USLAW Statement on the Eleventh Anniversary of
the Illegal U.S. Invasion of Iraq
We
encourage all USLAW affiliates to post this statement on their
websites, reproduce it in newsletters, and circulate it electronically
and in print to members, supporters, the media and allies.
With
heavy heart and renewed determination, the officers, staff, and
affiliates of U.S. Labor Against the War mark the eleventh anniversary
of the outbreak of the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of
Iraq. For many Americans, the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq
at the end of 2011 marked the end of U.S. involvement with, and
responsibility towards, the Iraqi people. We disagree.
Even
though our combat forces are out, the war continues to have
catastrophic effects in Iraq, and for the families of tens
of thousands of U.S. veterans. Millions of Iraqis grieve the loss of
loved ones killed by the U.S. military, while Americans mourn the deaths
of thousands of our soldiers.
The
sectarian violence wracking Iraq has its immediate origins in the
ignorant and hubristic policies imposed by U.S. occupation
forces. The sectarian factionalism encouraged by the U.S. occupation
has paralyzed the Iraqi political process, presided over by a
dysfunctional government. Depleted uranium from U.S. munitions is a
continuing, widespread, and profound threat to the Iraqi
environment and people, and to returning U.S. troops. Iraqi workers,
80% of whom work in the public sector – the oil industry,
transportation, heavy manufacturing, hospitals, schools, ports, social
services - are forbidden from organizing unions and engaging
in collective bargaining because the U.S. kept in force the 1987 Saddam
Hussein decree that prohibits public sector workers from organizing
unions. All this and more is the legacy of a war that has not ended for
Iraqis, for which the American people and our
government must take responsibility.
The
war, now officially over for more than two years, continues to have
catastrophic effects in the U.S. as well. Our Iraq war
veterans suffer loss of limbs and eyes, long-term traumatic brain
injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They suffer from
homelessness, unemployment, and suicide disproportionate to their
numbers in society. The economic wellbeing of the country is threatened
by the overhang of debt created by the reckless funding of the war and
the distorted federal budget priorities that fund U.S. militarized
foreign policy, instead of devoting those resources to urgent domestic
human needs.
As
we reflect on the terrible continuing effects of the Iraq war, we in
U.S. Labor Against the War commit ourselves to continuing
and deepening our partnerships within the labor movement and with
peace, veterans, and community organizations. We will continue to work
with our partners in the Iraqi labor movement and Iraqi civil
society. We will not turn away from our longstanding commitments
to peace and justice in Iraq, and for our veterans and the American
people. We are determined to end our country’s militarized foreign
policy, no matter where our government seeks to apply it, and to promote
true security for our people through universal education,
health care, and modern infrastructure.
These are our commitments as we mark the eleventh anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq.
-30-
1718 M Street, NW, #153, Washington, DC 20036 ~ (202) 521-5265 ~ Info@USLaborAgainstWar.org
www.USLaborAgainstWar.org ♦ facebook.com/labor.against.war ♦ facebook.com/IraqSolidarity ♦ @USLAWLeader
No comments:
Post a Comment