Honoring the Fallen

Progressive Caucus
of
Snohomish County Democrats


May 30, 2005

To the Editor
Everett Herald:

As we observe the third Memorial Day since the Bush Administration led this nation to invade Iraq on a series of mistruths and innuendos, we are left to wonder how best to honor the sacrifice of the brave men and women who have given their lives in this effort.

Reasonable people can no longer cling to the notion that our military was being deployed in any way that resembled defense of our country with the invasion of Iraq. The loud proclamations of “we know Saddam possesses WMD” and “Saddam has certain links to terrorist networks like Al Qaida” have long ago been blown away like so much sand in the Iraqi dessert. Revelations by former administration officials like former Treasury Secretary, Paul O’Neil, that the decision to invade Iraq had been made almost immediately on the heels of the 9-11 attack (if not before) have now been independently confirmed by the recently exposed “Downing Street Memo” in which it is stated that “...There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy...” The date of this memo is 23 July 2002 (three months prior to the congressional resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq). There have been no denials of the information or statements made in this memo from either the British or U.S. governments.

It is time to hold the Bush Administration accountable for their words and actions. It is also time to require that Congress stand up for the troops that they voted to allow George Bush to commit to combat. Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California is working to introduce a resolution to Congress “...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.” This resolution does not specify nor ask that the administration specify any dates for withdrawal that might lend support to those fighting against us there. The resolution, H. CON. RES. 35, calls for the U.S. to “convene an emergency meeting of Iraq's leadership, Iraq's neighbors, the United Nations, and the Arab League to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq and to replace United States Armed Forces in Iraq with Iraqi police and Iraqi National Guard forces to ensure Iraq's security”.

The American People should contact their members of Congress to have this resolution brought to the floor of the House of Representatives and should contact their senators to find a sponsor for a companion resolution in that body. We should not allow the Bush Administration to continue to dishonor these brave Americans who have given their lives when we now know that the premise was built on falsehoods and deceit. The most lasting memorial we may offer those who have paid the highest price in service to their country is to say that we will hold those who called for that sacrifice accountable for the highest levels of honesty and integrity.

Sincerely,

Harry Abbott – 38th LD, Harry George – 32nd LD
Jackie Minchew – 44th LD, Luis Moscoso – 1st LD
Chad Shue – 38th LD, Rebecca Wolfe – 32nd LD
Nancy Sosnove – 38th LD,
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