Deirdre Helfferich
2005-11-22 04:01:51 UTC
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 17:44:31 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Green Wave: Write a Green letter or op-ed column on Iraq withdrawal
Green Wave
November 2005
Attn Greens & friends
As several published articles have noted recently, a
large percentage of the public has grown disgusted
with the Bush Administration and the Republicans, but
they aren't very impressed by Democrats either.
Greens are in a unique position to advance the party's
position on the Iraq War, assert some political
leadership as the party of opposition to bipartisan
war policies, and stress the failure of Dems to
provide antiwar leadership. We need to do so publicly
and as soon as possible.
One of the best ways to do this is to flood newspapers
and other media with letters to the editor and op-ed
column submissions.
Below are a list of bullet points for this purpose,
and two sample letters to the editor. If you use the
bullet points or samples, rewrite and reword them
according to your own style and preference. If you
can, make your letter or column personal, if, for
instance, the war has touched you because of the loss
of someone you know or if you've undertaken a specific
action in opposition to the war.
These bullet points focus on the invasion itself, but
there are other points that can also be discussed,
such as Green support for Cindy Sheehan, the US's
dependency on oil and dedication to oil company
profits as a motivating factor, the revelations of the
Valerie Plame affair, and the role of Israel.
Keep your letter as concise as possible and avoid
passionate denunciations. Eight paragraph letters and
tirades that begin with "The New York Times has
deceived and betrayed the American people..." don't
get published.
Guest op-ed columns can be longer and can employ more
of the bullet points. Check the targeted newspaper's
web site for specifications. If you need some help
with editing and submitting your column, send a note
BULLET POINTS
(Important!) The only rational action is an end to
the occupation and immediate withdrawal of US troops
from Iraq. The demand by some Democrats for a
withdrawal plan by the end of 2006 will only result in
more US troop and Iraqi civilian deaths.
(Important!) President Bush and the Republicans
have shamed the US, breached international and US
constitutional law, and weakened our security. They
did so with permission from the Democratic leadership
and the major media. We need to hold them all
accountable, and we need new political leadership.
Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.) and other Congress
members who have condemned the Iraq War deserve our
thanks, but why did it take them so long to speak out?
In early 2003, at the beginning of the invasion, it
was already evident that the Bush Administration's
motivations were based on deception.
While Democrats and the media fell for the White
House's fraudulent claims, millions of Americans were
skeptical. Many of us, including the Green Party,
spoke out publicly against the invasion.
When Republicans and many Democrats voted to
transfer Congress's constitutionally mandated war
power to the White House in October 2002, they
undermined the balance of power and created the
scenario for the deceit and massive abuse of power by
the Bush Administration's radical ideologues.
There was plenty of intelligence by early 2003 to
show that Saddam Hussein had no WMDs, although CIA
analysts were pressured to show otherwise. The
inspectors' search for WMDs in Iraq had turned up
nothing when President Bush interrupted them by
launching the invasion. The accusation that Saddam
Hussein had conspired with al-Qaeda was never
plausible, and Bush officials already knew that the
nuclear weapons charge was based on a forgery.
President Bush, in his 2003 State of Union address,
and Secretary of State Colin Powell, in his February
2003 speech before the UN, misled the US and the world
-- and we should have known it. [Excellent source for
more information: "Libby Indictment May Open Door to
Broader Iraq War Deceptions" by Stephen Zunes, in
Foreign Policy In Focus, November 14, 2005
<http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/2925>]
President Bush still insists that the invasion of
Iraq was a necessary part of his 'War on Terror', even
though no one believes Iraq played a role in the 9/11
attacks. Instead, the invasion has created more
animosity against the US and its allies and further
inflamed violent extremists.
Ever since the Project for a New American Century
(whose leaders now hold positions in the Bush
Administration) tried to persuade President Clinton to
invade Iraq in 1989, it has been clear that an extreme
Republican faction wanted to remove Saddam Hussein and
gain control over Iraq's oil resources. This faction
has reintroduced the concept of invasion for
'preemptive' purposes, which had been outlawed after
World War II by international laws, including the UN
Charter, to which the US was signatory.
