Posted on 04/08/2006 5:01:15 AM PDT by Libloather
Murtha tells City Club the war is lost
Pa. congressman outlines failures
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Donna J. Miller
Plain Dealer Reporter
U.S. Rep. John Murtha's booming Marine colonel's voice filled the tight spaces between Greater Clevelanders packed into the City Club Friday to hear him protest President Bush's war on Iraq.
He repeated the message he began trumpeting in November: that American military efforts in Iraq are failing and will continue to fail, while costing taxpayers $450 billion by the year's end.
The 37-year decorated Marine and 32-year congressman from Pennsylvania said:
Iraqis with 80 percent of them wanting the U.S. out need time to solve their own civil war. "It took 100 years to get stability in our country, with its own civil war."
"We needed to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people." Instead, more than 40 percent of them say it is all right to kill Americans.
"We needed to be able to pick up the trash, restore power and get the people working again." Instead, oil production remains below prewar levels; electricity is available for just 10 hours a day in the sweltering desert climate; 30 percent of the population is without drinkable water; 60 percent are unemployed.
Troops are undermanned, underequipped and dying at rates higher than during World War II and the Vietnam War. "I visit the [veterans hospitals] every week. The troops don't know what their mission is any more." And 8,500 of them have returned with shattered bod ies or brains and the permanent "shadow on your soul" that fighting a war creates.
Murtha took questions from several luncheon attendees who worried that Bush may be planning to invade Iran. The ranking and longtime member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee nearly shouted, "we will not" be entering Iran.
He also said that the subcommittee would not approve funding the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq. The audience broke into applause.
Murtha criticized Bush for using fear of terrorism to maintain public support for the war, when real dangers exist here.
U.S. ports are not secure, but they could be in one month, if the money that has been spent on the civil war in Iraq was spent on ports, he said.
Asked to predict the next threat to America that might require military force, Murtha said he's concerned about China and its increasing need for oil.
"And if they think that we can't respond because we are overextended in Iraq. . ." He shook his head.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
djmiller@plaind.com, 216-999-4852
ROTFL
; )
ping
btw, the link you reffered to as a pic in post #89 shows up on my computer as an empty blue rectangle, hope you didn't think I was being too crude re; a 'nice box'.
MURTHA |
 |
Thanks for the ping!
Murtha is like "Lucky Lindy". What he may have done earlier in his life doesn't count for squat, he's a traitor now.
ROTF! I was NOT going to touch that with a ten foot pole!!
(Extreme self-discipline : )
The graphic is made by a Marine, Doug Kidd. The emblem you see is the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. A person enters 'boot camp' as a recruit and is referred to as such throughout the 13 weeks of training, the longest in the armed services. The individual is not considered a Marine until training is complete and at that time the Eagle Globe and Anchor is presented in a special ceremony prior to and separate from the graduation ceremony.
The emblem has roots in the designs and ornaments of early Continental Marines and the British Royal Marines. Brigadier General Commandant Jacob Zeilin appointed a board "to decide and report upon the various devices of cap ornaments for the Marine Corps" in 1868 and was approved by the Secretary of the Navy and has survived with minor changes to this day.
The eagle is a crested eaglem found all over the world and indirectly signifies service worldwide. (The bald eagle on the great seal and the currency of the United States is strictly an American variety.)
The globe on the U.S. Marine emblem signifies service in any part of the world.
The anchor dates back to the founding of the Marine Corps in 1775 is a "foul anchor" - an anchor which has one or more turns of the chain around it - and indicates the amphibious nature of Marines.
REP. MURTHA PRESENTS PLAN TO STRENGTHEN MILITARY, NATION
His prepared remarks to the City Club are here:
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100021151&docId=l:373827989&start=2
Thank you!
I can hardly stomach reading this.
"(2) Reallocate. I believe we should reallocate much of the funds saved by redeploying." This is a real plan, John- reallocate it where?
"Our military is unsurpassed.." Who was it that said it was 'broke'?
"30 deaths a month is not an improvement".
HUH?
Murtha's plans are as well laid out as chewer spitting into a hurricane.
Okay freema.....I will unban myself just for you. ;*)
My feedback after a very quick perusal.....
When Mu'tha is elected President, he has my permission to present his plan regarding our military or the WOT.
If Mu'tha becomes the Secretary of Defense under the next President, he has my permission to present his plan.
If Mu'tha becomes the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, THEN he can present his plan.
Until then? He should STHU and let the President of the United States, who was elected by 63+ million voters, not a few thousand in a western district of PA, and the team of professional military people the President has assembled take care of troop movement and the WOT.
Hope this is the type of feedback you wanted. ;*)
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