Iraq War Veteran and Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy Responds to President Bush, Sides With Military Experts Against Escalation of Forces

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District), former U.S. Army Captain and Iraq war veteran, issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s call for more troops in Iraq:

“What we need is a surge in diplomacy, not an escalation in forces,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “I side with military experts like General Colin Powell and General Abizaid who say we need a political solution, not a military escalation. I know from experience that our current course is terribly misguided. We need a timeline to bring our troops home so that Iraqis come off the sidelines and fight for their own country.”

“It’s time that Iraqis stood up for Iraq, so we can bring our heroes home and focus our efforts on protecting America and capturing and killing Osama bin Laden,” added Murphy.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Murphy served as a Captain in the U.S. Army as part of the 82nd Airborne Division in Bosnia and Iraq. He is the first and only Iraq war veteran to serve in Congress. He is a former West Point professor and criminal prosecutor.

# # #

For Immediate Release, January 10, 2007
Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276