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It's Time to End the War in Iraq
Finding a solution to the crisis in Iraq requires us to move beyond the soundbites of "stay the course" and "cut and run." The United States and the international community have a responsibility to work with a sovereign Iraqi government to help that country become secure, stable, and independent. But the continued American occupation is only fueling the insurgency and destabilizing Iraqi society. Ongoing offensive military action in Iraq is causing mounting Iraqi casualties each day, alienating potential allies and spurring stronger resentment of the U.S. To rebuild the Iraqi people's confidence in their nation's security forces and its fledgling democracy ‚ and to save the lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians ‚ we must end the military occupation now.
A War Based On Lies
In the lead up to the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, the Bush Administration repeatedly misled the world that this war was about Weapons of Mass Destruction. Over and over again, President Bush deceived the public into thinking there was a link between 9-11 and Iraq and that an attack on Iraq would make us safer from terrorism. While these inaccuracies have been repeatedly exposed, foreign policy experts such as the U.S. National Intelligence Council have argued that the war in Iraq has created a new "training ground (for terrorists) and an opportunity for terrorists to enhance their technical skills." Bush's lies have cost us our safety and thousands of lives. The now-infamous "Downing Street Memo" and recent indictments of White House staff further reveal what we in the peace movement have known all along ‚ that Bush "fixed the facts" to pursue an unnecessary war. He manipulated intelligence and lied to both Congress and the American people about his intent to avoid war. The Administration's entire case for the war has now been debunked and American troops and taxpayers are footing the bill for a war that was never needed and that is counterproductive to the security interests of our nation.
The Mounting Costs
The war in Iraq has claimed the lives of more than 2,100 American soldiers, with over 25,000 wounded and a casualty rate that climbs each day. The death toll for Iraqi civilians has been estimated from 30,000 to 100,000 and growing. Iraqis are afraid to leave their homes, for fear of attack by U.S. soldiers or suicide bombers. Their lives are further threatened by the destruction that's been wreaked on their country, rendering their drinking water unsafe, their electricity faulty and leaving their schools and hospitals in shambles and their economy utterly destroyed. On top of the devastating cost in human lives and the humanitarian crisis now facing Iraq, the ongoing occupation continues to drain our communities as well. While companies like Halliburton and Bechtel have raked in billions of dollars in nobid Iraq contracts, the price tag of the war is soaring well over $250 billion, burdening U.S. taxpayers and robbing us of resources and social services we need desperately here at home. With more than 200,000 national guard troops having been deployed to fight the "War on Terror," our communities have also lost many of our first responders, weakening our ability to respond to crises, natural disasters and real threats to the security of our local communities.
A Dangerous Foreign Policy
The United States' pre-emptive war of aggression on Iraq has damaged our relationships around the world, destroyed American credibility and deeply undermined the United Nations. Throughout the Middle East, the occupation of Iraq has only further fueled resentment of and violence against the U.S.
We must seek a new path in our dealings with Iraq, one that relies on international cooperation to meet the needs of the Iraqi people, and that encourages a stable, sovereign democratic government. To do so we must organize American citizens and inspire Congress to provide better principles for America's foreign policy. We can help to better the living conditions of the Iraqi people, but we must do so through an end to the occupation, and a real commitment to international cooperation, global legal systems, and Iraqi sovereignty. The U.S. action in Iraq has failed to stabilize the country and moreover has severely damaged America's reputation in the region and around the world."
The American public has the power to demand a real plan for peace.
Support Our Troops ‚ Bring Them Home Now
The disastrous war in Iraq has personally devastated the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones have been killed or injured in this needless war. Thousands of young men and women in the U.S. military are sustaining grievous physical and emotional damage as a result of the realities encountered on the frontlines. Lured by the often-deceptive promises of aggressive military recruiters, an economic draft has unfairly burdened some of nation's most vulnerable youth with fighting this war and enduring the long-term fall-out of joblessness and post-traumatic stress disorder already facing Iraq vets. Many returning soldiers and their families fear re-deployment and, due to "stop loss" policies, numerous troops have already served extended terms.
Not only is our military stretched too thin to sustain the occupation, but many experts agree that it is our troops' continued presence in Iraq that only makes the situation worse, fueling the violence and insurgency. Many military families and recent vets returning from Iraq are speaking out against the war and their message has been clear: we can best support the troops by bringing them home now.
Educate your community about the need to end the war by bringing our troops home. Invite local veterans,conscientious objectors and military families to share the impact of the war on their lives and support theirresistance to the occupation. Urge your Members of Congress to support the bi-partisan Homeward Bound Act (H.J.Res. 55) and other legislation calling for an exit strategy. Challenge the popular but inaccurate rehetoric that a timetable for bringing home our troops would mean a "cut and run" from Iraq by spreading the word that U.S. troop withdrawal is the critical first step to de-escalating the insurgency, ending our occupation and promoting an Iraqi-led process of peace and reconstruction.
Promote Peace and Reconstruction in Iraq
The question is no longer whether to get out of Iraq, but how. Peace Action recognizes that ending the occupation is just the beginning. The destruction the U.S. has waged on Iraq demands our commitment to addressing the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and to promoting Iraqi sovereignty and reconstruction. You can join Peace Action in calling on Congress to implement a comprehensive plan to end the quagmire in Iraq by supporting our People's Petition for an Iraq Peace Process which outlines five key principles:
1. Oppose permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.
2. Set a timetable to end the occupation in months, not years.
3. Support a UN-monitored, peaceful reconstruction process.
4. Appoint an independent peace envoy to facilitate a peace process.
5. Empower the peace envoy to facilitate a cooperative and inclusive political settlement.
You can ask Congress to support this plan for peace by visiting http://www.peace-actionnm.org to download the People's Petition for an Iraq Peace Process, and join our Action Alert Network to stay updated on the latest developments in peace and justice organizing, education and legislation.
Tell Congress: No More Money for War
To stop fueling the quagmire in Iraq, the United States government must stop funding the occupation. This war iscosting the U.S. nearly $6 billion each month and has already surpassed the average cost-per-month of theVietnam War. The cost to each American household is estimated at well over $1,900 per family, with the financial toll swiftly climbing each day.
The more than $200 billion already appropriated for the Iraq war could have funded any of these needed services in the United States:
&bull &bull Health care for 46.5 million people
&bull &bull Affordable housing units for nearly 2 million families
&bull &bull Head Start programs for 27 million children
&bull &bull University scholarships for nearly 40 million students
Instead of meeting these critical needs, President Bush keeps asking Congress for more funds to fight this immoralwar. As citizens, we must urge our Senators and Representatives to vote NO to any more money for thisunnecessary occupation.
Send a hand-written letter to your elected officials' district office today, expressing your concerns about the war and asking them to oppose any appropriations or supplemental funds that will pay for more war. Urge them to support H.R. 4232, The End the War in Iraq Act, which stops funding the war, while providing for the safe withdrawal of our troops and the humanitarian reconstruction and multi-lateral stabilization of Iraq.
What You Can Do
There may never have been a more important time to speak up and demand change.
Call or write your Senators and Representative to tell them you support a fundamental change in U.S. foreignpolicy, starting with an end to the War in Iraq.
Urge them to oppose new funding for the war and to support legislation to bring our troops home.
