The American People will not Accept Patience

President Johnson said in 1966, "the solution to Vietnam is patience."

President Nixon said in 1969, "As our commanders in the field determine that the South Vietnamese are able to assume a greater portion of the responsibility for the defense of their own territory, troops will come back."

Today, we hear the same misleading rhetoric coming from this Administration. In Vietnam, we were talking about 10 years of patience and in the end a U.S. military solution did not work. Now, five years into the war in Iraq, the president continues to seek a U.S. military solution to an Iraqi civil war. There will be no real progress in Iraq until key political, economic and diplomatic improvements are made by the Iraqis.

The facts on the ground in Iraq indicate that electricity is below pre-war levels (only 2 hours a day in Baghdad), oil production remains below pre-war production and at least 50% of the Iraqi population is unemployed.

All Americans realize that stability in the Middle East is important to our national security. The American people will not accept patience as a strategy while the Iraqi Government continues to ignore key political and economic benchmarks.

Comments

[MSGH]

Unfortunately, it seems that "the American people" will accept a lot--especially if they don't think it hurts them personally. As a member of the Vietnam generation, I was proud of our moral stance--not merely against the war but on social issues of all kinds. Then I watched it disintegrate into crass self-interest with the end of the war--and with it the end of the draft--and the beginnings of the recessions of the early 70s. Naively, I couldn't understand what had happened; now I do. Want to end the war in Iraq? Want to keep the US from invading Iran? Bring back the draft.

[gems]

They just have to tried to convince the American people that the Iraq war is worth the sacrifice.
Gemma

[JaseAllen]

This American person does not accept warrantless wiretapping, but that didn't stop the Democrat controlled congress from giving such a dangerous power to a reckless and dangerous President. The Democrat controlled Congress has the power to cut funding for the occupation of Iraq. It has the power to stop the President from blatantly violating the Constitution. Stop whining and use it! As far as I'm concerned, the Democrats have little more credibility than the Republicans. When, not if, the Democrats fail to gain the Presidency and loose control of Congress in 2008, they will have only themselves to blame.

[birddog]

Besides cutting off the funding, tell the American people the truth about the oil law giveaway to energy corps that we are trying to shove down the Iraqi's throat. They should never accept it. I've pushed for division of Iraq for three years and holding all oil revenues outside the country in UN (ya, those awful people) control to be divied up to each regional govt that can take control of its region.

[wring]

So long as we have the kind of leadership this blowhard espouses we can expect the worst. He had his day and now he is just a worn out old man like Reid and the rest of the Democratic leadership.

[BoulderSue]

Thank you Mr. Murtha! In both cases patience=lots of dead people and lots of money that could have been better spent on all the things we can't seem to "afford" to do at home, like fixing up New Orleans, infrastructure, better border security, safety and health testing on imports, education, health care for all and on and on. You've been relatively silent for too long, Mr. Murtha. Please speak up more and don't shy away from emphasizing your own special experience and relationships with the military. You are one of the first heroes to speak truth to power. It's good to hear your voice again.

[57basque]

Lets get 144,000, 12,000 each from all the regions of the World, and let the United Nations do what should have happened in the first place. Just maybe, those 144,000 in the Bible who stand with the Lamb (Arlo Guthrie? is my guess.) in Revelation 14 are Peace Keepers. They are are around here somewhere and they are not the Religious Right.

[bigbear]

Read the Allied War code at Nuremberg 1945. Read the preamble to the UN charter,then ask anyone to trust The UN or the US to end this MURDER until the OIL is gone!

[bigbear]

Read the preamble to the UN charter. Read the Allied War Code at Nuremberg. Then tell me or anyone to trust the US or the UN to end this MURDER for OIL!

[moms]

I totallt agree with Cong. Murtha. What are we ating for. Just leave!

