidents that include alleged assaults by service members charged with preventing such attacks.
In the latest embarrassment for the military, at Fort Campbell, Ky., Army officials relieved a lieutenant colonel in charge of sexual harassment and assault prevention of his duties after he was arrested and charged with violating an order of protection his wife had sought against him, officials said.
EKA/HN
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
