Iraq: Support Bipartisan Calls for Change - FCNL
President Bush insisted again this week that the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq. But even as the president was talking, behind closed doors in Congress, elected officials from both major political parties began to discuss options for ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
We know the ongoing U.S. war and occupation of Iraq will be an important focus of congressional discussions after the mid-term elections on November 7. Some in Congress will use the next few months to either defend the president’s policies or score political points against the administration without offering solutions. But we have learned that a few legislators will try to craft a bipartisan way out of Iraq. Democrats and Republicans will have to work together to end the U.S. war and occupation and stop the killing. Read more about FCNL’s meeting with congressional staff.
You can influence congressional debate on Iraq right now. The remaining 12 days before the mid-term congressional elections present you an opportunity because both candidates and incumbents have to answer your questions and listen to what you have to say. Most members of Congress have at least some knowledge of the rapid deterioration of conditions in Iraq and the rising death toll of U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians. But many members of Congress are still unwilling to call for a time-line for a withdrawal of U.S. troops because they fear constituents will blame Congress for “losing” the war in Iraq.
The violence and political tensions in Iraq continue to escalate. U.S. military commanders have acknowledged the country’s slide toward civil war and are stating publicly that they may need even more troops in the next few months. No military solution can stop the conflict in Iraq. Instead, the U.S. should make policy choices that might, in conjunction with actions by Iraqis and neighboring countries, stop the descent toward civil war. Right now the U.S. is part of the problem, not part of the solution. The president, in a news conference, said he is willing to change tactics in Iraq, but he rejected any fundamental change of course.
Congress has the power to change the course of U.S. policy in Iraq through the power of the purse. We believe members of Congress should articulate a new U.S. policy toward Iraq that includes:
1. U.S. and Iraqi government negotiations with the Iraqi nationalists who lead the resistance to U.S. occupation;
2. setting a date certain for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq;
3. a regional process – including Iraq’s neighbors – convened by the UN Secretary General to plan and implement a successful withdrawal of U.S. military forces and to support a new Iraq national government; and
4. U.S. financial support through appropriate Iraqi and international agencies for the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
Take Action
Make peace in Iraq by calling on your government to exercise its responsibility to withdraw military forces from Iraq. Here are some things you can do:
- Write a letter to your representative urging him or her to speak out against the U.S. military occupation of Iraq. We also encourage you to send the same letter to other candidates.
- Join the public conversation before the elections. Campaign signs are already sprouting. Add some “War is Not the Answer” signs and bumper stickers to your neighborhood's public conversation.
- Ask questions. Talk to your friends and neighbors about the war in Iraq and, most importantly, talk to the candidates and their supporters. FCNL has prepared a list of questions to ask the candidates about the war in Iraq.
- Find out more on Iraq.
Recent Alerts
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
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