We Must Support Our Troops - By Bringing Them Home
The following is a press release from January 16, 2004, from the Kucinich campaign
***
Kucinich: We Must Support Our Troops
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2004
Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich, a strong opponent of the occupation of Iraq, today said "I have come to the conclusion that we must support our troops." Kucinich laid out a number of steps that should be taken:
"US soldiers are being held in Iraq and required to serve past the completion of their terms of service, while their families await their return. This practice must end. It must be made no more politically acceptable than a formal draft.
"About 2,500 soldiers who have returned from war are awaiting medical care at bases in the United States. They must be provided with treatment immediately, with the same urgency that the Administration places on sending more troops abroad or shooting a man to the moon.
"US troops in Iraq are committing suicide at an increasing rate, despite the work of special teams sent to help them handle stress. The US Army reports 21 suicides and has not completed all investigations into deaths. The Army began efforts to address this problem last year after soldiers returning to Fort Bragg, NC, killed their wives and themselves. But the effort has not identified any common thread, according to the Army.
"I can identify a common thread. These soldiers are all risking their lives. They are being shot at by the people that their commanders have told them they are in Iraq to serve. And they are being ordered to fight these people, to take actions that destroy homes and kill women and children. They see the situation growing worse every day, but they have been trained to do what they are ordered. The solution is not counseling. The solution is to end the US occupation of Iraq, bring in UN peacekeepers, and work through the UN to establish a democracy that will be viewed as legitimate by the Iraqi people.
"We owe our troops no less than to work to bring them home quickly and safely."
For more information: http://www.kucinich.us
For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.
Campaign Press Secretary: David Swanson 301-772-0210, cell 202-329-7847, fax 301-772-7293, swanson@kucinich.us
Subscribe to this blog's feed