An Open Letter to Rep. McKeon : Please End your Support for Iraq Escalation

Cal writes "Rep. McKeon: This Thursday, February 22 at 12:00 pm, Santa Clarita residents (representing a variety of political party memberships) will be gathered outside of your local congressional office to deliver letters to you in an effort to persuade you to reject future efforts involving President Bush's Iraq Plan to send an additional 21,500 U.S troops to Iraq. Through this effort, we are sending the message to our Congress that yes-their vote counts and we will support them. As you are aware, the House recently passed the 95 word non-binding bipartisan resolution (HCR) 63.

The resolution was approved 246 to 182. Seventeen Republicans joined 229 Democrats in support of the resolution. Two Democrats opposed the measure. You voted against this resolution This resolution expressed the House's disagreement with President Bush's planned troop buildup in Iraq. The nonbinding resolution pledged support for U.S. personnel serving "bravely and honorably in Iraq" but said Congress "disapproves" of the president’s plan to add more than 20,000 combat troops. Although the resolution is non-binding, it did send the strong message to the president that our Congress is committed to protecting and supporting our troops. Although the resolution died in the Senate ( 56 senators -including 48 democrats, 7 republicans and 1 independent- voted yes to support it) the battle is far from over. In upcoming weeks, Congress will have to decide how far they are willing to go to block the escalation. The majority of the American citizens do not support the war in Iraq for a number of reasons-as was evidenced in the U.S mid-term elections this past November. Even more people are against the escalation. Many think that the president’s escalation plan does nothing but repeat past mistakes. A bipartisan report by the Iraq Study Group was released this past December. The group, led by former secretary of state James Baker and former Democratic congressman Lee Hamilton, concluded that “the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating” and “U.S forces seem to be caught in a mission that has no foreseeable end.” Three four star generals testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advising that the US pull out of Iraq. In addition, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently met with with Vice President Dick Cheney. The Chiefs voiced their concerns about the declining ability of the U.S. military to deal with other crises around the world because of the over-commitment in Iraq and the stress on troops and equipment. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Washington's most important ally in Iraq recently announced Britain’s plan to pull 1,600 troops out of Iraq by this spring . He left open the possibility that remaining 5,500 British troops will be pulled out by 2008. This decision to cut British forces by more than 20% in the southern city of Basra runs counter to the Pentagon’s plans to increase U.S. troop levels to battle militants to the north, in Baghdad and Al Anbar province. In addition, Denmark announced that it would withdraw all of its 460 troops from southern Iraq by this summer. To date, 18 member nations of the "coalition of the willing" have reduced or abandoned their Iraq commitment. The war in Iraq is not a partisan issue. Most Americans do not support the war. However, those who do support the war criticize the current military strategy which causes unnecessary deaths and injuries of coalition and Iraqi troops, as well as civilian contractors and innocent Iraqi civilians. Rep. McKeon, I am asking you, as my Representative, to reject any escalation efforts in Iraq. To concerned citizens- People will be meeting today to drop off their letters for Rep.Mckeon at 12:00 pm in the lobby where Rep. McKeon’s office is located 26650 The Old Road. If you can not attend today, please write your concerns in a letter addressed to Rep. McKeon and mail to the main district office located at: 26650 The Old Rd., Ste. 203 Santa Clarita, CA 91381. You can also fax your letter to (661) 254-2380

Note: - Jeff"

Comments (2)

CorpocracyFighterFebruary 23 at 6:39 AM PT
Cal speaks my mind. The time for McKeon's misguided loyalty to a president whom the American people see as dangerous and inept should be over. The safety of our troops, stopping the plundering by corporate profiteers and channeling our resources back into domestic needs should be McKeon's priority. He is as culpible as this president for the terrible state this country is in and I wonder what will it take for him to wake up and start representing the people and not idealogues and special interests?
GingerApril 21 at 3:08 PM PT
I'm happy to see so many SCV residents reading this letter, but the sad thing is that Rep. McKeon probably WON'T read it. He remains oblivious to the concerns of his constituents. I can't help wondering if there is ANY issue on which he keeps an open mind (The Iraq War, Gun controll, Stem Cell research, etc.). What a dinosaur he has proven to be.