To Congressman Steven Lynch
February 15th, 2006
Wednesday; 15th February, 2006.
The Hon. Stephen F. Lynch
Dear Mr. Lynch:
We attended the forum on Iraq on Monday, 6th February, at Curry College. We were glad that the forum on this vital topic took place and that you were able to exchange views with the numerous participants, among whom, it was very evident, were many who are concerned about the negative consequences for our nation of the continued presence of our troops in Iraq. Increasingly, citizens from all walks of life, all political persuasions and all backgrounds are becoming convinced of the tragic costs of keeping our troops on the ground in Iraq. Some of these costs can be measured and include budget-balancing cutbacks in services to the poor, the elderly and our veterans. Other costs include the precious lives of our service personnel, and these are incalculable.
Our incursion into Iraq was based on faulty intelligence and deliberate cherry-picking of material to make a case for an unnecessary pre-emptive war, unprecedented in America’s history. Serious misgivings were apparent from the start, and this has been extremely troubling to us as the proud but anxious parents of a wonderful Army daughter, currently serving in that troubled nation. She is in harm’s way every minute that she is there, and we wish to strenuously urge you to work in Congress to bring our troops home now.
During the course of the forum, you stated---as many Members of Congress recently have---that if you knew then what you know now, you would not have voted for the war. But many of us have come to ask, how is it that ordinary citizens with far fewer resources than the Congress knew the decision to go to war in Iraq was flawed, based on bad information, and that Members of Congress were unable to come to this all but self-evident conclusion. Was Congress “managed” or “handled” by those making the case for war? If so, has the time not come to stand up and oppose this practice and its tragic outcome for our country?
You indicated at the forum that, perhaps, in May of this year the troops could come home if Iraq were to have a stable government in place. By all accounts, including those of the White House, the chances of having even the beginnings of a stable functioning government in Iraq in May, 2006, are very slim; and everyone knows this. If we were serious and honest about bringing the troops home in May, 2006, the redeployment plan would already have long since been in effect.
Paul Pillar, former deputy chief of the Counterterrorist Center at the Central Intelligence Agency, now teaching at Georgetown University, warned the Administration before the invasion of Iraq that it would likely endure an unacceptably violent transition period. That warning has been amply vindicated. Current circumstances make it clear that a military strategy of “waiting for victory” is not appropriate. The time has long since come for political and diplomatic solutions, as you have correctly pointed out. Our troops have already done far more than should ever have been expected of them. As some of your colleagues in the Congress have aptly noted, homeward redeployment of our troops may actually calm the violence and thus allow the Iraqis to move ahead to establish a self-sustaining government.
As constituents and the parents of an Army soldier, we urgently request that you stand up to address this issue by working in Congress to bring our troops home now. We sincerely believe that such action would be in keeping with your oath of office to defend the Constitution of the United States. Thank you for making this issue your first priority as our Congressional Representative.
Sincerely,
Parents with a Daughter in the Army in Iraq
