The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq: Looking Ahead

WASHINGTON

RICK REYES
A veteran of the
Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Reyes has testified in front of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. He said today: "Obama's plan to step down
our presence in Iraqi cities only to step up our presence in Afghan
cities gets us no closer to ending these disastrous occupations.
Obama's renaming the 'Global War on Terror' to 'Overseas Contingency
Operations' or moving troops from one occupation to another doesn't
change the real issue, which is our flawed foreign policy. It doesn't
matter where you conduct these operations, you will end up with the
same disastrous results."

Video of Reyes' April 23, 2009 testimony to the Senate committee is posted at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypwrq4mbiQw

RAED JARRAR
Jarrar is an
Iraqi blogger and activist now living in Washington, D.C., where he
works as an Iraq consultant for the American Friends Service Committee.
He said today: "The withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities,
towns and villages is seen by the majority of Iraqis as a positive step
towards ending the occupation. Many Iraqis realize the huge challenges
that lie ahead, but they still think that the U.S. withdrawal is an
essential first step for building a stable, united and sovereign Iraq."

A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.