Set A Deadline - UPDATED
The Fort Worth Star Telegram of Texas noted the 4th anniversary of Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” pep rally on the USS Abraham Lincoln with these words:
Through their votes in November, the majority of Americans charged this new Congress with finding an exit strategy. If the president continues to resist compromise and the people’s branch of the government yields instead, a crucial point will have been passed in the balance of power, and the long-term damage to confidence in our institutions could be significant.
The American people, through their elected representatives, have the right to decide when and where wars will be fought and when and where they will cease.
[...]
Although this might be one of the greatest foreign policy blunders in U.S. history, it is not the first. What makes America strong is the ability to learn from mistakes and move beyond them.
But mistakes can’t be fixed until they are recognized as such.
It is past time for the president to face the fact that he over-reached and that the American people want out of Iraq. They said so in November.
Bush must sit down with Congress to work out a compromise. Further confrontation divides the country, discredits government and diminishes our democracy. BY THE NUMBERS
Since May 1, 2003—the date on which President Bush declared “mission accomplished” in Iraq:
3,203 troops have been killed.
13,706 troops have been wounded in action and returned to duty within 72 hours.
10,664 troops have been wounded in action and not returned to duty within 72 hours.
$378.2 billion has been appropriated from fiscal 2003 through fiscal 2007.
19 Countries have withdrawn troops from Iraq.
And then there is Representative Patrick Murphy (D -PA 08) with an eloquence born of pain and intimate knowledge of what our troops face in Iraq.
<!Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. This week nine of my fellow paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were killed in Iraq. Nine more heroes killed. Nine more paratroopers returning home in coffins, draped in the American flag.
Mr. Speaker, I was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Nineteen of my fellow paratroopers I served with never made it home from the streets of Baghdad. I carry their names with me every single day to remind myself of the solemn responsibility we face each time the Speaker bangs down her gavel. Nineteen men… nineteen guys who never made it home to their families… nineteen all-Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice… nineteen men who are missed… Nineteen men. Now we have 9 more paratroopers to add to this list.
Mr. Speaker, how many more suicide bombs must kill American soldiers before this president offers a timeline for our troops to come home? How many more military leaders must declare the war will not be won militarily before this president demands that the Iraqis stand up and fight for their country?
What is the mission? When is it accomplished?
As Patrick Murphy asked,
....I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle…will you stand with us next year to offer a timeline on the war’s fifth anniversary? How about a timeline on the sixth? How about a timeline on the tenth? Because that’s what voting no does. It says no to the tough questions. No to accountability. And no to providing our troops on the ground with a clear mission.
UPDATE @ 1:30 PM ET:
On the 4th anniversary of Mission Accomplished the Senate Democrats have posted a new map of America that breaks down the toll of the Iraq War state-by-state. Click on the map to select a state. Here are the stats for Massachusetts:
MASSACHUSETTS
- Number of Active Duty Service-Members in Iraq: 1,656
- Number of Reserve Forces in Iraq: 770
- Number of Service-Members Killed in Iraq: 51
- Number of Service-Members Wounded in Iraq: 408
- Cost of War to the People of Massachusetts: $10.7 billion
10 Comments
New comments for this entry are closed.
Here’s a very powerful video from Ava Lowery of Peace Takes Courage.
Mission Accomplished - 4 Years Later
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1N202e9WrM
h/t to her diary on dailykos
Thanks, Violet, for a great post. I found Rep. Murphy’s speech especially moving.
Will Rep. Murphy support impeachment of Cheney and/or Bush?
Nonny,
That’s a question you need to pose to Rep. Murphy. It’s not a question that can be answered by anyone at the johnkerry.com blog.
Posted by Violet | May 1, 2007 3:48 PM
:-) I know. But the story is on the johnkerry.com blog.
The better question to pose to John Kerry would be: Will he support any representative who files impeachment proceedings in the House and support an impeachment trial in the Senate?
I can only go by reading multiple blogs, and it seems to me that at least bloggers are well aware of the fact that the invasion and occupation of Iraq is a war crime, torture and prison camps at Gitmo (and elsewhere) are also war crimes, all per the Geneva Conventions (which are part of our Constitution, per the mandates of the Constitution that incorporates treaties). On top of the multiple lies we’ve been told (and lying to Congress is grounds for impeachment; there’s recent precedent!), the war crimes should qualify as grounds for impeachment.
Many states and communities, using Jefferson’s handbook, have already voted for impeachment. I’ve read polls that show a majority of people would support impeachment. Both houses of Congress have so far ignored the will of the people who elected them.
Lamestream Media is ignoring the subject of impeachment, still promoting White House propaganda and bandwagon patriotism.
When I see videos like the above or read transcripts of reps or senators who extoll the heroism of the US military, I remember that the Iraq invasion is a war crime, and by ordering the US military to follow orders, the soldiers have become accomplices to war crimes on behalf of Bush and Cheney.
It was determined at Nuremberg that “I was only following orders” is not a just defense for committing war crimes. When an illegal or immoral order comes from officers, it is within the rights of the soldiers (of any nation signed on to the Geneva Conventions which were based on the judgment at Nuremberg) to not carry out illegal or immoral orders. Yet they continue to do so, and they are dying and being called heroes for following illegal and immoral orders. The only exception so far has been Lt. Ehren Watada. He followed his conscience and refused to commit war crimes on behalf of Bush and Cheney. (In my eyes, Watada is a hero and a moral and ethical human being.)
Along with many other senators and representatives, John Kerry has served in the military and he (and they) must be aware of the fact that US military personnel do not have to carry out illegal and immoral orders. They must know that the invasion of Iraq based on lies for oil and torture and prison camps are all war crimes.
I voted for Kerry in ‘04. I know he’s trying to do well by the people he currently represents. But more needs to be done to rid the US of the top criminals in office. Our international reputation is shattered and our treasury bankrupt thanks to Bush and Cheney (and who knows how long it will take to pay off the loans for the ‘emergency supplemental bills’ that have financed most of Bush & Cheney’s illegal war?). I don’t expect the US will recover from the fiasco of the Bush-Cheney administration (certainly not in my lifetime).
So, would John Kerry support impeachment?
Nonny,
In the previous blog post, there was an item about a conference call with bloggers from Massachusetts and links to a couple of bloggers that reported on the call.
A question similar to yours was asked and The Eisenthal Report post reports on the exchange.
What about impeaching Cheney first, Bush second?
Otherwise, as I read that brief comment, Kerry does not support impeachment.
Excellent compilation. The state-by-state impact of the Iraq war is sobering. Thanks for the links.
And speaking of something sobering… take a look at this compilation of the New York Times’ rah-rah reporting from the ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment four years ago:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003578624
As Sen. Kerry said in his speech today, we would honor the memory of the brave troops who have sacrificed so much to represent their country by giving them a policy that works. We don’t honor our troops by dedicating our mistakes to them, we honor them by trying to get it right and get them home as soon as possible.
My heart aches for Rep Murphy and for the families of those who have given their lives in this conflict. That is the noblest of sacrifices and one that must be honored.