Two Years after I Called for a Redeployment of U.S. Forces from Iraq, Bush Refuses to Provide the American People with a Responsible Exit Strategy

Today marks the two year anniversary of my public call for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Two years ago, I was convinced that the President's lack of strategy in Iraq was harming our military, our international credibility, and the strength of our nation.

Two years later, the President remains without a plan and I remain convinced that we must begin an orderly redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as practicable.

All Americans want stability in the Middle East. But while our military is bogged down in Iraq, instability is spreading throughout the region. Pakistan is in political turmoil, Iran continues development of its nuclear technology, Turkey is pressing towards an invasion of Northern Iraq, and attacks against American and NATO troops in Afghanistan have increased substantially.

As a nation, we can either continue along the President's path, one that has fostered instability, or we can listen to the demands of the American people and forge a new direction in Iraq and the region.

Political reconciliation and reform in Iraq is the responsibility of the Iraqi Government, not the U.S. military. I believe that the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq will give the Iraqi Government the incentive to take over their own country.

This week the House of Representatives passed legislation that provides the President, our troops, and our nation with a responsible plan for bringing our troops home.

It requires the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin within 30 days, with a target for completion of December 15, 2008. It ensures that our troops are fully trained and equipped before they are sent to Iraq. It extends the Army Field Manual to all personnel, making torture not only unacceptable but also unlawful. And it transitions our forces from a combat roll to specifically supporting and training Iraqi Security Forces and counterterrorism operations.

Unfortunately Senate Republicans today chose to stand by the President instead of the American people's call for a new direction.

For two years I have publicly fought for the redeployment of our troops from Iraq. Congressional Democrats will not stop championing the will of the American people until our troops come home.

The following illustrates what has transpired over the past two years:

In Iraq: November 17, 2005 | Now

American Troop Fatalities: 2,081 | 3,865

American Troops Wounded: 15,900+ | 28,400+

Cost to American Taxpayers: $213.6 billion | $448.6 billion

Cost per Month: $6.5 billion | $9.6 billion

# of Trained Iraqi Security Forces: 211,700 | 359,700

# of Multi-National Forces: 23,000 | 11,604

Electricity Available in Baghdad: 10.9 hours per day | 9.3 hours per day

Electricity Available Nation-wide: 14.3 hours per day | 12.9 hours per day

Crude Oil Production (per day) : 1.96 million barrels | 2.46 million barrels

Here at Home: November 17, 2005 | Now

Crude Oil Prices: $49.46 per barrel | $86.02 per barrel

Price of Gas at the Pump: $2.20 per gallon | $3.11 per gallon

U.S. Government Debt: $8.083 trillion | $9.110 trillion

Comments

[VOTER]

Thanks Rep. Murtha.

Send copies of your article to ALL DEMS and tell them to begin acting on it and use it to tell the truth to all voters.

If you want the headlines to print the truth,

REPUBLICANS BLOCK MEANINGFUL POLICY TO BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME.

THEN ALL DEMS MUST SAY IT OFTEN AND LOUDLY!

[Purple Girl]

You Sir are a Patriot that just keeps giving- Bless You!
Ther is only one way to stop this Run Amuck Administration. We MUST IMPEACH them ALL! Levy War Crimes against the'Architects' and revoke all apppointments. WE have been infiltrated by Corporate Imperialist at the highest level. The reasons for their folly can only be logic'ed out if Oil profits and control is the real goal to the 'mission'. They have used our resources, money, patriotism, reputation and blood to further their agenda.
By not holding these 'PUBLIC SERVANTS' responsible for their decietful actions, we tell the World that The Great Experiment has Failed due to cross contamination with Multi National Corporationists.
How many more High Crimes must be endured by US and the World before Ms. Pelosi will place our Constitutional Right back on the table? Frankly that has made HER SUSPECT in my eyes! (Along with a number of other Dems)
WE can not wait for Jan '09. Our Toy Box is still far too full, and we have far too few children to 'spare'.
The "OOPS' excuse has failed them for the last few years- all the 'mistakes' were intentional.
They have a plan Mr. Murtha- just not one they want US privvy to.It has been in motion for decades- through Mr. Cheney, Rumsfeld (et al) efforts.
Why are there not more Committees investigating (just heard about Gonzales needing legal funds :)There is numerous minor & major infractions that should be under scutiny.
Perhaps those of you last hold outs for Democracy need to make a public stand together-Kucinich, Feingold, Hagel,Durbin, Web,Gravel...??
Get those 'Pavers'('leading' Dems)to explain why they keep appeasing this administration.
Because I don't get it!

