Will Congressman Murtha Celebrate the Death of Zarqawi?
By Randall Nunn (06/08/06)
Now that it has been announced that the leader of the terrorist vermin in Iraq has been killed, it will be interesting to see the reaction of Congressman John Murtha. Murtha, who previously displayed his ignorance and lack of judgment by stating that the Marines in Haditha, Iraq had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood”, when the investigation was not complete and there was nothing to base that statement on other than a swirling cloud of sensational allegations, now has an opportunity to speak up and commend the U.S. military for destroying one of the most vicious killers in the world today. Let us see if the Congressman who said the Army is “broken,” our military’s ground equipment is “worn out” and that “the U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily” has the courage and fairness to praise the military for a job well done.
Congressman Murtha may simply be a Congressman who was looking to inject a little interest in his campaign and career by attacking the military and the Bush administration at a time when it was the fashionable thing to do. It certainly took no courage because Murtha knew the mainstream media, liberals in Congress, Hollywood and the networks would provide support and idolize him for making such anti-Bush statements. Murtha thought he saw a bandwagon coming and jumped on, knowing that he and his supporters could point to his former service in the Marines as proof that this man was sincere, knowledgeable and his words worthy of attention. Fortunately, many Americans realize that many have served in the military and won medals but that does not instantly make one’s views on war any more valid than the next person’s nor immune from criticism.
Now that Congressman Murtha has been made into an anti-war spokesman by the mainstream media and the liberal elites, will he know what to say about Zarqawi’s death at the hands of the U.S. military? If he is too effusive in his praise for the military’s efforts, he will look like a blubbering simpleton who lashed out at the military without justification. If he says nothing, then even more Americans will come to realize that he is little more than a political opportunist. And if his response is a weak, mealy-mouthed statement, we will know that his staff and handlers have told this aging “war horse” what to say and how to say it.
It has been said many times that the generals are always fighting the last war, meaning that they assume that the next war will be like the last one they experienced and they will plan to fight it the same way. Congressman Murtha apparently remembers Viet Nam and how politicians and the mainstream media teamed up to cause a pull-out and defeat when victory was obtainable. That experience convinced many like Murtha that the American public would react the same way again (or could be made to think that the majority of Americans were reacting in the same way) and that they could capitalize on that by jumping in at the right moment and saying “this is all going wrong and we must get out.” This time, however, there are more informed Americans who aren’t swallowing the “manufactured” news and who see Murtha and the anti-war crowd for what they are—a bunch of leftist, anti-war hippies trying to relive the “glory days” of the 60’s and 70’s. The leftists are living in the past, thinking it will play out again just like then.
The “broken”, “worn out” military tracked down and eliminated the leader of the terrorists in Iraq. This broken and worn out band of soldiers and pilots did it without killing “innocent civilians” and even while “living hand to mouth.” That should make it a remarkable accomplishment for people like Congressman Murtha. But it won’t. The anti-war crowd will give it grudging comment and go right back to their unthinking criticism and shouted accusations. But no matter what Congressman Murtha may have to say about Iraq, the American soldiers and airmen there can stand a little taller today and walk with pride, knowing that they delivered the American response to Zarqawi and his killers through their courage, dedication and perseverance. Zarqawi will never again behead an American. The boost in morale to American troops and their supporters here at home was delivered by a 500 pound bomb—not by a blowhard politician. Congressman Murtha, whether you realize it or not, the thing that is “worn out”, “broken” and “living hand to mouth” is the mainstream media in this country.
Randall H. Nunn
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