Does Rep. John Murtha know something we don’t?

Posted by: Sister Toldjah on May 18, 2006 at 8:47 am

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.

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  • 15 Responses to “Does Rep. John Murtha know something we don’t?”

    Comments

    1. PCD says:

      Murtha, like F. Lee Bailey and John Glenn, is a Marine who abandoned any honor he had while a Marine in his civilian pursuits.

    2. Severian says:

      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.

    3. Baklava says:

      Confederate Yankee wrote about the incident on March 20th saying:

      There is the possibility that the Marines did gun down innocent civilians as local Iraqis claim. But it is equally as possible that one or more people inside the house opened fire upon the Marines in an ambush after the IED went off. It has happened that way frequently, and that exact scenario left ABC anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt seriously wounded, when the IED attack that wounded them was followed by small arms fire from nearby buildings. The attack was broken when coalition forces counterattacked.

      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:

      Frankly, this is the actions of a traitor or a sellout. He deserves to be ridiculed, excoriated and frog-marched off Capitol Hill, then remanded to jail. No bail. Doesn’t this idiot know the type of damage this inflicts on the Marines? Or is it that he’s so intoxicated with the thought of becoming the next chairman of the House Armed Services Committee that he’ll say anything?

      When Murtha’s made prior outrageous statements, I’ve advocated that the Pennsylvania voters should fire him. This goes beyond him advocating “immediate redeployment” of the troops or his claiming that “our troops are living hand to mouth”. This rises (sinks?) to the level of harming the U.S. military at a time of war. That takes it beyond Pennsylvania. Now it’s the nation’s business.

      What a scary group of committee chairman. Charlie Rangel of House Ways and Means? Sheesh.

    4. forest hunter says:

      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.

    5. benning says:

      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!

    6. benning says:

      That shoud have read, “Thus, he has the right to say whatever he wishes, …”

    7. - Well the Murtha loonies may not be so happy… The Swifties are on his case….

      - Bang **==

    8. G-Monster says:

      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?