President Bush says he doesn't want one, the Pentagon says it doesn't need one and Congress says it won't approve one. But some military experts say a draft is necessary due to the continuing war in Iraq and the global "war on terrorism." The Pentagon concedes troops are stretched thin and that it isn't meeting its recruitment goals. But Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says the armed forces are undergoing an overhaul that will eventually mean more predictability for deployments of reservists and National Guard members and less reliance on additional tours of duty for troops whose enlistment terms are up. Moreover, administration officials and other opponents of a draft contend that an all-volunteer military is more professional and effective than a conscripted force. Administration critics say, however, that the reservists are being overused unfairly and that a draft is needed because it is wrong not to ask all citizens to help with the nation's military obligations.

Pamela M. Prah is a veteran reporter who recently joined CQ Researcher after several years reporting in Washington for Stateline.org, Kiplingers Washington Letter and the Bureau of National Affairs. She holds a masters degree in government from Johns Hopkins University and a journalism degree from Ohio University.