Kucinich challenges Democratic leadership

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Wed Oct-10-07 10:19 PM
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Kucinich challenges Democratic leadership

http://www.dennis4president.com/go/newsroom/kucinich-challenges-democratic-leadership/
Kucinich challenges Democratic leadership
Authorization approved five years ago today

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, October 10, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC - On the 5th anniversary of Congressional authorization to go to war in Iraq, Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich today demanded that the Democratic leadership of the Congress honor its commitment to voters and demand that funds already appropriated to continue the war be used, instead, to bring all U.S. troops home beginning immediately.

"If they don't, then they're just as responsible as the President for continuing this illegal and immoral war," said Kucinich, "and open to accusations of fraud upon the American people for promising during last year's elections that Democratic control of the Congress would mean an end to the war. Instead of ending the war, the leadership has knuckled under time and time again and given the President every dollar he's asked for to continue it."

By delaying a vote until early next year on the Defense Department's $190 billion appropriation bill, the Democratic leaders of the House and the Senate have tacitly acknowledged that the war effort is already fully funded for the next several months, Kucinich said. "The leadership needs to force a showdown with the President and demand that those billions of dollars be used to bring our troops home now." He estimated the cost to withdraw all troops and equipment at between $5 billion and $10 billion. "That money is there right now. There is no excuse not to use it to bring our troops home."

Kucinich, the only Democratic Presidential candidate who voted against the original war authorization in 2002 and every supplemental war-funding appropriation since, said Democratic protestations that they don't have the votes to block additional funding "is a hoax. You don't need votes. All we need is the backbone to exercise our Constitutional authority and the integrity to keep our word to the voters to do what we said we would do: end this war. Now."

Concurrent with that action, the Democratic leadership must also demand that the President immediately begin working with the United Nations and with nations in the region to establish an international security and peace-keeping force to replace U.S. forces as they withdraw. On February 28 of this year, he introduced H.R. 1234, which spells out a comprehensive plan to end the occupation and ensure stability.

"Our continued occupation is fueling the violence, and we have a moral responsibility to the Iraqi people to ensure security and stability as we leave. A multi-national force that includes all of the nations in the region is the best hope of ensuring that," Kucinich said.

Also today, the campaign re-released Kucinich's own 2002 intelligence analysis report that was circulated widely in the Congress in the weeks prior to the vote five years ago. In that report, Kucinich accurately predicted what would happen if Congress approved the measure:

"This language is so broad that it would allow the President to order an attack against Iraq even when there is no material threat to the United States."

"A unilateral attack on Iraq by the United States will cause instability and chaos in the region and sow the seeds of future conflicts all over the world."

"Unilateral action against Iraq will cost the United States the support of the world community, adversely affecting the war on terrorism."

"There is no credible evidence that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction."

"There is no connection between Iraq and the events of 9/11."

"Every member of Congress who voted for this war and who has voted to continue funding this war has a moral responsibility and a Constitutional obligation to end it," Kucinich said. "That is especially true of those who are now running for President of the United States. Instead, they're declaring that our troops will still be in Iraq until at least 2013, possibly longer."

"The President lied about the reasons to go to war in the first place, and the Democratic Party has broken its word to the voters last year about taking steps to end it. It's time for an end to the lies, and end to broken promises, and an end to the war."