Senator
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: Please act now to end the Iraq war

Dear Senator,

The Iraq war has been a disaster for the United States, Iraq, and the international community. The Administration and Congress have agreed by now that there were no weapons of mass destruction and no links between Saddam Hussein and Al Queda. Thousands of American troops have died and tens of thousands have been injured, many seriously. Uncounted numbers, likely well over 100,000, of Iraqis have died, most of them civilians. Our government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars, causing a massive increase in our budget deficit and a terrible drain of resources away from urgent domestic needs for security, health care, environmental protection, education, and infrastructure.

And the killing continues unabated while Iraq has become a huge breeding ground for terrorists and teeters toward civil war. The Iraq war has not made America safer, it has not improved the lives of Iraqis, and it has strengthened Iran while further destabilizing the Middle East.

I join a majority of Americans in demanding that this travesty be ended as soon as humanly possible. I strongly urge you to end the war in Iraq by co-sponsoring and actively supporting the efforts of Senators Boxer, Feingold, Harkin and Kerry to bring our troops home from Iraq by the end of this year. Please speak out publicly in favor of a change in the focus of U.S. policy from how the U.S. wins in Iraq to how the U.S. leaves.

Specifically, I urge you to help pass legislation that:

• States that it is the U.S. policy to remove all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq.
• Requires the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq.
• Provides resources for reconstruction through appropriate multinational, national, and Iraqi agencies.

I join millions of Americans in a pledge to not vote for any holder of public office who does not advocate a rapid end to the Iraq War and a near-term withdrawal of American troops. I will continue to closely monitor your actions in this vital matter.