Rep. John Murtha, infamous for his call in the fall of 2005 for a US military immediate withdrawal from Iraq, claims to know - prior to the completion of a military investigation - that US Marines in Haditha, Iraq on Nov. 19 “killed innocent civilians in cold blood”:
Rep. John Murtha, an influential Pennsylvania lawmaker and outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, said today Marines had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood” after allegedly responding to a roadside bomb ambush that killed a Marine during a patrol in Haditha, Iraq, Nov. 19.
The incident is still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Multi-National Forces Iraq.
The Marine Corps originally claimed that a convoy from the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, hit a roadside bomb that killed Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, 20, of El Paso, Texas, and the ensuing firefight killed 15 Iraqi civilians — casualties the Corps at first claimed were killed in the bomb blast — including seven women and three children.
A March 27 Time magazine report published claims by an Iraqi civil rights group that the Marines barged into houses near the bomb strike, throwing grenades and shooting civilians as they cowered in fear. The report prompted calls for a Pentagon probe.
“It’s much worse than was reported in Time magazine,” Murtha, a Democrat, former Marine colonel and Vietnam war veteran, told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“There was no firefight. There was no [bomb] that killed those innocent people,” Murtha explained, adding there were “about twice as many” Iraqis killed than Time had reported.
No official investigation report has been released by the Pentagon and a spokesman for Murtha was unable to add to the congressman’s remarks.
Is it right for Murtha to make these statements prior to the investigation into them being completed? The blogosphere’s reaction is, as usual, split down the line with conservatives condemning it and liberals (of course) praising it.
The two strongest condemnations come from Confederate Yankee and Gary Gross. Double ouch.
Michelle Malkin has a comprehensive link roundup of reaction to this story from conservatives in the blogosphere. See the video of Murtha’s pre-complete investigation comments here.
Related Toldjah So posts:
- Rep. John Murtha: a fountain of misinformation
- Rep. John Murtha: 9 lies in 90 seconds
- Message to Rep. Murtha: listen to this man
- Is Rep. Murtha really a “hawk” as the media has been claiming?
- Rep House calls Dem House’s bluff (MINI-LIVEBLOGGING)
- Dem House Representative calls for immediate troop withdrawal
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Murtha, like F. Lee Bailey and John Glenn, is a Marine who abandoned any honor he had while a Marine in his civilian pursuits.
Comment by PCD @ 5/18/2006 - 10:13 am
Murtha has been hanging out with John F’ing Kerry too much, next he’ll start comparing the Marines to Ghengis Khan. The man has no honor and no sense, he’s degenerated into a buffoon who will say anything, no matter how reprehensible and untrue, to get his pic in the news.
Murtha is the face of the modern Democrat party. Take a good look.
Comment by Severian @ 5/18/2006 - 1:02 pm
Confederate Yankee wrote about the incident on March 20th saying:
Will the drive by legacy media even mention these tactics used when Woodruff was there? Don’t count on it.
California Conservative made a GREAT point:
What a scary group of committee chairman. Charlie Rangel of House Ways and Means? Sheesh.
Comment by Baklava @ 5/18/2006 - 2:10 pm
Murtha’s minions and their undefinable behavior, as we close in on all the fantastic events that our military intervention has made possible, are like rats jumping from an unsinking ship.
The liberation of Iraq and ongoing construction of its country and Democracy, for those who are opposed to success, have likely never asked an honest question of themselves, as to what would the picture be like today, if the Oil for Food, Sadam, Uday and Qusay and on and on were left to continue that perilous and extremely deadly path.
Comment by forest hunter @ 5/18/2006 - 2:31 pm
Murtha is an American Citizen. Thus, he has the right to sat whatever he wishes, with some restrictions, of course.
Okay, that aside, he is a weeping Meemie of a Sob sister who needs to be voted out by the Pennsylvania electorate. And none too soon!
Pennsy voters cannot possibly be that stupid again!
Comment by benning @ 5/18/2006 - 6:52 pm
That shoud have read, “Thus, he has the right to say whatever he wishes, …”
Comment by benning @ 5/18/2006 - 6:52 pm
- Well the Murtha loonies may not be so happy… The Swifties are on his case….
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 5/18/2006 - 9:59 pm
John O’Neill of swiftvets.com should get his own one on one full hour interview with O’Reilly or Hannity. Whenever I see him in an interview with an opposing viewpoint guest he gets shouted down by his adversary. I would like to hear what he has to say. Seems like the left can’t stand to hear him talk. How about we all send a letter to O’Reilly?
Comment by G-Monster @ 5/19/2006 - 12:05 pm