Ahmed Chalabi recently visited Washington and met
with Vice President Cheney and other leaders. This is
the same Ahmed Chalabi who fed the US misinformation
about Iraqi WMDs, who allegedly passed US secrets to
Iran, who was convicted of embezzlement in Jordan --
and was named Interim Oil Minister in Iraq, with the
Bush Administration's blessing.
2,000-plus dead American servicemembers; tens of
thousands of dead Iraqi civilians; mounting evidence
of torture in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other
sites; alleged wartime profiteering by firms like
Halliburton that hold multi-billion-dollar contracts;
the use of depleted uranium and outlawed chemical
weapons (white phosphorus). Meanwhile, White White
House officials try to smear war critics as
unpatriotic, and Vice President Cheney lobbies for
legalization of torture. Worst of all, we have to
endure three more years of Mr. Bush's lawless,
rock-bottom presidency.
The position of Democratic warhawks like Sen.
Hillary Clinton that we need to send more troops is
equally appalling.
* * * * *
SAMPLE LETTER #1
To the Editor,
Rep. John Murtha and other Congress members who have
condemned the Iraq War deserve our thanks, but why did
it take them so long to speak out? In early 2003, at
the beginning of the invasion, it was already evident
that the Bush Administration's motivations were based
on deception. While Democrats and the media fell for
the White House's fraudulent claims, many of us,
including the Green Party, protested the invasion.
2,000-plus dead American servicemembers; tens of
thousands of dead Iraqi civilians; mounting evidence
of torture in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other
sites; alleged wartime profiteering by firms like
Halliburton that hold multi-billion-dollar contracts;
the use of depleted uranium and outlawed chemical
weapons (white phosphorus). Meanwhile, White House
officials try to smear war critics as unpatriotic, and
Vice President Cheney lobbies for legalization of
torture. Worst of all, we have to endure three more
years of Mr. Bush's lawless, rock-bottom presidency.
The position of Democratic warhawks like Sen. Hillary
Clinton that we need to send more troops is equally
appalling. The only rational action is immediate
withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. The demand by some
Democrats for a withdrawal plan by the end of 2006
will only result in more US troop and Iraqi civilian
deaths.
President Bush, indulged by the Democratic leadership
and major media, has shamed the US, breached
international and US constitutional law, and weakened
our security. We need to hold them all accountable,
and we need new political leadership.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
* * * * *
SAMPLE LETTER #2
To the Editor,
Rep. John Murtha and other Congress members who have
condemned the Iraq War deserve our thanks, but why did
it take them so long to speak out? In 2003, it was
already evident that the White House's reasons for
going to war were fraudulent, and many of us,
including the Green Party, protested the invasion.
When Republicans and many Democrats voted to transfer
Congress's constitutionally mandated war power to the
White House in October 2002, they undermined the
balance of power and created the scenario for the
massive abuse of power by the Bush Administration's
radical ideologues.
There was plenty of intelligence by early 2003 to show
that Saddam Hussein had no WMDs, although CIA analysts
were pressured to show otherwise. The inspectors'
search for WMDs in Iraq had turned up nothing when
President Bush interrupted them by launching the
invasion. The accusation that Saddam had conspired
with al-Qaeda was never plausible, and Bush officials
already knew that the nuclear weapons charge was based
on a forgery.
The only rational action now is immediate withdrawal
of US troops from Iraq. The demand by some Democrats
for a withdrawal plan by the end of 2006 will only
result in more US troop and Iraqi civilian deaths.
President Bush, indulged by the Democratic leadership
and major media, has shamed the US, breached
international and US constitutional law, and weakened
our security. We need to hold them all accountable,
and we need new political leadership.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
* * * * *
The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
National office: 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191 or 202-319-7192
866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Join the GreensWeek e-mail subscription list for the
http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/greensweek
http://www.gp.org/greensweek/index.html
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
Subject: Green Wave: Write a Green letter or op-ed column on Iraq withdrawal
Green Wave
November 2005
Attn Greens & friends
As several published articles have noted recently, a
large percentage of the public has grown disgusted
with the Bush Administration and the Republicans, but
they aren't very impressed by Democrats either.
