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Greens Mark 2,000 Troop Deaths in Iraq, Demand End to Occupation Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Contacts: Greens press for immediate withdrawal and call for political action to remove pro-war politicians; Wisconsin Greens campaign for state referendum to return U.S. troops. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Parties across the U.S. are marking the announcement that 2,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces have been killed in Iraq, with vigils, protest rallies against the continued occupation, and other events. "We're remembering the 2,000 dead American troops, thousands more injured, and also the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the U.S. invasion and occupation," said Rebecca Rotzler, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States, co-chair of the party's Peace Action Committee, and Deputy Mayor of New Paltz, New York. "'Occupation' has become a euphemism for continued war." Greens noted that the number of estimated civilian Iraqi casualties -- uncounted by the U.S. Department of Defense -- ranges from 24,000 to more than 100,000, and that U.S. military deaths which occur outside a war zone from injuries sustained within a war zone are not counted within the Defense Department's 2,000 figure. Green Party leaders emphasized the need for concerted political action to follow up on the September 24 protests in Washington, D.C. and other cities against the war. "Unless Americans appalled by the direction of our country take steps to remove the Bush Administration and the Republicans and Democrats who supported the war, the September 24 demos will have limited effect," said Steve Kramer, co-chair of the Green Party. In Wisconsin, Greens have initiated a ballot referendum which, if approved by voters in an April 2006 election, will authorize the state to demand the complete and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Green Party called for the impeachment of President Bush in July, 2003, citing the numerous deceptions and violations of U.S. constitutional and international law behind the invasion. The party has also strongly criticized Democrats and Republicans who surrendered Congress's constitutionally mandated power to declare war to President Bush, and has condemned the requests from some Democratic leaders to increase troop numbers, especially Sen. Hillary Clinton's (N.Y.) call for 80,000 more troops. In calling for a White House order to begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops immediately, the Green Party has rejected the position of Democrats who ask for a plan to withdraw troops by the end of 2006. "Every day the occupation is prolonged, more American troops and Iraqi civilians will be killed and maimed, we're no closer to stability in Iraq, and are possibly nearer to a civil war there," said Jody Grage Haug, Green Party co-chair and GPAX member. "The thousands of dead soldiers and civilians, nonexistent WMDs, forged evidence of an Iraqi nuclear threat (highlighted by the Plame scandal), torture in Abu Ghraib, and realization that a radical political ideology has motivated a massive abuse of power have resulted in majority opposition to the war, according to recent polls." "On this sad day, we also remember the servicemembers who are still risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we remember the families who have lost loved ones and who fear news of a lost loved one. And we thank people like Cindy Sheehan and all the veterans, families of fallen soldiers, and organizations supporting them for calling America back to sanity," added Marc Sanson, party co-chair. MORE INFORMATION Green Party of the United States
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