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e-Action Report: Pushing Back
October 2008

NO SOLDIER LEFT BEHIND

As we get closer to November Peace Action, has shifted our focus. We can't do anything to take back the atrocious policies of the Bush administration; but, we can set the stage for the next president by outlining our demands now. The first step moving forward is our new campaign "No Soldier Left Behind" (NSLB).

The concept is simple. The next president will decide the future of U.S. policy in Iraq. The two major party candidates are split on a timetable issue. Barack Obama supports a timetable for withdrawal and McCain believes we could be there for 100 years and it wouldn't make a difference. Any soldier or their family will tell you a very different story – it matters when they come home.

We've drafted a letter addressed to the man who will replace George W. Bush in November. In it we call for a strategic overhaul of the U.S. approach in Iraq, and urge our government to invest wisely in a truly comprehensive plan for stability. That plan includes regional diplomacy, funding for reconstruction and humanitarian aid, as well as international peacekeeping -- if the Iraqi people want it. But the first critical step towards stability is to bring every soldier home, and most especially, private U.S. contractors.

This year offers key opportunities. The presidential elections have energized new voters and activists. The Iraq occupation is a central issue in congressional and presidential elections, and support in the American public for a withdrawal of US troops remains high. We want to build on this situation to mount resistance to the continuing rhetoric that we are 'winning in Iraq'. There is no way to 'win' an occupation.

NSLB builds on our strengths by uniting our grassroots organizing with our netroots activism. Using our network of affiliates and allies we hope to gather 500,000 names to present with the president-elect in November. Already we've had great coverage of our work in the media and the buzz is building. There are a variety of tools you can use to make this goal a reality by talking to your neighbors about this difficult issue. Peace Action has created a set of talking points and provided a sign-up sheet for you to download and use in your community.

The only way to end this war is to bring it to our kitchen tables. We cannot wait for the politicians in Washington to make watered down decisions along partisan lines to end this war. Instead we must demand they take immediate action to represent the will of the people they serve.

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