VETERANS!
Four Challenges for Veterans:
1. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld Must Resign
At the U.S. Army or Corps level, Civil Affairs/Military Government (G5) has the mission of, among other things, administering the military occupation when enemy territory has been overrun.
This means that the G5 Office is to ensure no insurgency or to minimize insurgency in the occupied territory. The importance of this activity for the Army is attested to by its being part of the General Staff, the same as Personnel, Intelligence, Operations and Logistics.
The lack of planning for the occupation of Iraq has led to the insurgency having its present strength, killing over 2500 U. S. military personnel.
According to retiring Brigadier General Mark Scheid, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld specifically forbade any postwar planning for Iraq, threatening to fire anyone who even discussed such planning.
Secretary Rumsfeld has the major responsibility for over 2500 American fatalities. He must resign.
Challenge: Demand that your Congressman tell the Administration that Secretary Rumsfeld must resign.
2. Traumatic Brain Injury Research Must be Fully Funded
For Fiscal Year 2006, Federal funds for Traumatic Brain Injury research was $14,000,000. The proposed amount for FY2007 was $19,000,000. This is in keeping with the increase of TBI cases arising from the Iraq War.
The Bush Administration is pushing to reduce TBI research funding to $7,000,000 – half of this year’s budget.
Traumatic Brain Injury is the ‘signature wound’ of the Iraq War. We are still learning how to recognize it – yet the funding is to be cut!
Challenge: Demand that your Congressman support Traumatic Brain Injury research funding be at least $19,000,000 in FY2007.
3. An Exit Plan for the Iraq War
The Bush Administration led us into the Iraq War without any plans.
Now they refuse to tell us how they plan to get us out. Our troops are over there without any idea of what we are doing or for how long.
Challenge: Demand that your Congressman vote to require the Bush Administration to prepare and announce an exit plan.
4. Observe the Geneva Convention and End Torture
The Bush Administration insists it has the right to ignore the Geneva Convention and to use illicit methods, including torture, to maintain the national security.
Military professionals adamantly oppose disregarding the Geneva Convention protocols, saying it puts our uniformed personnel at risk and undermines our moral authority as a nation.
Challenge: Demand that your Congressman either vote for adherence to the Geneva Convention or undergo a 72-hour ‘intensive interrogation’ by a CIA contractor.
