Why we stand for immediate withdrawal of all U.S troops from Iraq.


THE U.S. occupation of Iraq has not liberated the Iraqi people, but has made life worse for most Iraqis.

Tens of thousands of U.S. service people have been killed or maimed, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have lost their lives

as a result of the U.S. invasion in 2003, the ongoing occupation, and the violence unleashed by them.

Iraq's infrastructure has been destroyed, and U.S. plans for reconstruction abandoned. There is less electricity, less clean drinking water, and more unemployment today than before the U.S. invasion.

All of the justifications initially provided by the U.S. for waging war on Iraq have been exposed as lies; the real reasons for the invasion — to control Iraq's oil reserves and to increase U.S. strategic influence in the region — now stand revealed.

The Bush administration has insisted again and again that stability, democracy, and prosperity are around the next bend in the road. But with each day that the U.S. stays, the violence and lack of security facing Iraqis worsen. The U.S. says that it cannot withdraw its military because Iraq will collapse into civil war if it does. But the U.S. has deliberately stoked sectarian divisions in its ongoing attempt to install a U.S.-friendly regime, thus driving Iraq towards civil war.

The November elections in the United States sent a clear message that voters reject the Iraq war, and opinion polls show that seven in 10 Iraqis want the U.S. to leave sooner rather than later. Even most U.S. military and political leaders agree that staying the course in Iraq is a policy that is bound to fail.

Yet all the various alternative plans for Iraq now being discussed in Washington, including those proposed by House and Senate Democrats, aren't about withdrawing the U.S. military from Iraq. Rather, these strategies are about continuing the pursuit of U.S. goals in Iraq and the larger Middle East using different means.

Even the proposal to redeploy U.S. troops outside of Iraq, a plan favored by many Democratic Party leaders, envisions continued U.S. intervention inside Iraq.

With former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger insisting that a military victory in Iraq is no longer possible and (Ret.) Lt. Gen. William Odom calling for "complete withdrawal" of all U.S. troops, the antiwar movement should demand no less than the immediate withdrawal of the U.S. military — as well as reparations to the Iraqi people, so they can rebuild their own society and genuinely determine their own future.

We call on the U.S. to get out of Iraq — not in six months, not in a year, but now.

- Initial Signatories -

Ali Abunimah - ElectronicIraq.net
Gilbert Achcar - Author, Clash of Barbarisms
Michael Albert - Znet
Tariq Ali, Author - Bush in Babylon
Anthony Arnove - Author Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
Noam Chomsky - Author, Hegemony or Survival
Kelly Dougherty - Executive Director, Iraq Veterans Against the War*
Eve Ensler - Playwright, The Vagina Monologues
Eduardo Galeano - Author, The Open Veins of Latin America
Rashid Khalidi - Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies, Columbia University
Camilo Mejía - First Iraq War resister
Arundhati Roy - Author, God of Small Things
Cindy Sheehan - Gold Star Families for Peace, mother of Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, killed in Iraq
Howard Zinn - Author, A People's History of the United States

[ If you agree, please add your signature here ]

This petition initiative also appears as a "Action Item" on the website of the Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice. Click here to see a list of Illinois peace and justice groups who support this statement.

Note: The Illinois signatures below are listed in the order posted to the I Petition website. To see the latest national/international total, hit your browser refresh button once you've accessed the website

