Whereas President George W. Bush stated on April 13, 2004, that “as a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation and neither does America,” and that the U.S. will remain in Iraq “as long as necessary and not one day more;”
Whereas Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assured the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 17, 2005, that “we have no intention, at the present time, of putting permanent bases in Iraq;”
Whereas The Wall Street Journal reported in February 2005 that 60% of the people in the United States think that the Bush administration should set a public or private timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq;
Whereas former Secretary of State James Baker, former Pentagon official Anthony Cordesman, the International Crisis Group, and other respected leaders and analysts have said that it is critical that the U.S. government declare now its intention to fully withdraw from Iraq;
Whereas political parties opposed to the ongoing U.S. military presence won the overwhelming majority of votes in Iraq’s January 2005 election and a clear majority of voters interviewed in exit polls cited their desire to see an end to the military occupation as a major impetus for voting;
Whereas the perception that the U.S. intends to permanently occupy Iraq aids insurgent groups in recruiting supporters and fuels violent activity;
Whereas many insurgent groups have expressed a willingness to engage in political dialogue if the U.S. clearly states its intention to withdraw from Iraq;
Whereas we can best honor the lives and memories of all who have died in Iraq by expediting the end of the war, bringing U.S. troops home as quickly as possible, and supporting the Iraqi people in rebuilding their country;
Whereas a clear statement of intent to fully withdraw U.S. troops and bases does not imply the setting of a particular deadline, time frame, or exit strategy;
Whereas such a statement would send a strong signal to the people of Iraq and the international community that the United States does not have imperial intentions in Iraq and affirms that the Iraqi people will regain through their elected representatives the full exercise of national sovereignty, including control over security and public safety;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Adrian Dominican Sisters hold in our prayers the people of Iraq, the U.S. troops and international troops, and humanitarian workers in Iraq, the leaders of Iraq and the United States, and all others affected by this war;
Be it also resolved that the Adrian Dominican Sisters call on the United States Congress to adopt a sense of the Congress resolution declaring: “It is the policy of the United States to withdraw all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq”;
Be it also resolved that the Adrian Dominican Sisters will present a copy of this resolution to the members of Congress who represent the district in which the congregation is based;
And be it also resolved that the Adrian Dominican Sisters will send a copy of this resolution to the local media.
-November 2005
Resources
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A resource for action. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned activist, our continuums will provide you with a map to action.
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A resource counting the impact on human life, both Iraqis and US Soldiers.
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Links
Antiwar.com is one project the Randolph Bourne Institute. It is a program that provides a sounding board of interest to all who are concerned about U.S. foreign policy and its implications.
Ankawa is a website run by Iraqi Christians.
EPIC: Education for Peace in Iraq Center EPIC works through educational programs and advocacy initiatives to stabilize Iraq by supporting Iraqi efforts to advance peace and development on the ground.
A.N.S.W.E.R.: Act Now To Stop War & End Racism The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and prominent individuals and scores of organizing centers in cities and towns across the country.
The Declaration of Peace is a nationwide nonviolent action campaign for an end to the US War in Iraq.
Related Issues
Israel-Palestine Conflict
The Middle East has long been in conflict. We see the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and the U.S. occupation in Iraq, as well as the mounting tension between the U.S. and Iran as interconnected issues.
The history of violence in Palestine goes back thousands of years. It was renewed in the 20th century when, after World War II, the State of Israel was established in 1948. It was intended to be a secure homeland for the Jewish people, who saw Palestine as the land promised to them by God. However, in settling in Palestine, the people of Israel displaced about 800,000 Palestinians, whose people had been on the land for 2,000 years since the dispersal of Israel. Complicating the issue is the settlement of people from Israel on the small amount of Palestine that has been sectioned off for Palestine, and the injustices and humiliations that Palestinians face in their every day lives.
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