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Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania created an uproar last week when he presented his position that the US should immediately withdraw its forces from Iraq, a call that was met with derision by Republicans and tacit support by the Democrats.
The result of that call is a vociferous debate across the country about Iraq and the policies of the Bush administration in the War on Terror in general. While all public debate is good, especially debate during a time of crisis, this particular debate seems to have missed the point of the subject being debated.
What Congressman Murtha and many of his supporters have missed is that we are, indeed, at war. The invasion of Iraq and our subsequent occupation of that country was not some “grand expedition” concocted by the military or an egotistical president. In fact, Iraq is part of a larger endeavor to make the world safer for nations that chose to live in peace and harmony with one another in the face of despots, fanatics, and madmen who would take that peace and harmony away.
Now, there is no doubt that, sooner or later, the US will need an exit strategy for Iraq and the greater War on Terror. The problem is that people like Congressman Murtha muddy the waters of that discussion by presenting options that are neither practical nor practicable.
The real call in this matter should be for the US- its Congress, President, and its Military- to develop a real and non-political strategy to defeat radical Islamic terrorism and the threat of despotic and fanatical regimes around the world in a time period measured in years not decades. Such a strategy will require hard decisions and even harder actions- actions much like the invasion of Iraq- but in the end, we will all be safer for them.
So, Congressman Murtha, what is your plan? How will withdrawing from Iraq further the goal of winning the War on Terror? Let us have a complete plan, and then the debate can be well and truly had.
DLH
