Win Without War

Past Actions: June 2004 Statement from the Win Without War Coalition
End the U.S. Military Occupation of Iraq and Begin a Phased Withdrawal Now

The Bush administration’s preemptive war and military occupation of Iraq have left more than 800 American soldiers dead and nearly 5,000 wounded and maimed. An estimated 10,000 Iraqis have lost their lives. The war has made America less safe by fueling terrorism in Iraq and around the world. It has isolated America, alienating even our strongest allies and friends while putting the burden of securing Iraq almost entirely on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform and American taxpayers. More than $120 billion has been wasted on an occupation that has shamed our nation, undercut our leadership in the world, and aroused Arab and Muslim hatred against us.

After dismissing the UN as “irrelevant,” the White House has now turned to the UN Security Council for leadership and support in Iraq. It has accepted a UN resolution that sets a timetable for ending the occupation and puts Iraqi troops under Iraqi command. Authority for maintaining foreign forces in Iraq expires in December 2005, or earlier if Iraqis request it.

The Bush administration yielded not because it has changed its views but because of mounting political pressure at home and abroad. This is an important beginning, but it is hardly enough. It is crucial that the pressure continues. The administration does not have an exit strategy from Iraq. It has yet to commit to withdrawing a single U.S. soldier. It continues to pursue plans to establish permanent U.S. bases there and intends to keep complete control of Abu Ghraib and all other military prisons. It continues to dish out lavish long-term contracts to American and other foreign firms and dominate the Iraqi economy. The U.S. also continues to bear almost the entire burden of the occupation in Iraq – with or without a UN Resolution.

Iraqis will not have genuine sovereignty while tens of thousands of foreign troops remain on their soil and have the right to conduct military actions without Iraqi government approval. According to a recent poll, the majority of Iraqis want U.S. troops to leave Iraq and believe they will be safer when the troops have departed. Nor are they likely to have faith in a government established by a discredited, U.S. appointed governing council and led by someone with direct links to the CIA. The presence of U.S. troops continues to be a source of provocation – our soldiers remain targets of insurgency. Only Iraqis can provide true security for their country. They will stand up to insurgents only if it is done for Iraq and Iraqis – not for Americans. Responsibility for providing security must be handed over to them through a phased withdrawal of the U.S. military presence, starting now.

We therefore call on the Bush administration to:

Immediately begin the phased withdrawal of the U.S. military from Iraq.

Start the phased draw down of U.S. forces now so that all American troops are out of Iraq by at least the expiration of the UN Security Council authorization in 2005;
Transfer control and management of Iraqi prisons to Iraqis, including the infamous Abu Ghraib prison;
Declare unequivocally that the United States will not retain a long-term military presence in Iraq and stop construction and upgrading of permanent military bases and facilities.
Stop awarding lavish contracts to American and other foreign firms. Give Iraqis control and responsibility for rebuilding their country.

Fire Secretary Rumsfeld and those responsible for the torture of Iraqi prisoners.

All those responsible for the torture of Iraqi prisoners should be held accountable, especially top civilian and military leaders. As America learns more about the prisoner abuse scandal, it is becoming clear that the path to the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib prison began at Secretary Rumsfeld's office in the Pentagon. Policies put in place by Secretary Rumsfeld encouraged the physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners. Lower ranking soldiers must be held accountable but not be made scapegoats.

The abuses at Abu Ghraib and other prisons have shredded every principle of moral decency. The cavalier disregard for international law reflected in this scandal has characterized the entire U.S. mission in Iraq. Those responsible for these abuses must be removed from office as a first step toward reclaiming our nation’s honor and moral standing.

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