Kucinich: Time for Action on Iraq

[goodhue]

*************
Kucinich 2008
*************
The Time for Action on Iraq

Dear Friend,

Democratic leaders are poised to give President Bush another $120 billion
($120,000,000,000) for the war, more than enough money to keep out troops in Iraq
through the end of his term and enough money to expand the war into Iran. Democratic
leaders want to fund the war while saying they oppose the war. They are promising to
use the war as a campaign issue against Republicans in 2008.

We do not have time to discern whether the leaders who say they are for peace yet
vote for war are motivated by sincerity, self-deception or duplicity.

We need to mobilize now to contact Members of Congress to vote against further
funding of the war. If the war is to be brought to an end, then Members of Congress
must hear from you. Your efforts will make a difference.

Remember last year when Democrats ran TV commercials against Republicans attacking
them for supporting the war? Democrats were brought to power in the House and the
Senate because of the war. Now, in the first 100 days in a Democratic Congress; it
is the Democrats who are raising the banner of war in the name of the troops, in the
name of the Constitution, in the name of national security and in your name. Voila!
The Democratic version of the war in Iraq.

The Democratic Party is at a turning point. Either we take this nation out of Iraq
by cutting off funds NOW or we will forfeit the trust and the confidence of the
American people. There will be consequences for Democrats funding the war.

Please join the thousands of citizen activists who are coming to Washington in the
next 10 days to meet with Members of Congress to demand an end to the war and a real
plan for stabilizing Iraq. Tell them about my bill, HR 1234, the plan to end the
Iraq war. http://kucinich.us/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?q=128684&u=184:

HR 1234 is the plan that will end the occupation, close the bases, bring the troops
home, make Halliburton and all contractors come home and stabilize Iraq with an
international peace-keeping and security force. HR 1234 will restore Iraq’s
sovereignty over its oil, control its food and energy prices and protect its
financial integrity by ensuring Iraq will not be the target of World Bank and IMF
structural adjustment policies.

Please read HR 1234 before you meet with Members of Congress. This bill, crafted
with the consultation of senior UN advisors with expertise in international
peace-keeping and security missions, military experts and principals of the
international political community is the plan that will end the occupation, bring
our troops home and stabilize Iraq.

HR 1234 - Spread the word!

Thank you,

Dennis J Kucinich

http://kucinich.us/

[goodhue]

1. H.R. 1234

http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1234:

To end the United States occupation of Iraq immediately. (Introduced in House)

HR 1234 IH


110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1234
To end the United States occupation of Iraq immediately.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 28, 2007
Mr. KUCINICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A BILL
To end the United States occupation of Iraq immediately.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The insurgency in Iraq has been fueled by the United States occupation and the prospect of a long-term presence as indicated by the building of permanent United States military bases.

(2) A United States declaration of an intention to withdraw United States troops and close military bases will help dampen the insurgency which has been inspired to resist colonization and fight aggressors and those who have supported United States policy.

(3) A United States declaration of an intention to withdraw United States troops and close military bases will provide an opening in which parties within Iraq and in the region can set the stage for negotiations toward a peaceful settlement in Iraq.

(4) The cost of withdrawing United States troops from Iraq could be as low as $10 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office.

(5) A United States shift in policy away from unilateralism and toward cooperation will provide new opportunities for exploring common concerns about the situation in Iraq.

(6) The United Nations is best equipped to build a political consensus in Iraq through the crafting of a political agreement.

(7) The end of the occupation of Iraq creates a political environment that enables the world community to assist the United States in an orderly transition.

(8) The United Nations is the only international organization with the ability to mobilize and the legitimacy to authorize peacekeeping troops.

(9) The United Nations can implement the basis of an agreement that will end the occupation of Iraq and begin the transition to international peacekeepers.

(10) The United Nations can field an international security and peacekeeping mission, but such a mission cannot take shape unless there is a peace to keep, and that will be dependent upon a political process which reaches agreement between all the Iraqi parties.

(11) Reconstruction activities must be reorganized and closely monitored in Iraq by the Iraqi Government, with the assistance of the international community.

(12) Any attempt to sell Iraqi oil assets during the United States occupation will be a significant stumbling block to peaceful resolution.

(13) There must be fairness in the distribution of oil resources in Iraq.

(14) A reconciliation process that brings people together is the only way to overcome their fears and reconcile their differences.

(15) It is essential to create a minimum of understanding and mutual confidence between the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.

(16) The process of reconciliation must begin with a national conference, organized with the assistance of the United Nations and with the participation of parties that can create, participate in, and affect the process of reconciliation, defined as an airing of all grievances and the creation of pathways toward open, transparent talks producing truth and resolution of grievances.