Greens are in a unique position to advance the party's
position on the Iraq War, assert some political
leadership as the party of opposition to bipartisan
war policies, and stress the failure of Dems to
provide antiwar leadership. We need to do so publicly
and as soon as possible.
One of the best ways to do this is to flood newspapers
and other media with letters to the editor and op-ed
column submissions.
Below are a list of bullet points for this purpose,
and two sample letters to the editor. If you use the
bullet points or samples, rewrite and reword them
according to your own style and preference. If you
can, make your letter or column personal, if, for
instance, the war has touched you because of the loss
of someone you know or if you've undertaken a specific
action in opposition to the war.
These bullet points focus on the invasion itself, but
there are other points that can also be discussed,
such as Green support for Cindy Sheehan, the US's
dependency on oil and dedication to oil company
profits as a motivating factor, the revelations of the
Valerie Plame affair, and the role of Israel.
Keep your letter as concise as possible and avoid
passionate denunciations. Eight paragraph letters and
tirades that begin with "The New York Times has
deceived and betrayed the American people..." don't
get published.
Guest op-ed columns can be longer and can employ more
of the bullet points. Check the targeted newspaper's
web site for specifications. If you need some help
with editing and submitting your column, send a note
BULLET POINTS
(Important!) The only rational action is an end to
the occupation and immediate withdrawal of US troops
from Iraq. The demand by some Democrats for a
withdrawal plan by the end of 2006 will only result in
more US troop and Iraqi civilian deaths.
(Important!) President Bush and the Republicans
have shamed the US, breached international and US
constitutional law, and weakened our security. They
did so with permission from the Democratic leadership
and the major media. We need to hold them all
accountable, and we need new political leadership.
Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.) and other Congress
members who have condemned the Iraq War deserve our
thanks, but why did it take them so long to speak out?
In early 2003, at the beginning of the invasion, it
was already evident that the Bush Administration's
motivations were based on deception.
While Democrats and the media fell for the White
House's fraudulent claims, millions of Americans were
skeptical. Many of us, including the Green Party,
spoke out publicly against the invasion.
When Republicans and many Democrats voted to
transfer Congress's constitutionally mandated war
power to the White House in October 2002, they
undermined the balance of power and created the
scenario for the deceit and massive abuse of power by
the Bush Administration's radical ideologues.
There was plenty of intelligence by early 2003 to
show that Saddam Hussein had no WMDs, although CIA
analysts were pressured to show otherwise. The
inspectors' search for WMDs in Iraq had turned up
nothing when President Bush interrupted them by
launching the invasion. The accusation that Saddam
Hussein had conspired with al-Qaeda was never
plausible, and Bush officials already knew that the
nuclear weapons charge was based on a forgery.
President Bush, in his 2003 State of Union address,
and Secretary of State Colin Powell, in his February
2003 speech before the UN, misled the US and the world
-- and we should have known it. [Excellent source for
more information: "Libby Indictment May Open Door to
Broader Iraq War Deceptions" by Stephen Zunes, in
Foreign Policy In Focus, November 14, 2005
<http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/2925>]
President Bush still insists that the invasion of
Iraq was a necessary part of his 'War on Terror', even
though no one believes Iraq played a role in the 9/11
attacks. Instead, the invasion has created more
animosity against the US and its allies and further
inflamed violent extremists.
Ever since the Project for a New American Century
(whose leaders now hold positions in the Bush
Administration) tried to persuade President Clinton to
invade Iraq in 1989, it has been clear that an extreme
Republican faction wanted to remove Saddam Hussein and
gain control over Iraq's oil resources. This faction
has reintroduced the concept of invasion for
'preemptive' purposes, which had been outlawed after
World War II by international laws, including the UN
Charter, to which the US was signatory.
