NJ Coalition to Bring the Troops Home Now

Why NOW?

Since March 2003, more than 3,800 US troops have lost their lives in Iraq. Many thousands more have been wounded, and they will carry the cost of this war with them for the rest of their lives. The men and women of our armed services have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice because they believe it is their duty to us and to our country.

Not only Americans are paying a terrible price for this illegal and immoral war. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps more than a million, Iraqis have died in the more than four years since the invasion. The present state of violence and lawlessness in Iraq is the direct result of the U.S. occupation. The continued presence of U.S. troops only makes the situation worse. The vast majority of Iraqis want the U.S. to leave. It is time for us to do so.

We, the American public, must now do our duty as citizens and oppose this unjust war. Empty talk of “staying the course” or waiting to see if the escalation works, is a betrayal of our responsibility to the troops, to our country and to the people of Iraq.

In the words of Congressman John Murtha, the war is “a flawed policy wrapped in an illusion.” We must not allow any more brave Americans to sacrifice themselves in a war that should never have been fought, a war that is not in the interests of the people of the United States or the people of Iraq. We must support the troops in the best way possible – by bringing them home – now.

The war began based on a lie. The arguments for staying are also based on falsehoods. What are they?

Security. From the start of the war, our government has shown callous indifference to the safety of Iraqis. Thanks to the schemes and outright incompetence of our leaders, Iraq is now in a state of chaos and civil war. Even with the best of leadership our forces would not be able to reverse this. They have become a hated symbol of foreign occupation and a target for violence. It is up to the Iraqis to settle their differences and set the course for their nation. They can begin to do so when the U.S. troops come home.

Democracy. The Bush administration never had a plan to bring democracy to Iraq. Their plan was to install a known criminal and liar, Ahmed Chalabi, as president. They opposed elections and Iraqi rule. Today, even as they lose the ability to influence what happens, their goal remains the same – the political and economic control of the oil fields of Iraq.

Terrorism. Far from fighting terrorism, the U.S. invasion turned Iraq into a haven for terrorists. Since the War in Iraq started, terrorist acts worldwide have increased sevenfold. The only thing that unites the insurgents and the foreign Al Qaeda terrorists is their hatred of the United States occupation. There are already reports of fighting between them. Once our troops are gone, one of the major motivations for the insurgency will disappear.

Reconstruction. Iraqi reconstruction is a complete failure. The Iraqi economy is in a shambles, while in Baghdad there is electricity and water for only a few hours each day. Bush cronies have treated Iraq as a spoil of war to plunder and loot. The billions spent have gone to war profiteering corporations like Halliburton and corrupt officials. And now, in 2006, U.S. funding for major reconstruction is coming to an end.

Bush and Cheney have no plan for peace, security, democracy or reconstruction. The situation in Iraq is already beyond their control. They cannot admit their colossal lies and blunders so they continue to blindly, “stay the course.” Their main concern is their political future in this country, not the welfare of the Iraqi people or our troops.

The majority of Americans want our government to set a timetable for leaving Iraq. This withdrawal must begin immediately and can be accomplished in a matter of months. No U.S. bases or troops must remain behind. There must be no air war conducted from afar. No US oil companies should dominate the Iraqi economy and its resources. The U.S. should help pay for the real reconstruction of Iraq, this time supervised by Iraqis.

We are the NJ Coalition to Bring the Troops Home Now. This billboard was the start of our campaign to remind our fellow citizens that the war continues and that we must act now to support the troops and bring them home. It will be back in Newark for the month of August, 2007. We hope to follow it with other ads, billboards and media presence.

We call on concerned citizens throughout the state and throughout the country to make sure this is the last anniversary that finds us still at war in Iraq. Join us to Support the Troops and Bring Them Home Now.