Here's a great idea for a sad occasion

[proud2BlibKansan]

Dear Peacemakers,



Sadly, we are at that point in time when we are painfully anticipating the 2,500th U.S. casualty in Iraq. Checking the Icasualties.org figure today, we are now at 2,496 confirmed US military deaths, with one pending confirmation.



In an effort to draw more attention to this tragic number of lives lost and to engage peacemakers in a meaningful way, we ask you to deliver a flower to news directors at area media outlets. Please attach the message below to the flower (print out or copy) adding your name and any personal message you would like to include.



Please make your delivery on the day(s) after the announcement of the 2,500th death on the evening news.



Below are the addresses of the major media outlets to which we would like you to deliver your message.



Please let us know to whom you’ve delivered flowers. Please also encourage others to join you or offer to deliver flowers and their message for them.



Thank you for your efforts for peace.



Sincerely,



KC Iraq Task Force

KC AFSC








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Addressed for the Media:



WDAF 4 FOX, News Director 3030 Summit, Kansas City, MO 64108 [phone]



KSHB, News Director NBC Action News, 4720 Oak Street, KC, MO 64211



KMBC TV9, News Director 1049 Central, KC, MO 64105 [phone]



KCTV 5, News Director 4500 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205



KC Star, Steve Shirk,

Managing Editor, News 1729 Grand Avenue, KC, MO





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Dear News Director,



I bring to you this flower mourning the 2,500th U.S. military death in the Iraq war. I represent 76% of the U.S. public, some 224 million individuals, who feel that there have been “an unacceptable number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq.” (ABC News / Washington Post Poll, May 11-15, 2006)



I urge you to fully report the debate on the Iraq war and the feelings of the majority of Americans.



It is time to end the war and bring the troops home!



Sincerely,











--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And call your Senators and Congressperson!

Iraq: Conferees Eliminate Ban on Permanent Bases


Thwarting the will of the majority, a joint House and Senate conference committee this week decided to delete language barring permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq from legislation pending in Congress. Meeting behind closed doors, negotiators from the conference committee dropped language that would ban permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, language that both chambers had approved in the emergency war supplemental spending bill.
Disappointment Tempered by Hope and Rising Debate in Congress

Our disappointment in the congressional leadership’s actions this week is tempered by the knowledge that, thanks in large part to your work, majorities in both chambers have determined the goal of U.S. policy is to remove all bases and, ultimately, to leave Iraq. Read more about the language that was included in the House and Senate bills at http://www.fcnl.org/action/2006/lam0504.htm.

Both the Senate and the House will begin new debates on U.S. policy toward Iraq next week that provide opportunities to persuade Congress to shift the debate about Iraq from how the U.S. wins to how the U.S. leaves.

U.S. troops in Iraq are now part of the problem, not part of the solution. The perception that the U.S. intends to permanently occupy Iraq, bolstered by decisions such as this recent congressional action, is fueling the conflict.

We at FCNL believe that three points should guide future U.S. policy in Iraq. We urge Congress to enact legislation that:

* States that it is the U.S. policy to remove all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq;
* Requires the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq; and
* Provides resources for reconstruction by the people of Iraq through appropriate multinational, national, and Iraqi agencies.

Take Action

Next week, the Senate is scheduled to consider several changes in U.S. policy in Iraq during a debate on military authorization legislation. Please contact your senators today to urge them to support legislation that will shift the focus of U.S. policy from how to win in Iraq to how to leave Iraq.

Please also contact your representative. The House leadership has agreed to schedule an extended debate on U.S. policy in Iraq next week. This debate will be an opportunity for your representative to speak out publicly in favor of a change in U.S. policy in Iraq.

You can find a sample message and contact your legislators directly through FCNL's online legislative action center at: http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8834266&type=CO
Background: How Did the Congress Reverse the Ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq?

Thanks in large part to your work, both the House and the Senate recently voted to amend supplemental funding legislation (H.R. 4939) pending before Congress with specific language to prevent spending to establish permanent military bases. The supplemental funding legislation will provide additional funding for the war in Iraq as well as hurricane relief and other programs. Significant differences in the versions of the supplemental legislation approved by the two chambers required that negotiators from the House and the Senate meet in a conference committee to work out a single bill. Meeting behind closed doors this week, the conference committee quietly removed the provisions from this legislation that were intended to bar spending on building permanent military bases.

The supplemental funding legislation is expected to win approval from both chambers in the next few days. President Bush has said he will sign the legislation.

Although the ban on permanent bases will not become law in the supplemental bill, we at FCNL believe that both chambers of Congress passed an important milestone this spring when they approved a clear statement of policy that the U.S. does not seek permanent military bases in Iraq. In the next few months, FCNL will be continuing to work with Congress to bar permanent bases and also to change the focus of U.S. policy from how the U.S. wins in Iraq to how the U.S. leaves.

The situation in Iraq is becoming progressively worse every day. As FCNL’s Colonel Dan Smith (USA Ret.) describes in his blog (http://quakerscolonel.blogspot.com/2006/06/military-kills-al-zarqawi-political.html) this week, the killing of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi in Iraq does not address the underlying problems in Iraq or provide the political solutions Iraq requires. U.S. policy has brought civil war to Iraq. If the U.S. continues along the current course, the result will be more violence and more deaths.

The time has come for Congress to determine a new course in Iraq. War is Not the Answer.



Back to Regular View

Contacting Legislators

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Contacting the Administration

White House Comment Desk:
202 456-1111
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
White House web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

[bananas]

1. Good idea - was that from a mailing list? nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Yes, from my local peace group