[Peace-discuss] UAW slams troop surge

[Robert Naiman]

UAW is often a "leading indicator" on this sort of thing. Hopefully
more will follow. A flood of these would strengthen the hand of the
hard line in the Democratic caucus.

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International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural
Implement Workers of America – UAW

Ron Gettelfinger, President
Elizabeth Bunn, Secretary-Treasurer
Vice Presidents:
General Holiefield • Bob King • Cal Rapson • Jimmy Settles • Terry Thurman

January 12, 2007

Dear Representative/Senator:

During the coming weeks Congress will be considering a number of
measures relating
to President Bush's plan to expand the number of U.S. troop in Iraq. The UAW
strongly opposes this proposed escalation of U.S. involvement in Iraq.
We urge you to
support measures that will redeploy and bring U.S. troops home.

President Bush has belatedly admitted that his policies in Iraq have
not been working.
The reason, as is now plainly evident, is that Iraq is embroiled in a
civil war between
rival ethnic and religious factions. The U.S. cannot solve this
internal civil war. Only
Iraq's leaders can do this, through politically negotiated agreements
between the rival
factions. Increasing American troops only postpones the day when
Iraq's leaders will
have to assume responsibility for the future of their own country.

The UAW applauds the heroism and dedication of the U.S. troops who have
performed so magnificently in Iraq. We believe they should continue to receive
whatever funding and support is necessary to protect them.

But we also believe it is fundamentally wrong to send more U.S. troops
into harm's
way by placing them in the midst of the sectarian conflict in Iraq. It
is wrong to send
more troops into battle based on a plan that cannot solve this
internal civil war.

In our judgment, it is particularly noteworthy that President Bush's
troop surge plan
ignores the advice and recommendations from many leading U.S. military
commanders, as well as the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. These military
leaders and
respected former government officials all recognize that the troop
surge plan will not
work. Instead, it will only serve to inflame the conflict in Iraq and
inflict even greater
casualties on American troops. Moreover, it will put further unwise
and unacceptable
strains on our nation's military forces, and detract from our ability
to combat terrorism
and strengthen our homeland security.

As we now know, President Bush's decision to invade Iraq in March 2003 was based
on erroneous assertions that Iraq possessed weapons of mass
destruction that were a
threat to the United States. Under a banner trumpeting "Mission Accomplished,"
President Bush subsequently announced on May 1, 2003 that major combat
operations had ceased in Iraq. Now, after almost four more years of
conflict, over
25,000 brave American soldiers have been killed or wounded. Yet
President Bush is
now proposing to compound his mistaken policies by further escalating
U.S. military
involvement in Iraq.

The UAW urges Congress to exercise its constitutional responsibilities
by rejecting this
mistaken and counterproductive response to the situation in Iraq.
Instead, we urge
you to support measures that will decrease U.S. military involvement
in Iraq and bring
our troops home.

Thank you for considering our views on this critically important national issue.

Sincerely,
Alan Reuther
Legislative Director