WAPO: Rep. Murtha Holds a News Conference (transcript)

MURTHA: Let me start by going through a timeline and then get to what the president said.

In May 1, 2003, the president declared it was a major -- end of major operations. Then he sent John Hamre to Iraq. John Hamre was undersecretary of defense in the Clinton administration. And he found all kinds of problems. He said: You got three months, three critical months to get this thing under control if you want to control the security; 12 months at the most, but three months are crucial, the first three months.

He said small things like sewage and water and things that a lot of people don't pay attention to -- I pay attention, because in my district that's important. But a lot of people paid no attention to that report.

MURTHA: I went there -- now this was July that Hamre made his report and it was a very prescient report. I mean, it was a very accurate report about the predictions of what was going to happen. And we have a copy of it here for you.

In August 16th, I went to Iraq, from August 16th to the 20th. When I came back, I said to Secretary Rumsfeld: We require immediate attention of body armor. They said they were prepared. They said they had what they needed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120701588.html

murtha in 91 to get our troops out after the war -- that we were on sacred ground. now i was always under the impression that our troops were still in saudi arabia because they wanted us there -- that we were invited by the saudis. and of course, he said what bin laden said after 911 -- it was retribution for us having our troops on sacred ground.

so why the hell didn't we listen?