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On
Dec. 20 the New Haven Board of Aldermen passed a resolution on Iraq but only
after amendment. Instead of the
initial title: “A Resolution of the Board of Aldermen
calling for the Federal Government to take immediate steps to end the U.S. Occupation
of Iraq and bring our troops
safely home.” the
language was changed to: “the New Haven Board of Aldermen calls for
the federal government to take immediate steps toward a peaceful end to the US
occupation of Iraq and bring our
troops safely home." The change was significant in that several
aldermen said they supported the resolution since to them the resolution was
no longer called for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. On the other hand it does say immediate
steps should be taken to bring troops home [see below] There was a small crowd, 50 or so, who
attended on the coldest day of the year and it applauded Alderperson Joyce
Chen fervently as she spoke for the resolution. A shocker was the vote of Ben Healy, a Yale
student on the Board. He
abstained. Yale Peace and other groups
should give him hell for rejecting this resolution. Here’s how the vote went: In opposition were: RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
CALLING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TOWARDS A PEACEFUL
END TO THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ AND BRING OUR TROOPS SAFELY HOME. WHEREAS: The U.S.-led war on Iraq was based on
faulty intelligence and misrepresentation of facts; and WHEREAS: more than 900 U.S. soldiers and more than
11,000 innocent Iraqis have died from this war. The war has led to incredible environmental
degradation as well as the destruction of homes, schools, sanitation and
water treatment plants, and hospitals. Hunger, homelessness and suffering are
widespread, and WHEREAS: a majority of Americans now believe the war
was a mistake, and a majority of Iraqis oppose the U.S. presence in Iraq; and WHEREAS: the war in Iraq is a huge drain on national
and local resources. Congress has approved $151 billion in appropriations for
military and reconstruction spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, and according
to the National Priorities Project, the war has cost New Haven more than $71
million in budgetary spending; and WHEREAS:
several municipalities are addressing the war on Iraq because of its
effect on local government. The San
Francisco Board of Supervisors have submitted a “Bring the Troops Home”
resolution to the November ballot.
Furthermore, some of the nation’s largest unions SEIU and AFSCME have
called for an end to the occupation of Iraq and for our troops to be brought
home; and WHEREAS:
several New Haven and area residents are in Iraq now, and they and
their families have expressed feelings of opposition to the war they are
risking their lives to fight. Several
who are currently in Iraq have testified to the futility of this war; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the New Haven Board
of Aldermen calls for the federal government to take immediate steps towards
a peaceful end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq and bring our troops safely
home. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be forwarded
to the elected Connecticut congressional delegation. |
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New
Haven Aldermen Say, “Bring Our
Troops Safely Home” |
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To
contact me: |
