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Protesters gather across US to mark sixth anniversary of Iraq War

by Amy Judd | March 21, 2009 at 09:48 am

233 views | 14 Recommendations | 4 comments

About three hundred protestors have gathered in Washington DC this morning to mark the sixth anniversay of the US invasion of Iraq.

More than 1,000 groups sponsored the protest in DC today and many said that Obama is stalling on his plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.

They carried placards and have placed coffins covered with flags from a number of countries around the Lincoln Memorial.

They want the President will withdraw all troops from Iraq now, and not by the 2011 deadline that he as stated previously.

"Obama seems to be led somewhat by the bureaucracies. I want him to follow up on his promise to end the war," said 66-year-old Perry Parks of Rockingham, N.C., who served in the Army for nearly 30 years, including in Vietnam. "But the longer it goes, the more it seems like he's stalling."

A small group also gathered of veterans and parents of soldiers to counter the protest near the Vietnam War Memorial.

"We're for victory. When our president and Congress send our men and women to war, they send them there to win or else don't send them at all," said Kirby, a Vietnam veteran.

The protest is being held a few days after the March 19 anniversary. Demonstrations also are planned in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Member stories:

March 20: 6th Anniversay of Pre-Emptive Strike Against Iraq
The 6th Annual March Against the Iraq War - what to expect

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eastvanray

at 19:00 on March 21st, 2009

What a bleak turnout. I can get more people out for my Superbowl party!

Mikasi

at 22:45 on March 21st, 2009

I was at the Milwaukee rally today and I would say they had just as many turn out. However, if you are familiar with Milwaukee that was a pretty good turn out.

I wouldn't make fun of it though. This war was structured from the beginning to have as little impact on the American public as possible. We gave the job of fighting it to an isolated minority (the service member population) then sent them over there again and again and again to do tours.

To add insult to injury we even extended their service dates involuntarily. Gods, but we worked hard to screw them, and still the President's numbers plummeted.

If this war has done anything for me it has made me see the wisdom of a draft - even in peacetime. A draft, properly administered (and that means no George, you don't get cutsies to the front of the National Guard line) works to both make sure we as a people share a national experience. It gives us all a tie that unites.

Also, if people see that they have something to invest in a war - their child's life - they will be more intent on making sure the war is necessary.

eastvanray

at 13:57 on March 23rd, 2009

I am glad my country does not draft its military. I think that you should really only have an armed force that is made of people who voluntarily sign up and therefore want to be soldiers. I do not believe in forcing people who do not want to fight to join the armed services (unless you are fighting a foreign invading force on your own soil - and 911 does not qualify as an invasion).

johnhkennedy

at 09:21 on March 22nd, 2009

There was no doubt that 9-11, like Pearl Harbor, needed to be avenged,
but Bush had another agenda.

Bush, Cheney, and appointees lied about WMD, aluminum tubes, and Niger Uranium to con Congress into approving an invasion of Iraq, a country that did not have anything to do with 9-11.

In WW-II, in 4 years, FDR put 13,000,000 men in the fight, beat 3 dictatorships, their leaders dead at the end.

After 7 years of War On Terror, neither Bush nor Cheney could find Osama Bin Laden, our US reputation is in the gutter, we're still at war, over 4,200 US Soldiers are dead, over 30,000 maimed for the Bush-Cheney arrogance and lies. They ordered Torture, a violation of Federal Law.

If we as a people hope to force our public officials to obey our laws and our Constitution,
the time is Now
and the way to do it is
to prosecute members of the Bush administration
who violated Federal Laws,
including the law against Torturing prisoners.

The reason that we continue to have unnecessary wars of choice is
that our Congress makes excuses for lawbreaking officials instead of impeaching or prosecuting them.

Unless Obama's statement that “no one is above the law” is a lie,
Obama must appoint a Special Prosecutor for Bush, Cheney and the appointee lawyers that advocated Torture, violated many Federal Laws, our Constitution & the Geneva Convention on Torture.

Sign The Petition To Prosecute them

http://ANGRYVoters.org