[justanotherbushhater]

Just saw "Lions For Lambs" and it's all become clear.

To the Admin, Iraq IS a huge success: they got the American people into a massive deployment in the Middle East on falsified data. They always planned to stay there forever and have built a crusader castle of a new American Embassy in Baghdad to cinch it. Congress continues to let them use the credit card with no limit. As El Bush-o says, things are going very well there.

This deployment will never end because the crazies have driven the bus off the cliff.

Murtha and the rest of us can't get through the roadblock the Republicans have set up that we're not supporting the troops if we suggest leaving.

Cynical "Catch-22" circular logic. Winning is now defined as just being there. Face it: Bush has "won." The Republicans are laughing up their expensive suit sleeves, as the cash pours into their pockets. The Democrats will feed at the same trough come a year next January. Their "turn."

Choices? Expatriate? Revolution? Kucinich?

[joebaggadonuts]

Two years is a long time Jack. Thanks for the reminder.

[ExRepublican]

'redloyment'

Try, try again. redeployment

[ExRepublican]

"Today marks the two year anniversary of my public call for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq."
----------­----------­--------

Define 'redloyment'. Please be specific? Take up pages and pages if necessary. It's a must for all of us to understand what this word means.

I think over the next 8 years you're going to hear a a lot about 'redeployment of US troops out of Iraq' - meaning, not much.

What they (will) mean is - rearrange the deck chairs.

Am I wrong?

[Newsguy]

Is anyone paying attention to the CBS report that says we are losing veterans to suicide at the rate of a hundred a week? See a link at http://democraticnewsroom.blogspot.com. This is an extremely important issue. We are losing vets at a rate far higher than losses in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

[Alablanca]

Murtha is one of the few Congressmen that speaks the truth. With a very few exceptions, most are wimps. I like Russ Feingold, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Webb, and some others who have call a spade a spade. I don't know what is the matter with the Democrats - we worked so hard to give them the majority and with the few exceptions noted above, they are just wimps.

[Spookcatcher]

Murtha: What exactly does the Bush and Cheney Crime bosses have on you? Seriously. Dick Cheney has not been impeached, investigated or one damn thing! Rove, Myers, Gonzales, Ashcroft, and tons of others are slipping out the back door, with blanket pardons waitning in the wings in case the Fascists don't get another player (like Hillary and Girliani) in to extort or blackmail (like they really worry anyway) in the Dark House in 2008. You have served to allow the U.S.Constitution to have become a moot point for anyone in Washington that waves a fist of money around. As a Veteran myself, and a curious student of Nazi-ism and fascism, how do you justify your own belief that you and your "collegues" in Washington D.C., all sworn to an Oath (some over a dozen times) to Protect and Serve the U.S. Constitution are even close to performing your duties? Where and when will the answer to the liberty bell ring for WE the People agian? Ever?

[Kendo Nagasaki]

What took you so long to figure this out, Mr Murtha? Most Americans had it figured out four years ago.

[fact finder]

Rep. Murtha my greatest fear is the George Bush will declare martial law and suspend the constitution if Impeachment proceedings start. Can you reassure me that this will not happen.?

[xcrunner77]

welcome back Mr Murtha. I was beginning to look for your picture on milk cartons. And Nancy Pelosi's. Where the heck have y'all been for the last 3 months?

It's been a year since Dems were elected to end the war. When will you guys get the job done? Heck, I'll even settle for getting *started* on the job.

[Fan035]

Bush wants to abdicate his responsibility and leave this entire mess to the next president.

[jbulette]

rep. murtha, by requesting an exit plan only to be ignored, i think you miss the point; there is no exit plan because the neocons have no intention to leave. the base building and the fortress of an embassy all speak to a permenent occupation. jim webb in the senate has said no bases, i hope yoou support this initiative. we could start the negotions with iran by apologizing for the cia orchestrated over throw of a democratically elected government there in 1953. our people need to be educated to the fact that we are hated in the middle east ( and elsewhere) because we have interfered in their affairs in a very clandestine and destructive way. we have fifty years of waging wars based on lies and deceit, enough. john bulette

[Richardhead]

I think we are finally turning then corner in Iraq; why is Murtha and the Dems still so anti success????