yourself."
in my email today....
http://www.peace-action.org/iraq/index.html
NOT ONE MORE LIFE We are approaching a tragic milestone in the U.S. occupation of Iraq. According to the Department of Defense 3,945 soldiers have died since the initial invasion nearly 5 years ago. Without doubt, before the March 18th anniversary of the occupation 4,000 mothers, fathers, sons & daughters - 4,000 self sacrificing men & women - will meet a violent end in a foreign country.
Those who do return home face overwhelming challenges which, for some, are fatal. The rate of amputations for the occupation is 2 times that of previous wars. Soldiers wounded in action have 20% likelihood they will suffer a traumatic brain injury capable of debilitating them for life.
Almost 40,000 troops are in treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. Many more are left untreated and at risk to commit violent uncharacteristic behavior. U.S. Veterans make up 25% of suicides in our country and almost 200,000 Veterans are homeless. The New York Times exposed the tumultuous lives some returning soldiers must face.
Women are twice as likely as their male counterparts to suffer from PTSD largely in part to sexual assault by fellow soldiers. One in four female soldiers will report a sexual assault: 37% will testify they were raped multiple times, 14% will testify they were gang raped.
FIND A CAMPAIGN AGIANST THE OCCUPATION
FIND A PEACE ACTION AFFILIATE
NOT ONE MORE DOLLAR
A potential recession hovers over our economy while the Bush Administration callously wastes billions of dollars in this futile occupation. Middle and lower income families are strapped to make ends meet as gas, health and housing prices rise and the President's budget proposal cuts funding for social programs.
With the passage of the $70 billion fiscal year 2008 'bridge' fund the total funding for the Iraq occupation will top $700,000 billion. The National Priorities Project estimates the total cost of the war to top one trillion dollars.
Continuing to fund this occupation only benefits the military contractors like Blackwater & Halliburton. Compared to the Gulf War where there were 50 soldiers to every contractor in Iraq today there are now 10 military personnel to every contractor. Well over $68 million in parts and equipment shipped to contractors has been unaccounted for as of today.
NOT ONE MORE DAY IN IRAQ The Bush administration continues to insist that the occupation is going well but a recent Lancet study claims over 655,000 Iraqi lives have been lost in the process. Those lives, and the lives of our soldiers, were wasted in a feeble attempt by the Bush administration to secure control of Iraqi oil. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees - those left in Iraqi have limited access to electricity and water. Journalists, citizens, aid workers, and soldiers still struggle to remain safe from suicide bombs, assignation, and kidnapping. U.S. presence in Iraqi only perpetuates these problems. The only way to begin reconstruction is to withdraw U.S. troops today.