In March of 2003 the
U.S. military preemptively attacked the sovereign nation of Iraq in a
bombing campaign that destroyed infrastructure, leveled
neighborhoods, and killed thousands of people. The reasons given for
going to war with Iraq have all proven to be false. Iraq had no
weapons of mass destruction, there was no connection between Saddam
Hussein and Al Qaeda, and Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. When
these lies were exposed, the remaining justification for a U.S.
presence in Iraq became the “liberation of the Iraqi people.”
But if the war in Iraq was really a humanitarian mission, after 5
years of occupation we should see evidence of improvement in the
lives of the Iraqi people.

Instead, we see a
devastating opposite. Over a million Iraqis have been killed. Over
2.3 million have fled their homes and another 2 million are displaced
inside Iraq. 70% of Iraqis lack access to safe drinking water, and
43% live on less than a dollar a day. At this moment, over 150,000
U.S. troops are enforcing checkpoints, guarding U.S. bases, raiding
homes, and attacking Iraqis who dare to defend their homeland. The
U.S. military is occupying Iraq, not to free the Iraqi people or
establish democracy, but to wage a war for oil and control over the
Middle East.

It was wrong to invade
Iraq in the first place and it’s wrong for us to continue the
occupation any longer. The majority of Iraqis want U.S. troops to
leave, just like the majority of Americans want to the war to end.
The economic crisis this country is facing is a direct result of our
government’s imperialist priorities. The war in Iraq has cost
taxpayers over $500 billion, and the price tag grows every day. This
money should be spent on meeting human needs, not waging unjust wars.
Now is the time to educate others about the costs of this war, hold
our elected officials accountable, and take action in the streets to
resist the war creatively and directly. Please see the following
articles and links for more information.

Articles of interest

Study: Iraqi Women and Children Account for Most Victims of US Air Strikes

from Democracy Now (April 17, 2009)

“Bush’s Lies About Iraq”
from The Nation magazine (the 5 main reasons he gave and how they’re all lies)

The U.S. Troop Surge in Iraq: A Failure

AWC article from Our Tribune, Spring 2008

Recruiters Lie, People Die! Bring the Troops Home Now!

Flyer from the Anti-War Committee’s civil disobedience action at the National Guard recruitment center, 2008

“Rush Hour Civil Disobedience Against the War”

Pulse cover story April 11, 2007

“10 Reasons We’re Against the War”
from Iraq Vets Against the War

A poll of Iraqis saying the majority want an end to the occupation and that the presence of U.S. troops is provoking more conflict than it is preventing.
From worldpublicopinion.org

A poll showing that most Iraqis think the surge has failed
From the BBC

The total cost of the war and the amount spent per day. Click here to see the amount the war has cost each household and person in the U.S. and to compare it to how else this $ could be used.
From nationalpriorities.org

Iraq: Eyewitness to Occupation – Interview with Sami Rasouli
For 20 years, Iraqi American Sami Rasouli lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a peace activist and restaurant owner. He visited Iraq in 2004, and decided to move home and help rebuild his country. He sold his restaurant and returned to Najaf, where he founded the Muslim Peacemakers Team (Summer 2006).