Murtha Calls For Withdrawal, by Scott Shields

Murtha Calls For Withdrawal

by Scott Shields

This is huge. John Murtha is easily one of the most hawkish Democrats in Congress. Just two years ago, in the thick of the Iraq War, Murtha was presented with the National Distinguished Public Service Award from the conservative American Legion. Perhaps more ironically, Murtha's "support of a strong national defense" earned him the Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award, named for Scoop Jackson, perhaps the most hawkish Democrat of the last fifty years. But today, John Murtha is calling for withdrawal from Iraq.

"This is the immediate redeployment of American forces because they have become the target," said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, one of Congress' most hawkish Democrats. At times during his remarks to reporters, the decorated Vietnam War veteran and former Marine was choking back tears.

"It is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering, the future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region," Murtha said.

Murtha, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, has earned bipartisan respect for his grasp of military issues over three decades in Congress.

He said announcing a U.S. withdrawal would provide the Iraqi government with an added incentive to have their own security forces take control of the conflict.
. . .
Murtha voted to give the president authority to use force against Saddam Hussein in 2002. In recent months, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee defense panel has grown increasingly troubled with the direction of the war and with the Bush administration's handling of it, particularly following reports of secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe.

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," Murtha said.

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I would say this makes it official. No Democrat should continue to espouse a 'fight harder' strategy of flooding Iraq with more American troops. It just doesn't make sense. Look for the White House to open up a huge PR offensive against Murtha in response to this. But then also look for it to backfire spectacularly.