====== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ======
America First Party
1630 A 30th Street #111
Boulder, Colorado 80301
http://www.AmericaFirstParty.org
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Support the Troops and Bring Them Home
Boulder, CO -- In response to this evening's State of the Union Address,
National Party Chair Dan Charles issues the following statement:
"The America First Party took a principled stand in August 2002
opposing the invasion and occupation of Iraq on the grounds that Saddam
Hussein was a threat to his neighbors and to his own people, but posed
no threat to our nation or its people. We also believed that Al Queda
was unconnected at the time to Iraq and invading and occupying that
country would only serve to recruit new terrorists and bring them to
Iraq and elsewhere. We later contended that the way this country went
to war--without a congressional declaration of war--was
unconstitutional. The facts since have only proved us right.
"President Bush, and members of Congress from both parties ignored our
advice. Now that elections have been held in Iraq, we should move
expeditiously to bring our troops back home. It is time for Iraqis to
stand and defend their own nation and budding democracy. Our withdrawal
from their nation should be accomplished quickly and in a manner that
does not undermine the efforts of the vast majority of Iraqis who want
to live in peace under laws of their own making, in a land not occupied
by foreign troops. Funding for continued occupation should be rejected.
"The AFP supports our fighting troops, and is proud of the way the vast
majority of them have conducted their mission, with courage and
compassion. However, our elected officials and civilian leadership have
let them down. We call on Congress to provide the troops with the
resources to safely return home. No longer should they be abused and
misused by being left needlessly in harm's way.
"Democrats now cry out against the war after they agreed to fund and
fight it. Nowhere in our Constitution or Declaration of Independence
does it obligate or encourage us to protect other nations from their
own leaders or to expand our form of government by force of arms.
"There are many heartbreaking stories about tyrannical governments, but
we were warned by our first president that we should avoid taking sides
in the disputes of sovereign nations. We should serve as an example,
championing liberty wherever it exists, but we ought not impose freedom
from the barrel of a gun. We are a republic--we ought not seek empire.
"The cost of this war, both in blood and treasure, is staggering. The
price of an Iraq free of Saddam Hussein has been too high. The cost to
our moral authority both at home and abroad has been too great. It is
time to bring our troops home."
Contacts:
Dan Charles, National Chairman, 1-866-SOS-USA1, ext. 4
Romelle Winters, Press Secretary, 1-866-SOS-USA1, ext. 2
##30##
