Maplewood, NJ Bring the Troops Home

Type: Resolutions

Status: Adopted on 1/16/07

Vote: In Favor - 4 Opposed - 1 (A separate resolution was adopted 5-0)

Source File:

Text:

RESOLUTION URGING THE WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED STATES TROOPS FROM IRAQ (passed 4-1)

Be it resolved by the Township Committee of Maplewood, County of Essex, State of New Jersey, that:

1) The Maplewood Township Committee urges the Federal Government to immediately commence a planned, orderly, and rapid withdrawal of all military personnel from Iraq; and

2) A copy of this resolution is to be forwarded to President George W. Bush, Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Congressmen Donald Payne and William Pascrell.

Language of Unanimous Resolution:

Whereas the Maplewood Township Committee recognizes the long and proud history of current and former residents of Maplewood in defending our nation during times of war and crisis and;

Whereas the Township Committee honors the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women now serving in the United States armed forces and;

Whereas more than 3,000 United States servicemen and servicewomen have lost their lives in the current war in Iraq and;

Whereas more than 20,000 United States servicemen and servicewomen have sustained serious injuries in that war and;

Whereas tens of thousands and by some estimates hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens have died as a result of the war and;

Whereas the war has cost US taxpayers nearly $400 billion, New Jersey taxpayers more than $17 billion and Maplewood taxpayers more than $70 million and;

Whereas the bipartisan Iraq Study Group headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton reached consensus that all US combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be out of Iraq within a year and;

Whereas numerous efforts by Maplewood citizens have raised awareness of the human, economic and security costs of the war in Iraq and;

Whereas the petition signed by more than 1,100 local citizens, co-authored by South Mountain Peace Action and by Paul Schroeder and Rosemary Palmer, parents of Marine Lance Corporal Augie Schroeder, a Columbia High School graduate who was killed in Haditha, Iraq in August 2005, reads as follows:

Petition for a Responsible Withdrawal from Iraq to Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez Congressmen Donald Payne and William Pascrell

The undersigned residents of New Jersey, noting that 72% of US troops in Iraq wanted all United States troops to be withdrawn in 2006¹, urge you to work for legislation in the Senate and House to implement a responsible US withdrawal from Iraq as follows:

(1) The US commits to ending its military deployment in Iraq and disavows any desire for permanent military bases there;

(2) The US immediately offers to negotiate with all Iraqi factions, including the insurgents but not Al-Qaeda, to reduce US troop levels to zero in stages, in exchange for reduced levels of violence, and to increase US economic assistance in exchange for protection of Iraqi minority rights;

(3) After six months if such negotiations fail to take place or do not achieve reduced troop levels and reduced violence levels, the US will then proceed to end its military deployment in Iraq as soon as practicable and
¹ Zogby poll http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1075

Now, Therefore, the Township Committee of Maplewood NJ recognizes said petition as an important contribution to the quest for a just and fair conclusion to United States military involvement in Iraq and agrees to circulate this proclamation to the towns and cities of New Jersey and to our Governor and Senators and Congressional Representative and;

II. Whereas the Township Committee of Maplewood NJ recognizes the importance of ongoing efforts by local citizens to promote the goals of peace and security, and that one of those efforts is the holding of an annual Be About Peace Day in Maplewood and South Orange; Now, Therefore, the Township Committee of Maplewood NJ proclaims Saturday March 24, 2007 as Be About Peace Day in Maplewood NJ and will so inform the towns and cities of New Jersey, our Governor and Senators and Congressional Represenatives.