Campaign to Bring the Troops Home
Afghanistan
A number of Oregon-based community groups are working together on a new phase of the Campaign to Bring the Troops Home–namely, trying to keep the Oregon National Guard from being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in summer, 2009.
The effort will include urging resolutions and legislation which the state of Oregon can use to challenge the federalization of the Guard. The main issues are that the Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) for the invasion of Iraq (October, 2002) and the “war on terror” (September 18, 2001) have no provisions to end those conflicts. Furthermore, the Iraq AUMF refers to the “national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforc[ing] all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq.” It also references the regime of Saddam Hussein being in possession of weapons of mass destruction, harboring Al Quaida members responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, and enforcing UN resolutions against that regime, reasons which were never or are no longer valid.
Groups working on this effort include Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-Portland, War Resisters League-Portland, Center for Intercultural Organizing, Community Alliance for Lane County, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, Code Pink Portland, Women in Black, and Military Families Speak Out-Oregon. As of June 24, 30 organizations were signed on as supporters (go here for a full list).
Efforts over the coming year will include signature gathering, letter writing, educating elected officials on the local, state and national level on the issue, public visibility, and more.
Past efforts around Oregon by these groups and others have included resolutions to bring the troops home in city councils (Corvallis, Portland, Eugene) and the state legislature, a letter from 61 Oregon elected officials calling for President Bush to bring the troops home, and postcards to Governor Kulongoski asking him to keep the Guard home.
A draft resolution / piece of legislation is on the Peace and Justice Works website here.
A petition to urge Oregon’s elected officials to take the necessary steps to prevent the further deployment of Oregon’s National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan is attached as a .pdf. If you have trouble opening it, the petitions are also on line here.
Here’s what it says on the petition:
To the elected officials in the state of Oregon:
We, the undersigned, urge you to take the steps necessary to prevent the further deployment of Oregon’s National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan.
–The Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq (2002) is based on Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, harboring Al Qaida members responsible for 9/11, and enforcing UN resolutions against Saddam Hussein’s regime, reasons which were never or are no longer valid.
–The Authorization for Use of Military Force of September 2001, which launched the “War on Terror,” is overly broad and has allowed the US to occupy Afghanistan and conduct airstrikes on other countries while chipping away Americans’ human, civil and constitutional rights.
–Oregonians have shown a desire to bring the troops home:
61 elected officials from 27 counties signed a letter to President Bush in September, 2007;
the Oregon State House and Senate passed resolutions in March and May, 2007;
the cities of Corvallis, Portland and Eugene passed similar resolutions in 2006 and 2007;
thousands of Oregonians have written letters, postcards and emails, made phone calls, marched and protested.
–Governor Ted Kulongoski told the Oregonian in October, 2006 that he believes the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq “is making things worse” and that the U.S. should set a strict timetable for getting out.
–Legislation to de-federalize the Guard due to the expiration of the Iraq AUMF has been introduced in Vermont, New Jersey, and several other states.
–Oregon needs its National Guard to respond to forest fires and natural disasters and for search and rescue missions.
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If your organization wishes to be listed as a supporter of the campaign, please let us know. A supporter means doing at least the first item and any or all of the other following tasks:
— Lending your name to the effort;
— Circulating information to your group’s members and supporters;
— Gathering signatures on the petition about the campaign
— Helping recruit other organizational and/or individual supporters for the campaign
— Considering meeting with your elected representatives about the campaign
Please let us know how your efforts go, and again if your organization wants to be listed as a supporter of this campaign. We will keep you posted with updates.
— dan handelman
Peace and Justice Works
Iraq Affinity Group
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065 (Office)
iraq@pjw.info
http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html