Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Maxine Waters: Asking the Hard Questions About the Iraq War

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/19-7


Published on Thursday, March 19, 2009 by The San Francisco Chronicle

Asking the Hard Questions About the Iraq War
by Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Maxine Waters

Six years ago this week, President George W. Bush launched our nation into one of the most disastrous, misguided and dangerous military actions in our history - the initial invasion and proceeding occupation of Iraq.

Now, as a new administration seeks to withdraw troops from Iraq, it's essential that the media, the public and those of us in elected office hold them accountable.

This time, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for those of us who support President Obama (who himself opposed the invasion from the beginning), we must hold our Iraq policy accountable and demand answers to tough questions regarding how and when our occupation of Iraq will end.

Last month, Obama laid forth a time line for the drawdown of our military presence in Iraq. His proposal would have two-thirds of our troops home by August 2010, with the remaining force of 50,000 scheduled to leave by the end of 2011, almost three years from now. While his announcement received praise from both sides of the political aisle, it has not received an honest and frank discussion of its merits and potential faults.

Americans seem to be collectively trying to forget about Iraq, and while we appreciate the president's decision, his declaration allows us to simply move on and focus on other issues. While this reaction is understandable, it is also dangerous.

We cannot afford to ignore the enormous risks and potential sacrifices that loom ahead. As founders of the Out of Iraq Caucus, our position has been clear all along. We opposed the war and occupation from the start, and we have worked day-in and day-out to end it.

We believe that ending the occupation of Iraq means redeploying all troops and all military contractors out of Iraq. It also means leaving behind no permanent bases and renouncing any claims upon Iraqi oil.

We remain concerned about the president's plan - not opposed to it, but concerned. The plan calls for 127,000 troops to stay in Iraq until the end of this year, and for 50,000 troops to remain in Iraq for another two-and-a-half years after that. We cannot imagine the need for such an enormous military commitment. How did military planners agree on such a large residual force, one which is comparable in size to our force levels in South Korea at the height of the Cold War?

..more..

Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, and Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, are founders of the Out of Iraq Caucus.

[BuyingThyme]

1. Super Friends powers activate.

kcik

[Solly Mack]

2. "Americans seem to be collectively trying to forget about Iraq..."

K&R

[G_j]

3. sounds familiar

like Vietnam,
and again, that avoidance will be very rough on the vets.

[Solly Mack]

4. and in the not-so-distant future, these same Americans, with their

desire to pretend it's all in the past, will once again ask, "How?" - "How can this happen here?"

[G_j]

5. --

one last kick..

[marmar]

6. K&R for the Triad !!!!

Air, Wind and Water.....Also known as Barbara, Lynn and Maxine.