Murtha: Most difficult period in Iraq ahead
Saying “our most difficult period is facing us,” U.S. Rep. John Murtha told a crowd Tuesday that the United States’ rebuilding of Iraq is comparable to the Marshall Plan and must be done with the help of other nations. The Johnstown Democrat, addressing an audience as part of the fifth annual George C. Marshall Lecture at Penn State Fayette, also expressed concerns about the cost of the war and its aftermath, the effects on the U.S. economy and the future of Iraq and the Middle East.
Murtha, who serves on the House defense subcommittee, said Marshall’s effort to rebuild post-World War II Eastern Europe was one of the only successful attempts by the United States at nation building.
He said the war in Iraq already has cost $62 billion in less than a month of fighting, and if as many as 200,000 troops spend any period of time after the war, the costs will only escalate. And, unlike those of the Persian Gulf War, the costs will be greater for the United States.
“Last time, we had a coalition that paid for the war,” he said. “This time, we’re bearing the whole burden.”
Murtha, who has met with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld almost weekly before the start of the war and every week since the conflict began, said it was important to get congressional support before the war and attempt to get the United Nations’ backing, as well.
He said it is still important to build a coalition with the United Nations and other countries to help rebuild post-war Iraq, because the United States cannot do it alone.
“Whether they agreed with us in war, we need their help now,” Murtha said.
Although the war has been a priority of late, Murtha said Americans have never taken their eyes away from the economy. He said the government’s focus also must be on domestic issues, including prescription drug costs and the economy. He said he is still opposed to President Bush’s tax-cut proposal, because as long as the government is in deficit spending, the nation’s economic stability is in danger.
“When a war is on and the deficit is getting bigger, I believe you have to tighten your belt,” Murtha said.
The longtime congressman also touched on other issues facing those crafting American foreign policy.
He said he is concerned about recent news about Syria, which has been accused of harboring terrorists, harboring government officials fleeing from Iraq and developing weapons of mass destruction. He said the United States must send a message to Syria, and he is confident that message will be enough to defuse the situation.
Murtha noted that American armed services are fully deployed right now, not just in Iraq but all over the world.
“We can’t be any more stretched than we are right now,” he said. “It will be very tough if North Korea or Iran does something, because we are stretched thin.”
Murtha also looked back on the armed conflicts that have occurred during his nearly 30-year tenure in Congress.
“This is a much different type of war today, but with all the policies I’ve been involved in, intelligence is so important in overcoming the enemy,” he said. “Everything is entirely different. …The communications and weapons are so far superior than anything we have ever seen.”
When asked about his assessment of President Bush, Murtha said Bush’s father was the best foreign policy president he has seen since he entered Congress, and only time will tell how Bush’s son will be judged.
“We need to see if there are chemical or biological agents in Iraq and if there are terrorist camps, because the decision to go into Iraq was based on that,” Murtha said. “If I had a complaint, it would be that (President Bush) talks too much too early. Bush 1 didn’t talk. He did it.”
He rattled off some of his experiences in the former Soviet Union, Panama and the Philippines and said those opportunities that were placed before him could not have happened had he not taken some advice from one of his former colleagues in the House of Representatives.
Early in his congressional career, Murtha said, he spent much time near the back of the chamber, watching parliamentary procedure and listening to the debates.
“Someone told me, ‘Learn a subject, specialize in it, keep your word and you will get by fine,'” Murtha said.
He discussed illegal elections in Panama that were held just before Gen. Manuel Noriega was removed from power by a U.S.-led invasion. Murtha traveled several times to the Central American nation before the invasion and worked to get a feeling for whether the people wanted Noriega out of power.
“Again, I made a difference,” he said. “You can, too, if you put in the time on a subject and people trust that you know what you are talking about.”