[petercarp]

Some things never change and some people never learn.
Peter Carpenter




Winston S. Churchill to David Lloyd George
(Churchill papers: 17/27)
1 September 1922
I am deeply concerned about Iraq. The task you have given me is becoming
really impossible. Our forces are reduced now to very slender proportions.
The Turkish menace has got worse; Feisal is playing the fool, if not the
knave; his incompetent Arab officials are disturbing some of the provinces
and failing to collect the revenue; we overpaid £200,000 on last year's account
which it is almost certain Iraq will not be able to pay this year, thus entailing
a Supplementary Estimate in regard to a matter never sanctioned by
Parliament; a further deficit, in spite of large economies, is nearly certain
this year on the civil expenses owing to the drop in the revenue. ...
I do not see what political strength there is to face a disaster of any kind... Moreover in my own heart I do not see what we are
getting out of it. Owing to the difficulties with America, no progress has been
made in developing the oil. Altogether I am getting to the end of my
resources.
I think we should now put definitely, not only to Feisal but to the Constituent
Assembly, the position that unless they beg us to stay and to stay on our own
terms in regard to efficient control, we shall actually evacuate before the
close of the financial year. I would put this issue in the most brutal way, and
if they are not prepared to urge us to stay and to co-operate in every manner
I would actually clear out. That at any rate would be a solution....
Surveying all the above, I think I must ask you for definite guidance at this
stage as to what you wish and what you are prepared to do....
At present we are paying eight millions a year for the privilege of living on an
ungrateful volcano out of which we are in no circumstances to get anything
worth having.

[RnR]

Robert Baer (the cia agent) says that the US WILL attack Iran within 6 months or so.

Why is it that the entire country is screaming to end the illegal Iraq occupation and yet the squatter in the w.h. and his neocon destroyers continue onward?

WHO is supporting this...

WHY isn't congress stopping it.

[Taan]

America's version of democracy is the result of an organic process which has been centuries in the making. Such a politic cannot be exported to an alien culture and dropped over it like a warm, fuzzy safety blanket and suddenly all is well. In fact our democratic system stands in polar opposition to the theocratic control of the masses in the area which we are trying desperately against great resistance to import such a system of government. We continue to assume a military force can overcome ideas which are repellent. Has anyone considered that the Iraqis want capitalism and all its trappings but not the form of government the U.S. wishes to impose? If anyone still wonders why we are in Iraq, consider this: If the vast oil sands beneath that country would mysteriously disappear overnight, how soon do you think it would be before U.S. forces were headed for the nearest exit? Our influence for a positive change in Iraq has passed it shelf date; we have lost this valuable advantage many times over in the years we've spent trying to "win" the gold ring in a country smaller than the state of Texas.

[roccoco]

Brilliant, simply spoken Jack! Who needs big words and complicated thoughts when the solution is so simple - Just effen quit! I for one, have run out of patience with our evil military, our evil government, evil capitalism, greed, oppresion, judgemenatl moralists in the White House and am ready to give up on the whole mess. As the philosopher Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

I can see why the noble citizens of your district keep reelecting you. You do truly deliver the goods.

[terentia]

flatus wrote:
>>As the Arab and Persian populations swell on oil, what will be the outcome when that oil runs out?

[FOXYLADY]

Perhaps leaving would be the entire solution. The area seems to always be in a turmol so leave and let them keep killing each other off. This just might settle the situation in the Middle East. As for Israel, it has proved able to take care of itself = a more civilized nation than most of the Arab/Muslims states, it seems...to me......?????

[mkindt]

Let's remeber that we have been at war with Iraq since 1991 and that we periodically bombed locations within Iraq in the years prior to the most recent invasion of 5 years ago. That's why this is truly the endless war.

[josieb]

Why should the Iraqi government keep dancing to our tune? We decided to invade and destroy their country and we have. And that stupid ''if we dom't fight them over there. . .'' American lives aren't worth more than Iraqis or anybody else's. We need to get out of there and stop using our soldiers as cannon fodder for the Bush Administration's pretensions to empire.
Let the Iraqis sort out this mess in their own time. We've got enough challenges and contradictions in this country to take up our time for several generations.