1. Dick Reilly - Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism
2. Tracy Van Slyke - In These Times
3. Christine Geovanis - HammerHard MediaWorks
4. Daniel Romero
5. Rose Trejo - International Socialist Organization
6. Julien Ball
7. Andrew Heiserman
8. Adam Norden
9. Erik Bowen
10. Norman Watkins- Alumni of University of IL
11. Alice Kim- Campaign to End the Death Penalty, ISO
12. Francisco Cisneros - Pilsen-Little Village Community Mental Health Center, Inc.
13. Patricia Miller
14. Helen Redmond
15. Carrie Cusulick
16. Anand Gopal
17. Eric Ruder
18. Andy Thayer - Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, Gay Liberation Network
19. Mary Hough
20. Joleen Kirschenman
21. Dennis Kosuth
22. Kathleen Walsh - Military Families Speak Out
23. Reuven Kaminer
24. Matthew Murrey
25. Chris Kade
26. Michael McIntyre - DePaul University
27. Richard Wenger - Carpenters International Union
28. Patrck Barnard
29. Michael Weber
30. Adam Turl - International Socialist Organization
31. Judith Wittner - Loyola University
32. Bob Schwartz - AFSCME 3477 (retired)
33. Margaret Power
34. Peter Bradley
35. Lance Selfa - Editor, The Struggle for Palestine
36. Kenneth Green
37. Jacob Buckrop
38. Keeanga Yamahtta Taylor - Northeastern Illinois University Students Against the War
39. Troy Pasulka - Cornell University
40. Elizabeth Lalasz - Harold Washington College, City Colleges of Chicago
41. Bruce Fields
42. Robert Steel - SAVAIPA
43. Spencer Thayer - Printing and Publishing House Workers Industrial Union 450, IWW
44. Twyman Jones - Illinois State University
45. Joanne Speer
46. Sussan Navabi - UIC Students For Social Justice
47. William Ayers - U of Illinois at Chicago
48. William Lamb
49. Mary Hirose
50. Joe Lapsley
51. Tom Newman
52. John Platt
53. Erik Lobo - VVAW/ Vets For Peace
54. Carl McSweeney
55. Kim Abel
56 Amanda Armstrong - University of Chicago .
57. Douglas Jett
58. Michael Moon
59. Don Samaan
60. Rick Coleman
61. Dan Kenney
62. Rupa Shah
63. Ron Chew
64. Walter Ruf
65. Naz O.
66. Bill Chambers
67. Kent McNeill
68. Julia Field - Chicago Area CodePINK
69. Dawn Anderson
70. Mary Beth Ingberg
71. Carl G. Estabrook - U of Illinois
72. Sonny Garcia - AFSCME
73. John Haberstroh
74. Linda Artl
75. Newland Smith - Episcopal Peace Fellowship
76. Widad Al Bassam - Arab American Action Network
77. John Dixon
78. Michael Abdul-Malik Ryan
79. Nadia Kanhai - Greater Aurora Peace & Justice
80. Lauren Fleer - University of Illinois - Chicago
81. Mark Almberg
82. Kyla Klein
83. Siobhan Kolar - Northern Illinois University
84. Jim Spurgeon
85. Paul D'Amato - International Socialist Review
86. Willard Gray - Retired U.S. Military, 1964
87. Stuart Easterling - University of Chicago
88. Carol Novak
89. Steve Macek - North Central College
90. Sean Schwabenlander
91. Luisanna Zamora
92. Kevin Clark - International Solidarity Movement - Chicago Chapter
93. Wm Deutsch
94. Paul Appell
95. Elizabeth Parker Siebeck
96. Robyn Rybarski
97. Batool Jafri
98. Peter Klimon
99. Susan Osada
100. Patricia Guizzetti - Chicago Teacher's Union
101. John F. Kelleher - UBC Local #13
102. Richard Hagen - Teamsters
103. Graham Shaw - UIC student
104. Joe Iosbaker - Freedom Road Socialist Organization
105. Jon Bailey - Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism
106. James Owens - UIC
107. Chris Kaihatsu - Marxist.com (for affiliation purposes only)
108. Jeffrey J. Black
109. Amy Meyers - Chicagoland Coalition Opposed to the Militarization of Youth, CCAWR
110. Mary Shesgreen
111. Rev. Robert Poe - www.redstarremodeling.com
112. Andrew Lehman
113. Dan Lichtenstein-Boris
114. Virginia Wisdom
115. Joel Geier - International Socialist Organization.
116. Patrick Murfin - Interfaith Council for Social Justice, McHenry Co. IL.
117. Martin Smith - Univ. of Illinois-Campus Antiwar Network
118. Carl Davidson - Chicagoans Against War and Injustice
119. Burton Steck
120. Michael Lynn - Billionaires for Bush
121. Hendrik Hoeve
122. Theodore Steck - University of Chicago
