Lynn C. Woolsey: “this Thursday, September 21, is the International Day of Peace, as established by the United Nations a quarter century…”

“this Thursday, September 21, is the International Day of Peace, as established by the United Nations a quarter century ago. To recognize it, a coalition of peace and religious organizations are mobilizing thousands upon thousands of people around the country in a week's worth of marches, vigils, and rallies. Their goal: an end to the Iraq occupation and the safe return of our troops back home to the United States. I have signed their Declaration of Peace Congressional Pledge, and I strongly urge my colleagues to do the same. In addition to troop withdrawal, the pledge calls for important post-occupation steps that I and many of my colleagues have been pushing for some time now: among other things, no permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq; a reconciliation process led by the Iraqis which may include an international peacekeeping presence; Iraqi control over its internal affairs and its rich oil supply; increased support for veterans of the Iraq conflict; the establishment of a peace dividend with the money being spent on occupying Iraq being reinvested in our people so they will have more jobs, stronger schools, better housing, and more efficient and affordable health care. So how is the Bush administration celebrating International Peace Day? By promising us a semipermanent state of war, an open-ended occupation of Iraq. General Abizaid said today that we will maintain our current troop levels for at least the next 9 months. There you have it.…”