IREY ON MURTHA: HE STILL DOESN’T GET IT

(MONONGAHELA, June 8 ) – Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey – responding to U.S. Rep. John Murtha’s continued insistence that “There’s no question, we can’t win this militarily,” despite today’s elimination of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the top al Qaeda terrorist in Iraq – today released the following statement:

“John Murtha still doesn’t get it. If he had had his way, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would still be alive this afternoon, plotting to murder more innocent Americans, Iraqis, Jordanians, and Kurds – and anyone else who got in the way of his plans.

“Even in the wake of the tracking and killing of one of al Qaeda’s top terrorist leaders, John Murtha is apparently SO out of touch that he can’t see that.

“His statements today on CNN regarding the combined operations of the U.S. and Iraqi Armed Forces in tracking and eliminating al Qaeda’s top terrorist commander, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – statements wherein Mr. Murtha said he wasn’t sure it was a bomb that killed al-Zarqawi from the air (despite the fact that we’ve all seen the video –available here), and in which he doubted the significance of the role played by U.S. Armed Forces, before indicating doubt as to whether or not Iraqi armed forces on their own could have eliminated Zarqawi – demonstrate that either he’s not paying attention anymore, or his determination to throw in the towel in Iraq is so great that he’s willfully blinding himself to the evidence.

“In the space of just a few moments in one television interview, Mr. Murtha: Said he doubted information that came from the Iraqi and U.S. governments about how the terrorist leader was killed; reiterated his belief that we cannot win; and then indicated doubt as to whether or not the Iraqis could have tracked and eliminated Zarqawi on their own, without the assistance of U.S. Armed Forces.

“Even for a man who’s been in Congress since before the Steelers won their first Super Bowl, that’s a mouthful.

“Either way, it’s just more proof positive that Mr. Murtha is out of touch with his constituents in the 12th District. John Murtha has lost his way, and it’s time to retire him from active duty in the U.S. Congress.”

EXCERPTS FROM TRANSCRIPT OF CNN’S “LIVE TODAY,” THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006:

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, one of the most vocal critics of troops in Iraq is Congressman John Murtha. He — last November, as recently as last November, asked — called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn. He joins me now live with reaction to this death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Congressman, it is a pleasure to have you, an outspoken critic in this war, but a very big day for this administration. Is it fair to say that this attack and the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi wouldn’t have happened if U.S. troops were not on the ground?

REP. JOHN MURTHA(D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, I’m not sure about that. I’m not sure it was a bomb that killed him from the air. So I’m not sure about that … There’s no question we can’t win this militarily … I think the intelligence came from the Iraqis, as I understand it. Now, this is the early reports. And it came to the security forces and the Iraqis and then passed on to the Americans. So this was a key element. Whether they could have done this themselves in this isolated area, I don’t know…

from Diana Irey for U.S. Congress website

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It seems that Murtha has a problem accepting the reliability of intellegence from Iraqi citizens that al-Zarqawi was killed in an air strike. But he’s willing to accept that kind of intellegence from ‘unnamed sources’ that our Marines are ‘cold blooded killers’.

Too bad for Murtha that the story he fell all over himself to deliver to the international media is falling apart at the seams. [here and here]

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linked with: Murtha Must Go, Mark my Words, Third World County,