FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 17, 2005
CONTACT: Will Coghlan, IAVA, (212)-982-9699,

Iraq Veterans Group Responds to
Rep. Murtha’s Statement on the Iraq War

The nation’s first and largest Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans organization, IAVA, released the following statement today from Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff in response to Rep. Murtha’s statement on the future course of the Iraq War and its toll on the American military:

“We applaud Congressman Murtha for having the courage to stand up in front of the nation and offer his honest assessment of the war in Iraq, including the shortcomings he sees with in the execution of the war. Having served honorably as a Marine for decades, and with war experience in Vietnam, we know he did not take his statement lightly. His decision today to ask the tough questions is a tribute to his patriotism.

Congressman Murtha hit the nail on the head on a wide array of issues – issues that IAVA has pointed out for over a year. The fact is that our Troops are overextended, that they are facing a growing and increasingly dangerous threat from insurgents, that military recruitment is severely hurting, and that there was not at the outset, and there is not now, a solid plan to secure Iraq, and get out.

We, the Veterans of this war, continue to believe that the debate over whether to stay the course or pull-out immediately is a false choice. At this point, there is no silver bullet solution to fix Iraq. We seek a better way to help ensure the long-term stability of Iraq that focuses on attainable goals for our Troops, while establishing a responsible timeline to bring them home. Only in this way can we serve the wellbeing of the Troops and preserve America’s standing in the world. The formulation of that more responsible and practical course must begin now, and must take into account the views of those who have the most credibility on this war – the Troops who have fought it.”