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Solidarity
Statement in Support of the Global Women’s Strike from Iraq Veterans Against
the War is a national network of recent veterans, and active duty
service people from all branches of the US military including the
National Guard who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since September
11, 2001. Based on our
experiences of war, we are committed to saving lives and ending the
violence in Iraq and call for immediate withdrawal of all occupying
forces. We want an end
to the pillaging and destruction of Iraq so that everyday Iraqi people
can control their lives and futures.
We also fight for full benefits and healthcare (including mental
health care), for all returning US soldiers. Nearly two years ago
the United States invaded the country of Iraq because the U.S.
government claimed that the Iraqis possessed weapons of mass destruction
and were training terrorists. However, we now know that this information
was based on fatally flawed intelligence and the U.S. government knew
it. In short, they lied to
both the world at large as well as to the soldiers who would eventually
fight bleed and die in Iraq.
Even though U.S. officials knew that the Iraqis did not possess
weapons of mass destruction, nor were they training terrorists prior to
the U.S. buildup, they chose to invade anyway with tragic results.
For the first time in history, women are serving in active combat
in large numbers and being exposed to mass violence both on the
battlefield and in garrison. Rape,
pregnancy, and sexual harassment are even more common overseas than they
are on stateside bases. 1,500
American soldiers have given their lives on the sands of Iraq; tens of
thousands of American soldiers have been severely wounded; and countless
American families have been irreparably torn apart.
However, even more tragically, specific numbers of Iraqi dead are
nearly impossible to calculate, and the suffering of the Iraqi people is
without measure. The U.S. war and
occupation in Iraq has done nothing to bring stability to the lives of
average Iraqis. Children now play in mine fields; clean water, food and
medicines are not readily available.
As Iraqi men leave their families in search of work or die in the
unstable streets, women are left alone to provide for their families.
They now find themselves and their children in a situation that
is more precarious than life under the Hussein Regime.
Though no one wishes to see Sadam Husseign in power, world
leaders could have used other methods to achieve the goal of a free and
peaceful Iraq. Had the U.S.
officials who instigated the war been truly concerned for the welfare of
the Iraqi people, they would have utilized diplomatic and humanitarian
solutions to end the tyranny in Iraq as opposed to years of sanctions,
bombings, and ultimately a prolonged occupation. As the body count rises and the “coalition of the willing” becomes less willing than ever, the Iraq Veterans Against the War proudly join Global Women’s Strike in calling for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq and it’s neighboring countries. We further urge the United Nations to provide meaningful humanitarian aid to provide for a truly safe environment for the Iraqi people. Finally, we urge all U.S. citizens to call upon their leaders to hold the Officials who lied to us accountable for their lies. Peace in Iraq can only be accomplished through global cooperation and true effort the stop this senseless killing. We applaud your efforts to work for “Caring, Not Killing.” Thank you. |