The President's Misguided Message

by Rep. John Murtha

I am disappointed that the President spoke on Independence Day to soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg without putting forth a new plan for Iraq. The President instead stuck to his old “stay the course” slogan saying “I’m not going to allow the sacrifice of 2,527 troops who have died in Iraq to be in vain by pulling out before the job is done.”

The problem with this statement is that the military has done its job. The Administration and the newly formed Iraqi government have not. As I have said many times before, and our top Commanders agree, Iraq cannot be “won militarily.” Why then does the President continue to insist that our military shoulder the burden of this Administration’s mistake-laden policies?

Instead, the President should have said to this most deserving crowd:
Further advances in Iraq can only be accomplished by the Iraqis. They must fight for their own unity and for their own freedom. Our military has accomplished its mission in Iraq. It is time that we bring them home.