Greens join mourning of 2,000 U.S. war dead in Iraq; Blame both Republican, Democratic parties for sanctioning killings

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Contacts:
Cres Vellucci, State Press Office, 916-996-1970,
Beth Moore Haines, GPCA Spokesperson, 530-277-0610,
Sara Amir (Los Angeles) 310-270-7106,
Susan King (San Francisco) 415-823-5524,

SACRAMENTO (October 26, 2005) – The Green Party of California today mourned the 2,000 Americans killed in the war in Iraq – including more than 200 dead from California – and blamed the Republican and Democratic parties who voted for the war, and continue to sanction the killings by refusing to call for the war to end.

Greens are helping organize vigils across the state Wednesday for the 2,000 Americans killed. Greens are also leading drives to encourage cities and counties to approve resolutions calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

In fact, while the deaths of U.S. military personnel has now hit 2,000, that number could be closer to 10,000 if it not were for improvements in battlefield medicine. One report estimates that more than 7,000 injuries to U.S. military in Iraq were so serious the wounded would have died in other wars. Greens also note there is little notice of the more than 15,000 Americans wounded in the war, who are sent home with horrific injuries.

"Despite public opinion polls which clearly show the vast majority of Americans want the war to end, and the killing stopped, Democratic politicians refuse to call for an immediate withdrawal. They continue to de facto support the Bush Administration," said Pat Driscoll, a Vietnam-era veteran and former Green Party congressional candidate.

"The only honor that remains, the only moral and ethical thing to do to dignify, in any way, this loss of life is to immediately begin withdrawal from Iraq," said Driscoll.

"This war was a lie in the beginning. We sent our best off to fight for that lie, and we continue to ship out our troops, destroying not only their lives, and that of their loved ones, and the lives of innocent Iraqis as well," said Cres Vellucci, a former Vietnam war correspondent, and current Green Party of California press secretary.

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The Green Party of California
http://www.cagreens.org
P.O. Box 2828, Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
gpca@greens.org