IREY LAUDS SIGNING OF MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT, ASKS: WHY DID JACK MURTHA VOTE AGAINST IT?All good things in this blogger's opinion. All good things, I would imagine, in anyone's opinion--anyone who is serious about emerging victorious in the GWOT, anyway...(MONONGAHELA, October 17) -- Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey -- commenting on President Bush's signing today of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 -- today released the following statement:
"Today President Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006, one of the most critical pieces of legislation considered by the Congress since the devastating attacks of 9/11. I applaud the Congress for passing it, and the President for signing it into law.
"But I cannot help but wonder -- why in the world did Jack Murtha vote against it?
"This legislation focuses on two keys in the war on Islamo-fascist terrorists: first, it codifies the current CIA interrogation program, and thereby allows us to gather critical intelligence that we can use to prevent new attacks against the American homeland and American interests around the world; and second, it allows for the creation of military tribunals through which we can bring to justice those captured terrorists whom we believe played significant roles in attacks against Americans.
"That the CIA interrogation program needed to continue is beyond doubt: this program has allowed U.S. intelligence agents to gather vital information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh, two of the men believed responsible for planning and carrying out the 9/11 attacks. Intelligence gleaned from this program has allowed us to prevent new terrorist attacks in America and abroad -- we rolled up a 17-member southeastern Asian terrorist cell being trained for attacks inside the U.S.; we uncovered key al Qaeda operatives working on biological weapons; we identified and captured terrorists who were casing targets inside the U.S., including key financial center buildings in the Northeast. And intelligence gathered from this program helped us prevent a planned strike on U.S. armed forces in Djibouti, a planned strike on the U.S. consulate in Karachi, and a planned hijacking plot that would have used airplanes again, against Heathrow Airport and Canary Wharf in London.
"Just as important as allowing a program to continue that will help us prevent future attacks, this legislation will also allow us to bring to justice those who have engaged in prior attacks against us. The military tribunals created by this legislation will be used to try people like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh; an operative believed to have played a role in the twin attacks on U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in August 1998; and some of those believed responsible for the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in October 2000.
"So we are left with the question: Why in the world did Jack Murtha vote against this critical legislation?Murtha has lost it, pure and simple. I don't know if it was all his years in Washington, or getting power drunk, or if it was finally being the toast of the liberal social set, but whatever it is, Murtha has completely lost touch with his constituency, and with reality.
"Was it so he could maintain his new-found status as the darling of the Hollywood/San Francisco left? Was it so he could build up chits from the ultraliberal, pro-choice, pro-gun control crowd of Democratic challengers he's now helping - and from whom he expects support in his bid to advance his own career? Was it so he could provide cover for other Democrats who have refused to support giving our intelligence and law enforcement authorities the tools they need to protect us?
"Whatever the reason, it troubles me. Add this vote to his vote against reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act, and his repeated votes against securing our borders, and one sees a pattern emerging -- Jack Murtha is just not committed to prosecuting and winning the war on Islamofascist terrorists.
"Our generation can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand. We must rise to the challenge posed us by these terrorists who want to kill us for no other reason than that we are Americans. If Jack Murtha isn't up to the challenge, then it's time for him to step aside and be replaced by someone who WILL take up the challenge."
Murtha must go!
