Issues: Iraq

The Presence of U.S. troops in Iraq does not lessen violence - it perpetuates it.

The Bush administration has pushed the idea that U.S. troops are critical to quelling the violence in Iraq. The news tells a different story. Violence in Basara dropped 90% when British troops withdrew from the city. The losses of Iraqi and American lives for the Bush administration's imbecilic plans for dominance in Western Asia is simply unacceptable.

Peace Action has been working with our contacts in Congress to push the "Letter of 92" among their colleagues so we can get a majority of the House to commit to the language. In the coming months we'll lobby to create a stand alone bill based on this letter. We've also harnessed the power of the grassroots movement through Action Alerts.

Military Contractors, like Blackwater & Haliburton, make Iraq more dangerous for U.S. troops and waste taxpayer dollars.

We've mobilized our grassroots base against military contractors. Thousands of activists have written letters, called Congress, and stood in protest to the wasteful and dangerous contracts handed out to Backwater and Haliburton. That pressure resulted in Senate Bill 2398 and House Bill 4102 both of which partially address the issue of private contractors in Iraq.

Contracted companies are paid 'cost plus' for their expenses in Iraq making it profitable for them to waste your tax dollars. Security contractors are especially hazardous. The most recent criminal murders committed by Blackwater employees have yet to be prosecuted in an international court and their indiscriminate violence creates a dangerous atmosphere for U.S. troops trying to fulfill their mission. We have better places to invest tax dollars.

The only solution to the conflicts in Iraq is a diplomatic surge to bring Iraqis together in dialogue.

Internal tension and fighting between ethnic and political groups in Iraq is exacerbated by U.S. troops presence but could be waned through multinational diplomatic talks that engage regional partners and local leaders. The U.S. must take steps to immediately remove U.S. combat troops and replace them with trained and culturally competent diplomats. We must work with the United Nations and other international representatives already embedded in Iraq to turn over the country of Iraq to it's people.