WASHINGTON (AP) _ Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Congress Monday to re-examine the Pentagon's standards for soldiers' body armor in Iraq, after a new study found most fatal torso wounds to Marines would have been prevented or minimized with more protection.

The New York Democrat said the as-yet-unreleased report by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner should spur greater scrutiny by the Senate Armed Service Committee and the investigative arm of Congress.

The results of the study were disclosed last week. It examined 93 fatal wounds to Marines from the start of the Iraq war in March 2003 through June 2005. The study concluded most of those injuries might have been prevented or minimized if they had been wearing improved body armor.

"With U.S. troops risking their lives daily in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, we owe it to them to make sure they have the best equipment possible," Clinton wrote to committee chairman John Warner.

The study found that of the 93 Marines who suffered fatal injuries, 74 of them were bullet or shrapnel wounds to shoulders or torso areas unprotected by traditional ceramic armor plating.

The report highlights the debate, even within the military, about how much armor troops should be wearing. Some soldiers complain the current armor reduces their mobility, and say they would rather wear less, not more.

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

Commentary:
Republicans say they support our troops, then they deny them armor they need and they don't seek an inquiry into this study until AFTER democrats force the issue. When someone tells you the GOP supports the military, throw this in their faces and tell them to shut up. Until republicans raise taxes to pay for their war they don't support the troops.