What Conressman Murtha might have said is:
"The US military is doing more harm than good in Iraq."
The administration is treating Iraq like some under developed nation in sub-Saharan Africa that "can't mangage" its own affairs...
But as Murtha noted, Iraqis have been practicing government for 4000 years! That's longer than the US has been around, and likely the Iraqis will do very well thanks without the "assistance" of Dubya and Rummy...for the next thousand or so years.
SIMPLY PUT, THE MILITARY PRESENCE IN IRAQ "IS THE PROBLEM"...NOT THE "INSURGENCY" WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY FIGHTING THE OCCUPATION... TO "NOT SEE" THIS REQUIRES REASONING POWERS SELDOM FOUND OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL AND THE LIKUDNICS...!
My hunch is that if the US would bug out of Iraq...the "civil war" would be short, and the parties would come to some accomedation sooner rather than later... Perhaps even the Kurds could be persuaded to stay...with a little convincing for NATO and the US...?
Indeed it is very possible now that a pull out is a "no brainer" than the administration is merely "waiting for a politically opportune moment" to pull the plug...and start the "Victory Celebrations"...ticker tape for the returning heros etc. etc.
OF COURSE WE WON'T WANT THAT HAPPY MOMENT TO COME TO SOON BEFORE THE 2006 ELECTIONS...LEST THE VOTERS FORGET ABOUT DUBYA'S "GREAT VICTORY."
At least that seems to be the Republican game plan going forward...sans the "unforeseen unforeseeables" as Rummy might say.
MY HUNCH IS THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A "VIETNAM MOMENT" OF LATE...ITS NOT WHETHER TO WITHDRAW...MERELY WHEN TO WITHDRAQ. That's a big change in the public dialouge...thanks to Rep Murtha and others.
