I see your post has a recommendation. Interesting.
On NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday, Rep. John Murtha repeated his call for "redeploying" U.S. troops from Iraq with something new -- and disturbing to fellow Democrats. Asked by moderator Tim Russert about sites for redeployment, Murtha replied: "We can go to Okinawa. ... We can redeploy there almost instantly."
When Russert expressed doubt about "a timely response" from Okinawa to meet a Middle East crisis, the 16-term congressman from western Pennsylvania and new national security spokesman for his party stumbled: "Well, it -- you know, they -- when I say Okinawa, I, I'm saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And -- and -- when they don't know we're coming."
In fact, a Pentagon spokesman says it would take "under a month" to send a 4,500-man Marine Expeditionary Force 6,000 nautical miles from Okinawa to Bahrain and then 600 more miles to Baghdad.
Murtha's Okinawa answer embarrassed Democratic House members who would not dream of criticizing publicly the former backroom pol who became an icon to the party's antiwar base last November by calling for an immediate troop withdrawal. His performance on "Meet the Press" reinforced dismay inside the party that Murtha, at age 74, has announced his candidacy for majority leader if the Democrats regain control of the House in the 2006 elections......."
(Excerpt) Read more at humaneventsonline.com ... |
