Dems Call for Iraq Withdrawal

The Columbia College Democrats are going where their party is not willing to go. As senators and representatives in Washington bicker over feckless legislation opposing an escalation, the Columbia Democrats are voicing their disgust with this failed war and their opposition to continued American military involvement in Iraq. This is not a time for symbolic gestures of bipartisan unity.

Republican efforts on Monday to block closure and prevent debate on a nonbinding resolution against the McCain-Bush escalation is an insulting, immoral political maneuver. It undermines Congress' power to legislate in a time of war and belittles those we have sent into a war contrived under false pretenses and maintained without direction.

The war in Iraq has become a national disaster unparalleled in recent years. The invasion served to replace tyranny with anarchy that has proven to be even more disastrous. Our continued presence has initiated sectarian violence, worsened America's image abroad, isolated us from our allies, empowered extremists, and led to the tragic deaths of over 3,300 Americans and an untold number of Iraqis-untold because the Bush and Blair administrations refuse to even validate the lives of Iraqis with an official death count. Enough is enough.

A Columbia Democrats body meeting on Wednesday resulted in an unequivocal call for withdrawal. Both Senator Russ Feingold and Senator Barack Obama have recognized the need for a swift end to the Iraq debacle. Their two pieces of legislation address the current situation with profound realism, which, until this point, has been muted within the national discourse. While neither bill represents a perfect conclusion, each stands in stark contrast to the pathetic status quo currently suffocating Washington.

Senator Obama recognizes this reality, stating, "Our troops have performed brilliantly in Iraq, but no amount of American soldiers can solve the political differences at the heart of somebody else's civil war." His plan caps the number of U.S. troops in Iraq at 130,000 and calls for withdrawal by March of 2008. It also provides regular Congressional oversight and a flexible diplomatic strategy. The resolution includes economic, political, and security benchmarks for progress, which, if met, allow for the temporary suspension of redeployment. Also, the plan emphasizes involving regional powers in an attempt to stabilize the country.

Introducing his resolution, Senator Feingold took his colleagues to task, saying, "If Congress doesn't stop this war, it's not because it doesn't have the power-it's because it doesn't have the will." His plan moves U.S. troops out of harm's way within six months while allowing for targeted counter-terrorism operations in Iraq, continued training of Iraqi forces, and security for U.S. infrastructure and civilian personnel. It compels adherence by prohibiting the use of funds for continued deployment of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq after six months of enactment; it does not prevent any U.S. troops from receiving salaries or other resources. Finally, Feingold's resolution stipulates that the Departments of Defense and State work in unison to develop an effective, harmonious redeployment strategy.

Both Obama and Feingold have produced legislation that follows a long tradition of Congress taking action to end failed wars. In December of 1970, Congress specifically prohibited the use of funds to finance the introduction of U.S. ground troops into Cambodia. Three years later, Congress cut off funding for combat activities in Vietnam. As recently as November of 1993, warhawk Senators John McCain and Jesse Helms advocated for an end to U.S. involvement in Somalia by prohibiting funding.

The same political operatives who now say withdrawal is unfeasible said the same thing four years ago about opposing the Iraq invasion. We are tired of excuses and political pandering. We are tired of non-binding resolutions and empty rhetoric. It is time to advocate for and implement solutions to stop this protracted and destructive conflict.

In the spirit of the national momentum for change expressed in November-in the tradition of Columbia Democrats activism-we will press Washington to implement a plan for withdrawal from Iraq. Through the Activist Council, we will engage in aggressive advocacy regarding this legislation. As students, we must take on the challenge of ending a war that will be fought and paid for largely by our generation. As Democrats, we believe that our congressional leaders have presented real solutions that must be acted on now.