Whereas, the Maine Democratic State Committee strongly supports the brave men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces in Iraq and recognizes the sacrifices that each of them is making; the Democratic State Committee stands ready to help these servicemen and women in any way it can;
Whereas, in October 2002, the United States Congress adopted a Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq, relying on crucial Bush administration statements that were untrue, when in fact:
- The United States was not threatened with attack by Iraq;
- Iraq had no known weapons of mass destruction;
- Iraq had no known role in the 9/11 attacks;
Whereas, in going to war, the President did not meet the conditions imposed by Congress in that Joint Resolution, failing to show Congress:
- Diplomatic or peaceful means alone would not protect the national security of the United States or lead to enforcement of Security Council resolutions on Iraq;
- Going to war was a necessary action against Iraq on the premise -- never proven -- that Iraq authorized, committed, or aided in the 9/11 attacks; or that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas, the Bush Administration, using faulty intelligence estimates, misled the country into an unnecessary and unwise invasion of Iraq, a country that had neither attacked nor posed an immediate threat to the United States, consequently jeopardizing our national security;
Whereas, in the invasion and ongoing coalition presence of Iraq more than 2200 US soldiers have been killed, thousands of US soldiers wounded, and untold tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens killed, wounded or made homeless in the continuing conflict in Iraq, destroying the hopes and aspirations of thousands of families here and in Iraq;
Whereas, the invasion and ongoing coalition presence have created a severe burden on our economy, stretched the capacity of our armed forces, including Reserve and National Guard troops who are serving unexpectedly long and difficult tours in Iraq;
Whereas, the invasion and ongoing coalition presence continues to cause deep concern at home and abroad about the policies and intentions of the United States to the point where the United States is widely regarded with suspicion, hostility and distrust;
Whereas, a British Ministry of Defense August 2005 poll showed that 82% of Iraqis are “strongly opposed” to the presence of coalition troops and 45% believe attacks against American and British troops are justified;
Whereas, Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political leaders at the Cairo Reconciliation Conference, held under the auspices of the Arab League on November 19-21, 2005, issued a communiqué that “demands a withdrawal of foreign troops on a specified timetable,” acknowledged a general right to resist foreign occupation and called for the release of all prisoners who have not been charged and an investigation into torture allegations;
Whereas, more than 251 billion dollars, according to the Congressional Research Service, have been spent or allocated for the Iraq invasion and occupation, with hundreds of billions more expected to be spent, diverting billions of dollars from pressing priorities at home;
Whereas, our military is being drained of its capability to respond to crises in other parts of the world;
Whereas, our presence in Iraq fuels the insurgency, which prolongs the destruction of Iraqi communities and infrastructure, and unwittingly assists in the recruitment and provides for the training of those who would harm us, making us less secure;
