Debate on the Iraq war is in a new and inflamed phase today, kicked into overdrive by the hawkish Rep. John Murtha. The Pennsylvania lawmaker, a senior Democratic voice on defense, abandoned his former support of the war. In a statement, Murtha said, “It’s time to bring them [US troops] home.” Murtha’s declaration drew an immediate riposte from Rep. Duncan Hunter, the California Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “We must hold steady,” said Hunter. “We must endure. We must finish the job in Iraq.” You could catch Murtha and Hunter together in an appearance on the PBS NewsHour.
House lawmakers are encouraging the Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command to work together as each pursues long-range, long-endurance reconnaissance drones. Both entities are investing in unmanned assets that can slip into highly defended areas, loiter over a particularly valuable target for days at a time, and traverse multiple…