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htRichardson and Gravel Take on the Take Back America Conference
by David Swanson, [URL="http://afterdowningstreet.org/"]AfterDowningStreet.org
June 21st, 2007
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Two presidential candidates, Bill Richardson and Mike Gravel, spoke Tuesday morning at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, D.C. Barack Obama and John Edwards were expected later in the day, and Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich on Wednesday.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Richardson got loud applause. He focused on climate change, Kyoto treaty, a plan to reduce pollution by 20%, lower demand for oil by 50%, and raise fuel efficiency standards to 50 mpg, and require that 50% of our electricity come from renewable sources, and reduce greenhouse admissions by 80 percent. The crowd loved it. "If we can wage wars over weapons of mass destruction, we can find the will to stop the mass destruction of our planet." [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Topic number 2 was Iraq: How many troops would each of us (candidates) leave behind? Other than the customary Marine contingent at the embassy, I would leave zero troops behind. [big applause] And if our embassy personnel aren't safe, then they're coming home too. With all due respect to my colleagues Clinton, Obama, Dodd, Biden, they all voted for legislation with loopholes that would leave an unlimited number of troops behind indefinitely (for training Iraqi security forces, and to protect other US troops). Troops protecting troops training other troops doesn't sound any different to me. Senator Clinton has told her military advisor that there might still be troops in Iraq at the end of her second term. At the rate we are losing American lives, over 1000 American troops will die in Iraq in this year alone. Over 60 percent of Iraqis think it's OK to kill Americans. There is not a single sign that Iraq is improving, and a smaller force will do nothing to change that. How many more Americans must die before we leave an Iraq that will be no better off than it is today. WE NEED TO BRING THEM ALL HOME [huge applause.][/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]We need to bring all our troops home in 6 months. Only then can diplomacy begin. Leave troops in Kuwait. Hand security in Iraq over to an all-Muslim force. Organize a regional conference including Syria and Iran to help stabilize Iraq. Al Qaeda is tolerated in Iraq because they oppose Americans. Once Americans are gone, Iraqis will not tolerate Al Qaeda. [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Talking to your enemies can bring results. We need to bring back diplomacy. You don't make peace with your friends. You make peace with your enemies. This president broke Iraq. The next president needs to know how to use diplomacy to fix it.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]US Labor Against the War*:*Richardson and Gravel Take on the Take Back America Conference[/FONT]
tp://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/27/iraqis-poll/
AlterNet: The General Lies
Perhaps that is why this week's ABC/BBC poll shows that 70 percent of Iraqis believe security has deteriorated since the surge began and that 60 percent believe attacks on U.S. forces are justified. And 93 percent of Sunnis, whom the general and ambassador claim are joining our side, want to see us dead.
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by David Swanson, [URL="http://afterdowningstreet.org/"]AfterDowningStreet.org
June 21st, 2007
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Two presidential candidates, Bill Richardson and Mike Gravel, spoke Tuesday morning at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, D.C. Barack Obama and John Edwards were expected later in the day, and Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich on Wednesday.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Richardson got loud applause. He focused on climate change, Kyoto treaty, a plan to reduce pollution by 20%, lower demand for oil by 50%, and raise fuel efficiency standards to 50 mpg, and require that 50% of our electricity come from renewable sources, and reduce greenhouse admissions by 80 percent. The crowd loved it. "If we can wage wars over weapons of mass destruction, we can find the will to stop the mass destruction of our planet." [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Topic number 2 was Iraq: How many troops would each of us (candidates) leave behind? Other than the customary Marine contingent at the embassy, I would leave zero troops behind. [big applause] And if our embassy personnel aren't safe, then they're coming home too. With all due respect to my colleagues Clinton, Obama, Dodd, Biden, they all voted for legislation with loopholes that would leave an unlimited number of troops behind indefinitely (for training Iraqi security forces, and to protect other US troops). Troops protecting troops training other troops doesn't sound any different to me. Senator Clinton has told her military advisor that there might still be troops in Iraq at the end of her second term. At the rate we are losing American lives, over 1000 American troops will die in Iraq in this year alone. Over 60 percent of Iraqis think it's OK to kill Americans. There is not a single sign that Iraq is improving, and a smaller force will do nothing to change that. How many more Americans must die before we leave an Iraq that will be no better off than it is today. WE NEED TO BRING THEM ALL HOME [huge applause.][/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]We need to bring all our troops home in 6 months. Only then can diplomacy begin. Leave troops in Kuwait. Hand security in Iraq over to an all-Muslim force. Organize a regional conference including Syria and Iran to help stabilize Iraq. Al Qaeda is tolerated in Iraq because they oppose Americans. Once Americans are gone, Iraqis will not tolerate Al Qaeda. [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]Talking to your enemies can bring results. We need to bring back diplomacy. You don't make peace with your friends. You make peace with your enemies. This president broke Iraq. The next president needs to know how to use diplomacy to fix it.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia,times new roman,times,serif]US Labor Against the War*:*Richardson and Gravel Take on the Take Back America Conference[/FONT]
tp://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/27/iraqis-poll/
AlterNet: The General Lies
Perhaps that is why this week's ABC/BBC poll shows that 70 percent of Iraqis believe security has deteriorated since the surge began and that 60 percent believe attacks on U.S. forces are justified. And 93 percent of Sunnis, whom the general and ambassador claim are joining our side, want to see us dead.
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