Murtha, in Boston, renews criticism of handling of Iraq war - Boston.com

Murtha, in Boston, renews criticism of handling of Iraq war - Boston.com: "Murtha, in Boston, renews criticism of handling of Iraq war

December 2, 2005

BOSTON --U.S. Rep. John Murtha renewed his criticism of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq, saying the war can no longer be won through military might.

'Once you lose the hearts and minds in a guerrilla war, you lose the war,' said Murtha, D-Pa., in Boston to attend a Democratic fund-raiser. 'You can't win this militarily now.'

Murtha also criticized Tuesday's release of a 35-page White House document titled 'National Strategy for Victory in Iraq.' The release was timed with a speech by President Bush in which he urged patience and rejected calls for a timetable to withdraw American troops.

'As Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process advances, we will be able to decrease our troop level in Iraq without losing our capability to defeat the terrorists,' Bush said.

But Murtha said the presence of the U.S. military is feeding the insurgency.

He said the military should instead pull back to the periphery of the country and let the Iraqis take responsibility for bringing security to the country.

'We are the target now,' he said.

Murtha made his comments during a tour of Boston Medical Center with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass."