[Peacectr_list] Please take this action today: Stop paying for military occupation of Iraq

Tue Apr 15 14:46:38 UTC 2008

Thanks to Mary Cathcart for forwarding this message:

>Stop paying for military occupation of Iraq
>
>Tell Congress to cut off funding NOW. Sign onto an open letter from 
>Win Without War coalition.
>
>
>
>March 19 marked the 5th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. In 
>the next month or so, Congress will vote on whether to provide the 
>Bush administration with more than a hundred billion dollars MORE 
>for the war.
>
>Enough. WAND is working with the Win Without War coalition to 
>organize an open letter to Congress; we hope to gather millions of 
>signatures from people across the country.
>
><http://capwiz.com/wand/issues/alert/?alertid=11224976>Tell 
>Congress: Stop giving President Bush the money that he needs to 
>continue the military occupation of Iraq.
>
>When you take this action, you will add your name to the open 
>letter; and send a message to your Representative.
>
>Take 
>Action: <http://capwiz.com/wand/issues/alert/?alertid=11224976>Send 
>a message to your Representative. AND sign onto the open letter to 
>Congress at the same time.
>
>The open letter to Congress from the Win Without War coalition
>
>Dear Chairman Murtha,
>
>As we enter the sixth year of the Iraq War, we urge you to draft a 
>new supplemental appropriations bill that will direct the president 
>to immediately begin the orderly removal of all U.S troops 
>from Iraq and complete this process as quickly and safely as 
>possible.
>
>The Iraq War has taken the lives of nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers and 
>caused the death and displacement of millions of Iraqis. Congress 
>has already approved $500 billion for the war in direct costs. Our 
>nation faces trillions in additional costs to care for veterans' 
>injuries suffered in the course of this conflict, not to mention the 
>costs of financing the war. This waste of federal dollars comes at a 
>time when our nation faces an economic recession. The war has 
>hollowed out our military, diverted resources from the battle 
>against al Qaeda and from homeland security, and deeply damaged our 
>reputation abroad.
>
>Despite clear mandates from your subcommittee and Congress to seek a 
>change in course, Senate Republicans and President Bush have 
>combined to veto measures calling for a sensible withdrawal 
>from Iraq. In January, the President went even further, issuing a 
>signing statement saying that his Administration is not bound by the 
>provision in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act that bars the use of 
>appropriated funds in this Act for the construction of permanent 
>American military bases and U. S. control over Iraqi oil resources. 
>He also rejected language to establish an independent, bipartisan 
>"Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan" to 
>investigate allegations of waste, mismanagement, and excessive force 
>by contractors.
>
>Furthermore, at the end of last year, President Bush and Iraqi Prime 
>Minister al-Maliki signed a "Declaration of Principles" providing an 
>outline for negotiating an "enduring" U.S.-Iraq relationship for 
>security, economic, political, diplomatic, and cultural relations. 
>President Bush has rejected the notion that Congress has a role in 
>these negotiations over the future U.S. presence in Iraq.
>
>With these actions, the President has made clear his intention to 
>stay the course in Iraq while deepening the U.S. military commitment 
>for an indefinite time and attempting to tie the hands of the next 
>President.
>Mr. Chairman, it is past time to bring the Iraq war to an end. The 
>costs are too great to allow it to continue indefinitely. The best 
>course of action in the upcoming supplemental appropriation's bill 
>is to provide funding only for the safe and timely redeployment 
>of U.S. troops out of Iraq and end the occupation.
>
>As part of a responsible redeployment, we support funding for a 
>diplomatic offensive as suggested by the Iraq Study Group. Greater 
>resources and resolve for diplomacy to the Iraq War are needed for a 
>comprehensive solution.
>
>In addition, we strongly urge you to cease funding for military 
>construction in Iraqand for U.S. military contractors in Iraq. Given 
>the President's use of signing statements on these issues, the only 
>way to ensure compliance with Congress' directives is to remove such 
>funding.
>
>Finally, we ask that it be made clear that no funds will be made 
>available for any formal U.S.-Iraq agreement based upon the 
>Bush-Maliki "Declaration of Principles" unless the agreement is 
>approved by Congress and the Iraqi parliament.
>
>Thank you for your continued leadership in the effort to end the war 
>in Iraq and bring our troops home. Your courage and tenacity in the 
>face of attacks and criticisms is most admirable. We are eager to 
>work with you and your colleagues in the critical weeks and months 
>ahead to end the debacle in Iraq and bring our men and women in 
>uniform home.
>
>Sincerely, The Win Without War Coalition
>
Take 
Action: <http://capwiz.com/wand/issues/alert/?alertid=11224976>Send a 
message to your Representative. AND sign onto the open letter to 
Congress at the same time.
-- 
The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine
170 Park Street
Bangor ME 04401
(207) 942-9343
fax 992-2288
email: info at peacectr.org
check our website:  <http://www.peacectr.org/>www.peacectr.org
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