Backbone Retrieval

Finally, after over two years of congressional rubberstamping, bloody counterinsurgency, and over 2,000 US KIAs, one member of the opposition has finally had the guts to go on the record and state the truth about the Iraq War.

Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Democrat and combat veteran, put it bluntly:

There’s basically no possibility of ending the violence in Iraq as long as US troops are occupying the country, he said. . "Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency." US troops,  far from ending the violence, are "a catalyst for the violence." The Iraq campaign is "a flawed policy wrapped in illusion."

He called for the immediate withdrawal of United States troops.

Rep. Murtha, of course, was merely pointing out the obvious, something most Americans already know (but most members of Congress apparently do not), that 160,000 US troops have not brought peace and security to Iraq and are not likely to do so any time soon.

But, speaking the truth to power has its drawbacks. And naturally the GOP Noise Machine hit back.

Hard.

According to Mr Bush’s press secretary, Murtha was “endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore.” (Apparently the Bush White House believes that Michael Moore is some sort of diabolical wizard, capable somehow of influencing the public policy decisions of members of Congress.) Of course, the idea that Mr Murtha, 73, a former Marine DI and combat veteran in the Marine Corps listens to anything Mr Moore might say on any subject is laughable on its face.

But not to worry.

Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (a Noise Machine spokesmen, big-time) accused Murtha of supporting “a policy of cut and run," not to mention “surrender to the terrorists who would harm innocent Americans.” This is, of course, is an outright lie. Murtha believes in fighting terrorism as much as any American, he just doesn’t believe invading a Middle Eastern nation on the basis of flimsy “evidence” of WMD is the best way to do it.

Normally the Noise Machine is reasonably effective in silencing the administration’s opponents.

Except that it hasn’t been able to silence any discussion.

Some Republicans like Senators John W. Warner of Virginia and Ted Stevens of Alaska, are struggling to find a way out of Iraq, while at the same time attempting to defend Mr Bush’s conduct of the war. Which is a pretty daunting task, given the unpopularity of the Iraq War. The Senate recently voted to require reports from the Administration on the conduct of the war.

Among other things, the Noise Machine tells us that if the US pulls out of Iraq, the terrorists win. Of course, they fail to tell us exactly what it is that any terrorist organization wins (or loses) by a US withdrawal from Iraq. Terrorists do their evil deeds quite efficiently with 160,000 US  troops present,  and it’s not likely their effectiveness will change if the US leaves. On the other hand, it is pretty clear that the US presence in Iraq has been the one element that has literally turned Iraq into a training ground for Islamic terrorists worldwide.

Contrary to what the Noise Machine puts out, the US invasion of Iraq has not made the US a safer place. It certainly hasn't made Iraq any safer.

Then of course is the "timetable" issue.  The Noise Machine pumps out a lot of nonsense about timetables. If we set up a timetable for withdrawal, it says, the terrorists will simply stop what they are doing and wait of or the US to leave. Which implies that the terrorists are not doing anything while the US is occupying Iraq; --just sitting on their hands, so to speak. But of course they are doing things. They are planting bombs and getting into firefights which kill other Iraqis and US soldiers. Terrorists go about their business regardless of US troops in Iraq. So far as anyone can see, US troops are little more than moving targets for roadside and suicide bombs and bombers.

As a last resort, some supporters of the war in the blogsphere help out the Machine by engaging in personal attacks against Rep. Murtha.

Pathetic, really.

Yet in the contest between the Noise Machine and Rep. Murtha, Rep. Murtha is winning , at least in the court of public opinion.

The current policy in Iraq is based on the illusion (created by the Neocons) that the US can impose US-style democracy upon a Moslem country at the point of an M1Al. He knows, as do most Americans, that the original rational for the war has been proved false. There are no WMDs.

Two and a half years of combat, have produce nothing concrete, except KIAs and  a powerless “government,” fractured and under no clear control of anyone. Add to that, is the fact that at least 80% of the Iraqi population wants the US out.

Rep Murtha has it right:

IT IS TIME TO BRING THEM HOME.

Punditwalla--