Allen West: We Need Bayonets and Horses in Afghanistan

Republican Florida Rep. Allen West told senior citizens on Tuesday that he sent soldiers into battle with bayonets in Iraq.

“When I was a battalion commander, we did still issue bayonets to our troops when we deployed to Iraq in 2003,” West told the 100 seniors in Stuart, Fla., The Washington Post reports. “In 2001, Special Forces soldiers were on horseback riding with the Northern Alliance to fight against the Taliban.

“So, obviously, we have a president who does not understand the full capabilities and capacities and what we do in the United States military.”

West was among many conservatives who attacked President Barack Obama on Tuesday over his exchange with GOP challenger Mitt Romney on the declining strength of the U.S. Navy, The Post reports.