Iraq: The Other Middle East Crisis
“Iraqi Death Toll Rises Above 100 Per Day, U.N. Says” (The New York Times, July 18)
“[U.S.] Military leaders foresee Iraq exit in 2016" (The Washington Times, July 17)
The flames of conflict between Israel and its neighbors have pushed the news from Iraq off the front pages of U.S. newspapers. But these two headlines and others tell the story of the deteriorating situation in Iraq that is intertwined with other conflicts in the Middle East.
The United Nations reported this week that the average daily death toll in Iraq reached 100 people a day in June, the highest figure since the U.S. forces entered Baghdad in 2003. Iraqis are being killed by roadside bombs and rockets, while shopping in the market, and while sitting in cafes. The UN recorded 3,149 people killed in the month of June, and, if the killings continue at that rate, 36,000 people will be killed in Iraq in the next year. The new government of Iraq is trying to negotiate an end to the violence, but the perception that the U.S. military plans an indefinite occupation of Iraq is fueling the insurgency and generating popular opposition to the government. Recent statements from U.S. leaders and headlines saying U.S. troops may need to remain in Iraq until 2016 do not help.
Urge Congress to Change the Course of U.S. Policy in Iraq
Congress could help by approving legislation stating that the U.S. will not seek agreements with the Iraqi government for permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. FCNL’s Iraq STEP (Sensible Transition to an Enduring Peace) resolution would signal to people in Iraq, to the international community, and to people in the United States that the U.S. does not intend to permanently occupy Iraq. This could be the first step toward changing the direction of U.S. policy from seeking a strategy for a military victory to seeking a strategy for a successful withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Congress should convey to the Iraqi government and its public that Congress accepts its responsibility to end the U.S. occupation and withdraw from Iraq. That is the first step to winning the peace in Iraq.
Although Congress passed the provision for no permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, the measure was not enacted into law. We need to press Congress to enact a no permanent bases provision into law. The good news is that bipartisan majorities in the House and the Senate have voted for a ban on permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq at least twice. But, the bad news is that this legislation has yet to become law. FCNL lobbyists believe Congress could still pass legislation this year to prohibit a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq, and such a congressional declaration could begin to shift the direction of U.S. policy toward ending the occupation.
The best way to prohibit a permanent U.S. military presence is to ban funding for U.S. military bases. Several senators are considering amendments to the military funding bill to urge a shift in U.S. policy away from occupation and toward developing a strategy for withdrawal. These amendments will be offered when the military appropriations bill (H.R. 5631) comes before the full Senate next week.
Take Action
Please email, fax, or write your senators today. Urge them to support amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5631) that would bar the Pentagon from spending funds to negotiate agreements with the government of Iraq for a permanent U.S. military presence and to prohibit more funding for building permanent military bases in Iraq. You can use the FCNL website to find a sample letter and send an email.
Background
Your phone calls, emails, and lobbying are working. Bipartisan majorities in the House and the Senate have supported at least two different pieces of legislation barring permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. But this legislation has yet to become law. In the last few weeks, FCNL lobbyists have identified language barring permanent bases in two pieces of legislation passed by the House and in one piece of legislation passed by the Senate. Read a summary of what is happening with legislation barring military bases.
This legislation would be a first step toward changing the conversation in Washington from how does the U.S. win to how does the U.S. leave Iraq. Our experience of the last few months demonstrates that we can persuade Congress to change the course of U.S. policy because we have. The administration exposed its intention to stay in Iraq by leaning heavily on the congressional leadership to remove our victory from the conference committee bill. We have to win again and again – until the administration finally accepts the will of the Congress for no permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq. If they knock down our no permanent bases provision seven times, then we’ll pass it eight times. We’re not going to abandon the Iraqi people who depend on an end to the U.S. occupation for their future peace and security. The Iraqi people cannot go to Congress directly on this issue, but we can. That’s our role in bringing the killing and suffering to an end and for building peace.
FCNL will be working in the next months to urge Congress to take the next step by enacting legislation that states:
- It is the U.S. policy to remove all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq;
- Requires an immediate timetable for the complete withdrawal of all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq no later than December 2007; and
- Provides resources for reconstruction by the people of Iraq through appropriate multinational, Iraqi national, and other Iraqi agencies.
Check back at www.fcnl.org/iraq for more updates.
Read an update on legislation barring permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq
Read recent FCNL statements on the conflict in the Middle East
Contacting Legislators
Contact your members of Congress through FCNL's web site.
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Contacting the Administration
Contact the President through FCNL's web site.
White House Comment Desk:
202 456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
White House web site
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
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