(17) The only sure path toward reconciliation is through the political process.

(18) All factions and all insurgents not associated with al-Qaeda must be brought together in a relentless process which involves Saudis, Turks, Syrians, and Iranians.

(19) Achieving peace requires a process of international truth and reconciliation between the people of the United States and the people of Iraq.

(20) A reparations program to assist Iraqis is essential to enable reconciliation.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States that--

(1) the United States should end the occupation of Iraq immediately, simultaneously with the introduction of a United Nations-led international peacekeeping force pursuant to an agreement with nations within the region and which incorporates the terms and conditions specified in section 1;

(2) the Department of Defense should use readily available existing funds to bring all United States troops and necessary equipment home while a political settlement is being negotiated and preparations are made for a transition to an international security and peacekeeping force;

(3) the Department of Defense should order a simultaneous return of all United States contractors and subcontractors and turn over all contracting work to the Iraqi Government;

(4) the United Nations should be encouraged to prepare an international security and peacekeeping force to be deployed to Iraq, replacing United States troops who then return home;

(5) the United States should provide funding for a United Nations peacekeeping mission, in which 50 percent of the peacekeeping troops should come from nations with large Muslim populations;

(6) the international security force, under United Nations direction, should remain in place until the Iraqi Government is capable of handling its own security;

(7) the Iraqi Government, with assistance from the United Nations, should immediately restart the failed reconstruction program in Iraq and rebuild roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities, houses, and factories with jobs and job training going to local Iraqis;

(8) the Iraqi Government, in an act of political sovereignty, should set aside initiatives to privatize Iraqi oil interests or other national assets and abandon all efforts, whether at the behest of the United States or otherwise, to change Iraqi national law to facilitate privatization;

(9) the Iraq Government, in an act of political sovereignty, should set forth a plan to stabilize Iraq's cost for food and energy, on par to what the prices were before the United States invasion and occupation;

(10) the Iraqi Government, in an act of political sovereignty, should strive for economic sovereignty for Iraq by working with the world community to restore Iraq's fiscal integrity without structural readjustment measures of the International Monetary Funds or the World Bank;

(11) the United States should initiate a reparations program for the loss of Iraqi lives, physical and emotional injuries, and damage to property, which should include an effort to rescue the tens of thousands of Iraqi orphans from lives of destitution; and

(12) the United States should refrain from any covert operations in Iraq and any attempts to destabilize the Iraqi Government.

SEC. 3. DISENGAGEMENT OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM IRAQ.

(a) Withdrawal of Armed Forces- Not later than the end of the 3-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, all United States Armed Forces serving in Iraq shall be completely withdrawn from Iraq and returned to the United States or redeployed outside of the Middle East.

(b) Prohibition on Use of Funds To Continue Deployment of Armed Forces in Iraq-

(1) PROHIBITION- Funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law may not be obligated or expended to deploy or continue to deploy members or units of the United States Armed Forces to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(2) EXCEPTIONS- Paragraph (1) does not apply to the use of funds--

(A) to provide for the safe and orderly withdrawal of the Armed Forces from Iraq pursuant to subsection (a);

(B) to ensure the security of Iraq by carrying out consultations with the Government of Iraq, other foreign governments, the United Nations, and other international organizations; or

(C) to ensure the security of Iraq by funding the United Nations-led peacekeeping mission.

(c) Armed Forces Defined- In this section, the term `Armed Forces' has the meaning given the term in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code.

[goodhue]

2. 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4

[goodhue]

4. . . .

[goodhue]

5. . .

[goodhue]

6. .

[goodhue]

8. !

[goodhue]

9. .

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Maybe someone should ask Kucinich why after almost two weeks,

this bill still has zero cosponsors. There are other liberals in Congress. Why hasn't Kucinich convinced them to cosponsor this bill?

[bvar22]

7. As usual, Dennis is speaking the TRUTH and LEADING!!!

"Now, in the first 100 days in a Democratic Congress; it
is the Democrats who are raising the banner of war in the name of the troops, in the
name of the Constitution, in the name of national security and in your name. Voila!
The Democratic version of the war in Iraq.

The Democratic Party is at a turning point. Either we take this nation out of Iraq
by cutting off funds NOW or we will forfeit the trust and the confidence of the
American people. There will be consequences for Democrats funding the war."


HR 1234 is the plan that will end the occupation, close the bases, bring the troops
home, make Halliburton and all contractors come home and stabilize Iraq with an
international peace-keeping and security force.

I'm with DK 100%. One of the few REAL Democrats in DC!!!!



K&R
:dem: