Rep. Murphy: Closing Speech on Iraq Accountability Act

[imshadi]

American soldiers are dying for nothing. Everybody but americans knows that the invasion of Iraq is for oil and oil only. You don't kill 300.000 people to install democracy in a country. By now not a single family in Iraq must have someone who didn't die in this war. America is not a symbol of freedom to the world anymore. I wish it still was, but it isn't.

[csRoster]

I thought we were fighting for bin ladens ass after 9/11, then I thought we were taking out Saddam, then I thought we were establishing a new government since we destroyed theirs. Now I think there is just a hidden agenda that us common folk will never hear about.

[bizzareg1rl]

people need to upload more clips like this. I prefer funnier stuff myself, check out dolphinhump. lostfrog . com , I laughed so hard I got kicked out of class! haha.

[a1scam]

"[Al Qaeda] know that given a choice, people will choose freedom over their extremist ideology. So their answer is to deny people this choice by raging against the forces of freedom and moderation. This struggle has been called a clash of civilizations. In truth, it is a struggle for civilization. ... we're fighting for the possibility that good and decent people across the Middle East can raise up societies based on freedom and tolerance and personal dignity."

[a1scam]

The world can be summed up in few phrases: Good and evil war. There are those who would rather be King of a Dunghill than sharers in the Kingdom of Heaven. Grotesque smiling wolves lead naïve idealists toward the dunghill if they abandon the truth: love God first then your neighbor as yourself. To love yourself, live up to who God made you. This is our life's project. It affects our view of our neighbor. [If you belong to the Atheist Religion, all this is still true.]

[TAMARLANE]

I believe what you said is true.

[a1scam]

"Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne."

[TAMARLANE]

If the world could be summed up with a few phrases it would be nice. We are in the middle of a world wide revolution now. Political, religious, military, economic. "We have been cursed to live in interesting times."

[joco2k]

Special interest lobbies essentially run this country. The classic example is AIPAC and the host of other Israel Lobby groups. If you're not already familiar with this scholarly document from authors who, in my opinion, present a convincing case, please study the March 2006 publication of "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by John Mearsheimer, U. of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Harvard U. Secret: Israel is a nuclear superpower. Most Americans "don't get it!"

[TAMARLANE]

I am familiar with this publication. Also have read Alan Dershowitz' (sp) rebuttal. The rebuttal was more convincing for me. I am not much for conspiracy theories of any kind.

[oldtrain777]

Nice interesting post! But, have you seen what happens if you put diamonds in a blender? Check it out blend.lostfrog 'dot' com

[a1scam]

"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid."

[igimaru]

what's the bill bout?

[redviper101]

Leaving Iraq does not mean leaving Israel vulnerable. Israel is very powerful on it's own. I do not see what is happening in Iraq overflowing into Israel. I think Iran/Syria are the ones to watch with regard to Israel. Once we leave Iraq, Al qaeda will not have anywhere to hide. The Shia will not allow a Sunni terror group to flourish in their country. Even Iraqi Sunni's may turn on Al qaeda if they end up seeking peace with the Shia.

[summitoaks]

the bushies have no fucking idea.

[6969wrath]

Ron Paul in 2008

# He voted against the Patriot Act.

# He voted against regulating the Internet.

# He voted against the Iraq war.

[EchelonMonitor]

Bushco is determined to stay in Iraq to get the oil, control the contracts, and protect Israel, and they've been ordered to keep the troops there.

They've got 14 permanent bases in Iraq, including 6 mega-bases with everything from fitness centers to Pizza Huts.

The Democrats are going to have to get a lot tougher if they're going to defeat Bushco and the media, which is failing to report that this is also the funding bill for the troops.

[bluemanredstate]

untrue tamerlane untrue. if the entirety of the world agreed, we would have had a true coalition, a responsible war plan and an exit strategy - things that the righties all screamed for when clinton went to serbia. saddam had nothing to do with 911 -- wake up. OBL still runs free - shame on bush and his supporters. we are less safe than ever.

[TAMARLANE]

Fear and appesement prevented the entirety of the world from jumping in 100% with the US on this one. England at least showed some courage to do the right thing. Italy did pretty good at the beginning. Even Spain was in for awhile.

[joco2k]

Special interest lobbies essentially run this country. The classic example is AIPAC and the host of other Israel Lobby groups. If you're not already familiar with this scholarly document from authors who, in my opinion, present a convincing case, please study the March 2006 publication of "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by John Mearsheimer, U. of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Harvard U. Most Americans "don't get it!"

[TAMARLANE]

The US is the only country in the world with the courage and the wherewithal to do what is right in Iraq. Saddam was a grave threat to not only the US, but to the entire world with his money, and his support of terrorism, and his history of using and developing WMDs. He had to go.

[jazdrew]

Saddam was not a grave threat to the US or the entire world. If you can prove he was start booking public speaking engagements. I think many people, including the Bush admin, would love to hear how you found evidence the rest of the world has missed. Maybe you should look into the activities of Saudi Arabia? Do you realize Saddam's history of using WMD's consists of one horrific event over 15 years ago? I can't tell you how blown away I am to see such an ignorant post in 2007.

[TAMARLANE]

I suppose you are one of those who would like to see Saddam still in power in Iraq. Ignoring, or excusing, his use of terrible weapons on innocent civilians. Ignoring his support (financial) for suicide bombers. His invasion of neighboring Kuwait. His reign of terror over his own people. I am not alone in my beliefs that we had to remove Saddam. I am not alone in my belief that he was definately a grave threat to the region there, and by extension, the entire world.

[TAMARLANE]

We will never be safe from biological attack. One man, or woman, or even child could shut down the US economy if properly motivated and equipped to do so. Amtrack from Union Station in DC to Emeryville in California (San Fran) sprinkling weaponized antrax along the way from a coffee can of weaponized antrax would wreak havoc.

[racerx135]

I'm a Very Sad Democrat :(

Is it Possible to make a compassionate bill to stop this Bullshit war without filling it with nonsense unrelated items. Democrats are almost as bad as the party they replaced. I think I may go rouge as democrats are really messing this up so far and republicans just scare me.

[fuddled]

Great speech, but the Dems are still using the Republican coined phrase "war on terror". Dems are still afraid of an electorate brainwashed on fear and key words.

[20after4net]

indeed. brainwashed.

[TAMARLANE]

These misguided people will answer for their contribution to the destruction of, not only Iraq, but the conflagration to follow, if the left is successful in removing the stabilizing force of America in the region.

[mrflo2219]

The U.S. military presence is the reason for the violent deterioration of Iraq; it is not a stabilizing force. The rightwing and all its unthinking minions will answer for their contribution to the invasion and the subsequent destruction of the country and the chaos in the region.

[TAMARLANE]

Sooner or later, this had to be done. Better now than after it is too late. Saddam's absence leaves a vacuum, true, but it is not the US military that is killing all those innocent people there. We are preventing wholesale genocide with our presence there. Surely you must know that.Both sides of the political aisle, and the free world at large agreed on taking out Saddam. It was time.

[jtilak]

audio is out of sync...

[ChristaInDetroit]

Finally a step in the right direction.

[langston3]

Much thanks for representing me. It is not a perfect bill, but it is a significant achievement.  Keep putting the pressure on Bush, keep finding the courage to find a unified message, and keep leading us out of endless war.

[langston3]

Yes, Thank You. Redeploy. Put the pressure on Bush. It is such a relief that the Dems are finding a sane and unified message, despite the imperfections of the bill.

[grazon]

Thank you Congressman Murphy.