May 18, 2006
Murtha's Latest Outrage
Could this man be any more outrageous?
Rep. John Murtha, an influential Pennsylvania lawmaker and outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, said today Marines had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood” after allegedly responding to a roadside bomb ambush that killed a Marine during a patrol in Haditha, Iraq, Nov. 19.
The incident is still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Multi-National Forces Iraq.
See that? Still under investigation.
The Marine Corps originally claimed that a convoy from the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, hit a roadside bomb that killed Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, 20, of El Paso, Texas, and the ensuing firefight killed 15 Iraqi civilians — casualties the Corps at first claimed were killed in the bomb blast — including seven women and three children.
A March 27 Time magazine report published claims by an Iraqi civil rights group that the Marines barged into houses near the bomb strike, throwing grenades and shooting civilians as they cowered in fear. The report prompted calls for a Pentagon probe.
“It’s much worse than was reported in Time magazine,” Murtha, a Democrat, former Marine colonel and Vietnam war veteran, told reporters on Capitol Hill.
How does he know it's much worse than what Time reported? The article says that a spokesman for Murtha could not add to his remarks, and a military spokesman said he didn't know where Murtha could be getting his information.
Is it true? Maybe. That's why an investigation is underway. Murtha was "generous" in saying that combat stress was a contributing factor in the alleged incident. But for him to denounce our Marines in the field before the official investigation is completed not only demoralizes our troops, but gives the enemy more cause to believe that the war in Iraq is losing to a war of ideologies at home.
Please don't bring up the fact that Murtha was in the Marines himself. Former military service doesn't excuse his current behavior. That's like saying a former cop should be given a pass if he commits a crime. We're at war fighting an enemy that will not quit until it is ground into dust. Public bloviating by Murtha and his cronies hurts our cause. Free speech? Sure. Responsible speech? Nope.
Question: Who's investigating Murtha's despicable conduct?
Playing politics with our boys on the battlefield
More: Confederate Yankee, Stop the ACLU, Hugh Hewitt
Show Comments
geddalife! your boys killed innocent people AGAIN! and all you can do is attempt to deny it. We are sick of American, racist thugs giving honest hard-working right wing people a bad name!
Posted by: bored brit at May 30, 2006 04:35 PM