123. Jared Kubokawa
124. Elise Auerbach
125. K. Ryann Zalewski - National Lawyers Guild
126. Dickelle Fonda - North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice
127. Louis Hirsch
128. James Jaeger
129. Alan Maass - Socialist Worker
130. Steven Grossman - Various
131. Gregg Brazel
132. Peter Sporn - Northwestern University
133. Dale Lehman - Neighbors For Peace
134. John Bradley
135. Stephen Sellers
136. Joan Sessions
137. Lenore Wolf
138. Dan Weakley
139. Hatem Abudayyeh
140. Eric Schuster - Strike Online Journal
141. Yanni Chill - Campus AntiWar Network (UIUC)
142. Meredith Luera
143. Stansfield Smith - Chicago Committee to Free the Cuban 5
144. Sharon Weinblatt
145. Jean Paskalides - Lake Area Peace Partners
146. Rosalie Riegle
147. Sarah Staggs
148. Sarah Schroeder
149. Karen Pallist - Neighbors For Peace
150. Donald Goldhamer
151. Timi Papas
152. Sam Jebamony
153. James Fennerty - National Lawyers Guild
154. David Adams
155. Margaret Haracz - Military Families Speak Out - Chicago Chapter
156 .Norman Yeaton - Anti-war.com reader
157. Betsy Schonitzer
158. Alena Dryden
159. Earl G. Bley Jr.
160. Matt Larson - Northeastern Illinois University Students Against War,ISO
161. Kelvin Rodolfo - University of Illinois at Chicago
162. Dennis Murphy
163. Dale Peters - Veterans For Progress IL
164. Manijeh Marashi
165. Sarah McNeill
166. Neighbors for Peace - Evanston
167. Scott Gilbert
168. Seema Imam - EduVision Plus Consulting
169. Robin Schirmer - Chicago Area CodePINK
170. Howard Ehrman - UIC
171. Sharon Klopner
172. Maria Ortiz Martinez
173. Ahndrea Sprattling - Harold Washington College
174. Richard Henzel - Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actors Equity Association
175. Daniel Dworsky
176. Carol Hayse - Chicago Teachers Union
177. David Harwick
178. Eileen Frazier
179. Mary O'Sullivan - Friends of Irish Freedom
180. Phillip Kullen - CRLN / Co-Op America
181. Margaret Brady
182. Dawn Silver
183. Deborah Shaw-Staley
184. Ronald Ivan Staley
185. Violet Staley
186. Michael Kirk
187. Jessica Schwartz
188. Fr. Jim Hoffman, OFM - Sacred Heart Province JPIC
189. Kristin McKay
190. Shiren Rattigan
191. Michiko Bickelman
192. Gabriela Fitz
193. Patricia McCue
194. Ian Wisniewski - SAG/AFTRA
195. Claudia Masterson
196. Karina Wisniewski - SAG/AFTRA
197. Janise Hurtig - University of Illinois at Chicago
198. Nicole O'Hara
199. John O'Hara - IBEW Local 134
200. Tony Hintze
201. Sr. Dorothy Pagosa
202. Jim Vail - CPS
203. Craig Teichen - Gay Liberation Network
204. Maria de la Torre
205. Kathy Bartlein
206. Vanessa Vail
207. Marjorie Altergott
208. Carole Pinson
209. Diane O'Neill
210. Alex Varsegi
211. George Kontos
212. Bruce Alan Beal - Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism
213. John Pottinger - Socialist Action
214. Bettina Perillo
215. Nancy Mikelsons
216. William Jacobson
217. Beverley Walter
218. Gisela Lopez
219. Tom Miebach - International Socialist Organization
220. Thomas Baker - Nicaragua Solidarity Chicago
221. Mitchell Szczepanczyk - Chicago Media Action
222. Andrew Zimmerer
223. Sabrina Ahmed - University of Illinois
224. Claire Wang- International Socialist Organization
225. Amanda Joy Sidell
226. Laurel Lambert Schmidt
227. Jeff Frank
228. Margaret Nagel
229. Barbara Page
230. Doris Lefley
231. Gail Lehman
232. Luis Pelayo - Hispanic Council
233. Craig Bolt - McGraw-Hill Companies
234. Mike Whitelaw
235. Christian Haesemeyer - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
236. Gregory Ingleright
237. Philip Engblom
238. John Pitman Weber
239. Lynn Pollack
240. Philip Kaplan
241. Brent Mesick
242. Jan & Durl Kruse - AWARE
243. Sarah Rothschild - University of Illinois - Chicago
244. Matthew Wackerle - University of Chicago
245. Wayne Heimbach
246. Diane Elliot
247. James Weaver - University of Chicago
248. Kent Wilson - Univ. of Illinois at Chicago
249. Kathleen Gillogly - Columbia College Chicago
250. Lisa Vellenga
251. Phyllis Younger
252. Mike Janecek
253. Doris Ramirez
