georgefearing.com

For Immediate Release: 

Monday, March 17, 2008

Kennewick — Today, George Fearing, Democrat running for Congress against Rep. Doc Hastings, signed onto ‘The Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.’ This past Saturday noted the five-year anniversary of the War in Iraq.

‘The Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq’ is presented to the nation by a growing list of candidates for Congress and retired military officers who have the courage to call for change, the ‘Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq’ provides solutions to the most important obstacles for getting out of Iraq and onto restoring America’s moral standing in the world.

This plan can be downloaded here.

“A responsible plan to end the war means we must prepare for troop withdrawal in Iraq much more carefully than the current administration planned the initial invasion,” said Fearing. “It means we must end U.S. combat missions and lead with our diplomatic power.”

“But a responsible plan to end the war in Iraq does not end there,” Fearing continued. “It extends to helping create a stabilized region and addressing humanitarian concerns. It ends with restoring our Constitution, our military and the media.

“At the heart of the matter is that we must create a new U.S.- centered energy policy,” said Fearing.

Fearing concluded with a call to join the effort. “Join with me in calling for the ‘Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq. Together we can get out of Iraq, strengthen America and restore our moral standing in the world.”

The plan answers two important strategic questions facing U.S. involvement in Iraq and provides a comprehensive plan to end the Iraq War responsibly:

1. How do we bring American military engagement in Iraq to a responsible end?

There is no military solution to the problems faced in Iraq: the real progress that can be made requires diplomatic, political, and economic means. We must stop counter-productive military operations by U.S. occupation forces and end our military presence in Iraq.

2. How do we prevent a repeat of the mistakes we’ve made?

The breakdown of checks and balances in our government led to bad decision-making which damaged America’s national security. Ending this war and preventing future situations like it requires that we restore these Constitutional checks and balances and fix the ways in which our governmental, military, and civil institutions have failed us.

End U.S. Military Action in Iraq:

There is no military solution in Iraq. Our current course unacceptably holds U.S. strategic fortunes hostage to events in Iraq that are beyond our control; we must change course. Using diplomatic, political, and economic power, we can responsibly end the war and bring all of our troops home from Iraq.

Using U.S. Diplomatic Power:

Much of the remaining work to be completed in Iraq requires the effective use of diplomatic power. Many of Iraq’s neighbors are currently contributing to instability and need to be persuaded to assist instead in stabilization.

Addressing Humanitarian Concerns:

The humanitarian crisis caused by Iraq’s situation is destabilizing to the region and damaging to America’s moral credibility. We must both take responsibility for the Iraqis who are now endangered because of their assistance to the U.S., and we must begin to address the regional problems of displaced Iraqis.

Restoring Our Constitution:

Many mistakes were made in the course of this war, and our systems of checks and balances have failed us at critical moments. To prevent repeating those mistakes, we must repair the underlying Constitutional framework of our republic and provide checks to executive authority.

Balance must be restored between the executive and the judicial branch (for instance through the restoration of habeas corpus), between the executive and the legislative branch (for instance through clarifying that the President does not have the Constitutional authority to unilaterally alter legislation through signing statements), and between the executive and the people of the United States (for instance by clarifying that the Fourth Amendment requires probable cause and a warrant for the government to spy on Americans).

Restoring Our Military:

Repairing the damage done to our military will require reforms in contracting procedures, restoring benefits for members of the military and veterans, and investment in repairing or replacing damaged military equipment.

The need for contracting reform is substantial. Private mercenary militias have direct incentives to prolong the conflict rather than resolve it; their use needs to be phased out. Contractors and mercenaries must be legally accountable for their actions. War profiteering must be stopped, and those who have engaged in it need to answer for their actions.

The safety of our men and women in uniform requires that we adhere to international standards with respect to treatment of prisoners. We must also make it clear that the United States does not torture, and that we do not send people to other places to be tortured, either.

The military is having substantial difficulty with recruiting and retention; we could begin to help by delivering on more of the promises the original Montgomery G.I. Bill made and by delivering on our promises regarding healthcare for veterans.

Restoring Independence to the Media:

The consolidation of our news media into the control of a relatively few corporate entities stifled a full and fair discussion and debate around Iraq. A more robust debate could be encouraged by expanding access to media.

Creating a new U.S.-Centered Energy Policy:

Finally, we are clearly tied to Iraq through our dependence on oil, which makes us vulnerable. Moving away from that dependence is necessary for strategic, economic, and environmental reasons.