March 2008

An Anniversary that comes at a Terrible Price

Dear Friend,

Our country reached two tragic milestones this month: five years in Iraq and four thousand American men and women killed there, almost all of them after President Bush strutted down the deck of an aircraft carrier and proclaimed “Mission Accomplished.” Thirty- thousand more Americans have been injured in a war that didn’t need to be fought and a military occupation this Administration doesn’t know how to end. 

We’re spending $12-billion a month; $278,000 a minute; $4,630 a second — all borrowed — to stay there.  That’s putting at financial risk every other program, service, benefit and responsibility that we expect and demand from the U.S. government.

  Just a few months ago, Sunni militias in Iraq were killing Americans.  Now, we’re paying those same Sunni militias not to kill Americans — $10 per person per day — $24-million a month. 

Four thousand American men and women died so Sunni and Shi’a and Kurdish Iraqis could build a stable, unified government.  But that government isn’t much more stable or unified today than it was five years ago, before the deaths of 4,000 Americans. 

  The Bush Administration — and Senator John McCain — tell us we’re winning, so we can’t leave Iraq .  But if we’re winning, why are we stuck there?  Two out of three Americans want to bring our troops home.  The overwhelming public sentiment is whatever we’ve gained in Iraq simply isn’t worth the price we’ve had to pay.  

  Vice President Cheney summed up the Administration’s reaction to the American public: “So?” 

Four thousand American men and women killed in Iraq .  This war must end now.  I will continue to do all I can to bring this about.

 

Aloha,

Neil Abercrombie

Member of Congress