|
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) tonight released the following statement regarding the House Republican's political stunt surrounding a resolution to withdraw troops from Iraq.
"The resolution put forth by House Republicans today is completely consistent with the counterfeit information the Bush Administration used to validate the war in the first place. Republicans are fabricating facts surrounding a resolution just as they fabricated facts to justify the war.
"When the Bush Administration said they learned that Iraq was training al Qaeda operatives to use chemical weapons, U.S. intelligence officers said there was no connection between Iraq and al Qaeda. When the president alleged that Iraq was importing uranium from Africa for a nuclear weapon, the CIA had already told the White House there was no strong evidence to support that. Had the U.N. inspection team been allowed to stay on the ground in Iraq a little longer it would have clearly demonstrated that the Bush Administration's justification for war was false.
"The real purpose of this Republican-sponsored resolution is to not allow for any serious debate on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Rather, it's intended to smear Congressman Jack Murtha, a decorated veteran and senior member of the House of Representatives who had the courage yesterday to speak out against this failed war policy. Jack Murtha is a man of extraordinary integrity and it's absolutely shameful the way Republicans have tried to defame him. Unlike his critics, Jack Murtha actually wore a military uniform and brought honor and respect to that uniform."
|
