End the U.S. Military Occupation
of Iraq
Begin a Phased Withdrawal Now
We therefore call on the Bush administration
to:
1. Immediately begin the phased withdrawal
of the U.S. military from Iraq.
Start the phased draw down of U.S. forces now so that
all American troops are out of Iraq by at least the
expiration of the UN Security Council authorization
in 2005;
Transfer control and management of Iraqi prisons to
Iraqis, including the infamous Abu Ghraib prison;
Declare unequivocally that the United States will
not retain a long-term military presence in Iraq and
stop construction and upgrading of permanent military
bases and facilities.
Stop awarding lavish contracts to American and other
foreign firms. Give Iraqis control and responsibility
for rebuilding their country.
2. Fire Secretary Rumsfeld and those responsible
for the torture of Iraqi prisoners.
All those responsible for the torture of Iraqi prisoners
should be held accountable, especially top civilian
and military leaders. As America learns more about the
prisoner abuse scandal, it is becoming clear that the
path to the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib prison began
at Secretary Rumsfeld's office in the Pentagon. Policies
put in place by Secretary Rumsfeld encouraged the physical
coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners.
Lower ranking soldiers must be held accountable but
not be made scapegoats.
The abuses at Abu Ghraib and other prisons have shredded
every principle of moral decency. The cavalier disregard
for international law reflected in this scandal has
characterized the entire U.S. mission in Iraq. Those
responsible for these abuses must be removed from office
as a first step toward reclaiming our nation’s
honor and moral standing. |
The Bush administration’s preemptive war and military
occupation of Iraq have left more than 800 American soldiers
dead and nearly 5,000 wounded and maimed. An estimated 10,000
Iraqis have lost their lives. The war has made America less
safe by fueling terrorism in Iraq and around the world. It
has isolated America, alienating even our strongest allies
and friends while putting the burden of securing Iraq almost
entirely on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform
and American taxpayers. More than $120 billion has been wasted
on an occupation that has shamed our nation, undercut our
leadership in the world, and aroused Arab and Muslim hatred
against us.
After dismissing the UN as “irrelevant,” the
White House has now turned to the UN Security Council for
leadership and support in Iraq. It has accepted a UN resolution
that sets a timetable for ending the occupation and puts Iraqi
troops under Iraqi command. Authority for maintaining foreign
forces in Iraq expires in December 2005, or earlier if Iraqis
request it.
The Bush administration yielded not because it has changed
its views but because of mounting political pressure at home
and abroad. This is an important beginning, but it is hardly
enough. It is crucial that the pressure continues. The administration
does not have an exit strategy from Iraq. It has yet to commit
to withdrawing a single U.S. soldier. It continues to pursue
plans to establish permanent U.S. bases there and intends
to keep complete control of Abu Ghraib and all other military
prisons. It continues to dish out lavish long-term contracts
to American and other foreign firms and dominate the Iraqi
economy. The U.S. also continues to bear almost the entire
burden of the occupation in Iraq – with or without a
UN Resolution.
Iraqis will not have genuine sovereignty while tens of thousands
of foreign troops remain on their soil and have the right
to conduct military actions without Iraqi government approval.
According to a recent poll, the majority of Iraqis want U.S.
troops to leave Iraq and believe they will be safer when the
troops have departed. Nor are they likely to have faith in
a government established by a discredited, U.S. appointed
governing council and led by someone with direct links to
the CIA. The presence of U.S. troops continues to be a source
of provocation – our soldiers remain targets of insurgency.
Only Iraqis can provide true security for their country. They
will stand up to insurgents only if it is done for Iraq and
Iraqis – not for Americans. Responsibility for providing
security must be handed over to them through a phased withdrawal
of the U.S. military presence, starting now.
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