analysis workbench inalienable invalidations!divisible

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29th, 2005

Contacts:
Arif Khan, Chair, Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, 920-251-0844
Jeff Peterson, Campaign Coordinator, Referendum on Troop Withdrawal from
Iraq 715.472.2728
Jill Bussiere, Co-Chair, Wisconsin Green Party 920.388.0529, cell – 920.255.2175, jdt@wisconsingreenparty.org

Libertarians and Greens: “Bring the Troops Home NOW”

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Green Party have joined
in calling for support for U.S. troops in Iraq by bringing them home as soon
as possible.

The Green and Libertarian Parties both oppose the current U.S. occupation.
Both believe war should be waged only to defend the United States, and that
the war on Iraq did not meet that condition. Both parties’ 2004
presidential candidates proposed withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
Both are concerned that the longer the U.S. occupation remains in Iraq, the
more long-term will be the damage. They agree the best thing for the United
States and Iraq is to bring U.S. troops home as quickly as possible.

“The United States was not threatened by Iraq,” said Jill Bussiere,
Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. “Many of us knew there were no
weapons of mass destruction well before the invasion, and the administration
knew it too, having fixed the ’intelligence around the policy‘ as the
Downing Street memo notes. Now, we find that the invasion and occupation of
Iraq have decreased our national security ­ just the opposite of what the
administration claims.”

The two parties take different strategies in their attempt to end the
occupation, yet they support each other’s efforts.

The Wisconsin Green Party is promoting a “Bring the Troops Home NOW!”
referendum on the April ballot in as many cities and villages as possible.
The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin is calling upon Governor Doyle to bring
home the National Guard troops.

“We are building a coalition of patriotic citizens to get a referendum on
the ballot so that Wisconsin voters have a chance to voice their opinion,”
said Jeff Peterson, who is coordinating the Bring the Troops Home
referendum. “Giving voters a voice about the war is an exercise in
democracy.”

”We call upon Governor Doyle to bring the troops home,” said Arif Khan,
Chair of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin. “Units of the 32nd Brigade
have been called to active duty, not as a last line of defense to protect
Wisconsin and the nation from foreign invaders, but to be deployed overseas
to occupy a country which the Governor and President now know was not a
threat to the U.S. Wisconsin National Guard units belong in Wisconsin, to
protect our ‘Homeland’”

This month Governor Doyle told departing Wisconsin National Guard troops at
Volk Field, “You are the ones going off and making this sacrifice so that
Wisconsin can continue being the wonderful state in which we all live.”

“If you believe that Wisconsin Guard troops are needed in Iraq to protect
Wisconsin, I have a bridge over the Black River for sale,” offered Ed
Thompson, former Libertarian candidate for governor. “President Bush misused
his powers to justify the federalization of the National Guard and the
dispatch of Wisconsin National Guard units to fight in Iraq,” said
Thompson. ”Since there was no threat to the United States, the Bush
administration had no constitutional jurisdiction to send troops to Iraq.”

”The National Guards were developed to provide security in the case of
domestic unrest and help states with dealing with natural disasters,” said
Khan. “In the interests of Wisconsin’s ‘homeland security’, rather than
waving goodbye, Governor Doyle should be demanding that all Guard members be
immediately returned to the state. Support our Guard troops—bring them
home now.”

Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
http://www.lpwi.org/

Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org

Bring Home the Troops Now! Referendum
http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org/iraqreferendum/