Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) is slated to make what Democratic insiders tell RAW STORY will be a 'bold' announcement surrounding U.S. policy in Iraq on Thursday.
Murtha, one of the Democrats' more conservative and hawkish members, is the ranking Democrat on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a press advisory Wednesday evening which simply said, "Congressman John Murtha, Ranking Member on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, will make a major announcement on Iraq tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in HC-9 of the Capitol."
Murtha's press secretary declined to give details Wednesday. Some believe Murtha will introduce a measure calling for immediate pullout of troops from Iraq, a position strongly denounced by a top American commander in Iraq Wednesday.
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"Setting a date would mean that the 221 soldiers I've lost this year, that their lives will have been lost in vain," Maj. Gen. William Webster, who oversees security in three-fourths of Iraq's capital, told the Washington Post.
Such a move by Murtha would be big because the Pennsylvania Democrat is considered to be on the more conservative side of the caucus and is seen as a strong supporter of the military.
Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) told RAW STORY earlier this week to expect a 'dramatic' move in the Appropriations Committee.
"I can't speak to that specifically, I think some of the senior members on Defense Appropriations are going to come out with a fairly dramatic proposal," Moran said. "I think we need a more definitive position - to those very serious questions about the war and there seems to be a coming together of points of view."
Originally published on Wednesday November 16, 2005
