US panel backs off ban on women in combat support

WASHINGTON - Republicans on a House of Representatives committee retreated today from a sweeping ban on women in combat support and service units, and instead passed a measure to put into law the Pentagon's policy barring women from direct ground combat operations.

The House Armed Services Committee approved the narrower provision after Democrats, along with the Army, said the amendment rammed through an Armed Services subcommittee last week would close nearly 22,000 jobs to women, undermine morale, and hamper operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We want women to serve everywhere, except in ground combat," said Rep. John McHugh, a New York Republican. McHugh, chairman of the personnel subcommittee, said the amendment would require Congress to vote before women would be allowed in direct combat units.

The amendment would put into law a policy written 11 years ago by former Defence Secretary Les Aspin that was intended to expand the role of women in the military, but keep them from serving in ground combat.

Democrats said even the narrower amendment sent a demoralizing signal to women, was confusing and unnecessary.

"Your interest may be to fix the terrible language that you passed last week," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat.

"Women don't deserve the kind of shabby treatment this committee's been giving them the last week," said Rep. Vic Snyder, an Arkansas Democrat. If the amendment merely reinforced current policy, he said, "Why the hell are we doing it?"

The measure passed by the full committee as part of its $441 billion defence authorization bill for next year was a major step back from the amendment passed last week by the personnel subcommittee that would have imposed a sweeping ban on women in combat support units.

Democrats called that amendment an insult to women serving in Iraq, and the Pentagon quickly raised its opposition.

About 20 per cent of the combat support and service units in Iraq are comprised of women, although Army policy keeps women from some support jobs such as repairing tanks or artillery during in a fighting situation.

Gen. Richard Cody, the Army Vice Chief of Staff, in a letter to the committee said that amendment would "cause confusion in the ranks and send the wrong signal to the brave young men and women" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But Rep. Duncan Hunter, the California Republican who chairs the full committee, said Congress needed to weigh in on whether women should be in the front battle lines, which he said could happen soon unless it intervened.

He also complained there was "massive confusion" in the Army the policies on women in combat roles, and said it needed to be defined.

The full House is expected to consider the bill next week. The Senate Armed Services committee approved its version of the defence bill last week, without language dealing with women in combat or combat support.

- REUTERS