WASHINGTON - October 2 - "Who Decides About War" will confront essential questions raised by the U.S. invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. These questions are timely, as the process that brought the United States into those wars is widely recognized today as having been flawed at best, dishonest at worst.

What:  National Conference on War Powers, Law and Democracy
Why:    To ask: Who decides about war and peace? Congress? The President? The Courts? The
              People? What kind of national defense should the U.S. have? What type of military?
When:  October 2-3, at the Georgetown Law School, Washington DC

Veterans For Peace draws on our collective experience as members of the military to raise public awareness of the true costs and consequences of militarism and war-and to seek peaceful, effective alternatives.  Because VFP believes the cost of war to be so devastating and encompassing, it finds that decisions to enter military conflict without full concordance with the Constitution and law, to be especially egregious.

The conference will bring together activists and academics, public officials and veterans, lawyers and military families. We will use facilitated discussions, panel presentations, and workshops to accomplish two goals. First, to educate ourselves and each other about the issues involved, the state of the law, and alternatives. Second, to develop a statement of common principles leading to a more democratic, comprehensive, and durable national defense policy - one that will honor the Constitution and help keep the United States from entering into unnecessary wars.

Confirmed speakers, as of September 18, 2009, include: 
Jean Athey, Peace Action, Montgomery County, MD, Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, Leah Bolger, National Vice-President, Veterans For Peace, John Bonifaz, Attorney at Law, Elaine Brower, Military Families Speak Out, Prof. Marjorie Cohn, President, National Lawyers Guild, Rep. Michael Fisher, State Representative, Lincoln, Vermont, Bonnie Gorman, Military Families Speak Out, Boston, Mort Halperin, Senior Adviser, Open Society Institute, Keynote Speaker, Sen. Richard Madaleno, State Senator, Montgomery County, Maryland, Ben Manski, Esq., Executive Director, Liberty Tree,Geoff Millard, Chair of the Board of Directors, Iraq Veterans Against the War, John Nichols, Esq., The Nation magazine, Sen. Jamin Raskin, Professor of Law, American University, Caleb Rossiter, Professor, International Service, American University, Jeremy Scahill, author, Blackwater, Keynote Speaker, Benson Scotch, Senior Legal Counsel, Bring the Guard Home! It's the Law, David Swanson, Founder, After Downing Street, Don Wallace, Professor, Georgetown Law School

"Who Decides About War" is co-sponsored by the national campaign to Bring the Guard Home! It's the Law and the Liberty Tree Foundation, with hosts National Lawyers Guild at Georgetown Law School, and in coordination with the Institute for Policy Studies, Democrats.com, and Veterans For Peace, as well as After Downing Street, CODEPINK, Iraq Veterans Against the War, National Coalition for Nonviolent Resistance, Peace Action USA, and Progressive Democrats of America.

For more information, please visit www.veteransforpeace.org .