...to Bring Home the Troops

Resolution BC-2005-06-5-19

A Resolution to Bring Home the Troops

Whereas the Bush Administration, using false intelligence estimates, misled the country into an illegal, unnecessary and unwise invasion and occupation of Iraq, against a country that had neither attacked nor posed an immediate threat to the United States, and

Whereas the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations is considering House Concurrent Resolution 35:"Expressing the sense of Congress that the President should develop and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq," and

Whereas the Democratic Party of Oregon's 2004 Legislative Agenda (rev 4/24/05) states, "We support getting the U.N. in, and the U.S. out of Iraq....," and

Whereas the actions of the United States in Iraq show that the U.S. wishes to establish a permanent presence in Iraq, including the establishment of a number of military bases, and

Whereas our military is being drained of its capability to respond to crises in other parts of the world, and

Whereas over 200 billion dollars have been earmarked for the Iraq occupation, including billions already spent on poorly managed contracts, and billions of dollars which are completely unaccounted for, while domestic programs such as Medicaid, education and veterans affairs are scheduled for budget cuts, and

Whereas 1625 U.S .military personnel have lost their lives in Iraq (through May 17,2005), thousands of U.S. soldiers have been sounded, untold thousands of Iraqi citizens have been killed or injured, and vast amounts of Iraq personal property and national infrastructure have been destroyed, and

Whereas our occupation of Iraq has spawned an insurgency whose principal goal is to expel outside influences and has deepened the divide between factions competing for control of Iraq, and

Whereas our occupation and the associated violence in Iraq has increased recruitment by terrorist organizations intent on attacking the U.S. and its interests worldwide, and

Whereas elections have been held in Iraq, and the Iraq people want to resolve their own problems and establish their own government free of outside influences,

Be it resolved that the Benton County Democrats:

1. Support our troops, oppose the continued military occupation of Iraq, and urge the United States Government to plan immediately for the near-term withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, consistent with the mandate of international humanitarian law;

2. Urge the President to announce a target date for completion of the withdrawal. Withdrawal should begin immediately to signal our good intentions and should give priority to returning National Guard troops to fulfill their home state obligations;

3. Urge the President to announce that the United States Government has no plans for a long-term presence in Iraq, except for that associated with normal diplomatic, economic, and peaceful military relations between countries;

4. Call on Congresswoman Hooley and Congressman DeFazio to support House Concurrent Resolution 35;

5. Call on Oregon Senators Wyden and Smith, Congresswoman Hooley and Congressman DeFazio to support this resolution; and

6. Call on the State Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Oregon likewise to endorse House Concurrent Resolution 35 and this resolution and to urge Oregon's State Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen to support House Concurrent Resolution 35 and this resolution.