[nippersdad]

Mr. Murtha

Actually, as long as I have you on the line. We, those of us in your party, have a right to self determination as well. We vote you into office, we pay your salaries. We want some political benchmarks met with regard to the impeachment of George Bush and his cronies in office.

We will not be patient about it, we will not be pleasant about it. By not doing that which you and your colleagues swore to do in your oath of office, to uphold the Constitution, you render all that it stands for meaningless. Why on earth would the Iraqi's want to emulate the dysfunctional mess we have in Washington anyway, they have enough problems.

[nippersdad]

Mr. Murtha:

You say That "Americans will not accept patience as a strategy while the Iraqi Gov't. continues to ignore key political and economic benchmarks."

Well, that is just the problem, isn't it. WE, as Nouri Al Maliki said the other day, aren't the ones who have to live there. It shouldn't be up to us to determine what their key political/diplomatic and economic benchmarks are.

They appear to be doing exactly what they need to be doing. A democracy in a country which is sixty percent Shiite is going to reflect Shiite values. Values which are shared by neighboring Iran. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Maliki should go to Iran and Syria to discuss their shared values.

The same goes for the Sunnis in Western Iraq. They appear to be clearing a homeland for themselves in El Anbar, with our help.

The Kurds have never given up their right to self determination, wise move.

Iraq is forming its own series of states to be aligned with their own philosophical counterparts in the region, and who are we to stop them? This is what should have been done by the British seventy years ago.

The same goes for their oil reserves. They have decided to sell oil to China, probably with China's help in getting it out of the ground. They probably consider this a better deal than having Exxon/Mobil et al walk off with eighty percent of their profits, Wise move.

These are pretty significant economic/political/diplomatic benchmarks happening because of, or perhaps in spite of, our bungled attempts to rip them off.

We screwed up, we need to accept that, allow them to find the destiny THEY WANT, and move on.
Any further moves on our part to guide their destiny to our benefit will backfire. Our lack of patience is not with them, it is with you and your colleagues.

[Macready]

Thank you nippersdad . . .

[realpolitic]

We could easily be in a Iraq with a heavy troop concentration for a decade. America is not good at fighting long wars. Progress will not be made, as Congressman Murtha suggests, until the Iraqis have electricity and jobs and gasoline to get around. Further, we are making a generation of enemies across the globe. A draw down of our forces in Iraq would ease tensions and give Iraqis confidence with solving their own problems. We should keep as low a profile as possible and quietly come home in phases.

[Kirby]

With all of us being fed palliative pablum by the media, and witnessing the absolute cowardice of both democrats and republicans in Congress, there has been an erosion of opposition expression. A phenomenon diminishing Congress' current worth to zilch.

[Macready]

Rep Murtha thank you for posting . .. if you want the war in Iraq to end you have to cut off the funding and you have to impeach: first cheney and gonzo -- then georgie . . . I do wish you and others in Congress would stop talking about the goals the Iraqi's have to reach . . . America illegally invaded a sovereign country for oil contracts . . . Iraq's infrastructure has been wiped out . . . hundreds of thousands are dead; millions homeless, without jobs, water, food and basic medical care . . . America has to accept responsibility for this . . . stop blaming the Iraqi's it is inappropriate, irresponsible and shameful.

Unless impeachment is put on the agenda when Congress reconvenes you have failed both the American people and the Iraqi's whom this country has treated so abominably.

[cylindar]

Yeah, your right about that!!! AS John Q Public I am getting very very very very very tired of this Iraq thing. As a veteran I am not just tired I am very very very very angry at what Bush is doing to our military as an institution and most importantly to it's people. It's bad news and it's raising the monster. I think Bush needs to get while the gettins good. Cause if he don't that door is going to slap him in the ass on the way out. No doubt about it!!!

[cynara]

Keep up the pressure on 'em, Rep. Murtha. Your voice is needed, and, at least by this voter, highly appreciated.