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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Congressman Dennis Kucinich Nathan White (202)225-5871 |
Kucinich on Iraq Troop Withdrawal: You Can’t be In and Out at the Same Time
WASHINGTON - February 27 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who led the effort in the House of Representatives against the war in Iraq as far back as 2002, today made the following statement after President Obama announced that the combat mission in Iraq will end by August 31, 2010. The President also indicated that between 35-50,000 troops will remain in Iraq to advise and train Iraqi security forces and protect American civilian and military personal.
"I support President Obama for taking a step in the right direction in Iraq, but I do not think that his plan goes far enough. You cannot leave combat troops in a foreign country to conduct combat operations and call it the end of the war. You can't be in and out at the same time.
"America must determine at some point to end the occupation, close the bases and bring the troops home. We must bring a conclusion to this sorry chapter in American history where war was waged under false pretense against an innocent people. Taking troops out of Iraq should not mean more troops available for deployment in other operations.
"In February of 2007 I presented H.R. 1234, legislation that would end the war in Iraq, and the process I outlined is still necessary. We should immediately bring home American service members and contractors, convene a regional conference to prepare an international peace-keeping force and accelerate Iraq-driven reconstruction."
Congressman Kucinich led opposition to the Joint Resolution on Iraq, known as the Iraq war resolution, beginning in 2002, and has consistently opposed funding the ongoing war.
View Kucinich's 2002 analysis of the Joint Resolution on Iraq here.
View H.R. 1234 here.
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6 Comments so far
Show AllThe title reminds me of that bit by George Carlin about the term "preheated".
"There are only two states an oven can possibly exist in: heated and unheated. 'Preheated' is a meaningless f***ing term!"
A key point Kucinich mentions is withdrawal of contractors, in addition to combat troops. Obama is playing the 'withdrawal' game card. We went in under blatantly false pretenses. We ravaged a country, set up a Vatican-esque embassy and 7 permanent military bases. And we are pushing to get Iraq to sell its oil to BP and Shell. Withdrawal that entails leaving 35-50k combat troops, an embassy that juxtapositions against the country, like a pimp in a soup kitchen, and 7 operational US bases is a ruse. I can appreciate that Obama needs to walk a fine line, but it seems like he's instead stumbling down the same freeway of $#IT that his predecessors paved.
The US has no moral basis for sustaining military bases and troops in Iraq. NONE, end of argument. Either we are at war there, or we are not. If we are not, wtf are we doing there? It's like saying someone's a little pregnant. Our denial that it is not STILL all about Iraq's oil, and about protecting 'our oil interests' is laughable. Is that not the main purpose of the massive US embassy there?
Everyone knows that the argument that we need combat troops to train Iraqis and to protect the trainers is an empty ruse. Get out and get out now while we still can. The US embassy, the US bases and the US troops will continue to be irritants for proud Iraqis. They will foment increasing resistance at a a time when troops become more vulnerable due to reduced troop levels.
Thank you Dennis Kucinich for providing a constant moral compass in our adrift nation.
EXCELLENT comments from all!
one thing described American methods :war , invasionk, illegalities, half-way/half-meant measures:
George orwell's description of :
"THE CORRUPTION OF LANGUAGE".
in fact -- one might say this is at the HEART of american culture, leading to:
Wall Street shenanigans, banking corruption, torture, invasion, etc:
wall street for example "created"
"financial PRODUCTS".....wow--- a piece of PAPER where some fancy accountant or shopkeeper scratched out some "ideas" on how to repackage some DEBTS into "assets" becomes a PRODUCT with :"value".....
"credit" is meant in american language , promoted throughout the world - as something GOOD - when in reality it is nothing more than BEING IN DEBT without END...
a SECRETARY is called "executive assistant"...
a FLOOR CLERK is called "customer representative" or "customer consultant".....
and one goes on and on and on and finds :
"redeployment of troops" -- meaning : GO AND MAKE WAR SOMEWHERE ELSE....
a VERY american trait, indeed.....the CORRUPTION OF LANGUAGE...
So true!
oldcreditiste; The first charge read at the Nurnberg trials said something about 'waging aggressive war'???