John Murtha: "War Can't Be Won Militarily;" American Troops' Enormous Progress Has Nothing To Do With Actual Victory

As they say in court: When the facts are on your side, pound the facts. When the law is on your side, pound the law. When neither is on your side, pound the table.

There is some truth that ultimate victory must be ratified and consolidated via political means. However, there is indeed political progress being made as well; grassroots reconciliation is doing much of what the elected officials will not.

Furthermore, we've had serious political progress before -- like the free and open elections -- and Murtha didn't seem to care about such progress then, only the military situation. Isn't it funny that when the military situation is improving far more than anyone could have anticipated, Murtha's suddenly decided it's entirely irrelevant?

House Democrats' point man in the war-funding showdown with the White House today dismissed U.S. military gains in Iraq and vowed to tighten the purse strings until President Bush accepts a pullout plan.

"Look at all the people that have been displaced, all the [lost] oil production, unemployment, all those type of things," said Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of Appropriations defense subcommittee. "We can't win militarily."

The Pennsylvania Democrat conceded violence was down dramatically and some normalcy restored on Iraq's streets, but he said U.S. victory remains unattainable as long as Baghdad fails to pass national reconciliation laws.

"To change the political law, it doesn't seem to me you need the military stability," Mr. Murtha told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Ah, Abscam Jack Murtha, master theorist of war. I guess Clauswitz was all wet with that crap about war being the continuation of politics by other means, eh?

Thanks to CJ.

posted by Ace at 05:31 PM

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