254. Natalie Fox - University of Illinois at Chicago
255. Jed Schenkier - University of Illinois at Chicago
256. Sean Seckler
257. Ted Pearson - Lincoln Park Neighbors United for Peace-Chicago
258. Shira Tevah - University of Chicago
259. Patricia Kirchberg
260. Kathleen Desautels, SP - 8th Day Center for Justice
261. Lloyd Mason - DePaul University
262. Mardge Cohen
263. Bill Ryan
264. Edna Atella
265. Stephen Oren
266. Sara Sayigh - Chicago Public Schools
267. Kyle Gilbertson
268. Steve Cox - UIC
269. Robin Kaufman
270. Mary Ann Martin
271. Mark Dreessen - University of Chicago
272. David Derbes - AFT
273. Nathan Helsabeck - Illinois Green Party
274. Frank Gleeson
275. Behzad Raghian
276. Glen Etzkorn
277. Audrey Natcone
278. Dennis Fritz - AFSCME
279. Paul Ford - Covenant United Church of Christ
280. Michael Corlew - 8th Day Center for Justice
281. Mark T. Harris
282. Christopher Dork - Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Teachers Union
283. Craig Foley
284. Henry Kronner
285. Jacqueline Schmitt - North Central College
286. Hazel Ginsberg
287. Kate Grim-Feinberg - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
288. Carlos Carrillo
289. Phil Passen
290. Beth Grossman
291. Samuel Dreessen - University of Chicago Laboratory High School
292. Daniel Tracy
293. John Harris
294. Angie Haban
295. Cristobal Cavazos - Dupage Peace Through Justice Coalition
296. Victor Persico
297. Marlene Martin - Campaign to End the Death Penalty
298. Kevin Patterson
299. Patrick Dunn - University of Chicago
300. Ramzi Dreessen - University of Chicago Lab School
301. Allen E. Blaurock
302. Lora Gordon
303. Kevin Lindemann - DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition
304. Wendy Boatman - Chicago Teachers Union
305. Samantha Thomas - FutureDirected Associates
306. Mark Johnson
307. Dolores C. Pino, J.D.
308. Jennifer Wright - International Socialist Organization
309. Mary E. Meckley - CTA
310. Patricia Hunt
311. Sharene Shaw
312. Marjorie Pfeifer
313. Denis Mulvihill
314. Maggie Kmiecik
315. Susan Dwyer
316. Valeria Benitez
317. Bradley Dilworth
318. Matthew Sorensen
319. Rolando Villarreal Sosa
320. Michael Strickland
321. Cecile Meyer - DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice
322. Cathy Schneider
323. Dana Maas
324. Karen Gutierrez - Northern Illinois University
325. Greg Bishop - www.bishoponair.com
326. Laura Cleveland
327. Dean Christ
328. Faith Agostinone - Aurora University
329. Karla Pineda
330. Gordon Schiff - Cook County Hospital
331. Lexi Forbes - SDS
332. Nick Kreitmen
333. Robin Kaufman
334. Michael R. Moore
335. Natasha Dyer
336. Alex Vanlemmeren
337. Erek Slater
338. Luisanna Zamara
339. Jonathan Zirkle
340. Paul DiGuida
341. Andrea Sprattling
342. Charles Hendrix
343. Deb Novar
344. Cheryl Chapman - NWCPJ
345. Justin Hardy - DePaul University
346. Daniel Neuffer - Depaul University
347. John Surdyk - NWCPJ
348. Carl Lowendorf
349. Larry Unruh
350. Deborah Lake - http://www.sankofaway.org
351. Shane Swiderski - AFSCME
352. Raad Ismail
353. Amy Ismail
354. Warn Dominique
355. Epigmallio Miranda
356. Anastacia Cortez
357. Ruyualda Salgada
358. Andrea Messine
359. Dhawel Aothi
360. Jose Urbina
361. Auren Lusburg
362. Raquel Vega - ISO
363. Jennifer Rodriguez
364. Mirella Rodriguez
365. Brenda Balderas
366. Carlos Martinez
367. David Tribble
368. Chiquita Smith
369. Bill Gant
370. Billy Garrett
371. Ruben Alvarez
372. Jessica Auijano
373. Esperanza Santana
374. Timando Naualle Marias
375. Alycia Rauiz
376. Guadleyaw Avery
377. Peggy Fay
378. Robert Boldt - IAM,UAW,IBT
379. Fadia Afaneh - Campus Anti-War Network
380. Peter Rhomberg - Campus Antiwar Network
381. Anna Salazar
382. Michael Kozlowicz - IWW
383. Theresa Rodriguez
384. Matt Mitchener - Oak Park River Forest High School
385. Steve Cox - Students for Social Justice
386. Chris Mayor
387. Alan Beggerow
388. Nathan Dirscherl - UIC Chicago
389. David Cory
390. Michael Slager - University of Illinois at Chicago
391. Scott Drummond