Ahmed Chalabi recently visited Washington and met
with Vice President Cheney and other leaders. This is
the same Ahmed Chalabi who fed the US misinformation
about Iraqi WMDs, who allegedly passed US secrets to
Iran, who was convicted of embezzlement in Jordan --
and was named Interim Oil Minister in Iraq, with the
Bush Administration's blessing.
2,000-plus dead American servicemembers; tens of
thousands of dead Iraqi civilians; mounting evidence
of torture in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other
sites; alleged wartime profiteering by firms like
Halliburton that hold multi-billion-dollar contracts;
the use of depleted uranium and outlawed chemical
weapons (white phosphorus). Meanwhile, White White
House officials try to smear war critics as
unpatriotic, and Vice President Cheney lobbies for
legalization of torture. Worst of all, we have to
endure three more years of Mr. Bush's lawless,
rock-bottom presidency.
The position of Democratic warhawks like Sen.
Hillary Clinton that we need to send more troops is
equally appalling.
* * * * *
SAMPLE LETTER #1
To the Editor,
Rep. John Murtha and other Congress members who have
condemned the Iraq War deserve our thanks, but why did
it take them so long to speak out? In early 2003, at
the beginning of the invasion, it was already evident
that the Bush Administration's motivations were based
on deception. While Democrats and the media fell for
the White House's fraudulent claims, many of us,
including the Green Party, protested the invasion.
2,000-plus dead American servicemembers; tens of
thousands of dead Iraqi civilians; mounting evidence
of torture in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other
sites; alleged wartime profiteering by firms like
Halliburton that hold multi-billion-dollar contracts;
the use of depleted uranium and outlawed chemical
weapons (white phosphorus). Meanwhile, White House
officials try to smear war critics as unpatriotic, and
Vice President Cheney lobbies for legalization of
torture. Worst of all, we have to endure three more
years of Mr. Bush's lawless, rock-bottom presidency.
The position of Democratic warhawks like Sen. Hillary
Clinton that we need to send more troops is equally
appalling. The only rational action is immediate
withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. The demand by some
Democrats for a withdrawal plan by the end of 2006
will only result in more US troop and Iraqi civilian
deaths.
President Bush, indulged by the Democratic leadership
and major media, has shamed the US, breached
international and US constitutional law, and weakened
our security. We need to hold them all accountable,
and we need new political leadership.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
* * * * *
SAMPLE LETTER #2
To the Editor,
Rep. John Murtha and other Congress members who have
condemned the Iraq War deserve our thanks, but why did
it take them so long to speak out? In 2003, it was
already evident that the White House's reasons for
going to war were fraudulent, and many of us,
including the Green Party, protested the invasion.
When Republicans and many Democrats voted to transfer
Congress's constitutionally mandated war power to the
White House in October 2002, they undermined the
balance of power and created the scenario for the
massive abuse of power by the Bush Administration's
radical ideologues.
There was plenty of intelligence by early 2003 to show
that Saddam Hussein had no WMDs, although CIA analysts
were pressured to show otherwise. The inspectors'
search for WMDs in Iraq had turned up nothing when
President Bush interrupted them by launching the
invasion. The accusation that Saddam had conspired
with al-Qaeda was never plausible, and Bush officials
already knew that the nuclear weapons charge was based
on a forgery.
The only rational action now is immediate withdrawal
of US troops from Iraq. The demand by some Democrats
for a withdrawal plan by the end of 2006 will only
result in more US troop and Iraqi civilian deaths.
President Bush, indulged by the Democratic leadership
and major media, has shamed the US, breached
international and US constitutional law, and weakened
our security. We need to hold them all accountable,
and we need new political leadership.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
* * * * *
The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
National office: 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191 or 202-319-7192
866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Join the GreensWeek e-mail subscription list for the
http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/greensweek
http://www.gp.org/greensweek/index.html
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
--
Deirdre Helfferich
Green Party of Alaska
http://www.alaska.greens.org
Tanana-Yukon Green Party
http://www.tygreens.org
Deirdre Helfferich
Green Party of Alaska
http://www.alaska.greens.org
Tanana-Yukon Green Party
http://www.tygreens.org