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| U.S. Reps Lee and Kucinich speaking to the press file photo |
Excerpt, editing by
Carolyn Bennett
Carolyn Bennett
CALIFORNIA CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE minces her words
“I will remain steadfast in my efforts for an accelerated
withdrawal and am heartened that a majority of Democrats and 12 Republicans in
the House joined me last week in an effort to end the war [on Afghanistan] now and safely and
responsibly bring our troops home.”
Enough is enough, Lee says.
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| Rep. Barbara Lee, center Rep. Lynn Woolsey, right Stand against war on Iraq |
“There is no military solution in Afghanistan.”
Approaching ten years of war have cost the deaths of “almost two thousand U.S. troops; more than $530 billion in direct costs.
“Two-thirds of Americans say the war is not worth fighting [and] it is past time for our policy to catch up with the American people.… While NATO leaders and President Obama took an important step toward ending the war, we need to bring our troops home now – not years from now.”
Approaching ten years of war have cost the deaths of “almost two thousand U.S. troops; more than $530 billion in direct costs.
“Two-thirds of Americans say the war is not worth fighting [and] it is past time for our policy to catch up with the American people.… While NATO leaders and President Obama took an important step toward ending the war, we need to bring our troops home now – not years from now.”
OHIO CONGRESSMAN DENNIS KUCINICH
minces no words
“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is no benevolent
organization [but] a cost-sharing organization that finances aggressive
military action.…”
 |
| Rep. Dennis Kucinich Activist Cindy Sheehan and others |
While hiding behind the claim of providing “for ‘common
defense’,” NATO “allows us to wage wars of choice under the guise of
international peacekeeping”: the most recent example being the “unconstitutional
war on Libya” where NATO operated “under a United Nations mandate of protecting
civilians” while in reality “backing one side in a civil war and pursuing a
policy of regime change.”
War on Libya’s estimated cost to the United States: $1.1
billion.
Milking the cow
Participation in NATO exacts great financial cost to the United States,
Kucinich said. “We contribute the majority of funds for NATO’s common budget —
including 25 percent of the military budget”; and we incur significant costs deploying
U.S. forces in support of NATO missions.
The United States “contributed more than $1.3 billion to
NATO’s military budget between FY 2010 and 2012.”
End the sham, end the show
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| U.S. Reps Lee and Kucinich Left, 2nd from right |
“Instead of trying to bolster the organization, we should
begin serious discussions to dismantle it.”
Sources and notes
Oakland, California: “Barbara Lee Releases Statement on NATO
Summit and Afghanistan,”
May 21, 2012, http://lee.house.gov/press-releases/barbara-lee-releases-statement-on-nato-summit-and-afghanistan/
Washington, D.C.: “NATO Talks a Sham: War in Afghanistan is
Not Ending — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) releases a statement as world
leaders meet in Chicago for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit,”
May 21, 2012, http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=296347
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