|
Back
|
Iraq - Out Now, N. Korea - No Star Wars Attack
Hawkins Says US Senate Should Call for Immediate Withdrawal of Troops from Iraq
Urges Senate to Stop Deployment of Missile Defense Shield and Oppose Attack on North Korea |
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for US Senate from New York, said the debate today in the US Senate over the Kerry-Feingold proposal to withdraw American troops from Iraq by July 2007 was merely political posturing by politicians rather than a serious attempt to halt the foreign occupation of Iraq.
Hawkins also called upon the Senate to pass a resolution barring any attack on North Korea and to oppose the Bush’s administration’s activation of the so-called nuclear missile shield.
“The first step to ending violence and destruction in Iraq is the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of American troops now, not next year,” stated Hawkins. “The Iraqi armed resistance is fighting the US-led coalition of invaders. Let the Iraqi people rebuild their civil society and government free from foreign iinterference.”
“Instead of a militarized energy policy of wars for oil Iraq and soon Iran, it’s time to cut US military spending deeply and reinvest the resulting peace dividend in a global public works program to build a renewable energy infrastructure for the world. Helping the world make the transition to clean, affordable, renewable energy sources would enhance our national security by making friends instead of enemies in wars for oil,” said Hawkins.
“Where was the Kerry-Feingold resolution to withdraw the troops within a year when Kerry was running for president in 2004 when it would have made a difference?” Hawkins asked.
“Let’s remember that under our constitution, it is Congress, not the President, which has the authority to declare war. It is time for Hillary Clinton and the rest of the US Senate to start doing their jobs, to take back their constitutional war powers, to declare peace with the Iraqi people, and to bring our troops home. Coming home also means closing our military bases in Iraq, not using them as permanent staging areas to militarily dominate the oil-rich Middle East,” added Hawkins.
Hawkins also urged the Senate to oppose the Bush administration’s decision to activate its nuclear missile shield in response to the potential testing by North Korea of a new missile. “The Senate should pass a resolution opposing any military attacks on North Korea, including a missile test. Instead, the Senate should call for the US to finally sign a peace treaty finally ending the Korean War. The US should support the six country negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear program constructively instead of making unilateral demands on North Korea designed to stall the talks. It is time for the US government to recognize that its half-century of military confrontation with North Korea has been counterproductive,” stated Hawkins.
“The solution to nuclear proliferation is not for the US to escalate its nuclear war capacities with its Star Wars missile shield in order to bully those it disagrees with. The US should show leadership in reducing global nuclear armaments by taking unilateral steps to dismantle its own massive nuclear arsenal,” Hawkins added.
Hawkins recently called on the US Senate to eliminate funding for the nuclear missile defense program as it began debate on the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill. Hillary Clinton, Hawkins' opponent, is a long-time advocate for nuclear missile defense. She has supported President Bush in seeking increased funding to speed development of a nuclear missile defense system.
"The Star Wars nuclear missile defense system is a pork-barrel payday for military contractors. It doesn’t work and doesn’t respond to any credible threat to this country,” said Hawkins.
“The real purpose of Star Wars is not the advertised defensive shield, but offensive laser-guided weapons in space with striking capabilities anywhere in the world. Stars Wars is for gunboat diplomacy in the space age,” added Hawkins.
|
| |
 *Website by David Doonan, Labor Donated to Hawkins for Senate Campaign* |
|
|
