Don't worry be happy (Wizbang)

Congressman John Murtha thinks some government funds could be more wisely used.

More money should go to the U.S. State Department for U.S. efforts in Africa rather than to the military's U.S. Africa Command, said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.
The chairman of the House of Representatives' defense appropriations subcommittee made his comments Thursday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center after visiting wounded troops and having Thanksgiving dinner with top U.S. military leaders in Europe.

"They should use diplomacy in Africa rather than military," Murtha said. "We can't win these wars militarily. Nobody wants us over there. I think Liberia wants us. Nobody else.

"You can't just throw money at it, and you can't win it militarily. It has to be done diplomatically. So I've been trying to shift money and convince the people that make the decision on where the money goes that more money should go to the State Department for those kind of things."

President Bush requested $389 million for AFRICOM for fiscal 2009. Earlier this year during the budgetary process, the subcommittee Murtha chairs recommended providing AFRICOM only $80.6 million in funding for fiscal 2009. In the end, AFRICOM's budget was approved at $266 million.

Vince Crawley, a spokesman for AFRICOM, noted that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has already spoken about the need for the State Department to get a bigger share of the funding.

Now does the US or the free world have any reason to be concerned with Africa? There is this one little bit of news, it hasn't been mentioned too often. Pirates operating out of Somalia. They only seized 40 ships this year and got 25 million dollars in ransom for their work.

You're right Congressman the US need not worry about Africa or what Somalian pirates do. All those ships containing coming out of the nearby Persian gulf aren't containing anything vital to the world economy.

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Comments (8)

Hmmmm... nice to see our "K... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by ODA315 | November 29, 2008 2:21 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

ODA315:

Hmmmm... nice to see our "King of Pork" (both literally and figuritively)worrying about the poor of africa.

"Now General Mubasa, let's do business for awhile and THEN we'll see..........of course my take would be 40%. US Security issues? F*ck 'um I'm talking about MY security and don't you forget it"

Naahhhhh, couldn't happen.

Posted on November 29, 2008 14:21

Does anyone even listen to ... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by GarandFan | November 29, 2008 5:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

GarandFan:

Does anyone even listen to that fat-assed Murtha?

Posted on November 29, 2008 17:11

How would diplomacy work ag... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Hermie | November 29, 2008 9:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Hermie:

How would diplomacy work against pirates?

Wouldn't it be better that we militarily assist those countries who are trying to stop these pirates?

Those countries who may be assisting the pirates have no motivation to listen to US diplomats anyway.

Murtha must have some relative or campaign contributor involved with these criminals somehow.

Posted on November 29, 2008 21:15

State Dept is to results wh... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Thomas Jackson | November 30, 2008 3:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Thomas Jackson:

State Dept is to results what a bikini is to the Dallas Cowboys. Its far, far better if they don't attempt to get them.

State is a bad joke, so bad it makes the CIA look semi-real. But only semi.

Posted on November 30, 2008 03:02

I think that Rep. Murtha sh... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by chsw | November 30, 2008 9:58 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

chsw:

I think that Rep. Murtha should be a special envoy negotiating with the Somali pirates. His mission should commence ASAP. Walk the walk, Murtha.

Posted on November 30, 2008 09:58

We just elected a Kenyan na... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by John S | November 30, 2008 6:49 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

John S:

We just elected a Kenyan national as president. I think Africa will be just fine.

Posted on November 30, 2008 18:49

time to strap JERK MURTHA u... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Spurwing Plover | December 1, 2008 10:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Spurwing Plover:

time to strap JERK MURTHA up to a backside kicking machine and turn it on full blast

Posted on December 1, 2008 10:50

Pirates vs MarinesP... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by hcddbz | December 1, 2008 7:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

hcddbz:

Pirates vs Marines
Pirates vs MK48
Pirates vs Seals
Pirates vs Tomahawk
Pirates vs P-3
Pirates vs SEALS
Pirates vs British SBS
Pirates vs State Department Winnie

I see Murtha point let them keep disrupting world trade after all who cares about commerce on the high seas. I mean its not like America has ever sent the US Marines to put an end to such activates in Africa while the rest of the world continued to pay them tribute.

Posted on December 1, 2008 19:37

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