Castagnera on Risk Management in Higher Education… and more: Time to wrap up the Iraqi War?

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Time to wrap up the Iraqi War?

The email below is from Susan Shaer, a CREDO activist who is the co-chair of Win Without War, a coalition that fights to promote a more progressive national security strategy. Susan started a petition on CREDO Mobilize, where activists can launch their own campaigns for progressive change. Will you help Susan pressure Congress to repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization by signing her petition and sharing it with your friends and family?

Tell Congress to repeal authorization for the Iraq war.

Dear Jim,

Launching the Iraq war was one of the worst political decisions in American history, and today, while our troops have all come home, the law that authorized that disastrous war remains on the books.

That's why I started my own campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition, which is to the United States Congress, says the following:

Authorizing the Iraq war was one of the worst mistakes Congress ever made. It’s time for Congress to finally turn the last page on that disastrous war by repealing the 2002 Iraq war authorization.

Tell Congress: it's time to repeal the authorization of the Iraq war.

The Iraq war started after Congress gave George W. Bush the authorization to unleash America’s military might by passing the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, a law that remains in place.

In the past, war authorizations were often left unrepealed, as presidents could be trusted to come back to Congress if they thought new war authorities were needed. Unfortunately, the past 13 years have demonstrated that times have changed. From a seemingly ever-expanding drone war to the recent revelations of massive surveillance of Americans, the danger of relying on the good faith of our leaders is self-evident.

Today, Iraq -- which has been devastated by years of conflict coming on top of a brutal dictatorship -- remains a violent, unstable nation and a living, dying testament to the failed military adventures of the Bush years. There are even some in Washington who are calling for America to send our military back into Iraq today to deal with the continuing violence.

Thankfully, a bipartisan group in Congress has introduced legislation to repeal the Iraq war authorization, which would ensure that no American combat soldiers can be sent back into Iraq by this or any president. Unfortunately, even with the last U.S. combat troops having left Iraq over two years ago, there are some who want to keep this law on the books. That’s why we need your voice to put pressure on Congress to unauthorize the Iraq war.

Now is the time for Congress to finally right one of its worst wrongs by repealing the Iraq war authorization. Repealing the authorization will serve as a good reminder that all wars must end.

Will you join me and add your name to my petition to Congress to demand it repeal the authorization of the Iraq war now?

Thank you for your support.

Susan Shaer