BCT Editorial – 11/22/05

This page was last updated on November 22, 2005.

Soldier’s soldier; Editorial; Beaver County Times; November 22, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Murtha’s call to withdraw troops from Iraq shows how bad the situation really is

“When U.S. Rep. John Murtha calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, the situation must be much worse that the White House would have us believe.

“It’s important to understand where the Johnstown Democrat is coming from and his relationship with our armed forces to comprehend just how critical the situation within the U.S. military must be to force Murtha into urging such a drastic measure.

“Murtha is a combat veteran, specifically the war in Vietnam. A military intelligence officer, he has two Purple Hearts. Unlike so many others at that time, he didn’t play if safe, even though, as a member of the Marines Reserves, he could have. Instead, he volunteered for active duty. Since being elected to the House in 1974, The Associated Press reports he has earned bipartisan respect for his grasp of military issues. He also is one of Congress’ most hawkish Democrats. He voted to give President Bush the authority to use force against Saddam Hussein in 2002.

“Through his decades in the House, Murtha has built up a reputation as a congressman who cares about the men and women who serve in the ranks. He is a solder’s soldier. He’s done so without much fanfare. The AP notes Murtha is known to shun publicity.

“Because of his sustained support of the troops - real support, not the lip service that so many other politicians offer up when the microphones are turned on - Murtha is known as an ally of uniformed officers in the Pentagon and the battlefield. The AP reports that the perception on Capitol Hill is that when Murtha makes a statement on military issues, he is talking for those in uniform.”

[RWC] Mr. Murtha’s “sustained support of the troops” lasted less than 12 months. During September 2003, Mr. Murtha claimed he was duped into voting for the war.

“Murtha is not some loose cannon shooting his mouth off for the publicity he can generate. He is a low-key individual who cares deeply about the U.S. military, its officers and enlistees and the country they are defending.

“Quite clearly, he was not just speaking for himself when he made his announcement that he reached his decision after discussing the situation in Iraq with his contacts within the military. What he hears and sees is that a first-class military organization is being ground up in Iraq because of this administration’s hubris.

“Murtha’s resolution to force the president to withdraw our forces from Iraq, which would have to be passed by the House and Senate, most likely will be rejected, as it should be. We created this mess, and we have an obligation to see it through to the end, no matter how bitter it may be.”

[RWC] The editorial doesn’t mention a bill calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq failed in the House by 403 – 3.

“But please understand the consequences of maintaining the status quo in Iraq. Here’s what one Marine lieutenant colonel who has recently served in Iraq told James Fallows of The Atlantic Monthly: ‘On the current course we will have two options. We can lose the war in Iraq and destroy our army, or we can just lose.’

“Pray for our men and women in the military. They deserve better civilian leaders than the ones they have been stuck with.”

[RWC] In case you didn’t notice, the author spent the vast majority of this editorial building up Mr. Murtha’s credibility. Part of that strategy is telling us Mr. Murtha is “hawkish” and leading us to believe Mr. Murtha’s position is something new that he’s agonized over.

The truth is, Mr. Murtha yanked his support for the Iraq War long ago. As noted above, Mr. Murtha claimed during 2003 he was duped into voting for the war. Mr. Murtha announced during May 2004 he wanted us to leave Iraq. Mr. Murtha’s recent call for withdrawal is just a rerun.

Finally, I’m beginning to believe the “hawkish” description is intentional deception. Why? It’s not just the positions dating back to 2003. Consider the following. Mr. Murtha also supported pulling out of Somalia immediately after 18 soldiers were killed. Here’s what Osama bin Laden said about this in a 1998 interview: “Our boys [al Qaida] were shocked by the low morale of the American soldier and they realized that the American soldier was just a paper tiger. He was unable to endure the strikes that were dealt to his army, so he fled. After a few blows, it … rushed out of Somalia in shame and disgrace, dragging the bodies of its soldiers.”