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John Murtha's Wrong Statements... with proof:
Murtha says there will be ‘significant troop withdrawal’ by Nov.
elections: MR. RUSSERT: You expect a significant American troop withdrawal by the midterm elections? REP. MURTHA: I expect a significant troop withdrawal.
Murtha says our military can’t do anymore, then our military kills
Zarqawi: MR. RUSSERT: You did say, however, in ‘05, “Our military has done everything that has been asked of them. The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily.” The fact is the capture of—or the killing of Zarqawi was a military accomplishment. So the military could do more. REP. MURTHA: Well, it was a military accomplishment from outside the country. We, we bombed, we bombed it. The, the information came from the Iraqis to the Iraqis to the U.S., and then we bombed where he was. And it—so it came from the outside.
Murtha says we can redeploy to Okinawa… and it’s a quick launch
location MR. RUSSERT: Who? REP. MURTHA: Kuwait’s one that will take us. Qatar, we already have bases in Qatar. So Bahrain. All those countries are willing to take the United States. Now, Saudi Arabia won’t because they wanted us out of there in the first place. So—and we don’t have to be right there. We can go to Okinawa. We, we don’t have—we can redeploy there almost instantly. So that’s not—that’s, that’s a fallacy. That, that’s just a statement to rial up people to support a failed policy wrapped in illusion. MR. RUSSERT: But it’d be tough to have a timely response from Okinawa. REP. MURTHA: Well, it—you know, they—when I say Okinawa, I, I’m saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And—and—when they don’t know we’re coming. There’s no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won’t—came from I can’t tell you, but, but I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn’t take any time at all. So we, we have done—this one particular operation, to say that that couldn’t have done, done—it was done from the outside, for heaven’s sakes.
Murtha said: "...we are unable recruit the necessary volunteers to maintain troop levels in our armed forces."-- John Murtha, Aug. 23, 2006 This is false. The Marines did not fall short in recruiting, as Murtha's opponent Diana Irey reports in a statement: "According to Defense Department statistics released 13 days before he [Murtha] made his statement (available online at: DoD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for July), the Marines have met and in fact surpassed their recruiting and retention goals: for the month of July, the Marine Corps' recruiting goal was 2,865, but they actually recruited 3,197 volunteers -- 112 percent of their goal. For the Fiscal Year that began on October 1, 2005, the Marine Corps recruiting goal through the end of July 2006 was 23,968; during that time period, the Marine Corps actually recruited 24,300 -- 101 percent of their goal.
Murtha said: "I don't think there would have been an investigation [of the Haditha Marines] if I hadn't said something."--John Murtha, Aug. 22, 2006 This is false. Murtha knew full well that an investigation was already underway when he spoke his prejudicial statement, "they killed innocent civilians in cold blood" at his May 17, 2006 press conference.
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer: May 19, 2006 [transcript]:
Murtha said his statement about the Marines at Haditha was based on Pentagon sources – later identifying ’them’ as Gen. Michael Hagee. This is false. Murtha identified Gen. Michael Hagee as his source during an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer [LINK], claiming Hagee gave him the information on which he based his charge that Marines killed innocent civilians. A claim Hagee says is false. [LINK] The actual briefing occurred 7 days AFTER Murtha made his 'cold blood' statements to the press.
Murtha said: "The soldiers can't speak for themselves. …" --ABC News, Nov. 21, 2005 [LINK] This is false. [LINK to BootMurtha.com report below] Iraq War veteran Craig Minnick can speak for himself -- but Murtha refuses to listen to him – even though Minnick is a resident of Murtha's own hometown – Johnstown, PA: "I have called time and time again to Congressman Murtha's office and they have refused to listen to me, even though I am one of Rep. Murtha's constituents," said Minnick. An isolated case? Far from it. Like Minnick, Iraq War veteran (and PA resident) Mark Russak has also been stonewalled by Murtha. Here is part of Russak's e-mail to Vets for the Truth / Boot Murtha: My name is SGT Mark Russak. My home unit is HHC 1ST/110TH Infantry, Pa. Army National Guard. I was attached to Bravo Company 1st/125th Infantry for "Task Force Panther" on deployment to Iraq (Jan. 05 to Jun. 06) as the Senior Combat Medic. We lost 7 very brave men in our Company. I returned home from the Al Anbar Province of Iraq on June 19, 2006. I have written two letters about John Murtha (both published in several newspapers) and sent to his office in Johnstown, Pa. I even visited his office while on R&R Leave in January 06 to ask him to stop the lies about our mission but his Aid said he wasn't in. I never heard one word from him and to my knowledge neither did any one in our Task Force. I plan on being at the rally in October because the truth must be told about this Traitor... --Mark Russak
Murtha said: Well there was. [a massacre] There's no question about it. I know, in talking to a number of people, and the information, I've never given you bad information yet…” Wolf Blitzer CNN interview, May 19, 2006 [transcript]: This is false. Murtha says there’s no question there was a massacre at Haditha. When pressed by Blitzer, Murtha gives the Time Magazine article as his gold standard proof of truth. Time magazine has since quietly admitted the 2 core pieces of evidence upon which they based their report were ERRORS: [LINK to WashingtonTimes] [LINK to Sweetness & Light] REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, (R) ARMED SERVICES CHAIRMAN: If there were problems in the chain of command, if there was a cover-up, if anything wasn't reported, let the chips fall where they may. But don't presume anything. Those reports aren't finished yet. But the reports and the investigations are being pursued with great integrity. BLITZER: He was responding in part to you, because you've suggested this week that there in effect was a massacre. MURTHA: Well there was. [a massacre] There's no question about it. I know, in talking to a number of people, and the information, I've never given you bad information yet. I talked to about it, in the context of the fact that these troops are under such tremendous pressure and that's what happens when they're under tremendous pressure.
When this thing's all over, you're going to see exactly what I've said
to be true. That, there was an IED attack, it killed one marine, and
then they overreacted and killed a number of civilians
without anybody firing at them. That's what
you're going to find out.
MURTHA: Wolf, you read the "Time" magazine articles. There are
pictures, there are photos. You don't have to
talk to the military about the proof. Weeks earlier, Time magazine printed this correction to their Haditha story:
Mar. 27, 2006...
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