An excellent post at Sweetness and Light points out that Rep. John Murtha, now advocating a cut and run policy for Iraq, was one of the prime movers in getting President Clinton to do exactly that in Somalia.

And the retreat from Somalia, far from being the victory Murtha claims, was indisputably a huge inspiration for Al Qaeda: 9/11 Commission: Somalia Retreat Inspired Bin Laden. (Hat tip: Geepers.)

From a speech on the floor of the House:

REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM SOMALIA

House of Representatives - November 09, 1993

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, let me just make a couple of points…

When I went to Somalia the first time, Mr. Speaker, my reservations remained the same. I told the new administration, when it came in, ‘We should get out of Somalia as quickly as possible,’ and in the middle of July I said, ‘Get our troops out because this could deteriorate into a very tragic situation.’…

The President has reassessed the situation…

Mr. Speaker, I would urge the Members to vote against the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] and give the President an opportunity to get the troops out in an orderly manner as quickly as prudently possible.