Murtha finds military progress in trip to Iraq

Warns that Iraqis must do more for their own security

Thursday, November 29, 2007
By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week, but he warned that Iraqis need to play a larger role in providing their own security and the Bush administration still must develop an exit strategy.

"I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year. But the Iraqis "have got to take care of themselves."

Violence has dropped significantly in recent months, but Mr. Murtha said he was most encouraged by changes in the once-volatile Anbar province, where locals have started working closely with U.S. forces to isolate insurgents linked to Al Qaeda.

He said Iraqis need to duplicate that success at the national level, but the central government in Baghdad is "dysfunctional."

Mr. Murtha's four day-trip took him to a Thanksgiving dinner with troops in Kuwait last Thursday, and he then made stops in Iraq, Turkey and Belgium.

Who cares what that fat f'er (good description) thinks? Two months in a row with under 40 US troops killed is a good thing ( ). Let's hope it continues this time. We've had false alarms before. I pray that this time it continues downward.


If I was a congressman I'd vote to stop funding and I don't care how many civilians they threaten to fire. Good! Let 'em.

I guess that makes you a shit eater doesn't it f_ck face? You're not even in the majority in the military.